{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/106/1060247.htm","path":"chr/ecf/106/1060247.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/106/1060247.htm","text":"On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xvii. 1, \u201cAfter six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John his brother,\u201d etc.\n1. We must now look into and treat of that vision which the Lord showed on the mount. For it is this of which He had said, \u201cVerily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man in His Kingdom.\u201d 2643 Then began the passage which has just been read. \u201cWhen He had said this, after six days He took three disciples, Peter, and James, and John, and went up into a mountain.\u201d 2644 These three were those \u201csome,\u201d of whom He had said, \u201cThere be some here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man in His kingdom.\u201d There is no small difficulty here. For that mount was not the whole extent of His kingdom. 2645 What is a mountain to Him who possesseth the heavens? Which we not only read He doth, but in some sort see it with the eyes of the heart. He calleth that His kingdom, which in many places He calleth the \u201ckingdom of heaven.\u201d Now the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of the saints. \u201cFor the heavens declare the glory of God.\u201d 2646 And of these heavens it is immediately said in the Psalm, \u201cThere is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their sound is gone out through all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.\u201d 2647 Whose words, but of the heavens? And of the Apostles, and all faithful preachers of the word of God. These heavens therefore shall reign together with Him who made the heavens. Now consider what was done, that this might be made manifest.\n2. The Lord Jesus Himself shone bright as the sun; His raiment became white as the snow; and Moses and Elias talked with Him. 2648 Jesus Himself indeed shone as the sun, signifying that \u201cHe is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.\u201d 2649 What this sun is to the eyes of the flesh, that is He to the eyes of the heart; and what that is to the flesh of men, that is He to their hearts. Now His raiment is His Church. For if the raiment be not held together by him who puts it on, it will fall off. Of this raiment, Paul was as it were a sort of last border. For he says himself, \u201cI am the least of the Apostles.\u201d 2650 And in another place, \u201cI am the last of the Apostles.\u201d Now in a garment the border is the last and least part. Wherefore as that woman which suffered from an issue of blood, when she had touched the Lord\u2019s border was made whole, 2651 so the Church which came from out of the Gentiles, was made whole by the preaching of Paul. What wonder if the Church is signified by white raiment, when you hear the Prophet Isaiah saying, \u201cThough your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow\u201d? 2652 Moses and Elias, that is, the Law and the Prophets, what avail they, except they converse with the Lord? Except they give witness to the Lord, who would read the Law or the Prophets? Mark how briefly the Apostle expresses this; \u201cFor by the Law is the knowledge of sin; but now the righteousness of God without the Law is manifested:\u201d behold the sun; \u201cbeing witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,\u201d 2653 behold the shining of the Sun.\n3. Peter sees this, and as a man savouring the things of men says, \u201cLord, it is good for us to be here.\u201d 2654 He had been wearied with the multitude, he had found now the mountain\u2019s solitude; there he had Christ the Bread of the soul. What! should he depart thence again to travail and pains, possessed of a holy love to Godward, and thereby of a good conversation? He wished well for himself; and so he added, \u201cIf Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.\u201d To this the Lord made no answer; but notwithstanding Peter was answered. \u201cFor while he yet spake, a bright cloud came, and overshadowed them.\u201d 2655 He desired three tabernacles; the heavenly answer showed him that we have One, which human judgment desired to divide. Christ, the Word of God, the Word of p. 348 God in the Law, the Word in the Prophets. Why, Peter, dost thou seek to divide them? It were more fitting for thee to join them. Thou seekest three; understand that they are but One.\n4. As the cloud then overshadowed them, and in a way made one tabernacle for them, \u201ca voice also sounded out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son.\u201d Moses was there; Elias was there; yet it was not said, \u201cThese are My beloved sons.\u201d For the Only Son is one thing; adopted sons another. He was singled out 2656 in whom the Law and the prophets glorified. \u201cThis is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him!\u201d Because ye have heard Him in the Prophets, and ye have heard Him in the Law. And where have ye not heard Him? \u201cWhen they heard this, they fell\u201d to the earth. See then in the Church is exhibited to us the Kingdom of God. Here is the Lord, here the Law and the Prophets; but the Lord as the Lord; the Law in Moses, Prophecy in Elias; only they as servants and as ministers. They as vessels: He as the fountain: Moses and the Prophets spake, and wrote; but when they poured out, they were filled from Him.\n5. But the Lord stretched out His hand, and raised them as they lay. And then \u201cthey saw no man, save Jesus only.\u201d 2657 What does this mean? When the Apostle was being read, you heard, \u201cFor now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.\u201d 2658 And \u201ctongues shall cease,\u201d when that which we now hope for and believe shall come. In then that they fell to the earth, they signified that we die, for it was said to the flesh, \u201cEarth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return.\u201d 2659 But when the Lord raised them up, He signified the resurrection. After the resurrection, what is the Law to thee? what Prophecy? Therefore neither Moses nor Elias is seen. He only remaineth to thee, \u201cWho in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.\u201d 2660 He remaineth to thee, \u201cthat God may be all in all.\u201d Moses will be there; but now no more the Law. We shall see Elias there too; but now no more the Prophet. For the Law and the Prophets have only given witness to Christ, that it behoved Him to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and to enter into His glory. And in this glory is fulfilled what He hath promised to them that love Him, \u201cHe that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him.\u201d 2661 And as if it were said, What wilt Thou give him, seeing Thou wilt love him? \u201cAnd I will manifest Myself unto him.\u201d Great gift! great promise! God doth not reserve for thee as a reward anything of His own, but Himself. O thou covetous one; why doth not what Christ promiseth suffice thee? Thou dost seem to thyself to be rich; yet if thou have not God, what hast thou? Another is poor, yet if he hath God, what hath he not?\n6. Come down, Peter: thou wast desiring to rest on the mount; come down, \u201cpreach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.\u201d 2662 Endure, labour hard, bear thy measure of torture; that thou mayest possess what is meant by the white raiment of the Lord, through the brightness and the beauty of an upright labouring in charity. For when the Apostle was being read we heard in praise of charity, \u201cShe seeketh not her own. 2663 She seeketh not her own;\u201d since she gives what she possesses. In another place there is more danger in the expression, if you do not understand it right. For the Apostle, charging the faithful members of Christ after this rule of charity, says, \u201cLet no man seek his own, but another\u2019s.\u201d 2664 For on hearing this, covetousness is ready with its deceits, that in a matter of business under pretence of seeking another\u2019s, it may defraud a man, and so, \u201cseek not his own, but another\u2019s.\u201d But let covetousness restrain itself, let justice come forth; so let us hear and understand. It is to charity that it is said, \u201cLet no man seek his own, but another\u2019s.\u201d Now, O thou covetous one, if thou wilt still resist, and twist the precept rather to this point, that thou shouldest covet what is another\u2019s; then lose what is thine own. But as I know thee well, thou dost wish to have both thine own and another\u2019s. Thou wilt commit fraud that thou mayest have what is another\u2019s; submit then to robbery that thou mayest lose thine own. Thou dost not wish to seek thine own, but then thou takest away what is another\u2019s. Now this if thou do, thou doest not well. Hear and listen, thou covetous one: the Apostle explains to thee in another place more clearly this that he said, \u201cLet no man seek his own, but another\u2019s.\u201d He says of himself, \u201cNot seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.\u201d 2665 This Peter understood not yet when he desired to live on the mount with Christ. He was reserving this for thee, Peter, after death. But now He saith Himself, \u201cCome down, to labour in the earth; in the earth to serve, to be despised, and crucified in the earth. The Life came down, that He might be slain; the Bread came down, that He might hunger; the Way came down, that life might be wearied in the way; the Fountain came down, that He might thirst; and dost thou refuse to labour? \u2018Seek not thine own.\u2019 Have charity, preach the truth; so shall thou come to eternity, where thou shalt find security.\u201d\nMatt. 17:2, 3.\n347:2649 347:2650 347:2651 347:2652 347:2653 347:2654 347:2655 348:2656 348:2657\nMatt. 17:7, 8.\n348:2658 348:2659\nGen. iii. 19, Sept.\n348:2660 348:2661 348:2662 348:2663 348:2664 348:2665","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VI: Sermons on Selec...","type":"page"}