Pharisee and the publican (Parable) -- Early works to 1800
(2.) The next publican that I find by the Testament of Christ, made
mention of by name, is Levi, another of the apostles of Jesus Christ.
This Levi also, by the Holy Ghost in holy writ, is called by the name of
James: not James the brother of John, for Zebedee was his father; but
James the son of Alpheus. Now I take this Levi also to be another than
Matthew; First, because Matthew is not called the son of Alpheus; and
because Matthew and Levi, or James the son of Alpheus, are distinctly
counted where the names of the apostles are mentioned (Matt. x. 3) for
two distinct persons: and that this Levi, or James the apostle, was a
publican, as was the apostle Matthew, whom we mentioned before, is
evident; for both Mark and Luke do count him such. First, Mark saith,
Christ found him when he called him, as he also found Matthew, sitting at
the receipt of custom; yea, Luke words it thus: “He went forth, and saw a
publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto
him, Follow me;” Mark ii. 14; Luke v. 27.
Now, that this Levi, or James the son of Alpheus, was a Jew, his name
doth well make manifest. Besides, had there been among the apostles any
more Gentiles save Simon the Canaanite, or if this Levi James had been
here, I think the Holy Ghost would, to distinguish him, have included him
in the same discriminating character as he did the other, when he called
him “Simon the Canaanite;” Matt. x. 4.
Matthew, therefore, and Levi or James, were both publicans, and, as I
think, called both at the same time; were both publican Jews, and made by
grace the apostles of Jesus Christ.
(3.) The next publican that I find by name made mention of in the
Testament of Christ, is one Zaccheus. And he was a publican; yea, for
ought I know, the master of them all. “There was a man,” saith Luke,
“named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was
rich,” Luke xix. 2. This man, Christ saith, was a son of Abraham, that
is, as other Jews were; for he spake to stop the mouths of their
Pharisaical cavillations. Besides, the Publican shewed himself to be
such an one, when under a supposition of wronging any man, he had respect
to the Jewish law of restoring four-fold; Exod. xxii. 1; 2 Sam. xii. 6.
It is further manifest that he was a Jew, because Christ puts him among
the lost; to wit, among the lost sheep of the house of Israel, ver. 10;
and Matt. xv. 24; for Zaccheus was one that might properly be said to be
lost, and that in the Jews’ account: lost, I say, and that not only in
the most common sense, by reason of transgression against the law, but
for that he was an apostate Jew, not with reference to heathenish
religion, but as to heathenish, cruel, and barbarous actions; and
therefore he was, as the other, by his brethren, counted as bad as
heathens, Gentiles, and harlots. But salvation is come to this house,
saith Christ, and that notwithstanding his publican practice, forasmuch
as he also is the son of Abraham.
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