Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

298 ST. MATTHEW.
can support and comfort a sinner, who is sensible of
his natural weakness and impotency, but to know
that God has an absolute power over his heart. How
is it possible that a truth so full of consolation should
startle Christians ? What has liberty to apprehend
from the sovereign and almighty hand which made it?
Sect. V. Reward an hundred-fold,
" 27. ^ Then answered Peter, and said unto him,
Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee;
what shall we have therefore ?"
How can a man but reflect with joy on the advan-
tage of seeing himself in the most direct way to sal-
vation, when he considers the perils to which almost
all conditions in the world are continually exposed ?
To forsake all without following Christ, is the virtue
of a philosopher. To follow Christ without for-
saking all, is the state of the generality of Christians.
But to forsake all and follow Christ is the aposto-
lical perfection, which gives a man a right to hope for
the highest reward in the world to come. That man
forsakes a great deal who reserves nothing to himself,
and renounces all hopes and expectations here below.
" 28. And Jesus said unto them. Verily I say unto
you. That ye which have followed me, in the regen-
eration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne
of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
O the goodness of Jesus Christ ! Instead of
checking the too forward confidence of these begin-
ners, he comforts and fortifies them by his mildness,
and encourages them by the prospect of reward. To
what do the great aspire by all their wealth and