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Chap. RX}1. Be.
firs 29wing from thar, we muſt by Chzſen here underſtand Effe- &u.uly cailell, being made Parcakers of that fpecia}, diftinguithing Grace, which bringerh Salvation. The Goſpel 1s Preached to many, whem God doth not favour with his ſpecial Grace, ſo as they receive it, convert and are ſaved. The tormer part of this Pa- rable doth hint us the reaton why the Jews rejected the Offers of Grace and Salvation made to chem, viz. The Power thar the Temprations from the World of Pleaſure, Profir, and Honour had upon them. As the latrer part allo ſheweth us che rrue realon why any are laved, to be from the free Grace of God, viz, becaule chey are Ch1/en, choſen to Erernal Life, and particularly tavoured to be made Partakers of his ſpecial, and diſtinguifhing Grace.
15 Then went the Phariſees, and took counſel
how they might entangle him in Þ/5 talk.
Muck, Ch. 12. 13. ſaith, They ſent unto him certain of the Phart- feos, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his Words. Luke aich, Ch. 20. 20. They watched him, and ſent forth Spies, which ſhould feien rhemſelves juſt Men, that they might take hold of his Words, that { they might deliver him to the Power and Authority of the Go= wvernour, His Life was what they ſought for. This they had no Power allowed by the Romans to. take away withour the Sen- tence of Pontius Pilate, the Romm Governour. That they might have ſomething ro accuſe him of before him, which he might condemn him for, they firſt cake Councel. They ſaw he did no- thing worthy ot Dcarh : They therefore iſſue their Councels in a Retolurion, to ſend ſome Perſons to diſcourſe with him, under the Pretence of Conſcientious good Men, to propound ſome Queſtions to him; kis Anſwer ro which, might -give them ſome
Opporcunity to accule him of Bl.z/phemy or Sedition. The Men they |
picch upon, were ſome of them Phariſees, fome Herodians.
16 And they ſent out unto him their diſciples with the Herodians, ſaying, Maſter, we know that thou art true, and teacheſt the way of God in truth : neither careſt thou for any man, for thou regardeſt not the perſon of men.
17 Tell us therefore, what thinkeſt thou ? Is it lawtul to give tribute unto Cefar, or not ?
Mark hath the ſame, Ch. 12. 14. So hath Zuke, Ch. 20. v. 21. There is a grear Variety of Opinions, who tFEefe Herodians were ; we read of them in an early Conſultation againſt Chriſt with the Phariſees, Mare 3.6. Some think they were Foreigners of other Nations, whom #erod being Tetrarch of Galilee, had brought in from Contiguous Pagan Nations; bur this is not Probable, for then the Phariſees would have had nothing to do with them, Others rhink, thar they were ſome of Herod's Guard, or Soldiers; bur neither is this Probable, conſidering the Iffue of their Coun- cels, to ſend ſome whom Chrift ſhould not know, nor be trigh- ted with. Others ( which 1s more probable) think they were ſome of thiſe Jews who f.cuoured Herod's de, and had forgotten the Liberty of their Country, joyning with the Conqueror, and taking his Parc, Ochers think they were Sadduces, Others ſay, that rey were Perſons, that were of a Mungrel Religion, made up of Zudaiſm and Gentiliſm. Mar. 8. 15, Our Saviour bids them beware of the Lezven of the Phariſees, and of Herod; which makerh ir Probable, That the Herodians were not only Courtiers, and for the Roman Intere?, bur that they had imbraced ſome particular D»#rines, much differing from the Phariſees; it is likely, they were Leavened with ſome of the Do@rine of the Sadduces, denying Angels and Spirits, and the Reſurrefion, Ir is plain, that they were ſome of Herod's Faion. What their Prin- ciples were as to Religion, is not ſo plain, nor of much Concern to us to know. They begin their Diſcourſe to our Saviour, with a grear Complement, Maſter, a Name the Jews did uſually zive ro thoſe whom they owned tor Teachers. {| We know that thou art true | cne that wili rell us che Truth, and ſpeak as thou think- eſt ro be true: { And teacheſt the way of God in Truth, neither careſt thou for any Man, for thou regardeſt not the Perſon of Men. Thou wilc tpeak nothing, our of Fear, nor far any Favour or Affe&ion : Burt plainly rell us whar is Truth, and what God wou!d have us do, 1:1 the Caſes we offer co thee. In theſe Werds they give us the true Character of a good Teacher ; he muft be a good Man, True, one that will truly teach Men the way of God, and in the fairhful Diſcharge of cheir Dury, nor be atraid of the Face of Men. But herein they condemned them- $clves ; for it cur Saviour was fo, whiy did they not believe in him, and obey what he taught them? | Tell us therefore what rhinkest thou? Is it lawful to give Tribute unto Ceſar, or not 2 } But how came this to be a Caſe of Conſcience ? What doubt c:uld rhere be, whether Men for their Peace might nor lawfully part trom their own, eſpecially ſuch a little pare of ir? Some think, thar tliey ſpake with Relation co thar Wicular Tribute, which was. demanded, which they think was that half Shekel, Exod. 30. 12, 15. paid by the Fews every Year, which was to g9 for rhe Sc:rvice of the Tabernacle : They ſay, that the Ro- mins had ordered this Payment to go the Emperor, and this bred tne fvcſtiom, Whether they might lawtully pay that which was appointed, as a Teſtimony of their Homage to God, and for che Service of the Temple, to a profane uſe. I muft confeſs I can- not fo freely azree to this, wanting any good Proof that the Ro-