The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-05-15
THE TRANSPORTATION.
International sunday school Lesson 70
May 10, 1890.

GOLDEN TEXT-And there carno VOICE out
Of the cloud saying, This is my beloved son:
hear him.-Luke 0:B.
CENTRAL TRuTH-The glorious nature Of our
Saviour Jesus Christ.
TrME-summer Of AID. 90 Several weeks
after the last lesson.
PrAcE-Probably Mount Hermon, near Cesa
rea Philippi.
PARALLEL ACCOUNTS 17:i.i3; Mark o:
2i0.
INTERVENING HIsroRY-Mari, chs. 2, 8
Walking on the sea. The tour Of Tyre, Sidon
and Decapolis. Several miracles. Return to
the Sea of Galilee, and journey northward, east
Of the Jordan to Cesarea PhilippL
THE WEEK or GLooM-on the journey Jesus
revealed TO His disciples for the nrst time that
He must die upon the cross, and be raised
again. They seem TO have been greatly
shocked, almost stupefed. Their Master was
to 10, their hopes Of kingly Messiah and
worldly kingdom were shattered. They could
not sec beyond. After week Of this gloom the
TRANSPORTATION took place. (Seo Luke 0:22N;
Matt. fe:ei.08.).
HELPs OVER HARD PLAcEs-28 About an
tight-iays artAr tho above conversation. Nat.
thew calls II six complete days, Luke counts In
the parts Of two days at each extreme. Vent
up iWo mowntatn to pray: the transhguratson
was an answer TO prayer. BY the answer We
can Judge what Hc prayed for. Doubtless all
Of them prayed. 90. 7hs (dshton (appearance)
of his eouafeadRce so0s altered: He was trans.
figured. so that His face did shine as the sun
(Matt.). His heavenly nature shone through
His body. and h.s rdin,snt toas ,ohtts and 0sfs.
tersnJ. t. O., flashing like lightning. Mark says
It was white as snow. This gives hint Of our
resurrection bodies, which arc to be like
Christ's glorious body;" nnd we ore to shine
forth ns the sum-" 80. Moss: the giver OF the
law, and the founder Of the old dispensation
which was soon to blossom out into the new.
Elias: Greek for Elijah, the representative OF
the prophets and the forcrunner Of Christ. 81.
VINO appeared In glory: In their resurrection
bodies. Both died peculiar death, and their
bodies were doubtless changed, as those alive
at the day Of resurrection will be changed
q Cor. IS: 81, bQ). And spdke OF His decease:
His exodus, departure, referring to HIS death,
resurrection and ascension. This was the
great event Of the worlds history; this was the
real founding OF the Kingdom Of God; this was
the elimination Of the salvation brought by the
Messiah, and foretold by the prophets; this
was the great act to which oil the sacrifices ap-
pointed by Moses looked forward, and which
gave them meaning ana value. 49, We're hedrv
uith sleep; and whsn they were dWdke: the last
expression means that they kept awake In
spite Of their drowsiness. What they saw was
O reality, not o vision or a dream. 33 Let US
make three sa6ernacles: booths, Of the bushes
that grew on the mount. II seemed to him
that the hour for the long-looked-for reign had
come. From the slope, Of Hermon he would
have had the laws Of @ new kingdom pro.
claimed, SO that all men might recognize the
! true Messiah attended by the representatives
| Of the old dispensation. &c. And Mey Kept u
close: at Jesus command (hfatt.) till after His
resurrection. For till then they would not un.
derstand It enough to make the right use Of It,
| and His enemies would use 1t to injure Him
| and His cause
BLESSING OF THE TRANsFIGURATIoN-Th
experience which was good for Peter is good
| for us. We all need the highest and sweetest
| experiences Of the love Of Christ to see Him In
| His beauty and glory, to glance through the
gates ajar. to feel the breath Of Heaven and
hear the voice of God. Q) 1t widens the out
look, giving earthly things their truer place in
| life. (2) 1t gives clearer view OF the end to
which we are working, Of the state to which
God would bring all men. (9 1t helps us bear
| our burdens, overcome our temptations, do our
Christian work. We are amid sin, but we have
seen the glory Of the Master able to conquer 1t
| we dwell amid sorrows, but we know Him who
has power to transform them; we see the worl,
| to be done, but here Is new inspiration and
| hope. Light, victory, glory, Heaven, shine
| henceforth on all the dark earth. az 1t helps
to change us into the image Of Christ (5) It
gives permanent uplifting to our character, a
continued consciousness OF higher and better
life.
CoMMENrs-When the interview be.
tween the Saviour and the two visitors
was at an end, the disciples looked up
and found that there was no one there
but the Master only. Here it is that
Mr.. Spurgeon makes several supposi.
tions that are exceedingly suggestive.
He says: Suppose that when the dis.
ciples had lifted up their eyes they had
beheld Moses only, and that Christ and
Elijah had been the ones who returned
to Heaven. Would that have been q
gain?" On some accounts it would
seem to be most desirable thing for
the Jews to have their grand old law
giver back once more. Through him
they had received more of Divine truth
than through any other man. II now
he could come back they might receive
from him much additional light upon re.
ligious things, for he had been in
Heaven for centuries. But on second
thought 1t is apparent that q change
from Christ to Moses would have been q
loss and not gain. For the law came
by Moses but grace and truth came BY
Jesus Christ, and grace and truth ore
better for sinners than the law. Great
as Moses was, Christ was greater.
One of the Saviour's claims wa.
that Moses testified of Him, and 1,
the great leader Of Israel had come K
bear public witness to the Messiahshiy
OF Christ, would 1t not have been an in
estimable advantage to Christi At frs
sight it certainly appears as though thi
would have been the case. But on NOR,
careful thought, we think that we shall
see that even this arrangement woult
have had its serious drawback. Their
would at once have been parties anon,
the Jews, and one would have said: &c
am of Noses" and another would hav'
cried: ~ am of Elijah," and another
II nm Of Christ" Division would hav
sprung up and the old fight have beel
renewed.-Rev. A. r. Sohauffler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. The greatest spiritual blessing
come only to those who have lived neal
est to Jesus.
RWNH q