FISHES THE FOOD OF MAN, 17 



reeled Peter, saying, " Go thou to the sea, 

 and cast an hook, and take up the fish that 

 first Cometh up ; and when thou has opened 

 his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money : 

 that take, and give unto them for me and 

 thee," Matt. xvii. 27. The money was a tetra- 

 drachmon, or stater, a double didrachma, (four 

 drachmae, ) equivalent to the Hebrew shekel. 

 Thus, then, did our adorable Redeemer set us 

 the example of rendering to Cassar the things 

 Avhich are Cajsar's ; even while he proved, by a 

 miracle, his Divine nature, as " the Christ, the 

 Son of God," and the Savioiu* of all who come 

 to Him by the leading of the Holy Spirit. 



Nor are these all the miracles which the 

 Redeemer wrought, bearing upon the scaly 

 tribes of the water. It was upon the same 

 lake that he directed the casting of the net, 

 which broke with the weight of the fish it 

 inclosed, such was the multitude captured, to 

 the astonishment of Simon Peter and his 

 partners, James and John, who were Avith him. 

 See Luke v. 1-11. The words of our Lord 

 on the occasion, " from henceforth thou shalt 

 catch men," show us at once the meaning which 

 was intended to be conveyed. These humble 

 fishers were hereafter to throw the net of the 

 gospel, which must ever be the work of their 



