Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/392

 continual  longing  to  become  like  unto  Jesus  Christ! it is  an  indefatigable application  in  rooting  out  from  ourselves  whatever  may be inimical  to  a  life  of  faith. There is  an  unbelief  of  the  heart equally dangerous  to  salvation  as  that  of  the  mind. A man  who obstinately refuses  belief,  after  all  the  proofs  of  religion,  is  a  monster, whom  we  contemplate  with  horror;  but  a  Christian  who  believes, yet lives  as  though  he  believed  not,  is  a  madman,  whose  folly  surpasseth  comprehension:  the  one  procures  his  own  condemnation, like a  man  desperate;  the  other,  like  an  indolent  one,  who  tranquilly allows  himself  to  be  carried  down  by  the  waves,  and  thinks that he  is  thereby  saving  himself. Make your  faith  then  certain,  my brethren,  by  your  good  works;  and  if  you  shudder  at  the  sole  name of an  impious  person,  have  the  same  horror  at  yourselves,  seeing we are  taught  by  faith  that  the  destiny  of  the  wicked  Christian  shall not be  different  from  his,  and  that  his  lot  shall  be  the  same  as  that of the  unbeliever. Live conformably  to  what  you  believe. Such is the  faith  of  the  righteous,  and  the  only  one  to  which  the  eternal promises have  been  made.

Such is  the  grand  pretext  opposed  by  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews to the  doctrine  and  to  the  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ;  doubts  upon the truth  of  his  mission. We know  who  thou  art,  and  whence thou comest,  said  they  to  him:  but  the  Christ  whom  we  expect, when he  cometh,  no  man  knoweth  whence  he  is. It is  far  from clear, then,  that  thou  art  the  Messiah  promised  to  our  fathers;  perhaps it  is  an  evil  spirit  which,  through  thee,  operates  these  wonders before  our  eyes,  and  imposes  upon  the  credulity  of  the  vulgar; so many  deceivers  have  already  appeared  in  Judea,  who,  giving themselves out  for  the  great  Prophet  who  is  to  come,  have  seduced the people,  and  at  last  drawn  down  upon  themselves  the  punishment due  to  their  imposture. Keep us  no  longer  in  doubt:  if  thou be the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly,  and  in  such  a  way  as  that  room  shall no longer  be  left  either  for  doubt  or  for  mistake.

I would  not  dare  to  say  this  here,  my  brethren,  were  the  language of  doubts  upon  faith  not  become  so  common  now  among  us, that precaution  is  needless  in  undertaking  to  confute  it:  behold the almost  universal  pretext  employed  in  the  world  to  authorize  a life  altogether  criminal. We every  where  meet  with  sinners  who coolly tell  us,  that  they  would  be  converted  were  they  well  assured that all  we  tell  them  of  religion  were  true;  that  perhaps  there  is nothing  after  this  life;  that  they  have  doubts  and  difficulties  upon