Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

CHAPTER IX. 133
which may be at all serviceable to us any longer, and
we have often little or no regard to a soul, which is
so precious in the sight of God, and created to serve
hira eternally. The wounds which we give it by a
wrong and too precipitate a conduct are sometimes
incurable.
" 17. Neither do men put new wine into old
bottles ; else the bottles break, and the wine runneth
out, and the bottles perish : but they put new wine
into new bottles, and both are preserved."
To impose the yoke of such exercises and mortifications
as are not absolutely necessary, before God
has changed and renewed the heart, is no other than
to endeavour to prevent his grace. Men sometimes
cause a soul to lose that portion of grace which it
had, by urging it too soon to engage in the ways of
perfection, of which it is not as yet capable. Very
auspicious beginnings, and great hopes of conversion,
even as to a whole people, are often ruined by men
proceeding too hastily, by their endeavouring to
make their own designs take place, and to have the
honour of that success themselves which is due only
to God. It is a great degree of knowledge, to be
able to observe and follow the motions of grace, on
which all depends, and which commonly performs its
work by degrees, and step by step, in the souls of
particular persons, and almost always in a great
people. Give, Lord, the Spirit of thy conduct to
the ministers of thy work, that they may know how
to manage and improve thy interests in the souls of
men, without the least damage to them.