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The Gospel of Jesus Christ According to
St. Matthew Pasquier
Quesnel Translated
by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., Vicar of Islington and now Bishop of Chapter III. Sect. I. The Mortified Life And Preaching
Of 1.
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of After a retirement of thirty years, to
begin the exercise of his ministry in the wilderness; to prefer the country
to the city, the poor to the rich, the ignorant to the learned, is that
wherein 2.
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand. Repentance is the true preparation for the
kingdom of heaven. Let this therefore keep us every moment prepared for it,
because this kingdom is every moment approaching nearer to us. If this
kingdom is a kingdom of love, the repentance which prepares us for it must
likewise be a repentance of love. It is from thee, Lord,
that we hope to receive both this love and this repentance, both the
principle and the works. 3.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord, make his paths straight. Repentance must begin by taking away the
stops and hinderances of salvation, that we may proceed directly toward God. It is difficult to hear this
voice, except in the wilder ness, that is, in retirement, and out of the
noise and hurry of worldly affairs; or at least, in a recollected, intent,
and sedate mind. The sinner is gone too far from God, to be called back any
otherwise than by a great cry, that is to say, a great grace. Repentance is
not the business of a moment, because it is a preparation for being
reconciled with God; nor does this preparation consist only in a few thoughts
or words, because the way of God lies in the will; nor is this way easy to be
prepared, since by it the heart must pass from darkness to light, and from
death to life; nor is all this the work of man, because the preparations of
the heart in man are from the Lord, and he only can order and direct his
steps, and make him choose and delight in his way. 4.
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle
about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. He
who preaches repentance, ought to perform it himself, and join the outward
part to the inward. This persuades more than words. All is singular in 5.
Then went out to him Those who direct to God by a straiter way, are most sought to
by such as really desire not to deceive themselves, but to be saved. So true
is it, that one does not discourage sinners, and drive them to despair, by
preaching to them repentance, according to the holy severity of the divine
law. 6.
And were baptized of him in One part of repentance is to bear the
shame and confusion of our sins in confessing them. It is not grievous to any to show this shame and confusion before
men, except only to those who have none at all for their sins before God.
Sooner or later the sinner must be humbled, because every sinner is proud;
but this humiliation has no virtue in it, unless it proceed
from the choice or acceptance of the sinner. Sect. II. Reproaches Against The
Pharisees. 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? A disinterested and impartial preacher or
director (of the conscience) spares no one. The holy rigour which he
exercises is infinitely better than a false mildness; this only lulls the
sinner asleep in his vices; that wakes him, makes him thoroughly sensible of
his condition, and shakes his conscience with a saving fear. To treat a
sinner harshly, in order to humble him, is not to insult him; it is only
piercing the skin with a charitable hand, to take down the swelling of his
pride. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: Unhappy he, whose life passes away in
promises, desires, and barren designs of repentance! God requires of us real
works, and such as are (in some measure)
proportioned to our sins. No fruit, except that of charity, is worthy of God,
who is charity itself. A fruit of self-love, such as is a servile fear,
cannot be (acceptable to) his justice. The exercises of repentance cannot
please him, but by the spirit of repentance, which consists of a true change
of mind, a sincere grief, and a penitent love. 9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. The virtue of fathers is of no advantage
to children, unless they tread in the same steps. God has no need of us to
serve him, because he can make worshippers of the most hardened sinners, can
change hearts of stone into tender lovers of his law, and form children out
of the most mercenary slaves. Oh that this heart, Lord, hitherto so hard and
servile, may feel the effects of this sovereign power! Vouchsafe to show thy
glory in making me a child of faith and promise. 10. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Let us always look upon death as ready to
surprise us. Let us well consider this truth, that to be saved, it is not enough
that we do no evil works, but we must do good ones. No works are such except
those which God works in men by his grace, and which men return to God by
their charity. Damnation consists of two things; the one, eternal
excommunication, in being separated from the body of Christ, and from the
presence of God, without the least hope of recovery; the other, eternal
punishment by fire. Let us fear this punishment; but let us more fear that
eternal excommunication. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: The greatest saints are nothing before
Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost (which Christ alone can give) overflowing the
soul, purifies, transforms, and lifts it up to God. The less the minister
attributes to himself the work of God in the soul, the more he advances it
there. The outward part only belongs to him; but God alone sanctifies, who
can work upon the heart, subject it to himself by his Spirit, and make a new
heart of it. What should I do, Lord, if thou didst not wash me often in the
laver of thy blood, and purify me in the fire of thy charity? 12. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The present and visible church is the
floor, where the corn is as yet mingled with the chaff, the elect with the
reprobate. The agitation of persecution, or the salutary suffering for the
truths of the gospel, separate them in this life the one from the other; the
fan of the last judgment shall remove them from the floor, in order to be
either carried into the garner, or cast into the fire. Terrible, but
inevitable separation! We shall eternally belong either to
the one or the other; and out of the floor, we shall be the same that
we have been in it, either chaff or wheat. Grant, Lord, that I may have a
heart, not as of chaff, feeble, light, empty, barren, and tossed about with
every wind; but as of wheat, pure, full of substantial virtue, firm in
goodness, fruitful in good works, and fit to become the bread of God, after
having been bruised under the millstone of the cross, kneaded in the water of
affliction, and baked with the fire of charity! Sect. III. The Baptism Of Christ. 13. Then cometh Jesus from Jesus clothes himself with us and our
sins, that he may clothe us with himself and his righteousness. He takes,
and, as it were, deifies in himself the marks, effects, punishment, and
remedy of sin. If Christ, being innocence itself, not withstanding chooses to
bear the shame of sin, in passing for a sinner, to subject himself to (a sort
of) public penance, and oblige himself by this ceremony to all the duties of
a true penitent; let us be ashamed of our pride, injustice, and impenitence. 14. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? How holy and lovely is that contest, which
arises, on either side, from nothing but humility! The designs of God are in
comprehensible, even to the saints. There is no person but has need of being
purified by Christ; let us go to him with confidence every moment, because
every moment we have need of his grace. An important lesson this, which God
here, at the very first, delivers to us by his apostle; the necessity which
we have of a Saviour and of his grace, were we as innocent and as penitent as
St. John. 15. And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. The humility of Jesus could not but
surmount that of 16. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto* him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Nothing pleases God but in his Son. The
baptized enter into the divine filiation, and are
made a part of this beloved Son by the grace of adoption. God bestows no
favour, and pardons no sin, but through the merits and for the sake of his
Son. The certain way for a man not to be refused, is never to present himself
before God in prayer, but together with Jesus Christ; to ask nothing but in
his name, to do nothing but by his Spirit, to hope for nothing but through
his mediation, and to offer nothing to God but in the union of this Son, and
in offering him to the Father. |
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