throne, the place where thine holiness and thine honour dwelleth! Thou, who didft command thy chofen disciples to be filent on the fubject of thy transfiguration till thou wert risen from the dead, now thou art rifen and afcended wilt have it fpoken of throughout the world-that all mankind may acknowlege the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in thee bodily-that from this temporary glory fome judgment may be formed of that which is everlasting.

"VERILY I fay unto you, there be "fome ftanding here, who fhall not "tafte of death, till they have seen the "SON OF MAN come in his kingdom." Thine act, O Saviour, is the bett cominent on thy words. Peter, and the two fons of Zebedee, were they who tafted not of death, till their eyes had feen this heavenly image of the royalty of their glorified mafter. The promise is immediately followed by its perform

ance.

ance. They are called on to witness that fight, which the Chriftian Church views at this moment with the eye of faith-fhe beholds the grandeur of her Lord and Saviour-fhe rejoices, and is glad.

TRADITION has ever affigned Mount Tabor as the place where this majestic fcene was displayed to the aftonished apoftles. Surely the place itself was not chofen without fome myfterious import, as being itself an image and fymbol of that Heaven towards which it arose. How many times did GoD appoint his acts of glory and magnificence to be done on these elevated ftations! How often is the region of eternal blessedness described under the name of the holy hill of GOD! On Horeb he appeared to the great Shepherd of his peopleon Sinai was the law delivered in all its fublimity. On. Moriah the voice of JEHOVAH bare witness to the triumphant B 2

faith

faith of Abraham-on Rephidim Mofes made interceffion with GOD to crown the arms of Ifrael with victory and gloryon Ebal and Gerizim, the folemn denunciations of the wrath of GOD against finners, and his tender mercies towards his faithful fervants, were recited to the affembled tribes-on Ramah and Gibeah, the fons of the prophets received their vifions and revelations from GODon Carmel the prayer of Elijah called down fire from Heaven, when the LORD openly fhewed his righteousness in the fight of all the people. Who knows not, that on Mount Sion stood that Temple, which was the wonder of fo many ages, the excellency of holinefs and majesty? "I will lift up mine

eyes unto the bills, from whence

"cometh my help-my help cometh "from the LORD, who hath made hea"ven and earth."

HE,

HE, whofe immenfity filleth all space, knows no local diftinctions-he is not, as was once impiously fuggefted, “ a "GOD of the mountains, and not a "GOD of the vallies." But he would teach his peculiar people, that the mind fhould be raised above the earth towards. Heaven-that no intervening object should keep from our view those blifsful regions to which our faith and hope are directed to afcend-that our devotions should be performed in such a manner, and in fuch places, where the fanctity, and awfulness of the fcene may ftrike a kind of adoration into uswhere divine meditation, and the fire of charity may lift up our prayers to God. If we would be transfigured with CHRIST we must abandon all worldly thoughts, and feek those things which are abovewe must leave below the cares, diftractions, anxiety, labour, forrow, fervitude of the body, while with the fpirit and B 3 with

with the understanding alfo, we go up and worship our GOD.

THUS removed from the bufy eye of curiofity, the Saviour of mankind appeared to his favoured difciples in a state of majesty and glory. His face did fhine as the fun-his raiment was bright as the light. The law and the prophets, in the person of Mofes and Elias, appeared, and did homage to the Redeemer. That Mofes, with whom the Almighty held converfe, as a man talketh to his friend-that Elias, to whom GOD manifefted himself in the folitudes of the wilderness, paid their united adorations to Him, of whom Mofes in the law, and the prophets did write-to Him, who came, not to deftroy, but to fulfil, their word.

WHAT Comfort, what affurance of future bleffednefs was thus afforded to thofe living witneffes, who were present at this ftupendous fcene! With what

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