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THE TRIBUTE MONEY.

"Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."-Matthew xxii. 21.

A CLEAR conscience is one of the richest gifts which the Spirit of God can bestow upon the believer. It has a richness of comfort in itself, and it brings a richness of honour to God. It is faith in flower, betokening both peace, and holiness, and justification, and sanctification. To maintain this innocency of intention, this conscience void of offence towards God and man, should ever be, and indeed, ever is, the dearest desire of the believer's heart; and this desire fervently brought before the throne of grace, is the very means used by grace for its accomplishment. God blesses the unfeigned wish and endeavour to avoid offence, and He maintains in the believer's soul a delicate perception of sin. This inward holiness God uses to assure the believer of his adoption, and to get glory to Himself in the eyes of an ungodly world. It would therefore seem to be the interest and duty of all to keep a clear conscience, as well as to abstain most

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carefully from laying any burden on the conscience of others. Scruples of conscience in individuals should ever be respected, to the fullest extent consistently with the safety and well-being of the public; and, fallen as man is, we yet say of him generally, that there is in the honest plea of conscience, a somewhat which wins his respect, and inclines him to grant it.

But, just in proportion as the thing itself is beautiful and lovely, is the semblance of the thing hideous and hateful. They who make of conscience a mask to conceal the workings of a factious ambition, or a covetous spirit, deserve to be unmasked, and exposed to scorn. We have an instance before us to show the use which hypocrites will make of pleas of conscience. The Pharisees and Herod set a snare for the Lord. They sought some excuse for their unwillingness to pay tribute. They desired authority to countenance their opposition to the ruling power; and they fathered this threefold iniquity on conscience. We read that "They sent out unto Him their disciples, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man: for Thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore: What thinkest Thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not?" When we consider that the very coin in which this tribute was paid,

testified to the degradation of the Jews, the image on it being Cesar's, the inscription being on one side "Cesar Augustus," and on the other, "Judea Capta;" and, moreover, that the money so paid, was used to subsidize the soldiery kept by Herod to retain Judea in bondage to Cesar, so that the Jews were actually riveting their own chains by paying the tribute; we find that there was a plausible show of reason and justice in the case that they brought forward. But the man Christ Jesus was the wisdom of God; we are therefore more pleased than surprised to see with what ease He always disarms His antagonists, and turns their weapons against themselves. The snare is set for the bird; but we always find the fowler in the snare, not the bird. "Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto Him a penny. And He saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto Him, Cesar's."

It was a received maxim in the Jewish schools, that the lawful sovereignty of a country was determined by the lawful currency of the country; the production therefore of the coin bearing the image of Cesar, was a significant and decisive answer to their question, "Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not?" But the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prophet of His people even unto the end;

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and His reply, therefore, to these Pharisees, “ Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and unto God the things that are God's," was not only the most admirable answer that could have been given to them, but is a rule for the guidance of all men even unto the end. The principle it involves, when fully understood, will serve as a rule of conduct in every station of life, and in every duty of life, and when fully and universally practised, will exhibit the rule of righteousness. The command is now as then, Render to all their dues;" and righteousness will reign on earth to the extent that the command is obeyed. When the obedience is universal, the righteousness will be so. But the full rendering of these dues-perfect compliance with this command-would seem to require the personal presence of the Lord, or a more mighty and general outpouring of the Spirit than has ever yet been vouchsafed to man; for it is certain that no single man, much less any nation, and less still the whole world, has ever yet rendered to all their dues. This will be when God and Cesar will be one, and the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Alas! it is the miserable nature of man never to hit the mark set up for him by God. He shoots short of it, or he overshoots it. As it regards God, he invariably comes short of it; but as it respects man, he either under