Godhead bodily. In His state of humiliation He ordinarily kept His divine majesty hid that the eye of man could not discern it, but there on the mount it shone forth in Him. Therefore His very garments were made white as the light. The light in Moses' countenance, being only communicated from without, was hid when he covered his face with a veil, but the garments of Jesus were no obstruction to the brightness streaming from His body. It was the brightness of His Divinity made visible to the bodily eye of the disciples, and to that brightness His vesture could be no obstruction. For this we have the testimony of both Peter and John. Peter writes: "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty, when we were with him in the holy mount," 2 Pet. 1, 16, and John says: "We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." John 1, 14. Mark well this wonderful occurrence on mount Tabor, and learn from it that divine glory is in very deed communicated to the humanity. It was the same body which shone in divine glory and which was raised on the cross covered with shame, even as Peter accused the Jews that they "crucified the Lord of glory." When the body of Jesus Christ was raised on the cross the Lord of glory was being crucified, and because a body possessing divine glory was made the ransom for us we may not doubt that our sins are atoned for and we shall surely come to dwell in that city which John saw and of which he says: "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." Rev. 21, 23. From that city two men appeared on the mount of transfiguration: "And behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." Elias had not died, he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Moses died on mount Nebo and was buried by God Himself. Here Moses appeared together with Elijah; so his body had been raised again from the grave. There is another life after this present life. Moses and Elias were not dead, they lived and were in communion with God, otherwise they could not have conversed with the Lord. When man departs this life he enters on another and an altogether different life; for this present is a bodily and that other a spiritual life. This is here exemplified; for those two men had long since departed out of this life, yet they lived and their bodies were now in such a condition that they could appear and disappear. Of that spiritual, heavenly life we know nothing certain save only what the Scriptures tell us. That we ourselves may enter that life and learn all about it, we must give heed to the subject on which those two men conversed with Jesus. On what did they speak? Did they talk on monkery, or fasting, or church ceremonies, or the mourners bench, or holiness meetings, or doing right? Here were two men from the celestial city speaking with the Son of God. Certainly they did not engage in flimsy talk, but chose a subject of vast and vital importance, and the conversation taking place on earth we may surmise that it concerned the weal and woe of us earthborn mortals, and so it did. Matthew does not name the subject, but Luke 9, 31, does. He says: "They spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." This was the great subject, this the burden of their conversation, the Lord's capture, trial, death, burial and resurrection. Do you think: O is that the outcome? That tedious old story, heard a hundred times! Had they not something more interesting, the glories of heaven or the mysteries of the spirit world, to talk about? Friend, if you find the history of Christ's death a tedious old story, you are certainly of a different mind than Moses and Elias. To them the death of Christ at Jerusalem was the great, the all-absorbing subject, and the same is the case with all the saints standing before the throne of God; for their song to the Lamb runs thus: "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests." Rev. 5, 9. The Lamb's blood and death is the admiration of the saints in heaven, their song and their happiness. If to you all this is a tedious old story you are not fitted for the company of the saints; neither will you be found there, unless you put away your carnal mind and crawl to the cross. The cross of Christ is your salvation. O make it the talk of your soul; commune on it in your heart. II. From that heavenly conversation the disciples might or ought to have learned the true meaning of Christ's suffering and death, but they were so filled with amazement that they could scarcely realize what they were thinking or doing. This is evident from the words of Peter; for he said: "Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." Peter was so enthused that he forgot everything. His wife, his friends, his property were all forgotten. He wanted to stay on that mountain and never to come down again. Peter forgot even himself; for he spake only of three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elias, but none for himself. His soul was so ravished with joy that all his desire was so to behold the Lord always. Peter was indeed talking foolishly when he spake of building huts there. Just from the Lord's conversation with Moses and Elias he ought to have understood that Jesus must come down from that mountain to die a shameful death at Jerusalem, but "he wist not what to say." Mark 9, 6. From the effect of the Lord's transfiguration on the disciples we may learn a few things concerning the life in the new heaven and the new earth. The disciples at once knew Moses and Elias, not by pictures which they had seen,—there were no photographs of those men-, they knew them by intuition. The saints in heaven will recognize one another, and what joy it will be to meet the martyrs and all those who loved and confessed Christ on the earth! It is joy to meet with those whom we dearly love. But this earthly joy is a mere shadow of what will be in those realms where love is perfect.-Fascinated by the sight of the Lord's glory Peter forgot everything else. When we shall see the Lord face to face all will be forgotten. which could disturb our happiness. The former things will then have passed away. Earthly loves, earthly affections and aspirations, earthly cares and afflictions will be past and will trouble the heart no more. The seeing of the Lord's glory will afford full satisfaction.-Heaven is the place where tabernacles are built and not taken down; tabernacles which will remain, when the mountain on which Peter proposed to build will be no more. “We know," says St. Paul, "if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. 5, 1. From those tabernacles none will wish to remove; they will all say: "It is good for us to be here." Is it your desire to be there? Does your heart consent to Paul, when he says: "In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven?" Does your soul agree with David, when he says: "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord?" Do you with fulness of heart join in the song: Jerusalem, my happy home, Name ever dear to me. When shall my labors have an end In joy, and peace, and Thee? When shall these eyes Thy heaven-built walls And pearly gates behold? Thy bulwarks with salvation strong, And streets of shining gold? The lover of Jesus is resigned to the Lord's will, whether to live or die, but his longing is to depart and to be with Jesus, and his soul says: The sooner the better. III. Does your heart tremblingly say: Ah indeed! Who would not desire to see the glories of heaven? But how shall I be found worthy to enter there? I have sinned and my garments are spotted. Let me direct you to a circumstance in this text which will teach you where to seek your worthiness. The garments of Jesus were of earthly fabric and though He wore good garments so that the soldiers crucifying Him thought it worth while to cast lots for His coat, yet Jesus did not possess many changes of raiment, and it is safe to conclude that by much travel His garments were more or less soiled and dusty. ર Yet by the glory flowing from His body "his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them." If we are to be found "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," our souls must be dressed in white. But to make the soul pure and white earthly powers and human skill are all in vain. Unto Judah the prophet said: Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord." Jer. 2, 22. There is only One who can make the soul white. It is He of whom the prophet Malachi said: "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi; and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." This refiner and purifier is Jesus, who made His own earthly garments white as the light, and shining as His raiment was, it is but an emblem of the "garments of salvation" which He has earned for us. Dressed in His righteousness, the robe of His merits, our souls are gloriously arrayed in the sight of His Father; for of Him the Father bears this testimony: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Well pleased with His Son the Father must be well pleased with those that are in Christ. O you who have walked in sin, you who have soiled your soul and loaded your conscience, you who have made your members weapons of unrighteousness, turn to Jesus Christ. He can make white and pure. Be the spots in your soul never so dark, your deeds never so black, Christ's glory will ever overcome them. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Is. 1, 18. Turn to Jesus, beseeching Him to make white your garments, and doubt not that His blood cleanses you from all sin. The publican and dying thief This is the Father's command that you come to Jesus; for Ile says: "Hear ye him." Hear Jesus Christ. What has He |