DISCOURSE XXVII.

THE TRIBUTE-MONEY PROVIDED.

MATTHEW XVII. 24-27.

And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. 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? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 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 a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

OUR blessed Lord, as we have had abundant proof in the narratives which have already come under our notice, was ever prepared to supply the wants, and to promote the comfort, of those who were around him. The interposition of his power was generally employed for such purposes, in connection with the important object which he constantly kept in view, of manifesting his glory and establishing his Divine mission.

In the record, however, which is now to engage our attention, we have an account of his miraculous interposition for the purpose of meeting his own exigence; though, indeed, as will appear in the course of our discussion, that exigence was not absolute and imperative: nor should we forget that, at the same time, he made the like provision for one of his most zealous, devoted, and attached disciples.

In contemplating this instance of our Lord's Divine power, with humble prayer that we may be assisted by his Holy Spirit, let us proceed to consider,

I. THE OCCASION OF THE MIRACLE WHICH HE WROUGHT:

II. THE SHORT DIALOGUE WHICH HE HAD WITH PETER, IN REFERENCE TO THAT OCCASION: and, III. THE DIRECTIONS WHICH HE GAVE TO THAT

DISCIPLE.

I. In the first place, let us notice THE OCCASION OF THE MIRACLE WHICH OUR LORD WROUGHT.

It appears from the account which has just been read to you, that he was now at Capernaum, at which place he had recently arrived, and where he is supposed to have had his usual residence in the house of Peter. To this disciple, therefore, application was made, by the collectors of a certain tribute, for the purpose of ascertaining whether his Master was in the habit of paying it. The particular tribute here intended was, in all probability, that which was paid into the treasury of the temple, to defray the expenses of its service. It had its origin, we may reasonably

"that

suppose, from the demand which was made of half a shekel, to be paid by each individual who had fully attained the age of twenty years, whenever the Israelites were numbered. This payment was called "the atonement money," and was appointed for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; "that it might be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for their souls;"1—that is, either for the preservation of their lives and health,—(as it is immediately added, there might be no plague among them,")—or for the support of those services and sacrifices, which typically referred to the great atonement which would in due time be presented, for the expiation of sin, in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ once offered. The custom of collecting this levy, (though the amount of it was not, perhaps, at all times precisely the same,) appears to have been continued among the Jews, while in possession of their religious privileges, to the latest period.

That this sacred tribute, and not any civil tax, is here to be understood,-may, I think, be satisfactorily inferred from the argument of our Lord, to which our attention will shortly be directed; the force of which, on this supposition, is sufficiently obvious, while, on any other, its import is not so readily apprehended.

To the inquiry addressed to Peter by the collectors of the tribute, that disciple seems to have had no hesitation in returning an affirmative answer. Per

1 Exodus xxx. 11--16.

haps he knew, from past observation, that his Master had been accustomed to pay the tribute in question; or, if that was not the case, he would readily infer from his character and principles, that such had been his practice, and that on the present occasion he would act consistently with his usual custom.

This conference seems to have taken place in the immediate contiguity of Peter's residence, into which our Lord had already entered. That disciple, therefore, having shortly followed him into the house, was, apparently, about to communicate to him what had just occurred. Jesus, however, who needed no information on the subject, anticipates his intention, and immediately accosts him in a manner which shewed that he was acquainted with all that had transpired. Whether he had overheard the conversation which had taken place, it is not needful that we should inquire. Of this we are assured, that from Him no secret could, or can, be hid. May this assurance be deeply impressed upon our minds, and have its proper effect at all times on our conduct, to the praise and glory of our God and Saviour! Let us proceed to consider,

II. THE SHORT DIALOGUE WHICH OUR LORD HAD WITH PETER, IN REFERENCE TO THE OCCASION OF

WHICH WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING.

"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? Peter

saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free."

Our object in noticing this short dialogue, is simply to ascertain the import of our Saviour's concluding declaration,-in doing which, if I mistake not, we shall have no great difficulty. The question which our Lord proposed, had immediate reference to a matter of fact, which was so notorious, that Peter could not for a moment hesitate as to the answer which he should give. When it is asked, "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?"-we must understand by their own children, their natural offspring or direct descendants; and by strangers, their other subjects, who did not stand thus nearly related to them, as well as those foreigners who traded with them from other parts of the world. The answer of Peter then is to this effect,-that from such other subjects, and from foreigners having commercial intercourse with them, the kings of the earth are accustomed to demand and receive tribute. The observation of our Lord, "Then are the children free,” must therefore be considered as intimating, that, according to the tenour of Peter's reply to the question which he had addressed to him,-which reply was, in fact, perfectly agreeable with general experience,-the immediate offspring or direct descendants of earthly potentates, were under no obligation to make those payments to their revenue which were exacted from their other subjects, and from foreign traders.

Such was the obvious meaning of our Saviour's