Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

168 ST. MATTHEW.
Sect. III. Both Jesus and John rejected of the
Jews.
" 16. f But whereunto shall I liken this genera-
tion ? It is like unto children sitting in the markets,
and calling unto their fellows, 17. And saying,
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced
we have mourned unto you, and ye have not la-
mented."
The wicked person, by his malice, makes all which
God has done for his salvation become fruitless.
Nothing but charity can make it beneficial. There
are some, to whom every thing is useful in leading
them to God ; others, to whom nothing is sufficient.
To these, the easy and less austere ways seem too
remiss ; and yet a more rigorous and severe kind of
life quite disheartens them. The defect is in the
heart, and not in the means. Every thing is good
to a good heart; every thing is hurtful to a corrupt
one.
" 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say. He hath a devil."
The sinner will not be persuaded, that what he
has no mind to imitate can come from God. There
are such violent aversions in some persons, as to
make them rather blame even virtue itself, than
esteem it in those whom they do not love. This
vice has several degrees : let us take care, that there
be no degree of it in ourselves. Men sometimes
affect to appear wise and prudent in condemning
those ways which seem too austere. Pride, envy,
and vanity, are the sources of these false and rash
judgments.