Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

CHAPTER V. 69
** 24. Leave there thy gift before the altar, and
go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and
then come and offer thy gift."
No sacrifice can be acceptable to God, unless it
be accompanied with that of a sincere charity. The
gift and offering which God prefers to all others, is
for a man to take away, out of his own and his
brother's heart, all seeds of hatred, by an humble
and necessary satisfaction, or by a charitable and
voluntary prevention. It is to fly in the face of the
Son of God, with respect to his doctrine and com-
mand, to send to the communion, or to admit to the
grace of reconciliation, a sinner who will neither for-
give, nor make any satisfaction for injuries. A re-
ligion, the very soul of which is charity, cannot suffer
at the feet of its altars a heart which is revengeful,
or which does not use its utmost endeavour to revive
charity in the hearf of another.
" 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles
thou art in the way with him ; lest at any time the
adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into
prison."
It is a real folly for a man not to be reconciled
whilst he has time. Unhappy he, who puts it off
till death ; still more unhappy he, who lets slip this
last and precious moment, the loss whereof is irre-
parable. But how great is the madness, how des-
perate the rage of the duellist, who goes in cold
blood to deliver himself up to his judge, to seek his
executioner, and to cast himself into the eternal
prison, by being the occasion of his own death, either
through the engagement of a false honour, or out of