IV. Cuanae pEscriBED. 1. The glory of his person. Here we are to notice, in the first place, the glory of his person, From eternity he had been in the form (uop¢f) of God. ‘This had been his original form, but in the fulness of time he took upon him the form of a servant. Now for a while he resumes the form which he had laid aside, The form of a servant is changed back (mereuoppé6n) into that of Deity. He “was transfigured before them ” is the staternent of St. Matthew and St. Mark. The veil of mortal flesh became transparent. The glory of the Godhead broke through tne con- cealment. Like a sudden sunburst from behind the murky clouds on a dark and wintry day, there was a glorious, outburst of Divine effulgence. It irradiated his body, it diffused itself over his whole person, it surrounded him with an atmosphere of brightness and beauty. Beams of heavenly light flashed from head to foot. ‘The whole man pre- sented an unearthly splendour. His appearance was a reflection of that glory which he had had with the Father before all worlds, and in which he appears among the inhabi- tants of heaven. 2. The change of his countenance, “ The fasaion of his countenance was altered” is the statement of St. Luke, who, writing for Gentiles, avoids the word trang- formed, or metamorphosed, on account of its association with heathenism; while St. Matthew explains the nature of that alteration by saying, “ His face did shine as the sun.” After Moses’ interview with God on Mount Sinai, the skin of his face shone so that he was obliged to cover it with a veil as soon as his public official duty had been discharged. Similarly, when Stephen, the proto-martyr, was brought before the council, “ all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” But in the case of Stephen and of Moses it was a borrowed brightness, whereas the Saviour’s face shone with native irradiation. It was no reflected lustre, like that of the moon in the heavens, deriving all her light from the sun, The light and loveli- ness were all his own. The face soon to be marred more than any man, and his coun- tenance more than the sons of men, possessed a brilliancy that was dazzling and that outrivalled the radiance of the sun at noon. That face, soon to be smitten and spit upon, and from which men hid in scorn and sorrow, now displayed a glory indescribable, The veil of humanity became too thin to hide the outshining of the divinity within. Like a magnificent temple grandly lighted up on every side and throughout its entire extent, from nave to porch and from dome to pavement, the Saviour’s face and entire person—the whole tempte of his body—was brizhtened up and beautified with celestial glory. 3. The glistening of his garments. Even his garments shared this heavenly transformation, They brightened, they glistened, they dazzled. The sacred penmen seem at a loss for similitudes to give us a correct notion of a change so marvellous and glorious. “ White as the light,” says St. Matthew; “shining, exceeding white as snow,” says St. Mark; “white and glistering”—white and flashing forth as lightning (¢tacrpdwrwy)—says St. Luke. They lay both natnre and art under contri- bution for the purpose of describing it. They became “ white as snow,” says one— white as the snowy peak of the neighbouring hill with the sunbeams resting on it; “exceeding white,” he says again, “so as no fuller on earth can white them.” When St. John saw him in apocalyptic vision, his head and hair were white as wool. Ages before, when Daniel saw him in prophetic vision as the Ancient of days, his garments were white as snow. On the Mount of Transfiguration his human nature was closel assimilated to his Divine nature, in which he clothes himself with light as with a garment. Such was Christ on Hermon; what must he be in heaven? Such was he in his transfigured humanity; what must be his divinity revealed? What shall he be when, with face unveiled, we shall see him as he is? But, better and more
ou, rx. 1—50.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. 43
blessed still, in that day we shall be like him. If, under a former portion of this subject, we caught a glimpse of our companionship in heaven, here we get a glance at our condition in the heavenly state.
VY. Consequences. 1. One consequence common. Sume of the consequences of the Transfiguration scene are general, and some special. There is one common to the saints of all times and of all climes. That transfigured body of Christ is the model and pattern of all the glorified. He is the Head, they are the members. ‘“ As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” Here and now our bodies, though fearfully and wonderfully made, are bodies of humiliation. They are subject to many infirmities, liable to painful and even loathsome diseases, doomed to dissolution in a few years at most, while, worst of all, they contain the seed of sin, and thsir members too often are instruments of unrighteousness; “ for I know,” says the apostle, “that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.” But these bodies of humiliation shall be fashioned like unto Christ’s glorious body ; these bodies, now “of the earth, earthy,” shall be elevated to the condition of the heavenly; these bodies, now so frail, shall be endued with immortal health and vigour. Here and now the beauty of the fairest face soon fades; then the plainest face shall become beautiful, and that beauty shall be truly amaranthine. The features now saddened by sorrow, or marred by disease, or disfigured by age, shall become “ bright as the sun when he goeth forth in his strength,” bright as the Saviour’s on the Mount of Transfiguration, bright as the face of our Lord was seen by Peter and James cnd John at that time, bright as it always appears to the saints in glory. Every blemish shall be blotted out, every wrinkle shall be smoothed, every disease expelled, and all decrepitude for ever removed. Then, too, on the sightless eyeballs of the blind shall flash the light of an eternal day, the ear of the deaf shall be unstopped, the tongue of the dumb sing, and the lame man for ever lay aside his lameness. Moreover, the richest raiment of earth will be but rags when compared with those robes of brightness which the ransomed in heaven wear. In view of all this may we not exclaim ?— ’
“Qh for the robes of whiteness! Oh for the tearless eyes ! Oh for the glorious brightness Of the unclouded skies | Oh for the no more weeping Within the land of love, The endless joy of keeping The bridal feast above!”