as vessels: He as the fountain: Moses and the Prophets spake, and wrote; but when they
poured out, they were filled from Him.
5. But the Lord stretched out His hand, and raised them as they lay. And then “they saw
no man, save Jesus only.”2657 What does this mean? When the Apostle was being read, you
heard, “For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.”2658 And “tongues shall
cease,” when that which we now hope for and believe shall come. In then that they fell to
the earth, they signified that we die, for it was said to the flesh, “Earth thou art, and unto
earth shalt thou return.”2659 But when the Lord raised them up, He signified the resurrection.
After the resurrection, what is the Law to thee? what Prophecy? Therefore neither Moses
nor Elias is seen. He only remaineth to thee, “Who in the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God.”2660 He remaineth to thee, “that God may be
all in all.” Moses will be there; but now no more the Law. We shall see Elias there too; but
now no more the Prophet. For the Law and the Prophets have only given witness to Christ,
that it behoved Him to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and to enter
into His glory. And in this glory is fulfilled what He hath promised to them that love Him,
“He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him.” 2661 And as if it were
said, What wilt Thou give him, seeing Thou wilt love him? “And I will manifest Myself unto
him.” Great gift! great promise! God doth not reserve for thee as a reward anything of His
own, but Himself. O thou covetous one; why doth not what Christ promiseth suffice thee?
Thou dost seem to thyself to be rich; yet if thou have not God, what hast thou? Another is
poor, yet if he hath God, what hath he not?
6. Come down, Peter: thou wast desiring to rest on the mount; come down, “preach the
word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine.”2662 Endure, labour hard, bear thy measure of torture; that thou mayest possess
what is meant by the white raiment of the Lord, through the brightness and the beauty of
an upright labouring in charity. For when the Apostle was being read we heard in praise of
charity, “She seeketh not her own.2663 She seeketh not her own;” since she gives what she
possesses. In another place there is more danger in the expression, if you do not understand
it right. For the Apostle, charging the faithful members of Christ after this rule of charity,
says, “Let no man seek his own, but another’s.”2664 For on hearing this, covetousness is
2657 Matt. xvii. 7, 8.
2658 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
2659 Gen. iii. 19, Sept.
2660 John i. 1.
2661 John xiv. 21.
2662 2 Tim. iv. 2.
2663 1 Cor. xiii. 5.
2664 1 Cor. x. 24.
733
On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xvii. 1, ‘After six days Jesus taketh…