Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/358



Whence comes  this  aspect  of  zeal  and  of  indignation  which Jesus Christ,  on  this  occasion,  allows  his  countenance  to  betray? Is this,  then,  that  King  of  Peace  who  was  to  appear  in  Zion  armed with his  meekness  alone? We have  seen  him  sitting  as  judge  over an adulteress,  and  he  hath  not  even  condemned her. We have  seen at his  feet  the  prostitute  of  the  city,  and  he  hath  graciously  forgiven her  debaucheries  and  scandals. His disciples  wanted  the  fire of heaven  to  descend  upon  an  ungrateful  and  perverse  city;  but  he reproached  them  with  being  still  unacquainted  with  that  new  spirit of mercy  and  of  charity  which  he  came  to  spread  throughout  the earth. He hath  just  been  lamenting  with  tears  the  miseries  which threaten Jerusalem,  that  criminal  city,  the  murderer  of  the  prophets, which  is  on  the  eve  of  sealing  the  sentence  of  her  reprobation by  the  iniquitous  death  she  is  so  soon  to  inflict  on  him  whom God had  sent  to  be  her  Redeemer. On every  occasion  he  hath appeared feeling  and  merciful;  and,  in  consequence  of  the  excess of his  meekness,  he  hath  been  called  the  friend  even  of  publicans and sinners.

What then  are  the  outrages  which  now  triumph  over  all  his  clemency, and  arm  his  gracious  hands  with  the  rod  of  justice  and  of wrath? The holy  temple  is  profaned;  his  Father's  house  is  dishonoured; the  place  of  prayer  and  the  sacred  asylum  of  the  penitent, is turned  into  a  house  of  traffic  and  of  avarice:  this  is  what  calls the lightning  into  those  eyes  which  would  wish  to  cast  only  looks of compassion  upon  sinners. Behold what  obliges  him  to  terminate a  ministry  of  love  and  reconciliation,  by  a  step  of  severity  and of wrath  similar  to  that  with  which  he  had  opened  it. For remark, that what  Jesus  Christ  doth  here,  in  terminating  his  career,  he  had already done,  when,  after  thirty-three  years  of  a  private  life,  he entered  for  the  first  time  into  Jerusalem,  there  to  open  his  mission, and to  do  the  work  of  his  Father. It might  be  said,  that  he  had himself forgotten  that  spirit  of  meekness  and  of  long-suffering which was  to  distinguish  his  ministry  from  that  of  the  ancient covenant, and  under  which  he  was  announced  by  the  prophets.

Many other  scandals,  besides  those  seen  in  the  temple,  doubtless took place  in  that  city,  and  were  perhaps  no  less  worthy  of  the zeal and  the  chastisement  of  the  Saviour;  but,  as  if  his  Father's glory  had  been  less  wounded  by  them,  he  can  conceal  them  for  a