light by the gospel; neither was it the strict enforcement of the great rules of righteousness, though he did enforce these by the strongest sanctions: but what they spake of was, his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem: the propitiation by which he should atone for sin, and reconcile man to God. This it was that interested Moses and Elias: the

things which " angels desire to look into;" the things belonging to our redemption. To this therefore, our attention must first be fixed; how "Christ once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God."1

Thus it was permitted to these apostles to enjoy a glimpse of heaven-a glimpse of the society of heaven. They beheld glory which they could not compare to anything on earth: and they beheld two of those "just men made perfect" who are admitted to the presence of God, to be "before the throne of God, and to serve him day and night in his temple." Can we wonder if they said, Master, it is good for us to be here: here let us set up our tent: here let us dwell for ever.

It was not so to be. Our rest is not on this side the grave. These apostles, like their Master, "must suffer many things" before they entered into glory. The visions of divine things, which are granted here on earth, shine but for a time, and are soon, like this, succeeded by a cloud.

34. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

1 1 Pet. iii. 18.

2 Rev. vii. 15.

35. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

36. And 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.

Though the visions of glory may be transient, the effect ought not to be transient, but to remain, and influence, and guide, and strengthen, the future course of those who are so favoured by divine grace. Such was the case with Peter. Long afterwards he appealed to "the voice which came from heaven, which he heard," he says, "on the holy mount." It was a voice which said, This is my beloved Son : hear him.3 Hear him, when he assures you, that God, who in former times spoke to the fathers by his prophets," hath in these last days spoken unto you by his Son." Hear him, when he says, what this vision was especially meant to prove, that this beloved Son is "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.' Hear him, when he says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." Hear him when he asks, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

Alas! it is not so. Men hearken to any, rather than to him who has the first and only claim to our attention. We listen to our friends: we listen to general opinion: we listen to our own hearts and make these, and not the words of Christ, the scripture which we believe and trust to.

:

Therefore, inquire of yourselves according to the voice which came out of the cloud saying, This is

32 Pet. i. 18.

4 See Heb. i. 1.

my beloved Son: hear him. He has opened the way of salvation. Have ye examined it-seen it -followed it—and are ye pursuing it? Does "the Spirit bear witness with your spirit, that ye are the children of God?" Such inquiries will not be painful, unless they ought to be, unless there is too good reason why they should be. They ought to be painful, if ye are not seeking eternal life at all if ye are not seeking it first and chiefly if ye are not seeking it by the rule of Christ's instructions. It is right that your conscience should be awakened, if ye are looking towards the world to come by any other light than that which he has set up to guide you. It is right that your conscience should be awakened, if ye are depending upon no certain ground of hope for the future condition of your soul, but leaving to doubt and uncertainty the only concern of life which really deserves to be called important. But if ye have indeed listened to the gospel with "a hearing ear and an understanding heart," every inquiry into the state of our soul will give you the comfort to which ye are entitled: the unspeakable comfort of " peace with God," offered by his covenant, and ratified by his word. "And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." 5

5 1 Johu iii. 19.

LECTURE XXXIII.

JESUS HEALS A LUNATIC.-PREDICTS HIS OWN SUFFERINGS. ENFORCES HUMILITY BY THE EXAMPLE OF A CHILD.

LUKE ix. 37-50.

(Matt. xvii. 14-23. Mark ix. 14-40.)

37. And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

38. And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

39. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

40. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

41. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

42. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

1 This rebuke of Jesus to his disciples is explained by what he afterwards says to them: (Matt. xvii. 20 :) "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder plain; and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

43. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

44. Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not and they feared to ask him of that saying.

The apostles, though they partook of the general expectation of their country, derived from the prophets, that the Messiah should come into the world, were as yet unacquainted with the great purpose of his coming, "the decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." On the contrary, they partook likewise of the general expectation of their country, that the Messiah should "redeem Israel" out of the hands of their enemies. The glory which three of the apostles had so lately witnessed, and the power which all had been just now witnessing, the mighty power of God at which they were amazed, would strengthen and encourage this belief. It was hard for them to conceive that one who possessed this power and majesty, should be delivered into the hands of men.

He seized, however, the opportunity, and solemnly declared that truth to them. Let these sayings sink

down into your ears.

upon it; ponder it.

Truths which are

down into the ears.

Receive the assurance; dwell

heard, do not always sink More commonly they fall by

the way-side, and the fowls of the air devour them. But as the grain which is sown must be covered by the earth, or it is lost; so spiritual truth must sink