Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/455

 Christ;  let  us  enter  into  the  spirit  of  that  mystery;  with  him  let  us render  to  God  that  glory  which  is  his  due;  it  is  the  only  means  of restoring  to  ourselves  that  peace,  of  which  our  passions  have hitherto deprived  us.

Truth, that  light  of  Heaven,  figured  by  the  star  which  on  this day appears  to  the  magi,  is  the  only  thing  here  below  worthy  of  the cares and  the  researches  of  man. It alone  is  the  light  of  our  mind, the rule  of  our  heart,  the  source  of  solid  joys,  the  foundation  of  our hopes, the  consolation  of  our  fears,  the  alleviation  of  our  evils,  the cure for  all  our  afflictions:  it  alone  is  the  refuge  of  the  good  conscience, and  the  terror  of  the  bad;  the  inward  punishment  of  vice, the internal  recompense  of  virtue:  it  alone  immortalizes  those  who have loved  it,  and  renders  illustrious  the  chains  of  those  who  suffer for it;  attracts  public  honours  to  the  ashes  of  its  martyrs  and  defenders, and  bestows  respectability  on  the  abjection  and  the poverty of  those  who  have  quitted  all  to  follow  it:  lastly,  it  alone inspires magnanimous  thoughts,  forms  heroical  men,  souls  of  whom the world  is  unworthy,  sages  alone  worthy  of  that  name. All our attentions ought  therefore  to  be  confined  to  know  it;  all  our  talents to  manifest  it;  all  our  zeal  to  defend  it. In men  we  ought then to  look  only  for  truth,  to  have  no  wish  of  pleasing  them  but by truth,  to  esteem  in  them  only  truth,  and  to  be  resolved  that  they never shall  please  us  but  by  it. In a  word,  it  would  appear  that  it should  have  only  to  show  itself,  as  on  this  day  to  the  magi,  to  be loved;  and  that  it  shows  us  to  ourselves  in  order  to  teach  us  to know  ourselves.

Nevertheless, it  is  astonishing  what  different  impressions  the same truth  makes  upon  men. To some  it  is  a  light  which  directs their steps,  and,  in  pointing  out  their  duty,  renders  it  amiable  to them:  to  others  it  is  a  troublesome  light,  and  as  it  were,  a  kind  of dazzling,  which  vexes  and  fatigues  them:  lastly,  to  many  it  is a  thick  mist  which  irritates,  inflames  them  with  rage,  and  completes their  blindness. It is  the  same  star  which,  on  this  day,  appears in  the  firmament:  the  magi  see  it;  the  priests  of  Jerusalem know that  it  is  foretold  in  the  prophets;  Herod  can  no  longer  doubt that it  hath  appeared,  seeing  wise  men  come  from  the  extremities of the  east,  to  seek,  guided  by  its  light,  the  new  King  of  the  Jews. Nevertheless, how  dissimilar  are  the  dispositions  with  which  they receive the  same  truth  manifested  to  them!