of glory, to a conflict with Satanic possession. We change the blessed company of Moses and Elias, for the rude intercourse of unbelieving Scribes. We leave the foretaste of millennial glory, and the solemn voice of God the Father testifying to God the Son, and return once more to a scene of pain, weakness, and misery— a boy in agony of body, a father in deep distress, and a little band of feeble disciples baffled by Satan's power, and unable to give relief. — The contrast, we must all feel, is very great. Yet it is but a faint emblem of the change of scene that Jesus voluntarily undertook to witness, when He first laid aside His glory and came into the world. And it is after all a vivid picture of the life of all true Christians. With them, as with their Master, work, conflict, and scenes of weakness and sor- row will always be the rule. With them too, visions of glory, foretastes of heaven, seasons on the mount, will always be the exception.
Let us learn from these verses, hoiu dependent Christ's disciples are on the company and help of their Master.
the words of Malachi iv. 5, 6; Matt. xvii. 11; John i. 21. There seems no reason why there should not be a double " coming of Eli- as" — the first, "in spirit and power," when John the Baptist preached — the second, " literal and in person," when he shall come at the end of the world — immediately before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
The whole question is undoubtedly surrounded with difficulties, whatever view we adopt. I can only say that after patient and culm investigation, I see much fewer difficulties in the way of the interpretation to which I lean, than in the way of the other. 1 hold with Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Hilary, Jansenius, Brenius, Greswell, Alford, and Stier, that Malachi iv. 5, G, is not yet com- pletely fulfilled, and that Elijah the prophet will yet come. Those who can read Greek will find an interesting note on this subject, in Cramer's Catena on St. Mark.
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We see this truth brought out in a striking manner in the scene which meets our Lord's eyes, when He came down from the mount. Like Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, He finds his little flock in confusion. He sees His nine apostles beset by a party of malicious Scribes, and baffled in an attempt to heal one who had been brought to them possessed with a devil. The very same disciples who a short time before had done many miracles and " cast out many devils/' had now met with a case too hard for them. They were learning by humbling experience the great lesson, " without me ye can do nothing." (John xv. 5.) — It was a useful lesson, no doubt, and over-ruled to their spiritual good. It would probably be remembered all the days of their lives. The things that we learn by smarting experience, abide in our memories, while truths heard with the ear are often forgotten. But we may be sure it was a bitter lesson at the time. — We do not love to learn that we can do nothing without Christ.
We need not look far to see many illustrations of this truth in the history of Christ's people in every age. The very men who at one time have done great exploits in the cause of the Gospel, at another time have foiled entirely, and proved weak and unstable as water. The temporary recantations of Cranmer and Jewell , are striking examples. The holiest and best of Christians has nothing to glory of. His strength is not his own. He has nothing but what he has received. He has only to provoke the Lord to leave him for a season, and he will soon discover that his power is gone. Like Samson, when his hair was shorn, he is weak as any other man.