The title.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW.

LECTURE 1.

That we should receive with thankfulness, and obey with love, the gospel of Christ.

THE gospel according to St. Matthew is the first in order of several distinct writings, which form what is called the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These works, taken altogether, contain the whole of what it has pleased God to have recorded, of his truth revealed to man, by his Son manifest in the flesh. And the word testament, meaning the same as a will, serves to signify both how great gifts are herein conveyed to us for an inheritance; and also how surely they are secured to us, by being sealed with what the apostle calls, Heb. 9. 16, "the death of the testator." God it is who made this will. God it is who thus disposed of that which was his own to give to whom He would. God it is, who, in the person of Jesus Christ, died for man. And by his most precious death man became entitled to eternal life. This testament then is God's testament. It is the written title of God's love to sinful man, and of man's undeserved inheritance in heaven with God. Let us value it, not merely as we would a document that proved our right to some unlooked for and large estate; but so much more, if possible, as heaven is better than earth, and the favour of God than the vain esteem of man.

And observe it is the new testament. One there was before it, called the old testament, made on purpose to prepare the way for this. This is the new testament; that which hath made the other old, that which maketh new all things else. For here we have a new covenant, and a new promise, a new commandment, and a new gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, to make us a new heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. This is the new, it is the last, testament. It is the last revelation God has given, and it is the last He will give, for the instruction of mankind. It is the new testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of one who bought us with a price, and therefore is our Lord; who saved us from sin and death, and therefore is our Saviour; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us receive it, as his faithful servants, with devout attention; with thankfulness and affection and zeal, as a people redeemed by his blood.

In this New Testament, which is often called altogether the gospel, there are, besides other writings, four historical accounts of some chief particulars in the life and death of Christ. These are called by way of distinction, the four gospels. For gospel means good tidings from God to man. And the words and works, the life and death, of Christ, are, beyond comparison, of all other tidings the best. On these are founded, and to these refer, the history of the Acts of the Apostles, their epistles, and the Revelation of St. John, which is of the nature of an epistle to the seven churches in Asia. All rest on the one great fact, which it is the main business of the gospels to relate, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is the light which the people that sat in darkness saw, and which is sprung up to them that sat in the region and shadow of death. See Matt. 4. 16. This is the kingdom of heaven which is proclaimed to be to all of us at hand. See Matt. 4. 17. This is "the dispensation of the grace of God," these "the unsearchable riches of Christ." See Eph. 3. 2, 8. This is, in one word, the gospel. Let us be joyful and thankful to possess it; to hear it, to read it, and, to the utmost of our ability, to know, and do it.

Of this gospel there are four separate histories. St. Matthew the writer of the first was called, from being a publican, to be one of the twelve apostles. He had enjoyed therefore the advantage of being constantly in the company of our blessed Lord. What he had thus seen and heard he was guided by the Holy Spirit of God to set down without risk of error. Well may we praise God for having bestowed on one of the children of men this eminence of usefulness; for having guided the pen of a publican and sinner to edify the Christian world. For ourselves let us lay to heart the divine assurance, " Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20. 29. Blessed are we who in the word of an apostle have the word of Christ, and in the word of Christ have the word of God. Blessed are we if having we believe, if believing we love, and with love obey.

God grant that we may "receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save our souls." James 1. 21. God grant that this gospel may be unto us "the power of God unto salvation." Rom. 1. 16.

The title.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW.

LECTURE 1.

That we should receive with thankfulness, and obey with love, the gospel of Christ.

THE gospel according to St. Matthew is the first in order of several distinct writings, which form what is called the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These works, taken altogether, contain the whole of what it has pleased God to have recorded, of his truth revealed to man, by his Son manifest in the flesh. And the word testament, meaning the same as a will, serves to signify both how great gifts are herein conveyed to us for an inheritance; and also how surely they are secured to us, by being sealed with what the apostle calls, Heb. 9. 16, "the death of the testator." God it is who made this will. God it is who thus disposed of that which was his own to give to whom He would. God it is, who, in the person of Jesus Christ, died for man. And by his most precious death man became entitled to eternal life. This testament then is God's testament. It is the written title of God's love to sinful man, and of man's undeserved inheritance in heaven with God. Let us value it, not merely as we would a document that proved our right to some unlooked for and large estate; but so much more, if possible, as heaven is better than earth, and the favour of God than the vain esteem of man.

And observe it is the new testament. One there was before it, called the old testament, made on purpose to prepare the way for this. This is the new testament; that which hath made the other old, that which maketh new all things else. For here we have a new covenant, and a new promise, a new commandment, and a new gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, to make us a new heart, and to renew a right spirit within us. This is the new, it is the last, testament. It is the last revelation God has

given, and it is the last He will give, for the instruction of mankind. It is the new testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of one who bought us with a price, and therefore is our Lord; who saved us from sin and death, and therefore is our Saviour; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us receive it, as his faithful servants, with devout attention; with thankfulness and affection and zeal, as a people redeemed by his blood.

In this New Testament, which is often called altogether the gospel, there are, besides other writings, four historical accounts of some chief particulars in the life and death of Christ. These are called by way of distinction, the four gospels. For gospel means good tidings from God to man. And the words and works, the life and death, of Christ, are, beyond comparison, of all other tidings the best. On these are founded, and to these refer, the history of the Acts of the Apostles, their epistles, and the Revelation of St. John, which is of the nature of an epistle to the seven churches in Asia. All rest on the one great fact, which it is the main business of the gospels to relate, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is the light which the people that sat in darkness saw, and which is sprung up to them that sat in the region and shadow of death. See Matt. 4. 16. This is the kingdom of heaven which is proclaimed to be to all of us at hand. See Matt. 4. 17. This is "the dispensation of the grace of God," these " the unsearchable riches of Christ." See Eph. 3. 2, 8. This is, in one word, the gospel. Let us be joyful and thankful to possess it; to hear it, to read it, and, to the utmost of our ability, to know, and do it.

Of this gospel there are four separate histories. St. Matthew the writer of the first was called, from being a publican, to be one of the twelve apostles. He had enjoyed therefore the advantage of being constantly in the company of our blessed Lord. What he had thus seen and heard he was guided by the Holy Spirit of God to set down without risk of error. Well may we praise God for having bestowed on one of the children of men this eminence of usefulness; for having guided the pen of a publican and sinner to edify the Christian world. For ourselves let us lay to heart the divine assurance, "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20. 29. Blessed are we who in the word of an apostle have the word of Christ, and in the word of Christ have the word of God. Blessed are we if having we believe, if believing we love, and with love obey.

God grant that we may "receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save our souls." James 1. 21. God grant that this gospel may be unto us "the power of God unto salvation." Rom. 1. 16.

The genealogy of Christ.

LECTURE 2.

Christ made to be sin for us.

The gospel of St. Matthew begins with an account of the genealogy of Christ, that is, with a list of the several successive persons through whom his descent was reckoned from Abraham down to Joseph. The extraction of Joseph, thus recorded, proves also the extraction of Mary the mother of Jesus; it being the custom of the Jews both to marry within the same family, and to reckon their genealogies by the males. Thus the first point established in the New Testament is, what has been called by an ancient father of the church, the manhood of God; the fact, most important in our redemption, that the eternal Word was in Jesus Christ "made flesh." John 1. 14. Let us not then be surprised if most times throughout the gospels He is represented, and speaks of