Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

456 ST. MATTHEW.
" 52. And the graves were opened; and many
bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53. And
came out of the graves after his resurrection, and
went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
All nature seems to answer that expostulation of
Christ, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?" by declaring the fruits of his death. The
veil being rent shows, that this death is to put an
end to the figurative worship, and to establish the
true religion and holiness. The earthquake, that
it is to make known on earth the eternal judgments
of God on sinners. The rocks being rent declare,
that it is to make way for the grace of repentance.
The graves being opened, that it is to destroy the
death of sin, and to confer the life of grace on sin-
ners. And, in the last place, the rising of the saints
shows, that it is to merit and publish the eternal hap-
piness of body and soul for the children of promise.
O adorable death, imprint thyself on my mind, and
produce therein all these effects !
" 54. Now, when the centurion, and they that
were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake,
and those things that w^ere done, they feared greatly,
saying. Truly this was the Son of God."
Let us honour these first effects of the death of
Jesus Christ wrought on the centurion and the pagan
soldiers. Who, considering these, will not hope?
It is good to be near the cross; its virtue diffuses
itself even among those who are ignorant of its power
and holiness : it is a great matter not to be averse to
it, whilst all the world dishonours it. Those who
knowingly and out of passion oppose the truth, are
.without comparison at a greater distance from salva-