thefe days incumbent on us, have we, like St. Matthew, fulfilled the duty? To these questions let our meditations be directed,

I. We are to leave all our evil practices, that we may follow Chrift. There appears no breach of charity in the affumption that St. Matthew, in his bufinefs as a publican, had borne fome refemblance to his brethren. He was every hour exposed to the temptations, by which they were fo generally overcome. He was every hour af failed by the influence of their pernicious example. And the Scriptures do not furnish any intimation that he had diftinguished himself from others in his own line of life or that it was on account of any confpicuous merit that he was felected to become an Apostle of our Lord. Be this circumftance, however, as it may, St. Matthew was a child of Adam; by nature corrupt, in practice finful. But he liftened to the command of Jefus. His original employment, in itself so ensnaring, he forfook at once. And he feems anxious to fhew his fenfe of the memorable goodness of Chrift in calling him from fo guilty a profeffion to be his disciple, by ftill denominating himself, in a fubfequent part of

his Gofpel, where he recounts the names of the twelve Apoftles, Matthew the Publican: an appellation never affigned to him fubfequently to his converfion by any other of the facred writers. He continued ftedfaftly with his heavenly Mafter; gradually improving in grace and holiness, as he grew in the knowledge of his Lord and Saviour. Conformably to his example, we are to relinquish all habits and deeds of wickedness to which we have heretofore been addicted. This is the first step in repentance. Until this step be taken, to fpeak of repentance is hypocrify. We must relinquish our former iniquities altogether, and without referve. Suppofe that St. Matthew, when Chrift commanded him to become his follower, had anfwered, that he would attend upon Chrift occafionally, when his occupation afforded him leifure: and that for the future, when employed in collecting tribute, he would commit acts of extortion only feldom. Would Chrift have regarded him? Would he have accepted fuch service? You must surrender yourselves entirely to Chrift. You must follow Him wholly. You must follow Him alone. In all his actions Chrift was pure from fin, and a pattern of every good

f

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work. When you wilfully indulge in wickedness; is that to follow Christ? When you reserve fome favourite fin for your occafional gratification; is that to leave all for the fake of Chrift? No man can ferve two masters. Choose between the works of God, and the works of the devil; between the deeds of light, and those of darkness; between Heaven and hell.

II. We must renounce, for the fake of Christ, all our evil inclinations. This step is neceffary to make repentance complete. St. Matthew not only relinquished his occupation, but abandoned it with gladness. You do not fee him taking leave of his home with reluctance and forrow. He was not afhamed to let it be known to the world that he was going to refign his antecedent habits of life; his domeftic comforts; his eafe; his former affociates; his fettled purfuits, for the fake of religion. He prepared a great feaft to welcome his Saviour to his houfe, before he fhould himself quit it: and invited a numerous company of publicans and finners, that they alfo might be bleffed with the opportunity of liftening to the words of eternal life. Afterwards, when you hear him mentioning his former profeffion; it is not

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with defire to return to it, but with gratitude for having been called away from it to take up his crofs and follow Christ. In conformity to this example every Christian is not merely to abftain, as by constraint, from finful actions; but to glorify his God by cheerful obedience, and to bring his will under thankful subjection to his Redeemer. He is to be holy in thought, holy in heart, holy in his designs, holy in his wishes. He is to abhor fin as odious to God, repugnant to his laws, hoftile to his plans, destructive to his creation. He is to cultivate righteoufnefs as that which God has appointed: that which God loves: that which is the diftinguishing and pre-eminent attribute of God: that which fhone with unclouded luftre in the human nature of the glorious Redeemer: that which the glorious Redeemer lived and died to plant and establish among men. He is to labour to crucify the old man, the original corruption of which he is a partaker, with the affections and lufts which it produces. He is to be renewed through the operation of the Holy Ghoft in the fpirit of his mind; to be conformed in heart to the image of Chrift: to put on the new man, which after God, according to the image of God, is created in righteouf

nefs and true holinefs. He is to ferve God not in the fpirit of bondage, but of love: not as the Ifraelites fubmitted to their Egyptian taskmafters, bowing to the yoke which they could not efcape': 'but with the affectionate acquiefcence which breathed in the words of Chrift, when he exclaimed; Father! Not my will but thine be done!

III. We, like St. Matthew, are to renounce private intereft, whenever it interferes with our obedience to Jefus Chrift. St. Matthew forfook his poffeffions, and relinquifhed the employment which furnished him with fubfiftence, which difclofed the profpect of wealth; that he might be a faithful follower of the Mafter who commanded his fervice. Behold a decifive proof of fincerity! He does not honour his Saviour with his lips only. He glorifies the Son of God by making large facrifices for his fake; by immediately making every facrifice which is required. He hears of the pearl of great price; and he parts with every thing that he may obtain it. He counts all things but lofs that he may win the approbation of his Redeemer. He cafts away his freafures on earth that he may be admitted to an enduring inherit

ance