The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-04-13
M SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR APRIL ".

Lesson Test, srhe rransns surstion,s - Mac
thew xviii. 1-o-0oldsn Tsats Jonn l..
14-Commentsry ON tho Lesson For the
Day Written BY Rev. Dr. D. M. stearnss
I. "And nfter six days Jesus taketh Pe-
ter, James and John, his brother. ana
bringeth them up into an high mountain
spart;" Luke says, About an ut days
less including the day Of the pfsmiss and
the day Of the event, while Matthew and
Mark only mention the Intervening days.
Mark says, HE taketh and leadeth thom."
How very beautiful Does not your heart
say, "Lcrd. take me and lead me, and III
that You mean II, and do not question His
love II He lends you in the valley. These
three were with Him when He raised the
little girl and when He was in the garden.
We cannot go with Him unless we are will
Ing to go apart from the many who follow
unless we have something OF His Spirit OF
pray er, for Luke IL, 28, says that He went
70 pray. As we learn to live alone with
Him and for Him, we will find ourselves in
cre"singly given to communion with Him.
2. And was transngured before them,
and His face did shine as tho sun, and His
raiment was white rs the light Mark
says that His raiment became shining, ex-
ceedtng white as snow. Luke says that
the fashion OF His counte nance was altered
and His raiment was white and clustering
(Mark k. 8; Luke TX, 29). 1t makes one
think Of Him as He afterward appeared to
John on Patmos some sixty years after His
ascension Grew. l., IBID. II Is to me very
interesting to observe that tho word trans.
lated "transhgured" Is used outside OF this
places-Rom. XII, ., and II Cor. ILL.,. 1s.
In the one the translation is "be trans
formed" and In the other "are changed"
but in each case It refers to the believer
and our being changed more and more into
the image Of Christ. In Romans IL IL shown
to be work from within, by the renewing
Of our minds, and In Corinthians It Il said
to be accomplished by beholding His glory
In the glass or mirror OF His word. It
seems to me that the beginning and devel-
opment and contamination OF the Christian
lie has but one sdcret, and that Is "behold-
Ing Him." When In that fair morning we
shall indeed see Him. then we shall indeed
"a. and behold, there appeared unto
them Moses and Elias, talking with Him."
We know that Moses died and was buried
in the land Of Moab Oeut. xxxiy:, 5. o.
taken to heaven In whirlwind and probably
In the chariot over 800 years before, tho
only man except Enoch who has as yet ever
been excused from the appointment Of
death (Heb. ix.. I'D. Yet here they are
alive and well and talking with Christ Of
was about to accomplish at Jerusalem
(Luke H., 3D. Whether the believer dies
or Is translated, In either case It means In
stantly with the Lord In such life and
such bliss as we cannot imagine (Phil. l.,
| al, 23; ILL. 90, 2D, but all the blessedrfess
and reality OF that life are wholly due to
the work which our Lord Jesus finished on
| Calvary.
4. "Then answered Potter and said unto
Jesus, Lord, It Is good for us to be here.
II Thou wilt, let us make here three taber-
and one for Elias" think we may CON,
clude from Jude tx that Moses had his res
| direction body. II So then he represented
the risen saints while Elijah represented
those who will not die, but be translated at
our Lords coming. the two representing
the whole heavenly company OF the re-
deemed in the kingdom when II shall have
come, while Peter, James and John, three
| righteous Jews, represent all Israel, q
righteous nation on earth In the kingdom,
and this revelation is what our Lord prom
| ised In chapter xvi, 29.
8. While he yet sPake. behold, a bright
cloud overshadowed them, and, behold, q
voice ont OF the cloud, which said, This is
| My beloved Son, In whom am we'll pleased.
Hear ye Him." He is the true tabernacle
and temple and pillar Of cloud. He is the
fulnllment OF oil that Moses was to Israel
| or wrote for them. He Is the end OF the
law for righteousness to every one that be-
lieveth. He Is the Prophet OF all prophets,
tho Messenger Of God as none other ever
was or can be, and God said to Moses con-
cerning Him, "Whosoever will not hearken
unto My words, which He shall speak In
My name, will requireit Of him" (Deut.
xviii, 18, l9). This is tho second time that
the Father testified from heaven as to His
delight In His Son, but now He adds the
command, "Hear ye Him." We are not to
hear what men think or say about Him, but
L. kI...kl Il. L.
self, for the Father told Him what to say
(John Kill, 40.
6,7. "And when tho disciples heard II
they fell on their face and were sore afraid.
And Jesus came and touched them and
said, Arise and be not afraid" So He or
surely did to John on Patmos (Dan. WILL,
pie no cause to fear. Why is 1t that We have
SO many fears? How We must grievc Him1
He says that He will never remember our
sins. 1t shows grent lack Of confidence in
| Him for US to fear or to think that He will.
He says that we are blessed with all spirit
ual blessings In Him. 1t 10 surely dishonor-
Ing to- Him for US to question IL. He tells
as that since He so roved US as TO give Him.
self for us He can therefore withhold no
good thing. Faith Just believes It, and 10
happy because He says SO.
8. "And when they had lifted up their
| eyes tn6y saw no man save Jesus O0ly."
What a powerful life word this IL, and
what peace and victory to SEQ Jesus only
In redemption, and In sanctiacation, as
we will see Jesus only as the center OF oil
the glory OF heaveni In redemption and
daily life our temptation Is to SEQ feelings
and experiences and people, but thus there
Is no rest. We must see that His finished
work is all that God asks and that We need,
and His word all the assurance that IL
necessary and learn to sing always "Be-
hold, God Is my salvation"
0. "And al thoy came down from the
mountain Jesus charged them, saying.
Tell the vision to no man until the Son Of
Man be risen again from tho dead" Even
II we may not fully understand, We may
be sure that there was some very good
reason for this charge QSzek XIV, 20). It
Is not always for us to undcrstand. but al
ways to obey Isa. l., 19). The other dis
ciples at the foot OF the mount with their
difficulty Is suggestive OF many dinicuities
that shall not be solved till He shall como,
but more faith might solve more. Mean