Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/449

 irregular propensities,  he  was  unable  to  find  peace,  because  he never  sought  it  but  in  the  source  of  all  his  troubles  and  disquiets. Philosophers made  a  boast  of  being  able  to  bestow  it  on  their  followers;  but  that  universal  calm  of  the  passions  which  they  gave hopes of  to  their  sage,  and  which  they  so  emphatically  announced, might suppress  their  sallies,  but  it  left  the  whole  venom  in  the heart. It was  a  piece  of  pride  and  ostentation;  it  masked  the  outward man;  but  under  that  mask  of  ceremony,  man  always  knew himself to  be  the  same.

Jesus Christ  comes  to-day  upon  the  earth,  to  bring  that  true peace to  men  which  the  world  had  never  hitherto  been  able  to  give them. He comes  radically  to  cure  the  evil;  his  divine  philosophy is not  confined  to  the  promulgation  of  pompous  precepts,  which might be  agreeable  to  reason,  but  which  cured  not  the  wounds  of the  heart;  and,  as  pride,  voluptuousness,  hatred,  and  revenge,  had been the  fatal  sources  of  all  the  agitations  experienced  by  the  heart of man,  he  comes  to  restore  peace  to  him,  by  draining  them  off, through his  grace,  his  doctrine,  and  his  example.

Yes, my  brethren,  I  say  that  pride  had  been  the  original  source of all  the  troubles  which  tore  the  heart  of  men. What wars,  what frenzies, had  that  fatal  passion  not  lighted  upon  the  earth! With what torrents  of  blood  had  it  not  inundated  the  universe! And what is  the  history  of  nations  and  of  empires,  of  princes  and  of conquerors,  of  every  age  and  people,  but  the  history  of  those  calamities with  which  pride  from  the  beginning  had  afflicted  men! The entire  world  was  but  a  gloomy  theatre,  upon  which  that  haughty and senseless  passion  every  day  exhibited  the  most  bloody  scenes. But the  external  operations  were  but  a  faint  image  of  the  troubles which the  proud  man  inwardly  experienced. Ambition was  a  virtue: moderation  was  looked  upon  as  meanness:  an  individual overthrew his  country,  overturned  the  laws  and  customs,  rendered millions miserable,  in  order  to  usurp  the  first  place  among  his fellow-citizens; and  the  success  of  his  guilt  insured  him  every homage; and  his  name,  stained  with  the  blood  of  his  brethren, acquired only  additional  lustre  in  the  public  annals  which  preserved its memory:  and  a  prosperous  villain  became  the  grandest  character of his  age. That passion,  descending  among  the  crowd,  became less striking;  but  it  was  neither  less  animated  nor  furious:  the obscure was  not  more  at  his  ease  than  the  public  man;  each  wished to  carry  off  the  prize  from  his  equals:  the  orator,  the  philosopher, wrangled  for,  and  tore  from  each  other  that  glory,  which,  in fact,  was  the  sole  end  of  all  their  toils  and  watchings;  and,  as  the desires of  pride  are  insatiable,  man,  to  whom  it  was  then  honourable totally  to  yield  himself  up  to  it,  being  unable  to  rest  in  any degree of  elevation,  was  likewise  incapable  of  peace  and  tranquillity. Pride, become  the  sole  source  of  human  honour  and  glory,  was likewise become  the  fatal  rock  of  the  quiet  and  happiness  of  men.

The birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  correcting  the  world  of  this  error, re-establishes on  the  earth  that  peace  which  pride  had  banished from it. He might  have  manifested  himself  to  men,  with  all  the