Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Ver. 4. Lord, it is good for us to be here] Hic plura absurda quam verba. But he knew not what he should say, he was so amused, or rather amazed, at that blissful sight. So Paul, whether in the body or out of the body, when enraptured into the third heaven, he cannot tell, God knoweth; and again, he cannot tell, God knoweth, 2 Corinthians 12:2,3. Only this he can tell, that he heard αρρητα ρηματα, wordless words, such things as words are too weak to utter, and at the thought whereof,
" Claudicat ingenium, delirat linguaque, mensque. "
It is as impossible to comprehend heaven joys, as to compass the heaven with a span or contain the ocean in a nutshell. No wonder then though Peter cry out, It is good being here; or, it is better being here than at Jerusalem (so St Chrysostom senseth it), whither our Saviour had said he must go, and suffer many things of the elders and be killed, &c. That St Peter liked not; but would build here rather. All men would have heaven, but not the rough way that leads to it; they would enter into Paradise, but not through that narrow portal of afflictions; they would sit in the seat of honour with Zebedee's children, but not drink of Christ's cup, much less be baptized with his baptism; that is, be doused over head and ears in the waters of miseries. They would feed on manchet, a tread on roses, and come to heaven, as passengers at sea do many times to the haven, while they are sleeping, or before they are aware. But this is no less a folly than a delicacy, thus to think to divide between Christ and his cross, to pull a rose without pricks, to have heaven without hardship.
One for thee, one for Moses, one for Elias] He never thought of one for himself, he was so transported; but he had provided ill for himself and us, if Christ had taken his counsel: for so he should have declined death, whereby life and immmortality was brought to light to the saints, 2 Timothy 1:12. And this unadvised advice was so much the worse in Peter, because but six days before he had been sharply rebuked by our Saviour, and called Satan for such carnal counsel; and besides that, even then he heard Moses and Elias conferring with Christ about his departure, confirming him against it, Luke 9:31. It is hard to say how often we shall fall into the same fault (though foul) if left to ourselves
a The finest kind of wheaten bread. ŒD