these happy souls look up to their Judge, with such emotions as are above description, and, with inexpressible joy, hear him pronounce this heartexpanding sentence, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; for I was thirsty, & ye gave me drink; 1 was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

The redeemed of the Lord, with ineffable joy, receive the approbation of their Judge; but their meek and humble hearts will not take any praise to themselves, nor ascribe the happiness they are going to receive to any thing done by them; and, therefore, they meekly reply, "Lord when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee." Our Lord approves and commands their humility, but at the same time to let the whole assembled world know, how kindly he accepted of every instance of the kinduess and benevolence they had shewn to his people, he adds, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me."

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The Judge then changes his countenance, and, with a look of indigna tion and rising wrath, which pierces through the inmost soul, he beholds the guilty wretches, who stand trembling at his left hand filled with conscious guilt, and all the agonies of raging despair, they stand expecting their final doom, while these accents break from the lips of their angry Judge: Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and bis angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited me not." The wicked, conscious of guilt, not recollecting the precise acts of kindness and contempt of the Son of God, here literally specified, are em boldened to reply, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" However willing they may be to justify themselves, our Lord well knows the naughtiness of their heart, and is fully acquainted with their evil deeds, and, therefore, he confounds them for ever with this reply: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.' The final and eternal sentence thus passed, the execution immediately succeeds: a legion of mighty angels drive the black horrid train of trem bling sinners from the judgment seat; and, caught in a fiery tempest, they are precipitated into their dreadful place of punishment; the gulph of eter nal horror and despair stretches wide its burning jaws to receive them at their fall; and they are tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.

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Mean while, the friends and favourites of the Eternal King, are con ducted to the paradise of God, and safe lodged in the realms of eternal bles sedness and rest: these happy realms, formed by the eternal God for the abode of his people, contain every thing which can satisfy the pure desires of an immortal spirit, and fill the soul with holy and ever growing delight; now every fear, every sorrow, and every sin is done away; and the happy inhabitants of this glorious place, drink full streams of bliss, and partake of those joys which proceed from the throne of God, and of the Lamb: now the redeemed of the Lord, forming one vast, one happy society, dwell in that splendid city, where the full glory of the Eternal God is manifested in the exalted Saviour, who is emphatically styled," the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." Here every happy believer in the Son of God, dwells in the presence of his Saviour; beholds this supreme object of his love, face to face, and is

clothed by him in the beauty and glory of immortality. But all description fails: the human mind, in its present beclouded state, cannot bear the blaze of immortal glory, nor receive any adequate ideas of that boundless bliss, which the Lord will bestow on his people: "For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for those that love him."

As this doctrine of CHRIST's being appointed the universal Judge of heaven and earth, might seem incredible to the disciples; especially, as our Lord had but just before given them the humbling account of his sufferings and death; he proceeded to inform them, that some who heard him speak, should see so much of his glory and his kingdom while they lived, as should convince them, that his declaration was true: Verily, I say unto you." said he, "there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Agreeable to this prediction, the disciples lived to see the transfiguration of their Master, and to be witnesses of his glorious resurrection, and his triumphant ascension into heaven; they lived to see the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the doctrines of the gospel propagated in various remote parts of the world; and some of them lived to see that awful and ample display of divine vengeance, manifested in the destruction of that unbelieving race, who were the professed enemies and murderers of the Lord of life, and that wieked city where he was crucified.

The first of these great events succeeded the declaration in about six days, when our great Redeemer being with the multitude in the country of Cæsarea Philippi, he left them in the plain, and, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, ascended an exceeding high mountain. In this solitude, while our Lord was praying, he was transfigured; his face assumed a glorious radiance, and emitted a beamy brightness, not inferior to the sun shining in its strength; his garments shone with a snowy whiteness, far beyond any thing which human art could produce, and, like the fair beams of the morning light, glowed with a sweet refulgence, not inferior to the brightness of his countenance. Thus, for a short time the Son of God appeared in his native glory, and the majestic brightness of his divinity shone through the veil of his human nature. To heighten the solemnity of the scene, Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, and Elijah, the great prophet, of the Lord, and supporter of the law, appeared in the beauties of immortality, and shone in those robes with which the inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem adorned.

It appears that the disciples, being heavy with sleep at the time of prayer, did not see the brightness of this glorious scene; they, however, awaked in the utmost surprise, to behold the place shining with heavenly glory; they had lost the first part of this bright display of our Redeemer's divinity, and of the conversation he held with the two great prophets, who came down from heaven on this great occasion; but they heard so much, as gave them to understand, that these glorious persons had been talking of those things which their Master had lately informed them of. His sufferings and death, which would soon be accomplished at Jerusalem, though they appeared to them of such an humbling nature, and contrary to the character of the Messiah, they found were not unworthy the contemplation of the greatest personages of the heavenly world; and though the mentioning them, had lately given such offence to Peter, he perceived that they were spoken of by persons of superior dignity and understanding, as highly honorable to the character of his Master. But the feeble nerves of the three disciples could not bear the blaze of heavenly glory; they were amazed, confounded, and terrified, and scarce knew where they were, or how they ought to behave; but the forwardness of Peter's disposition prompted him to say something on the occasion, though he considered not the propriety or tendeney of it: "Master," said he, “it is good for us to be here; and

let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.",

Peter having beheld such glory, as never before darted on mortal sight, and seen his Master assume an appearance of grandeur and majesty, far beyond his most sanguine expectations, he concluded, no doubt, that JESUS had now taken upon him his proper dignity, and that the temporal kingdom, which he had so ardently desired, and impatiently expected, was now actually begun, especially as Elias, according to the prophecy of Malachi the prophet, had made his appearance; he no doubt, concluded that he was come from heaven to assist in the rearing the Messiah's kingdom: Peter, therefore, thought it highly necessary to provide accommodation for his Master, and his noble companions; perhaps, he intended to bring the rest of the disciples, and the multitude, who were waiting below, to behold the peerless glory of their Master, & his august assistants; this, he thought, would be much better, and more honourable for them, than being put to death at Jerusalem, or suffering those things which had been the subject of the late heavenly conversation; the design of which Peter at this time, could not comprehend: but, "while he yet spake, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

When the three disciples heard the voice, which was vastly different to any they had heard before, and, at the same time that it seemeth soft as the southern breeze, it was awful and majestic as the thunder's roar ; impressed with trembling awe, they fell with their faces to the ground, and continued in that posture, till their compassionate Master came to them, and, gently touched them, bid them arise, and not be afraid. They immediately looked about them, but the heavenly scene was withdrawn, and no person was seen but their divine Master, in he plain and unadorn ed form in which he appeared before he ascended the mountain.

Our Lord, having continued on the summit of the mountain all night with his three disciples, he early in the morning descending to the plain, and charged them to conceal what they had seen, till he was risen from the dead. He was well aware, that the world, and even his own disciples, were strangers to his spiritual kingdom, and had no idea of his ascending to heaven, and, being highly exalted at the right-hand of God: therefore, they could not comprehend. the design of his transfiguration, and it was unnecessary to publish it before his resurrection, as it could not be described; and, perhaps, would not have been believed: and the present appearance of our Redeemer joined with the afflictions, persecutions, sufferings, and sorrows which lay before him, might still tend to prejudice the minds of the people, and prevent them from believing any account of his exaltation and glory.

Nor were the disciples, at this time, able to understand the doctrine of CHRIST's resurrection; they had never learnt that the Messiah was to die, nor had they any conception of his rising from the dead; for they were fully persuaded that he was to abide for ever, and that his kingdom was to have no end. They seemed very much surprised ta the departure of Elias, and at their Master's ceasing to shine in the glorious manner they had so lately beheld on the mountain: nor could they comprehend the meaning of the prophet Malachi, who had prophesied of the coming of Elias, which their readers of the law explained to refer to a time, prior to the appearance of the Messiah. After long debating amongst themselves, they concluded to apply to their master, to solve the difficulty, and asked him "Why say the Scribes, that Elias must first come ?" To this inquiry, our Lord replied, that the Scribes had rightly explained the prophecy of Malachi, by declaring that Elias must come before the appearance of the Messiah; but at the same time he informed them, that this great prophet

had made appearance, and had been used by that perverse generation, in the same manner as the prophets of old had been treated by their fathers a But I say unto you," said he, “that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed: likewise shall also the son of man suffer of them, then the disciples understood that he spake to them of John the Baptist."

When JEsUs descended to the foot of the mountain, attended by his three disciples, he saw a great multitude surrounding the nine, who had continued with the people while our Lord had been transfigured, and the scribes disputing with them. The people seeing JESUS approach, ran to him with exultation and joy, and saluted him with the warmest gratitude, and the most respectful reverence. Our Lord having joined the company, he immediately asked the scribes, what was the subject of their Hebate with his disciples? to which one of his company answered, " Mas ter, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he tareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth his teeth, and pineth away: and 1 spake unto thy disciples, that they should cast him out, but they could not.”

This answer seems to indicate, that the Scribes had been reproaching the disciples, on account of their inability to restore the afflicted youth: and, no doubt, they rejoiced at that, at least, a devil had appeared who was too hard for them, and, perhaps, would not submit to their Master. That something like this had been the subject of their conversation, is evident from our Saviour's reply: "O faithless generation," said he, "how long shall 1 be with you ? How long shall suffer you?" After having spoken in this manner to the proud, self-conceited, sceptical Scribes, our Lord turned to the father of the afflicted young man, and said, “Bring thy son hither." The afflicted father obeyed; but no sooner was the youth brought into the presence of the great Ruler of the earth and heaven, than the evil spirit attacked him with double fury: the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming."

It is not to be supposed, that the blessed JESUS could not have prevented this furious attack; but he was pleased to suffer it, probably, that the minds of the spectators might be the more affected with the deplorable condition of the sufferer, and have the more just and lively ideas of that wisdom, power and goodness, which should give him relief; and, it is probable, with the same views, he asked the mournful father. how long his son had been in this pitious condition? To which he replied, "Of a child. And oft times it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him: but, if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."

It seems, that the inability of the disciples to cast out this evil spirit had greatly discouraged the afflicted father: and the exquisite torture and apparent agonies of his son, and the remembrance of their long continuance, had dispirited him so much that he began to fear, that this possession was too strong for the power of JESUS himself, as the Scribe had affirmed; which was the reason of his expressing himself with so much hesitation and doubt, when he told our Lord, how long his son had been afflicted. But JESUS, to make him sensible of his mistake, as well as gently to reprove him for his unbelief and groundless fears, said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." The father, affected with this declaration, and with a heart full of tenderness and joy, at the supposed possibility of the relief of his son, replied with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." The vehement manner in which the afflicted parent spoke these words, caused the croud to gather about him; when Jesus rebuked the foul spirit; and said unto him, thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him."

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