Vse 1. This may serve to instruct us, to conceive by this proofe, how great the glory and Majestie of Christ is now in Heaven, how great it shall be at the last day, and how great we also shall be made in the life to come.
2. To exhort us, to have Christ in high estimation: We have no cause to be ashamed of so great a Majestie; according to that of our Saviour; If any one be ashamed of me in this adulterous generation, him will I be ashamed of before God and his Angels.
Doctrine 6. This majestie was expressed in those words of God, This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased.
In these words is contained both the power and comming of Christ, whereof the Apostles witnessed, and wherein is contained the summe of the Gospell, as we said before. This is gathered from the connexion of the words, which these have with the former, We made knowne, &c. For in the title of Sonne is declared the honour and glory of Christ, where he is called this my Sonne: in the title of beloved is shewed the comming of Christ, and the end thereof, namely to reconcile us unto God, and make us beloved of him: whence he is called, My beloved in whom I am well pleased. By the title of Sonne is chiefly signified the kingdome of Christ, by the title of beloved in whom I am well pleased, is signified the Priesthood of Christ; and by the third thing which is added, Matthew 17.5. is signified his Propheticall office: heare ye him. And that which is there expressed, is here understood; so that there is nothing in Christ and the Gospell which may not fitly be reduced to these few words.
Use 1. This may serve to instruct us, for the building up of our faith, to have alwayes in our mindes that divine voice; for therefore came it twice from Heaven, once in the Baptisme of Christ, and once in this transfiguration which Peter hath reference unto in this place: All the word of God indeed comes from him, but there are some parts of it which come from him unto men in a more speciall manner, that is, immediately. Such was the Decalogue in the Old Testament: such was the voice, Iohn 12.28. and such was this voice that was twice repeated: Now as we should magnifie every word of God, so in a speciall manner should we observe and take notice of such words as these.
2. To admonish us, to depend upon Christ alone, and to have recourse unto him only, in those things which pertaine unto our salvation. 1. Because such a testimony was never given of any one besides Christ. 2. In this testimony, power, honour, and glory is so given unto Christ, that it is denied unto all others: for the demonstrative particle that, as it is in the originall, ὁ υἱώς ὁ ἀγαπητώς, hath an exclusive vertue, as touching all others, excluding all others from being partakers of it.
Doctrine 7. This voice of God did effectually bring honour and glory unto Christ.
This is gathered from these words, He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice unto him.
Reason 1. Because the testimony of God is infallibly true.
2. There is joyned with it omnipotent power, when it is said to come from the excellent glory.