Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-09-23
the TRANsFIGURATIoN.
3, Rev. Nerman gar. 0. o.. u

whose DUTIES HaAe bSSu Adiu AZ
grave. Moses. no less than Elias, APP
peartd to the disciples with Jesus III
glor, What may we infer is the pres
ent heaven of departed souls.
They are consciously alive. These
two had not ceased to exist. They
were not asleep in unconsciousness'
They were conyersing together with
Jesus we sometimes speak OF the
dead as il no longer alive in any sense.
They are mo more" they are ''in the
grave they lie in yonder churchyard.
When we hear their last sigh. and the
dear hand no longer responds to our
CRASH, and the light of eye Is quench-
ed. il is natural to think our beloved
one has ceased to be. But the lie
they had in Christ, like his own life,
remains-they are more alive than
ever! liz we had been with Elijah
when he was caught up to heaven. we
should not have gone home gr'cFing,
drawing down the curtains, and aban-
doning ourselves to woe as ii we had
forever lost our friend. Neither shall
taken TO himself as dead. They. shar-
ing death with Moses, share also con-
tinued life with Elias.
Both appeared in glory" There are
higher degrees of glory, ever advanc-
ing with everlasting existence. But
there is glory Immediately following
death. The glory of the calm after
storm. of rest after toll. of crown after
conflict. Death does not deprive of
this. but rather is the instrument of
comforting it.
The two g,ortded visitants were to-
gether. They could not have been
while they we're alive. Then FIVE hun
bred years divided them. God bad
different works for different servants,
in different ages and in distant places.
We sometimes wish we could grasp
the hands of saints of other days and
countries-of whom we read, whose
hymns we sing In heaven no barri-
ers of time or place separate the chill
dren Of God. Abel and Stephen. Abra-
ham and Paul. David and Peter, hold
sweet communion yonder. And this
will commence with the new life we
call death, even as Moses was in the
company of Elijah.
OF course there is recognition. These
two were not unnamed, generic repre-
srntatives Of Heaven, but absolutely
two individuals, with their distinctive
names and personalities. All have one
likeness to Christ. but all have their
peculiar varieties of feature and char
aeter. What joy will it be wnen.
cleansed from all faults and intilmi-
ties. we shall greet again those we
loved here. to enjoy the perfect COM
munion of the saints made perfect!
We wish we had been with the three
disciples to enjoy the company of the
two saints even for so brief an hour.
We also shall meet Moses and Elias.
And what will at first yield still great
er bliss, we shall join the beloved ones
known during the present life. We
shah greet them. be greeted by them.
Best of all. Moses, the buried one,
equally with Elijah. the translated
one. was with Jesus. This is the eli
max of the believers hope. absent
! from the body. present with the Lord. :"
I'VE shall be like him, seeing him as
he is" They at whose grave we weep
,are rot down there in the dark and
damp cavern or clay, but in the imme-
date presence of the Lord of glory.
we may weep for ourselves for a
while because deprived of their visi-
Bile presence, but we should rejoice for
them us much as If they had been
translated like Elijah They are still
alive. are conscious in glory. together
with dear ones gone before. with all
the saints, with Jesus himself. which
is far better, sharing with Moses the
Heaven of Elijah.
But how to get there? Fitness per-
vadeS the universe-plants for the soil,
animals for the element in which they
live. likeness and sympathy are need
ed for enjoyment of society. We must
be made meet for their inheritance
if we would share with the saints in
light" We may not share the lofty
endowments of Moses and Elijah, but
we must resemble them in the domi-
nant feature of their character b.
soIuta surrender TO God
We mary think of these two in an
other aspect. They represent the Old
Testament This was designated as
The Law and he Prophets" Moses
represented the Law. Elijah the
Prophets. Christ was himself the New
Testament He was charged with op-
posing the former dispensation. But
his presence in friendly converse with
them was emphatic testimony between
Law and Gospel. Draw near and listen
to their converse ton. Was ii about
recent events in Heaven, or about the
grand reception awaiting his return to
his throne? Mott was concerning the
death he was about to die. Strange
that the glors of Tabor ahould suggest
the gloom of Calyary--the presence Of
those rantared saints, the hateful mob
Of nlurderers! Yet there was no theme
so attractive to the three. 1t was the
event TO which by type and prediction
the Lawgiver and the Prophets had
borne constant witness 1t was the
act of atoning sacrifice TO which they
owed the ages of bliss they had en-
joyed. What other theme so near
their hearts? And with Christ-was
not this death at Jerusalem the great
SaC-ififp be had come IN offer9 This