Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

XXll
TICAL PURPOSES OF THE CHRISTIAN OBEDIENCE,
is a further excellent point in our Author. The
interior joys and peace of grace he causes to appear
in their fruits, he carries out naturally and spontane-
ously into their appropriate effects. Love, faith, hope,
the promises, the influences of the Spirit, prayer,
the whole inward testimony of religion to the soul,
are most tenderly and sweetly conducted to their due
consequences, in the righteousness of the life, and
the discharge of the relative duties.
Hear how he speaks: Matt. v. H. " Of what
advantage is it to a Christian to be a light, in respect
of his faith and calling, if he be nothing but dark-
ness as to his life and actions? If an Infidel, in-
stead of seeing the light of the gospel and the purity
of faith shine in our conversation, discovers nothing
there but the darkness of sin, we certainly blind in-
stead of enlightening him."
The reader will observe in these quotations, much
of that originality and force of observation which we
noticed as distinguishing the cast of his mind.
There is a clear and striking manner of putting
things, which has, no doubt, much contributed to
the great circulation and usefulness of the work.
Perhaps this ingenuity appears no where more
clearly than in his remarks upon our Lord's miracles
and parables. Every thing is turned to one purpose,
the illustration of the grace of God, the promotion
of the interior life of grace, and the fruitful obedience
to be produced by it. How beautiful is the follow-
ing reflection ! Matt. xiii. 8. " The good ground
is the good heart ; none is such, but through the
mercy of God and the grace of Jesus Christ. It