: "There is small chance of truth at the goal where there is not a childlike humility at the starting post." "At once he rose, and left his gold; While he beside his endless store Shall sit, and floods unceasing pour Of Christ's true riches o'er all time and space, First angel of His Church, first steward of His Grace." HERE have now passed in order before us six All the foregoing were called as disciples in the earliest days of the Lord's ministry, and several were subsequently re-called by him from the trades. they had hitherto followed. He to whom we now come may be more fairly classed with them than with the later names on the list, partly because we possess a distinct account of his summons to the apostolate and in part because that account seems to imply a previous course of discipleship. By Mark and Luke he is called Levi; by himself Matthew, which latter name is adopted by all three evangelists in giving the catalogue of the apostles. It means the same as John and Jonathan, nearly the same with the name of the apostle last under consideration, the Jewish parent being guided in the choice of names for his children not so much by a desire for euphony or the goodwill of moneyed relations as by the wish to acknowledge His goodness who had in each case given the perfect gift. Though Matthew is described as the son of Alphæus, we are not entitled to identify this Alphæus with the father of certain others of the apostles; while still less weight attaches to the idea that Matthew was a brother of Thomas. We know about him nothing save his profession. He was a publican; possibly a moneylender in business on his own account, but more probably engaged in some capacity as collector of the tribute exacted by the Romans from the Jews. The publicans properly so called were men of rank, who rented the privilege of gathering the taxes and employed subordinates in the actual work of the collection. Such a subordinate Matthew appears to have been. His class was hated as representing the foreign oppressor and extorting payment from its fellow-countrymen of dues which they repudiated as unjust. And from all accounts the publicans seem to have deserved much of the odium which they certainly incurred. The confession of Zaccheus and the stern rebuke addressed by the Baptist to the publicans who came to hear him concur with profane testimony to shew that they were guilty of the practices which led to their being called the wolves and bears of human society. The very contempt in which they were held would tend still further to debase them; for when a man encounters on this side and on that dark glances of suspicion or the scowl of hatred, he is in great danger of losing his self-respect and growing vindictive. Yet in the gospels this class of men is shewn in a hopeful light. They were free from the varnished pretences of the Pharisees; they knew themselves to be under the social ban, and hence were the readier to hearken to him who came as the Friend of sinners and would undertake their cause against the tyrant rulers. Certainly with none did our Lord deal more tenderly in word and deed than with the publicans; of his tenderness we shall have a conspicuous example as we proceed. With regard to Matthew, we have no right to conclude as some have done that, because a publican, therefore he was an immoral man. Character cannot always be safely inferred from trade, and no proof can here be adduced to shew that he was partaker in the sins of many of his companions. Nor must we join with those who think of him as exceeding rich, for all we know of his property is that he had a house of his own and that after relinquishing his stock-in-trade at Jesus' call he could yet furnish forth a large entertainment. It is the wish to heighten the grace which transformed him that has encouraged the one idea, and the wish to heighten his sacrifice in leaving all for Christ that has led to the other. He is introduced to us shortly after Peter and his partners have been summoned to become fishers of men. Jesus has healed the paralytic, silenced the cavils of the Pharisees, and by a miracle which could be tested has established his authority to forgive sins. He descends to the shore of the Lake, followed by the eager throng, and passes along the beach until he comes to the busy quay, whither boats put in with passengers and cargo, and where, as in all southern |