plicity and Singleness of Heart; never to compass any Defign by infidious Devices and false Appearances; nor to betray my Neighbour by not performing what I have promifed. Let me never abuse Men into a falfe Opinion of themfelves, by reprefenting them better than they are. Let my Tongue be the true Interpreter of my Mind, and my Expreffions the lively Image of my Thoughts and Affections, and my outward Actions exactly agreeable to my Purposes and Intentions; that fo when the Secrets of all Hearts fhall be difcovered at thy dreadful Tribunal, I may not be confounded. O bleffed Jefus, with the Workers of Iniquity, who will not be able there to hide themfelves. Grant this, O Lord, for Jefus Chrift's Sake. Amen. Luke v. 27. Mat. x. 3. CHAP. XXX. Saint Matthew, September 21. Q. WHAT Festival does the Church celebrate this Day? A. That of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evan gelift, who was alfo called Levi. Q. What was his Extraction? A. Though a Roman Officer, yet he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews; both his Names difcover him to be of Jewish Original, and probably a Galilean. Q. What was his Trade, or Way of Life? A. That of a Publican or Toll-gatherer to the ·Romans, an Office of bad Report among the Jews. Q. How was the Office of a Publican efteemed among the Romans? A. It was once accounted a Place of Power and 'Credit, and of honourable Reputation, not ordinarily conferred upon any but Roman Knights; who who being fent into the Provinces to gather the Q. What made this Office fo odious to the Jews? A. The Covetoufnefs and Exaction of those that managed it; for having farmed the Customs of the Romans, they griped the People, that they might be able to pay their Rent, and raise Profit to themselves; befides, this Tribute was not only a Grievance to their Purses, but an Affront to the Freedom of their Nation, a ftanding Inftance of their Slavery. And their Brother Jews exercifing this Office, ftill provoked them more, because it obliged them to converfe frequently with the Gentiles, which they held unlawful, and thereby they feemed to confpire with the Romans, to entail perpetual Slavery upon their own Nation. Q. How did the Jewish Nation express their Abborrence of the Publicans? A. By counting it unlawful to do them any Office of common Kindness. Money received of them might not be put to the rest of a Man's Estate, it being prefumed to be got by Violence. They were not admitted as Persons fit to give Evidence in any Caufe. They were not only deprived of all Communion in divine Worship, but fhunned in all Affairs of Civil Society, it being efteemed infamous and unlawful to marry into the Family of any fuch. Q. In what did St. Matthew's Office more partieularly confift? A. In gathering the Cuftoms of all Merchandize that came by the Sea of Galilee, and the Tribute that Paffengers were to pay, that went by Water, for which Purpose the Office was kept by the Sea-fide. And here it was that Matthew fat Mat. ix. 3. at the Receipt of Custom when our Saviour called him to be a Difciple. Q. Is it probable he had any Knowledge of our Saviour before he was called? A. Yes; living at Capernaum, the Place of Christ's ufual Refidence, where his Miracles and Sermons were frequent, he might, in fome Meafure, be prepared to receive the Impreffions which our Saviour's Call made upon him. Q. What made St. Matthew's Compliance with our Saviour's Call fo very valuable? A. In that he exchanged rich and plentiful Circumftances, and a gainful Trade, for Poverty and Hardship; quitting whatever the World counts dear, and preferring the Attendance upon the Son of Man, who had not where to lay his Head, before all the Advantages of Interest and Relations. Q. Wherein appeared his great Contempt of the World? A. Not only in quitting a plentiful Estate in order to become our Saviour's Difciple, but in the great Abftemioufnefs he exercifed in the remaining Part of his Life; refufing to gratify him, felf with the ordinary Conveniences, as well as with the Pleasures of it; his common Diet being nothing but Herbs and Roots, Seeds and Berries. Q. How did be exprefs his Satisfaction in becoming our Saviour's Difciple? A. By entertaining our Saviour and his Disciples at a great Dinner at his own House, whither he invited all his Friends, efpecially thofe of his own Profeffion; pioufly hoping, that they alfo might be influenced by our Saviour's Converse and Company. Q. What may we learn from our Saviour's converfing fo familiarly with the worst of Men, which gave fuch Offence to the Pharifees? A. That A. That the greatest Sinners are Objects of our Pity rather than Contempt; and that we ought not to grow faint in our Endeavours for their Converfion, as long as the wonderful Patience of God bears with them. That our Company is most suitable where the Neceffities of Souls do require it. And that, in order to reclaim Sinners, we ought to prefer Acts of Mercy and Charity before all ritual Obfervances, and the nice Rules of Perfons converfing with one another. Q. Wherein appeared that Humility for which St. Matthew was remarkable? A. In that, when the other Evangelists describing the Apostles by Pairs, conftantly place him before St. Thomas, he modeftly places himself after him. And when the reft of the Evangelifts record the Honour of his Apostleship under the Name of Matthew, but fpeak of his former fordid Course Mark ii, of Life under that of Levi, he himself fets it down, 14, with all its Circumftances, under its own proper 27. and ufual Name. Q. Though St. Matthew continued with the reft of the Apostles till after our Lord's Afcenfion, what became of him then? A. For the first eight Years he preached up and down Judea, endeavouring to convert his Brethren the Jews to the Faith of Chrift. And when he betook himself to the propagating the Gospel among the Gentiles, Ethiopia is generally affigned as the Province of his Apoftolical Ministry; where, by preaching and working Miracles, he mightily triumphed over Error and Idolatry; In which Country it is moft probable he suffered Martyrdom, but by what Kind of Death it is altogether uncertain. Q. How was he qualified to write his Gofpel? from Luke v. Iren. lib. . cap. 1. Cyril. Catech.14. §. 8. from thofe Temptations which prevail upon Men to impofe upon others. Q. When and upon what Account did St. Matthew write his Gofpel? A. While he was in Paleftine, about eight Years after the Death of our Saviour, at the Intreaty of the Jewish Converts, and, as Epiphanius tells us, at the Command of the Apofiles. And being Eufeb. hb. defigned for the Ufe of his Countrymen, he writ it 3. c. 24. 6. in the Hebrew Language, as is generally afferted by all Antiquity. It was very quickly tranflated into Greek; fome attributing it to § St. John, others to St. James the Lefs; the Apoftles approved the Verfion, and the Church has received it as Authentic. Q. What may we learn from the Obfervation of #his Feftival? 23. A. That there is Mercy for the worst of Sinners, if they forfake their evil Ways, and become obedient to that Call, which their own Confciences, and the Exhortations of God's Minifters fo frequently found in their Ears. That true Repentance confifts in fuch a Change of the Heart as produces fuch Actions as are agreeable to God, and avoids fuch whereby we have formerly offended him. That Poverty and Want are chearfully to be embraced when they lie in the Way of our Duty. That it may be fometimes advifeable to punish our paft Extravagances by forbearing the ordinary Conveniences and Accommodations of Life. That if we would enter into the true Spirit of this Feftival, we fhould imitate that Humility and Contempt of Riches, which was fo remarkable in this bleffed Apoftle. That we fhould keep our Minds free from Covetoufnefs, and raife them above the World, the most dangerous Enemy to our Salvation. Q. Wherein confifts the Nature of Covetousness ? |