and Afcenfion, which was as it were his folemn public Inauguration into his Kingdom; and to the marvellous Displays of his Glory in the extraordinary Gifs and miraculous Powers of the Holy Ghost, which, being exalted at the right Hand of God, he poured forth upon his Disciples; and to the surprising Progress and vast Diffusion of the Gospel. And of this his glorious Exaltation and Kingdom he defigned in a few Days to exhibit an illuftrious Specimen and Pledge in his Transfiguration; to which some suppose these Expreffions of our Saviour, whereby he fignifieth that some of those, who were then with him, should fee him coming in his Kingdom, have a special Reference. So several of the ancient Christian Writers understand it.

Thus I have given a general View of that remarkable Discourse of our Saviour, which all the Evangelists who mention his Transfiguration take Notice of. The Evangelifts Matthew and Mark observe, that in fix Days after this the Transfiguration happened, Luke faith it was about eight Days. This may at first View look like a Contradiction; but it admitteth of an easy Reconciliation. When St. Matthew and Mark say it was after fix Days, they intend by it fix intire Days, befides the the Day on which he had the Discourse that hath been confidered, and the Day on which he was transfigured, neither of which Days they reckon; whereas St. Luke takes them both into the Account, and therefore faith, It was about eight Days after these Sayings. And both these Ways of Reckoning are usual, not only in Scripture, but in common Language.

Thus, in a very short Time after having had that remarkable Discourse with his Disciples, this most wonderful Event happened. He had been speaking to them of his going to ferufalem, and suffering and dying there, at which they were greatly aftonished and concerned; and now they were to hear fome of the heavenly Inhabitants, Moses and Elias, converfing with him about his Decease, which he was to accomplish at Jerufalem; by which they might both know the Certainty and Neceffity of it, and would be the better prepared for it, when it actually came to pass. He had been speaking to them of his Kingdom, and now he would give them some present Pledge and Earnest of it, whereby they might be convinced it was not to be of a temporal worldly Nature, but Divine and Heavenly. He had been speaking to them of his Coming in Glory, and now he was refolved to give

1

them

1

them some short Glimpse of that Glory with which his human Nature should be arrayed, that Nature which was foon to be fubjected to fuch grievous Sufferings and Indignities; whereby they might be convinced that it was not through Want of Power that he fuffered, but because it was necessary, for wife and valuable Ends, that he should do fo.

But it was not all his Disciples that our Saviour chose to be Witnesses of his Tranffiguration. We are told in Ver. 1. of this Chapter, that he took Peter, James, and John with him. As he designed that this should not be publicly known or divulged till after his Refurrection, for Reasons which I shall take Notice of afterwards; so he did not think fit that all his Disciples should fee it. For fome or other, in such a Number, would be very apt to publish it before the appointed Seafon. And yet it was proper to take so many of them with him as might be competent Witnesses of the Truth of the Fact, that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses it might be established. As to his fixing upon these particular Perfons, rather than any other of his Disciples, this depended upon his own free Choice, for which, undoubtedly, he had wife and just Reasons. Thus we find him taking these three, Peter, James, and John, with him, when he raised Jairus's Daughter from the Dead; and afterwards these were the Persons he particularly chose to be Witnesses of his amazing Sorrows and Agonies in the Garden, at his Entrance upon his last Sufferings. Peter was, on many Accounts, one of the most eminent of all the Apostles; James and John were called Boanerges, Sons of Thunder, for the Fervency of their Zeal and Efficacy of their Ministry; and it is also observable that James was the first of the Apostles that fuffered Martyrdom for the Cause of Christ; and that John, who was by Way of Eminency called the beloved Difciple, furvived all the rest, and lived for a great Number of Years to bear Testimony to what he had heard and seen concerning Jefus.

As these were the chofen Witnesses of his Transfiguration, so the Scene he chose for it was an high Mountain: He bringeth them up into a high Mountain apart. This is generally supposed to be Mount Tabor. Thither he went for the greater Convenience of Secrecy and Retirement, and he probably betook himself to some Part of that Mountain that was little frequented. St. Luke observes that he went up into a Mountain to pray. Luke ix. 28. This it was very usual for him to do, as VOL. IV.

E

we

we find by several Passages in the Evangelifts; and therefore those of his Disciples whom he left behind were less surprised at it, and judged he was only going to pray, as he was wont to do in such retired Places. And accordingly he actually applied himfelf to that Exercise; for St. Luke informs us, that, as he prayed, the Fashion of his Countenance was altered. Ver. 29. What was the particular Subject of his Prayer is needless to inquire. But this may be observed in general from it, as well as from all the other Passages where we have an Account of our Saviour's Praying, that herein he hath left an excellent Example for our Imitation. If the incarnate Son of God himself, during his Abode here on Earth, in the Days of his Flesh, employed himself frequently in this Duty, how much more should we do so, who have fo many Sins to confefs and implore the Pardon of, and who, being insufficient of ourselves for that which is good, and prone to that which is evil, stand in continual Need of the Influences and Aids of the Holy Spirit, to assist us in our Duty, and fuccour us against Temptation ? Our blessed Lord hath confecrated and recommended Prayer, and put a Dignity upon it by his own Practice and Example. In vain do those pretend to the Character of his Disciples, that

: