A Century of Sermons, Sermon 6
THE SIXTH SERMON UPON The Transfiguration.
LUKE ix. 34.
While he thus ſpake there came a Cloud and overſhadowed them, and they feared as they entred into the Cloud.
UNruly paſſions can yield no cauſe why they are ſtirred up, but our own natural impotency, they ſurprize us of a ſudden before we can meditate why we did admit them, and therefore are obnoxious to many queſtions why they ſhould be ſo, but it is not eaſie to afford a reaſonable anſwer. Says David, Pſal. xxvii. 1. The Lord is my light and my ſalvation, whom then ſhall I fear? The Lord is the ſtrength or protector of my life, of whom then ſhall I be afraid. He could poſe himſelf to ask, why he ſhould be fearful, yet he could not be rid of fear. It is apparent in his Pſalm that there were two arms of comfort to embrace him, Light and Protection, and the Gloſs doth branch them thus, illuminatio ſpectat ad animi conſilia, ſalus ad removenda corporis pericula, that Light is to direct the counſels of the mind, that Protection is to remove away all hurt and offence from the body. Had not Peter all this before him that David ſpeaks of? and after the moſt ample manner that ever was ſeen upon earth? and yet he was ſo weak in heart, that his fear was exceeding ſtrong. Peter might truly ſay the Lord was his light, for here was a Cloud to illuminate him, foreign, a bright Cloud, ſays St. Matthew, it was Gods Cloud above any other, and God was in the Cloud, as it is manifeſt in the next verſe; then he might truly ſay the Lord was the protection of his life, for the Cloud overſhadowed him, and ſo he was ſafe as a Bird under the feathers of the Almighty: but if you ask him with the Pſalmiſt, Of whom then ſhall I be afraid? he is not able to reply.
In the compaſs of this accident of the Transfiguration I find him thrice exceeding fearful, every time upon a new object and occaſion: but you muſt find out this by looking narrowly into the Hiſtory, as all the three Evangeliſts have related it. Obſerve St. Mark, and he implies that Moſes and Elias appeared, who preacht of our Saviours Sufferings, as I have told you before, Peter and the other two Diſciples heard it, and trembled at it ſo much that he ſpake diſtractedly, ſays St. Mark, He wiſt not what to ſay, for they were ſore afraid. Then St. Luke, as I have read it before you in my Text, notes that they were perplext at another bout, when the Cloud appeared, and that Chriſt, and Moſes, and Elias entred into the Cloud. St. Matthew reveals another thing that troubled them, how a voice from Heaven was heard, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed, hear him. When the Diſciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were ſore afraid. I have met with no Expoſitor, who hath obſerv'd theſe three diſtinct occaſions, and eruptions of their fear, yet they are all apparent to him that will examine it. And I mark it, how every new paſſage of admiration in this Miracle took them with a quivering, till at the third time Chriſt encouraged them; therein St. Matthew hath helpt us with a paſſage, which the others have omitted, Matth. xvii. 7. Jeſus came, and touched them, and ſaid, ariſe, be not afraid. Therefore piecing that addition in St. Matthew to this Text in St. Luke, which I muſt do to handle all occurrences in this Transfiguration faithfully, the parts will ariſe to theſe two, the Fear of the Diſciples, and their Succour. In the firſt part I will handle the Paſſion it ſelf, and the Object which ſtirred it up: the Paſſion was inwardly very great, They were afraid, foreign, ſore afraid, ſays St. Matthew, and outwardly it bewrayed it ſelf; for the ſame Evangeliſt ſays, they fell on their face. The Object which put them into fear in the Text is a Cloud, deſcrib'd by two properties, foreign, it was a bright one, ſays St. Matthew, foreign, an overſhadowing one, ſays St. Luke. Nor did theſe only afright them, but the Paſſion Sermon alſo which Moſes and Elias made, and the Sermon which the Father made out of the Cloud, This is my beloved Son. In the ſecond general part their Succour hath two taſts of mercy in it, contactum, he touched them, alloquium, and ſaid ariſe, be not afraid. Thus I have made this part of the ſtory complete by an harmony of all the three Evangeliſts which have wrote upon it, and to theſe I am now ready to apply my Doctrine and Exhortation.
The Diſciples Paſſion is that which led us to handle all the other parts, and therefore I begin with it, They feared. As the Aegyptian Prieſt upbraided Solon, becauſe the Graecian Hiſtories intreated of things but lately done, and of no antiquity, foreign, your Greeks are always Children: ſo I may ſay of Greeks and Aegyptians, and all the dwellers upon earth, we are always Children; for our own diſtruſtful nature, although no evil come nigh our dwelling, doth diſcipline us with fear, as if we were Boys that were always under correction. An hair brain'd fear is fooliſh, you will all confeſs, and Solomon ſays, that joy is madneſs: then between them both you may gather, that the wiſeſt of all are not long in their wits: but as St. Paul ſaid of the awful authority of the Magiſtrate, Rulers are not a terror to good workers, but to the evil, Rom. xiii. 3. So I may ſafely ſay, God is not a terror to the good Saints departed, but to the bad that remain, becauſe our own heart is only evil continually. The very merciful works of the Lord are doubtful, every ſtrange thing that he doth among us is terrible, every puniſhment a little begun by our own ſuſpicions makes us more miſerable. As the Spartans call their Country, becauſe of their rigid Diſcipline, foreign, a tamer of men, that would pluck down ſawcy boldneſs; ſo God hath put the hook of fear into our noſtrils, the whole world hath ſo many Monſters to ſcare us, that it is in one part as well as in another foreign, it takes down high ſpirits, and dejects audacity.
And among all the inſtances of Sacred Writ, which ſhew the inſtability and changeableneſs of high content upon earth, ſeek for ſuch another as my Text affords, and I think you cannot match it. What felicity can be durable in this mortal life, if this could hold no longer, to ſee our Saviour transfigur'd in glory, and Moſes and Elias talking with him? even now the Diſciples had a glance of celeſtial beatitude, their hearts entranced with that pleaſant Viſion;Brentius in Luc. homil. 88. of a ſudden comes a ſad Cataſtrophe, their joy is ſnatcht from them, and upon the ſame ground where they were ſo much delighted they are ſore afraid. Plut. in vit. Camil.As the Hiſtorian ſays of Manlius Capitolinus, who had both triumphed in the Capitol, and been condemned in the Capitol; Eundem locum habuit & eximiae gloriae, & triſtiſſimi exitus monumentum, the ſame place was both his honour and his ruin. So on the ſame Hill Mount Thabor, uno pede, upon the ſame ſtanding, uno momento, even in the ſame moment, the Diſciples were in a Trance of joy, and in a Trance of trouble. As when Moſes was born, the Mother was glad for joy, that a man Child was born into the world, but inſtantly ſhe droopt, when he was taken away to be expoſed to drowning and deſtruction: So as ſoon as ever any earthly pleaſure is begotten unto us, preſently it is ſnatcht a way to be drowned in tears upon ſome woful occaſion. Health is waited on by ſickneſs, comfort by tribulation, mirth by fear, even as the heel of Eſau was in the hand of Jacob. Even now Peter had ſet his reſt upon this place for ever, Maſter it is good for us to be here; but after this qualm you hear him ſay ſo no more, now he had as liev be gone as ſtay; ſo ſoon ſhall every thing upon earth cloy us (ſo it hath pleaſed God) that nothing but Heaven may content us. Thrice happy though we feel it not, when in the midſt of full ſatisfaction, and all the help and countenance this World can give us, ſome croſs point comes in our way, that we may be willing to forget our own People, and our Fathers Houſe. As the Poet makes his Aeneas to be ſcared out of Carthage, where he was lull'd in ſenſauity by divine menacies in a Dream, ſo the Lord is moſt gracious when he frights us out of the love of this World: as Abſalon ſet a fire on Joabs Corn to make him leave Jeruſalem, and come and ſpeak with him: ſo the Lord muſt ſend the Sword, or Famin, Fire, or Water, ſome deſtroying Element, elſe we ſhall linger and delay before we come unto him, ſome bright Cloud or other muſt ſtare us in the face, that we may turn our back to theſe vanities, and look to thee O God.
And ſurely to ſhake out that ill expreſt deſire, Maſter it is good for us to be here, it was Chriſts pleaſure that Peter ſhould be male-contented inſtantly upon the former motion, I ſay he was winnowed with this afrightment to drive away that chaff: For it was otherwiſe at his Baptiſm, when there were heavenly tokens came down upon earth, a Majeſtical voice did ſpeak from the Clouds, the Holy Ghoſt came down like a Quarry in the ſhape of a Dove, yet no perturbation, for ought we read, among them that ſaw it: But I muſt tell you I do not praiſe them for that: there were Gods favourable Kindneſs and his Majeſty combined together; and we muſt not take hold of theſe with the looſe rains of joy only, but likewiſe with an awful reverence, Exultatio ſummae bonitati, timor Majeſtati debetur; we lift our ſelves up with joy to feel his merciful goodneſs, but it becoms us to caſt our ſelves down with fear to ſee his glorious Majeſty; what ſay we to a ſtranger inſtance than this I have named? Joh. xii. 18. Chriſt prays unto the Father, Father glorifie thy name: the Father anſwers, I have both glorified it, and I will glorifie it. The multitude ſaid it thundred; a ſtrange Thunder which ſhould ſpeak articulate words, and yet we do not find in that Chapter that the folk who heard it were amazed. What, are theſe three Diſciples more white-livered than all others, to be ſcared with far leſs than Thunder? a ſtrange compariſon indeed ſays Rathertus, niſi quod ibi ſuperbia tumet, hic autem humilitas pavet: there pride ſtood up ſtiff againſt the Lord, here humility quaked and fell down before him: a bleſſing is ſoon forgotten which is but tackt on with joy; when fear drives a nail in, it ſtays the faſter in the memory. Wherefore though fear doth argue ſin to be in man (for none would fear, but ſuch as are liable to puniſhment) yet oftentimes it is a good work wrought upon a bad ground, and is rather a Gift, than a Scourge of God. Such as it was, and a great fear it was, yet Chriſt did bear with it in his Diſciples, he would not break a bruiſed reed, he would not reject them for a little infirmity; for howſoever now they did both ſleep, and were afraid at his Transfiguration, yet he ventures once more, and tries them again, calling none other but theſe ſame, Peter, and James, and John, when he prayed, and fell into an agony in the Garden. Beloved, do you bear with the weak, and the Lord will ſtrengthen you.
Now this fear of the Apoſtles was not only in the perplexedneſs of their thoughts, or in the paleneſs of their face, but it caſt them down to the ground; They fell on their face, Matth. xvii. 6. And here is another Moral worth the marking, The higher we reach, and know not what meaſure is fit for us, the ſooner we catch a fall: even now Peter would have been exalted to the fellowſhip of Chriſts glory for ever, being but a ſinful mortal man, and with this aſpiring thought preſently he ſinks to the earth, Quantò quis ampliora quaeſirit, tantò magis ad inferiora collabitur, ſays Aquinas, none ſo like to tumble to the loweſt place, as they that ſeek things too much above them, too far from their comprehenſion. Babel was too lofty a Building, therefore the Builders were ſcattered abroad, and made moſt contemptible, by the confuſion of tongues. Adonijah beſought Solomon ſo proud a requeſt, that he asked his own head off. Great things are gay, but ſmall things are ſecureſt. Beſide, this very poſture of theirs is a dumb Sermon, enough to teach them wit, and therefore our Saviour gave no anſwer to the motion, Maſter, it is good for us to be here; it ſufficed that when they would have climbed up into glory without more trouble or alteration, they fell down flat, and meaſured their length upon the earth, as who ſhould ſay, the Earth expects your body, the Grave requires your fleſh, before you can be Reſiants with your Maſter in glory to ſee his face for ever: therefore when St. John ſaw Chriſt in his Majeſty, he did not forget what he had done at Mount Thabor before, but, ſays he, Revel. i. 17. Cecidi ante pedes, quaſi mortuus; When I ſaw him I fell at his feet as dead. It is not this life that is capable of enjoying ſuch excellency, death muſt be the paſſage to let us ſee ſuch happineſs: only this was the difference, the uſual manner of burial is for the face to look up towards Heaven, as expecting at the firſt moment of the reſurrection to ſee God, now the Diſciples grovell'd with their face upon the ground, as not being worthy to expect his glory ſo ſoon as thoſe that are already laid in the duſt.
Now becauſe we read of the High Prieſts Servants, Joh. xviii. 6. that as ſoon as Chriſt had ſaid unto them, whom ſeek ye? I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground; therefore Gregory from one inſtance makes a large note, Sancti in facie cadere ſolent, impii retrorſum, that the good Servants of God uſe to fall upon their face when they are afraid, wicked men are overturned backward when they are terrified; and yet we read 1 Sam. xvii. 49. that when David's ſtone ſunk into Goliah's forehead, he fell upon his face to the earth. Indeed the falling upon the face is a geſture of adoration in the living. Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, Gen. xvii. 3. Joſhua fell on his face, and did worſhip, ſaying, What ſaith my Lord unto his Servant? Joſ. v. 14. So Ezekiel, When I ſaw an appearance of the likeneſs of the glory of God, I fell on my face, chap. i. 28. The Samaritan fell down on his face at our Saviours feet, Luke xvii. 16. nay the Devil when he would make himſelf a God put in this condition, ſi cadens adoraveris, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me. We are ſo far from theſe geſtures of reverence and humility now-a-days, that you would think that Chriſtian half mad, or to be a great Hypocrite, that would hurl himſelf down to the ground to pray to God, that were ſordid and duſty would ſome people ſay. If you refrain Adoration to ſave good Apparel, I pray you wear worſe Cloaths, and put on better affections: To ſtand upright and pray, to ſit and pray, to lean and pray theſe are more for your own eaſe than Gods honor. I have heard ſome ſay that upright men and ſitters were a kind of Canters, but I never heard they were a kind of Chriſtians. I have left my ſelf, ſays God, 7000 knees that have not bowed to Baal; as if every knee would bow either to God or Baal: that man that will not kneel to God worſhips his own perverſeneſs and imaginations; and though he worſhip neither Stock nor Stone, yet becauſe he ſtoops not to God as he ought, he ſtoops to his own fancies, and therein is an Idolater. To knit this to the Text, I doubt not but the three Diſciples did do homage and reverence to Gods glory before them, and therefore Beza ſays upon their falling on their face fortaſſe proni adorarunt, it may be they did bow themſelves down in adoration, yet fear was more predominant in them at this time than reverence, and Chriſt ſaid ariſe be not afraid, putting them two together. And ſo far upon the Paſſion of fear in the Diſciples, both in the inward and in the outward conſideration.
You muſt now expect to hear of the Object which put them into fear, and that's a Cloud, deſcribed by two proprieties, foreign, it was a bright one ſays St. Matthew; and it was a Cloud of covering and protection, it overſhadowed them; but that which made them ſorrowful as well as fearful, was, that the Cloud appeared as if it would wrap away Chriſt, and Moſes, and Elias, for they entred into it. After you have heard of ſo great a fear, will you not wonder I ſhould begin with ſo ſmall an occaſion, as nubes venit, there came a Cloud? How many do we ſee racking in the Sky every day, which do never trouble us? Holy Athanaſius made it a Proverb, that ſuch vapours are no ways dreadful; for ſo he did chear up his heart againſt his own perſecution, nubecula eſt & cito tranſibit, it was a Cloud which would diſperſe away, and never hurt him. But there is nothing ſo devoid of harm which will not afrighten the ſtouteſt ſtomach, if God direct it for a terror: A ſtill voice beat ſtrong upon Elias his ear; the whole Camp of the Aramites ran away when they did but think they heard a noiſe: the figure of a mans hand dampt King Belſhazzar: a Whip of ſmall cords ſhaken in our Saviours hand made the Monychangers overturn their Tables for haſte, and run out of the Temple. 2 Macch. iv. the Author of that Hiſtory ſays, that the Lord made the Clouds in the air appear like a great Battail, and like horſe-men fighting to the terror of Jeruſalem; it is an eaſie thing therefore for him that dwells above to make a little Cloud ſeem a terrible ſpectacle: And this which ſhook the Diſciples had ſome extraordinary qualities in it, to ſtrike the outward ſenſes with amazement; it had not the conditions of a natural Meteor; for it had much more brightneſs than any other part of the air, it was a Cloud that rid cloſe upon the earth, and was not exalted as they uſe to be into the higher parts of the air, it was framed like ſome beauteous Chamber to receive the Son of God in Majeſty, together with Moſes and Elias, it was diſſolved at an inſtant, as ſoon as ever this apparition was diſpatcht: This was enough then to cauſe aſtoniſhment, that the finger of God was in this Cloud above the ordinary courſe of nature.
Now there is not the leaſt empty Cloud which the wind blows about, but the Lord appoints it for ſome end and ſervice, much more you will allow there were manifold cauſes for the ſending of this Cloud, and the judgments of the skilful conceit them to be theſe.
Firſt, the Lord did ſhew, that He could frame a better piece of Architecture of a ſudden than Peter could imagin to build: he ſpake of three Tabernacles, which would be long in piecing together; God in a moment creates one Cloud to receive them all better than an hundred Tabernacles. Such a one as Moſes and the Iſraelites had in the Wilderneſs to ſhadow them againſt all offence. Such things the Heathen did drive at in their Poetical Fictions: but I am ſure the Lord is able to pitch a Cloud between his choſen and their enemies, that the hand of violence ſhall not touch them, neither ſhall any evil come nigh their dwelling. Truſt in the Lord in the time of danger, if ever our foes ſhould riſe up againſt us, and ſay, though we are not within the fence of ſtrong Walls and Bulwarks, yet if thou O God of Hoſts will caſt but a thin Cloud between us and our enemies, we ſhall be ſafe under thy wings until their tyranny be over-paſt.
Secondly, a Cloud did interpoſe it ſelf to qualify the Object of the Transfiguration, and to make it fit for the Diſciples to behold it: the Cloud indeed was very bright, yet it was dark and opacous in reſpect of Chriſts body which did exceed the very light of the Sun: Which St. Chyſoſtom proves, that I may add ſomewhat more than I have ſaid before to this purpoſe, in theſe words, foreign, his face was compared to ſhine as the Sun, yet ſayes he, the Diſciples bewray how it did exceed that example, for they never fell down for fear to ſee the light of the Sun, but they fell down to ſee the light of his body: Therefore this Cloud did caſt it ſelf between, as if Chriſt would put a Veil upon his face, that their weak ſight might the better behold him.1 Cor. xiii. 12. In this life we muſt look through a Cloud, we muſt expect to ſee him as in a Glaſs darkly, hereafter we ſhall ſee him face to face. Mark the infirmity of mans nature in this ſinful corruptible condition, and let us learn humility; it was not enough that Peter, John, and James were not transformed in the Mount, as Chriſt was,Paraeus. no nor as Moſes and Elias were, our vile fleſh is not receptive of ſuch celeſtial excellency, but to abaſe them and us further, a ſhady Cloud oppoſed it ſelf before their eyes, becauſe we are not fit, nor worthy to behold ſuch pure happineſs in theſe days of vanity: Such knowledg is too excellent for me, ſays David, I cannot attain unto it.
Thirdly, this Cloud was ſet up for a Land-mark to limit curioſity, and to drive men off from approaching too near to pry into the Divine ſecrets: where God ſets up a Cloud it is a manifeſt ſign that thoſe are our bounds, and we muſt not break them. As when the Lord came down upon Mount Sinah it was full of ſmoak and vapour, that his Majeſty might be concealed in thoſe thick miſts, and none of the people, no not ſo much as a Beaſt durſt come nearer under pain of death. What a becoming thing it is to look no further into Gods ſecrets, than he hath given us eyes to ſee; and when there is a myſtery which the wiſeſt God hath given no charge to ſearch into it to ſay, I ſee a Cloud between me and this ſecret, and I muſt go no further. The Devil himſelf doth not envy us knowledg, but he doth envy us obedience. The ancient Apoſtolical Creed conſiſts of twelve Articles to be believed, as they are commonly divided; Pope Pius the fourth made them twelve four and twenty, ſuch as they are; and if we want more myſteries of faith and knowledg to work upon, I doubt not but Satan would allow us a thouſand: But as the Romaniſts, who have twelve Articles of Creed more than we, yet have one Commandment leſs (for the ſecond is quite left out of their Portreſſes and Breviaries, no nor the leaſt mention of it made in the Expoſitions of the great Schoolman Aquinas) ſo the reſtleſs wit of man runs preſumptuouſly upon all uncouth paths of knowledg, which he ſhould not tread: but he keeps off from the Law, and Good Works, as if there were a Cloud, ſay I, between them, nay as if there were a Lion in the way: and ſo there is, but it is that Lion which goes about night and day ſeeking whom he may devour. But as our Proverb is of ſpeculative men, that dare enquire into any thing, though it be never ſo much above their capacity, that they do foreign, ſore aloft in the air, and talk in the clouds; ſo the Apoſtle intimates that they are not wiſe unto ſobriety, and being drunk with curious knowledg, as the Jews very falſly ſaid the Apoſtles were with new wine, they muſt needs ſtumble and fall.
Fourthly, and I am ſure this reaſon ſearcheth the true cauſe of the Cloud as near as any. God the Father in the Old Testament was wont to utter his voice out of the thick clouds of the air, and ſo he continues his holy will in the Goſpel, and therefore prepared this Cloud to preach from thence the words which follow, This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed, hear him. It was thus when he ſpake unto Moſes himſelf, Exod. xxiv. 16. the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the Cloud covered it ſix days, and the ſeventh day he called unto Moſes out of the midſt of the Cloud. Some more veneration certainly redounds to the Divine Majeſty, by drawing a Veil before him, that his glory may be kept ſecret. The Mercy-ſeat from whence God promiſed the Children of Iſrael to tell them all things whatſoever they ſhould do, it was covered with the wings of the Cherubins, that every raſh eye might not behold it: But this was not all, that a ſhadowed darkneſs ſhould beget veneration, there was another reaſon, that men might ſee no manner of ſhape or reſemblance, to make them figure the Lord in any form, and commit Idolatry.Tractat 35. tom. 6. I will take Salmeron the Jeſuit at his word in this Notation, Ne ſi aliqua effigies videretur, Deus pingeretur, a Cloud did invelop the glory of the Father whenſoever he ſpake, that men might not ſay they ſaw his likeneſs, and therefore paint, or carve an image like unto him. And ſince the Lord continues to ſpeak out of a Cloud, as well in the New Teſtament, as in the Old, ſurely his purpoſe continues the ſame to bridle our inclinations to Idolatry. O that men knew what this Cloud meant, and they would never be ſo forward to make the Images of God; and they that will not learn that wholſom leſſon from the Pillar of Cloud, ſhall be conſum'd by the Pillar of Fire.Rob. Steph.
Let us come from the ſubſtance of it to the qualities; and certainly St. Matthew hath left us matter to work upon, that he ſays it was foreign, a bright Cloud: it ſeems it lookt like that part of Heaven which we ſee in a fair night, and is called via lactea, the Milky way, which is the concurrence of the light of many ſmall Stars, as if it were a Lane made or paved with dimpling Stars. Such a Cloud muſt needs be more delectable than the cleareſt Summer day, which had no thickneſs in the air, but were all ſerenity: And ſuch it muſt be in a great meaſure in Aquinas's interpretation; for when Peter talkt of Tabernacles, cloſe ſhady Arbors to keep out the light of the Sun, he was thus confuted ſays Aquinas, that light did rather become the Saints, than ſhady darkneſs, Claritas mundi innovati erit ſanctorum tabernaculum, when there ſhall be a new Heaven, and a new Earth bedeckt with infinite light, that's the Tabernacle of the Bleſſed which ſhall abide for ever. But the chief reaſon was to fulfil that promiſe, which David knew ſhould be performed, the Lord ſhall make my darkneſs to be light; Pſal. 18.28.here was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World, Jeſus Chriſt, it is He that came to bring a Lantern to our feet, and a Light unto our paths, that we ſhould not ſtumble and fall. In the Old Teſtament the Clouds where God appeared were denſiſſima & tenebroſae, thick and dark Clouds, Exod. xix. 16. vapours and pillars of ſmoak; in the New Covenant the darkneſs is diſperſed, and the Cloud remaines white, and of a pure luſtre: For the firſt Teſtament is full of Ceremonies and Shadows of things to come; the Covenant of Faith in the Goſpel exhibits the manifeſt and open truth: ſays Paſchaſius Ratbertus, it was neither a fiery Cloud, nor a dark Cloud, but a brightſom, quia non in igne terroris nunc venit, non in caligine caecitatis, ſed in lumine veritatis; the terror of fire is overpaſt, the miſtineſs of Clouds is cleared, truth comes forth like the morning, and is aſcended to the height like the Sun at noon day. Nay as the things to be believed are clear, ſo there are no miſts and foggineſs in their affections, where the ſpirit of grace will abide, Non calligat affectibus hominum, ſed revelat occulta, ſays St. Ambroſe; Our depraved imaginations ſhall not make the truth a lie, but God ſhall bring to light the hidden things before the eyes of all men.
What's the whole Goſpel indeed but nubes lucida; a very Cloud in it ſelf, but made lightſome and perſpicuous by the gift of interpretation. For although the Veil of the Law is removed away, yet even among the Evangelical Writers, there are ſays St. Peter foreign, certain things hard to be underſtood, 2 Pet. 3.16.the Incarnation of our Lord, the Reſurrection of the Dead, the ineffable myſtery of the Holy Trinity; ſtill we are in nubibus, theſe are thick Clouds, and it is impoſſible for the natural man with the dim eye of nature to ſee through them; without doubt great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God manifeſted in the fleſh: Faith is a very myſterious thing, but that the cloud is illuminated by the revelation of the Holy Spirit; and as he that ſees through the Water, or through a Cloud; ſuppoſe an Oar through the Water, or the Sun through a Cloud, will rather truſt to his judgment, than to his outward ſenſe, which would much deceive him; ſo becauſe we do all ſee the ſecrets of God through a thick Cloud, let us rather truſt to our faith, than to our reaſon, there are many ſtrong deluſions incident to reaſon, becauſe it looks through the clouds of ſin and infirmity. And Beloved, as for the Prieſts that ſhould keep the Key of knowledge, what is their Office and Calling but to make Clouds appear bright? And therefore Chriſt ſaid of his Apoſtles, Vos eſtis lux mundi; Ye are the light of the world. Though now adays it is the faſhion of many to make that which was lightſom before appear as duskie as a Cloud. Such as eſpecially about Gods unſearchable decrees tangle knots, and ravel Divinity, that you ſhall find no end: And after much is ſpoken or written you may ſay, Incertior ſum multó quàm dudum, I was in a Cloud before that was dark, now I am in a ſmoak that puts out my eyes. All the light which ſome voluminous Compilers afford, which would teach men Gods ſecret purpoſe in their Election, and the way of their own heart in their Converſion, both which are inſcrutable; it is like a Candle in a Thieves Lanthorn, perhaps they ſee a little themſelves, but I am ſure no body elſe ſhall be the better for their light. Finally, to end this Point, God, who can colour a thick Cloud with whiteneſs, and make it tranſparent, is able to lay the dark conveyances of our hypocriſie conſpicuous and naked before him: Laban could not find his Idols becauſe Rachel had hid them in her Tent, but God can diſcover thoſe ſins which are our greateſt Idols though we have ſet them up in the inmoſt corner of our heart. If the Spirit of Eliſha went along with Gehazi, when Gehazi ran after Naaman to take a Bribe, then the Lord that gave that Spirit to Eliſha traceth along all the Compacts of Simony, all the fine conveyances of Bribery, all manner of Corruption though it be dark as midnight. The fire ſhall try every mans work of what ſort it is, 1 Cor. iii. 13. When it once catcheth fire it will be light enough for being ſecret any more. The ſootieſt Coal when it flames is a very viſible object, and when once Chriſt brings our works to the great Conflagration of the laſt day, then they ſhall no more lie hid, but be revealed both to our ſhame, and to our condemnation.
The next thing of obſervation in this cloud was, that it overſhadowed them. So they ſaw a diminiſhment of that light which was in Chriſts body transfigured by little and little, and it ſomewhat took off the amazement of the Apoſtles by abating the ſplendor which troubled them by little and little: but of that enough before. All that have taken pains to expound this miracle do generally accord herein, Obumbratio Dei eſt ſymbolum divinae protectionis; Where God doth cover any thing with a miraculous ſhadow, it promiſeth that the Divine Protection is round about it. Leonidas the Grecian was told that his enemies came marching in ſuch full Troops againſt him, that their Darts when they threw them up would cover the light of the Sun: Leonidas puts it off with this ſtout courage, Tum in umbrâ pugnabimus; then will we fight in the ſhade. A couragious word, and made very fit for a Chriſtians mouth. Believe in the Lord, and we are all under his cuſtody and defence; beſeech him to ſtretch his wings upon us, and the Holy Ghoſt will overſhadow us, In umbrâ pugnabimus, to that ſhadow we betake our ſelves to ſhun the fire of anger, and the heat of concupiſcence; under that ſhadow will we fight againſt our Ghoſtly enemies. We have two Regenerations, or new births, a ſpiritual, an eternal. The ſpiritual Regeneration which begets us again to life, when by nature we were dead in ſin, is Baptiſm. At that Sacrament the Holy Ghoſt came in the ſhape of a Dove to reſemble innocency: The eternal Regeneration is the Reſurrection of the body, and I have often told you, that the Transfiguration is a model of a body riſen from the dead, and at that myſterious work the Holy Ghoſt came in a cloud that overſhadowed them, to ſignifie protection and ſafeguard in eternal ſecurity.
Beloved, the protection of the holy Spirit conſiſts not in Walls and Bulwarks, but in a ſhadow, in a refrigerium that comforts the heart, and of all protections it is the ſtrongeſt, and the ſureſt. I do not ſay it is a reſiſting defence that we ſhall not be hurt, that we ſhall not be ſpoyled, that we ſhall not be killed, then let Peter have ſtaid where he was ſtill, and kept out of harms way for ever; but the ſhadow of the Holy Ghoſt is an Antidote againſt the fury of the world, it poſſeſſeth a ſtout Chriſtian Champion with patience that he cares not to be hurt. And what can trouble him who is ſtrengthned in the inward man that he is above the malice of the world? He that can overcome his own weakneſs is a great deal too hard for his enemies ſtrength. Gather us under thy grace O Lord, as the Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings, and though heaven and earth ſhould knock together our ſhadow would ſave us from deſtruction. Fond fear, the furtheſt from reaſon of all our paſſions, Why did not the Diſciples know their own ſtrength and aſſurance when this cloud did overſhadow them? Did not the Lord declare that he took them into his protection? And yet they were affraid. But we are all ſo guilty now we deſerve the effects of wrath that we diſtruſt God to be angry when he takes upon him to ſave us. Like a man that chooſeth a runnagate Arabian to convoy him in the Deſarts, wore afraid of his convoy than of his enemies. But we do ever deal with our gracious Father as if he were perſona malae fidei, one that broke truce, and to be ſuſpected. We are jealous of his love, jealous of his providence, jealous of his protection. The Proverb ſays, That a friend wrongfully ſuſpected turns an enemy. And if we will not believe that God will be our Saviour, we ſhall know he will be our Deſtroyer. Be not affraid as his Diſciples were when his merciful cloud did overſhadow them.
I muſt ſuppoſe, and I wiſh I may not be deceived, that you have not forgot how I entreated at large that Moſes and Elias preached at large upon our Saviours deceaſe, which he ſhould accompliſh at Jeruſalem, that put the Diſciples which heard it into a paſſion, and no more of that again for brevity ſake. Another wave of fear came upon the neck of that in this Miracle, when the Lord with his own voice ſpake in honour of his Son from heaven. You muſt expect to hear of that upon the handling of the next Verſe, though after ſome pauſe of time perhaps, when God ſhall give a fitting opportunity; but that which occaſioned them to fear in my Text was, that all that good company whoſe preſence delighted them ſo much was entring into the cloud, and they were afraid they ſhould part one from another. Our laſt Engliſh Tranſlation, which I confeſs is a very accurate one, and I ſeldom diſagree with it, yet in this place it is able to confound the Reader; thus we have the words, They feared as they entred into the cloud. Who would not think this were the meaning, that they feared as themſelves entred into the cloud. Yet it is not ſo; for the Greek hath cleared it by uſing two ſeveral Pronouns in this verſe the cloud, foreign overſhadowed them, the Apoſtles, Peter, John, and James, but they feared foreign, that is plainly ſpoken of others, not of themſelves, and we might thus have tranſlated it to make all clear, They feared when thoſe entred into the cloud. Euthymius refers thoſe to be only Moſes, and Elias, Toletus.the common Expoſition is that Chriſt alſo was one of thoſe; and when Peter and the other two ſaw their Maſter and the two Prophets enter into the clouds, and themſelves left apart they were afraid, perhaps, they ſhould be quite ſeparated from Chriſt, and thoſe glorified Saints. I told you before how loath they were to part with Moſes, and Elias, but it went a thouſand times more againſt their mind to part with Chriſt.
A Cloud was a very ſuſpicious thing that it was prepared to take him away for ever, eſpecially if the Cloud were advanced above the ground, above the top of the Mountain, as Clouds uſually are, then if Chriſt had entred into it, thoſe who were preſent would ſurmiſe, he is going up on high for ever. Moſes his body was taken away, God knows how, and till this day no man knows what became of it. Elias went away in a whirlwind, many ſought for him, but he was not to be found: And why might not the Diſciples, being in a great fear, have this Cloud in a jealouſie that it came to take away their Lord? There is a certain Commentator of eight hundred years antiquity, by name Ratbertus Paſchaſius, who ſays, that although this Cloud did not take him up to heaven now, yet it was the very ſame cloud which took him quite away from his Apoſtles upon the Aſcenſion day, Acts i. Non dubito quin ipſa eſt illa nubes quae ſuſcepit eum ab oculis omnium Apoſtolorum. The man is very confident of that opinion, whereſoever he had it? This he might ſay for certain, Chriſt did aſcend in a Cloud, and we all ſhall aſcend in the Clouds at the laſt day, 1 Theſ. iv. 17. We which are alive ſhall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Once St. Peter was ſo weak in faith that upon a Miracle of a great draught of Fiſh he cried out. Depart from me Lord, for I am a ſinful man. Now he was grown ſo ſtrong in love, that nothing was more bitter to him than departing. In a while after this accident of the Transfiguration Chriſt prepared the Twelve with many reaſons and conſolations that he muſt go away, for if he went not away the Comforter would not come, but when he did go away he would ſend them the Comforter, even the Spirit of truth. Upon theſe terms it was fit they ſhould be glad to have him aſcend unto his Father, but having not as yet bequeathed any ſuch promiſe of the Comforter, it made them agaſt to think he ſhould enter into a Cloud, and be no more ſeen. Beloved, if God take not away the influence of his Holy Spirit from us, we know he is always at our right hand, though in his humane body he ſitteth at the right hand of God. Live juſtly, and chaſtely, and ſoberly as if the Son of God were always before your face, and though he be entred into the Clouds, though he be entred into Heaven your Conſcience ſhall be comforted.
I muſt make an end of the firſt general part of the Text becauſe of the time, and I have put my ſelf into a narrow ſtrait to ſpeak of the ſecond, the ſuccour which Chriſt did adminiſter to his three Diſciples to quit them out of fear, which S. Matthew hath remembred, he touched them, and ſaid, Ariſe, be not afraid. Though he ſeemed before to be going far off, and as it were quite forſake them, yet now he draws ſo near as to touch them with his hand. Perhaps no more was done by Chriſt, than the bare Letter of my Text acknowledged, he did but lay the ends of his fingers upon them; and if he pleaſed there was as much vertue in his fingers ends to quicken the Spirit of theſe men that ſunk down with fear as there was in all Elias when he ſtretch'd his whole body upon the Child to bring it to life again. The Angel Gabriel did but touch Daniel, when he was faln upon the ground, and ſet him upon his feet again, Dan. viii. 18. But behold a greater than Gabriel, whoſe touch is more comfortable, and more ſignificative, Eâ manu recreantur ad fidem, (I think it is St. Hieroms ſaying) quâ creati erant ad vitam; Thoſe hands which made them and faſhioned them to receive natural life, the ſame hand did work a ſupernatural effect upon them, and did raiſe them up to a boldneſs and aſſurance of a good hope in Chriſt. Yet I will not ſay but that which is here called a touch may import the giving of his whole hand to aſſiſt them, Poſtquam altos tetigit fluctus, ſays the Poet, when he meant that the Ship did ſail upon the Sea. Therefore to touch here may be no leſs than foreign, Manum ſupponere, to ſtay with the hand and arm, which we uſe to do to a man that is ready to ſound and ſink, The Lord upholds all ſuch as fall, and lifteth up all thoſe that be down, Pſal. cxlv. 14. But David explains himſelf in another place, that all ſorts of men promiſcuouſly good and bad do not attain this favour, he reſtrains that univerſal Propoſition, Pſal. xxxvi. 24. The ſteps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: Though he fall he ſhall not be utterly caſt down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. It is ſaid of the evil Angel, I ſaw Satan fall like lightning, Luke x. 18. The Lightning is darted out of the Clouds, and never aſcends again, but is loſt in vapour; ſo are all thoſe that imagine wickedly, and whoſe heart is not ſtedfaſt in the Lord. Neſcit ſtare ſuperbia, & ſi ceciderit non novit reſurgere, ſays St. Ambroſe. Pride will catch a fall, and God will leave it to ſhame and confuſion, never to recover again. But a juſt man falleth ſeven times, and riſeth up again, Pro. xxiv. 16. As the young birds fall out of the Neſt ſometimes, but the old one takes them up, and carries them where they ſhall be ſafe: So truſt in the Lord and you ſhall not be caſt down, but his hand will be ready to catch you that you ſhall not be bruized. All parts of mans body, which are made for defence, are attributed unto him for our preſervation, from the arm to the hand, from the hand to the finger, from the finger to the leaſt touch. Againſt great oppreſſions God oppoſeth that his arm is ſtretched out: When he will faſhion out deliverance with wonderful ſalvation, as if a workman wrought it curiouſly with a Tool, then the Prophets ſpeak of the hand of God; when he doth aſſiſt us ſuddenly, and with great facility before we could think of help, that is ſaid to be done per contactum, by a touch and away, as in this caſe, He touched them, and ſaid, ariſe be not afraid.
Theſe are his words, who when the earth hath been fear'd with Winter, makes all things to flouriſh again when he reneweth the year with his goodneſs, ſo when the heart of man is frozen with fear, by his word he makes it ſpring with joy. His Countenance was fair and lightſome, his tongue as comfortable as his face. As St. Ambroſe ſays of the Writings of St. Paul, Quae Epiſtola Pauli non melle dulcior, lacte candidior? Every Epiſtle which he wrote was ſweeter than honey, whiter than milk: So the beauty of Chriſt Transfigured was whiter than milk, and his words were ſweeter than the honey comb. He can look frowningly, and make his Foes fall down before him; he can ſpeak in Thunder, and make the earth to quake; the very voice which came from heaven in this next verſe did confuſe all that heard it, This is my beloved Son, hear him. Ʋt conſpectus & vox Dei nos dejicit, ita tactus & vox Chriſti erigit, ſays St. Hierom; The Lord hath a voice to caſt us down, and a voice to raiſe us up again. Eſpecially, Conſolation ſhall ſucceed fear, and that inſtantly, when God did bring it upon us: He never lead his Choſen into trouble for his ſake, but he brought them off again with comfort. Chriſt had taken Peter, and James, and John into Mount Thabor, whatſoever they ſuffered there, it was by his conduct, and for his ſake; it was the brightneſs of his glory, the luſtre of his clouds, the voice which came from Heaven to magnifie him that made them afraid, in his behalf they ſuffer, and therefore they are ſure to be raiſed up. His mercy doth ſo far engage him to relieve all thoſe who find any oppreſſure for his cauſe, that a little trouble ſhall ſoon end in a great deal of joy, a little amazement ſhall ſoon be blown over with a great deal of ſatisfaction, a little fear ſhall ſoon be rid away with a great deal of loving kindneſs. For when the Diſciples were dejected with the awfulneſs of his Majeſty, preſently he touched them, and ſaid, ariſe, be not afraid.