Commentary on 2 Peter

THe Apostle might seem to have delivered a wonder, a paradox, an incredible mystery: he must now stand to it, and declare the wonder, explain the paradox, unfold the mystery. What was it? that they had Seene the • ajestie of Christ. His Majesty? This is that wonder, that paradox, that mystery. • he world had seen his pain, his contempt, his poverty; but his Majesty? It had •• ene him come thirsty to the fountain, hungry to another's table, weary to his re •• se, desiring entertainment where he found it not: but his Majesty? It had seen •• m crowned with thorns, bleeding with scourges, forsaken on the Cross: but his • ajesty? It had seen him in the form of servant, full of ignominy, full of misery; • ut full of Majesty? It never saw that. Well then, this Majesty doth our Apostle de •• are: he hath said it, he will prove it. For he received from the Father honor and glo •• e. We say, that honor conferred by the King, is died in grain, and will hold co •• ur: yet it hath the change, for though the color hold, the garment it self will • ear out. Now when the garment is tottered to rags, farewell color: so when the • ody is consumed to dust, farewell honor. But when the King of heaven gives ho • our, it will hold indeed:

• s Isaac said Jacob, I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed: so God saith of that • an, I have honored him, and he shall be honored.

He received from God the Father, &c.] You see, the form of the words is Re •• ptory; He •• ceived. The • arcels are • ive:

• Who, Christ; He received.
• Of whom, God; Of God the Father.
• What, Honor and glory.
• When; When the voice came from the excellent glory.
• How; This is my beloved Son, &c.

There could be no Testimony, Plenius vel planius, manifestius vel magnificent •• more perspicuous, or more glorious. Honor requires reverence: God hath honored his Son, let us honor the Father, and give the devout reverence of humble hearts to the whole Trinity.

He received.] This is the first Circumstance, the person to whom this honor is given. He received, but Receiving implies want; now is there any want in Christ? Coloss. 1.9. It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell. The oil of gladness did so fill him, that it ran over the brinks of his Humanity, and fills us 〈◊〉 members. Of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace, John. 1.16. The Plenitude of Christ was not Plenitudo sufficientiae, a sufficient fullness, enough to serve his turn: but superabundantiae, an over-flowing fullness; a sea of grace, able to fill all 〈◊〉 channels. Not Transitionis, a passing or vanishing fullness; as a Cistern may be ••• l, and emptied again by cockes: but Habitationis, a permanent and inexhaustible fullness: it dwells in him. How then is he said to receive? Could there be addition, where is no defect? Can a thing be more than full? This receipt doth in nothing prejudice the immensenesse of the Deity: for Christ must be considered two ways, as he is God, and as he is man. He that mediates between both, must be both. He •• then the answer is easy; It is God that gives, and it is man that receives. The Father hath not more glory, omnipotent, or perfection, than the Son, as he is God; b •• as this Son of God is made the son of man, he receives grace and glory. God gives to man, and receives nothing of him: man receives of God, and gives nothing to him. Hear him speak as God; All thine are mine, John. 17.10. Hear him as man, Vers. 9. They whom thou hast given me, are thine. As man he receives of the Spirit, Luke 14.18. As God he communicates to the Spirit, John. 16.14. He shall receive of mine. The Son takes of the Father, and the Spirit takes of the Son, verse. 15. Yet so that what is of one Person, is of the whole Deity; excepting only those personal and individual proprieties; as the Father to be the Father, and to beget; the Son 〈◊〉 be the Son, and begotten, not to beget; the Spirit neither to beget, nor to be begotten, but to proceed. So the Son only to be man, not the Father nor the Spirit. As God he had no beginning, as man he received a beginning in time, Galath. 4.4. As man, he was made of his mother; as God, his mother was made by him: so he is both Mariae Factor, & Filius, the Father of Mary, and the Son of Mary. As God, he chargeth us to Continue in verbo suo, in his own Word, John. 8.31. and verse. 51. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. As man, he confesseth, John. 7.16. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. As he honors the Father, so he receives honor of the Father, John. 13.32. God doth glorify him, and is glorified in him. As God he says, I have of mine own: as man, All things are delivered unto me of the Father. As God, he doth what he will in heaven, and earth, and all places: as man; A • power is given to me in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.18. Thus is this doctrine clean; that CHRIST, who as GOD gives all things, as he is man receives something here, Honor and glory.

Now for whom doth Christ come to be a Receiver? For whose sake did eternity admit an estate to receive in time? Perfection it self to grow in stature? Wisdom it self to increase in knowledge? not for himself, but for us. Contentus •• pere, ut posset tribuere; He would take of God, that we might take of him, Gen. 13.2. Abraham was wealthy, exceeding rich in cattle, silver, and gold: yet when he recovered the spoil of Sodom, and it was re-offered him by the King; he took somewhat: but how much? no more than he meant to give away, Gen. 14.23. I will ••• take away anything from thee for myself, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abra ••• rich: but I will accept a portion for the young men that went with me. Christ was so rich, that he need not receive honor and glory: yet was he content to receive it of his Father, that he might give it to us his children.

From God the Father.] This is the second Circumstance, of whom he received it. Here observe the manifest distinction of Persons in the Deity. The Father • ives honor, the Son receives it. The Father speaks from heaven, the Son • ears it. Personae non confundendae, sed suis proprietatibus secernendae, Aug. There must be no confusion of the Persons, but a distinction of their proprieties. We be • eeve, there is a Father, Eo quod habet filium, because he hath a Son: we be • eeve there is a Son, Eo quod habet Patrem, because he hath a Father. We believe here is an Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, coequal and • oevall with the Father and the Son. Because he is a Divine Person, and neither the Father nor the Son. Non confusa in una Persona Trinitas, against Sabellius: non digisa in natura Divinitas, against Arius. The father is not greater than the Son, nor • he Son than the Spirit: Eadem aequalitas, eadem aeternitas. But the father is said to • end the son, and the son to send the Spirit: this seems to imply some superio •• tie of the sender to the person sent? The Father sends, and is not sent: the • on sends, and is sent: the Holy Ghost is sent, and sendeth not: yet is • here no inequality. There are three ways of sending. 1. Per authoritatem, • y authority, so a superior sends an inferior. 2. Per consilium, by advise • nd Council: so the less may send the greater. As the privy Council may • end the king to take the air, or to lead an army. So an equal may send his • quall; as Act. 15. the Elders sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. 3. Per originem, • s the fountain naturally sends forth the spring. So the Father sends the Son, the Son sends the spirit. The father as the fountain begets, the Son is begotten, the Holy Ghost proceeds. CHRIST is said to be sent in respect of his acception of • nother nature. Gal. 4.4. When the fullness of time was come, God sent his Son made of woman. The man confesseth; My Father is greater than I: yet in regard of his Person, I and my Father are one, John. 10.30. And Saint John adds to them the Holy Ghost, and concludes; These three are one.

The word Trinity, say our Papicolists, is not found in the Scriptures: yet the • ubstance of the word is apparent, Matth. 3. At the Baptism of CHRIST, there was a manifestation of the three Persons. Patris vox auditur, &c. the voice of the Father is heard, the Humanity of the Son is felt, the visible sign of the Holy Ghost is perceived. Who spake of his Son, but the Father, who was baptized and • poken to, but the Son? Neither of these appeared in the form of a Dove, but • he Holy Ghost. A Trinity did begin both the world and the word, that is the Scripture. Gen. 1 Creavit Elohim coelum & terram. The verb is singular, Creavit; • oting the most simple essence of God. The substantive plural, not El, but Elohim, • o show the plurality of Persons. It is observed on, Deut. 6.4. Dominus noster De • s unus est Dominus. The Lord our God is one Lord. Why doth Moses thrice mention the name of God, but to show the distinction of three persons? Why doth he apply the word Vnus, One, to all of them, but to show the unity of essence? Why is Noster, Our, put in the second place; not in the first, nor in the last, but in the middle or second place; but to show that the second person should take our nature upon him? Aug. Esa. 6.3. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Ter Sanctus, thrice is God called Holy, to note unto us the three persons. Dominus non domini, deus non dii; once Lord, once God: and the earth is full of His glory, not Their glory; here is the unity of the essence. Gen. 1.26. Let us make man in • ur Image, Faciamus, let Vs make; there is a Pluralitie of Person. Ad imaginem nostram, to our Image, not Images; there is the unity of the Essence. Matth. 28.19. Baptism in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; there are three distinct Persons: in Nomine, non in nominibus; in the Name, not names; there is one Essence. The Holy Ghost is called the finger of God, CHRIST the Hand of the Father: now as the finger is in the hand, and the hand in the body: so of one and the same most pure and simple essence is the Father, Son, and Spirit. But as it was reported of Alanus, when he promised his auditory to discourse the next Sunday, more clearly of the Trinity, and to make plain that mystery: while he was studying the point by the Sea-side, he spied a boy very busy with a little spoon, trudging often between the sea and a small hole he had digged in the ground. Alanus asked him, what he meant: the boy answers, I intend to bring all the Sea into this pit. Alanus replies, why doest thou attempt such impossibilities, and misspend thy time? The boy answers; So doest thou Alanus: I shall as soon bring all the sea into this hole, as thou bring all the knowledge of the Trinity into thy head: All is equally possible: we have began together, we shall finish together: saving of the two, my labor hath more hope and possibility of taking effect. I conclude with Bern. Scrutari temeritas, credere piet •• , praedicare securitas, noscere aeterna faelicitas. It is rashness to search, godliness to believe, safenesse to preach, and eternal blessedness to know the Trinity, yet let us know to praise the Trinity. In the words of our Church; Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, And let all answer; As it was in the beginning, 〈◊〉 now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Honor and Glory.] This is the third circumstance, the matter what he received Observe we here three collections.

1 CHRIST would receive honor of his Father. The devil would have given him glory: Matth. 4.8. When upon a high mountain he shown him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them: All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Where was Promissum and Pactum: his promise, all these will I give thee: his Covenant, bargain, or condition, Si cadens adoraveris • t. If falling down thou wilt worship me. This seems to be a fair match; for one crouch of his knee, to have so many Crowns for his head: for a little prostration, so great promotion. If the devil had proffered this to Alexander, or to Caesar; it had been a bargain. When he made this offer to the Hierarchy of Rome, they presently took him at his word. But our Savior would none of it: he knew that Satan could give no honor to another, that had none himself: that this glory would dishonor him, and his Father also. Therefore he requited him with, Get thee hence Satan. Men would have given him honor: they purposed to have Crowned him King. John. 6.15. but he refused it. I receive not honor from men, John. 5.41. Divine and religious honor he refused not: they worshipped him, this he suffered. He that honors me, honors my Father; this he preached. But human and temporary honor he rejected; and would none of their hasty coronation with carnal hands. John. 18.36. My kingdom is not of this world. Yea more, he sought not to honor himself. John. 8.50. I seek not mine own glory. Verse 54. If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. Teaching us to accept praises from others lips, not to be our own trumpets. But when the Father gives him Honor, this he receives, this is only worth acceptance. 2 Cor. 10.18. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. For this he prays. John. 12.28. Father, glorify thy Name. The Father in honoring the Son, honored himself. As CHRIST said; He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: He that believes in me, believes in my Father: He that receives me, receives my Father: so he that honoreth me, honoreth my Father. But Honor in conference, non in accipiente; honor is in the Person giving it, not in him that receives it: but Christ that received it, was also God the giver of it. It is he that gives honor and glory, and it is he that takes honor and glory, and to him he honor and glory forever.

2 All honor and glory is CHRIST'S; as being delivered to him by the Father, Luk. 10.22. He is Primogenitus, the first begotten, the only begotten of God; only worthy of the kingdom. Rev. 5.12. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and honor, and glory. Worthy; when he takes it, he doth not I ••• dere alienum, or arripere indebitum; arrogate that to himself which is not his own right: but Dignus est, he is Worthy. It is his own propriety; yet he is content to communicate and impart it. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, John. 17.22. The same glory Qualiter non Aequaliter: the same glory, not the same degree of glory. Eandem in natura, non in mensura: the same in nature, not so much i • measure. Let the privilege of Primogeniture be reserved to himself. 1 Cor. 15. • 1. There is one glory of the Sun, another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the •• rres. Christ is that Sun which gives glory to us the stars. Of his fullness we have received grace for grace here, glory for glory hereafter. On earth the glory that divided, seems to be diminished: and one think that, so much honor is taken •• m himself, as is added to another. But in heaven the glory of Christ shall not abated to himself, though it be communicated to millions. Nor shall ones glo ••• eclipse another's: Tanta singulis, quanta omnibus: such shall be to everyone, as is any one. We see to whom we are behold • for our honor. 2 Sam. 9.7. David •• aced Mephibosheth, set him at his own table, teste •• ed him all the land of his grand •• there Saul; and all for the love that he bare to his father Jonathan. So God honou ••• h us, sets us at his own table, yea with his Son in his Throne; restoreth to us all the •• heritance which our Grandfather Adam lost, yea more than ever • e possessed; and 〈◊〉 this for his Son, and our Father, JESUS CHRIST his sake. King Pha ••• h, honored the Eleven Patriarchs for Joseph's sake, gave them the fat of the • nd of Egypt, and highly enriched them. So GOD honoreth us with his his grace this life, and with his glory in the life to come, and all for Jesus his sake.

3 All true and blessed honor comes from God, and is to be sought there. Job ••• es, it is He that girds on the kings girdle. Promotion cometh neither from the East, •• r from the West; from North nor South, but only from the Lord; saith the Psal • ist. It is true that worldly honor is often arrogated: and Datur indigno dignita • . • ignitas a do, non Indignus: the honor is of God, not the us worthy person that ••• th it. He always gives Principatum, the dominion: not always Principem, the • overnour: for he may come to it by Intrusion, and hold it by usurpation.

The honor of this world is merely titular. Either infeoffed to the blood: •• d what glory is it to the degenerate son, that such a noble Father begot him? • ll greatness had a beginning, and the beginning of that greatness was Desert. Am noble? let me know, this Noblenesse is the lest part of mine: my fathers won it • y their virtue: they had the glory, I enjoy but the Titles. This privilege of blood, • ithout respondent virtues, is but an empty conduit pipe: it is a pipe still, but it hath • o water in it. Another by his just merit hath gotten honor: it is derided, because is not derived: yet is that man more truly honorable. For the other wears • ut the shadow of his Predecessors triumphs: this man wears the substance of his • wne. Et que non fecimus ipsi, vix ea nostra voco. It was a witty answer, that a young • entleman gave to Arn • bius, one who disgraced his honor because it was of • he first head: my Genealogy. is a shame to me, but thou art a shame to • y Genealogy. Or, as a Prelates son said to a noble heir, who twitted • s upstart Gentry: Ego sum ortus domus meae, tuos casus tua: I am the East or ri • ng of my house, thou art the West, and falling of thine. It is a shame for a man • o think, that the book of his Pedigree, and his Fathers Seal-ring, are sufficient • mblemes of honor: that he is glorious enough, because he is • attered. Or, it may • ee, there is an honor entailed to riches as in the City, credit grows just as fast as money: and in the country, reputation is measured by the acre. Then honor must • e overtaken, when it cannot be met. And now some honorable progenitor must • e found out, that either was dead many hundred years since, or never was noble 〈◊〉 perhaps never was at all. Moses condemned it for a heinous sin to steal children: • ut we have those that think it no sin to steal parents. This is a popular, ticular, ridi • ulous honor. If thou wouldest know such a one, Nudum i • spice, loo • e upon him •• ked, saith Seneca. Depona • patrim •• nd, let him put off his patri • io • ie, let him 〈◊〉 • ff the vain acclamations of the multitude, let him put off his popularity, let him 〈◊〉 of his opulencle; & all •• fo • tui ••• dudaci • , and all the other const ••• ties of 〈◊〉 •• une: corpus ipsum exuat, animum intuere: let him put off his very body, look 〈◊〉 ••• o his soul. Then thou must see, Quia ••• i • l qua • t n • f •• , ••• no 〈◊〉 •• gnuo; how noble he is, by observing how good he is w • ither he • well with •• there man's subtance, or stand upon his own worth. A good man will not follow honor, but is all if he let it overtake him. Honorem Cato non debuit petere, sed civit • s ob v • t ••• non petenti reddere, Aug. It was not for Cato to beg honor of the City, b ••• the City to give him honor for his virtue.

Quintus C •• i •• e writes of a Gardener, a very poor man rich in all plenty, •• cept plenty of riches. Alexander of Macedon proffered him the kingdom of S ••• but he refused it with this answer. Nunquam erit mihi curiae perdere, quod 〈◊〉 erat mihi curae potere. That shall never trouble me with care to lose, which did • ver trouble me with care to get. Memorable and worthy, and such a proced ••• may cast a blush on the cheeks of Christians: for we are all too greedy 〈◊〉 honor.

Well if we would be honored, let us honor CHRIST: for in is, and 〈◊〉 him comes, all Honor. The most noble deriving of ourselves, is from Christ: the 〈◊〉 Nobility is the nobility of Faith, and the best Genealogy the genealogy of g ••• works. Men's earthly glories are like their shadows in the Sun: the bodies ••• dow is at morning before us, at noon beside us, at night behind us. So their ho •••• is at morning before them, in a goodly luster: at noon in the full beside them, wi •• a violent heat: at evening in the wane behind them, with a neglected pity. Only some differ in their noon or meridian of greatness: for instead of having their •• nour besides them, they are besides their honor. 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honor me, I will honor: and they that despise me, shall be light esteemed; saith the Lord. H •• that shall seek the Lord's honor, and neglect his own: shall find his own hono •• in the Lord's. A man while he hunts after his own shadow, flies from the same and his shadow is still unovertaken before him: but when he turns his face to the sun, and follows that, his shadow will follow him. He that seeks honor, a •• turns his back upon CHRIST, cannot reach it; it is too swift of foot for him let him turn his face to CHRIST, and follow him; behold, honor ways a •• his back, and will never fail to attend him. Now seeing we look for all hono •• and glory from CHRIST, let us ascribe all honor and glory to CHRIST, singing that heavenly Hymn, Revel. 7.12. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, 〈◊〉 thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our God forever and e •• . Amen.

When there came such a voice to him from this excellent glory.] This is the fourth circumstance, the time when; the Apostle Beheld, and their Master record, this glory and Majesty. For to this we must restore the last clause of the former verse: They were eye-witnesses of his Majesty: when? at this time, when there come such a voice from the excellent glory. Considering therefore together, their 〈◊〉 Testimony, with his audible assurance from the supreme glory; we may justly conceive here three things:

A

• Spectacle, with the time of it; When they saw it.
• Oracle; Such a voice from heaven.
• Miracle; that a uoice should be heard on earth, which d ••• e, from 〈◊〉 excellent glory.

So there is in the words, Quando, Qu ••• ando, inde When it was; at the 〈◊〉 of his glorious testification. How, by a voice, such a voice. From whence, s ••• 〈◊〉 excellent glory.

When • b • ir come.] The precise denomination of the time and place of 〈◊〉 glorious revelation, but all •• e questionable, but without all doubt it we 〈…〉 figuration no the • o •• t i • for so the Apostle declares himself in the next verse. 〈◊〉 but his Majesty might appear also at other times, and in other matters, yet 〈◊〉 most conspicuously.

For they speak not • er • of Christ's •• ding in triumph to Jerusalem, 〈…〉 〈◊〉 . When the people gave the acclamation of Hosanna, and Blessed is he that 〈◊〉 •• th in the Name of the Lord; they then saw his Majesty. Ver. 5. Tell ye the daugh ••• of Zion, Behold, thy king cometh. Though meekly, sitting upon an Ass; yet thy •• ng. The veil of his humility was so far lifted up, that they might see his Ma •• sty. But the Apostle speaks of a sight, not common to the people, but peculiar to •• emselves.

They speak not here of his miracles, wherein also appeared his Majesty. When • e quieted the winds and seas, walked on the waters, raised the dead, cast out divelsl •• re was Majesty. When, Matth. 21.12. he went into the Temple, cast out all them •• at bought and sold in it, and overthrew the tables of the money changers. Jerome •• nceives this to be the greatest of all his miracles. His wonders did evidently prove •• s majesty. Now these were of two sorts; such as he wrought upon the bodies of • en, which we most admire because they are most visible, and subject to sense. And •• her, that he wrought upon the minds of men; Quantum ad immutandas interiores •• res, as the School speaks; to the change of the inward power: and these were •• e greater miracles; but because they were not so visible, therefore not so remar •• ble. Act 4.13. The Jews hearing the words, and seeing the wonders, wrought 〈◊〉 Peter and John and perceiving that they were unlearned men; Admirabantur, they • ought it a miracle: and conclude, that they had been with JESUS. If this mira •• e be wrought upon a man, that his conscience be sanctified, sure he hath been with •• sus, or Jesus hath been with him. Matth. 9.9. CHRIST finds Matthew at the •• ceite of custom; and says but, Follow me, and he arose and followed him. Though • e sat at the custom house, like an Usurer in his broking house, yet upon his call he •• llowed him. Fulgur divinae majestatis videntem ad se traxit. Some strange light •• ng of Majesty appeared in his looks, and miraculously drew a worldling unto •• m, Luk. 4.29. They brought him to the brow of a steep hill, purposing to cast, •• m down headlong; But he passing through the mids of them, went his way. Stare in •• edio insidiantum, & non apprehendi; to stand in the midst of his enemies, and no • an able to lay hands upon him; here was a great majesty, Chrys. John. 18.6. The • ind rabble came with torches, the cowards with swords, a traitor with a band of men; •• d as if multitudes were not sufficient, there must be Officers among them: but • hat was the issue? As soon as he said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to • e ground. With the breath of two short words, sweetly and kindly spoken, Ego •• m, I am he; they were repelled. Quid faciet judicaturus, qui hoc fecit judicandus? Quid regnaturus poterit, qui hoc moriturus potuit? Aug. What can he do when he shall •• dge, that did thus when he was to be judged? What shall be his power reigning, • hen such was his power even dying? Here was Majesty. But of all, that Matth. • 1.12. did far transcend in expressing his Majesty. That one man unarmed, with • ut guard of soldiers, without a Commission from Herod or Caesar: in despite • f the Scribes that hated him: of the people that contemned him: should cast forth • en, tradesmen, covetous tradesmen! How Demetrius would have stormed to see • is occupation of silver shrines endangered, endamaged; and cried out two hours • ogether; Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Yea, that he should cast forth abundance • f them; such a multitude of men and cattle, that a pretty army could hardly have • erformed it. And that with a little Whip, without noise, contradiction, or tumult! Oh here was Majesty. Igneum quiddam & Sydereum radiabat in oculis ejus. • ieron. Something more bright than the fire or stars did certainly shine in his • yes. Such a Majesty of Divinity appeared in his looks, that none durst resist him. • rigen. This was a greater miracle, than turning water into wine: there Inanimata • ateria, a matter without life doth yield unto him: but in this, Tot milium hominum • omantur ingenia; the refractary and perverse hearts of many thousands of obstinate • en are convinced. Here they might manifestly see his Majesty: but of this our Apostle discourseth not.

Nor yet of that visible scissure of heaven, Matth. 3. Where was manifest the • eavens apertion, the Spirits descension, the Fathers testification; This is my beloved Son. There was a voice, and a voice from heaven, and witnessing the same thing th •• here: even there they were eye-witnesses of his majesty: but neither is that pla •• meant here.

Now is it understood of that testimony, John. 12.28. There was also a vi • , and a voice from heaven and from the Father in heaven; and a voice that ho ••• CHRIST, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The people said, i • Thundred, others that an Angel spake; CHRIST, says plainly, that the voice came for their sakes. Ver. 30. Here also were they witnesses of his Majesty: but •• ither to that testimony hath our Apostle here a reference.

Nor is it meant of his Resurrection from death, worthy of all admiration. When out of a Sepulcher, a sepulcher not of earth, but of Stone, one entire stone without any seam or fissure in it: another stone rolled to it, that stone sealed th •• seal guarded: the Lord arose, bursting the bands of death, and triumphing over the grave: manifesting himself to one, to two, to ten, to more than five hundred brethren at once, and thus dwelling on the earth forty days! Here was a clear demonstration of his powerful majesty.

Lastly, it is not referred to his triumphant Ascension; when he led captivity captive, and went up gloriously to the place whence he came. At this the Apostles were present, beholding while he was taken up, Act. 1.9. He was received out of their sight, therefore till that moment they had the sight of him. They saw the Angels the testified it; Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus shall come from heaven, in the like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. They saw him, and they worshipped him, Luk. 24.52. Here was also an apparent manifestation of his majesty. Act. 1.8. Ye shall be witnesses unto me. Himself told them immediately before, that they should be witnesses of this: and here was a sufficient Majesty for their testimony, and they gave a sufficient testimony of that Majesty.

But yet Saint Peter intends another, and that a more especially instance: 〈◊〉 seen to the people, as were some of the former glories: nor to all the Apostles, a • were the rest. But particularly to three, whom the LORD JESUS chose one. Matth. 17.1. Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And was transfigured before them. Why this revelation was given to them three only; Non qui legit, sed qui elegit, novit: not he that reads it, but he he that chose them knows. So far as we may soberly, and with due reverence search the next verse will fitly call on us to consider.

But why did the Apostle single out that Time and Place, more than any other, to exemplify CHRIST'S Majesty, and the honor conferred on him by the Father. 2. Because Moses and Elias appeared to him there: in all the rest of his miracles he had no company but men on earth, now he had a testimony from two glorious Saints in heaven. His command was known to be great over the creatures below, this was every day conspicuous: but that now it should extend to heaven, but was an ample show of Majesty. 2. But especially because he was caelesti gloria •• tus; his face shining as the Sun, and his raiment white as the light. Nil terrenum •• spiciebatur, sed caelestis undique refulgebat Majestas. Nothing of earth was seen, but a divine and heavenly Majesty appeared. For this was a little map of heaven, a glimpse or abridgement of that infinite glory. Before his power might appear, 〈◊〉 under the veil of his mortal flesh: now the manhood is become glorious. As the fire makes everything that is cast into it, like it self: so the glory circling him, and inherent upon his body, similem sibi reddidit humanitatem, made his humanity gloririous like it self.

This was then the most magnificent demonstration of his Majesty; where heaven was brought down to earth to illustrate it. He rose from the grave to the earth of the living, there was Majesty, Rom. 1.4. For in this he declared himself to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead. He ascended from the earth to heaven, there was Majesty. But here he commanded heaven to come down 〈◊〉 him, this was the greatest declaration of his Majesty. Now he sits in heaven with • ajesty, Hebr 8.1. On the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens. He •• all one day come to judge the world with Majesty. The Lord hath given him this • onour and Majesty; A Name which is above every name. Let us ascribe glory to that • ajesty, and blessed be his Majesty forever! Here now it is plain, what the Apo •• es saw: the world was eye-witness of his misery, they, of his Majesty. The • orld beheld him in the form of a Servant, they as their Master and Maker. The • orld, as a worm, not a man: they, as the King of glory. The world, as a thing • ot desirable: they, as Fairer than all the children of men, Psal. 45.2. Blessed eyes ad •• tted to this vision! It was Saint Augustine's wish to have seen three things: Rome • her glory, Paul in the Pulpit, CHRIST in the flesh. That is now past hope • re on earth, our labor must be to see him hereafter in Heaven. Isaiah 33.17. Thine •• es shall see the King in his beauty. LORD give us this vision, this fruition, and we • e then blessed forever.

Such a voice.] This is the second point, the manner how God testified, con •• rning the honor of his Son: by a voice, his own voice. The Logicians di •• inguish between Sonus, Vox, and Verbum; a Sound, a Voice, and a Word. Sound of insensible things, as Lute, Organ, &c. Voice, of sensible, but irrational, as • easts: a Word, of that which hath both sense and reason, man. Here is a Voice, at a Word with it. A word is first conceived in the heart, and then uttered by the • oice: yet we hear the voice before we know the word. John calls himself, The •• ice of a Crier: CHRIST the eternal Word, was before John, and all other voi •• s. For, John. 1.1. In the beginning was the Word: and that beginning was before 〈◊〉 beginnings, without beginning; Principium sine principio: yet the world knew not • e Word, till it was preached by the voice of men and Angels. The word in it •• lfe is before the voice, yet to us the voice goes before the word, John 1.15. He •• at cometh after me, was before me. Tully commends voices, Socrates for sweetness, •• sias for subtlety, Hyperides for sharpness, Aeschines for shrilnesse, Demosthenes •• r powerfulness. Gravity in African, smoothness in Laelius; rare voices! In ho •• Writ we admire a sanctified boldness in Peter, profoundnesse in Paul, loftiness in •• hn, vehemency in him and his brother James, those two sons of Thunder; fer •• ncie in Simon the zealous. Among Ecclesiastical Writers, we admire weight in • ertullian, a gracious composure of well mattered words in Lactantius, a flowing •• eech in Cyprian, a familiar stateliness in Chrysostom, a conscionable delight in Ber •• rd, and all these graces in good Saint Augustine. Some construed the Scriptures •• egorically, as Origen: some literally, as Jerome: some morally, as Gregory: •• hers pathetically, as Chrysostom: others dogmatically, as Augustine. The new • riters have their several voices: Peter Martyr copiously judicial: Zanchius ju •• ciously copious. Luther wrote with a cole on the walls of his chamber: Res & •• rba Philippus, res sine verbis Lutherus, verba sine re Erasmus, Nec res nec verba Ca • lostadius. Calvin was behind none, not the best of them, for a sweet diluci •• tion of the Scriptures, and urging of solid arguments against the Antichristi •• s. One is happy in expounding the words, another in delivering the matter, a •• ird for cases of conscience, a fourth to determine the School-doubts. But now •• t all these together: an hundred Peters and Paul's, a thousand Bernard's and Au •• tines, a million of Calvin's and Melanchthon's: let not their voices be once na •• ed with this voice. They all spake as children, this is the voice of the An •• ent of days, John. 7.46. Never spake man, as GOD himself speaketh. Herod, it •• emes, had a pleasing voice, when he drew to himself such an acclamation, Act. •• .22. It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. But the Angel proved to Herod's •• nfusion, that acclamation to be the voices of men, not of God. But this voice that •• me from heaven concerning this God and man, was the voice of God, not of man. • he Angel that talked with Zacharias, spake Debarim tohim, debarim nehummim, • ach. 1.13. Good words, and comfortable words. But this voice is the voice of Power, the voice of comfort, the voice of love, the voice of life. Man hath virtutem •• cis, power to speak: but God reserves to himself vocem virtutis, to speak in power, Psal. 67.33. Loe, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. Saint Paul had a powerful voice, when he said to the Creeple with a loud voice, stand upright on • y feet: And he leaped and walked, Act. 14.10. In so much that when the people saw it, they cried; The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. S. Peter had a power full voice, when he persuaded three thousand souls at one Sermon. But this voice of power gave power to all their voices. Herodotus tells us of an Egyptian, that had in shrill a voice, that From the Promontory of Hister he was heard by Histaeus, Admiral of Darius, being then at Miletum. But this is the voice, that shall one day be heard from one end of the world to the other. Christ here heard the voice of his Father, we shall all hear the voice of Christ, John. 5.28. The hour cometh, in the which 〈◊〉 that are in the graves shall hear his voice. This shall be a wonderful voice, terrible 〈◊〉 the wicked. When Joseph revealed himself to his brethren; I am Joseph, Gen. 45.3. they could not answer him, for they were terrified at his presence. But when he added, ver. 4. Frater vester, I am Joseph, Your brother, they were then comforted. When Christ shall say to the reprobates, I am Jesus; Jesus whom ye contemned, scorned, persecuted, sacrilegiously robbed; whose servants ye have hated; they shall be confo •• ded. But when he adds to the faithful, Frater vester, I am Jesus, Your Brother; they shall be with heavenly peace rejoiced. Will you consider the power of the Lord's voice? Look Psal. 29. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. The Nightingale hath a sweet voice, but a lean carcase: vox & praeterea nihil; a voice, and nothing else but a voice: and so have all hypocrites. But the Lord's voice will be against them with a Woe, Heb. 3.15. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Let us now hear his voice with obedience, lest we one day hear it with a vengeance. Non 〈◊〉 hominem sonat, O Deus certe. It is not an ordinary voice, but Vox hujusmodi, Such a voice. Saul said to his subject, 1 Sam. 24.16. Is this thy voice, my son David? Well • may we say; Is this thy voice, O Lord our King? We will then obey it, Psal. 85. • . I will hear what the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people. The Lord, apply this voice to our hearts, and our hearts to this voice.

From the excellent glory.] This is the last circumstance, the place whence it came. There is a great distance between Mount Tabor and heaven: yet was a voice hear in the hill, which came De magnifica illa gloria, From that excellent glory. There be glories in the world, but they are not Excellent. Israel ascribes glory to Reuben, but he ddes an instabilitie to it, Gen. 49.4. Reuben, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power; but unstable as waters, thou shalt not excel. Vnstable as waters, that is, a fluid glory: Thou shalt not excel, there is a bar in the Arms. Such a the condition of all worldly glory; but the glory that shall be revealed in us, is an exceeding and eternal weight, 2 Cor. 4.17. This Glory is admirable in four excellencies: for the Dignity, for the Clarity, for the verity, and for the Eternity of it.

1 For Dignity, it is a glory: and this hath been the scope of most men's endeavors and reaches. There is not the silliest Artisan, Manuary, or Mechanic, but would be glorious for something. Mutius Scevola burnt his own hand for striking amiss. Curtius in glittering armor, mounted on his horse, cast himself headlong into a gulf, to deliver his country from the plague: Vicit amor patria, •• dúmque immensa cupido. If they did thus for a puff, what should we do for this excellent glory! Esa. 23.8. The Citizens of Tyre are said to have been compa ••• unto Princes: but in this glory, every Citizen is a crowned King: none but King 〈◊〉 free men of that Incorporation. Where a man shall videre ad voluntatem, habet 〈◊〉 voluptatem, frui ad securitatem; see what he liketh, have what he delighteth, and enjoy it without envy, without end. Non est timor in finibus tuis, quia Dominus posuit fines tuos pacem; There is no fear in the borders of it, for the Lord hath compa ••• it with peace forever.

2 For Claritie, it is not a hidden, but as Saint Paul saith, a Revealed glory. ki •• now indeed hidden; but when Christ our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory, Col. 3.4. Clear, both for Condition, it shall be excellent: for cognition and apprehension, it shall be seen in the full excellency of it. It is Perenne solstitium: nec • ongitudo terminum, nec claritas occasum, nec satietas fastidium habebit, Bern. It is an everlasting Solstice; the length is interminable, the brightness unchangeable, the fullness unweariable. Our very bodies shall be made glorious; The righteous shall shine as the Sun. Qualis erit splendor animarum, quando solis splendorem habebit lux cor • orum? Bern. What shall be the glory of our souls, when the Sun it self shall not equal the glory of our bodies? If the glory of the body be but the body of glory: then the soul of glory is the glory of the soul. Yea, then the Sun shall septuple his own glory, and we shall centuple the glory of the Sun. It is a glory to the Firmament, that it is stuck full of such shining lamps; a thousand times excelling the luster of precious stones. O then think what it will be, to walk in the Courts of heaven, and to behold so many millions of Stars; spiritual and intellectual Stars: a sight able to ravish us! If they that dwell in the Courts of Kings, make such a glorious show with their garments, borrowed from worms, or from the earths excrementall bowels: what a delightful a sight will it be to behold the splendor of God's own • mmortall Courtiers!

3 For verity, it shall be indeed, not in show only, but upon us. The worldling is all glorious without, but the Kings daughter is all glorious within, Psal. 45.14. That is a shadow, this a substance. Civil honor, says the Philosopher, is not in the person honored, but honoring: the worldlings glory depends on the possession of vain matters, and the breath of vain men; therefore hath no true being. But this is a true and substantial glory, because affixed to him whose glory is immutable, 2. Cor. 4.17. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The cross is light, the crown weighty. The cross but for a moment, the crown forever. The pleasures of sin are but for a season; therefore nothing, being compared with that infinite weight of eternal wrath. But as the seven years of famine in Egypt, did quite eat up the seven years of plenty: so the reprobates endless pains shall eat up their short pleasures. On the contrary, there is a • ime to weep, and a time to laugh: the good man shall not much remember the days of his sorrow, because God answereth him in the joy of his heart, Eccles. 5.20. not much remember it, not all. Therefore Non quaeras in via, quod tibi servatur in patria, Aug. Let us not seek for that in our journey, which is only to be found in our country. Let the world take these shadows; it is a portion my soul desireth not, only may • he be sped of this substantial glory through Jesus Christ.

4 For the Eternity; if it had an end, it were not excellent. We see commonly, that high glories here waste themselves, and go out in stench; like great candles in windy houses: that can be no excellent glory. If we love this life, which we feel to be miserable, and and know will end: how should we love that life, where is no fear, either to die, or to live in trouble. Nothing but happy eternity, and eternal felici • ie, John. 14.2. In my Fathers house are many mansions: here we have no abiding city, but dwell in Tabernacles, set up today, and pulled down tomorrow. Our best houses on earth, let them be never so glorious: if it were possible; let their walls be of gold, and their windows of Sapphire: yet they are no better than Inns for strangers. But our mansions in heaven abide forever. I go to prepare a place for you, saith Christ: but • t is said, Matth. 25.34. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. These were prepared before; now then did Christ go to prepare them? Saint Augustine answers; They were prepared from everlasting, but the men that should • nhabite them were unprepared. Parat quodammodo mansiones, mansionibus parando mansores; He went first to take possession of this Kingdom, and there sets open the • oores of those prepared mansions for us.

Here is then the figure of heaven: it is glory, therefore excellent: yea, substantial glory, more excellent: yea, a Crown of glory, most excellent. It is a Kingdom, and Immobile regnum, a kingdom that cannot be moved. It is an Inheritance, and ann immortal inheritance; all excellent. It is excellent, and a Glory; yea, The excellent glory. What wouldst thou have? Is anything better than life? Is any life better than a life of glory? Is any glory better than a kingdom of glory? Is any kindom surer than the Kingdom of Heaven? Yet this Kingdom, this Life, this Glory, this excellent Glory, is prepared for us. The Lord hath prepared this excellent glory for us; the Lord prepare us for this excellent glory!

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.] This is the last general Circumstance of the Verse; the matter and substance of the Testimony from the Father. This; the word shows him to be that Messias, long before prophesied, presently after the fall promised, ere the world was purposed, and now manifested. This, singularly; not another, but this is He. My Son, consubstantially, because begotten of mine own substance. Originally mine, by union of nature: though in him other be made mine also, by adoption of grace. Beloved, Eternaliter; not in time accepted, b •• before all beginning begotten. In whom I am well pleased, and never was offended: all other men were the children of wrath, I could not be pleased with them: but in thi • Son I rest. He pleaseth the Father by himself, all other only by him. Here is Propriatas Personae, unitas naturae, Dignitas gratiae, Foelicitas meriti; This is, there is the Propriety of Person: My Son, there is the unity of nature: Beloved son, there is the Dignity of grace: In whom I am well pleased, there is the Felicity of merit. In him well pleased; in all with him, in none without him: in Himself without all, before all, above all. Here is the Testimony; This is my beloved Son, &c. For methods salt we observe in this heavenly voice three notes:

• Distinctionem Personae. This is my Son.
• Dilectionem Distincti. My Beloved Son.
• Sufficientiam Dilecti. In whom I am well pleased.

This is my Son.] Son, this distinguisheth his Person: Father and Son are relatives, one depending necessarily on the other, Luke 1.32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. With this Christ opposed the Jews, that questioned him concerning the Son of David. If David called him Lord, he must needs be the Son of God. Now he is the Son of God two ways: First, by Nature, of the Eternal substance of his Father: not after a carnal manner, for he departed with no substance, nor suffered any change, loss, or diminution. Secondly, as he was the Son of Mary: and this other Sonship in regard of God, was not by nature, not by adoption; for then there had been a time when he was not the Son of God: but by Personal union. The man Christ never was a Person of it self, but was at the first Personally united to the Son of God. The Son of Mary was ever the Son of God, but the Son of God was not ever or always the Son of Mary. This was necessary, saith Augustine, that the Mediator between God and man, should be of the Natures, both of God and man. Ne in utro{que} homini similis, longe esset à Deo: vel in utro{que} Deo similis, longe esset ab homine; Lest being in every respect God, he had been too great to suffer for man: or being in every respect man, he had been too weak to satisfy God. Non •• ter à Patre, alter à virgins: sed aliter à Patre, aliter à virgins, Eus. Emiss. God of God, God the Son of God the Father. Fulgent. Alter in Persona, non alius in natura; If • e were the same Person, how is he here called Filius, a Son? If he were not the same Nature, how is he called Meus, My Son? Son, thou art therefore another Person. My Son, thou art therefore the same God.

This filiality doth not challenge him of inferiority to God. But Phil. 2.6. he is said to be In the form of God: yet it is added, He thought it no robbery to be equal with God. So it is said, Vers. 7. that he took upon him the Form of a Servant. Si forma ser •• est natura humana, forma Dei est natura divina; If the form of a servant be the nature of man, then the form of God is the very nature of God. This the Jews could easily interpret; He said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. When he called God his Father, they could presently infer, Illum se fecisse parem Deo; That he made himself equal with God: and that is no other thing, than to be true God in nature and subsistence. Semper apud Patrem, semper cum Patre, semper de Patre, semper in Patre. Filius ex ipso, cum ipso, hoc quod ipse, Lomb. Always with the Father, always of the Father, always in the Father, always the same God that the Father. So also very man of man's flesh, according to man's nature, for man's sake, above man's condi • ion. Psal. 2.7. The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. This might be said by God to David in type, but only agrees Christ in truth. David indeed was God's son, as he was a man, as he was a King, as he was a Saint. 1. As man; so are all men, Act. 17.28. We also are his offspring. He made us, and not we ourselves, therefore we are his sons, Deu. 32.6. Is not he thy Father that made thee? 2. As King, for all Princes are the Children of the most High, Psal. 82.3. Lastly, as a sanctified man; for he that is new-borne is the son of God, 1 John. 3.9. He cannot sin because he is borne of God. But this title most properly belongs to Christ, and that in respect of his generation temporal and eternal. Some construe it of his temporary birth, because Hodie in the Scripture signifies this present life, Heb. 3.13. While it is called To day. Thou art my Son today have I begotten thee: that is, To day I have brought my begotten Son into the world. So Hebr. 1.6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world. Begotten before all beginning, but made flesh in time; proposed to the world in human flesh, at the decreed fullness of time. Others understand it of Christ's eternal generation: My Son; others are my sons improperly, but thou art properly my Son; my natural, singular, substantial Son. A Son, not by creation, as the whole world is: not through adoption, as the whole Church is: but by nature and incommunicable generation, as himself only is. Primogenitus, Vnigenitus, the express character of his Person, and brightness of his glory. But there is then exception against the Word Hodie: why To day my Son, when as forever his Son? Aug. Apud Deum nunquam crastinus, nunquam hesternus dies est, sed semper Hodie; With God it never is Yesterday, nor To morrow, but always To day: all times are present with him. Vbi dies nec hesterni fine inchoatur, nec initio crastini terminatur, semper hodiernus est; Where never was, nor can be night, must needs be eternal day.

My Son.] This Flesh that stands before you, is the natural Son of God: which gives us to understand, the infinite honor that belongs to Jesus Christ. Though our nature was once poor and wretched through our degeneration, yet now it is made noble and blessed through this Personal union. And the Lord Jesus did habitually honor it, even above the nature of Angels, Hebr. 2.16. For Christ in his very birth, was the most excellent and noble man that ever was: and that both by Fathers side and Mothers side. By Father, being the Son of Almighty God: by Mother, descending of the Patriarchs and renowned Kings of Judah. A truly great Prince! wherein consists a kingdom? In authority? Psal. 135.6. He doth whatsoever he will, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and all deep places. In Power, Mat. 8. The winds and the seas obey him. In multitude of subjects? Angels, Saints, and all Kings are his Subjects; either voluntary, or against their wills, Psal. 82.1. He standeth in the congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the gods. In abundance? Psal. 16.11. In his presence is the fullness of joy. In continuance? He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. In amplitude and largeness? The heaven is his, and the earth is his, and the fullness of them both. In subduing enemies? Bring those mine enemies, that would not have me reign over them, and slay them before me.

The faithful do not hold Christ in small account, because of his poor estate in this world; but prefer him to Nobles and Kings. They had no such Herald, to blazon their Arms as he: even John the Baptist, not a greater borne of women. Yea here, even God himself with a voice from heaven proclaims it. They have no such memorial of their antiquity, as he, whom S. Luke lines from Adam, S. Matthew derives from David and Abraham. It is impossible for them: for there is no such Instructer of antiquity, or Recorder of Genealogy, as the Holy Ghost. Great Monarks have long and tedious titles: Christ is short in sound, but Eternal in sense; This is my beloved Son.

This gives comfort to us: for CHRIST being so royal, and taking our flesh, conveys part of his nobleness to us. Men stand much on their blood, and the pedigree of their Ancestors: as if nobleness consisted in that which descends from, man to man. All true and weighty honor is fetched from CHRIST: Not my Birth, but my Christianity, makes me noble; said that noble Martyr, Romanus. To so many as received Christ, he gave power to be the sons of God, John. 1.12. This engraffing to Jesus, is the dignity, true blood Royal of God Himself. Not Generation, but Regeneration is truly noble. Sanctification is the best ornament of blood, the worthiest part of the Honorable Scutchion, the fairest flower in the Goodmans Garland. It is no discredit to men's honors, to honor Him. We love to peruse the Genealogy of Princes, and succession of States: but what are these to us? we are not heirs to those honors. But if CHRIST'S Title be good, ou • is good in him. Thus we are enriched with the whole world. Cor. 3.22. Whether the world, things present, yea or things to come; All are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Chr • st is God's. But because the wicked have this world, that have no right unto it therefore Fear not little flock, it is your fathers will to give you the kingdom, Luke 12.32. Be we never so poor, even the contempt of this world; rich men sco ••• our acquaintance; yet he that is the only Son of God, is not ashamed to call us brethren, Heb. 2.11. An earthly Prince may honor much; by enrobing a subject with Princely apparel, investing his head with the Crown Royal, and mounting his person in the Kings own Chariot, Esa. 6.8. But Christ doth honor infinitely more; by adorning us with white garments, Palms in our hands, and Crowns on our heads, and that before the Angels in heaven. Psalm. 149.8. Such honor ha •• all his Saints.

This is my Son;] This is he, which the Prophet, presignified, the types prefigured, the Lord himself promised, the Gospel presented, and is now universally preached; This is he. Elias was a great Prophet, but not He: John the Baptist was more than a Prophet, but not He. John. 1.8. He was not that light, but a witness of it. This is He. He that fulfilled all the prophecies, performed all the promises, ended all the Ceremonies; This is He. Hager and Ishmael were kept in Abraham's house, til • Isaac was borne and weaned: so were ceremonies reserved in the Church, till Christ was dead and risen. They were like a mould, whereinto we cast a bell: when the metal is run, and the bell made, we throw away the mould. He that was crucified himself, crucified all these. The Philistines ask for Sampson; who is he that hath given us so many overthrows, triumphed in our ruins? This is he. So, who is that strong God, that could say to the gates of death and hell, Eph •• , be ye opened? This is he. Who is he that conquered the devil, foiled death in his own Throne, led captivity captive, overcame sin that overcame the whole world; that pacified an infinite wrath, that made way to an infinite glory; who? This is he; this is my beloved Son.

Beloved Son.] God's love to his Son is eternal, infinite, inexpressible. I •• . 3.35. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. John. 17.24. Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Col. 1.13. Transtulit nos in reg •• filii dilectionis suae: his dear Son; the Son of his love. 1. Because he is most worthy of all to be loved: as Judas is called the Son of perdition, because he was 〈◊〉 worthy to be destroyed. 2. Because he was begotten of his Fathers love from everlasting. 3. Because he is infinitely filled with this love. So they are said to be children of the Bride-chamber, that are full of joy in respect of the wedding. 4. Because he makes other sons to be beloved. Filius dilectus, qui facit dilectos. 5. In respect of his human nature; For God poured his love upon him with gifts beyond measure, wherewith that nature is admirably qualified. Beloved: here are two scandals taken away by this word. First, that we may not think Christ to be sent in the flesh ab irato Patre, from God the Father being angry: for he is his Beloved sin. N •• , that when we are afflicted, we should not think ourselves minus a Deo diligi, to be the less beloved of God, for he loves the Son, whom he scourges.

But how appears this love, when God did so cast him down that he seemed • ven to hate him? Law • . 1.1 • . Vindemiavit me Dominus; The Lord hath afflicted me 〈◊〉 the day of his fierce anger. God afflicts some in mercy, but this was in wrath. In • is wrath God is not a like to all: some he afflicts more mildly; but this was in his • ierce wrath. His sufferings, his Sweat, and Cup, import so much: they could not • ome, but from a wrath whereof never was the like. Two things especially may • eeme to abate the Fathers love to his Son. First, his sweat in the Garden. Luk. • 2.44. Which was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When • o manner of violence was offered him in body, none touching him: in a cold night, • or they were glad of a fire within doors: lying abroad in the air, and upon the • old earth; to be all or a sweat, and that sweat to be blood, and that not a thin •• int one, but Gr • mosus, of great drops; and those so many as went through his ap • arell, and streamed to the ground in abundance: never was the like sweat. But se • ondly, to be in this distress, and then to want comfort! This was his most sorrow • ull complaint; not that his friends on earth, but that his Father from heaven had • orsaken him. So that between the passioned powers of his foul, and whatsoever might refresh him, there was a Traverse drawn: My God, my God, why hast thou for • aken me? Martyrs in their most exquisite pains had some cheerfulness. Augustine • nswers Martyrs non • ripuit, sed nunquid deseruit? God did not deliver them, but • id he forsake them? He freed not their bodies, he left not their souls. But here, Direliquisti me, thou hast forsaken me. How then was he beloved? non solvit unio • em, sed subtraxit visionem. The influence was for the time restrained, the power • f darkness let loose to afflict him, and the vision of comfort not permitted to re • eeve him: yet still the Lord loved him. But this shows how immensely God lo • ed us: when he seemed to forsake his Son for a time, that he might embrace his • ervants forever. Yea, how much CHRIST loved us; that would be content to • uffer a sense of this desertion for a while, that we might not be eternally lost. Thou wast forsaken for us, let not us forsake thee, neither do thou forsake us, oh blessed Jesus!

In whom I am well pleased.] This was a voice never heard since the fall of man, •• ill that instant. That God was justly angry with the world, it was manifest: but to • ave him now pleased with the world, or any man in it, this was rare and sweet. Never was man borne before of woman, that had this grace. Though it were said to Mary, Hail thou art highly honored, or much graced; yet this was for her sons sake. Propter filii meritum, mater in enit gratiam: the honor done to the mother, was for • he merit of the Son. The Father took all delight in the Son. Esa. 42.1. Be • old mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. And in him only, he is delighted with • s. Cursed is that Religion, that makes him but a chief Savior, and requires o • her concurring helps: we must have only CHRIST, and wholly CHRIST. Our prayers are heard only through him, our wounds healed only by him, our souls • aved only in him. To what end should we join others with him, seeing all are be • oved only for him? Let this make all sin abhorred of us, for if we displease the Son, how shall we please the Father? The Father will be pleased with none, but for the Sons sake. Oh then let us always seek to please the Son. Kiss the Son lest he • ee angry, and so ye perish, Psalm. 2.12. Oh dear Savior, give us hearts to • ove thee, and faith to trust thee, and grace to please thee, that God may be pleased with us in thee.

This Son of God hath made us also sons: God hath right to us Iure Proprie • atis, so hath the Father, Son, and holy Spirit: and Iure Propinquitatis, so hath CHRIST only, for he was a kin to us. CHRIST is both our brother and our Father. Our Father as he is God; our brother as he is man. Hebr. 1.11. He that sanctified, and they who are sanctified, are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed • o call them brethren. This is the Son, that makes us sons. John. 1.12. To as many as receive him, he gives power to become the sons of God. Christ is Filius Dei, 〈◊〉 Trinitatis; nos filii Dei & Trinitatis: he is the Son of God, but not of the Trinity we are the sons of God, and of the whole Trinity: he by nature, we by grace it was the ambition of the heathens, to forget their own parents, and to derive themselves from the parentage of some god; as Alexander from Jupiter, &c. Behold, a • Christ hath honor naturally, so we graciously in him, to be called the sons of God. How great is this happiness, to be the Almighty's sons? but perhaps there are diverse younger brothers, landlesse; No, they are all heirs: there is not a child of God's, but shall inherit the kingdom. Quid Pater negabit filiis, qui hoc dignatus 〈◊〉 ut sit Pater? What will the father deny to his children, who hath already thus far honored them, to be their Father. Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his own Son for us, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Nonne dabit sua, qui non •• it nuit se? Will he deny us his goods, that hath given us himself? Qui dabit se in ••• ritum; dabit & suaii • premium. He that parted with himself to merit for us, will n •• with hold his mercies to crown us. As Abraham's servant said of Isaac to Reb ••• . Gen. 24.36. He is my masters only son, and to him he gives all that he hath. So i • God give us his only Son, he will give us all things with him. Therefore wa • the Son of God made the Son of man; that the sons of men might be made the sons of God.

All love that comes from God to us, is through his Son, John. 17.23. That the world may know, that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Christ define •• it, the Father will not deny it. Christ is God's beloved, and we are Christ beloved. All things are ours, because we are Christ's, and Christ is God's. When we consider, how infinitely God loves Christ, and how infinitely Christ loveth us, we cannot despair. Pater & filius sunt duo in persona, unum in desiderio. The Father and the Son are two in Person, but one in desire. It is not possible, that he should be hated, for whom Christ suffered. Hence it follows, that God will not fail to lift us up to the place where his own beloved is. John. 7.24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. Rom. 8.17. We shall also be glorified together with him. It had been a great favor to be admitted for door-keepers in his house: great satisfactions to have our sins pardoned and that the Lord would be friends with us, considering our rebellion. But to be restored to that Paradise which Adam lost; this had been more: but to be advanced further and higher than ever Adam was; even to the Lord's own throne; this is most of all. If all men's hearts were one heart, it could not comprehend the measure of this love. God hath life, for he is the fole fountain of it: but how shall we come at it? Esa. 33.14. Who shall approach the devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings? Yes, the blood of the Son hath qualified this fire, and quenched the wrath of the Father: thus that life is made ours. 1 John. 5.11. God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. In dilecto, cum dilecto, pro dilecto. Excellent favor, not only to give us place and grace with the Angels; but even with his own Son! We are made Lord's of all creatures but the Angels: and our head [JESUS] is also head of the Angels. For his sake they are all ministering spirits, for the good of all those that are the heirs of salvation. If we be thus loved in the beloved, we may be sure of all necessary things. For howsoever God hath distinguished the things of this world i • a propriety: yet we have such interest in them, that the Sun should not shine, not the world stand, but for the elects sake. The wicked are excluded from the Tree of life, and therefore from all things that should maintain life: and through they be •• t on earth yet they shall have double torment for their single merriment. For they are never in their own house till they be in hell, Act. 1.25. For us, they shall be as well able to save themselves without God, as to hurt us having God: and the worst they can do, is but to send us to GOD; and our desire is to be with GOD forever.

To conclude, Christ was God's Son, his only beloved Son: we servants, ••• s • ll servants: yet was this Son borne and slain for these servants. This is the • oint we are bound to consider! how far God suspended his love to his Son, and • ttended his love to his servants: even so far, that this Son of love died for those sons • f wrath. Here me thinks we should even stay and wonder. 1 John. 3.1. Behold, what • anner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. • his is a depth that cannot be sounded: cold language may utter it, and regardless •• tention hear it; but men and Angels stand amazed at it. That the Creator should •• e for the creature: that this Filius meus, the Son of God; and Servus tuus, the •• rvant of man; should meet in one person. That the same, who is Dominus omni • m, the Lord of all; should be made Sacrificium nostrum, our sacrifice: that the • on of love should die for the sons of wrath! There have been many demonstrati • ns of love in the world, Gen. 42.37. Reuben yielded much to his Father: Slay my two •• ns, if I bring him not to thee: it was in the behalf of Benjamin. Here were two sons • o be lost; Si If their uncle was lost. His own sons were dear to him, as the ob •• cts of of a descending love; but entrusted to their Grandfather, whose love come • only transcends an immediate Fathers; Judah tenders more for Benjamin, Gen. 43. •• . I will be surety for him; of my hand shall thou require him: he engaged himself, but it • as a son ventured upon the mercy of his Father, Gen. 44.33. He goes further • hen Joseph offered to detain Benjamin, for whom Judah had thus interpossed him •• lfe; he tenders his own person for redemption. I pray thee let me abide instead of •• e Lad, a bondman to my Lord: and let him go home with his brethren. Yet he would • e but a bondman, and that for his brother, and that in respect of his Father; and •• l to save all from the destruction of famine. Therefore this is a poor pattern to • atch with the love of God, that did not tradere filium pro patre, vel ex necessitate; • eliver up a son for the fathers sake, or compelled by any exigent: sed pro hostibus, 〈◊〉 ex voluntate; but for his enemies, and that with a voluntary donation. The Po •• speaks of a great love betwixt Nisus and Eurialus; me, me, adsum qui feci, in me • nvertite ferrum: Mea fraus omnis, nihil iste nec ausus, nec potuit.

Two friends are said to come into Vulcans shop, and to beg a boone of him: it as granted. What was it? that he would either beat them on his Anvil, or melt • hem in his furnace, both into one. But without fiction, here is a far greater love CHRIST: for he would be melted in the furnace of wrath, and beaten on • e anvil of death, to be made one with us. And to declare the exceeding love: here • ere not both to be beaten on the anvil, or melted in the furnace: but without us, he • one would be beaten on the anvil, he alone melted, that we might be spared. Esa. • 3.6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. They talk of an Athenian King, •• at offered his own life to save his people. And no doubt, the zeal of Moses •• d Paul was great, when they desired Perire pro pereuntibus, to perish themselves for •• e redemption of others. Jonathan's love was great to David, hazarding his own •• fe for him, 2 Sam. 1.26. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. • avids love was great to an evil son, 2 Sam. 18.33. Would God I had died for thee, • h Absalom, my son, my son. Alas, all these copies are short of this original: • ome we yet nearer. Abraham had but one son, the son of his old age, likely to have no • ore: Filius rei, filius spei; the heir of his estate, the pledge of the promise of his •• lvation: yet in love to his commander, he suffered him not to be banished, but •• lled: not behind his back, but before his own face: not by another, but by his • wne hand. This was much: yet it was but to lose a son for a Father, a mortal •• nne for an immortal Father; that could give him more sons, or raise up that son • gain to life. But here God did give a Son, not for an immortal father, but for • ortall enemies. He loved him ten thousand degrees better than Abraham could •• ue Isaac: yet he gave this Son, not by command as Abraham, but willingly: not to the hands of them that sorowed to kill him, but to butchers that delighted to •• rment him: not for his friends, as Abraham did, but for traitors that would have • alled him out of his Throne: not to a death that only parts body and soul, and instantly directs to heaven, as Isaac's should; but to a death cursed and detestable: this not to be done in a secret place, as Abraham's was appointed; but before all his scornful enemies: not to die as an innocent, like Isaac, but to hang as a notorious sinner; hi • accusation being no less than blasphemy; to have a murderer preferred before him in the people's opinion: to be scorned of the basest, whose fathers he might disd ••• to set with the dogs of his flock. Yea, and which is yet most; while all this is doing on earth, that even then his Father should arraign him above: that he should take off the burden of vengeance from the head of his adversaries, and lay it all on his Son. The comfort of all comforts is from above: let all forsake me, but let 〈◊〉 my Father leave me: but the Lord afflicted him. The high Priest took him to be an offender in his own Person, but God took him to be an offender in our person. He that deserved no sorrow, felt much; that we who deserved much, might feel none: by his wounds we are healed.

Now take the Person upon whom as one Center all these sorrows met my Te •• says, It is my beloved Son. Son; this is enough: man loves his own son, the walking Image of himself. Mine, that is more, the Son of God: as is the person, so is the passion. Beloved, if possible, yet more: for the love of God far transcends all love of man. If he had been but as Pilate said, Behold the man; it was much, we pity a dumb creatures suffering this, much more a man. Yea, but he was Ins •• homo, says the Judges wife, a righteous man: now we pity malefactors, much more the innocent. Yea besides his integrity, he was Magnus & nobilis, a noble person, a Royal Prince: for whom men might justly complain; Alas, that noble Prince, Ier. 22. All these are short: this Ecce homo, ecce agnus, ecce magnus; behold the man, behold the Lamb, behold the Prince; are true, but not enough. Here Ecce filius •• us, behold my son; as the Centurion acknowledged, Truly this is the son of God; is above all gradation. If he had not been the son of God, it had been impossible for him to sustain it: and yet being thus, he was brought so low that an Angel wa • dispatched from heaven to comfort him. Here all words forsake us, we bless the Lord, and hold our peace.

Take the sum of this application: we have heard much of God's Son, and of his dearness to the Father. Now join with it another Text, John. 3.16. So God love the world that he gave this only begotten Son. Here meditate, wonder, and weigh the setence; Who, what, how, to what end. Who loved; God; that made us his friends by creation; whose enemies we made ourselves by prevarication. What did he love? the world, a bad world, a mad world, a blind world, a bloody world; that hated him and all his, John. 15.19. It was no wonder, that he should love the Angels, for they serve him: or the very reasonless creatures, for they obey him: but that he should love the rebellious and hateful world, this is boundless mercy? How d •• he love it? So that he gave his only begotten Son. If like Gideon, he had had threescore and ten Sons, Judge. 8.30. it had been much to part with one of them; be his only son. Jacob rent his clothes, and went mourning in sackcloth many days for losing one son of twelve, Gen. 37.34. Even an harlot pitied the fruit of her womb, and her bowels yearned upon her son. 1 King. 3.26. Oh my LORD. give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: but GOD gave the only Son of his love. To what end? That whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have life everlasting. Where observe two things: the felicity that is goo • , and the facility to get it. The felicity consists of two things; a deliverance, and an Inheritance. He shall not perish, there's the deliverance. He shall have everlasting life, there's the inheritance. For the facility; it is not to keep the Law, but only to believe. Psal. 8.4. Lord what is man that thou shouldest so regard him! Yea, that to regard him, thou didst not regard thyself? It is reported of a great Soldier, that the very jingling of his spurr was a terror to his enemies. So the very sound of this Te ••• makes all the devils in hell roar, all the foes of man's salvation to quake. This is the Christians armory, that Tower of David, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers a shield of mighty men, Cant. 4.4. If thy conscience be assaulted with guiltiness of thy •• ns, remember first, that this CHRIST was the Son of God: and then that this • on was given for the world. Dedit filium, non servum suum, non alienum; unige • tum, non de multis unum. God gave not a servant but a Son: not another's but his • wne Son: not one of many, but his only Son. If Satan now object; Yes, but he •• ve him only for the holy and just; answer, nay, So he loved the world; mundum • mundum: mundum therefore mundanum: he gave him not for the righteous, but •• r sinners. I am of that number, therefore I have my part in that favor. Paul •• ies Eph. 6.11. Put on the whole armor of God: and Rom. 13.14. Put on the Lord • ESUS CHRIST. In the one place, all those pieces of armor is but the Lord •• sus taken asunder: in the other, the whole armor is but the Lord Jesus put toge •• er. Psal. 2.12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry. To make peace with the Father, kiss • on. Cant. 1.2. Let him kiss me, was the Churches prayer: let us kiss him, that • e our endeavor. Indeed, the Son must first kiss us by his mercy, before we can •• sse him by our piety. Lord grant us these mutual kisses, and interchangeable em •• aces now: that we may come to the plenary wedding Supper hereafter. When •• e Choir of heaven, even the voices of Angels, shall sing Epithalamiums, nuptuall •• ngs, at the bridal of the spouse to the Lamb.

THis is a clear description of the place, where they had that heavenly vision; the holy mount. Before he professed them eye-witnesses, now also ear-witnesses. This voice came not in secret, it was no whispering voice: not in • error, it was no thundering voice: not in a strange language, it was no unintelligible • oice. It was not like the voice at Babel, confused. At the building of Babel there • ere strange tongues, that one could not understand another: at the building of Zion were also strange tongues, but readily understood, Act. 2. This voice heard, this they • nderstood, this they declared.

The body of this verse reflects upon the transfiguration of CHRIST, where • f we shall find many considerable members. But first let us look upon the outside • f the Text, and the garments it wears. There is.

Quiddam

• Vocale; a Voice; This voice which came, &c.
• Locale; a Place; In the holy mount.

There are two annections to these two circumstances.

To the

• Voice, audience This voice we heard.
• Place, presence: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; we were with him.

This voice which came from heaven.] First for the vocal part; we have alrea • y considered: what this voice was, and from whence it came. Here is only some • ariation of the latter phrase: there it was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from the excellent • lory: here it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from heaven. Now as. 2 Cor. 12.2. &. 4. When Paul • peaking of his rapture and revelation, says in one place that he was caught up to the • hird heaven: and in another, into Paradise: we may safely infer, that Paradise is heaven, a place of infinite joy. So finding that here called heaven, which was before called glory; we conclude that it is a place of infinite glory. The earth had many cities, only Jerusalem was the holy City: many mountains, but Zion was the mount of joy. Psal. 48.2. The joy of the whole earth is mount Zion. The Courts of Princes have glorious shows, only the Court of God hath the Excellent glory. The Athenian thought all the world, as barbarous in knowledge, so infamous in honor, in respect of Athens: therefore they would go heavily forth, but make 〈◊〉 home. We know that to be true of our country, what they dreamed of Athens: the pride of the world is vanity of vanities, the meanest of heaven is glory of glories.

Good things are known by their contraries, where they cannot be seen in their own perfections. To contemplate this glory, let us look lower than heaven, upon earth; lower than earth, upon hell; and so learn to judge of heaven.

Look upon this world, what is found in it but vanity, which is evil: misery, which is worse: iniquity, which is worst of all. For vanity, there have you some building houses, as the Estriches lay eggs, or as children make ovens, to bake no bread in: there is vanity. Another wastes his time, brains, means, to find our ridiculous projects; only studies tricks: as if his soul could be made happy by a trick there is vanity. Another sweats, non pro solido auro, not for riches, which is also vain: sed pro stolida aura, but for the barren air of empty commendation, which is most vain. The world it self is vanity, and a mistress that makes her Idolaters most vain. Blanditur oculis, seducit osculis: if you look upon her, she will beguile you if you kiss her, she will bewitch you. For miseries, one shakes a pained head, another roars for the torment of his reins, a third complains the racking of his gowtie joints, another is half dead with a Palsy: that it may be said of him more truly than of sea-farers: he is neither amongst the living, nor amongst the dead. Which of this whole multitude can say he is so well, that he feels no distemper: Shew me the man that says, he ails nothing: and I will answer, that he is in most danger: the proximity to death is the insensibilitie of sickness. Ingressus debilis, progressus lebilis, egressus flebilis. Our entrance is full of weakness, our proceeding full of wickedness, our departure full of wretchedness. If thy body be healthful, doth nothing about thy estate, thy friends, thy neighbors, thy children, trouble thee? lastly for iniquity; this is a moral corruption, worse than that mortal corruption. There fly a crew of oaths, like night-ravens: there stalkes pride, blustering through the streets; the language of whose pace is, Who makes me? drunkenness is reeling to the ground, and uncleanness strives to hold it up, Hypocrites dare lie God in the face, as if he had no window into the heart: or he that hath eyes like a flame of fire, could see men no otherwise from heaven, than the half cured man in the Gospel, that saw them walking like trees. Profane persons swear, as dogs bark: non semper pro feritate, sed pro consuetudine; not ever for curstnesse, but for custom. If these external offenses did not vex thee, yet thou hast enow at home: ever sinning, before, after, yea even while thou repentest; none of these conveniences are in heaven, Revel. 21. No misery, but habitation with God, near whom sorrow can never come. No vanity, for the former things are passed away. No iniquity, for God shall make of things new. Revel. 19.9. Blessed are they that are called to marriage supper of the Lambs. Feasts have more than ordinary diet: marriage-feasts more than common abundance. This exceeds all; new wine, pure Manna, great cheare, and an answerable welcome. Cant. 5.1. Eate Oh friends, drink, yea drink abundantly and be merry. Of beloved.

Look yet lower, and consider the infernal pity, full of horror and amazedness: Where is no remission of sin, no dismission of pain, no intermission of sense, no permission of comfort, Bernard. Where friend shall cry to friend; Percute, dilacera; infer prunas, & ebullientibus impone lebetibus. That Parisian massacre was but a sense-school to this bloody field: yet think of that dismal cry there; of enemies insulting and butchering, kill, kill; of innocents suffering and dying, save, save. But Matth. 8.12. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Flet us ob ignem qui non extinguitur, stridor ob vermem qui non moritur, Bern. Weeping, for the fire that shall never be quenched: gnashing of teeth, for the gnawing worm that shall never be satisfied. Fletus oculorum ex dolore, stridor dentium ex furore, Gregor. Weeping of eyes, the effect of a passive agony: gnashing of teeth, the effect of an impatient fury. Illic dentes stridebunt, qui hîc de edacitate gaudebant; If the rod of affliction which scourgeth the dear ones of GOD, be so smart: what are their plagues, in whose righteous confusion GOD insulteth; I will avenge me of mine enemies! Isaiah 1.24. Bernard observes on the 25. of Saint Matthew. That the blessed are first called to the Kingdom, before the cursed be cast into thralldom. Vt • sti acrius doleant, videntes quid amiserint: illi foelicius gaudeant, noscentes quid evase • int; That the ungodly may be the more vexed, seeing what joys they have missed: and the faithful the more solaced, seeing what sorrows they have escaped. If our mortal eyes were suffered to view the horrors of that lake, how would we loath sin which only can endanger us thither!

Thus because I cannot tell you what heaven is, I have shown you what it is • ot. For the pleasures of that place, let us not so much stand to examine what • hey be, as whether they belong to us. Enquire not too curiously of them, • s Manoah did for the Angels name, Judges the thirteenth Chapter and the eigh • eenth verse. Lest thou receivest such a snibbe: Why askest thou thus after my • ame, seeing it is secret? It is Secret, or Wonderful: the original signifies both. • o this excellent glory of Heaven is both wonderful and secret. When a servant was carrying a covered mess, another was inquisitive what might be in it: the bea • er answered, To what end then was it covered? The covering of this mystery, as 〈◊〉 denies intelligence, so it forbids inquisition. There is now no window to look • nto it; there is a door for our foot to enter into it: let us take it at a venture, it is • e best match we can make; and the LORD bring us to it through the merits of JESUS CHRIST.

We heard this voice.] The circumstance annexed to this vocal part, is Au • ience; We heard. Formerly there was provision for the eye, now GOD sup • lies the ear also. There we have Seene his Majesty, here we have Heard his Testimony. The object to the eye was Gloria Testati, the glory of the Person ex • ibited: the object to the ear was Vox Testantis, the voice of the Person witnessing. These are the two principal organs of Sense: and the wise love of God by the ex • rcise of them both, brings us to a certain persuasion of these holy mysteries. It a Philosophical question, whether of these senses be better in it self. To answer • ccording to nature, certainly the sight is most excellent: both for celerity, and per • icacity; quickness and sharpness. Segnius irritant animos dimissa per aures. But ac • ording to grace, for the benefit of the soul, Hearing far excelleth: and that both for • mplitude and Altitude. 1. For Amplitude, we see not many things in comparison 〈◊〉 them we hear. Few can say, I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun, • ccles. 1.14. Unless he mean by All works, all kind of works: or by Vision, • onsideration; as there certainly Solomon doth. But we have heard what Solomon • w; a large Inventory of worldly things, the total Sum whereof is Vanity. The • ctions and events of former times, are brought home to us by Hearing: whose au • ors and agents went to darkness, before we came to light: we have heard far more • an seen. 2. For Altitude, we have heard higher things than we have seen. The eye • ay reach almost to the Sieling of this lower world, but it cannot pierce the pave • ent of heaven. The ear hears what is done within those everlasting doors: that • od beholds our thoughts, and accepts his Sons Intercession and merits for us. Psal. 8.8. As we have heard, so have we seen in the City of our God: first heard, then after • ards come to see, Psal. 132.6. Loe we heard of it at Ephratah, a strange land: but Vidi • us in monte Zion; We only shall see it in mount Zion, in the glorious kingdom above. Let a deaf man see some new and strange object; the husk, color, and visible part is only apprehended by him: let his ear be open to discourse, and relation shall give him the intelligible sense.

The Queen of Sheba's eye was pleased with Solomon's royalty, but her ear was more ravished with his wisdom, 1 King. 10.7. I believed not the report of thy glory, until mine eyes had seen it: there she saw. But verse. 8. the thing she most admired and blessed, was his wisdom, let into her soul by her ear; Happy are they that hear thy wisdom, Matth. 13.16. Blessed are your eyes, for they see: that was proper to the Disciples: Blessed are your ears, for they hear: that blessing is left to us. But blessed are the hearts that understand and embrace, this is the height of blessedness, John. 20.29. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. We may beleve without seeing, but how shall we believe without hearing? For Faith cometh by hearing, Rom. 10.17. But saith Augustine, Seeing is applied to all the Senses. To Tasting, Psalm. Taste and see how gracious the Lord is. To Touching or Feeling, Psal. 16.10. Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption: that is, to Feele corruption, John. 8.51. He that keeps my sayings, shall never see death, that is, feel destruction. To suffer is sensibly to Feele, yet called, to See, John. 20.27. Tange & vide; Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands. Had Thomas his eyes in his fingers! if not, then Seeing is Touching. To Smelling: Olfac, & vide quàm been oleat; Such and See how sweet the Flower is. Gusta & vide, quàm been sapiat: Taste and See how well the fruit relisheth. Tange & vide, Touch and See how I am wounded. 〈◊〉 Audi & vide, Hear and See how pleasant the music is. The phrase is not unknown to the Scriptures, Rev. 1.12. I turned to See the voice that spake with me. To see the voice, for the Person that ought it. Or else, video is put for Intelligo: I see mentally, not elementally. The man of wisdom shall see thy Name, that is, understand it.

The eye as a mere Organ of sense, must give place to the ear. Therefore it is wittily observed, that our Savior commanding the abscission of the offending hand, foot, and eye; yet never spake of the ear, Mark 9.43 If thy hand, thy see or thine eye, cause thee to offend, deprive thyself of them: but part not with their ear, for that is an organ to derive unto thy soul salvation. As Christ says there; a man may enter into heaven, lamed in his feet, as Mephibosheth blind in his sight, a Barzillai, maimed in his hand, as the dry-handed man in the Gospel: but if there be not an ear to hear of the way, there will be no foot to enter into heaven. Si des non prius fuerit in aure, non erit in ore, nec in cord; If God be not first in the ear, it is neither sanctifiedly in the mouth, nor comfortably in the heart. The Jews has eyes to see Christ's miracles, but because they had no ears to hear his wisdom, therefore they had no feet to enter into his kingdom. The way into the house is by the door, not by the window; the eye is but the window of the heart, the ear is the door. Now Christ stands knocking at the door, not at the window, Rev. 3.20. And he will not come in at the window, but at the door. He that entereth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep, John. 10.2. He comes now in by his oracles, not by his miracles, John. 10.3. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice. The way to open, and let him in, is by the ear; to hear his voice. There was a man in the Gospel, Blind and Deafe: blind eyes, is ill; but deaf ears, worse. It is bad 〈◊〉 have the eyes ceiled, but worse to have the ears sealed up.

Open your ears therefore to this heavenly voice. Bernard hath this description of a good ear: Quae libenter audit docta, prudenter intelligit audita, obedium agit intellecta; Which willingly hears what is taught, wisely understands what heareth, and obediently practices what it understandeth. O give me such an 〈◊〉 and I will hang on it jewels of gold, ornaments of praises, Psalm. 85.8. I will 〈◊〉 what the Lord will say: Quid loquatur Dominus. We have those will hear what tempting harlot can say for Luxury, what a false prophet can say in the behalf Usury, what a Lawyer can say in the behalf of Sacrilege, what a factious Schi • maticke can say for Separation, what a Jesuited Seminary can say for Treas •• Christ promised his presence to all those that are assembled Nomine suo, in his Name: • hese meet not in the name of Christ, but of Antichrist. Where instead of the • owers of God's Garden, they gather the poisonous weeds of the Forest: and the Devil gets in at the Lord's door. I may say of these Convents, confederating to mischiefs; what Chrysostom said of the virgin possessed by the Devil at a Theater. When God rebuked him, Quomodo ausus es ingredi domum meam? How durst thou • e so bold as to enter into my House? Satan answers, Inveni eam in domo mea; because I found her in my House. In the Congregation of Saints, the Holy Ghost •• ters in, and the Devil is cast out: but in these houses of sedition, and places of • alicious error, the company of sinners and seducers; the Holy Ghost is shut out, • ad the Devil is let in. I know that the common streets are not free from offenses 〈◊〉 honest ears; but it is one thing, Audire non quaerenda; To hear things that are to 〈◊〉 hated: and another thing, Quaerere non audienda, to listen after things that are not 〈◊〉 be heard. Between Odio invenire, and ultro convenire; finding evil against our • ills, and seeking evil with our delights; there is great difference, Psal. 120.5. Woe is • e that I sojourn in Mesech; that I dwell in the tents of Kedar. Bless yourselves from Mesech, but love Mount Zion: there are the songs of peace. Thus after hearing the • ice of God from heaven, you shall come to hear the voice of God in heaven. You • ave heard Hosanna's you shall hear Hallelujahs: here, God praised by his Mini •• ers: there, praised by his Angels. There we shall both hear others, and bear a • rt ourselves, in the everlasting praises of God, and our Savior JESUS Christ.

When we were with him on the holy Mount.] We are come to the Local part: • hat this Mount was, and how Holy, we shall hear presently. First, consider the • jacent circumstance; We were with him. The Voice had their Audience, the Mount • eir Presence: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , with him: O blessedness to be with Christ! What meant • ter to be ashamed of this, when the Damsel said, This man was with Jesus? Mat. 6.71. What, deny to be with JESUS? Alas, it was his weakness then: after • ard he was so glad to be with him, that he was content to die for him: he refused • t the sharp and bloody way of martyrdom, to be with JESUS. What meant • icodemus to be with him only by night? as if he feared to be seen in his company 〈◊〉 day? Shall a man fear his joy, his comfort, his salvation? Mary Magdalene so • nged to be with him, that non erat ubi erat, she was not where she was, for her whole • art was with him. Mallem non esse, quàm sine Christo esse: I had rather at all not 〈◊〉 than to be without Christ. It is impossible to be with him, and to be without • mfort, Act 4.13. When they saw their boldness, and miraculous working, they • arvelled, and took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. If there be • urage of zeal, and peace of conscience in men, we may well conclude, they have • ene with JESUS. When Gehesi went from Elisha, he presently fell into sin: so • e all they that keep not with Christ. With him is comfort and peace, John. 6.68. • rd, whither shall we go from thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

When we were with him on the holy Mount.] Our Savior had fore-told the great • ory and power of his second coming: to the comfort of his servants, to the ter • r and conviction of his enemies, Matth. 16.27. The Son of man shall come in the • ry of his Father, with his Angels: And then shall he reward every man according to his • rkes. There is his Justice, and the distribution of his justice. He shall reward every 〈◊〉 , there is his Justice: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , according to his works, there is the distribution • his Justice. It is distinguished plainly, Matth. 25.46. To them that have done ill, • erlasting punishment: to them that have done well, life eternal Now lest his Disci • s should doubt of that glory, which he hath ascribed to himself at his second ap • ring; and stagger at the ignominy of his present estate: immediately upon it, he • kes them a promise, that they should see it, or at least a glimpse and abridgment of • hat so enjoying this vision, they might more confidently and authoritatively give • r testimony to it. There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they • he Son of man coming in his kingdom. And this promise is prefixed by the three Evangelists, that record this story, immediately before CHRIST'S Transfiguration on the Mount, Matth. 16.28. Mark 9.1. Luke 9.27. Which words of Chil • have divers expositions. Some take it meant of his glorious Resurrection, as if the sense were thus. There be some standing here, that shall not die, till they see the So ••• of man in his glory, and conquest of sin and death. Some, not all, for this 〈◊〉 exclude Judas: all the rest of the Apostles, but only Judas, did live to see it. 〈◊〉 and some others take it, Pro Ecclesiae dilatatione, meant for the enlargement of 〈◊〉 Church. As if this were the sense; There be some standing here, that shall live 〈◊〉 see my Kingdom flourish, and spread powerfully over the face of the earth; 〈◊〉 the despised Name of JESUS to command the Scepters of Kings and reign ov • r the Dominations of the earth. Some understand by it, the last coming to Iud • meant: as if there were some Apostles yet living, and that should live unto the 〈◊〉 day; because he says, Some stand here that shall not die, till they see this glory. 〈◊〉 that opinion as frivolous, hath always been exploded, excluded. The last, 〈◊〉 and most agreeable to the History, and context of the Scripture; is to understand ••• De clarificatione Christi, concerning his Transfiguration, which immediately follows. Of this there was Promissio clara, exhibitio manifesta, occultatio jussa; It 〈◊〉 clearly promised, manifestly performed, and the concealment of it for a time commanded, Matth. 17.9. This Christ promised under the form of an oath; 〈◊〉 verily I say unto you. There are certain circumstances of this Transfiguration 〈◊〉 rent in the Text; other adherent to it, which we will borrow from the Evangelists, and so make up the discourse. The points are, The

• Time, when this was done.
• Place, where this was done.
• Manner, how this was done.
• Witnesses, before whom this was done.
• Event, that followed this being done.

[unspec 1] The time, to expound our Apostles When, is expressed, Matth. 17.1. and M •• 9.2. After six days. Only Saint Luke, Chap. 9.28. seems to differ from them: for 〈◊〉 says Eight days after. Now between six days, and eight days, there seems to 〈◊〉 some difference of the time. Saint Jerome easily reconciles them thus. Matthew 〈◊〉 Mark, Ponunt dies tantum intermedios; speak only of the intervenient days, 〈◊〉 went between the promise and the performance. Lucas addidit & primum in qui 〈◊〉 misit, & ultimum in quo solvit. Luke adds both the first day in which he promise 〈◊〉 and the last day in which he performed it. Eight days Exclusively; six days Inclusively. Some mystically, by these six days understand the six ages of the world, 〈◊〉 they call them; which being past, we shall come to that glorious vision of our Lord Jesus in heaven. But why did not Christ presently vouchsafe to his Disciples 〈◊〉 Sight, but defer the performance of it, till six days after the promise? Chrysostom answers; Visionem distulit, ut eam vehementiús appeterent, & gaudentiús acciperent. 〈◊〉 deferred it to increase their desires before it came, their joys when it came. To 〈◊〉 flame their desires, for Cito data vilescunt, things easily come by, are little set by. 〈◊〉 increase their joys, for Dulciús obtinetur, quod diu detinetur; That which hath 〈◊〉 long detained, is at last more sweetly obtained. Moreover, if Christ after the pro ••• of this vision, had immediately singled out some to the participation of it, this 〈◊〉 have bred envy and grudging in the rest, who were apt enough to quarrel about 〈◊〉 businesses. That extraordinary gracing of some, would have been held a dispar •• meant to all the rest. Therefore as Christ concealed their names in the promise, 〈◊〉 of these, not naming who they were; so for six days he deferred the perform 〈◊〉 That without emulation of the rest, he might give satisfaction to them he had 〈◊〉

[unspec 2] The Place is delivered in the Text, the Holy Mount. Saint Matthew say • was Mons excelsus, an high Mountain: Saint Peter, Mons Sanctus, an Holy Mountain. By common consent this Mountain was Tabor, thought it be not no •• tively expressed in Scripture. A fair Hill in the territory of Galilee, Mira ••• tate ex omni parte aequaliter finitus; Of so wonderful a roundness, that you 〈◊〉 think rather Art than Nature had fashioned it: the ascent of it was thirty furlongs, • t was a Sea-mark to Mariners; It was full of herbs, fruits, flowers, fountains. Thus it was high and conspicuous for situation, fertile by condition, and lastly, Ho • y, by this most holy apparition, Hieron. True it is, that all places are of their own • ature equal: Nec alter altero dignior, Nor is one more worthy, or more holy than • nother: but by the accession of some special blessings and privileges. Whither • ever the Lord comes, that is the fountain of holiness, such is the odour and per •• me of his gracious presence, that he sanctifies the place. It was his presence which cause Jacob to turn Luz into Bethel, Gen. 28.17. This is none other, but the • ouse of GOD, and this is the gate of Heaven. So GOD himself testified to Moses 〈◊〉 Horeb, Exod. 3.5. The place whereon thou standest, is holy ground. And the Cap •• ine of the Lord's host to Joshua, Josh. 5.15. Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the • lace whereon thou standest is holy. Thus became this Mount holy: there being God, • ater sanctitatis per vocem auditam; The Father of holiness heard speaking: Christ, • anctus Sanctorum, per carnem ad tempus glorificatum; That Holy of Holies by his • ody for that time glorified: Moses and Elias, those holy Saints: Peter, James, and John, those holy Apostles: needs must this Mount be holy. Nicephorus writeth, • hat Helena built upon that hill a Cathedral Church, and dedicated it to Saint Peter. And in process of time, others also added two Monasteries, endowed with fair • evenewes: in allusion or answer to Peters desire, Let us build here three Tabernacles. But now etiam periere ruinae, there is not left any (so much as) ruin, to tell the pas • enger, here stood such monuments: and that holy Mountain is become an habitati • n for Wolves and Foxes. Jerome upon Hosea, writes liberally of this Mount, and • alls it Thabor, Psal. 89.12. Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy Name. It had cause 〈◊〉 rejoice, when it bore the glorious Person of JESUS CHRIST. He inter • rets it to signify, Lux veniens, Light coming. Not unfitly, that CHRIST, • ho is the light of the world, upon a mountain of light, should give remonstrance • f that glorious light of his Majesty. But why did our Savior choose a moun • ine for this apparition, why not rather a valley? True glory is not to be sought 〈◊〉 Profundo hujus seculi, in the low bottoms of this world: but on high; Set your • fections on things above, where CHRIST sitteth on the right hand of GOD. All • at come to GOD'S glory, must ascend on high, Psalm. 24.3. Who shall ascend into • e hill of the LORD? The Devil took CHRIST into a mountain, when he • ewed him the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. So our Savior • oke his Apostles up into a mountain, when he shown them the kingdom of heaven, and glory of the world to come. Moses went up to a mountain, to speak with • e Lord: now the Lord goes up to a mountain, to speak with Moses.

The manner is set down, Matth. 17.2. He was transfigured before them, and his [unspec 3] • ce did shine at the Sun, and his raiment was white as the light. Some are of opini • n, that this clarity was In aere circumfuso, non in corpore Dominico; In the air about • m, not in the body of Christ: But that that is false, for Himself was transfigured, •