ar, tho' 1r was changed from a Sacred, to a Civil uſe ; from an Homage-Penny ro God, to be an Homage-Penny to the Conguerirs, The Agreement of this Sum, with what was required by the Law, rogether with what our Saviour ſaich afterward, will incline us ro think, that this Tax was that Aeligions Tax, mentioned Excl. 30. and that the ColleFors were ſome Officers depured for that Service by the Priefs. When Peter came into the Houſe, our Saviour preventeth his propounding the Queſtion ro him (tcr Pe- ter had betore rold rhem, 7es he did,) by asking him of whom the Kings of the Earth uſed to receive Tribute, of their own C/il- dren, or of Strangers * Where, by Children, we muſt not under- ſtand their Political Child;en, that is, their Subje&s, bur cheir 8s tural Children, for otherwiſe Peter would not have ſaid of Str! £ers 3 nor would our Saviour have Anfſivered, Then are the Child;ai free; tor there is nothing more ordinary than for Princes to tc:
tpeakerh of a Fuith of Miracles, or no, I will nor determine ; I ra- rier think, that he ſpeakerh here of any true Faith z We muſt nave the Power and Promiſe of God for its Objef, The Promiſe or wr bins Mirocles by a Divine Power committed to them, was 2 parriculzr Promie made to the Diſciples, Mat. 10. and fo was only the Object of their Faith. Bur I rake our Saviour's Words rt cxtind to 4 furcher Larirude, tho' as to Miraculous Operations, it was ogly appiicalic tt chem, There 15nothing which God hath rYomilcd to give cr beftow on any, but Faith will obtain from fin, it attended by a fervent Prayer, to which Faſting is ſubſervi- ear, 4s preparing us ro ir, Thereare ſome things, which are oh- riined by a frm Fiith, and by more fervent and importunate Prices thanomhers are: A Mercy fomerimes ſeems ro us ro come our ot re and of God with more Dithculty and Wreſtling ter it; but c12rc is nothing within che Laticude of a Promiſe, bur is rt be done and obtained by rhe vigorous Exerciſe of Faith, and Ly fervent and 1mpytunudte Prayer. The Apoſtles had yer bur a weak and imper:ct Faith, and they had not uſed ſuch fervent and wp romate Praver m this Cafe, as they ought to have done, thence dd this Work appear fo Difficult unro chem. * Ch. 20, 22 * And while they abode in Galilee, Jeſus ſaid 7. unto them, Fhe von of man {hall be betrayed inro Mar. bb the hands of men, 22 And they thall kill him, and the third day he hail be raiſed again : and they wereexceeding ſorry. Aft [11t11, C:).tþs, 9. JO, ZI, 32, Ard tiney departed therce, and P-lje 3 in 9gÞ Galilee, ard ne would nt that any Man ſhoald know it, iy ce tvgnt his Diſciples, \and {id unto them, the Son of Man
, j -
2" 2 SW 3 PR DRIER Rho oY : " I . . « Is Jearvered int the i. nos 3f Men, and thoy 211 bill him, and aftei
ccive Tribute of their Subjects. ro mean, 15 this: This Tribure is gathered for my Heavenly Fa ther : I am his Son, I am not bound to pay it. | Notwithſtanding, lest we offend, ] Leſt we give them occaſion to ſay, We break the Law of God : Go thou to the Sea ( the Sea of Galilee, which was near) and take up the Fiſh which cometh up firſt ; and when thou hit opened his Mouth, thou ſhalt find $aJnee, a piece of Momey, to the value of about an Halt Crown in Engliſh, How this Money came in che Mouth of the Fith, is a very idle Diſpute, confidering that he thar ſpeaks was the Creator of all things. | And pay them ji me and thee, | The Papits, who think chey have found herc an Argument for rhe Primacy of Peter, becauſe Chriſt paid this Tri- bure for him, and net for the other Diſciples, do nor only affirm whar they do not know, bur ftorger that Capernaum was the City in which Peter lived, (we heard before of Chritt's curing 0: Wives Mother there of a Fever) and chat Peter was the only Man of whom this Tribute was demanded. This Portion of Scripture affords us rhis Inſtrution : That it is the Duty of Chriſtians to vera ſomething of their own right, when they cannot inſiſt upon, and 04:55 it without a Scandal and Prejudice to the Goſpel, and the Concein © Religion, It this were required in Purſuance of the Law, £3 30. 12, 13. and our Saviour had refuſed to pay it, the 519-5 and Phaxiſces would have Clamoured againſt him, as Violating the Law of God. It jt were required as a Civil Tas, thicy wou'd have Clamoured againtt him, as a Man that went abour co ftir vp Sedition.or Rebelliom. Having thercfore firſt aflerced his Right and Immunicy, he departeth from ir to prevent a Scandal. We muſt never parc with God's Right: Eut co depart irom our ovn, is not only lawful, bur oitentimes very adviſable and cxpcdient, Cur Saviour chuſerch rather co work a Miracle, than tO þ1Ve a Scand; ard by this Miracle he alfo confirmed his Immunity
l - A >> j. ; - % # j Fo. ge A , 4 Fs 7 t/1.-i1t ' Glee, #15 {6:21 ric tie it. rd Day, Bit the UNGKEY®
%
thar he was rhe .Son of him who is the Kirg of Kings, and apt 11 Strifineſ: obliged to pay Its CHAP,
they that received || tribute-money, came to Prter |
25 Hefſaith, Yes. And when he was come into the ;
Thar which our Saviour ſeemeti.
Chap. XY}
In a4 4 i \'*
The 7ews were by God's Law, Exod. 3o. 13. oblized to pay an jj: half Shekel, which was for che Service of the Sun&uary, v.16, This 11, »!; was paid every Year. The halt Shekel amounted in our Money to /12 7 Fifceen Pence, or thereabours z whether this were the Tribute- 5/i/; money here demanded, and paid, fome doubr, and fay, thatthe Six [7 Romans having the Fews now under their Power, impoſed this Pay- i: 1/1 menc upon every Head, as a Tribute to the Emperor; which being 0: 7 a Cuſtomary Payment, they thought the Fews would lefs ſtumble $i:
Whict Ain dim of $31 been needec Was cel Was tc this Dj; now y doubtle Places 1 Tribute thar afr been ip
greeth
it now Point an SIme of Gul. 1, 1 named t: Others þ the below, the Mou: fOme Em Vlour to hardly qc of the Ear great thin: Erernal C: Men are fi hardly bro Whicl arc ; ved himſe} Anfiver he
Q 1nd Mim in th
2 And
6+ COnverted. FE. I07 cntoer o 0. <6 T
& Why this Iittl- 4 Ol Bey YI
% | he Ge I a 4 A Fy, mae
St.
EN AP- Ky.
(Chaps XVYUl I ,
C19 reprove | gone i by the Example of 4 little Child, I—4-. Shewerh the [.mzer of Offences, 5, 5. and exhyrteth to avoid them, and not +: oipiſe any of bis Diſciples, 7—14- Direfeth how to deal with : Rather that offendeth, 15—20. How oft to forgive him, 21,
2, which he ſheweth by a Parable of a King, taking Account of