[1.] To humble them to whom he vouchsafed so great a favom*. To humble them lest the glory of these heavenly visions should too much puff them up. Therefore there was ever some weakness dis- covered in those that did receive them. Jacob wrestled with God, but came off halting and maimed, though he prevailed, Gen. xxxii. 31. When he came off" from seeing God face to face, he halted on his thigh. Paul was rapt into the third heaven, yet presently buffeted with a messenger of Satan, lest he should be lifted up with the abun- dance of revelations, 2 Cor. xii. 7. Corruption remaineth in us, and
Mat. XVII. 6-8.] Christ's transfiguration. 403
we are not able to bear these favours which God manifesteth to his choice servants, and therefore there is something to humble them in the dispensation, and to keep them from being puffed up with pride, something that is a balance to the great honour wherewith God hath honoured them.
[2.] All those that received visions from him to teach his people, God would season them by leaving a stamp and impression of his ex- cellency upon them. This was the preparation of the prophets, and a preparation of the disciples to fit them for the work of the gospel. A due representation of God's glory and excellent majesty doth qualify them for their duty ; they are fittest to carry God's message and describe him to others who are thus quahfied and prepared, and have some reverence and awe of God impressed upon their own hearts, and have felt the power of his great majesty : 2 Cor. v. 16, ' Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men,'
The general conclusion and observation which we may di-aw from thence is this : —
Doct That God is of such glorious excellency and majesty, that we are not able to bear any emissions or extraordinary representations thereof in this state of frailty.
1. I wiU prove that God is a great God and of glorious majesty.
2. Give you the reasons why we are not able to bear the extraor- dinary manifestations thereof in this state of frailty.
1. That God is a God of great majesty, and ought to be reverenced by all that have to do with him. The point being a matter of sense, and evident by natural light, needeth not to be proved so much as improved.
[1.] Scripture representeth him as such : Dan. ix. 4, he is called * the great and dreadful God ; ' so Deut. vii. 21, ' A mighty God and terrible ; ' and Nahum i. 5, 'A great and terrible God is he ; ■" and, again, Job xxxvii. 22, ' With God is terrible majesty.'
[2.] This eminently shineth forth both in his works of creation and providence. (1.) Creation, in the stupendous fabric of the heavens : Jer. xxxii. 17-19, ' Ah Lord God ! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and outstretched arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee,' &c. In that mighty collection of waters in the sea: we cannot look upon that vast expansion of the firmament, that huge body of waters in the sea, without some religious horror. What is the God that made all this ? Jer. v. 22, ' Fear ye not me ? saith the Lord : will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for a bound to the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it ; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not. prevail ; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it ? ' (2.) Provi- dence, whether in his way of mercy or judgment. Mercy: what a majestic description of God is there, Ps. 1. 1-5, yet there his presence in his chm-ch is described. The drift of the psalm is, to set forth God's power and majesty when he comes to call the Gentiles, and to set up the evangeUcal way of his worship, when the light of the gospel shall shine forth from Sion : Ps. Lxv. 5, ' By terrible things in right- eousness wilt thou answer us, 0 God, thou God of our salvation.' Though God is a God of salvation, yet the way of his delivering them
404 Christ's transfiguration. [Ser. VII.
carrieth majesty and terror with it. So his works of judgment : Ps. cxix. 120, ' My flesh trembleth for fear of thee ; and I am afraid of thy judgments, when the wicked of the earth are put away like dross.' A lion trembleth to see a dog beaten before him, and it is imputed as a fault to the wicked that they do not take notice of it : Isa, xxvi. 10, ' They will not behold the majesty of God.'
[3.] His greatness and majesty is such that we cannot comprehend it: Job xxxvi. 26, ' Behold, God is great, and we know him not, nor can the number of his years be searched out.' The greatness of God cannot be known, but only by way of negation, that he hath none of those infirmities which may lessen his being in our thoughts; or by way of comparison, that he is above all, God is greater than man, Jer. xxxvi. 12.