own miracles is not sufficient to work faith in the soul, without the efficacious grace of God; the one may inake us marvel, the other must make us believe.

27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. 30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus answering, said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The number of our Lord's apostles not being filled up, observe, 1. What a free and gracious, what an unexpected and undeserved choice Christ makes. Levi, that is Matthew, (for he had both names,) a grinding publican, who gathered the tax for the Roman emperor, and was probably guilty, as others were, of the sins of covetousness and extortion, yet he is called to follow Christ, as a special disciple. Learn hence, That such is the freeness of divine grace, that it sometimes calls and converts sinners unto Christ, when they think not of him, nor seek unto him. Little did Levi now think of a Saviour, much less seek after him, yet is he here called by him, and that with an efficacious call: Matthew, a publican; Zaccheus, an extortioner; Saul, a persecutor; all these are effectually called by Christ, as instances and evidences of the mighty power of converting grace. Observe, 2. Levi's or Matthew's ready compliance with Christ's call: He presently arose and followed him. Where the inward call of the Holy Spirit accompanieth the outward call of the word, the soul readily complies and yields obedience to the voice of Christ. Our Saviour, says the pious bishop Hall, speaks by his word to our ears, and we hear not, we stir not; but when he speaks by his Spirit efficaciously to our hearts, Satan cannot hold us down, the world shall not keep us back;

but we shall with Levi instantly arise and follow our Saviour. Observe, 3. Levi, to show his thankfulness to Christ, makes him a great feast. Christ invited Levi to a

discipleship, Levi invites Christ to a dinner; vites his Saviour; a better guest he could not invite, Christ always comes with his cost with him. We do not find that when Christ was invited to any table, he ever refused to go; if a publican, if a Pharisee, invited him, he constantly went; not so much for the pleasure of eating, as for the opportunity of conversing and doing good; Christ feasts us when we feed him. Levi, to give Christ a pledge and specimen of his love, makes him a feast. Learn thence, That new converts are full of affection towards Christ, and very expressive of their love unto him. Levi's heart being touched with a sense of Christ's rich love, cavil and exception which the scribes and makes him a royal feast. Observe, 4. The

the servant invites his Master, a sinner in

Pharisees made at our Lord's free conversation. They censure him for conversing with sinners. Malice will never want matter of accusation. Our Saviour justifies himself, telling them he conversed with sinners as their physician, not as their companion: They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. As if our Lord had said, "With whom should a physician converse but with sick patients! And is he to be accused for that? Now this is my case. I am

come into the world to do the office of a kind physician unto men: surely then I am to take all opportunities of conversing with them, that I may help and heal them, for they that are sick need the physician; but as for you scribes and Pharisees, who are well and whole in your own opinion and conceit, I have no hopes of doing good upon you; for such as think themselves whole desire not the physician's help." Now from this assertion of our Saviour, The whole need not the physician, but the sick, these truths are suggested to us, 1. That sin is the soul's malady, its spiritual disease and sickness. 2. That Christ is the physician appointed by God for the cure and healing of this disease. 3. That there are multitudes of sinners spiritually sick, who yet think themselves sound and whole. 4. That such, and only such as find themselves sin-sick, and spiritually diseased, are subjects capable of Christ's healing: They that are whole need not the physician, but they that are sick. I

come not, says Christ, to call the (opinionatively) righteous, but the (sensible) sinner, to repentance.

33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine

eat and drink? 34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. 36 And he spake also a parable unto them: No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

39 No

An objection is here made against the disciples of our Saviour, that they did not fast so much and so often as John Baptist's disciples did. John's disciples imitated their master, who was a man of an austere life; Christ's disciples imitated him, who was of a more free conversation. Observe therefore our Saviour's defence, which he makes for the not fasting of his disciples; he declares, that at present it was neither suitable nor tolerable; not suitable, in regard of Christ's bodily presence with them, who being their bridegroom, and his disciples children of the bride-chamber, it was now a day of joy and rejoicing to them, and mourning and fasting would be very improper for them. But when the bridegroom shall be taken away, that is, Christ's bodily presence removed, then there will be cause enough for the disciples to fast and mourn.

Learn hence, 1. That Jesus Christ is the bridegroom of his spouse the church. 2. That this bridegroom was to be taken away. 3. That because of the bridegroom's removal, the church did, shall, and must fast: The

days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away, and then shall they fast. Again our Saviour declares, that this discipline of fasting was not at present tolerable for his disciples, for they were at present but raw, green, and tender, unable to bear the severities and rigours of religion, any more than an old garment can bear a piece of new cloth to be set into it, or any more than old bottles can bear new wine to be put into them. The sense of our Saviour's words seems to be this, “My disciples at present are tender and weak, therefore at present undergo the austerities newly called and converted, they cannot of religion, fastings, weepings, and watchings; but ere long I shall leave them, and go to heaven, from whence I will send down my Holy Spirit upon them, which will enable them to all the duties that the gospel enjoins. The lesson of instruction hence, is this, That it is hurtful and danwhich we may probably gather from gerous for young converts, for weak christians, to be put upon the severe exercises of religion, or to be urged to the performance of all such duties as are above their strength, but they ought to be treated with that tenderness which becomes the mild

and gentle dispensation of the gospel. Our Saviour, says one, does here commend prudence to his ministers, in treating their people according to their strength, and putting them upon duties according to their time and standing. We must consult what progress our people have made in christianity, and manage accordingly.

AN

CHAP. VI.

ND it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn-fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath-days? 3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, What David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him; 4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not law

ful to eat, but for the priests alone? 5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

In the former part of this chapter we find our blessed Saviour defending his disciples from the clamorous accusations of the Pharisees for breaking the sabbath-day, be cause they plucked the ears of corn, and rubbed them in their hands, in order to the satisfying of their hunger. Where note, 1. The great poverty, the low estate and condition, of Christ's own disciples in the world. They wanted bread, and were forced to pluck the ears of corn to satisfy their hunger. God may, and sometimes does, suffer his dearest children to fall into straits, and to taste of want, for the trial of their faith and dependence upon his power and goodness. Note, 2. How the hypocritical Pharisees blame this action of the disciples, namely, their plucking off the ears of corn; yet did they not charge them with theft for so doing; because to take in our great necessity so much of our neighbour's goods as we may reasonably suppose, that, if he were present and knew our circumstances, he would not deny us, is no theft. But it was the servile labour on the sabbath, in gathering the ears of com, which the Pharisees scruple and object against. Where note, How hypocrites expend their zeal in and upon the lesser things of the law, whilst they neglect the greater; placing all holiness in the observation of outward ceremonies, whilst they neglect moral duties. Note, 3. The argument with which our Saviour defends this action of his disciples; it is taken from the example of David: necessity freed him from fault and blame in eating the consecrated bread, which none but the priests might lawfully eat; for in case of necessity, a ceremonial precept must give place to a moral duty. Works of mercy for the preserving our lives, and the better fitting us for sabbath services, are certainly lawful on the sabbath-day. Note, lastly, The argument which our Saviour uses to prove the sabbath's observation may be dispensed with in a case of absolute necessity, and that is drawn from that authority which Christ, the institutor and lord of the sabbath, had over it: The Son of man is lord also of the sabbath; that is, he has authority and power as God and as Mediator, to institute and appoint a sabbath, to alter and change it, to dispense with a breach of it upon a just and great

occasion; and consequently, acts of mercy, which tend to fit us for works of piety, not only may, but ought, to be done on the sabbath-day. This action of the disciples being of that nature, is without just cause censured and condemned by the Pharisees; a sort of men who were resolved to cavil at, and quarrel with, whatever our Saviour or his disciples either did or said.

6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught; and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 7 And the Scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbathday, that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise

up,

and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath-days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Observe here, 1 The miraculous cure which our Saviour wrought upon the man which had the withered hand; and, 2. The effect which this miracle had upon the wicked Pharisees. In the former note, The place where our Saviour wrought this miracle, in the synagogue; the time when, on the sabbath-day; the manner how, by speaking of a word; the persons before whom, namely, the envious and malicious Pharisees. These men were always slandering Christ's doctrine, and cavilling at his miracles, yet does our holy Lord go on with his work before their faces without discouragement. Learn thence, That the unjust censures and malicious cavils of wicked men against us, for well-doing, must not discourage us from doing our duty, either towards God or towards our

neighbour. Although the Pharisees watched our Saviour wherever he went, and when they could find no occasion of quarrel, would invent and make one, yet such was our Lord's courage and resolution, that he bids the man that had the withered hand stand forth; to show that he was resolved to heal him, notwithstanding their malicious purpose to accuse him for it as a breaker of the sabbath. Opposition met with in doing our duty, must not discourage us from doing good, if we follow the example of our blessed Redeemer. Observe, 2. The influence and effect which this miracle had upon the wicked Pharisees; they were filled with madness, and took counsel to kill him. Instead of being convinced by this miracle, they conspire against him for it. The enemies of Christ and his holy religion, when arguments fail, fall to violence. It is a certain sign of a weak cause, that must be supported by passion which is all tongue, and no

ear.

12 And it came to pass, in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Observe here, 1. The duty which our holy Lord performed: the duty of prayer. We have much more business with God in prayer than Christ had; he had no sins to confess, no want of grace to make known, yet did our Lord spend much time, even a whole night, in this duty. Lord, what delight didst thou take in paying this homage to thy heavenly Father! O how does thy zeal and forwardness condemn our remissness and lukewarmness; Observe, 2. It was solitary prayer that our Lord did so exceedingly delight in He went into the mountain alone to pray, not suffering his very disciples to be with him. There are times and seasons when a christian would not be willing that his dearest relations upon earth should hear that intercourse which passes betwixt him and his God. Observe, 3. The place which our Lord withdraws to for privacy in prayer: He went into a mountain, as a place of retiredness: God delights to meet his chil. dren alone. The modest Bridegroom of the church, says St. Bernard, will not impart himself to his spouse before company. Observe, 4. The time when Christ retired into this mountain to pray, and to spend a whole night in prayer, to God.

If

we look back to the former part of the chapter, we shall find that it was at a time when the Pharisees were filled with rage and madness against him, and conspired to take away his life. Thence learn, That it is our duty at such times, especially when enemies lie in wait to do us hurt, to give ourselves much unto prayer. Again, if we look forward, the next verse tells us, that our Saviour was now about to send forth his twelve apostles to preach and propagate the gospel. Christ thought so great a work was not to be done without solemn and extraordinary prayer. Accordingly he spends a whole night in prayer to God upon that occasion, leaving herein a most instructive example to his church, to continue in prayer at all times; but then especially to abound in it, when persons are to be set apart for the momentous work of the ministry, that they enterprise it with extraordinary dread and caution, not with aspiring but tremendous thoughts; for who is sufficient for these things?

As the Jewish church arose from twelve patriarchs, so the christian church became planted by twelve apostles. The person sending them forth was Christ; none may undertake the work and calling of the ministry, but those whom Christ appoints and calls, not immediately by himself, but mediately by the governors of his church. The persons commissioned were disciples before they were apostles; to teach us, that Christ will have such as preach the gospel, to be disciples before they are ministers; trained up in the faith and doctrine of the gospel, before they undertake a public charge. Observe next, How carefully the names of the twelve apostles, those laborious persons in the service of souls, are recorded and transmitted with honour to posterity. God will signally honour those

who singularly honour him, and are the special instruments of his glory. Of the twelve apostles, Peter is named first, and Judas last: Peter is first named, because probably elder than the rest, or because for order's sake he might speak before the rest; from whence may be inferred a primacy, but no supremacy; a priority of order, but no superiority of degree; as a foreman of a grand jury has a precedency, but no pre-eminency; he is first in order before the rest, but has no authority over the rest; neither did St. Peter ever assume to himself a power of deciding controversies. But we find St. James, in that first general council mentioned Acts xv. 13. speaking somewhat definitely, Thus I judge, or determine the matter, and yet St. Peter was then and there present. Had the champions of the church of Rome such a passage in all the scripture for St. Peter's authority, it would make a louder noise than pasce oves, feed my sheep, John xxi. 16. Again, as St. Peter is named first, so Judas is mentioned last, with a brand of infamy upon him, the traitor; the person that betrayed his Lord and Master. From whence we may gather, That though the truth of grace be absolutely necessary to a minister's salvation, yet the want of it doth not disannul his office, nor hinder the lawfulness of his ministry. Judas, though a traitor, was yet a lawful minister; and a heart-hypocrite is no hypocrite in foro ecclesiæ, before the church, though he should be damned for his hypocrisy before God.

17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Observe here, 1. The great zeal and forwardness of the people in attending upon our Saviour's ministry; he had newly begun to preach in this place, and the people flock after him from all parts, from Judea, from Jerusalem, from Tyre and Sidon, to hear his doctrine, and see his mira

cles. When our Saviour first began to preach, the people came unto him from every quarter. His ministers find it thus; at our first coming among a people, our labours are most acceptable, and they do most good. Our people's affections are then warm, and perhaps our own too. 2. What sort of people they were who attended thus zealously on our Saviour's ministry : they were the common and ordinary people; the poor received the gospel; the learned scribes, the knowing Pharisees, those wise men after the flesh, the mighty, the noble, the great and honourable, these despised our Saviour's person, slighted his ministry, yea, sought to take away his life. Thus from the first plantation of the gospel to this day, the poorer and meaner sort of people have entertained the glad tidings of salvation it is a sad but a certain truth, that heaven is a place where few, comparatively but very few, of the great men of the world, are like to come; their temptations are many, their corruptions strong, and their great estates, through their own abuse, become fuel to their lusts. Lord, how rare is it to find those that are eminently great, exemplarily good! Observe, 3. The nature of our Saviour's miracles. Moses's miracles were as great judgments as wonders, but Christ's miracles were as great mercies as wonders; they were salubrious and healing: There went virtue out of him, and healed them all. Christ's miracles were like the author of them, full of goodness; yet would not the obstinate Pharisees be convinced, either by the goodness that was in them, or by that omnipotent power which wrought them. All our Saviour's miracles were wonderful, but

wonders of love and mercy.

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

As our Saviour's condition in this world was very poor, so was his disciples' condition also; therefore to relieve them against their poverty and low estate in the world, he thus bespeaks them, Blessed be ye poor; you that believe in me, and follow me, are in a happier condition_than those that are rich, and have received their consolation; for yours is the kingdom of heaven. Christ was the poor man's preacher, and the poor man's comforter; yet a bare outward poverty, or an avowed voluntary poverty, will entitle none to the blessing.

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