Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world." Chap. 28:19, 20.

17. A striking characteristic of this gospel is the _fulness and orderly
manner_ with which it records _our Lord's discourses_. Striking examples
of this are the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5-7), his awful denunciation
of the Scribes and Pharisees (chap. 23), and the majestic series of
parables (chap. 25). Doubtless, Matthew had by nature a peculiar
endowment for this work, which the Holy Spirit used to preserve for the
church much of our Lord's teachings which would otherwise have been
lost. The narrative part of this gospel, on the other hand, has not the
circumstantial fulness of the following gospel. As already remarked, the
field covered by Matthew's narrative is mainly that of our Lord's
Galilean ministry, with the great events connected with his final visit
to Jerusalem, though he gives indications of repeated visits to that
city. Chap. 23:37-39.

18. It has been assumed by some that Matthew follows, as a general rule,
the order of time. But others deny this, thinking that his arrangement
is according to subject-matter rather than chronological sequence,
especially in the first part (Alexander's Kitto); and this appears to be
the correct judgment. He follows the exact order of time only when the
nature of the events recorded requires him to do so.

19. It is universally admitted that Matthew wrote his gospel _in
Palestine_. This fact accounts for the absence of explanatory clauses
relating to Jewish usages, such as are not unfrequent in the gospel of
Mark. As to the interpretation of Hebrew words, as "Immanuel" (chap.
1:23); and the words on the cross (chap. 27:46), that belongs to the
Greek form of the gospel. The _date_ of this gospel is doubtful.
According to the tradition of the ancient church it was written first of
the four gospels. Assuming that it originally appeared in Hebrew, we may
reasonably suppose that a period of some years elapsed before it was put
into its present Greek form.

20. The _integrity_ of this gospel is unquestionable. In modern times
the genuineness of the first two chapters has been called in question by
various writers, but the insufficiency of their arguments has been shown
by many, among whom may be mentioned Davidson, Introduction to New
Testament, vol. 1, pp. 111-127. In the words