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Sect. 91.

Mark ix. 24.

He paffes privately thro' Galilee with his Disciples.

of a contrary Principle! In how many Inftances does that paffionate Exclamation of the Father in this Story, fuit us? Lord, we believe; help thou our Unbelief! How difficult is it, in the Midft of fo much Guilt and Weakness, of fo much Perplexity and Unworthiness, to believe the Promises of Forgiveness and Prefervation, 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 oppofe thofe Corruptions, which would enervate and fupprefs it. Perhaps there are fome 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 furely they have little Regard to the Peace and Security of their Souls, who can allot only a few hafty Moments to them, when they have whole Hours and Days to bestow, not only on the Labours, but even on the Amusements of Life.

21.

Mark IX. 30.

SECT. XCII.

The Difciples are offended, at the Warning CHRIST gives them of his approaching Sufferings. He makes a miraculous Provifion for paying the Tribute Money. Mat. XVII. 22, to the End. Mark IX. 30,---33- Luke IX.-43,---45.

MARK IX. 30.

Sect. 92. AND while every one of the Spectators was amazed at this ftupendous Miracle wrought on the Child who had been fo terribly poffeffed, and at all the other extraordinary Things which Jefus did, they (i. e. our Lord and his Apoftles,) departed from thence, and paled from the Mountain on which he had been transfigured, thro' the reft of Galilee: And he contrived to do it as privately as he could; for he was defirous that none might know [it,] left the important Conversation, into which he then entered with his Difciples, should be interrupted. For while they continued travelling and converfing in Galilee, and especially when they came to the Places where they lodged, Jefus taught bis Difciples (a) more

31

largely

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(a) For Jefus taught his Difciples.] Mark affigns this as the Reason, why he defired, his Journey fhould be private, viz. that he might have an Opportunity to talk over this Subject at large: Which fhews, that the Continuance or Abode in Galilee mentioned by Matthew, was only the fhort 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.

LUKE IX. 44. Let thefe Sayings fink down into your Ears: for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the Hands of Men, [and they he is killed, he shall rife the third Day.] [MARK IX. —31. MAT. XVII. 22, 23.-]

fhall kill him; and after that

45 But they understood not this Saying, and it was hid from them, that they feared to ask him of that Saying, [and were exceeding forry.] [MAT. XVII.-23. MARK IX. 32.]

perceived it not: and they

τα πλα

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 faid unto them with great Solemnity,
Apply your Ears attentively to thefe Sayings (b), Luke IX.
how difagreeable foever they may be, and let 44.
them fink into your Hearts; for the Son of Man,
instead of reigning in that Grandeur which you
expect, hall very shortly be betrayed into the
Hands of finful Men (c), and fhall feem 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 fhall not finally
triumph over him; for after he is thus flain,
he fhall rife 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 fo ftrongly prepoffeffed with 45
the Expectation of a Temporal Kingdom, that
they understood not this Saying, plain as it was,
and the Senfe of it was hid from them, fo that
they perceived it not; foolishly imagining it incon-
fiftent with what the Sacred Oracles had declared,
of the glorious Success of the Son of Man, and the
univerfal Empire he was to establish. (Dan. vii. 14.)
And yet they were afraid to ask him what was the
Meaning of that Saying, left he should upbraid them
as unteachable; confidering how lately he had
given them the like Warning before, and how fe-
verely he had rebuked Peter for endeavouring to
diffuade him from it: Nevertheless they perceived,
that their Mafter foretold his own Death, and were
exceeding forry, that a Perfon of fo excellent and.
amiable a Character, from whom they had enter-
tained fuch glorious Expectations, fhould meet,
with fo unworthy a Return.

And

(b) Apply your Ears to thefe Sayings.] This feems to me a just Translation, of dede vues as. UμEV TUS 20785. Tols, which is literally, Put thefe Sayings to your Ears; a Phrafe which our Language will hardly admit. It intimates the Propenfity they had, to withdraw and turn. away their Ears, from fuch Declarations, as he was now about to make.

(c) Shall fhortly be betrayed, &c.] Mark has expreffed it in the Prefent Tenfe, and fays, The Son of Man is delivered: But nothing is more common in the Sacred Language, than to fpeak of what fhould 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

1.6

Sect. 92. Mat. XVII. 24.

He pays the Tribute by a Miracle at Capernaum.

MAT. XVII. 24. And

[he came to Capernaum : and] when they were come thither, they that received Tribute - Money, came Peter, and faid, Doth not [MARK IX. 33-]

your Mafter pay Tribute?

25 He faith, Yes. And when he was come into the Houfe, Jefus prevented him, faying, What thinkeft thou, Simon? of whom do the Kings of the Earth take Cufrom or Tribute? of their own Children, or of Strangers?

And foon after this, he came with his Difciples to Capernaum: And when they were come [thither,] 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 Mafter, who has the Character of fo religious a Teacher, pay the ufual Tribute of the Didrachma (e) or Half-Shekel to the Service of the Tem25 ple? And he fays, 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 Houfe, Jefus, who was there before, prevented him, before he could fpeak of the Affair in Queftion, and faid to him, What doft thou think, Simon, and what feems 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 receive it only of Strangers. Jefus faid to him, Then the Sons by Virtue of their Fathers Difpenfation are free from the Obligation: And on the like Principle, I, as the Son of God, might plead an Exemption here, especially as I have not now the Sum, which is required towards the Mainte27 nance of the Temple-Worship. lefs, left we should offend them, by giving an Occa- thou to the Sea, and caft an fion to imagine that I put any Slight on the Temple, or left others from my Example should in far different Circumstances omit this Contribution, I will not debate the Matter, but rather work a Miracle, than fail in the Payment. Go therefore down to the Sea, and when thou comeft to the neighbour

Neverthe

26 Peter faith unto him, Of Strangers. Jefus faith unto him, Then are the

Children free.

27 Notwithstanding, left we thould offend them, go

Hook,

(d) The Collectors of the Sacred Tribute.] Jofephus has exprefsly afferted, that each of the Jews ufed 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 Rife 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 chufe to understand this Paffage, as referring to that, rather than to any Civil Tax; chiefly because I think, notwithstanding what Salmafius fays 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 unneceflary to inlarge any farther.

(e) Does not your Mafter pay the ufual 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 fomething lower. See Neh. x. 32.

(f) A

Reflections on the Poverty and Wisdom of CHRIST.

when thou haft opened his Mouth, thou shalt find a Piece of Money: that take, and give unto them for me

27.

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Hook, and take up the Fish neighbouring Shore, throw in a Hook, and take the Sect. 92. that firft cometh up and firft Fish that comes up; and when thou haft opened Mat. XVII. its Mouth, thou shalt there find a Piece of Silver Coin, called a Statera, which it has juft fwallowed (f); take that, and give it to them that collect the Tribute, both for me and thee; for thou knoweft it will answer their Demands for both. Accordingly Peter went, and finding the Money in the Fish's Mouth, paid it according to his Lord's Command.

and thee.

H

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 fhew in the Hiftorian, to record what feemed fo little to the Honour of himself, and his Brethren? In this Refpect, and many others, furely Credit rifes to the Gospel, even by Occafion of the Infirmities of those to whom it was committed, and out of Weakness they are made ftrong. Let us however learn, to be upon our Guard against the Prejudices of Worldly Intereft, fince, as we fee, they may take fuch ftrong 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 Bleffings.

It cannot surely become us, to feek the Grandeur and Riches of this Mat. xvii. World, when our Blessed Mafter was fo poor, that he could not pay this 27. little Tribute, without having Recourfe to a Miracle. Yet this he chufes, rather than to give Offence by a Refufal, 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 feek the Interest of others, rather than our own; and rather to confider, how we may edify others by the Abun

dance

(f) A Statera, which it has juft fwallowed.] 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' moft Criticks reckon the Shekel but about Half a Crown. See Drufius, on this Verfe and the 24th.I fee no Reason with Schmidius to fuppofe, this Piece of Money was created on this Occafion: But fuppofing, as in the Paraphrafe, that the Fifb had accidentally fwallowed it, (perhaps as it was falling into the Water, near fome other Prey,) I cannot forbear remarking, how illuftrious a Degree of Knowledge and Power our Lord difcovered in the Cafe 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 Circumftance 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 eafily Chrift could, if he had feen fit, have drawn up immenfe 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.

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The Difciples contend, who of them should be greatest.

Sect. 92. dance of our good Works, than how we may excufe ourselves in the Omiffion of any. That Extent of Knowledge and Power, which our Lord difplayed on this Occafion, can never be at a Lofs for Means to repay, whatever we may thus facrifice for his fake.

Sect. 93. Mark IX. 33.

SECT. XCIII.

CHRIST reproves his Apoftles for their Contention, who
fhould be greateft; and recommends to them Humility and
Mortification. Mark IX.
33,--- 37. 42,--- to the End.
Mat. XVIII. 1,---9. Luke IX. 46,---48.

MARK IX. 33.

among

OW when Peter was returned from the Sea-
Side, having taken the Fish which fupplied
him with the Tribute-Money (a), our Lord, from
a late Occurrence which he had obferved
his Difciples, took Occafion to recommend Hu-
mility to them: And being in the Houfe with his
Apostles, that he might naturally introduce the
Discourse he intended, he asked them, About what
were you difputing with each other on the Way in fo
eager a Manner, that I could not forbear taking
particular Notice of it?

34 But instead of answering him directly, they were
confounded with the Question, and continued
filent, being afhamed to confefs the Truth; for
as they were travelling on the Way, a Controverfy
arofe among them, [and] they had warmly debated
the Matter one with another, which of them should
be the greatest Man in that Temporal Monarchy,
which they affured themselves Jefus, as the ex-
pected Meffiah, would erect, whatever Sufferings
might lie in the Paffage to it.

35

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And Jefus perceiving, notwithstanding their Si- 35 And [Jefus perceiving lence, the fecret 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 firft Verse of a Section fometimes much longer, than I should otherwise have chofen, yet may I hope be attended with Advantage fufficient to ballance that Inconvenience.

(b) Called

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