St. _Mark_ and St. _Matthew_ add “in whom I am well pleased.” The same testimony that GOD the Father gave to the blessed JESUS at his baptism, before he entered upon his temptation, is now repeated, in order to strengthen and prepare him for his impending agony in the garden. Probably, it was a small still though articulate voice, attended neither with thunder nor lightning, nor the sound of a trumpet, but, agreeable to the blessed news which it contained, ushered in with tokens of unspeakable complacency and love. GOD the Father, hereby gives _Moses_ and _Elias_ a solemn discharge, as though they were sent from heaven on purpose to give up their commission to their rightful LORD, and like the morning star, disappear when the Sun of Righteousness himself arises to bring in a gospel day. “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.” But the emphasis upon the word _this_; this Son of Man, this JESUS, whom you are shortly to see in a bloody sweat, blindfolded, spit upon, buffeted, scourged, and at length hanging upon a tree, I am not ashamed to own to be my Son, my only begotten Son, who was with me before the heavens were made, or the foundations of the earth were laid; my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom my soul delighteth, and whom I do by these presents, publicly constitute and appoint to be the king, priest, and prophet of the church. “Hear ye Him.” No longer look to _Moses_ or _Elias_, no longer expect to be saved by the works of the law; but by the preaching and application of the ever-blessed gospel. Hear ye him, so as to believe on, love, serve, obey, and, if needs be, to die and lay down your very lives for him. “Hear him;” hear what he hath to say, for he comes with a commission from above. Hear his doctrine; hear him, so as to obey him; hear him, so as to put in practice his precepts, and copy after his good example.
In the 36th verse, we have the close of this heavenly feast; “When the voice was past, JESUS was found alone; and they kept it close, and told no man in those days, any of those things which they had seen.” If we compare this, with the account which the other Evangelists give of our blessed LORD’s transfiguration, you will find this was done by CHRIST’s order: _Peter_, _James_, and _John_, would otherwise have gone down and told the whole world, that they had seen the LORD CHRIST upon the mount of transfiguration; but our LORD ordered them to keep it silent. Why so? If they had gone down from the mount, and told it to the other disciples, it might have raised ill blood in the others; they might have said, Why did our Master single out _Peter_, _James_, and _John_? Why might not we have had the privilege of going up to the mount as well as they? Had they said, that their LORD was transfigured, people would not have believed them; they would have thought, that _Peter_, _James_, and _John_ were only enthusiasts; but if they kept it till after his resurrection, and he had broken the gates of death, for them then to say, that they saw him upon the mount transfigured, would corroborate the evidence.
I have thus paraphrased the words for your better understanding the account the Evangelist gives of our blessed LORD’s transfiguration; but I have not yet done; I have been speaking to your heads; the practical part is yet to come. O that GOD may reach your hearts! And though, according to order, I ought to begin with the practical inferences that might be drawn from the first part; yet, I think it best to show you, who are the people of GOD, especially you young converts, that have honesty, but not much prudence, what instructions our LORD would here have you to learn.
“When the voice was past, JESUS was found alone, and they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.” There is nothing more common, when GOD vouchsafes communications to a poor soul, than for the person that enjoys them, to go and tell all that he has seen and felt, and often at improper seasons and to improper persons. I remember that Mr. _Henry_ observes, “_Joseph_ had more honesty than he had policy, or else he would never have told his brethren of his dreams.” Young christians are too apt to blunder thus: I am sure it is a fault of which I have been exceedingly guilty, speaking of things which, perhaps, had better been concealed; which is a fault GOD’s people are too apt to fall into. Though it is good for those that have seen CHRIST, and that have felt his love, to tell others what GOD hath done for their souls; yet, however you may think of it now, when you come down from the mount, and know yourselves a little, ye will find reason often to hold your tongue. Young christians are like children, to whom if you give a little money in their pocket, they cannot be quiet till they have spent it upon something or other: young christians, when they get a little of GOD, are ready to talk too much of it. They should therefore beware, and know when to speak, and when to be silent.