He was transfigured. As he prayed the glory of the Godhead burst through ihe veil of the bush. This is perhaps the most unique and unworldly incident in the whole of the wonderful narrative of his life. Many lessons have been drawn from this incident, but time this evening will only permit a brief mention of some of them, and then I pass on to the one I wish to dwell on more special-
First of all there is the testimony that it bears to the validity of the claims made by Jesus. The conviction voiced by Peter in his g confession would no doubt be gr strengthened by what he now of his glory. Here indeed is the Messiah. Then it gives us a glimpse of the glorified Lord, and the glory that shall be ours with him. And then may we not find here confirma tion of the safety and well being of those who have gone before? Moses 2000, and Elias 1,000 years dead, appear alive before them. The resurrection is a fact, and there is a spiritual body with which we are clothed beyond the grave. Then there is surely something precious in the thought that those gone before know something of human happenings and follow our life here on earth Moses and Elias talked with Jesus about the coming passion. But, as 1 said, I only mention these in pas ing, and this evening I want to call your attention to a lesson which St incognito tour of inspection some time. There has been some complaints that the postal service has decayed following the relinquishment of foreign control. I was sceptical but now I entertain grave misgivings.
"The other evening a friend of mine went to one of the branches to post an airmail letter. It was only 8 o'clock and the postal branch was to close at 9 o'clock and the air mail as not scheduled to leave until rly next morning. The clerk declined to accept the airmail express letter but at the same time he was accepting non-airmail express-letters. My friend had to make a trip to the Head Office to post his letter. I think this is very poor arrangement. To be sure there are airmail boxes but these are scarce and are mainly concentrated in the downtown trict.
It would be very desirable though too much to be expected that the public be served in an orderly way, frst come first served, instead of the most vociferous get the quickist service. It might be mentioned tha foreigners are usual extended ex podited service, probably as an international courtesy. Could not some sort of railings be placed so the patrons could be served equitably?
1 have also a few questions whic I think are of general interest: (1) Should letters addressed to the post office on official business be stamped or are they carried free? (2) Wha is the difference between postage for newspapers and printed matters? (3) May newspapers and printed matters be deposited in the pillar mail boxes en the street corners or must they Peul drew from the incident for the benefit of the Roman Christians.
"Be Ye Transformed"
"Be ye transformed," he says, and the word in the Greek is the same word used by St. Mark in our text, "He was transfigured." We can quite safely assume thet St. Paul in writing has the Transfiguration of Jesus in mind. It is an incident in the life of our Lord which would be familiar to the Christians in Rome, to' whom the letter is addressed. No doubt some form of the Gospel was already current among the Roman Christians, and in any case St. Feul would most certainly be familiar with it, since both Mark and Luke record it in their Gospels, giving it the important place they consider it deserves, and both were companions et St. Paul—Mark, his sometime retary, and Luke his beloved physician and fellow traveller.
"Be ye transfigured." He uses the startling simile to enforce the great truth he is never tired of trying to teach his converts, the possibility of transfiguration lives here and now. "He was transfigured, Be ye transformed." We think of that glory. Can anything approaching it be in us? Can any change so great be wrought in poor sinful humanity? St Paul was convinced that it could "in Chris" In Christ—that was the secret. In Christ Jesus, man becomes a new creature, transformed, transfigured. Sunday by Sunday we remind ourselves of this fact in the solemn and beautiful symbolism of the Holy Communion. We take and tat the bread and drink the wine, and we feed on Him in our hearts b; faith, so eat and so drink "that our sinful bodies may be made clean Ly His body, and our souls washed through His most precious blood. and that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us."
We may not understand how it is possible. Such knowledge is no more necessary.than that we should unde und the theory of sound trans n before we use the telephone, or the production and transmission of electric light before we use it to illuminate-our houses. The proof is in the experience. So in the Christian life. In Christ man is a new creature. St, Paul had experienced it in his own life and seen hundreds of others transformed by this renewing power, and thousands upon thousands have entered into a similar experience all down Umough the ages. They have been transformed—desires, powers, yes, iheir very appearances, transfigured.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.