Moses, were &ecounted sinners (BCe eh. xviii. 17; xxvi. 45; Rom. v. 8; Gal. ii. 15). Somo of those mFLy have been a.t Matthew'e feast. If eo, then Jesus In eating with them would portend the ea.Hing of the Gentiles, a.e a.lso did the favour he showed to the centurion and to the Syro-pho:mician woman. (2) Jews who were la.x in respect to the ceremonies of the La.w, as well as those who violated its precepts, were by the Pharisees accounted little better than heathen (see eh. viii. 30). (3) Another claBs of "sinners," no less obnoxious to tho Pharisee, were those who, while they honoured the Law, paid little respect to the traditions of the elders. Such sinners might be morally superior to the Pharisees who despised them. (4) In eating with sinners Jesus did not evince sympathy with sin. Had he done so he would not have been the Friend of siwiers. Those are not friends of sinners who encourage them in evil. His sympathy was for their souls. Christ comes to those who welcome him, and to none is he more welcome than to those who feel themselves to be sinners. 3. He en,t'.h!J,rages his disciples to go and do likewise. (1) The sensual ma.n enters the company of sinners for gratification. In this sense the holy Jesus could never join them. Neither in this sense could he encourage his disciples to join them. (2) The spiritual man enters the company of sinners to do them good. There is no heart so vile that the Lord will not enter it when invited (cf. Rev. iii. 20). (3) The self-righteous man shuns the "sinner" from contempt. This unworthy feeling Jesus would discourage in his disciples. Therefore he had them with him to eat with the despised. (4) The man of the world will shun the company of notorious sinners for the sake of reputation. Such a motive is hypocri- tical. Jesus would have his disciples true men. There is no fear for the reputation of any man anywhere if he be in the company of Jesus. II. JESUS IN DEFENCE OF HIS CONDUCT SHOWED HIMSELF THE B.INN'EB'S FRIEND, 1. He rested his defeme upon the mind of God. (1) Had man remained innocent he would have required neither mercy nor sacrifice. Man being fallen mercy is required; and sacrifice is instituted for the sake of mercy. To set forth the mercy of God ill Christ's sacrifice of himself for us. To beget mercifulness in the heart of the believer. Mercy is the end, sacrifice the means, and the end is preferable to the means. (2) Hence God will have mercy rather than sacrifice. He prefers mercifulness to ritual (see 1 Sam. xv. 22; Ps. 1. 13, 14; Isa. i. 11; Luke vii. 22, 23; Joel ii. 13; Hos. vi. 6; Mark xii. 33). (3) The Lord willed mercy; but the Pharisees chose sacrifice, in a very different sense, however, from that in which Jesus came to offer himself instead of the many "burnt offerings" previously required. When Jesus spake, sacrifices were being offered in the temple by a disobedient and gainsaying people who had little respect for mercy. In such sacrifices God had no pleasure, ( 4) Another kind of sacrifice will surely come in the day of vengeance (see Ezek. xxxix. 17-19; Zeph. I. 7, 8; Rev. xiL 17). But this is the "strange work" of God, to which be greatly prefers the mercy in which be "delighteth." 2. He rested his defence also ttpon his special mission. (1) In coming into the world Messiah says," Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared for me" (cf. Ps. xl. 6-8; Heh. L 5-10). (2) Where should the Physician be but among the sick? This was a home-thrust; for the Pharisee recognized a teacher of the Law as a. "physician of the soul." (3) Jesus ea.me into a world of sinners. All men need healing. (4) But men must acknowledge their need. The whole need not a physician. The self-1ighteous are outside the mission of Jesus. The most inveterate disease is that in which the sinner imagines himself a saint, and therefore will not seok the Physician of souls. Ill. BY THE HAPPY IBSUE JESUS PROVES HIMSELF THE SINNER'S FRIEND. 1. Tfie worthiness of the sinner is seen in the promptness of hia obedience. (1) Matthow arose at once responsive to the call. Who amongst us has yielded obedience to the earliest call of Christ? (2) Though conversion may at last take place, yet how much happi- ness and glory are forfeited through delay I (3) How fatal are delays I 2. The worthiness of the sinner i·s seen in the wmpleteness of his de11otion. (1) Jesus found Matthew in the midst of bis business. Sa.tan calls the idle to temptation. Christ oalls the active to holy service (cf. eh. iv. 18-22). Matthew, like Saul of Tarsus," con- ferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. i. 16, 16). (2) Matthew renounced a lucrative employment to embrace a life of poverty and persecution. '!'here are better thiug, than money. Yet the sacrifice shows up the ma.n. 3. The worthiness of the sinner ,s eeen in saintly zeal. (1) In giving a groat feast, Matthew sought no personal glury. 392 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [olI. ix.1-38.
It is from otber evangelists we learn that Matthew gave it (see Mark ii. 16; Luke v. 29). (2) He gave it in honour of Christ. He gave it also in the interests of humallity. The sernce of Christ is the service of humanity. Humanity ie blessed when brought under the influence of Jesus. (3) When Matthew invited Jesus he invited the disciples of Jesus also. Those who welcome Christ to their hearts will welcome bis disciples. 4. The worthiness of the sinner is honoured in the conjidence o/ the Savwur. (1) He is called to righteousness-the righteousness of faith. Matthew never forgot that be had been a publican (cf. 1 Tim. i. 13). (2) Obedience, devotion, and zeal will be rewarded. Mat~h~w W!1-5 subsequently elected into the apostleship (eh. x. 3). He was, moreover, distmgwshed as the first evangelist. The publican is immortalized through his connection with Jesus.-J. A. M.