Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

CHAPTER XXI. 32T
and perseverance. Men often deceive themselves in
this matter: there are abundance of false lovers of
the gospel.
*' 31. Whether of them twain did the will of his
father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith
unto them, Verily I say unto you. That the publicans
and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before
you."
True repentance saves the greatest sinners: a
false righteousness does but blind and harden the
worldly-wise the more. Men recover more easily
from gross and public disorders, than from a false
righteousness and secret pride, which corrupt the
whole life, and lull the sinner asleep.
" 32. For John came unto you in the way of
righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the
publicans and harlots believed him : and ye, when ye
had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might
believe him."
If the word and good example had been sufficient
for conversion, what sinners would not St. John have
converted? Pride, which is the greatest obstacle
thereto, requires other remedies. When a soul is
not wrought upon, either by the innocency of the
just, or the repentance of sinners, what hope can be
entertained of its salvation? W^orldly men perish
continually amidst all sorts of good examples. That
of saints, frights and discourages them ; that of great
sinners converted, they are ashamed to follow; and
that of the generality of good men, is not strong
enough to affect or stir them. It belonjxs to thee
only, O Lord, to render all these examples useful,
and to make them subservient to thy designs con-
cerning souls.