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Divine Master had a few days before told them, that he would reward every man according to his works.

For as we are informed, that both Moses and Elias appeared also in glory; a glory somewhat similar, we may suppose, though far inferior, to that with which Christ was invested; like him they were probably clothed in raiments of unusual whiteness and splendour; and the fashion of their countenances might also be changed to something more bright and illustrious. Now this would be a just representation of the glorified state of saints in heaven, of those who had been rewarded according to their works. For we find those holy men, who have passed victoriously through their Christian warfare, described by St. John as clothed in white raiments* and by St. Matthew, as shining forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father†.

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The glory of Christ therefore on the mountain, was a symbol of his exaltation to be the judge of the earth; and the glory

*Rev. iii. 5.

+ Matt. xiii. 4

glory of Moses and Elias, was an emblem of the rewards given to the righteous in heaven.

When all these circumstances are put together, they throw considerable light over the concluding part of Christ's conversation, which has not yet been noticed. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom *. This has commonly been supposed to refer to the signal manifestation of Christ's power in the destruction of Jerusalem. But we know of no one of Christ's disciples that survived this event, except St. John; and our Saviour here speaks of more than one. But besides this, in the 27th verse of this chapter, we are told that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, to reward every man according to his works. This, undoubtedly, relates to Christ's final advent to judge the world.

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* Matthew xvi. 28.-St. Mark says, "Till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."-St. Luke, "Till they see the kingdom of God."

world. When, therefore, it immediately follows in the very next verse, Verily,

say unto you, that there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom; is it not most natural, is it not almost necessary to understand these similar expressions as relating to the same great event?

But did Christ then mean to say here that some of his disciples should live to the day of judgment? Most assuredly not. He meant only to intimate that a few of them should, before their death, be favoured with a representation of the glorious appearance of Christ and his saints on that awful day. And this illustrious scene was actually displayed to three of them, about six days after, in the transfiguration on the mountain. Indeed St. Peter himself, who was present at the transfiguration, plainly alludes to it, in a manner which powerfully confirms this opinion. We have not," says he, "followed cunningly devised fables, when we

**

made

made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is, our Lord's coming in his kingdom with power and glory, and majesty, to judge the world. And how does St. Peter here prove that he will so come? Why, by declaring that he and the two other disciples, James and John, were eye-witnesses of his majesty; that is, they actually saw him on the Mount, invested with majesty and glory similar to that which he would assume in his kingdom at the last day. For," continues the apostle, " he re

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ceived from God the Father, honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; and this voice, which came from heaven, we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount *."

This is St. Peter's own comment on the transfiguration, in which he expressly compares Christ's glory and majesty on the Mount, to that which he will display in

*2 Pet. i. 16, 17, 18.

his

his final advent; and considers the former as an emblem, an earnest, and a proof of the latter.

It is then evident, I think, from the foregoing observations, that the scene upon the mountain was a symbolical representation of Christ's coming in glory to judge the world, and of the rewards which shall then be given to the righteous, topics which had been touched upon in Christ's discourse with his disciples six days before; and that one great object of this expressive action, as well as of that conversation, was to reconcile the minds of his disciples to the sufferings which both he and they were to undergo, by showing that they were preparatory and subservient to his future glory and their future rewards.

The other great purpose of the action on the Mount was, I apprehend, to signify in a figurative manner, the cessation of the Jewish and the commencement of the Christian dispensation.

It appears to have been one prevailing prejudice among the disciples, that the whole

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