and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, OC. rock, fo fhalt thou prove firm, folid, and immovable, in building my church, which lhall be fo firmly eflablifhed by thy care and diligence to that faith thou haft now profeffed, that all the affaults of men and devils (hall not be able to deflroy, by their unnofi efforts. At this time the difciples had no idea that their Matter was to fuffer death for the fins of the world ; on the contrary, they confidered him as immortal, having imbibed the opinion of the Scribes and Pharifees, That Chrill abideth for ever : fo that when the bleffed JESUS told them of the fufferings he muff undergo at Jeru- falem, _. what affronts and indignities he muff fuffer, and be at lait put to death with all the alts of torture and difgrace, by a fentence of the Jewilh Sanhedrin, St. Peter, who could not endure the thought of his Mailer's fuffering even the leaf} punifhment, much lefs thofe cruelties he had mentioned, and at laft death itfelf, interrupted him very unfeafonably, and faid, Be it far front thee, Lord; this(hall not be unto thee. He confidered . thefe fufferings as inconfifient with the charafer of the great Meff'iah, whom he expelled would reflore the .fplen.sior of the throne of David his, father, and reduce all the kingdoms of the earth to his obedience. Our bleffed Saviour, who came down from heaven to give his life a ranfom for the fins of the world, and who valued the redemption of mankind infinitely more than his own cafe and fafety, highly re- fented this fpeech of St. Peter, and ac- cordingly returned this (harp reproof, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou at an offence to me: thou,favoure not the things ofGod, but thofe that be ofmen. After thefe tranfaftions, the great Re- deemer of the fons of men, being about to receive a fpecimen of'his future glori- fication, took with him three of the molt .intimate of his apofiles, Peter and the two fons of Zebedee, and went up into a very high mountain ; and while they were em- ployed in earl:ell addreffesto the Almighty, 363 he was transfigured before their, filch Mite beaming from his face, as exceeded the brightnefs of the meridian fun and fuels rays of light iffued from his garments, as exceeded the light of the cleasefl day ; an evident and fenfible reprefentation of that hate, when the jujI flzall walk inwhite robes, and Thine as the fun in the kingdom oftheirfather. During this heavenly fcene, the great prophets Mofes and Elias appeared in all the bright- nefs and majefty of a glorified fate, fami liarly converfing with him, and difcourfing of the death and fufferings he was fhortly to undergo, and his afcenfion to the hea- venly regions of happinefs and glory. St. Peter and the two apofiles were in the meantime fallenafleep, beingeither very weary for want of natural ref ; or, over- powered with thefe extraordinary appear- ances, which the frailty and weaknefs of their nature could not fupport, were fallen into a trance: but on their awaking, were ftrangely furprifed to fee. their Lord fur- rounded with fo much glory, and thofe two great pei'fons converfing with him. They however remained filent till thofe vifitants from the courts of heaven were going to depart, when Peter, in a rapture and ecftacy of mind, addrefled himfelf to his Mater, declaring their infinite pleafure and delight in being favoured with this glorious fpebiacle ; and defired his leave to erel} three tabernacles, one for him, one for Mofes, and one for Elias but while he was (peaking, a bright cloud fud- denly overfhadowed thofe two great pro- phets, and a voice came from it, uttering thefe remarkable words, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well jileafed; hear ye hint. On which the apofiles were feized with the utmoft confternation, and fell upon their faces to the ground; but Jesus touching them, bid them difmifs their fears and look up with confidence. They immediately obeyed, but faw their Mailer only ; the others having vanifhed together with the cloud of light they had lately beheld. This
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