The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 200

of Moeee and Eliae euggeste far-off unknown relations to, and vibrations of joy to, the pre-Messianic children of light." "He conversed with his great predecessors, Moses and Elias, who could thoroughly eympathize with him, and whose work his death was to fulfil." These were the two men most profoundly interested in the recovery and redemption of men. And therefore they were so supremely interested in the work of Obrist. Even these three disciples could not give Jesus full sympathy. St. Peter's foolish talk showed that they could not. Jesus found sympathy in glorified saints.- R. T. Ver. 5.-A repetition of the Divine a,ppr011al. The Transfiguration does not stand alone in our Lord's life. There are two other scenes with which it may be compared. "The one is the descent of the Holy Ghost on him, under the symbol of a brooding dove, after his baptism." The other is the sound as of thunder, and the responding voice of the Father, saying of his Father-Name," I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." And it should be noticed that the first direct manifestation of God to Christ-at his baptism-occurred as the beginning of his active mission as a Teacher. The second-at the Transfiguration-occurred as the starting of Christ on the suffering portion c,f his mission, And the third-the thunder-voice-as a precise assurance and encouragement when our Lord was entering upon his Passion, L THE KEY-NOTE OF CHRIST'S LIFE WAS DOING ms FATHER'S WILL. See his words at twelve years of age. He would not only do his Father's will, but do it in the Father's way; and bear it, if it involved bearing. Our Lord's meat and drink were to do the will of his Father. I!. THE JOY OF CHRIST'S LIFE WAS TO RECEIVE SIGNS OF THE DIVINE APPROVAL, We can hardly imagine how delightful to the obedient Son must have been these voices out of heaven. And never was the voice more strengthening than when our Lord was proposing to himself a full surrender to the Father's will, which involved humiliation, suffering, seeming failure, and death, Christ purposed to "accomplish a decease." The term is a striking and suggestive one. Christ's death was something he did, " accom- plished ; " it was not merely something he suffered. His own will was in it. He laid down bis life. He gave himself for us. He offered in sacrifice bis obedient Sonsbip. That saves us. That Moses and Elias approve. That God the Father approves. The Transfiguration:was cbic:fl.y_intended for our Lord himself. "It was a. great gift of his Father, an acknowledgment of his faithfulness up to this point, and a preparation for what lay before him." "To Jesus the recognition of his Father's voice must have been a repetition of the tru.nscendant joy of the baptismal greeting. Must we not say that for the moment all else was forgotten, or in that absorbed; that "He heard not, saw not, felt not aught beside, Through the wide worlds of pleasure and of pain, Save the full B.owing and the ample tide Of that celestial strain"? R.T. Ver. 8.-The transitory and the permanent. It almost seems as if St. Peter's foolish speech spoilt the scene, It is said that "while he yet spake, behold, a briaht cloud overshadowed them." It might be a "bright cloud," but it effectually shut"out from view the glorified visitors and the transfigured Lord. True, out of it came the marvellous voice, which so alarmed the disciples that they "fell on their face, and were sore afraid." But when the cloud pas~ed, and Jesus bade them "arise," the glory was all gone; there .was only Jesus, and he was just as they were accustomed to see him. It is a peculiarity of Mount Hermon that a cloud will be seen to form with extreme rapidity on its summit, and with equal rapidity disperse and disappear. The point on whioh we dwell is, that St. Peter made a grave mistake when he wanted a special scene to be made a J?ermanent one. The transitory and the permanent each have their mission and their proper relations. There is no wisdom in wishing to confuse them. Take each in its place. Illustrate this. I, THE TBAJIBIT0BY I8 THE GLORIFIED CHRIST j THE PERMANENT IS THE HUlli!t Camir~. Only for a little while could the earth-bonds be loosened, and the glory which Ohrist was, shtue freely out. That was not fitting for the continuous earth-relations.  204 TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. [en. xvn. 1-27,,