423 SECT. CXXVII.- Parable of the Wedding Garment.- In language somewhat similar to what He had formerly used on another occasion, our Lord represents the great blessings of the Gospel under the description of a marriage-feast, but adds a circumstance to this parable, which was not named in that of "the great supper;" that, "when the King came in to see His guests, He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment." By this is here intended that purity of mind and conversation, that charity, and those good works, which are the genuine fruits and evidences of a truly Christian faith. These are recorded in the Apocalypse, as distinguishing the "blessed which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb," who, having on the wedding garment of righteousness, become entitled to "sit down at meat" in the kingdom of heaven 1. SECT. CXXVIII.-Christ payeth Tribute to Cæsar.-Matt. xxii. 15-22; Mark xii. 13-17; Luke xx. 19-26. "THEN went the Pharisees and watched Him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might entangle Him in His talk, that so they might deliver Him unto the power and authority of the governor." Some of the men so employed were "Hero 'Dean Woodhouse. dians," a political party who began to be eminent in the days of Herod the Great, as favouring his claims, and those of his patrons, the Romans, to the sovereignty of Judæa. This party having begun in the time of Herod, continued probably long afterwards in favour and power by the indulgence of the Herod family, and the influence of the Romans'. They now propounded to Jesus a question of a most insidious nature. The Jews being at this time under the dominion of the Romans, paid them an annual tribute in money, as an acknowledgment of their subjection. The Pharisees were, however, adverse to the payment of this tribute; and contended that, as they were the peculiar people of God, and He their only rightful Sovereign, they ought not to pay tribute to any foreign prince whatever. The question was one much agitated among different parties at this time. The Herodians were naturally the friends to the Roman government, and therefore probably maintained the propriety of paying tribute. The Pharisees conceived it impossible that He could extricate Himself from the dilemma into which this question brought Him, being persuaded that, in answering it, He must either render Himself odious to the Jewish people, by opposing their popular notions of liberty, or give offence to the Romans by denyBishop Percy. 2 ing their right to the tribute. Christ answers the insidious question propounded out of the very determination of their own schools, where it was taught that, wheresoever the money of any king is current, there the inhabitants acknowledge that king for their Lord. As the coin of the country is always issued by those who have the government of the country, the currency of coin, bearing the image and superscription of a king, is presumptive proof that such king has authority in the land'. Jesus then replies with such wisdom, as to make the inquirers judge and condemn themselves in their own cause. Avoiding all political debate, He called for "the tribute money;" and, as it was stamped with the emperor's "image and superscription," He showed them, that, by admitting that this was Cæsar's coin, and by consenting to receive it as the current money of their country, they, in fact, acknowledged their subjection to the Roman government ®. The question was a wicked question, because asked with a wicked motive. But it gave occasion to a precept, not binding upon that age and people only, like the tribute then paid to Cæsar, but binding upon all people in every age: "Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's"." The manner in which our Saviour points out in this sentence the perfect consistency between civil obedience to men, and pious homage to God, is truly admirable. Enthusiasts, exalted as they have conceived themselves to be by the peculiar favour of God, have sometimes scorned to pay homage to man; and the extravagances which flow from these wild tenets have too often disgraced the page of history it is important to observe how entirely true Christianity is free from every such tendency, and how strongly it condemns it 3. 66 SECT. CXXIX.-Christ confuteth the Sadducees.-Matt. xxii. 23-33; Mark xii. 18-27; Luke xx. 27-38. AMONG the spies sent forth by the Chief Priests and Scribes, who might pretend to ask the opinion of Jesus from conscientious motives, but in reality with the intent to ensnare Him', we find there now came to Him, the same day," another sect of men equally the opponents of the Pharisees on religious, as the Herodians were on political grounds.-The Sadducees, “which say that there is no resurrection,"-came and started a question, with a view of showing the absurdity and the falsehood of those doctrines of a future state, which they did not believe, by stating a difficulty respecting it, which they conceived to be insuperable ". 10 The Jewish Law enacted that, "If a man * Dr. Graves. ? Dr. S. Clarke. 10 Bishop Porteus. die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother." This legal provision was enacted probably with the view that the families of the Jews might be preserved more distinct and entire, than without such a provision they would have been'. The case now put might have occurred, or something like it, (as has been alleged,) and seven brethren may have been thus married in succession to the same woman; but more probably the story was invented for the purpose of argument, and as a plausible reason to the sceptics of the time, why they should put away the subject of the resurrection from their minds. They now, therefore, ask, "Whose wife shall she be of the seven,"-in that state which shall be after the resurrection has taken place, supposing that there is one 3 ? Our Lord replies, That their opinions evinced an ignorance of the Scriptures, not duly considering the power of God, which could effect with the utmost ease what appeared to them impossible. He argued that the distinctions and relations which subsist among us upon earth, will have no place hereafter; for, the state of human beings, after they have quitted this life, will resemble that of Angels, in which the relation of marriage is unknown. He then points out to their attention, what their own Scriptures should have satisfied every 3 1 Archbishop Sumner. 2 Ibid. 3 Bishop Pearce. |