Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/374

 ing,  of  adoration,  and  of  praise;  let  us  never  quit  our  temples without bearing  from  them  some  new  grace,  since  here  is  the  throne of mercy  from  whence  they  are  shed  upon  men;  never  quit  them without an  additional  relish  for  heaven,  without  new  desires  of  terminating your  errors,  and  of  attaching  yourselves  solely  to  God; without envying  the  happiness  of  those  who  serve  him,  who  have it in  their  power  to  be  continually  worshipping  him  at  the  feet  of the  altar,  and  whose  station  and  functions  particularly  consecrate them to  his  holy  ministry. Say to  him,  as  the  queen  of  Sheba formerly said  to  Solomon,  "  Happy  are  thy  men,  happy  are  these thy  servants,  which  stand  continually  before  thee,  and  that  hear thy  wisdom." And should  the  duties  of  your  station  not  permit you to  come  here  to  worship  the  Lord  at  the  different  hours  of  the day, when  his  ministers  assemble  to  praise  him;  ah! continually turn, at  least,  toward  the  holy  place,  like  the  Israelites  formerly, your longings  and  your  desires. Let our  temples  be  the  sweetest consolation of  your  troubles,  the  only  asylum  of  your  afflictions, the only  resource  of  your  wants,  the  most  certain  recreation  from the confinements,  the  fatiguing  attentions,  and  the  painful  subjections of  the  world:  in  a  word,  find  there  the  beginning  of  that  unalterable peace,  the  plenitude  and  the  consummation  of  which  you will find  only  with  the  blessed,  in  the  eternal  temple  of  the  heavenly Jerusalem.

Whence came,  then,  the  incredulity  with  which  Jesus  Christ  at present  reproaches  the  Jews;  and  what  cause  could  they  still  have for doubting  the  sanctity  of  his  doctrine  and  the  truth  of  his  ministry? They had  demanded  miracles,  and,  before  their  eyes,  he  had wrought such  evident  ones  that  no  person  before  him  had  done  the like. They had  wished  that  his  mission  were  authorized  by  testimonies;  Moses  and  the  prophets  had  amply  borne  them  to  him; the precursor  had  openly  proclaimed,  Behold  the  Christ  and  the Lamb of  God,  which  taketh  sway  the  sin  of  the  world;  a  Gentile renders glory  in  our  gospel  to  his  almightiness;  the  heavenly Father had  declared  from  on  high,  that  it  was  his  well-beloved  Son; lastly, the  demons  themselves,  struck  with  his  sanctity,  quitted  the bodies, confessing  that  he  was  the  Holy,  and  the  Son  of  the  living God. What could  the  incredulity  of  the  Jews  still  oppose  to  so many  proofs  and  prodigies?

Behold, my  brethren,  what,  with  much  greater  surprise,  might be demanded  of  those  unbelieving  minds,  who,  after  the  fulfilment