Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/243

 preaches only  self-denial;  which  every  where  commands  us  to  do violence  upon  ourselves,  and  to  strive  against  our  fancies  and  our affections; which  commands  that  we  act  through  views  superior  to flesh  and  blood,  and  that  we  hesitate  not  to  sacrifice  to  the  sanctity of faith,  and  to  the  sublimity  of  its  rules,  not  only  our  caprices,  but our most  legal  inclinations?

It is  therefore  absurd  to  allege  to  us  an  aversion  to  your  brother, which is  itself  your  guilt. I might  farther  say;  you  complain that your  brother  is  displeasing  to  you,  and  that  it  is  not  possible for you  to  bear,  or  to  be  in  agreement  with  him:  but,  do  you  suppose that  you  yourself  are  displeasing  to  none? Can you  guarantee to us,  that  you  are  universally  liked,  and  that  every  one  applauds and approves  you? Now, if  you  exact,  that  every  thing  offensive in your  manners  be  excused,  upon  the  goodness  of  your  heart,  and on account  of  those  essential  qualities  upon  which  you  pride  yourself:  if  to  you  it  appear  unreasonable  to  be  offended  at  nothings, and by  certain  sallies  which  we  cannot  always  command;  if  you insist upon  being  judged  by  the  consequence,  by  the  groundwork, by  the  rectitude  of  your  sentiments  and  conduct,  and  not  in consequence  of  those  humours  which  sometimes  involuntarily  escape you, and  upon  which  it  is  very  difficult  to  be  always  guarded  against one's self;  having  the  same  equity  for  your  brother;  apply  the same rule  to  yourself? bear with  him  as  you  have  occasion  to  be borne  with  yourself;  and  do  not  justify,  by  your  estrangement from him,  the  unjust  aversions  which  may  be  had  to  yourself. And this  rule  is  so  much  the  more  equitable  as  that  you  have  only to cast  your  eyes  upon  what  is  continually  passing  in  the  world, to be  convinced  that  those  who  are  loudest  in  trumpeting  forth  the faults of  their  brethren,  are  the  very  persons  with  whom  nobody can agree,  who  are  the  pest  of  societies,  and  a  grievance  to  the  rest of men.

And I  might  here  demand  of  you,  my  dear  hearer,  if  this  principle of  contrariety,  which  renders  your  brother  so  insupportable  to you,  be  not  more  in  yourself:  that  is  to  say,  in  your  pride,  in  the capriciousness of  your  temper,  in  the  contrariety  of  your  character, than in  his; — demand  of  you,  if  all  the  world  see  in  him  what  you believe to  see  yourself;  if  his  friends,  his  relations,  his  intimates, look upon  him  with  the  same  eyes  that  you  do? What do  I know,  I  might  demand  of  you,  if  that  which  displeases  you  in him  be  not  perhaps  his  good  qualities:  if  his  talents,  his  reputation, his  credit,  and  his  fortune,  have  not  perhaps  a  greater  share in your  aversion  than  his  faults;  and,  if  it  be  not  his  merit  or  his rank which  have  hitherto  in  your  sight  constituted  his  whole crime? We are  so  easily  deceived  in  this  point! Envy is  a  passion so  masked,  and  so  artful  in  disguising  itself! As there  is  something mean  and  odious  in  it,  and  as  it  is  a  secret  confession  made to ourselves  of  our  own  mediocrity,  it  always  shows  itself  to  us under  foreign  outsides,  which  completely  conceal  itself  from  us; but fathom  your  heart,  and  you  will  see  that  all  those,  who  either surpass, or  who  shine  with  too  much  lustre  near  you,  have  the  mis-