God ;'' who, as our Tenth Article states it, " by his grace in Christ Jesus prevents us, that we may have a good will, and worketh with us when we have that good will."]
That this call of Matthew may have its due effect upon us, let us consider,
II. His exemplary obedience to it —
As in the call itself, so in his obedience to it, there was somewhat peculiar. The office which he had held, he instantly resigned, (committing it no doubt to proper hands,) and became from that moment a stated attendant on our Lord. In this respect it is not necessary that we should follow him, unless the occupation in which we have been engaged be crimi- nal. We are rather to " abide in the calling in which we have been called :" yea, " therein to abide with God1." But in other respects our obedience must resemble his. It should be,
1. Prompt —
[There was in him no " conferring with flesh and blood." Elisha, when Elijah's mantle was cast upon himk, felt an irre- sistible attraction, and obeyed without hesitation or delay. So it should be with us. Does the Lord Jesus by his word and Spirit command us to follow him ? We should not wait for a second call : we should so act, that we may be able to say with David, " I made haste and delayed not to keep thy command- ments1" ]
2. Self-denying —
[Lucrative as his situation was, Matthew resigned it with- out reluctance, determining that nothing should obstruct him in the path of his duty. And should not we also despise all earthly gains or prospects in comparison of Christ ? Should we not be ready to shake them from us, as we would " the thick clay from our feet" when we were about to run a racem?
Yes verily, we should be ready to " leave all to follow
Christ ;" and account not even life itself dear to us, if only we may honour him by the sacrifice of it n ]
3. Grateful —
[Immediately Matthew made a great feast for his divine Master, and invited to it a number of his former friends, who
1 1 Cor. vii. 20, 24. k 1 Kings xix. 19—21.
1 Ps. cxix. 60. ra Hab. ii. 6.
n Acts xx. 24. Phil. i. 20.