Matthew 17:5

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

This is a most blessed proclamation, and infinitely precious to the Church of Christ. Jehovah had before, at the baptism of Jesus, given testimony to Christ's person and character, and here again confirms it. I stay not to make any observations concerning the splendor and glory of the scene, but rather to consider the blessedness of the thing itself Jehovah bears testimony to Christ as the beloved Son of God. One with the Father over all, God blessed forever. Amen. And again, as the begotten Son of God, to the purposes of salvation, the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person. And his being well pleased with Him, and in Him, confirms Jehovah's favor to the Church in Christ, being well pleased with Him as the Head of his body, the Church, and the Church in Him. In whom I am well pleased. Not only with Him, but in Him, that is, his whole Church, in Him, being always considered as part of himself, members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. The Lord is sell pleased for his righteousness' sake, he will magnify the law, and make it honorable. Isaiah 42:21. So that when commanded to hear him, the Church is to accept Christ, in all the fulness of his complete salvation, both in his person, office, character, and relations, and to be so completely pleased with Him, as the Lord our Righteousness, as Jehovah is pleased with Him, the glorious surety, sponsor, and complete justifying righteousness of his whole body, the Church, the fulness of Him which filleth all in all. Reader! Are you well pleased with Jesus? It is an important question. The soul that is so, makes Jesus, what Jehovah hath made him, the whole of salvation. Accepts Christ as all, looks to Christ for all. Pleads Christ in all, as the sole means of salvation. Not as procuring favor to the acceptation of our prayers, and tears, and repentance, and faith, but as the very cause, the very righteousness, in which the whole Church, and every individual of the Church, is accepted, and appears in before God. He that expressed himself in those words of scripture, felt this to the full. May it be my soul's language also. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine truly. Psalms 71:16. Reader! what saith your experience to this statement? Oh! for grace, and the sweet influence of God the Holy Ghost, always upon my heart, that as often as I read those words of God the Father, or they are brought to my recollection, concerning his testimony to God the Son, saying, this is my beloved Son in whom t am well pleased, hear ye him, may my soul be enabled to say, and this is my beloved Savior, in whom I pray to be found welt pleased, in life, and death, in time, and to all eternity! Amen.