1k ach the ſame- Scory, ar. 2. 14. only he calleth him £14, and rells us he was the Son of Alpheus. Luke alfo mentio- *&2) 1, and calls him Levi, adding that he was a Publican, and -AILt1, ſt be left all, raſe up, and followed him, Lube 5. 27, 28. {its Jftthew might have alſo the Name of Levi; all Interpreters &rce him the fame Man. All three Evangeliſts ſay, that when Criſt called him, he was fitting in the Cuſtom-Houſe, at the receir t Cuſtom. This Matthew was one of the Twelve Apoſtles, Ch. 12.3. and the Pen-man of this Goſpel; his Father Alphzies was :101cured to have four of his Sons Apoſtles, Fames the Leſs, and T.1ddeus, (called Lebbeus ) Simon the Canaanite, and Mat- ''2w, He was a Publican, an Officer under che Romans, to ga- * tne Publick Revenue 3 ir was an odious Name amongſt the /ews, but Matthew, to magnifie the Grace of Chriſt in calling «Mm, 15 Not aſhamed chus to deſcribe himſelf both here, and Ch. ©0+2- | Heſaith unto him, follow me, and he aroſe; and followed him.) His Wecrd carried a ſecret Power with tr, which Matthew obey- & by Icay ing __ imployment, and going ater Chriſt.
ol. IL
St MATTHEW
10 And it came to paſs, as Jeſits ſit at meat in the houſe, behold, many publicanes and finners came and far down with him and hisdiſciples.
Luke faich, chap. 5. 29. That Levi made him a great Faſt in his own Fuſe, and there was 4 great Company of Public.mes, with others that ſat down with them. Mark, chap. 2.15. ſaith, They were many : ard they followed him. Matthew, touched with the Senſe of the tree and infinite Love of Chriſt ro him, makerh Chriſt 2 Feaſt : This fpeaketh him a Man of fome Eſtate ;, he invites many ro dine with him, ſome of them Publicares, ſome nored Sinners, He deſigns Good undoubtedly to ſuch as had been his former Con?- panions, that they might alſo ſee the Lord, and he brought ro tollow him. Grace teacherh a Man to ſtudy rhe Conyertion of others, and never dwelleth ina narrow Soul,nor ſtudicth ics Con- cealnient from others.
11 And when the Phariſees ſaw it, they ſ2id unto his diſciples, Why eateth your maſter with publi- canes and finners ?
Mark hath the fame, chap. 2.15, fo hath Lube, chap. 5. 39 only he ſaich, they murmured, The Phariſees having a pertect Ma- lice ro Chriſt, did nct only ſeck all means to carp ar him, bur co bring him under a Popular Odium : this ſeemed a fair Opportu- nity. The Pulic.mes being an Order of Perſons, who borh for their Empl-vment, and perhaps alſo their i!l Managery of it, were abonr'nared by che Jew-, and reckoned amonyſt the more notorious Sorts of Sinners: They therefore come co his Diſciples c:amouring againſt cheir Maſter, Thar he kep: Communion with Publicanes and Sinners.
12 But when Jeſus heard haz, he ſaith untothem, They that be whole need not a phytician, but they thar are fick.
12 Butgoye, and learn what that meanzth, *1 will have mercy, and not ſactifice: Fort am not come to call the righteous, bur * ſinners to repentance.
M-rk ard Luke in the places betore-mentioned have the ſame Antiver, only leaving our thefe words, Go ye, and learn what thit meaneth;, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice; quoted from Hiſea 6.6, Our Saviour's Reply to the Phariſees, ro him that duly confiders ir, will appear very ſmart. 1. They were a Ge- neracion thar laid all Religion upon Rituals, Sacrifices and Tr.idi- tions, 2. That juſtified chemfeives, Luk. 16.15. and rhoughc chey needed no Repentance, Saith our Saviour, I am the Spirt- tual Phyſician. With whom would they have the Phyſician ro converſe, bur with ſuch as are Sick ? Thoſe that are whole (as the Pharijees account themſelves ) think they have no need of my coming amongſt them. By their Peeviſhnets ar the As of Mercy, which I dv, (and thoſe of the higheſt Mercy too, healing Souls) they ſhew that chey do not underſtand what Zſez, (a Pro- phet acknowledged by themſelves) long fince taught chem, Thar rhe Ld defired Mercy before Sacrifice, ( fer that appeareth to be the Senſe of not Sacrifice in that Text, both by che next words) and the Knowledge of God mire than Burnt-Offerings; and by the many Precepts by which God declared, char he did defire Sacri- fices. | For I came not t9 call the Righteous : | That 1s, thole who are ſivelled in an Opinion of their own Righteouſneſs; but ſenfible [ Sinners to Repert.ance. ]Firſt ro Repenrance, then ro the receiving Remiſſion of Sins through me, and Ecernal L::e,
14 -Then came to him the diſciples of John, ſay- ing, VVhy do we and the Phariices faſt often, and thy diſciples faſt not ?
15 And Jeſus ſaid unto them, Can rhe children of the Bride-chamber mourn, as long as the Bride- groom is with them ? But the days will come when the Bride-groom ſhall be taken from them, and then {hall they faſt.
16 No man putteth a piece of || new cloth into an old garment: for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worle.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bor- tles: elfe the bottles break, and the wine runneth our, and the bottles periſh : but they pur new wine into new bottles, and both are preſerved. |
berwixt the Fllowzrs of Fohn, and the Flowers of ChrisF, and fect on Fohn's Diſciples ro go and ask-an Account of rhis. Hypocrites are always hotreſt for Ritual Tings, as things molt fic co raiſe 2 Diviſion abour. There was no Precepr of God tor ary FS bur once in a Year, tho' indeed God letr People a Liberty co f.1t ofts ner, as their Circumſtances more ficred, and calted tor che Duty. The Phariſees had fer up rhemſelves a Merhod, and would fain have impoſed ie on Chriſt's Diſciplesz elpecially conſidering
7Fobn's Diſciples complied with ay _ of trequens Faſts Bob 43 £736
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Chap. IX.
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