14 He passes privately thro' Galilee with his Disciples. Sect. 91. of a contrary Principle! In how many Instances does that paffionate Exclama~tion of the Father in this Story, fuit us? Lord, we believe; help thou our UnbeMarkix. 24. lief! How difficult is it, in the Midft of so much Guilt and Weakness, of fo 21. much Perplexity and Unworthiness, to believe the Promises of Forgiveness and Preservation, of Grace and Glory. Yet we may humbly hope, that he, who by his Grace has wrought the Divine Principle in our Souls, will maintain it there. Only let it be our Concern, to oppose those Corruptions, which would enervate and suppress it. Perhaps there are some of them, which Mat. xvii. will not be driven out but by Prayer and Fafting, by deep Humiliation, and more than ordinary Solemnity and Intenseness of Devotion. But surely they have little Regard to the Peace and Security of their Souls, who can allot only a few hasty Moments to them, when they have whole Hours and Days to bestow, not only on the Labours, but even on the Amusements of Life. Sect. 92. Mark IX. 30. The Disciples are offended, at the Warning CHRIST gives them of his approaching Sufferings. He makes a miraculous Provision for paying the Tribute Money. Mat. XVII. 22, to the End. Mark IX. 30,---33.- Luke IX. - 43,45. AND MARK IX. 30. ND while every one of the Spectators was 31 his Disciples, should be interrupted. For while MARK IX. 30. AND [while they wondred every one at all Things which Jesus did,] they departed thence, and passed thro' Galilee; and he would not that any Man should know it. [LUKE IX. -43.-] 31-For [while they abode in Galilee, Jesus] taught his Disciples, and faid unto them, [MAT. XVII. 22.LUKE IX.-43.] (a) For Jefus taught his Disciples.) Mark assigns this as the Reason, why he defired, his Journey should be private, viz. that he might have an Opportunity to talk over this Subject at large: Which shews, that the Continuance or Abode in Galilee mentioned by Matthew, was only the short Stay they made in the Places where they lodged; and indeed he could not fo conveniently speak to all the Twelve, while they were actually travelling. (b) Apply : They are troubled to hear of his approaching Sufferings. 15 largely than he had done before, what was to befal Sect. 92. him. (Compare Mat. xvi. 21. Mark viii. 31. Mark IX. Luke ix. 22. Vol. i. pag. 549.) 31. And he said unto them with great Solemnity, Apply your Ears attentively to these Sayings (b), Luke IX. how disagreeable foever they may be, and let 44. them sink into your Hearts; for the Son of Man, instead of reigning in that Grandeur which you expect, shall very shortly be betrayed into the Hands of finful Men (c), and shall seem for a while to be a helpless Prey to their Rage; for they shall put him to Death in a most cruel and infamous Manner; but they shall not finally triumph over him; for after he is thus flain, he shall rise from the Dead on the third Day, according to the Intimations I have often given you. (See Vol. i. pag. 142, 143.384.539.) But they were so strongly prepossessed with 45 the Expectation of a Temporal Kingdom, that And (b) Apply your Ears to these Sayings.] This seems to me a just Translation, of θεθε υμεις εις τα ώτα υμων τος λογος τέλος, which is literally, Put these Sayings to your Ears; a Phrafe which our Language will hardly admit. It intimates the Propensity they had, to withdraw and turn away their Ears, from such Declarations, as he was now about to make. : (c) Shall shortly be betrayed, &c.] Mark has expressed it in the Present Tense, and says, The Son of Man is delivered: But nothing is more common in the Sacred Language, than to speak of what should certainly and quickly be, as if it was already done. Compare John xii. 31. xvii. 4, 11, 24. Eph. ii. 5, 6. Heb. xii. 22. and Rev. xviii. 2, and 4. - The Explication of many other Scriptures depends on this obvious Remark, (d) The 16 Sect. 92. 24. He pays the Tribute by a Miracle at Capernaum. And foon after this, he came with his Disciples to Capernaum: And when they were come [thither,] Mat. XVII. the Receivers and Collectors of the Sacred Tribute (d), which was gathered every Year thro' all their Cities, came to Peter, and faid, Does not your Master, who has the Character of fo religious a Teacher, pay the usual Tribute of the Didrachma (e) or Half-Shekel to the Service of the Tem25 ple? And he says, Yes, I know that he uses to pay it, and make no Doubt but he will do it now. And when he came into the House, Jefus, who was there before, prevented him, before he could speak of the Affair in Question, and faid to him, What doft thou think, Simon, and what seems fit to thee on this Occafion? Of whom do the Kings of the Earth receive Custom or Tribute? of their own Sons, or of Strangers? 26 Peter fays to him, Lord, it is evident they re- 27 Neverthe less, left we should offend them, by giving an Occa- MAT. XVII. 24. And [he to Capernaum: and] when they were come came thither, they that received Tribute - Money, came to Peter, and faid, Doth not your Master pay Tribute? [MARK IX. 33.-] 25 He faith, Yes. And when he was come into the House, Jesus prevented him, faying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the Kings of the Earth take Cu stom or Tribute? of their own Children, or of Strangers? 26 Peter faith unto him, Of Strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the Children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the Sea, and caft an Hook, (d) The Collectors of the Sacred Tribute.] Jofephus has expressly asserted, that each of the Jews used yearly to pay a Didrachma, or Half-Shekel, the Piece of Money here mentioned, to the Service of the Temple: (See Jofeph. Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 9. (al. 12.) §. 1.) A Custom, which probably took its Rise from the Demand of that Sum from each of the Ifraelites, whenever they were numbred. Exod. xxx. 13. And therefore, with Beza, Cafaubon, Hammond, Grotius, and many other great Criticks, I chuse to understand this Passage, as referring to that, rather than to any Civil Tax; chiefly because I think, notwithstanding what Salmafius says to the contrary, (against Milton, pag. 259.) our Lord's Argument ver. 25, 26. can otherwise have no Force. The Reader will find an excellent Note in Grotius here, which renders it unnecessary to inlarge any farther. (e) Does not your Master pay the usual Tribute, &c.] It seems then to have been a voluntary Thing, which Custom, rather than Law, had established. In Nehemiah's Days it was accounted fo, and the Sum was then something lower. See Neh. x. 32. (f) A Reflections on the Poverty and Wisdom of CHRIST. 17 Hook, and take up the Fish neighbouring Shore, throw in a Hook, and take the Sect. 92. that first cometh up: when thou hast opened his Mouth, thou shalt find a Piece of Money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. ر and first Fish that comes up; and when thou hast opened Ma XVII IMPROVEMENT. OW flow and untractable were the Minds of the Apostles, who Markix. 32: understood not these plain Things, when thus inculcated again and again! But on the other Hand, how much Integrity does it shew in the Hiftorian, to record what seemed so little to the Honour of himself, and his Brethren ? In this Respect, and many others, surely Credit rises to the Gospel, even by Occasion of the Infirmities of those to whom it was committed, and out of Weakness they are made strong. Let us however learn, to be upon our Guard against the Prejudices of Worldly Interest, since, as we fee, they may take such strong Hold of Minds, in the main upright and pious. And therefore let us earnestly pray, that God would give us a greater Relish for spiritual and eternal Blessings. It cannot surely become us, to seek the Grandeur and Riches of this Mat. xvii. World, when our Blessed Master was so poor, that he could not pay this 27. little Tribute, without having Recourse to a Miracle. Yet this he chuses, rather than to give Offence by a Refusal, how justly foever he might have pleaded an Exemption from it. Let us learn from hence that Meekness of Ver. 26. Wisdom, which will teach us to seek the Interest of others, rather than our own; and rather to consider, how we may edify others by the Abundance (f) A Statera, which it has just swallowed.] The Statera was (as appears in Part from this Text,) a Piece of Coin, in Value about Two Half-Shekels, or, according to Dr. Prideaux, near Three Shillings of our Money, tho' most Criticks reckon the Shekel but about Half a Crown. See Drufius, on this Verse and the 24th. I see no Reason with Schmidius to suppose, this Piece of Money was created on this Occasion: But supposing, as in the Paraphrafe, that the Fish had accidentally swallowed it, (perhaps as it was falling into the Water, near some other Prey,) I cannot forbear remarking, how illustrious a Degree of Knowledge and Power our Lord discovered in the Case before us; Knowledge, in penetrating into the Bowels of this Animal, tho' in the Sea; and Power, in directing this particular Fish to Peter's Hook, tho' he himself was at a Distance. Hardly any Circumstance can be imagined more fit, to encourage him, and his Brethren, in a firm Dependance on Divine Providence. And it is very natural to reflect, how easily Christ could, if he had seen fit, have drawn up immense Treasures by this very Method, from the Heart of the Sea: But he intended, that his Servants should be inriched and adorned in a much nobler Manner, than with Pearls and coftly Array. VOL. II. C 18 The Disciples contend, who of them should be greatest. Sect. 92. dance of our good Works, than how we may excuse ourselves in the Omiffion of any. That Extent of Knowledge and Power, which our Lord displayed on this Occafion, can never be at a Loss for Means to repay, whatever we may thus sacrifice for his fake. SECT. XCIII. CHRIST reproves his Apostles for their Contention, who Sect. 93. N Mark IX. 33. 34 35 MARK IX. 33. MARK IX.-33 in the House, he afked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the Way? OW when Peter was returned from the Sea- AND being But instead of answering him directly, they were 34 But they held their Peace: for by the Way [there arofe a Reasoning among them, and] they had difputed among themselves, [which of them should be greatest.] [LUKE IX. 46.] And Jefus perceiving, notwithstanding their Si35 And [Jefus perceiving lence, the secret Thought of their ambitious Heart, the Thought of their Heart,] and fat (a) When Peter was returned, &c.] In order to remind those, who may hear these Sections read in a Family, of the Connection of them, I have generally introduced each, with a brief Hint at the Subject of the former; which tho' it makes the Paraphrafe on the first Verse of a Section sometimes much longer, than I should otherwise have chosen, yet may I hope be attended with Advantage sufficient to ballance that Inconvenience. (b) Called |