Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/460

 guisedly spoken  to  us;  from  the  moment  that  they  have  said  to us,  "  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee,"  they  are  stripped,  in  our  opinion,  of all  their  grand  qualities:  their  zeal  is  no  longer  but  whim;  their charity but  an  ostentation,  or  a  desire  to  censure  and  contradict; their piety  but  an  imprudence  or  a  cheat,  with  which  they  cover their pride;  their  truth  but  a  mistaken  phantom. Thus, frequently convinced in  our  minds  of  the  iniquity  of  our  passions,  we  would wish others  to  give  them  their  approbation;  forced,  by  the  inward testimony of  the  truth,  to  reproach  them  to  ourselves,  we  cannot endure that  they  should  be  mentioned  to  us  by  others:  we  are  hurt and irritated  that  others  should  join  us  against  ourselves. Like Saul, we  exact  of  the  Samuels,  that  they  approve,  in  public,  what we inwardly  condemn;  and,  through  a  corruption  of  the  heart,  perhaps more  deplorable  than  our  passions  themselves,  unable  to silence  truth  in  the  bottom  of  our  heart,  we  would  wish  to  extinguish it  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  approach  us. I was  right,  therefore, in  saying,  that  we  all  make  a  boast  of  loving  the  truth,  but that few  court  it,  like  the  magi,  with  an  upright  and  a  sincere  heart.

Thus, the  little  attention  which  they  pay  to  the  difficulties  which seemed to  dissuade  them  from  that  research,  is  a  fresh  proof  of  its sincerity and  heartiness. For, my  brethren,  how  singular  must not this  extraordinary  step,  which  grace  proposed  to  them,  have  at first  appeared  to  their  mind! They alone,  of  all  their  nation,  among so many  sages  and  learned  men,  without  regard  to  friends  and  connexions, in  spite  of  public  observations  and  derisions,  while  all others either  contemn  this  miraculous  star,  or  consider  the  attention paid  to  it,  and  the  design  of  these  three  sages,  as  an  absurd undertaking and  a  popular  weakness,  unworthy  of  their  mind  and knowledge, — they alone  declare  against  the  common  opinion;  they alone entrust  themselves  to  the  new  guide,  which  Heaven  sends them; they  alone  abandon  their  country  and  their  children,  and reckon as  nothing  a  singularity,  the  necessity  and  wisdom  of  which the celestial  light  discloses  to  them.

Last instruction. The cause,  my  brethren,  of  truth  being  always unavailingly shown  to  us,  is,  that  we  judge  not  of  it  by  the  lights which it  leaves  in  our  soul,  but  by  the  impression  which  it  makes on the  rest  of  men  with  whom  we  live:  we  never  consult  the  truth in our  heart;  we  consult  only  the  opinions  which  others  have  of  it. Thus, in  vain  doth  the  light  of  Heaven  a  thousand  times  intrude upon us,  and  point  out  the  ways  in  which  we  ought  to  go;  the  very first glance  which  we  afterward  cast  upon  the  example  of  others who live  like  us,  revives  us,  and  spreads  a  fresh  mist  over  our  heart. In those  fortunate  moments  when  we  consult  the  sole  truth  of  our own conscience,  we  condemn  ourselves;  we  tremble  over  a  futurity; we promise  to  ourselves  a  new  life;  yet,  a  moment  after,  when  returned to  the  world,  and  no  longer  consulting  but  the  general  example, we  justify  ourselves,  and  regain  that  false  security  which we had  lost. We have  no  confidence  in  the  truth  which  the  common example  disproves;  we  sacrifice  it  to  error  and  to  the  public  opinion;  it  becomes  suspicious  to  us,  because  it  has  chosen  out  us alone  to  favour  with  its  light,  and  the  very  singularity  of  the  bless-