The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-02-01

Aguration."
From the Chicago Standard
The lesson for the above date may be found
In the first thirteen verses Of the seventeenth
chapter Of Matthew
DAILY READINGS.
M.-The TRANSPORTATION. Matt xvii, Liza
1.-The Son OF Man Glorifed. Dan Wi.
W-The Voice from Heaven. Matt iii,
THE Voice from the Cloud Luke tx,
1856
F.-Peter's Testimony IL Pet ,l-2l
h-keceived into Glory. Acts l., Ill.
s-Coming again in Glory l. Thsss. iv,
BREAKFAST VERSES.
M.-sWe beheld His glory" John l., IA
T.-@This voice-we heard" IL Peter l., Is
Why King" Psalm IL o.
1.-The brightness of his glory" Heb
FAN hail" Matt xviii, @
g. Fashioned like unto" Phil ill.,, 81.
S.-"The King of CORY" Psalm xiv, T.
INTRODUCTORY.
A week has passed since that human voice.
speaking not from flesh and blood, but
prompted by the Father, had said with such
Christ, the son of the Living God" week
memorable no doubt to the disciples as
time Of great thoughts no less significant than
great deeds. The hour has como for con-
tirming voice out OF the excellent glory.
Peter, James and John 20 with Christ up INTO
mount, not very far away, perhaps on Her
mon; not very far up, for heaven was about
to bend very low down. There they beheid a
celestial vision, and heard a divine voice
which neither John nor Peter ever forgot,
and which James, the first apostolic martyr,
was early called to more fully and blessedly
realize. That voice and vision are for our
comfort and instruction to-day, and the Inter-
national Committee have done we'll to give it
to us now at the time when many OF Us
are, perhaps, still IN the stress Of special
services.
WHAT THE LESSON TEACHES
"Peter, James, and John his brother" The
favored three. Oftenest with our Lord. tCf.
In Jarius's house, i'll the Garden and else
dens of responsibility afterward to be laid
upon them. Peter was to be the preacher of
Pentacost, James was to be the leader In the
church at Jerusalem and the first martyr,
John was to ABIDE as the latest apostolic wit
hess, and until the equal glory OF Revelation
should burst upon him. Paul. called out Of
due season, came also light and voice from
the skies, granted for his illumination and
endowment For special charges we need
special dispensatons of grace.
DTUyctN mem up INFO NtyN mountain.
IL was q weary climb, as their subsequent
drowsiness seems to prove, and 1T was prob
ably taken in the night; but how infinite the
reward! Luke says Jesus went to pray, and
doubtless the disciples, remembering his re-
sort at other crises in his career, his early
morning prayer near Capernaum Mark /:
3o), his all might prayer before the choosing
of tho twelve duke 6: 12), and his prayer in
the mountain after the feeding of the five
thousand Matt. IA: 23), went at his direction
hnr hsxNl. .sS.l.. 30
pllcation. And it was. and more. They wero
not the only disciples who have gone obedi-
identity to prayer and remained rejoicingly to
praise. That was not the only quiet prayer
meeting turned into glorious love-feast
TRANSFERRED before them. Changed, but
only to mortal view. Angels had always be-
held him as such. His earthly form itself
was the sole change, and that only change
as 1t were OF raiment This was his true
self, shining through the temporary habili-
ments Of earth, with the glory which he had
with the Father before the world was. 1t
was just moments futterng back OF the
curtains of heaven, giving the disciples
glimpse or the heavenly estate; but that mo-
ment they could never forget, 1t was just
/ an instant's vision of Christs true person.
| How II must have banished all earthly doubts
all the misty questions heard among The
people! Before them" this wonderful mani
festation occurred, that ever after there
might be at least three men in the number Of
/ NHc diSCipico VI urn, uduullt5S
Shine as the sun. The celestial BODY is a
glorious one. Moses and Elijah also ap-
peared, as Luke says, "in glory" We have
but few intimations Of what heaven is like,
but these few are enough to convince us of
its brightness and bliss fulness. Language
seems to falter at the portals OF the overmas-
tering theme. We have not yet been able TO
comprehend Daniel and the Revelation seems
yet, to many of Us, to be in an unknown
tongue. Yet this We know, that the eye of
Moses on the mount was sparkling with
| brightness from the half-opened door Ex "a !:
20 and that the priests in the temple could
| not stand to minister before even the cloudy
semblance of the glory Yes, this too, I'VE
Know: "When he shall appear zoe shall be
| like him"
ses representing the law, FL jah the prophets
The Christ of the gospels Is standing with
them there upon the hilltop. Suggestive it
| is for us that ii was on just such a mount
| aims brow that Moses and Elias were 20 gra-
ciously visited of God in their early life 1t
was on a mountain fifteen hundred years be-
| fore that Moses recsived the tables of stone
| IL was on mountain six hundred years later
| (CarmeD that Elijah called down fire from
heaven on the sacrifice q Kings, 1S, and in a
mountain little later (Horeb) he heard God
| speak in the still small voice. Il Kings, 10 J
| And there. too. was the hill Golgotha Both
| Moses and Elijah, moreover; yes, and Jesus,
| too, went from earth to heaven by way of the
mOunlu'n III was u III place 1Or so august a
colloquy.
| Behold Uoicc. Eye and ear alike subjects
| of appeal. The voice and tho vision conspire.
| When they heard the angels at Bethlehem,
they were speaking OF Jesus, and no angelic
| voice il 10 be trusted that speaks of aught
else. If We know anything OF the commits
| sion of angels it is while ministering to the
| heirs OF salvaton to speak of naught, else il
| DO the advent OF the Christ We have ground
| to hope for no other sort OF heavenly commu-
| nication. Three times alone God spoke in
| those days when the heavens seemed TO be
| brought 30 low, and as mon listened they
| heard but one name mentioned; il was that OF
| the beloved Son. IL turned their listening
minds the same way as did the finger Of John
the Baptist their eyes when he said, "Behold
the Lamb of God"
| II is good for us 10 be here. II was, indeed.
| Peter told the truth. 1t was "good" for Christ,
| as well as for then. He needed the help, and
| 30 did they. Peters mistake was in that he
thought to indefinitely protract the experience
| But il was good for them only as an equip
| ment for service-for Christ, in view of his
swift-coming passion; for the disciples. in
| view OF the prophecy that the sheep should DO
| scattered. Far below them was Jerusalem,
nearer still was the stricken child at the foot
Of the mount. 1t was good for them 10 be
there little while that the one might the bet
| ter be reached and the other helped. God
| sends all such mountain-top experiences for
enduement in view of coming work Have
| You had such an experiencey Thank God for