Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/444

 refuse her  even  the  name? You that  court  that  fortune  which  engrosses you,  to  which  you  devote  all  your  cares,  all  your  exertions, all your  movements,  in  short,  your  whole  soul,  mind,  will,  and  life, that is  your  idol;  and  what  criminal  homage  do  you  refuse  from the moment  that  it  is  exacted  of  you,  and  that  it  may  become  the price of  its  favour? You, that  shameful  intemperance,  which  debases your  name  and  birth;  which  no  longer  accords  even  with our manners;  which  has  drowned  and  besotted  all  your  talents in the  excesses  of  wine  and  debauchery;  which,  by  rendering  you callous to  every  thing  else,  leaves  you  neither  relish  nor  feeling  but for the  brutal  pleasures  of  the  table,  that  is  your  idol:  you  think that you  live  only  in  those  moments  given  to  it:  and  your  heart renders more  homage  to  that  infamous  and  abject  god  than  your despicable and  profane  songs. The passions  formerly  made  the  gods; and Jesus  Christ  hath  destroyed  these  idols  only  by  destroying  the passions which  had  raised  them  up;  you  exalt  them  again,  by reviving  all  the  passions  which  had  rendered  the  whole  world  idolatrous. And what  matters  it  to  know  a  single  god,  if  you  elsewhere bestow your  homages? Worship is  in  the  heart;  and  if  the  true God be  not  the  God  of  your  heart,  you  place,  like  the  pagans,  vile creatures in  his  place,  and  you  render  not  to  him  that  glory  which is his  due.

Thus, Jesus  Christ  doth  not  confine  himself  to  manifesting the name  of  his  Father  to  men,  and  to  establishing,  on  the  ruins of idols,  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God. He raiseth  up  worshippers, who  reckon  external  homages  as  nothing,  unless  animated and sanctified  by  love;  and  who  shall  consider  mercy,  justice, and holiness,  as  the  offerings  most  worthy  of  God,  and  the  most shining attendants  of  their  worship. — Second blessing  from  the birth of  Jesus  Christ,  and  second  sort  of  glory  which  he  renders  to his  Father.

In effect,  God  was  known,  says  the  prophet,  in  Judea;  Jerusalem beheld  no  idols  in  the  public  places,  usurping  the  homages due to  the  God  of  Abraham;  "  There  was  neither  iniquity  in Jacob,  nor  perverseness  in  Israel:"  that  single  portion  of  the earth was  free  from  the  general  contagion. But the  magnificence of its  temple,  the  pomp  of  its  sacrifices,  the  splendour  of  its  solemnities, the  exactitude  of  its  lawful  observances,  constituted  the whole merit  of  its  worship;  all  religion  was  confined  to  these  external duties. Its morals  were  not  less  criminal. Injustice, fraud, falsehood, adultery,  every  vice  subsisted,  and  was  even  countenanced by  these  vain  appearances  of  worship. God was  honoured from the  lips;  but  the  heart  of  that  ungrateful  people  was  ever distant from  him.

Jesus Christ  comes  to  open  the  eyes  of  Judea  on  an  error  so gross,  so  ancient,  and  so  injurious  to  his  Father. He comes  to  inform them,  that  man  may  be  satisfied  with  externals  alone,  but  that God regards  only  the  heart;  that  every  outward  homage  which withholds it  from  him,  is  an  insult  and  a  hypocrisy  rather  than  a true  worship;    that  it  matters  little  to  purify  the  external,  if  the