Page:Blaise Pascal works.djvu/246

 Whosoever, having only a week to live, will not find out that it is expedient to believe that all this is not a stroke of chance…

Now, if the passions had no hold on us, a week and a hundred years would amount to the same thing.

Prophecies.—Great Pan is dead.

Susceperunt verbum cum omni aviditate, scrutantes Scripturas, si ita se haberent.

Prodita lege.—Impleta cerne.—Implenda collige.

We understand the prophecies only when we see the events happen. Thus the proofs of retreat, discretion, silence, &amp;c., are proofs only to those who know and believe them.

Joseph so internal in a law so external.

Outward penances dispose to inward, as humiliations to humility. Thus the…

The synagogue has preceded the church; the Jews, the Christians. The prophets have foretold the Christians; Saint John, Jesus Christ.

It is glorious to see with the eyes of faith the history of Herod and of Caesar.

The zeal of the Jews for their law and their temple (Josephus, and Philo the Jew, ad Caïum). What other people had such a zeal? It was necessary they should have it.