CHAPTER XVI.

THE BLESSED JESUS DELEGATES A SPECIAL POWER TO PETER, ONE OF HIS PRONOUNCES THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF THE World ; and

DISCIPLES

IS AFTERWARD TRANSFIGURED UPON THe Mount.

ESUS having displayed his power and goodness in restoring the blind man to his sight, departed from Bethsaida, and returned into the territory of Cesarea Philippi, where, being desirous of proving, in some measure, the faith of the apostles, he asked them, saying, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist; some Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Matt. xvi: 13, 14.

The people in general mistook the character of our Saviour, because he did not assume that outward pomp and grandeur with which they supposed the Messiah would be adorned. Jesus was therefore desirous of hearing what idea his disciples formed of his character, as they had long enjoyed the benefit of his doctrine. and miracles; and accordingly asked them, what they themselves understood him to be? To this question Simon Peter replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Our Saviour acknowledged the title; telling Peter that God alone had revealed the secret to him. And, in allusion to his surname, Peter, which signifies a rock, our Saviour promised, that upon himself, as the foundation, or upon the confession which Peter had just made, of his being "the Christ, the Son of the living God," he would build his church, and that he should have a principal hand in establishing the Messiah's kingdom, never to be destroyed. "Other foundation can no man lay." 1 Cor. iii: 11. On him may our souls rest, and the fiercest tempest shall rage in vain! "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. xvi: 18, 19.

Having delegated this power to Peter, our Saviour strictly forbade his disciples to tell any man that he was the Messiah; because it had been foretold by the prophets, that he should be rejected by the rulers of Israel as a false Christ, and suffer the pains of death. "Then charged he his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." Matt. xvi: 20. Circumstances which could not fail of giving his followers great offence, as they did not yet understand the true nature of his kingdom; and therefore he thought proper to let every man form a judgment of his mission from his doctrine and miracles.

The foregoing discourses had doubtless filled the apostles with lofty imaginations, and therefore our Saviour thought proper to acquaint them with his

sufferings, in order to check any fond expectation of temporal power. Peter, however, was greatly displeased to hear his Master talk of dying at Jerusalem, when he had just before acknowledged the title of Messiah. Accordingly, he rebuked him for the expression, which he was so bold as to think unguarded. But Jesus, turning himself about, said to Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan: thou art an offence to me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Matt. xvi: 23.

Peter's conduct, in this respect, arising from an immoderate attachment to sensual objects, our Saviour thought proper to declare publicly, that all who intended to share with him in the glory of the heavenly Canaan, must deny themselves; that is, they must be always ready to renounce every worldly pleasure, and even life itself, when the cause of religion required it: he also told them, that in this world they must expect to meet with troubles and disappointments, and that whoever intended to be his disciple, must "take up his cross, and follow him."

Thus did the blessed Jesus fully explain to his disciples the true nature of his kingdom; and, at the same time, intimated, that though they had already undergone many afflictions, yet they must expect still more and greater, which they must sustain with equal fortitude, following their Master in the footsteps of his afflictions. This duty, however hard, was absolutely necessary; because, by losing their temporal life, they would gain that which was eternal: "For whosoever shall save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Luke ix: 24. "For what is a man profited if he should gain

the whole world, and lose his own soul?

a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Or what shall Matt. xvi: 26.

To add to the weight of this argument, and to enforce the necessity of self denial, our Saviour particularly declared, that a day was fixed for distributing rewards and punishments to all the human race; and that he himself was appointed by the Father as universal Judge; so that his enemies could not flatter themselves with the hope of escaping the punishment they deserved, nor his friends be afraid of losing their eternal reward. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels." Mark viii: 38.

About eight days after this discourse, our blessed Saviour being with the multitude in the country of Cesarea Philippi, left them in the plain, and accompanied by Peter, James, and John, ascended an exceedingly high mountain.

In this solitude, while Jesus was praying with these three disciples, he was transfigured; his face became radiant and dazzling, it shone like the sun in his meridian clearness. At the same time, his garment acquired a snowy whiteness, far beyond anything human art could produce; a whiteness, bright as the light, and sweetly refulgent, but in a degree inferior to the radiance of his countenance.

Thus, as it were, for an instant, the son of God during his state of humiliation, suffered the glory of his divinity to shine through the veil of human nature with which it was covered; and to heighten the grandeur and solemnity of the scene, Moses, the great

lawgiver of Israel, and Elijah, a zealous defender of the law, appeared in the beauties of immortality--the robes in which the inhabitants of the heavenly Canaan are adored. The disciples, it seems, did not see the beginning of this transfiguration: happening to fall asleep at the time of prayer, they lost that pleasure, together with a great part of the conversation which these two prophets held with the only begotten Son of God.

They, however, understood that the subject was his meritorious sufferings and death, by which he was to redeem the world; a subject that had, a few days before, given great offence to his disciples, particularly to Peter. At beholding the illustrious sight, the disciples were greatly amazed; but the forwardness of Peter's disposition prompting him to say something, he uttered he knew not what: "Master," said he, "it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." Mark ix: 5.

This disciple imagined that Jesus had now assumed his proper dignity, that Elias was come according to Malachi's prediction, and the Messiah's kingdom was at length begun. Accordingly, he thought it was necessary to provide some accommodation for his Master and his august assistants, intending, perhaps to bring the rest of the disciples, with the multitude, from the plain below, to behold his matchless glory. This, he thought, was much better for his Master, than to be put to death at Jerusalem, concerning which, Jesus had been talking with the messengers from heaven, and the design of which Peter could not comprehend.