200 SECT. cliii. The Pharisees and Herodians come to Jesus to ensnare him, ings, and seems to desire a share in them, that will be admitted to it. No: in order to our partaking of an inheritance among the Ver, saints in light, it is necessary that we be made meet for it by the 11 holiness both of our hearts and lives, (Col. i. 12.) This is the wedding garment, wrought by the Spirit of God himself, and offered to us by the freedom of his grace. And it is so necessary, that with13 out it we must be separated from the number of his guests and friends, and even, though we had eaten and drank in his presence, must be cast out into outer darkness, (Luke xiii. 26.) SECT. Frequently let us think of that awful day when the King will come in to see his guests; when God will take a most exact survey 12 of every soul under a Christian profession. Let us think of that speechless confusion which will seize such as have not on the wedding-garment, and of that inexorable severity with which they 13 will be consigned to weeping and gnashing of teeth. To have seen for a while the light of the gospel, and the fair beamings of an eternal hope, will add deeper and more sensible horror to those gloomy caverns; to have heard those glad tidings of great joy, and to hear them, as it were, echoed back in accents of final despair, how will it wound the ear, and pierce the very heart! May God prevent it, by fulfilling in us all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, and we in him (2 Thess. i. 11, 12.) when the marriage supper of the Lamb shall be celebrated, and all the harmony, pomp, and beauty of heaven shall aid its solemnity, its magnificence, and its joy! SECT. CLIV. Our Lord confounds the Pharisees and Herodians when they hoped to have ensnared him by their question relating to the lawfulness of paying the Roman tribute. Mat. XXII. 15–22. Mark XII. 13-17. Luke XX. 20-26. MAT. XXII. 15. Mat. XXII. 15. risees, and took how they cliv. THEN the Pharisees, stung with the severe THEN went the Phabut just rebukes he had been giving them in counsel Mat. the foregoing parables, went out from his pre- might entangle him in XXII.15 sence, and retiring, took counsel together how his talk. LUKE XX. 20. And they watched him, and they might ensnare him in [his] discourse, and find something on which they might ground an Luke accusation or complaint against him. And they XX. 20. narrowly watched him in all his motions that day, sent forth [unto him] and sent out spies to try if they could take him at spies, which should an advantage, who should pretend themselves to be feign themselves just righteous men, that were come, for the ease of men [MARK, even their certain Asking if it was lawful for them to pay tribute to Cæsar. 201 SECT. cliv. Certain [disciples] of their consciences, to propose a scruple to him on the Pharisees and of the an affair of great importance. Now those that Herodians], that they might take hold of his were sent on this errand were persons of oppo- Luke words, that so they site sects; [even] some of the disciples of the XX. 20. might deliver him unto leading men among the Pharisees, who were the power and autho rity of the governor. very solicitous for the freedom of their country [MAT. XXII. 16.- from every mark of slavery; and [some] of the MARK XII. 13.] 21 And [MARK, carest thou for any f sect of the Herodians, a party of men (as was. And when they were come to him, in order to 21 when they were come] accomplish their design, they craftily accosted they asked him, say him with an air of great respect, and with flating, Master, we know that thou [art true, tering expressions of the highest esteem; and and] sayest and teach- asked him, saying, Master, we know, and are well est rightly [neither satisfied, that thou art true and upright; and as man: for thou re- thou comest as a Messenger from God, so, after gardest not the person the example of those faithful and courageous of men], [MARK, prophets who were in Israel in its better ages, of God in truth]: thou sayest and teachest rightly, and art impartial [MAT. XXII.-16. and sincere in every thing that thou declarest; MARK XII. 14.-) neither carest thou for the censure or applause of any man; for thou regardest not the person of men, so as to be influenced by complaisance or fear, or any private views whatever, to deviate from the strictest integrity and veracity; but plainly teachest the way of God and the path of but teachest the way aThat they might lay hold on his words.] They hoped to have ensnared him by the question they came to propose, whatever answer he could have returned. If he asserted on the one hand, that tribute was to be paid to Cæsar, the Pharisees, who ge nerally maintained (as Judas Gaulonites had done) that such a subjection to a foreign power was inconsistent with the privileges of God's peculiar people, would have endeavoured to expose him to popu lar resentment, as betraying the liberties of his country. On the other hand, had duty he denied the lawfulness of this tribute, the b One 202 cliv. He bids them render to Cæsar what is Cæsar's, &c. SECT. duty in truth. We are come therefore to pro- MAT. XXII. 17. pose a question to thee, about which thou Tell What thinkest thou? Mat. us therefore, knowest that we Pharisees and Herodians are Is it lawful [LUKE, XXII.17 divided, and to which an interested man who for us] to give tribute was governed by principles of human policy [MARK XII.-14. unto Cesar, or not? might, perhaps, be unwilling to answer: tell us, LUKE XX. 22.] we pray thee (for we have determined to submit our judgment and practice to thy sentiments in the matter, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful for us Jews, who are the peculiar people of God, and are many of us in conscience tender of acknowledging any king but him, or one of our brethren appointed by his immediate delegation, to pay the usual tribute to Cæsar, the Mark Roman Emperor, or not? What dost thou adXII. 15. vise in this case, as right for us to do? Shall we give it to the collectors, or shall we not give it? We must beg an immediate answer, for the tribute is even now demanded of us. And here they ceased, as thinking they had him in an inextricable snare, and that he could return no answer which would not expose him to the severe resentment either of the Jewish people or of the Roman officers. XXII.19 MARK XII. 15.Shall we give, or shall we not give?— But [Jesus], knowing their hypoed their craftiness}, [and wickedness, and] tempt ye me [ye hypocrites] [MA T. XXII. 18. LUKE XX. crisy [LUKE, perceiv said unto them, Why 23.] MAT. XXII. 19. But Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, which was indeed their reigning character, perceived their craftiness [and] wickedness in this address, however pious and respectful it appeared, and therefore said to them, Ye hypocrites, Why do ye tempt me by such an ensnaring question, and seek to draw me into danger and destruction by it? Is this a proof of your regard and friendship to a Mat. faithful and impartial Teacher ? But that I may return a proper answer to your question, Shew me the tribute whatever be the view that you may have in ask-moneyBring me a penny, that I may see ing it, shew me the tribute money which is de- t.] MARK XII.-15.] manded of you; and bring me hither a penny, LUKE XX. 24.—] or denarius, that I may see it. And they brought And him a Roman penny. And, looking upon it, says to them, Whose is this image which is struck upon the coin, and whose inscription and them, Whose is this title is this [which] it has round it? And they, tion [LUKE, that it Mark XII. 16. The One of our brethren, &c.] We are told that the grand argument which the followers of Judas Gaulonites, and others inclined to their party, urged, as decisive against the authority of the Romans, was that text which prohibited their setting a stranger to be king over them, Deut. xvii. 15. And Grotius (in his note on Mat. xxii. without MARK XII. 16. they brought funto him a penny]. And he saith unto image and superscrip hath] 16.) seems to think it was this that formerly engaged them so vigorously to oppose the Chaldeans, and to refuse submitting to their government, till Jerusalem was destroyed. See note a on Luke xiii. 1, p. 7. c Whose is this image and inscription!] Dr. Lightfoot tells us (in his Hor. Heb. on Mat. xxii. 20) that the Jews have a tradi hath] And they depart confounded at his answer. said unto him, Cesar's. Render [therefore] to 203 And they without perceiving his design, immediately an- SECT. [LUKE, answered and] swered and said to him, It is Cesar's: thereby in cliv. [MAT. XXII-19, 20, effect acknowledging that they were under his Mark 21.-LUKE XX.-24.1 dominion, by their admitting his coin as cur- XII. 17. 17—And Jesus an- rent among them. And Jesus answering said swering said unto them, unto them, Render therefore to Cæsar the things which are Caesar's and to God the things which are Cesar's, and to are God's; and labour so to adjust your regards God the things that and duties to both, that you may not on the one LUKE hand, under pretence of religion, do any injury to Cæsar, nor on the other hand, under pretence of duty to Cæsar, violate any of the commands of God, or fail of that respect to him which he requires: whereby he plainly intimated that tribute was to be paid to Cæsar as due to his government; yet did it in such a manner, and with such restrictions, as prevented the inconvenience of a more express declaration. are God's. XXII-21. XX. 25. [MAT. LUKE XX. 26. And people and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace And when they had heard [his] wise and unex- Luke there words], they ceptionable [answer], they plainly found that XX. 26. could not take hold of they could not take hold of his words before the his words before the people, so as to incense and stir them up against him, as no friend to their liberties; and they were equally unable to accuse him to the Romans [and left him, and of sedition, on account of any thing he had then went their way said as derogating fromthe rights of Cæsar. They [MAT. XXII. 22. MARK XII.-17.] therefore wondered at the prudence and address of his reply, by which he had effectually disentangled himself from what they thought must unavoidably have ensnared him; and were so perfectly confounded, that they held their peace, and left him; and deeply sensible of the disgrace, as well as disappointment they had met with, they went away amazed and ashamed. tion among them, that to admit of the title of any prince on their current coin, was an acknowledgment of subjection to him. It is certain, their not daring to refuse this coin, when offered them in payment, was in effect a confession that they were conquered by the Romans, and consequently that the emperor had a right to their tribute. And to God the things which are God's.] Diodate, Raphelius, and some other commentators, interpret this as a caution against omitting the sacred tribute, on pretence of answering the demands of Cæsar, who VOL. VII. IMPROVE (they say) had claimed it to himself. But C c 204 Reflections on the duties we owe to God and the king. IMPROVEMENT. SECT. AGAIN does our Lord renew the repeated lesson he had before cliv. given us, both by precept and example, of uniting wisdom and Luke innocence. How admirable was this mixture of prudence and xx.25,26 integrity with which he confounded these Pharisees and Herodi ans, who, contrary as their principles and interests were, conspired 20 against him! For of a truth, O Lord, against thine holy Child Jesus, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, and the people of Israel, were gathered together (Acts iv. 27); and their words were softer than oil, when war and murder was in their hearts. (Psal. lv. 21.) 21 xxii. 16. Let us not, with the simple, believe every flattering word (Prov. xiv. 15), since sometimes the highest encomiums may be designed as the instruments of mischief: and too often they prove so, when they are not treacherously intended. Mat. Our Lord was indeed the Person whom these artful hypocrites described; and was in that respect an excellent Pattern to all his followers, and especially to his ministers. He knew no man in the discharge of his office; but, without regarding the persons of any, neither seeking their favour nor fearing their resentment, he taught the way of God in truth, and declared the whole of his counsel. 21 Let us particularly attend to his decision in the present case, and learn with the utmost readiness to render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's. Our civil magistrates, by virtue of their office, justly claim our reverent regard; and tribute is most reasonably due to those who attend continually to the service of the public, and are, under God, the pillars of our common tranquility and happiness. (Rom. xiii. 6, 7.) Let that tribute therefore be justly and freely rendered with honour, and with cheerfulness; as he is surely unworthy to share in the benefits of government who will not contribute his part towards its necessary expence. But let it also be remembered that the rights of God are sacred and inviolable: he, and he alone, is the Lord of conscience; and when that is invaded, it is easy to judge whether man or God is to be obeyed; (Acts iv. 19.) Let us be daily thankful that in our own age and country these rights are so happily united. May a guardian Providence continue to watch over both! and may we seriously consider how impossible it is, under such a government, to be good Christians, without being obedient subjects, or to fear God, if we do not honour the king! (1 Pet. ii. 17.) SECT. |