rod - Elias his prophetic-mantle, acknowledging that neither they nor the dispensations of which they were the representatives, had any glory by reason of "the glory that excelleth." The law seemed to say, through its representative, 'O Lamb of God, all my bleating sacrifices pointed to Thee.' Prophecy seemed to say through its representative-'O Prophet of the Highest, all my picturings and prefigurations centred in Thee.' The shadow is transformed into the substance. In Thee,' says Moses as he gazes on his transfigured Lord, 'I see the end, and meaning, and reality of the Passover-the besprinkled lintels,—the smitten rock, the serpent of brass, the blood-stained mercy-seat.' It was Thee,' says Elijah, 'I saw in the sacrifice on Carmel,— Thee, I heard in "the still small voice" of Horeb.' And when Peter, in the wonted ardour of his spirit, suggested the erection of three tabernacles-one to each of the glorified persons, God gave a very significant intimation, that both the other ministers were to give place to "the minister of the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man." For "while he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered the cloud; and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear ye him." "Hear ye HIM." "Ye have been accustomed to hear, and to regard with profound veneration, Moses and Elias and the other Prophets, but a greater than these is here. This is the illustrious personage of whom your great lawgiver himself predicted, that "a Prophet would the Lord God raise up unto you of your brethren ;"-this is He "of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth ;"

this is the true Elijah (" the strong Lord") who shall "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." "This is my beloved Son; hear ye him.' And then, when the glorious vision departed, Moses and Elias disappear, and leave "Jesus only;"-a beautiful emblem, designed to intimate that the former dispensations were now done away! Elias and Moses, two names which the disciples, in common with their countrymen, regarded almost with religious awe, were to give place to a greater. The work of the servants is done-merged in the glory of their Master; the rod of Moses is broken-the mantle of Elijah falls on the true Elisha-JESUS was to be hailed as "King of the Jews." By Him the moral law was obeyed-the prophecies accomplished-the types fulfilled. And now, in accordance with God's wonted dealings with His subordinate ministers, a solemn investiture takes place of the Great Antitypical-Priest, Lawgiver, and Prophet ;— the glorious company of the apostles-the goodly fellowship of the Prophets-the noble army of martyrs-praise Him! Adoring Him as Redeemer, they proclaim through these, their two sainted representatives, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!"

The accompaniments of that scene of glory, too, were such as to vindicate the superiority of the gospel over any of the previous dispensations. The legal dispensation was ushered

* Stier well remarks-"He who fulfils the law and the prophets holds a select council with the personal representatives of the law and the prophets. Moses and Elias appeared together as closing the old covenant, (See Mal. iv. 4, 5;) and now, in the heavenly imperial council, before the throne of the excellent glory, they stand upon the threshold of the new covenant."

upon the world from the blazing summit of a mountain, amid a fearful canopy of cloud and darkness, thunderings, and lightnings, and tempest. The other, from the summit of a mountain, too; but now the thunders are hushed-the blackness has passed away; and in its stead a cloud of surpassing brightness overshadows. We behold Moses on the one-his language is, "I exceedingly fear and quake;" -Peter on the other, "Lord, it is good for me to be here." On the one, we listen to a voice which shakes the earth; and "they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more; "—on the other, we hear a voice,— but it is the still small voice of love, pointing us to Christ, saying, "Hear ye Him!" Elias, on the same Horeb-mount, comes forth from his cave, muffling his face in his mantle, gazing with trembling awe on the winged symbols of vengeance that passed in succession before him. Now, with open face, he beholds, as in a glass, the glory of his transfigured Lord, and is "changed into the same image from glory to glory!"

As a further reason why Moses and Elias were employed on this occasion in preference to other ransomed saints, we may infer that they were sent to bear attestation to the great plan of the Redemption which is by Christ Jesus ;"that neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." Of those who had entered on the inheritance of the promises, if any there were, who could have attained heaven on the ground of their own good works and meritorious deeds, it would doubtless have been the two who are here with the Lord on the mount. We know well the

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history of the one,-how in his life of exalted purity, there is but one solitary recorded blemish-discovering him to be a man of like passions." A similar intimacy with the other, would unfold a marvellous display of faith, humility, devotedness, heroic endurance, self-denial, and heavenly-mindedness. So that if any of the human race could have laid claim, so to speak, to the kingdom above, on the footing of personal merit, we should have pointed to these two illustrious representatives of the two earlier dispensations— these two heads of the sainted hierarchy. But we could not have been more powerfully or impressively told, that every Redeemed worshipper before the Throne, from the least to the greatest in the kingdom, owes his place there to another righteousness than his own. These mightiest of glorified mortals talk of nothing but "the decease that was to be accomplished at Jerusalem!" They appear in shining raiment; but they proclaim that these robes owe all their brightness, these crowns all their lustre, to the Saviour of Calvary. We may regard them, therefore, not only as the representatives of bygone dispensations of type and figure on earth, but as the representatives of a higher dispensation of glory in heaven;-sent down from the ransomed multitude above, to tell to the world that not a robe is there from Abel's downwards, but what is washed in the blood of the Lamb;-that every jewel that sparkles in their crown they owe to His cross and passion. We may regard them as commissioned to tell of the intense interest with which that approaching "decease" was contemplated by the companies of the upper sanctuary. In this view of it, while the scene on the mount would greatly strengthen the faith of

the disciples in the hour of trial, it would also tend, and was doubtless designed, to impart courage and consolation and support to the great Redeemer Himself, in the prospect of coming anguish. Oh! would He not be cheered and strengthened for His approaching conflict, when He descended the hill with the approving smile of His heavenly Father resting upon Him;-conscious that He carried with Him to the garden and the cross, the awakened interest and sympathies of a Redeemed multitude which no man can number, who waited in profound suspense for the moment of Victory, when He should cry," It is finished," and bow His head and give up the ghost! Let us try to imagine the wondrous converse. "They spake of His decease!" They would strengthen His soul, by telling of the mighty results that decease was to accomplish; the transcendent lustre it would pour around the throne of God,-magnifying every attribute of His nature -securing peace on earth, and glory in the highest. They would tell of the august lesson it would read to a wondering universe; what an attestation to God's unbending holiness -His spotless truth-His hatred of sin, and yet His love to the sinner! They would tell of the countless multitudes who had died in the faith of this "decease," and were now rejoicing above in the prospect of its accomplishment ;—of the myriads, in unborn ages, who were to reap its fruits, out of every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue. Yes! we may conceive that the eye of the Transfigured Saviour (as of old from mount Pisgah did that of the lawgiver of Israel, who now stood by His side) would, from the top of this northern height, survey the land of covenant promise. Stretching far beyond the plains of Galilee, He would see, in