FRIDAY.
Call of Matthew.
I. "And when Jesus passed on from thence, He saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew, and He saith to him, follow Me." (Matt. ix. 9.) Great was the force of this call, which was able to withdraw a man from his riches: and yet the same call, perhaps, would not be forcible enough to withdraw you from smaller impediments. Who can despair of salvation, when he sees public sinners taken out of a custom house, assumed not only to the friendship of God, but raised to the highest dignity of the apostleship." Truly, " His tender mercies are over all His works." (Ps. cxliv. 9.)
II. Christ did not refuse to eat with Matthew and other publicans, in order that He might gain them, although the hypocritical Pharisees murmured at it. Learn from this that there is nothing so holy, as to escape the censures of the wicked. Hence, if on any occasion it be your fate to suffer reprehension or slander for having performed good actions, remember that "The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord." (Matt. x. 24.)
III. Consider the mild reply which Christ made to His calumniators, "They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick; for I am not come to call the just but sinners. " (Matt. ix. 12.) Since Christ presents Himself to your consideration as a physician, reveal your distress, wounds and diseases to him: for, as St. Augustine observes, "No disease is incurable to the Omnipotent physician; only permit yourself to be cured
