The National tribune., 1895-01-24

the TRANSPORTATION were solemn Inaugural
tion of the Sacrifice of the Cross, as He was soon
to 90 to Calvary, Leo saying that this proof of
Hi divinity took away the scandal OF the
cross; it taught the recognition of friends IN
Heaven, Moses and Elias, who appeared, being
known in their true character by the three
witnessing Disciples; it taught the unity of the
law and Gospel, the old and new dispensations,
Elias and Moses speaking of the sacrifice of the
cross which was to come, and finally, it taught
the importance of the TRANSPORTATION of the
Christian himself, who was to be changed into
the likeness of Christ and 20 on from glory to
glory"
Canon Farrar said of Christ's ascent of the
noun tain for TRANSPORTATION: Z" lie went up to
be prepared for death, and he took his three
Disciples with him, that haply, having seen
his glory their hearts might be fortified. their
faith strengthened, to gaze mistaken on the
shameful insults and unspeakablc humiliation
of the cross" Arthur Penryhn Stanley puts
the TRANSPORTATION into the following lines:
" o Master. ii is good TO be
With thee and with thy faithful three;
Here. where the Apostles heart of rock
l. nerved against temptations shock;
Here, where the Son of Thunder learns
The thought that brenthes, aud word that burns;
Here, where on eagles wings we move
With him whose last best creed Is love.
o Master IL is good to be
Entranced enwrapt. alone with thee;
And watch thy gttering raiment glow
Whittier than Hermon's wlIitest snow;
The human linesmenis that shine
Irradant with light divine;
Till we too change from grace to grace,
Gazing on that trausfigured face"
SUBJECT: The TRANSPORTATION OF CHRIST.
Preliminary.
We study our Savior's 25th miracle. II is
certain the TRANSPORTATION does not accord
with the ordinary events of life. No law which
we understand can account for the appearance
into life of two men who lived centuries before
that event. Doubtless Jesus knew prior to
ascending the mountain what was to occur.
He was particular to have with him three wit
nesses; they the most trusted of his Apostles.
Important theological questions were to be set.
tied in the conversation 10 be held by Jesus,
Moses, and Elijah. He wentnp into the mount
ain to pray. (St. Luke, Q: 2S) But We cannot
imagine the TRANSPORTATION was surprise to
him. He himself manipulated the miracle by
his power and will. He had purpose in it.
Or were the act outside the dictation aud man.
agement of Christ, he being passive, still we
cannot think it was beyond his omniscience.
Time and Place.
May, A. D. %. The place was most likely
Mount Hermon, north of Cesarea Philipp a
spur of the Lebanon Mountains.
-! The Facts.
Noticing the following facts es to Christ: /.
He chose SITS. Peter, James and John to be wit
nesses OF the grand manifestation, leading them
up into the mountain TO the spot Of the Trans
fguration. 2. Reaching the place, Christ
prayed. 3. Christ was TRANSPORTED. q. AS to
his facet shonc as tie sun, intimating Jesus
is the Sun of Righteousness. b. As to his
raiment-it became white as light-it shone,
was glstening-t was white as snow-it was
beyond the power of any bleacher to equal such
oil ltnhf tod fro, ,ytt
The light that one time shOne so UNANIMOUSLY
from Moses when he stood before the cleft Of
the rock was the luster reflected from God on
him. borrowed. Cbrist's briliancy was from
within. That of Moses could be borne if one
covered his face with vail. but that from
Christ bursts through his apparel. making even
that gistenng. 4. Moses and Elijah appeared
and held conversation with Christ. ,. voice
was heard like that ut the baptism of Jesus,
saying, This is my beloved Son in whom l
am we'll pleased" 6. Christ touched the
alarmed Disciples and spoke kindly to them,
removing their apprehensiOns z. Jesus was
greater than Moses and Elijah. Those two
came to Christ TO surrender to him their Offices
commissions. or dispensatons. No wonder Mo-
SEES came, for in Christ all types were fulfilled.
No wonder Elijah came, for in Christ the
prophecies were all accomplished. 8. In the
TRANSPORTATION see Christ in his native
element. Human life was q constant disguise
of Christ.
WORDS AND PHRASES.
/. TRANSFORMED St. Matt, 17:2 We are not
to understand any change of substance as to
Christ but an altered external form or appear.
ance. In st. Luke, 9:29, it is said: 1.-The
fashion of his countenance was altered" There
was no change save in aspect. The peculiar
effect was only temporary. Perhaps it is i'm
piled that Chrsts native condition was one of
great splendor.
2. Moses and Elias. Elias is form for Elijah.
1t is we'll to notice that Moses died 45i years
before Christ, and Elijah was translated to
Heaven 500 years before Christ. How singular
ii was that they two, after all those centuries,
reappeared on earth. We surely have strong
intimatOD of the truth Of the doctrine Of i'm
mortality.
3. Decedse St. Lu Q. 81. The original for
the word decease Is exodus, meaning going
forth. departure. We have the same original
in 81. Pet, /: Is.
Jesus talked to Moses and Elias, and they
spake TO him Of the deccase which he should
accomplish at Jerusalem. The English word
decease does not hold all the meaning of that
profound. most mysterious interview. They
talked OF the deCessuS, the exodus of Moses, the
exodus which Moses left unaccomplished, the
outgoing which seemed TO nave no correspond
ing incoming. They spoke of the deeessttS, the
exodus of the nobler Moses who would bring
to pcrfectness OF accomplishment the outgoing
aud the home coming for he should accomplish
the decessus at Jerusalem, hap not the death
only, coming back into resurrection, but the
other part OF the decesSus, the outgoing, the up.
rising. the ascension. the'whole tragedy--a sub
ject worthy or such speakers"
We recall Heb. Is Ia. Life is Egypt to US;
Heaven is Canaan. Our departure from Egypt
is an exodus. Dying is going out from this
world. r, ~
4. Tabernactes. We are to understand booths
made from tee branches. We suppose the
Apostles wanted TO prooug the grand occa-
sion. The idea of absolute permanency did not
probably possess them. They were filed with
complex impulses. We see the thought of hos
pitality. They would have a more suitable
spot. where Christ aud His Heavenly visitors
might have shelter and repose. Self was
obliterated as TO greater personal comfort.
We are not probably TO get from the word
tsbernacles tho conception of places of wor-
ship. Worship is social and for that purpose
one structure would be sufficient The word
IS used SO much of the Jewish abode for re-
ligious services, one is liable to be misled. The
Jews were familiar with the kind of structure
proposed by st. Peter. They had an annual
festival, during which large part of the popu-
lation lived in temporary observation-disclosures.
Lev, %: 43.
s. Cloud. This is mentioned in the three &C
counts. st. Matthew says: "A bright cloud"
This was not properly a part of the Transigu-
ration. Moses and Elijah had departed The