Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/285

 the court,  in  himself. Every one  continually  views  himself  by  certain favourable  sides,  which  effectually  hinder  him  from  ever  knowing himself  such  as  he  is. In vain  do  we  mark  you,  as  I  may  say, in the  most  pointed  manner;  you  always  inwardly  find  out  some  softened traits,  which  alter  the  resemblance. You whisper  to  yourself,  I am  not  this  man. And, while  the  public  makes  application  of  such striking truths  to  us,  we  alone  either  succeed  in  being  convinced that they  are  not  drawn  for  us,  or  we  only  find  in  them  the  defects of our  brethren:  in  our  own  exactest  portraits,  we  search  out  foreign likenesses;  we  are  ingenious  in  turning  the  blow  upon  others, which truth  hath  given  to  us  alone;  the  malignity  of  the  application is the  only  fruit  which  we  reap  from  that  picture  of  our  vices  made from the  pulpit,  and  we  rashly  judge  our  brethren  where  we  ought to have  judged  only  ourselves. And thus  it  is,  O  my  God! that men become  corrupted,  misapply  every  thing,  and  that  even  the light of  truth  seals  up  their  eyes  upon  their  own  errors,  and  opens them only  to  see  in  others  either  what  is  not,  or  what  it  ought  to have  kept  entirely  hid  from  them.

Such are  the  duties  which  the  authority  of  the  holy  word  exacts of you. Let us  now  proceed  to  those  attached  to  its  end. Its end, my  brethren,  you  know,  is  the  conversion  of  hearts,  the  establishment of  truth,  the  destruction  of  error  and  of  sin,  and  the sanctification of  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. All there  is  grand,  elevated, important,  and  worthy  of  the  most  sublime  function  of  the hierarchy; and,  consequently,  it  is  from  thence  to  be  inferred,  that you ought  to  listen  to  us  with  a  respectful  and  religious  spirit, which despises  not  the  simplicity  of  our  discourses,  and  with  a spirit  of  faith  which  seeks  nothing  human  in  it,  nothing  frivolous, nothing which  does  not  correspond  with  the  excellency  and  the dignity of  its  end.

I say,  a  spirit  of  religious  respect,  which  despises  not  the  simplicity of  our  discourses;  for,  however  enlightened  you  may  in other  respects  be,  you  ought  not,  in  consequence  of  your  pretended lights, to  claim  a  title  to  neglect  the  instructions  of  the  church  to believers. The unction  of  the  Spirit  will  always  inform  you  of something  here,  of  which  you  would  perhaps  have  remained  ignorant. If possessed  of  that  knowledge  which  is  the  cause  of  pride, you will  be  strengthened  in  that  charity  which  edifies. If your mind acquire  nothing  new,  your  heart  shall  perhaps  be  made  to feel  new  things:  you  will  there,  at  least,  learn  that  your  knowledge is nothing,  if  you  be  ignorant  of  the  science  of  salvation;  that  you are but  a  cloud  without  moisture, — elevated,  it  is  true,  above  other men, by  your  talents,  and  by  the  superiority  of  your  knowledge, but empty  of  grace,  and  the  sport  of  every  wind  and  of  every  passion in  the  sight  of  God;  and,  lastly,  that  a  simple  and  pure  soul shall, in  an  instant,  be  taught  the  whole  in  the  bosom  of  God,  and shall be  transformed  from  light  to  light;  while,  on  the  contrary, that you,  after  an  entire  life  of  watchings  and  ardent  study,  and  the attainment of  a  useless  mass  of  knowledge  and  lights,  shall  perhaps reap for  your  portion  only  eternal  darkness.