Jesus and the resurrection justified by witnesses in heaven and in earth in two parts : the first shewing that Jesus is the Son of God, the second that in him we have eternall life / by Symon Patrick ...

II.

This was in the Holy Mount, as you may read in the xvii. Matth. 5. and in the two following Evangelists, ix. Mark 7. ix. Luke 35. where the Father of all was pleased to declare in the same terms, as he had done at his Baptism, and with an au∣dible voice, which astonished those that heard it (xvii. Matth. 6.) That he was his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased: to which Declaration he added this com∣mand, HEAR HIM. That is, be assured that what he says to you, is the Truth; and what I speak to the world, it shall be by his mouth. Now this voice was uttered in the hearing of no less than three persons, whom our Saviour had se∣lected from the rest of his company, to at∣tend him unto this Mountain, where God appeared to bear witness to him. Of which three, this Disciple S. John was one; who therefore might with the grea∣ter confidence urge here the Testimony of the Father, which he himself heard. And unless they to whom he writes this Epistle could find him false, and guilty of forgery in any other relation, they had no reason to call in question his honesty and faithful∣ness

in this report: which is the more considerable, because there were others who heard it as well as he, who might be appealed unto, and askt about it.

One of those who were there present and heard it together with him, was S. Peter; a man timorous enough, and apt to deny a Truth, and therefore of no such courage as to support a Lye, with the danger of his life. Who writing to Chri∣stian people, as S. John here doth, com∣mends this voice to them as a sure witness of that Truth, which he was shortly to seal with his Bloud; and professes his own sincerity in the relating of it. Read with attention 2 Pet. 1.14, 15, 16, 17, 18. where he tells them that our Lord having shown him he must shortly die (when it is no time to dissemble with God or Man) he would endeavour to settle in their minds such a solid ground of faith, that, when he was gone, they should stand un∣shaken, if they did but remember it: And that it was not a thing he had received by hear-say, much less a devised story that had been forged in his own brain; but a matter of which he was an eye and ear-wit∣ness, of which he, and others also, had a certain, clear and perfect knowledge.

For they saw then the glory wherein Je∣sus was, and they heard the forenamed voice come from that excellent glory, which could be no other but the glory of the Father. Then, and there in that Mount, Jesus received from the Father ho∣nour and glory, when there came forth from the mouth of God this voice, in all their hearing; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Here it will be necessary to take notice, that the voice, as all of them relate it, was directed not to him, but to those who were there present with him. None of them say, that it spake thus, THOU art my beloved Son, &c. (according as S. Mark and S. Lake report the former voice) but they unanimously tell us in these four pla∣ces, which I have named, that it was de∣livered in the other form, THIS is my beloved Son, &c. As if He spake to the company that attended him, and bade them observe that here He owned this person to stand in such a relation to him, as he and John Baptist had professed. The former voice might come for his sake; but there being no need of his further satisfaction, this was for theirs; that they might sted∣fastly believe, and that they might be

competent witnesses of him, and perswade others to the belief of that, which upon their own certain knowledge they could affirm, was the very mind and will of God. I shall have occasion hereafter to make a further enquiry into both these Testimonies which the Father gave to his Son Jesus, and therefore I shall now dis∣miss them with some observations con∣cerning this: which will much help to illustrate it, and add to the force of it.

The First is, that our Saviour having at this time sequestred himself, with three of his Apostles, into an high mountain to pray to God, was transfigured before them as he was praying (xvii. Matth. 2. ix. Luke 29.) so that his face did shine as the Sun, and his very garments were all glistering. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as S. Greg. Nazi∣anzen speaks * 1.1)showing before-hand what he was to be hereafter; and making an introduction to the glory in which he should shine, in the high and holy place at the right hand of the Father, where he makes perpetual intercession for us. For to shine as the Sun is a phrase expressing something belonging to celestial Majesty in the Kingdom of the Father, xiii. Matth. 43. The white and splendid garments

also, it were easie to show, were proper to Kings and those who waited on them, iii. Revel. 4. The Ministers and royal at∣tendants in the Heavenly Court, were wont always to appear in such radiant brightness; though short of this wherein our Saviour now began to shine, as the King, ere long, of Heaven and Earth. For so S. John says, i. 14. We beheld his glo∣ry, as the glory of the only begotten of the Fa∣ther. And S. Peter when he speaks of this says, 2 i. 16. We were eye-witnesses of his MAJESTY.

Of which, that they might be assured, this was a true representation, you may observe, secondly, how they saw a very great Glory appear and approach towards them; called by S. Mark and S. Luke sim∣ply a Cloud, but by S. Matthew xvii. 5. a bright cloud: which had usually been the token of the presence of the Divine Maje∣sty. And therefore it is called by S. Peter in the place before named (ver. 17.) the excellent or magnificent glory: and the voice which came out of it, is said (ver. 18.) to come from Heaven, because it came forth from the presence of God, of which this bright cloud was the visible sign. For so He appeared anciently to the Israelites, in a

cloud that had a splendor or shining light in it, like to the hottest fire, which some∣times brightly glistered and sometimes was obscured. So you read, xix. Exod. 18. that the LORD descended in fire upon the famous Mount Sinai, and a little after, xxiv. Exod. 16, 17. how the glory of the Lord dwelt upon that Mount, and the cloud covered it (i. e. the glory of the Lord) for the space of six days: and then on the se∣venth day He called unto Moses out of the midst of that cloud: And the aspect of the glory of the Lord was as fire that burnt or glowed with great ardency in the sight of the children of Israel. That is, on the seventh day, that Glory was revealed and broke forth out of the cloud, wherein for six days it had been wrapped up and hidden from their sight. And so you read in the xl. Chapter of that Book, that as soon as Moses had reared up the Tabernacle for the constant habitation of this Divine pre∣sence, the cloud covered it, and rested upon it without, and the glory of the Lord filled it within (ver. 34, 35.) which is present∣ly after explained to be a fire, which by night appeared upon the Tabernacle to guide them in their journey. This is that bright flame, which frighted them when they murmured against Moses, called the glory

of the Lord appearing in the cloud (xvi. Exod. 7.10. and xvi. Numb. 42.) threatning to devour them if they were not more obedi∣ent. Such a glory, but more pure and more delightful to behold, there was now upon this Holy Mount, as S. Peter calls it: to make them apprehensive that now they were in the presence of God; who as he did on that Mount (to speak in the words of Tertullian) initiate their forefathers in the Religion of Moses, by showing his glory and by his voice; so here on this * 1.2 was going in the same manner to give te∣stimony to them concerning his Son Jesus, and to confirm them in the belief of what∣soever he should teach them.

For, thirdly, this was not Mut••. Nubes, as the same Tertullian there speaks, a dumb cloud, a silent glory; but a voice came out of it, which was Novum Patris testi∣monium super filio, the Fathers New testi∣mony concerning his Son. In which te∣stimony He was pleased to apply those very words to Jesus, which had been spo∣ken by Moses concerning a Prophet whom he had bid them look for after him. For in the xviii. of Deuteronomy he tells them from God himself (ver. 17.) that there should be raised up to them a Pro∣phet

like unto him, into whose mouth (ver. 18.) the Lord would put his own words, and who should speak all that he should command him; UNTO HIM SHALL YE HEARKEN, ver. 15. as much as to say, Be sure you attend to his words, and give obedience to them. Now these very words and syllables HEAR HIM, are, by that God who made that promise to Moses, spoken in this place to the Di∣sciples with a manifest application to Je∣sus: clearly denoting him to be the person whom Moses foretold the Lord their God would send, to declare his mind unto them, as he himself already had done. And that this was really the voice of God, as much as that voice which spake to Mo∣ses, we have the greater reason to conclude from this following, which is the fourth, observation.

That Moses now stood by and heard it: and from thence learnt a great deal more than he knew when he wrote his Book; that this person of whom he spoke was more than a Prophet: being the Son of Gods dearest love. For these words which declared him so, were spoken there where he was present: who durst not contradict them, as sure he would have done, had he

not known them to be the very voice of God and no delusion.

I need not enlarge this; because the Evangelists tell us so plainly, that not only He appeared in glory talking with our Sa∣viour upon this Mountain, but Elias also accompanied him, which is next to be considered. Who being a great Prophet might pretend as fairly as any other man, to be the person designed by Moses in the words forenamed; and yet consented by his silence to the same undoubted Truth, that the prophecy of Moses was not till now fufilled, but had its utmost comple∣tion in Jesus. And indeed this voice from Heaven, making such an open Proclama∣tion concerning Jesus, before him that gave the Law, and before the chiefest of the Prophets who had asserted it, and be∣ing heard by them with the profoundest silence, without any contradiction; it did as good as tell the Apostles that they might be assured this was He of whom the Law and the Prophets had spoken, whom they were now to give ear unto; and that the Law and the Prophets must from hence∣forth give way to an higher Revelation from God, by this Jesus. If this had not been true, we cannot but think that this

great Zealot Elias, who had been always so jealous for the Lord of hosts, (1 Kings xix. 14.) and this trusty servant of God, Moses, who was so faithful in all his house (xii. Num. 7.) would have presently en∣tred their protestation against it; and re∣quired the Apostles in the Name of God, to give heed only to their voice, but not to this. Which now might the rather be believed to come from Heaven, because these inspired persons reverence it, and dare not venture in the least to speak against it; when they were highly con∣cerned so to do, if it had not been the voice of God.

And if any one shall ask, how these Disciples could tell that these two were Moses and Elias, whom they never saw; I think Theophylact hath well resolved it: that they knew them not by their faces, but by their discourse. Certain it is that persons living in far distant Countries, known to others merely by their works and manner of writing, have, after a little converse at an unexpected meeting, been challenged by the Names that their Books carried, without the help of any no∣ted character in their face to distinguish them. Nothing is more common than the

story of Erasmus, whom his Friend here in England greeted by his name, after a few repartees pass'd between them; though he had never seen him, and little thought then to embrace him. Now we are expresly told by all the three Evange∣lists, that Moses and Elias talked with Je∣sus; and by S. Luke, that their discourse was concerning his decease or departure out of this world, which he should accom∣plish at Jerusalem: and consequently, it is very probable, of the glory that was to follow it by his Resurrection. Which conference the Apostles hearing, they might easily know, though not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by their pictures, which many of that Nation held it unlawful to be made, yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from their words and discourse (wherein either Jesus or they, before it was done, had occasion to men∣tion their Names or their offices, or to describe their persons) that they were none else but those two men, who then appeared to them. And it is possible, as Theophylact adds, that Moses might say, I acknowledge thee to be the person, whose death I prefigured, by the Lamb which was slain at the Passeover: And Elias might joyn with him and say, Thou art He whose Resurrection I did likewise

fore-show, by calling again the Widow's son to life. Some such kind of discourse we may reasonably conceive passed be∣tween them, whereby they discovered themselves to be, the one the Law-giver, the other the noblest of all the Prophets: who now came to wait upon Jesus, and acknowledge that he was greater than they; as the voice from Heaven presently testified, which declared him the beloved Son of God, to whom now all must attend, as they had formerly done to them.

And therefore it is very remarkable (which is the last thing I shall observe) that no sooner was this voice heard, but Moses and Elias vanished and were seen no more. As much as to say, That Jesus alone was now to be heard; the Law and the Prophets were gone, and had nothing to do, but only to serve him. So S. Mark relates, ix. 8. that suddenly when they had looked round about (after the hearing of this voice) they saw no man any more, save Je∣sus only with themselves. They turned their eyes every way to look for Moses and Elias, but there was no further news of them. Nay, S. Luke tells us, ix. 36. that in the very uttering of the voice from that Heavenly glory, they disappeared. So

those words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, plain∣ly signifie, While the voice was speaking, Jesus was found alone. The clould out of which it came, covered them and took them into it. At the same time it opened it self, to manifest him and to obscure them: that it might be evident the voice spake of him alone and none else; there being no body but He to be seen by his Disciples, when it came forth from the presence of God. So you read in all the Evangelists, that the cloud which appear∣ed, over-shadowed them (viz. Moses and Elias) whereupon the Disciples were afraid (as S. Luke tells us, ix. 34.) as they (that is, Moses and Elias) entred ••••to the cloud: imagining it is like that it would approach nearer, and spread it self over them; who dreaded to enter into it, as they saw those two persons did. But there was no dan∣ger; it only parted Moses and Elias from Jesus, and left him alone, and then came the voice out of that cloud, where Moses and Elias were with God, giving their as∣sent to what it said, This is my beloved Son, hear him. Him, I say, Non Mosen jam & Eliam (as Tertullian * 1.3 I now observe interprets it) Not Moses and Elias; who were shown, as his language is, in the prerogative of bright∣ness, and then dismissed, as being now dis∣charged

both of their office and of their ho∣nour.

Thus I have briefly explained the second Testimony which God the Father gave him, in the audience of three of his Di∣sciples; who had a vision also, at the same time, of the glory wherein he was to shine, after his departure out of this world. To which testimony, our Saviour would not have those Disciples, as yet to add theirs: but to keep this as a secret till he was risen again from the dead, xvii. Matth. 9. It was fit for the Father alone to speak now, from whom they were to learn what Jesus was: that being fully satisfied they might be the better able to speak of him then, upon their own knowledge; who had been eye and ear-witnesses of the ho∣nour and glory which he received from God the Father, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice (S. Peter I told you openly avers, 2 i. 17, 18.) he and others heard, when they were with him in the holy mount.

But if any one should be so suspicious and distrustful, as to think that the Testi∣mony of three persons is not sufficient, to

beget belief in us of such a wonderful thing as this is, that God declared Jesus to be his Son; though there is no just reason to doubt of any thing that is established out of the mouth of but two good witnesses, yet such was the condescension of God the Fa∣ther Almighty, that he was pleased a little before our Saviours decease, which Moses and Elias spake of, to give his testimony to him again, and to declare this more publickly, which was shortly to be pro∣claimed in all the world.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Orat. 35. p. 575.
• * 1.2

  Agnosce formam loci, &c. L. 4. adv. Marcio∣nem, C. 22.
• * 1.3

  L. 4. adv. Marc. C. 22.