The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-17

threw of his low attire, and put on his unearth
ly robes. He rose to something OF his true
! grandeur, and manifested himself in majesty
and glory that made him the object OF admir-
ing alteration, both to the living and the dead
Moses and Elias with the three selected DIS
ciples, no longer looked upon him rs in the
fashion and likeness of II mere man, but wor
shipped him as in the form OF God.
"There are some incidents in this transac'
ton which would lead us to conclude that, ior
a part of the time these three disciples were
asleep +, and that when they awoke to see this
strange spectacle, like Jacob in the open held
they were constrained 10 exclaim, the Lord Is
in this place, and knew it not Their sur
prise was the greater. in that, though they
came alone with Jcstis into this desert noun
tain, they now beheld him in company with
two others, who were also covered with un-
earthly glory, and couyersed with Christ
These apostles had never seen them did not
know them, except aS distinguished strangers
and perhaps some angelic yISitantS Yet moth
ing was more simple or more natural than that
as they heard Jesus converse with them and
identify them they should recognise them as
the two most illustriou> prophets OF the Hebrew
race, since its foundation 70 the coming OF the
Messiah. Ii was altogether most wonderful
exhibition. Their divine lord concealed this
exhibition Of his glory from the world. The
world knew him not and knows him not now
but the eye Of sense then beheld ard now the
eye of faith heholds hum A. the glory Of the
only begotten Of the Father. tuU OF grace and
truth
=. The import of this appearance VI the SON OF
Man, IN the shining Llre III glOrihed body,
and the Father from the bright cloud ,ha,
/ cvershadowed him pr0elaimirg him - be his
Wel-beloyed Son ~ uGa can understand whc
questions The Saysoars Divinity Like his III
earuation. it is glorious tor ~ righteousness
ts Was IS beautiful In is ohjeees and aims. Is
it was unexpected and marvellous Il WAS In
deed scarcely in keeping with the low ecndi-
I ton and humble views II hiRa who was born
in the manger, and who had not where to lay
his head; who entered into this world as the
theatre OF his humiliation, and who was going
up 20 Jerusalem 10 meet the death of the cross
TO aspire to the inexpressible dignity of this
wonderful hour But it WAS kind to his dis
elples, kind to his church and, in the dispen
satiOus of the divine government, unspeakably
kind 10 kIm. Ii was his more formal consecra
ton to his work OF suffering Ii was the light
ing up of his course before he descended into
the dark vale of his approaching sorrows. II
was heavens amounting to his burial 1t wa,
| the attestation of his Fathers love. not TO he
| forgotten when he hung in agony on the cross
But this was not all its object there Il
another truth suggested by this scene We are
| told by the Evangelist that as they came down
from the mountain, Jesus charged the three
| disciples to tell no man the vision, until the
Son of Man be risen again from the dead
There were disclosures on the mount which the
Saviour knew could not fail to rritate the Jew
ish rulers and people, and which therefore were
to be kept secret until he had accomplished the
vision and prophecy by his death and resurrec-
ton. The Jews believed that their law would
remain in full force under the gospel The
strength and extent of this popular prejudice
was one Of the most formidable barriers to the
dissemination Of the gospel among people
whose pride it was that they were the descend
ants of Abraham, and who so often exulted in
the superiority OF their own Lawgiyer 1t was
the design of the Saviour to take away the
first covenant, that he might establish the Sec
| ond The ceremonial law, formed altogether
| of positive institutions and founded on mutable
| and not immutable reasons, was of such a ma
ture that it might be abrogated, whenever it
was no longer necessary to preserve one nation
distinct from all the nations of the earth as a
religious community. 1t was plainly predicted
in the Old Testament that this dspensation
should be abrogated by another and more mild
and liie-giving dispensation. And this abroga-
ton, the Saviour intimates, should actually
take place at his death and resurrection"
''What greater evidence of its kind can there
be of the abrogatiOn of the Old and the confirm
alton Of the Ne'o Covenant than is here given
by Moses, the great prophet of the Jews by
Elias, the great prophet of Jews and Greeks
by Christ, the great Author of the Christian
dispensation and by God the Father, the great
Lord of all! Moses and Elias come from the
world of spirits to wait upon their divine Lord
His own power brought them down upor
Mount Tabor, to confess that greater thar
Moses or Elias was there, This is the reason
why these two men, above all the race of Adam
were called to act part in this wonderful
scene. Chr st converses with them, recognising
their authority and honoring their Office bu
giving them their proper place They converse
with him. but it il concerning his decedse
which he should accomplish at Jerusalem by
which the great end of their mission was ac
complshed and no longer had any binding
force or obligation
"These dispensations differ only as the let
'oi Ai'o'h "hu INC cpiIlb SifcSh 10 ti'
old is the shadow of the new, and the new tn,
light of the old rs the old is the new under
the thick dark cloud and laundering of Sinai
and the new is the old under the bright sun
shine and heavenly voice of Tabor Christ i
under cloud in the one, he is in his glory il
the other. The law is but the shadow o
good things to come The Old Testament i
the text Of the New, and the New is com
NOR arv thn NH sTha xx,h,la t,,,
Of God is here wrapt up and rolled together il
itself, showing Moses Elias, and Christ talk
ing together upon the mount Let us be thank
full that our allotment is cast, not under tn,
dark cloud and burning lava of Sinai, bu
under the mild and clear radiance Of that iilu
mined mountain, whence the voice, not of TN,
mere lawgver and Judge but the voice of on
heavenly Father, utters the language, This i
my beloved Son, in whom am we'll pleased
hear we him. By the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified Our righteousness ar
rs filthy rags The day-spring from on higl
has dawned upon us, Hood Of light from Ia
Dor and Calvary is poured upon our path.
the Jews were favored above the heather HOY
much more are we favored than the Jews! an
how shall We escape, if we neglect so grea
salvation
This scene also suggests another thought
and of different kind. The reality of The tcori
Of spirits and The immortality Of The soul. tn
resurrection OF the body, and the doctrine {
: future rewards and punishments, are truth
that are suhstantiated by a great variety
evidence The varied testimony by which tn
Scriptures are demonstrated to be plenar
revelation from heaven, prove these truths o
the testimony Of that great Being who cannC
. lie.
: I" But there is one species Of testimony not
, be resisted, even 10y tie most skeptical and VI
, believing mind. 1t is that which results frol
, his own experience IL these doctrines are tru'
: every man at death will find them to be tru,
: The moment his soul leaves his body and h