Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

76 ST. MATTHEW.
" 40. And if any man will sue thee at the law,
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also."
Patience and Christian charity would have us be
in the same disposition, in relation to our goods. It
is a gain to lose them, rather than the treasure of
charity and peace. These words contain only mat-
ter of advice; but the foundation of this advice,
namely, the having a mind averse to law, and the
preferring peace and Christian concord to temporal
advantages—this is a precept. We are great gain-
ers when v^e lose only our money, because we will
not run the risk of losing our souls by losing charity.
" 41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a
mile, go with him twain."
Lastly, Patience and Christian charity would have
us be disposed to suffer, in our bodies, all sorts of
toils, vexations, and torments, that we may be mar-
tyrs of charity and peace. Jesus Christ went be-
yond this advice, when, without being in the least
constrained thereto, he suffered himself to be set on
a pinnacle of the temple, and taken up into the
mountain by the devil, and to be led to the top of
Calvary by the Jews. Few persons are exposed to
these kinds of vexations; but all are exposed to suf-
fer injustice. If we always believe that our sufiPer-
in^rs are less than we deserve in the si^i^ht of God,
we need never fear our being mistaken, or doing any
injustice to ourselves. The way to improve the in-
justice of men to our own advantage, is, to suflPer
their violence with a view to the justice of God.
" 42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from
him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away."
To give and to lend freely to all who are in need,