A Table of the Sections in their Order, &c.

ix

1

X

Sect.

CLXXI.

CLXXII.

CLXXIII.

CLXXIV.

CLXXV.

CLXXVI.

CLXXVII.

CLXXVIII.

CLXXIX.

CLXXX.

CLXXXI.
CLXXXII.

CLXXXIII.

CLXXXIX.

CXC.

CXCI.

CXCII.

CXCIII.

CXCIV.

CXCV.

CXCVI.
CXCVII.

CXCVIII.

CXCIX.

A Table of the Sections in their Order, &c.

MATTH.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

xiii. 31, ad fin.

CLXXXIV.

CLXXXV.

{ CLXXXVI. xxvii. 1, 2.

CLXXXVII.

CLXXXVIII.

CC.

CCI.

CCII.

CCIII.

xxvi. 26,-30.

xxvi. 31,-35. xxvi. 36,-46. xxvi. 47,-56. sxxvi. 57, 58. 69, ad fin. xxvi. 59,-68.

{xxvi.

II,-14.

Sxxvii. 15,-18.

20,-23.

{xxvii. 19.

24,-31.

xiv. 22,-26.

XV. 15,-20.

Sxxvii. 32,-34. Sxv. 21,-23.

38. 2 25. 27, 28.
Sxxvii. 35,-37.5xv. 24. 26.
39,-44.2 29,-32.
xxvii. 45,-54.
xxvii. 55,—61.
{ xxvii. 3,-10.
62, ad fin.
xxviii. I,-4.
xxviii. 5,-10.

xxviii. 11,- 15.

Sxxviii. 16, ad
fin.

xiv. 27,-31. xiv. 32,-42. xiv. 43,-52. Sxiv. 53, 54.

66, ad fin. xiv. 55,-65.

XV. I,-5.

xv. 6,-14.

xv. 33,-39.
xv. 40, ad fin.

xvi. 1, 2.- 3, 4.
xvi. -2. 5,- 11.
xvi. 12,-13.

xvi. 14.

xxii. 31,-34.
xxii. 19, 20.
xxii. 35-38.

xxii. 39.
xxii. 40,-46.
xxii. 47-53-

xxii. 54,-62.
xxii. 63, ad fin.

xxiii. I,-4.

xxiii. 5,-23.

xxiii. 24, 25.

xxiii. 26,--34.-1

xxiii.-34---43

xxiii. 44,-48.
xxiii. 49, ad fin.

xxiv. 1, 2. 12.
xxiv. 3,-11.

xxiv. 13,--33.-
xxiv. -33,--43-

xvi. 15,-18. xxiv. 44,-49.

xvi. 19, ad fin. xxiv. 50, ad fin.

THE

FAMILY EXPOSITOR.

VOL. II.

The latter Part of the Hiftory of CHRIST, as recorded by the EVANGELISTS.

SECT. XC.

CHRIST goes up to a Mountain, where he is transfigured, and difcourfes with his Difciples concerning the Expectation the Jews had of Elijah. Mat. XVII. 1,--13. Mark IX. 2,---13. Luke IX. 28,---36.

MARK IX. 2.

A

ND [LUK. it came to pafs] after fix Days, [LUK. or about an eight Days after thefe Sayings,] Jefus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John [his Brother,] and leadeth them up into an high Mountain apart by themfelves [LU K. to pray.]

[MAT. XVII. 1. LUKE ix. 28.]

MARK IX. 2.

A

Mark IX. 2.

ND it came to pass after fix Days, [or] Sect. 90. if you include the first and last, about eight Days after thefe Difcourfes, which were related in the Two laft Sections, Jefus took with him thofe Three Difciples whom he honoured with fomething of a peculiar Intimacy, (compare Mark v. 37. and Mat. xxvi. 37.) namely, Peter, and James, and his Brother John, and brought them up privately, to an high Mountain apart from the People (a), whither he retired to pray; intending,

(a) An high Mountain apart from the People.] Jerom (Epift. 17, 18.) tells us, that there was in his Days an antient Tradition, that this was Mount Tabor, which lay in the Tribe of Zebulon. Its ftanding apart, (as Mr. Maundrell obferves that it does, Travels, pag. 112.) is to be fure no Argument to prove it; for that Expreffion only fignifies, that it was a private Retirement, which it might have been, had it made Part of a Ridge of Mountains. However, as this happened at the Distance of fix Days, there seems to be but little Probability in Mr. Fleming's Conjecture, that fince Chrift was juft before near Cafarea Philippi, this must be the Mountain in that Neighbourhood, on which one of Jeroboam's Calves had been worshipped; over which he thinks it a Kind of Triumph, that the Shekinah was thus gloriously manifefted, where it had been fo long affronted by Idolatry. See Fleming's Chriftology, Vol. i. pag. 40.

VOL. II.

A

(b) To

2

Sect. 90. ing, as he often did, to spend the Night in that holy Exercife (b).

Luke IX.

29.

CHRIST is transfigured on a Mountain,

And as he was praying, it came to pass, that be was fuddenly in a moft glorious Manner tranffigured in their Prefence; and the Form of his Countenance was changed (c), [fo that] his Face fhone with a Brightness like that of the Sun; and his whole Body was clothed with fuch a Luftre, as fhone thro' bis Raiment, infomuch that the Appearance of it was all white and dazzling (d), Joining fo exceedingly, that it seemed as white as Snow, [yea] as refplendent as the Light itself, to fo great a Degree as no Fuller on Earth could whiten it. Such a Glory did GoD confer on his Son, as an Earnest of that in which he was finally to appear; and he permitted these his Servants to fee it, that they might not be offended at those Scenes of deep Abafement, in which they were fhortly to behold him. (Compare Mat. xxvi. 37Sect. 182.) Mark IX. 4.

Luke IX. 31.

LUKE IX. 29. And as
he prayed, [MAR. he was

transfigured before them,
and] the Fashion of his
Countenance was altered,
[fo that his Face did shine
as the Sun;] and his Raiment
was white and gliftering,
[MAR. fhining exceeding
white as Snow,] [or as the
Light,] [MA R. fo as no
Fuller on Earth can white
them.] [MAT. XVII. 2.
MARK ÏX.—2, 3.1

And behold, there appeared to them, at the fame Time that they faw their Lord in this fplendid Form, Two Men, that were talking with Jefus in a Language and Accent which the Three Apoftles heard and understood, who were known to be Mofes the great Giver, and Elijah the zealous Reftorer of the Law. These were the Perfons whom they faw with Chrift, in whofe Honour their refpective Ministrations terminated, who appearing to their View in Forms of Glory, fomewhat refembling that which he now wore himfelf, pake of his Exit, or Departure out of the prefent Life and State, which he was fhortly after, even at the enfuing Paffover, to accomplish at Je

rufa

MARK IX. 4. And [be--
there unto

them [LU K. Two Men]
talking with Jefus, [LUK.
which were Mofes and Eli-
as:] [MAT. XVII. 3.
LUKE IX. 30.]

LUKE IX. 31. Who ap-peared in Glory, and fpake

of his Deceafe which he

fhould accomplish at Jeru-
falem.

(b) To spend the Night in that holy Exercife.] This appears from Luke ix. 37. where we read of their coming down from the Hill on the next Day. See pag. 8.

(c) The Form of his Countenance was changed.] This was fo ftriking a Circumstance, that Eunapius (Vit. Fambl. pag. 22.) relates a Story of Jamblichus, which feems evidently to be borrowed from this; as many Things which Philoftratus tells us of Apollonius Tyanaus, feem alfo to have been borrowed from other Hiftories recorded of Chrift by the Evangelifts.

(d) White and dazzling.] The Words euros aspal may literally be rendered, white as Lightning; but as this Claufe ftands here connected with parallel Paffages in the other Evangelifts, I chose to render it dazzling, that fome proper Gradation might be observed, which would otherwife have been destroyed.

1.

(e) Spake

where Mofes and Elijah appear, and Speak of his Death.

32 But Peter and they that were with him, were heavy with Sleep: and when they were awake, they faw his Glory, and the Two Men

that stood with him.

Peter [anfwered and ] faid

33-And it came to pass, as they departed from him, unto Jefus, Mafter, it is good for us to be here; and [if thou wilt] let us make [here] thee, and one for Mofes, and one for Elias: [MAT. XVII. 4. MARK IX. 5.]

three Tabernacles, one for

3

rufalem (e); fuggefting and enlarging on fuch Sect. 90.
Thoughts, as were proper to animate him to fo
painful, and glorious a Conflict.

But Peter, and they that were with him, i. e. Luke IX.
the Two other Difciples, did not fee the Begin- 32.
ning of this glorious Vifion, nor hear the whole
of this wonderful and edifying Difcourfe; for,
wearied with the Labours of the preceding Day,
they were quite overburthened and funk down with
Sleep; but being awakened with the Splendor of
thofe Rays, which pierced thro' the Darkness of
the Night that had before favoured their Slumbers,
they faw, to their inexpreffible Astonishment, his
unufual Glory, and the Two Men who were stand-
ing with him, and heard the Conclufion of their
Conference, from whence they collected who
they were (f).
as they were departing from him,
And it came to pass, that just 33
Peter anfwered
and faid unto Jefus, Mafter, it is good for us to
be here in fuch a Circumftance as this: Let this
glorious Appearance and Converse be prolonged;
for we could delight to spend all the Remainder
of our Days thus; and therefore, if thou pleafeft,
let us make three Tents here (g), for thee one, and
for Mofes one, and one for Elijah, that thou with

them

(e) Spake of his Exit, which he was shortly to accomplish at Jerufalem.] Dr. Hammond and Le Clerc feem greatly mistaken, in referring this to Chrift's Victory over the impenitent Jews in the Deftruction of Jerufalem by the Romans; for tho' the Word odos does fometimes fignify a Military Expedition, (fee Elfner. Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 219.) yet it is plainly ufed for Death, or a Departure out of the World, 2 Pet. i. 15. and Wifd. iii. 2. which fuits much better here with the Conftru&tion, εν Ιερεσαλημ.

(f) Heard the Conclufion of their Conference, &c.] It might not, perhaps, have been proper, they should have heard the whole of it: GOD might intend to reveal fome of those Things to them by the Spirit, and the Knowledge of others might be referved to the Discoveries of the Heavenly State.

(g) Let us make three Tents here.] Mr. Fleming thinks, it is as if he had faid, "Lord, "let this Mountain be to Ifrael now, what Sinai was to our Fathers: Hold, as it were, thy "Court here; and let the People refort hither, to learn thy Will, and pay their Homage "to thee, attended by these thy glorified Servants." (See Fleming's Chriftology, Vol. i. p. 46.) But this feems too great a Refinement, and too deep a Scheme. I rather chufe to interpret them, as Words of rapturous Surprize, intended merely to exprefs the Pleafure they had, in what they faw and heard. The Propofal was, as St. Mark obferves, very improper; but perhaps few, in fuch an aftonishing Circumftance, could have been perfectly Mafters of themfelves.The Tents, they propofed to build, must be only flight Huts, or Bowers; and there is no Reafon at all to fuppofe, they meant any fumptuous Tabernacles, like that of Mofes in the Wilderness: And that no fuch Idea might accidentally be raised, I chose to ufe the Word Tents.

(b) Ix

A 2