The Transfiguration: Christ healeth the lunatick : again forewarneth his disciples of his passion. 28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these 'sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. с 36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. d 37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and 33 And it came to pass, as they could not. 41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you Bring thy son hither. 42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. without desire of revenge. Divers would follow him, but upon conditions. g 46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. 47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, 48 And said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: 43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they won-for he that is least among you dered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. Mat. xvii. 1. Mark ix. 2.- Or, things.-z Dan viii. 9.-d Mat, xvii. 14. Mark ix. 14, 17.-e Mat. xvii. 22. 18; & x. 9.-a Mat. iii. 17.- Acts iii. 22.-c Mat. xvii. Mark ix. 32. ch. ii. 50; & xviii. 34. See §§ LVI. LVII. Matthew XVII. 1-23. § CLXXXVII. CHAP. IX. 46-62. Christ, commendeth humility; biddeth his disciples to shew mildness towards all all, the same shall be great. 49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. 51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. 57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, 'I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them fare well, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. g Mat. xviii. 1. Mark ix. 34.-h Mat x. 40; & xviii. 5. Mark ix. 37. John xii. 44; & xiii. 20.-i Mat. xxiii. 11. 12.-k Mark ix. 38. See Num. xi. 28.- See Mat. xii. 30. ch. xi. 23.-m Mark xvi. 19. Acts i. 2.-n John iv. 4, 9. -02 Kings i. 10, 12-p John iii. 17; & xii. 47.-q Mat. viii. 19. Mat. viii. 21.- See 1 Kings xix. 20. READER.-Then there arose a rea soning among them which of them should be greatest. See Commentary on Matthew XVIII. 1-6. in § LVIII. And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, &c. The time drew on wherein Jesus must be received up; he must take death in his way; Calvary is in his passage to mount Olivet: he must be lifted up to the cross, thence to climb into his heaven. Yet this comes not into mention, as if all the thoughts of death were swallowed up in this victory over death. Neither, O Saviour, is it otherwise with us, though weak members of thy mystical body: we must die, we shall be glorified. What if death stand before us? We look beyond him, at that transcendent glory. How should we be dismayed with that pain, which is attended with a blessed immortality? The strongest receipt against death is the happy estate that follows it: next to that, is the fore expectation of it, and resolution against it: "He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." Jerusalem, the nest of his enemies, the amphitheatre of his conflicts, the fatal place of his death. Well did he know the plots and ambushes that were there laid for him, and the bloody issue of those designs : yet he will go, and goes resolved for the worst. It is a sure and wise way to send our thoughts before us, to grapple with those evils which we know must be encountered; the enemy is half overcome that is well prepared for. The strongest mischief may be outfaced with a seasonable fore-resolution. There can be no greater disadvantage than the suddenness of a surprisal. O God, what I have not the power to avoid, let me have the wisdom to expect! The way from Galilee to Judea lay through the region of Samaria, if not the city. Christ, now towards the end of his preaching, could not but be attended with a multitude of followers it was necessary there should be purveyors and harbingers to procure lodgings and provisions for so large a troop. Some of his own retinue are addressed to this service; they seek not for palaces and delicates, but for house-room and victuals. It was he whose the earth was, and the fulness thereof; whose the heavens are, and the mansions therein; yet he, who could have commanded angels, sues to Samaritans; he, that filled and comprehended heaven, sends for shelter in a Samaritan cottage. It was thy choice, O Saviour, to take upon thee the shape, not of a prince, but of a servant. How can we either neglect means, or despise homeliness, when thou, the God of all the world, would'st stoop to the suit of so poor a provision? We know well on what terms the Samaritans stood with the Jews; so much more hostile, as they did more symbolize in matters of re ligion: no nations were mutually so hateful to each other. A Samaritan's bread was no better than swine's flesh: their very fire and water was not more grudged than infectious: the looking towards Jerusalem was here cause enough of repulse. No enmity is so desperate as that which arises from matter of religion. Agreement in some points, when there are differences in the main, doth but advance hatred the more.-HALL. Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did.--There is nothing so ill, as the corruption of the best. Rectified zeal is not more commendable and useful, than inordinate and misguided is hateful and dangerous. Fire is a necessary and beneficial element, but if it be once misapplied, and have caught upon the beams of our houses, or stacks of our corn, nothing can be more direful. Thus sometimes zeal turns to murder: "They that kill you shall think they do God service; sometimes frenzy, sometimes rude indiscretion. Wholesome and blessed is that zeal that is well grounded, and well governed; grounded upon the word of truth, not upon unstable fancies; governed by wisdom and charity; wisdom to avoid rashness, and excess; charity to avoid just offence. No motion can want a pretence: Elias did so, why not we? He was a holy prophet: the occasion, the place, differs not much: there wrong was offered to a servant, here to his master; there to a man, hère to a God and man. If Elias then did it, why not we? There is nothing more perilous than to draw all the actions of holy men into examples; for, as the best men have their weaknesses, so they are not privileged from letting fall unjustifiable actions. Besides that, they may have had, perhaps, peculiar warrants signed from heaven, whether by instinct or special command, which we shall expect in vain. There must be much caution used in our imitation of the best patterns, whether in respect of persons or things; else we shall make ourselves apes, and our acts sinful absurdities. It is a rare thing for our Saviour to find fault with the errors of zeal, even where have appeared sensible weaknesses. If Moses, in a sacred zeal and indignation, broke the tables written with God's own hand, I find him not checked. Here our meek Saviour turns back and frowns upon his furious suitors, and takes them up roundly: "Ye know not of what spirit ye are." The faults of uncharitableness cannot be swallowed up in zeal. If there were any colour to hide the blemishes of this misdisposition, it should be this crimson dye. But he that needs not our lie, will let us know he needs not our injury, and hates to have a good cause supported by the violation of our charity. We have no reason to disclaim our passions; even the Son of God chides sometimes, yea, where he loves. It offends not that our affections are moved, but that they are inordinate. not of what spirit ye are :" another man would not, perhaps, have felt it; a disciple doth. Tender hearts are galled with that which the carnal mind slighteth. The spirit of Elias was that which they meant to assume and imitate; they shall now know their mark was mistaken. How would they have hated to think, that any other but God's spirit had stirred them up to this passionate motion! Now they shall know it was wrought by that ill spirit whom they professed to hate. It is far from the good spirit of God to stir up any man to private revenge, or thirst of blood. Not an eagle, but a dove, was the shape wherein he chose to appear: neither would'st thou, O God, be in the whirlwind, or in the fire, but in the soft voice. O Saviour, what do we seek for any precedent but thine, whose name we challenge? Thou camest to thine own, thine own received thee not. Didst thou call for fire from 'heaven upon them? didst thou not rather send down water from thy compassionate eyes, and weep for them by whom thou must bleed? Better had it been for us never to have had any spirit, than any but thine. We can be no other than wicked, if our mercies be cruelty. But is it the name of Elias, O ye zealots, which ye pretend for a colour of your impotent desire? Ye do not consider the difference betwixt his spirit and yours: his was extraordinary and heroical, besides the instinct or secret command of God It was a sharp word, "Ye know for this act of his; far otherwise is |
