cles. For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, * Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you: If ye have but the least degree of the faith of miracles, ye may say to the vast mountain from whence ye just now came down, Move thyself and go to some other place, and it shall obey you. Ye shall by that faith be able to accomplish the most difficult things, in all cases where the glory of God, and the good of his church are concerned. Matt. xvii. 21. Howbeit this kind (of demon) geeth not out but by + prayer and fasting: that is, an eminent degree of the faith he had been describing.

Mark ix. 30. And they departed thence. They left the country of Cæsarea Philippi, and passed through Galilee. Luke ix. 48. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. All the disciples were amazed when they considered the greatness of the power which Jesus shewed in his last miracle. It would seem, that their wonder was accompanied with proportionably high expectations of happiness, in that temporal kingdom, which they were now convinced he could easily erect. Jesus knowing this, thought fit, when they came into Galilee, the country where he had the greatest following, to moderate his disciples ambition, by predicting his own sufferings. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, (Matt. while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them) he said unto his disciples, 44. Let these things sink down into your ears; for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. Mark says, verse 30. When he went away and passed through Galilee, he would not that any man should know it. He departed privately without informing the multitude where he was going, and when he came into Galilee, he did not appear in public. 31. For he taught his disci

ples

Ver. 26. Remove hence.] To remove mountains is a proverbial expression, which signifies the doing of things seemingly impossible, as may be gathered from Zech. iv. 7. In this description of the efficacy of faith, there is a beautiful contrast between the smallness of the grain of mustard seed to which their faith is compared, and the hugeness of the mountain that was to be removed thereby.

Ver. 21. Prayer and fasting.] Prayer and fasting could have no relation to the ejection of demons, but in so far as they had a tendency to increase the faith of miracles in him who had that power formerly conferred upon him. For example, prayer, by impressing a man's mind with a more intimate sense that all things whatsoever depend upon the infinite and incomprehensible power of God, raises his idea of that power to a greater sublimity than can be done in the way of ordinary speculation. And as for fasting, by weakening the animal life, it subdues such passions as are nourished by a continual repletion of body. Hence fasting has a tendency to free the mind from the domination of passion, which never fails to occa sion a great inward perturbation, and at times is found to make even the best men inattentive, at least to the more silent impressions of God's Spirit. Fasting therefore produces an inward quietness and calmness very favourable to the growth of faith.

ples and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered, wagadiderar (Matt. SHALL be betrayed, wagadidorm) and they shall kill him, and after that he is killed, he shall rise (Matt. he shall be raised again) the third day. Our Lord now found it necessary for the reason just now mentioned, to moderate the high admiration which his disciples were apt to entertain of him, on account of this, and the other extraordinary things that had lately happened. Wherefore he not only concealed himself for a while, by forbearing to preach and work miracles as he returned through Galilee, but he predicted a third time his own sufferings and death. Luke ix. 45. But they understood not this saying: they could not comprehend how he who was to abide on earth for ever, and was come to deliver others from the universal destroyer, could himself fall under his stroke. And it was hid from them, namely by their own prejudices and misconceptions concerning Messiah, that they perceived it not. For seeing he spake of rising again the third day, they were not able to divine any reason for his dying at all, being ignorant as yet of the nature and ends of his death. And they feared to ask him of that saying. Matt. xviii. 23. And they were exceeding sorry: taking no comfort from the mention that was made of his resurrection, the prediction made them very sorry, and raised such fears in their minds, that they durst not ask him to explain it ; especially as they remembered that he had often inculcated it, and had reprimanded Peter for being unwilling to hear it.

§ LXXIV. The didrachmas are paid in Capernaum. The disciples are reproved for contending about the chief posts in the kingdom. See § 106, 130. Of the evil and punishment of offences. See § 97. The parable of the lost sheep, delivered the first time. See § 94. The forgiveness of injuries is enjoined. The parable of the servant-debtors. Matth. xvii. 24,-26.

xviii. 1,-35. Mark ix. 33,--50. Luke ix. 46,-50.

*

AFTER these things, Jesus came to Capernaum, the place of his ordinary residence. But he was no sooner arrived, than the receivers of the tax called didrachma, a sum equal to half a shekel, or fifteen pence of our money, came to Peter, and asked him, whether his master would pay that tribute. Mark ix. 39.

And

Tax called didrachma.] Most commentators think this was the half shekel raised for the service and reparation of the temple, from all the Jewish males above twenty years old, and which Vespasian afterwards obliged them to pay to the Capitol at Rome. But Beza is of opinion, that it was the poll tax levied by the Romans, after Judea was reduced into the form of a province, (see on Matt. xxii, 17. § 117.) and which Agrippa Major in the reign of Claudius remitted to the Jews. If it was this tribute which the collectors demanded of Peter, the import of their question was this; Is your Master of the sect of Judas of Galilee, whose opinion is, that taxes should be paid to no foreign power?

And he came to Gapernaum. Matth. xvii. 24. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money (Ta didpaxecœperaress) came to Peter, and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute? They demanded the tribute for Jesus from Peter, either because the house in which Jesus lived was his, or because they observed him to be of a more forward disposition than the rest, or because none of them were with him at that time but Peter.. 25. He saith, Yes. Peter told the collectors that his Master would pay the tribute, and consequently made a sort of promise to procure it for them. Yet when he considered the matter more maturely, he was afraid to speak to the Messiah concerning his paying taxes on any pretence whatsoever. In the mean time, Jesus knowing both what had happened, and what Peter was thinking, saved him the pain of introducing the discourse. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute of their own children, or of strangers? 26. Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free: insinuating, that because he was himself the Son of the great King, to whom heaven, earth and sea, with all things in them belong, he was not obliged to pay tribute, as holding any thing by a derived right from any king whatever.. Or if, as is more probable, the contribution was made for the service and reparation of the temple, his meaning was, that being the Son of him to whom the tribute was paid, he could justly have excused himself. Nevertheless, that he might not give offence, he sent Peter to the lake, with a line and a hook, telling him, that in the mouth of the first fish that came up, he should find a Grecian piece of money, called a stater, equal in value to four drachmas, or one shekel of Jewish money, the sum required for them two. Matth. xvii. 27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find (sanga, a stater) a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Our Lord's late prediction concerning his sufferings (§ 73.) had made the disciples exceeding sorry. But their grief soon went VOL. II.

Y

off,

Sent Peter to the lake.] Jesus chose to provide the tribute money by miracle, either because the disciple who carried the bag was absent, or be cause he had not as much money as was necessary. Farther, he chose to provide it by this particular miracle rather than any other, because it was of such a kind as to demonstrate, that he was the Son of the Great Monarch worshipped in the temple, and who rules the universe. Wherefore, in the very manner of his paying this tax, he shewed Peter that he was free from all taxes; and at the same time gave his followers this usefu lessun, that in matters which affect their property in a smaller degree, it is bet ter to recede somewhat from their just rights, than by stubbornly insisting on them, to offend their brethren, or disturb the state.

off, or their ignorance quickly gat the better of it; for in a day or two after that, as they were travelling into Capernaum, some of them forming a separate company, fell a disputing about the chief posts of honour and profit in their Master's kingdom. Luke ix. 46. Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest. Εισήλθε δε διαλογισμός : Now there had ori sen a dispute; namely as they went into Capernaum, as is plain from Mark, ver. 33, 34. This debate Jesus overheard; and though he said nothing to them at the time, yet after the receivers of the didrachmas were gone, he did not fail to ask them, what it was they had been contending about on the road. Mark ix. 33. And being in the house, he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34. But they held their peace; for by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest: they were at the first silent, not caring to discover the matter to him. Wherefore sitting down, and bidding them all stand round him and attend, he said, If any man desires to be the greatest person in my kingdom, let him endeavour to obtain that dignity, by preferring others in honour, and by doing them all the good he can. This he said to insinuate, that in his kingdom they who are most humble and modest, and zealous in doing good, shall be acknowledged as the greatest persons. Mark ix. 35. And he sat down and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. When the disciples heard these words, they immediately perceived that Jesus knew what had happened, and that it was needless to attempt concealing the matter; for which reason they drew near, as Matthew informs us, and desired him to decide the point in dispute among them. Matth. xviii. 1. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? To check these foolish emulations, Jesus called a little child, and having

set

* Luke 46. Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest.] As this dispute happened immediately after Jesus foretold his own sufferings and resurrection, some imagine that by his sufferings, the disciples understood certain great difficulties, which their Master was to meet with before he gat his kingdom established; and by his resurrection from the dead, his surmounting these difficulties. However, the circumstance mentioned by Matthew, viz. that the prediction made them exceeding sorry, does not seem to agree so well with that supposition, unless the thought of his meeting with any opposition at all grieved them, even though they were sure he would surmount it.

According to Luke's representation in our version, this dispute happened at the time that Jesus rebuked his disciples for it. ix. 46. Then there arose a reasoning among them, which should be the greatest. But, Mark ix. 33. we are expressly told that it happened as they went into Capernaum. The evangelists may be reconciled by the translation of Luke's words suggested in the paraphrase, Εισήλθε δε διαλογισμός εν αυτοίς: Noso there had arisem a dispute among them, viz. as they travelled into Capernaum.

set him in the * midst, that they might consider him attentively, he shewed them by the sweetness, docility, and modesty visible in its countenance, what the temper and dispositions of his disciples ought to be, and how dear to him persons of such dispositions are, though otherwise weak and infirm. Matt. xviii. 2. † And Jesus (Luke, perceiving the thought of their heart, the dispositions by which they were animated) called a little child unto him, and set him (Luke, by him) in the midst of them. 3. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven: so far shall ye be from becoming the greatest in my kingdom, that ye shall not so much as enter into it at all, unless ye be like little children, free from pride, covetousness, and ambition, and resemble them in humility, sincerity, docility, and in disengagement of affection from the things of the present life, which fire the ambition of grown men. But he inculcated humility more especially by this argument, that it leads one directly to that greatness which the disciples were ignorantly aspiring after. Matt. xviii. 4. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven: whosoever rests satisfied with the province which God has assigned him, whatever it may be, and meekly receives all the divine instructions, though contrary to his own inclinations, and prefers others in honour, such a person is really the greatest in my kingdom. Next, to shew how acceptable a grace humility is, he took the child up in his arms, and declared that kindness shewed to such as humbled themselves like little children, is in reality kindness shewed to him, especially if it be done out of obedience to his command. Luke ix. 48. And (Mark, when he had taken him in his arms, he) said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child, (Matt. one such little child; Mark, one of such children) in my name: whosoever sheweth kindness even to the least of my disciples, whosoever encourages and assists such because he belongs to me, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth

This method of instruction was agreeable to the manner of the eastern doctors and prophets, who in teaching, impressed the minds of their disciples by symbolical actions as well as by words. Thus, John xx. 22. Jesus by breathing on his apostles, signified, that through the invincible energy of his power, he conferred on them the gifts of his Spirit. Thus also, John xxi. 19. he bade Peter follow him, to shew that he was to be his follower in afflictions. And, Rev. xviii. 21. an angel casts a great stone into the sea, to signify the utter destruction of Babylon. For more examples, see Joan xiii. 4, 5, 14. Acts xxi. 11.

+ Ver 2. And Jesus called a little child.] Luke expresses it thus, 47. And Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child. His perceiving their thought, does not relate to the dispute which happened some hours before, and which they had sufficiently declared in their question, but it relates to their present frame. He knew that each of them ardently wished to be the greatest in his kingdom, and proposed to cure their ambition.