had seen till after His resurrection; and "they kept that saying to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead should mean." Having been taught by their Law that "Christ was to abide for ever," they knew not how to reconcile this with His death and resurrection, which He thus foretold; neither could they comprehend why they were not to declare that they had seen Elias till that time; as they had been taught by the Scribes, that his appearance before the coming of Christ was part of what had been prophesied concerning the Messiah,-"that Elias must first come." But Jesus taught them that this prophecy had already been fulfilled in the spirit of it; for, that John the Baptist, who had resembled Elijah in his zeal and habits of austerity, had appeared for those purposes which were predicted".

The Transfiguration was perhaps intended to afford a striking proof of the Divine mission of Christ; for here was one of the few occasions in which God Himself was pleased, as it were, personally to interpose, and to make an open declaration from heaven in favour of His Son ; and, besides this, a particular attestation was given on the Mount, to two of the principal doctrines of Christianity, -a general resurrection, and a day of retribution. The visible and illustrious representations of these doctrines, in Dr. Whitby. 4 Bishops Pearce and Mann. 5 Dr. Robinson.

the glorified appearance of Christ, and Moses, and Elias, are appealed to by St. Peter, (who witnessed it,) as a convincing proof that "he had not followed cunningly-devised fables, when he made known the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ "." It is thought that Christ continued on the mount of His Transfiguration all night'.

SECT. LXX.-Christ healeth the Lunatic Boy.-Matt. xvii. 14-21; Mark ix. 33-37; Luke ix. 46-48.

"IT came to pass, the next day, when they were come down," that Jesus returned to His other disciples, whom He had left behind, and He found them engaged in disputation with the Scribes; but "straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed." Perhaps some remains of His glory still rested on His countenance, after His Transfiguration, as was the case with Moses, on his descending from Mount Sinai . On His asking the Scribes,

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What question ye with them?" it appeared that they were insulting over the disciples at having found one in a distemper, which could not be cured by His name and power. The case was that of a poor, deaf and dumb, and lunatic, or epileptic boy, under the influence of an evil spirit, which so convulsed him, that ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into

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the water." Jesus says to the father, If thou hast but true faith, there is nothing too difficult that God is not able and willing to do for those who sincerely and heartily believe on Him'. "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." This struggle in the father's heart between solicitude for the preservation of his child, and a kind of involuntary distrust of Christ's power to heal him, is here expressed with an air of reality, which could hardly be counterfeited 2. The Saviour did not even upbraid him with his distrust, but proceeded to rebuke and expel the devil, who seemed indeed unwilling to relinquish his hold, even at the command of Christ; for, "he rent him sore," and left the child "as one dead, insomuch that many said he is dead "."

The disciples had in vain attempted to expel this demon; and at this they expressed their wonder, when they were again in private with their Master. They had wrought some miraculous cures before, and were either too selfsufficient, or had forgot their entire dependence on Him for their success; or, perhaps, their faith and confidence in their own power had waned during His absence in the Mount, as that of Aaron had done when Moses had gone up into Horeb. But He taught them that it

1 Dr. S. Clarke.

2 Archdeacon Paley.

3 Dr. Robinson.

was necessary for them to have a constant unhesitating reliance on Him; and that they must implore and seek the Divine assistance by earnest prayer and humiliation before they could work any miracle. The disciples could only change the course of nature, through the power of that faith of which prayer and self-denial are inseparable attendants 3.

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SECT. LXXI.-Christ payeth Tribute.--Matt. xvii. 22—27. JESUS passed on through different parts of Galilee, and thought to conceal Himself from the multitude; for His thoughts and discourse now turned upon His approaching sufferings; and to pursue these reflections and instructions He desired privacy and leisure o. Our Lord was repeatedly desirous to impress upon His disciples, that they must not suffer themselves, to be elated with expectations of power and glory to themselves, from the manifestation of His divinity, which He had afforded them, but frequently to call to mind, and meditate upon that of which He forewarned them, that "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him;" to the end that they might be duly prepared for so severe a trial, and might not be surprised and terrified at the time of His suffering'. "And they were exceeding sorry;"

but they understood not these words, nor knew how to reconcile them with the great things in a temporal view, which they expected from Him. It was hard for them to conceive, that one who possessed His power and majesty, should be delivered into the hands of men."

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He now returned to Capernaum; and the tribute, or half shekel, which all Jews above twenty years of age were called on to pay for the service of the Temple at Jerusalem, was demanded of Him'. Jesus says, If earthly kings do not receive tribute-money from their children, then am I, who am the Son of God, excused by their custom from paying any to God'; but, lest I should afford My enemies an opportunity of saying that I despise the Temple, and its services, and teach My disciples so to do, "Lest we should offend them," He says to Peter, “Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook." I will command that element, which formerly gave thee a livelihood, and which thou hast lost by following Me into the vineyard of God, to provide tribute for this purpose sufficient both for you and for Me. We perceive that Jesus Christ, though He had not where to lay His head on earth, did not think His poverty any excuse for omitting to contribute to the National Church. He distinctly discountenances any idea that a differ1 Dr. Whitby. Bishop Pearce.

Dr. Whitby.

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