Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

316 ST. MATTHEW.
his will, when he intends to loose the sinner, or make
use of him for his own purposes and designs.
"4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the .prophet, saying, 5. Tell
ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh
unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt
the foal of an ass."
See to what the outward magnificence of this triumph
is reduced : but to the sight of God, nothing
can appear more great and magnificent, than a God
who despises greatness and magnificence so far as to
divest himself thereof, and who teaches the great
ones of the earth to despise it, even whilst they pos-
sess it. What an example is here, that the Son of
God should come meek, and full of gentleness, to
those whose hearts he knew to be full of hatred and
rage against himself, and entirely employed in con-
triving his death ; and that he should come even to
deliver himself up to them ! This is such an insfance
of charity, as will cover the revengeful with shame,
and overwhelm them at the tribunal of God, if they
do not profit by it. The kingdom of Christ is a
kingdom of meekness and of love, by which he sub-
dues both Jews and Gentiles, the spirit and the flesh.
" 6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus
commanded them,"
A ready and faithful obedience to the word of
Jesus Christ, is a sacrifice due to him from the rea-
son and will of man. When God commands, there
is no time for dispute. Whenever, by his order
and authority, we undertake to loose souls, and to
bring them to Christ, we must do our duty in fol-
lowing his instructions, without regarding the cen-