SERMON LXXXVI.
Saint Matthew the Apostle.
2 Cor. iv. 1-6. St. Matt. ix.
9-13.
What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for
CHRIST. Yea,
doubtless, and I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of CHRIST
JESUS my LORD,--PHIL. iii. 7, 8.
THE
Evangelist St. Matthew has been supposed to be represented by one of
those four living creatures which are spoken of as being in the midst of
the throne of God; and that passage which describes them in the
Apocalypse, used in consequence to form the Epistle for this day. But
on account of some uncertainty in the application of those symbols to
the four Gospels, or from that passage being used as our Epistle for
Trinity Sunday, our Church has appointed another Epistle for to-day.
This, taken together with the Gospel, affords us an instructive lesson,
which by her Collect the Church has turned into a prayer. Let us
consider this lesson.
St. Paul and St. Matthew had renounced all, not in heart only, but also
in deed; not in deed only, but also in heart. Hence the wonderful power
unto salvation unto this day in the Epistles of one, and in the Gospel
of the other. The treasure is in earthen vessels, but the excellency of
the power is of God. Having relinquished all, they were clothed with
poverty of spirit, through which so strongly shines the light of Christ.
They had the single eye, and their whole body was full of light. "For
it was not," says St. Chrysostom, ''as Moses when he came down from the
Mount with the stony tables in his hands, but with the Holy Spirit in
their hearts, that the Apostles went forth dispensing spiritual
doctrines and gifts."
Therefore,
says St. Paul, speaking of marvellous transformation into the image of
Christ in beholding of His glory—therefore seeing we have this
ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; by His mercy we
are entrusted with this service; by His mercy we endure, and faint not,
but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty—the works of
darkness which bring shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling
the Word of God deceitfully—not corrupting God's word to render it
acceptable to the worldly mind,—but by manifestation of the truth
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
They that are of God will hear His words; the spirit within will answer
to the call, if it hath ears to hear. The appeal of truth shall not be
in vain to the sincere heart which hath renounced the world. Thus the
love of God in the soul will multiply images of itself, and be a witness
in every place as the savour unto life and also unto death. But if
our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; for to see the
light and to love darkness is itself condemnation. "He that believeth
not is condemned already." In whom the God of this world, the
mammon of unrighteousness, the deceivableness of temporal pursuits, the
carefulness about many things, the glare of this world's praise, hath
blinded the eyes of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto
them: for to believe in Christ crucified is to love Him, and to love
Him is to despise the world. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ
Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. This
manifestation of Christ in all godly simplicity can only be by the
servant which is as his Master was in this world; it is not for nought
that this relinquishing of things temporal was bound up by their Lord
Himself in the first Apostolic commission; that they should go forth to
preach His Kingdom, possessing nothing, desiring nothing, but freely to
give as they freely had received. With this their likeness to their
Lord, Who being rich for our sakes became poor, was intimately connected
their power of converting souls. For God Who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness—He Whose mercy is our all in all—Who brings
life out of death—gives to humility exaltation, to unlearned men the
highest wisdom, to poverty of spirit true riches, to the broken-hearted
the very Comforter, to the weak things of the world the strength of God;
Who brings out of darkness His marvellous light,—He hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in
the face of Jesus Christ.
How beautifully were these last
words of St. Paul fulfilled in St. Matthew. He himself in his Gospel
says that when our Lord came to dwell in Capernaum, which is upon the
sea-coast, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled—that “by the way of the
sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people that sat in
darkness saw great light; to them that sat in the region and shadow of
death, light is sprung up.” It was “by the way of the sea,” it was by
the mouth of the Jordan, by “Galilee of the Gentiles,” that he himself
sat, a Gentile tax-gatherer “in the region of death;” it was then that
the light out of the darkness of God's great and free mercy shined in
his heart; it was then that he beheld "the light of the knowledge" of
Christ, which is "the glory of God;" it was then that he beheld in
faith, no doubt, and then in unspeakable adoration and love, “the face
of Jesus Christ.” All this in him was, oh how fully and literally
fulfilled! Our Blessed Saviour saw him, and cast His eyes upon him, and
he beheld that gracious Divine look, and instantly cast behind him for
ever all the world. “In that human face,” says St. Jerome, “there shone
forth the brightness and majesty of the hidden Godhead, and might at
first sight draw unto itself them that beheld. For like as power is in
the magnet to unite things unto itself, much more might the Lord of all
creatures draw unto Himself whom He would.”
But it is not necessary to
consider that this call and conversion of St. Matthew was altogether
sudden; from the example of what took place with some of the other
Apostles it is not improbable that faith and knowledge had been at work
in his heart, and had preceded that call. At all events, He who Himself
predisposes the heart, knows also the thoughts long before, and knew
that His invitation and call would not be in vain. How must his heart
within him have sprung and leaped for joy at that summons, that choice,
that word, that countenance directed unto himself! And surely one who
dwelt by that lake, near Capernaum, in Galilee, himself in the midst of
a concourse where he sat, and if he went forth amidst crowds that
followed, could not but have known something of the works and the words
of Jesus of Nazareth. It cannot be that such should have been unheeded
by that lowly Publican: that He who was spoken of as the Friend of
Publicans should have been altogether unknown to one who was himself a
Publican, and as such held as an outcast by his own people—of Israel.
However this may be, let us come
to the Evangelist's own account of his call. And as Jesus passed
forth from, thence, that is, after healing the paralytic in a house
at Capernaum, and forgiving his sins; ''as He went forth again by the
sea-side," He saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of
custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed
Him. St. Luke says, "and he left all, rose up, and followed Him."
And St. Mark and St. Luke afford him a more honourable name than that
of Matthew the Publican, for he was known as an Israelite, "Levi, the
son of Alphaeus."
And it came to pass,
the account proceeds, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many
Publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Him and His disciples. Now
we might have supposed from this account that this circumstance, which
he is about to record, took place at the same time that he was called,
viz. that Jesus then sat at meat at his house with Publicans and
sinners, and there gave that very touching answer of His compassionate
loving-kindness and tenderness, as the Physician of souls, keeping
company with sinners. But, from an attentive consideration of the
circumstances as they are mentioned in this and the other Gospels, we
find that it was not so, but that this occasion took place long after.
Why then does St. Matthew hasten to mention this, introducing it at once
when he has spoken of his own call? You can see in this, as in other
places, what was in this Evangelist's mind in the order of his
narrative. As St. Paul ever delights to dwell on the goodness of God to
himself, “a sinner, the chief of sinners,”—as “having received
mercy,”—as “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
having shined in his heart,” and the like; so we can see by the very
order of his narrative what was deepest in the heart of this lowly
Publican. He wishes to explain how it was that his gracious Lord should
have had mercy upon him, and no doubt he thought over with himself, and
treasured most tenderly in his memory, that conversation in his own
house; he associated it in his mind with his own call; he loved to think
of them together, and together he naturally mentions them, as if saying,
“You will wonder how He should have cast His eyes on me, and had mercy
on me, a sinner—it was of His own compassion and loving-kindness,
because I was sick and needed His Divine aid;—do not think it was from
any merit or goodness of mine: let me think of His love. He shall
himself explain to you how it was: He sat down in my house—with sinners
such as I had been."
And when the Pharisees saw it,—Here
again let us pause. St. Matthew had got all his former friends and
associates about him, that they might hear and see and converse with his
own gracious Master, the Saviour, whom he had found. This was natural;
but the loving and meek Publican had invited all, without exception, and
the proud and unkind Pharisees were there too, the mourning and bereaved
disciples also of John the Baptist, together with Peter, James, and
John, and the rest. This feast of the Evangelist's was like his own
Gospel, embracing all of every kind, bringing all into the presence of
his Lord, Who was full of virtue and healing for all; and this
circumstance also shows the loving patience and lowliness of St.
Matthew, that he should have invited to his house these Scribes, from
whom he could receive nothing but ill-will and malicious complainings.
They, the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto His
disciples, murmuring against them, says St. Luke, Why eateth your
Master with Publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, He
said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that
are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and
not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
Sacrifice, indeed, is good and
necessary, but it is of no avail at all without mercy, which sanctifieth
the gift; but both sacrifice and mercy were found together in this lowly
Evangelist. He made a sacrifice of all that he had, but in doing so was
as if he had made no sacrifice at all on account of love. He had found
the treasure hid in a field, and, as in that parable he has himself
recorded, for joy thereof he went and sold all that he had and bought
that field; he sat at his custom-house as a merchant seeking goodly
pearls, but found them all counterfeits, till in the knowledge of Christ
he found that One Pearl of great price, and went and sold all that he
had and bought it. [Matt. xiii. 44, 45.] In poverty of spirit he found
the door into the Kingdom of Heaven. In giving up all, he had, no
doubt, found that “manifold more in this present time,” which our
Blessed Saviour promises to them that do so. He had parted with
shadows, and had found great substance; he had given up things temporal,
and had found things eternal. We indeed know not—no understanding man
can know—what he gained. It is ever spoken of as a thing hidden; it is
treasure hid; it is the hidden manna: as our Lord adds in the
Apocalypse, “I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name
written which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.” Such is the
love of God in the soul; the heart which is in Heaven, because the
treasure hath been laid up there.
But though the love of God which
makes these sacrifices is itself hidden, yet it is ever accompanied with
lowliness of mind, such as appears in this the first Evangelist; such as
ever feels its need of mercy and is full of mercy to others; being so
knit to Him Who is the Friend of Publicans, Who receiveth sinners, Who
is the Physician of the sick, Who bringeth light out of darkness—the
knowledge of the love of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
And this is the danger of
wealth, that it prevents this lowliness of mind: "Thou sayest I am rich
and increased with goods, and knowest not that thou art wretched and
miserable and poor and naked." And to this the advice and command is
given, "Buy of Me gold tried in the fire," "and anoint thine eyes with
eye-salve, that thou mayest see." [Rev. iii. 17, 18.] That is to say,
in this case there is a film or veil upon the eyes, something must be
done to remove this before you will be able to see the truth, and to
love God. As our Collect expresses it, "to forsake covetous desires and
to follow Christ," the forsaking of covetous desires must come first,
before we follow Christ.
And here arises a question, how
far it is necessary for us to do as St. Matthew and the Apostles did—to
give up their possessions. For our Lord seems to speak generally, as if
to all: "Sell that ye have and give alms," and "Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth." This is, indeed, a point of no little
difficulty, for the love of riches is incompatible with the love of God,
so that both cannot exist in the same heart together; and it is almost
impossible to possess riches without in some degree trusting in them and
loving them. And no doubt it is the case that there are some who cannot
be saved without parting with their possessions, on account of the love
of money in the heart. And what renders it still more dangerous, where
this is the case, the persons themselves are the last to see the
necessity of it, because, as St. Paul says, in the Epistle, "the god of
this world hath blinded their minds;" and our Lord speaks of “the
deceitfulness of riches,” and their needing eye-salve to anoint their
eyes, that they may see. “I counsel thee,” He says in this passage, “to
buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.” [Rev. iii.
18.] Now, to buy, implies to give up something in exchange: the
necessity of buying shows that it is not to be obtained for nothing. So
likewise in the parable, he who would possess the treasure hid in the
field, or the pearl of great price, sells what he has in order to
purchase it; so did St. Matthew, so did St. Paul, and the other
Apostles.
It will be of some assistance to
us to apply the example of St. Matthew himself; whatever might have been
in his heart, he did not give up all till called upon by Christ to do
so; and he that watches his own soul and the providences of God, will
find numberless calls of Christ to make sacrifices out of love and
mercy. Let him do these as they occur, and God will open his eyes to
see more clearly what to do—to know the things of God and Heaven, and to
know what is needful for himself to do in order to attain them.
