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SERMON XIV.

ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. ·

ST. MATTHEW was the last called of the Apostles. He had also the name of Levi; for St. Mark and St. Luke mention him under that name when they relate his calling. He was a Publican, or custom officer, whose business was to take up the duties laid upon the fishing trade in the lake of Tiberias; or however, to receive those which were due in the neighborhood of Capernaum, which was the place of his settlement. The receipt of custom was the custom-house of the place, where the customer had a clear view of ships and lading and upon this reason it was that our Saviour, passing by, could see St. Matthew sitting. The wonderful efficacy of the Holy Spirit of God was visible in this man's conversion; for our Saviour said no more than "follow me, "and he arose and followed Him." Indeed, our Saviour doing so many miracles in the country about Capernaum might make a striking impression upon the Evangelist with regard to His character; but that he should become His disciple only by beckoning to him, shews the omnipotent power of Divine Grace infused into his heart, to engage him to leave a wealthy employ, for the want, and penury, and dangers of the Apostleship. The feast which he made to entertain our Saviour just after his call, at which several Publicans, or tax-gatherers were present, gave great offence to the Pharisees, who thought, with the rest of the Jews, that all Publilicans were wicked men, and not fit for an ordinary Jew, much less for an holy Prophet, to converse with. Our

Saviour.

Saviour, therefore, thought fit to choose one of His followers, out of an order of them, whom they had the worst opinion of; to shew that the Grace of the Gospel was extended not only to good men; but that all men, however flagitious, might be saved, upon their repentance. The Apostle wrote the Gospel which bears his name, about eight years after Christ's ascension; just before the Apostles dispersed themselves to go to preach the Gospel in foreign parts. He undertook this work at the request of the converted Jews in Palestine, who were desirous to have some of the memoirs of our Saviour's life left with them, to which they might have recourse in the Apostle's absence. St. Matthew, complying with this their desire, wrote this excellent Gospel which we now have in our hands. It should seem that all the Apostles took a copy of it with them when they went to travel.

The province allotted for his preaching the Gospel was Ethiopia, from whence we do not read that he ever returned, but probably suffered martyrdom there.

* Vide The Abridgment of the Elements of Christian Theology, Part 2. ch. 2.

† MATTHEW ix. 13.

I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

was one of the reproaches which were early cast. upon Christianity, that it held out its cherishing arms to the very worst of men, and gave assurance of Salvation to those, whose crimes were so great, as to

5

+ Bishop Pearce.

find no methods of atonement in any other religion: and the objection was so far true, that the glad tidings of Salvation by the Gospel, were preached unto all men, unto sinners more especially. But to be entitled to the benefits of the Gospel, they were not to come with their sins about them, but were to drop them, as it were, at the door of the Christian Church, and to enter into it, cloathed anew with the garment of innocence and purity. And, therefore, the proper light, in which this reception of sinners into Christianity ought to have been represented, was this; that provided a man forsook his sins, and became a new creature, there was no past behavior so bad, but what the Religion of the Blessed Jesus proclaimed a pardon for; and the worse a man had been, the more need was there for him to "make haste and repent," and profess his belief in Him, who came upon earth with this gracious design of "calling sinners to repentance."

In this there was not the least encouragement given to sin, though to sinners there was much. And if this be matter of reproach, there is reason for casting it upon our holy Religion; Jesus having-besides what He says in the text-told us, that "He came to seek " and to save that which was lost;" and St. Paul having made this circumstance a foundation of boasting, when he said, "this is a faithful saying, and worthy "of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the "world to save sinners."

The same is the purport of our Lord's words in the text. He had called Matthew-otherwise named Levi -to be one of His followers; who, at the time when he was called, was by his office, a Publican, that is, a collector of the taxes, which were laid upon the Jews,

by

"

by the Roman Emperors. The Jews, The Jews, generally, reckoned, that the imposition of those taxes was an act of oppression; and those Publicans being Jews, were looked upon as infamous for their personal assistance in that oppression. And therefore, we find in the four Gospels, that the Jews, almost always, spake of " Publicans and sinners" together, as if they knew not how to separate the two characters, not even in thought. St. Matthew-for it was the Apostle and Evangelist of that name who was thus called-upon his becoming a disciple of Christ, made a great feast" for his new Master, at which were present, as guests, several of the same employment with himself. But when the Scribes and Pharisees saw our Lord eating at the same table with these, they murmured, and said to His disciples, "why eateth your Master with Publicans and "sinners ?" This they objected as matter of reproach, that a man, who had professed to "fulfil all righte"dusness," as Jesus had, should defile Himself with such unclean society: but the holy Jesus, among other parts of His answer to them, said, that He was "come "not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." He best knew His business, and the design of that message which He brought with Him from heaven: and thus He hath represented it to us. " He came "not to call the righteous;" for if there were any such as, strictly, and properly, "were righteous," they stood in no need of His call, at least, in no need of His "call to repentance," as sinners did. These, by being in a state of enmity with God, were in a lost and undone condition; and therefore, such as these He came to rescue from eternal misery, to recal them into VOL. III.

M

the

the

way

that leadeth to eternal life, and to make peace

for them with his offended Father.

I shall consider in the following discourse,

First, that the endeavor to reform sinners, is an act worthy of God, as He is the supreme Governor of the universe.

Secondly, that the method which God made use of for this purpose, in sending Christ in sending Christ upon earth, was the properest method for obtaining this end.

Thirdly, that, therefore, all sin is the more inexcusable; and sinners, without repentance, are the more exposed to the divine vengeance.

First. The endeavor to reform sinners is an act worthy of God, as He is the supreme Governor of the universe.

It tends to advance the honor and glory of God, because every man, who is "called to repentance," is called to begin an exemplary life, or, as the Scripture expresses it, to bring forth fruits meet for repent

ance."

David represents the Almighty as saying, "Whoso "offereth praise, glorifieth me." The practice of piety and virtue is homage paid to God, in obedience to whose commands, all those good actions of His faithful subjects are performed.

We may, therefore, truly say, that God is to be glorified by us; and that He is well pleased when our actions, as well as our tongues, speak IIis praise. This, therefore, is one reason, why "the calling of sinners "to repentance" is an act worthy of God. It tends to advance His glory, a glory founded upon the truest , merit, and directed to the most useful purposes.

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