༩ ་ ༑་

AMILY

THE

EXPOSITOR.

V O L II.

The latter Part of the History of CHRIST, as recorded by the EVANGELISTS.

SECT. XC.

CHRIST goes up to a Mountain, where he is transfigured, and difcourfes with his Difciples concerning the Expectation the Jews had of Elijah. Mat. XVII. 1,-13. Mark IX. 2,-13. Luke IX. 28,-36.

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MARK IX. 2.

Mark IX. 2.

'ND it came to pass after fix Days, [or] Sect. 90. if you include the first and laft, about eight Days after thefe Difcourfes, which were related in the Two laft Sections, Jefus took with him thofe Three Diciples whom he honoured with fomething of a peculiar Intimacy, (compare Mark v. 37. and Mat. xxvi. 37.) namely, Peter, and James, and his Brother John, and brought them up privately, to an high Moutain apart from the People (a), whither he retired to pray; intend

ing,

(a) An high Mountain apart from the People.] Ferom tells us, (Epift. 17, 18.) that there was in his Days, an antient Tradition, that this was Mount Tabor, which lay in the Tribe of Zebulon. Its ftanding apart, (as Mr. Maundrell obferves that it does, Travels, pag. 112.) is to be fure no Argument to prove it; for that Expreffioh only fignifies, that it was á prívate Retirement, which it might have been, had it made Part of a Ridge of Mountains. However, as this happened at the Distance of fix Days, there feems to be but little Probability in Mr. Fleming's Conjecture, that fince Chrift was just before near Cæfarea Philippi, this must be the Mountain in that Neighbourhood, on which one of Jeroboam's Calves had been worshipped; over which he thinks it a Kind of Triumph, that the Shekinah was thus glorioufly manifefted, where it had been fo long affronted by Idolatry. See Fleming's Chriftology, Vol. i. pag. 40.'

VOL. II.

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· (b) To

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CHRIST is transfigured on a Mountain,

Sect. 90. ing, as he often did, to spend the Night in that holy Exercife (b).

Luke IX.29.

Mark IX. 4.

And as he was praying, it came to pafs, that he was fuddenly in a moft glorious Manner tranffigured in their Prefence; and the Form of his Countenance was changed (c), [fo that] his Face fhone with a Brightness like that of the Sun; and his whole Body was clothed with fuch a Luftre, as fhone thro' bis Raiment, infomuch that the Appearance of it was all white and dazzling (d); Jhining fo exceedingly, that it feemed as white as Snow, [yea] as refplendent as the Light itself, to So great a Degree as no Fuller on Earth could whiten it. Such a Glory did GoD confer on his Son, as an Earneft of that in which he was finally to appear; and he permitted thefe his Servants to fee it, that they might not be offended at thofe Scenes of deep Abafement, in which they were fhortly to attend him. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 37. Sect. 182.)

And behold, there appeared to them, at the fame Time that they faw their Lord in this fplendid Form, Two Men, that were talking with Jefus in a Language and Accent which the Three Apoftles heard and understood, who were known to be Mofes the great Giver, and Elijah the zealous Luke IX. 31. Reftorer of the Law. Thefe were the Perfons whom they faw with Chrift, in whofe Honour their refpective Miniftrations terminated; who appearing to their View in Forms of Glory, fomewhat resembling that which he now wore himfelf, pake of his Exit, or Departure out of the prefent Life and State, which he was shortly after, even at the enfuing Paffover, to accomplish at Je

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LUKE IX. 29. And to he prayed, [MAR. he was and] the Fashion of his transfigured before them, Countenance was altered, [fo that his Face did fhine as the Sun ;] and his Raiment was white and gliftering, [MAR. fhining exceeding white as Snow,] [or as the Fuller on Earth can white. Light,] [MAR. fo as no them.] [MAT. XVII. 2. MARK ÏX.-2, 3:]

MARK IX. 4. And [be

hold, there appeared unto them [LUK. Two Men] talking with Jefus, [Luk. which were Mofes and El as:] [MAT. XVII. 3LUKE IX. 30.]

LUKE IX. 31. Who appeared in Glory, and fpake

of his Deceafe which he

fhould accomplish at Jeru falem.

(b) To fpend the Night in that holy Exercife.] This appears from Luke ix. 37. where we read of their coming down from the Mountain the next Day. See pag. 8.

(c) The Form of his Countenance was changed.] This was fo ftriking a Circumftance, that Eunapius (Vit. Fambl. pag. 22.) relates a Story of Jamblicus, which feems evidently to be borrowed from this; as many Things which Philoftratus tells us of Apollonius Tyanaus, feem also to have been borrowed from other Hiftories recorded of Chrift by the Evangelifts.

(d) White and dazzling.] The Words acuxos e§aspäπlov may literally be rendered, white as Lightning; but as this Claufe ftands here connected with parallel Paffages in the other Evangelifts, I chose to render it dazzling, that fome proper Gradation might be obferved, which would otherwife have been destroyed.

(e) Spake

where Mofes and Elijah appear, and speak of his Death.

32 But Peter and they that were with him, were heavy with Sleep: and when they were awake, they faw his Glory, and the Two Men

that stood with him.

33-And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter [anfwered and] faid unto Jefus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and [if thou wilt] let us make [here] three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Mofes, and one for Elias: [MAT. XVII.

4. MARK IX. 5.]

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rufalem (e); suggesting and enlarging on fuch Sect. 90.
Thoughts, as were proper to animate him to fo
painful, and glorious a Conflict.

But Peter, and they that were with him, even Luke IX. 32.
the Two other Disciples, did not fee the Begin
ning of this glorious Vision, nor hear the whole
of this wonderful and edifying Difcourfe; for,
wearied with the Labours of the preceding Day,
they were quite overburthened and funk down with
Sleep; but being awakened with the Splendor of
those Rays, which pierced thro' the Darkness of
the Night that had before favoured their Slumbers,
they faw, to their inexpreffible Aftonishment, his
unufual Glory, and the Two Men who were ftand-
ing with him, and heard the Conclufion of their
Conference, from whence they collected who
they were (ƒ). And it came to pass, that just 33
as they were departing from him, Peter anfwered
and faid unto Jefus, Mafter, it is good for us to
be here in fuch a Circumftance as this: Let this
glorious Appearance and Converse be prolonged;
for we could delight to spend all the Remainder
of our Days thus; and therefore, if thou pleafeft,
let us make three Tents here (g), for thee one, and
for Mofes one, and one for Elijah, that thou with
them

(e) Spake of his Exit, which he was shortly to accomplish at Ferusalem.] Dr. Hammond and Le Clerc feem greatly mistaken, in referring this to Chrift's Victory over the impenitent Jews in the Destruction of Jerufalem by the Romans; for tho' the Word soos does fometimes fignify a Military Expedition, (fee Elfner. Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 219.) yet it is plainly used for Death, or a Departure out of the World, 2 Pet. i. 15. and Wifd. iii. 2. which suits much better here with the Conftru&tion, εν Ιερκσαλήμ.

(f) Heard the Conclufion of their Conference, &c.] It might not, perhaps, have been proper, they should have heard the whole of it: GOD might intend to reveal fome of thofe Things to them by the Spirit, and the Knowledge of others might be referved to the Dif coveries of the Heavenly State.

(g) Let us make three Tents here.] Mr. Fleming thinks, it is as if he had faid, "Lord, "let this Mountain be to Ifrael now, what Sinai was to our Fathers: Hold, as it were, thy "Court here; and let the People refort hither, to learn thy Will, and pay their Homage "to thee, attended by thefe thy glorified Servants." (See Fleming's Chriftology, Vol. i. p. 46.) But this feems too great a Refinement, and too deep a Scheme. I rather chufe to interpret them, as Words of rapturous Surprize, intended merely to exprefs the Pleasure they had, in what they faw and heard. The Propofal was, as St. Mark obferves, very improper; but perhaps few, in fuch an aftonishing Circumftance, could have been perfectly Masters of themfelves. The Tents, they propofed to build, must be only flight Huts, or Bowers; and there is no Reafon at all to fuppofe, they meant any fumptuous Tabernacles, like that of Mofes in the Wilderness: And that no fuch Idea might accidentally be raised, I chose to use the Word Tents.

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A Voice from Heaven declares him to be the Son of GOD.

Sect. 90. them mayft lodge here in a more convenient
This was indeed a wild Kind of

Mark IX. 6.

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Luke IX. 34.

Manner.

Propofal, ill fuiting the State of thefe glorified
Perfons, or the Subject of their late Difcourfe: But
it is the less to be wondered at, confidering the
great Surprize in which Peter was; for he knew
not what he said, [or] fhould fay; for fuch was
the Effect it had on him, and the Two other
Difciples who were then prefent, that they were
vaftly terrified at the Majefty of this unparallelled
Sight, which broke out upon them at once in fo
unexpected a Manner.

And as he was Speaking thus, behold, there came
a bright Cloud, which in a moft furprizing Man-
ner spread itself over the Top of the Mountain,
and overshadowed them all: And the Disciples were
feized with fuch a Kind of religious Horror, that
they feared, when they entered into the Cloud (b),
35 and faw it diffused on every Side of them. And
behold, an ever-memorable Circumftance then
happened; for there came a moft awful Voice out
of the Cloud, as the facred Symbol of GOD's im-
mediate Prefence, which faid, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well-pleafed (i); hear ye him
therefore with the humbleft Submiffion and O-
bedience, as the Object of my dearest Compla-
cency, and your surest Guide to Duty and Hap-
piness,

MARK IX. 6. For he

wift not [LUK. what he faid, or what to fay, for they were fore afraid. [LUKE. IX.-33]

(b) There came a bright Cloud, and overshadowed them: &c.] I cannot think it probable, (tho' a late eminent Critick has fo explained it,) that this only means, that the Cloud caft a Shadow which fell upon them; but rather, that it spread over the Mountain; and this not like a Canopy or Umbrella, but that it covered it in fuch a Manner as a Cloud does; yet with this Difference, that it was more like a thick Smoke than a Shower; and that, whereas the Skirts of Clouds are generally rarer than the Central Parts, this was darker towards the Edges, a Glory being in the Midft: And probably, it was the darker Part with which the Apostles were envelopped, while the Excellent Glory (as St. Peter calls it, 2 Pet. i. 17.) feemed much higher; and the Rays of it were much attempered, by that Part of the Cloudy Veil which was between it and them. And thus we know, that the Shekinah had appeared in former Ages; particularly, when it took Poffeffion of the Tabernacle of Mofes, Exod. xl. 34, 35. and the Temple of Solomon. 1 Kings viii. 10, 11.

(i) In whom I am well-pleafed.] Tho' neither Mark nor Luke have given us thefe Words, we may be fure that they were really spoken, as we have the concurrent Testimony both of Matthew, and of Peter, who has thus quoted them, 2 Pet. i. 17. Some have thought their being omitted by Mark, an Intimation, that Peter did not review that Gospel with any great Accuracy, fuppofing it was (as Clemens Alexandrinus reports,) put into his Hands. -Perhaps the Command that is added to hear him, may refer to that folemn Charge to hear the great Prophet, Deut. xviii. 15.

(k) They

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He charges his Difciples to conceal it till he was rifen. pinefs, in all Respects fuperior to the greatest of Sect. 90. your Prophets.

MAT. XVII. 6. And

they fell on their Face, and were fore afraid.

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And when the Disciples heard [this Voice,] they Mat. XVII. when the Disciples heard it fell proftrate on their Faces to the Ground with the humbleft Reverence, and were exceedingly terrified by this tremendous Manifestation of the present Deity. And Jefus, knowing their Con- 7 fufion, came and touched them, and faid, Rife up, and be not afraid; infufing into them, at the fame Moment, a fecret Strength and Fortitude of Mind. (Compare Dan. x. 10, 19.)

7 And Jefus came and touched them, and said, A

rife, and be not afraid.

And on a fudden, while the Heavenly Voice was Mark IX. 8.uttered, Jefus was found alone, Mofes and Elijah disappearing in a Moment; [and] the Difciples lifting up their Eyes, upon the kind Encouragement that he had given them,. [and] looking round about them for the Perfons they had seen but just before, faw no Man any more, but Jefus only with themselves, who now again appearing in his usual Form, graciously entered into Converfation with them in the fame condescending Manner he was used to do.

And as they came down from the Mountain, on which this wonderful Tranfaction had paffed, Jefus ftrictly charged them, that they should tell no one what they had feen, unless it were when the Son of Man was rifen from the Dead; left till that glorious Evidence was given of his Divine Miflion, this Story should appear as an idle Dream, or an incredible Tale. And when he spake of rifing from the Dead, they laid hold on that Word (k), difputing among themselves what this rifing from the Dead could mean; for as often, and as plainly, as Chrift had declared it to them, they could not perfuade themselves to understand it in a literal Senfe. However, in Obedience to the Charge he gave them, they were filent as to what had passed, and

(k) They laid hold on that Word.] So I think 70v λoyov expainoav may moft literally be rendered; the Verb often fignifying to lay hold on, and in Consequence of that, refolutely to retain; but never, that I can recollect, to keep a Secret. Compare Mat. ix. 25. xiv. 3. Mark xii. 12. and Rev. xx. 2. I think the Words apos taurus fhould be joined with oulles, as they are with the fame Word, Mark i 27. ix. 16. Luke xxii. 23. and Acts ix. 29.

(1) Shatt

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IQ.