124 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED all common cafes, we fhould avoid giving offence to the civil power; and rather fub- mit to a demand, whichmay feemburden- fome and oppreffive in a fmall degree, than offend our brethren, or difturb the tranquillity of the Efate. And furely it be- comes the children ofthe Prince of peace to avoid all occafions of contention and difcord, and rather give up force fmall part of their property, than give the rulers of the ftate any reafon to com- plain. It may further be obferved, that this miracle is a manifeft proof of the omniprefence of the Son of God; no lefs a perfon than he, who knows all things, and is prefent in all places, could know that the fills had the piece, of money in it's mouth, while it was covered with the rolling furges of the fea; and that this fame fifh, flill holding the piece of money, would come to Peter's hook. Thefe are molt furprifing events, and with the reff of the miracles wrought by our great Redeemer, blaze out like 'a bright con- ftellation, adorn his royal crown, and proclaim him the great King of the univerfe, the fupreme Lord of heaven and earth. C H A P T E R XX. CHRIST reproves his Difciples for their foolJz Contention about Superiority: He an- fwereth the Petition of the Mother of Zebedee's Children, and checketh the Indig- nation of the other Difciples thereat: He teacheth how to treat an offending Brother, and how oft to forgive him, by the Parable of a King, who punijhed one of his Servants for refuting that Mercy to his Fellow, which he had expe- rienced from his Lord in a larger Degree: He then goeth to ferufalenz at the Feaft of Tabernacles, where he teacheth in the Temple: The Rulers fend Officers to apprehend him, who being ftruck with his Difiourfe, return without him, and are rebuked by thePharfees, who chide Nicodemus for taking his Part. CHalsT, afterwards letteth go, uncondemned, the Woman taken in Adultery. T HOUGH our bleffed Saviour had lately given his difciples an affeft- ing account of his fufferings and death; and though their minds feemed to be very much calf down and difpirited at the expefation of events; fo mournful and diftrelling in themfelves, and fo contrary to their expeaations ; yet their grief feems tobe of no long continuance, nor had they yet given up their favourite notion of the Meffiah's temporal kingdom: for, not many days after, they had fo far for- got the prediftions of their Mailer, that they were engaged in a warm difpute con - cerning the pofts of honour in that king- dom. On what grounds feveral of the dif- ciples advanced their pretenfions to be greateft, is not related by the evangelifts ; but it is very plain, that thofe claims did not originate from any intimations given them by their Mailer, of his defign to ad- vance an of them above the rea; for he very feverely rebuked them for their pride and folly, and they were fearful of letting him know what fubjeQ they had been difputing about. Our Lord did- not direaly proceed to reprimand his difciples on account of the
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