THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVE. ST. MATTHEW. The Gospel of St. Matthew consists of 28 chapters and 1071 verses. Of these, upwards of 600 verses, including several entire chapters, are taken up with the discourses, parables, and sayings of our Lord of dialogues between him and his disciples -and of the answers given by him to his enemies, the Scribes and Pharisees-and this without reckoning various detached sayings, quotations from the Old Testament, etc., so that the narrative does not amount to quite a third of the whole. These discourses and sayings may be held to be given as nearly as possible in the very words used by our Lord himself. Of this we may be assured from the following considerations. St. Matthew was one of the first called of our Lord's immediate followers, and continued with him during the whole of his public ministry; and therefore he had the best opportunities of hearing his discourses, and of reporting them correctly. And having these opportunities for the due performance of this task, we may be sure he would entertain the most lively anxiety to observe the most scrupulous accuracy in this respect. His reverence for his Master, and his feeling of the unspeakable importance of what he had heard him utter, would naturally make him anxious that not one of his words should be allowed to fall to the ground. This, as far as natural feeling is concerned, would have a tendency to ensure the most perfect and literal accuracy; but in addition to this, we may be assured, that the influence of the Holy Spirit, which was poured out at Pentecost on all the Apostles, would be applied for the purpose of preserving the sacred penman from falling into error in a matter of so great moment. The internal evidence of the discourses themselves, might alone be sufficient to satisfy us of their being entirely genuine. Take as an example the Sermon on the Mount. Its style and tenor are so infinitely superior to those of any human composition, as at once to mark it as coming from a Divine author. From beginning to end it is constructed according to the rules of the most perfect Hebrew poetry, and the matter is conceived in a strain of moral elevation as original as it is exalted. No wonder that the multitude who heard our Sa viour deliver this discourse, 66 were astonished at his doctrine." The mingled simplicity and wisdom displayed in the parables need not to be pointed out, nor the many instances of kind and affectionate condescension contained in the discourses addressed to the disciples. But when we attend to the dignified reproofs the unanswerable and crushing replies administered by our Lord, to his cunning and implacable enemies,-the bigotted and worldly Scribes, -the Sadducees enamoured of a vain philosophy— and the self-righteous Pharisees, with hearts "crammed with arrogancy, spleen, and pride," we see that a greater than Moses a greater than Solomon is here. The narrative part of this Gospel, the only part which can be considered as the composition of the evangelist, is chiefly remarkable for its perfect simplicity and clearness. There is not in it the least attempt at a single ornament of style. The greatest events are told in the simplest possible manner; and yet the effect is frequently more striking and sublime, than could have been produced by any effort of human eloquence. Take as an example the account of our Saviour's stilling the winds and the waves. In order to shew the entire beauty of this passage, we shall compare it with two parallel ones from profane authors. Homer, in the Odyssey, thus describes Pallas allaying the storm raised by Neptune for the destruction of Ulysses "Now, scarce withdrawn the fierce earth-shaking power, Back to their caves she bade the winds to fly, And hushed the blustering brethren of the sky. The third fair morn now blazed upon the main, Horace, the most elegant of the Roman poets, thus describes a similar scene : "Simul alba nautis Stella refulsit, Defluit saxis agitatus humor; Concidunt venti, fugiuntque nubes, (Thus literally rendered :-) "Soon as the white star Shines on the mariner, Flows from the rocks, the agitated water, Down sink the winds, and the clouds disperse, Rests on the ocean." *The gods. * These descriptions are very beautiful, but not to be compared to the simple, yet expressive words "And he arose, and rebuked the Winds and the sea, And there was a great calm." We feel that we have here the same Divine Being who said, "let there be light, and there was light." If an Take as another example the account of that most wonderful transaction, the Transfiguration. uninspired writer of the greatest genius had attempted to describe such a scene, how would he have laboured to impress his readers with its unspeakable grandeur-brought together every circumstance his imagination could suggest, and accumulated epithet upon epithet to raise our ideas of the overwhelming magnificence of our Lord's appearing in his glory. But here we have nothing of the kind. All we are told is," that he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."* A little reflection will shew us, that any addition to these simple words, would weaken, instead of increasing their effect. The sun infinitely transcends in brightness every other object, insomuch that it cannot be steadily regarded by the human eye, but *Matt. xvii. 2. |