Page:HalfHoursWithTheSaints.djvu/40

 [John Baptist  Massillon  was  the  son  of  a  notary  residing  at Hyeres  in  Provence. Born on  the  24th  of  June  1663,  he  entered  the Congregation of  the  Oratory  in  the  year  1681. His fame  as  a  fine preacher having  reached  the  ears  of  Louis  XIV.,  he  was  summoned to Versailles  to  preach  the  Advent. It was,  after  the  course  of  these discourses that  he  received  the  following  encomium  from  the  lips  of the  French  king: — "  My  father,  I  have  been  well  satisfied  with  many orators,  but  as  for  you,  every  time  that  I  have  heard  you  I  have  felt very  discontented  and  vexed  with  myself."

In the  year  1717,  the  Regent  nominated  him  to  be  the  Bishop  of Clermont. He remained  in  the  government  of  his  diocese  until  the year 1742,  when  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine.]

Joseph, raised  to  the  highest  dignity  in  the  court  of Egypt,  by  his  elevation  became  to  be  the  terror  and  protector of  his  brothers. These (of  whom  he  had  so  much reason  to  complain)  did  he  not  consider  them  as  only executors of  the  will  of  God,  notwithstanding  the  outrages they inflicted  on  him  —  that  the  treason  and  cruelty which they  employed  against  him  proved,  by  the  decrees of Divine  Providence,  to  be  more  beneficial  than  their jealousy could  have  imagined?

It is  true  that  they  had  sold  him  to  go  into  Egypt,  but it was  not  on  account  of  their  perfidy,  rather  it  was  by  the will of  God  that  he  should  be  sent  to  this  foreign  land. Non vestro  consilio  sed  Dei  voluntate  hie  missus  sum.

Such were  the  feelings  of  so  many  Saints  and  martyrs with regard  to  those  by  whom  they  had  been  persecuted.

They reverenced  even  the  scourges  which  God  had  sent to chasten  them. The early  Christians  blessed  the  hands that struck  them.

Massillon.

Give us,  O  Lord,  the  will  to  do  what  Thou  commandest, and to  do  what  Thou  wiliest.

St. Augustine.

Confessions.