Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

440 ST. MATTHEW.
" 7. And they took counsel, and bought with
them the potter's field, to bury strangers in."
Blind and merciless priests, very careful in laying
out Judas' money, but not in the least concerned
what would become of his soul ! Would to God
that abundance of Christians were not under the
same blindness ! Jesus Christ himself honours his
death and burial, by making the price of his blood
serviceable to the burying of Jewish strangers. His
charity in doing good to his enemies is indefatigable;
and his wisdom continually intent on turning every
circumstance of their crime to some advantage. He
does this good to the foreign Jews, perhaps, because
they, not having been witnesses of his life and mira-
cles, were the chief persons who cried out, *' Crucify
him, crucify him."
" 8. Wherefore that field was called. The field of
blood, unto this day. 9. (Then was fulfilled that
which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price
of him that was valued, whom they of the children
of Israel did value, 10. And gave them for the
potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.)"
The holy Scripture, having foretold every thing,
renders all the Jews utterly inexcusable. In vain
do the wicked endeavour to conceal themselves
God makes them instrumental in discovering their
own wickedness. Judas, by returning back the
money, and the priests by laying it out, raise to
themselves an eternal monument—the one of his
treachery, the others of their perfidiousness.