Quesnel: Moral Reflections on the Gospels Vol 1

24 ST. MATTHEW.
worthy fruit of all thy labours and conflicts,) which
make us thy members. Grant that, in this quality,
we may become true penitents, like David, and true
worshippers of God, in the spirit of faith, like Abraham
!
" 2. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob,
and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren, 3. And
Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar, and Phares
begat Esrom, and Esrom begat Aram, 4. And Aram
begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Naasson, and
Naasson begat Salmon, 5. And Salmon begat Booz
of Rachab, and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and
Obed begat Jesse, 6. And Jesse begat David the
king, and David the king begat Solomon of her
that had been the wife of Urias."
This genealogy of the Son of God is an abridg-
ment of the faith of his incarnation. It informs us
that he is true man, by the generations which it
contains ; that he is a Saviour, by the name of Je-
sus, which it gives him ; that he is both priest and
prophet, by the title of Christ, which in him signi-
fies, anointed with the Holy Ghost, and with the
Divinity itself; that he is the prince and the author
of peace, as son of David; author of the faith, fa-
ther of them who believe, and model of the most
perfect self-denial, and of the true circumcision, as
son of Abraham ; born miraculously, and in virtue
of the promise, the immortal sacrifice of the living
God, and heir of the promises, as son of Isaac;
and lastly, the eldest among his brethren, through
free predestination, persecuted by his carnal breth-
ren, and head of the church, which is the Israel of
God, as son of Jacob.