had raised against him, and to fhew that, though in the Days of his Flesh he had fhunned fuch temporal Grandeur and Magnificence as the Jews expected in their Meffiah, yet he was really a Perfon of infinite Dignity; and that, even during his humbled State on Earth, he could have arrayed himself with a Splendor and Glory that could have aftonished the World, if it had been confiftent with the great Ends of his Coming, and the Work he was fent upon. And for this End the Teftimony of the Disciples who had been with him in the holy Mount, and had been Eye-witneffes of his Majefty at his Transfiguration, was very proper. And for them to publish the wonderful Account of what they had heard and seen on that Occafion might then have a very good Effect. And as the Resurrection and Afcenfion of Chrift, of which they had the moft convincing Evidence, tended to prepare the Minds of the other Disciples for receiving and believing the Account given of his Transfiguration by Peter, James, and John, who were Eye-witneffes of it; fo the amazing Splendor with which he was then arrayed, tended to give them more magnificent Notions of the tranfcendent Glory and Felicity of his exalted State in Heaven.

These may be fome of the Reasons for which our bleffed Lord charged his Dif

ciples

ciples to tell no Man of this Vifion, till he rofe again from the Ďead. And in this they obferved his Direction: For the Evangelift Luke affures us, that they kept it clofe, and told no Man in thofe Days any of thofe Things which they had feen. Luke ix. 36. But, after Chrift's Refurrection, they took Care to publish it to the World, as well as the other wonderful Things, which Jefus had done and taught, during the Courfe of his perfonal Miniftry on Earth. Accordingly we find a particular Relation of this amazing Event recorded by three of the Evangelifts. St. John, who writ laft of all, doth not mention it, because he chiefly taketh Notice of thofe Things which the other Evangelifts had omitted. But it appeareth from what St. Peter faith concerning it, in his fecond Epiftle, Chap. i. Ver. 16, 17, 18, that the Transfiguration of our Lord, and the Teftimony then given him, was a Thing which he and the other Apoftles, who were Witneffes of it, particularly infifted upon. After having said, that he would endeavour that they might be able, after his Deceafe, to have the Things he had taught them always in Remembrance, he addeth: For we have not followed cunningly devifed Fables, when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, but were Eye

witnesses

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witneffes of his Majefty. For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory, when there came fuch a Voice to him from the excellent Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And this Voice which came from Heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy Mount. And indeed, all Things confidered, there could not be more credible or more unexceptionable Witneffes. It was a Matter of Fact in which they could not be deceived themselves: For it was confirmed to them by the Evidence of all their Senses. There were three of them then with Jefus, and they all concurred in their Teftimony. They all faw the fame wonderful Glory, and all heard the fame majestic heavenly Voice, and the Words that were uttered by it; which fhewed it to be a real external Appearance, of which they were all equally Eye-witnesses, as St. Peter fpeaks; and not a mere Extafy, or a Thing privately transacted in their Imaginations: For then how came they all exactly to see the fame Things, and to hear the fame Words? It was an Event which they seem to have had no Notion or Expectation of before-hand. Whilft Jefus was praying, they became heavy with Sleep: And, upon their Awaking, beheld all that Glory, which furprised them the more, as it was altogether

gether unexpected; and excited all their Powers to attend to fo extraordinary an Appearance, and to give a diligent Heed to the wonderful Things they then heard and faw. They could not doubt of the Reality of what they were all equally affured of by the concurring Teftimony of their Senfes. And as this was a Matter in which they could not be deceived themfelves, and as they could not but know whether it was really fo or not; so we have the highest Reason to think that they had no Intention to deceive others. They gave the highest Proofs of their Probity and Integrity in the Whole of their Conduct and Behaviour, and appeared to be animated by the nobleft and most excellent Principles, a pure and holy Zeal for the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind. They were Perfons of great Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not of fleshly Wisdom, or that governed themfelves by the Maxims of human Policy. In the Teftimony they gave to our Lord Jefus Chrift they had no Regard to their worldly Intereft, but expofed themselves to Perfecution, Difgrace, and all Manner of Evils, Reproaches, and Sufferings. And, finally, they perfevered in their Testimony with an unfainting Conftancy in Oppofition to all the Terrors of this World, and even rejoiced

rejoiced in their Sufferings for the Sake of Christ, and triumphed over Death itself. But that which yielded the moft illustrious Confirmation to this Teftimony was, that God bore them Witness with Signs and Wonders, and divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, and by inabling them to perform the most amazing Works that ever the World faw, in the Name of Jefus whom they preached: So that, all Things confidered, there never was any Teftimony more worthy of Credit than that which the Apostles gave to our bleffed Lord.

And now, having confidered this remarkable Portion of Holy Writ, relating to our Saviour's Transfiguration, let what hath been offered on this Subject confirm our Faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and fill us with admiring Thoughts of his Dignity and Glory. Let us with the deepest Veneration receive the Record which God hath given of his Son, and pay a dutiful Regard to him as the great heavenly Teacher, the King and Head of his Church, whom the Father hath commanded us to bear and to obey. And, finally, let us look forward with a lively Faith and joyful Expectation for his fecond Coming, when Chrift, who is our Life, fhall appear, and we shall alfo appear with him in Glory. Then fhall be change our vile Bodies, and fashion