Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

CHAPTER II.
the most proper means to escape that anger which
will never pass away.
"21. And he arose, and took the young child
and his mother, and came into the land of Israel."
Obedience ought to be ready, persevering, and
indefatigable. When God has once placed us, we
must not remove ourselves, of our own accord, and
without knowing his will. Moses leading the
people of God out of Egypt into the land of pro-
mise, is a figure of Joseph, who brings back the Son
of God from thence; and Joseph represents the
pastors, who conduct the church and her children by
the mission and the word of God. How happy is
a church, whose pastor being, like Joseph, in the
hand of God, tak^ and carries the faithful in his
bosom, as his children, to convey them to heaven,
the true land of Israel.
" 22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign
in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he vvas
afraid to' go thither : notwithstanding, being warned
of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts
of Galilee."
The joy of this life is always interrupted by sor-
row. God is not wont to free his servants from all
troubles and afflictions in this world. Here we
never want enemies; here is always somewhat to be
feared. Christ was conducted step by step by his
Father; and as for us, we would fain know imme-
diately all the designs of God concerning us. Let
us then, in like manner, with the docility and sub-
mission of a child, suffer ourselves to be led and
directed, out of obedfence, and according to the
example of the Word incarnate. He is hght itself.
39