Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/461

 ing is  the  cause  of  our  ingratitude  and  opposition. We cannot comprehend, that,  to  work  out  our  salvation,  is  to  distinguish  ourselves from  the  rest  of  men;  is  to  live  single  amidst  the  multitude; is to  be  an  individual  supporter  of  our  own  cause,  in  the  midst  of  a world  which  either  condemns  or  despises  us;  is,  in  a  word,  to  count examples as  nothing,  and  to  be  affected  by  our  duty  alone. We cannot comprehend,  that,  to  devote  ourselves  to  destruction,  it  requires only  to  live  as  others  do;  to  conform  to  the  multitude;  to form  with  it  only  one  body  and  one  world;  seeing  the  world  is already  judged;  that  it  is  that  body  of  the  antichrist  which  shall perish with  its  head  and  members;  that  criminal  city,  accursed  and condemned to  an  eternal  anathema. Yes, my  brethren,  the  greatest obstacle in  our  hearts,  to  grace  and  truth,  is  the  public  opinion. How many  timid  souls,  who  have  not  the  courage  to  adopt  the righteous side,  merely  because  the  world,  to  whose  view  they  are exposed, would  join  against  them! Thus, the  king  of  Assyria durst not  declare  himself  for  the  God  of  Daniel,  because  the grandees of  his  court  would  have  reprobated  such  a  step. How many weak  souls,  who,  disgusted  with  pleasures,  only  continue  to pursue  them  through  a  false  honour,  and  that  they  may  not  distinguish themselves  from  those  who  set  an  example  of  them! Thus, Aaron,  in  the  midst  of  the  Israelites,  danced  around  the golden calf,  and  joined  them  in  offering  up  incense  to  the  idol which he  detested,  because  he  had  not  the  courage,  singly,  to  resist the public  error  and  blindness. Fools that  we  are! it is  the  sole example of  the  public  which  confirms  us  against  truth;  as  if  men were our  truth,  or  that  it  were  upon  the  earth,  and  not  in  heaven, that we  ought,  like  the  magi,  to  search  for  that  rule  and  that  light which are  to  guide  us.

It is  true,  that,  frequently,  it  is  not  respect  for  the  world's  opinion, but  the  sufferings  and  self-denials  it  holds  out  to  us,  which extinguish truth  in  our  heart:  thus,  it  makes  us  sorrowful,  like  that young man  of  the  Gospel,  and  we  do  not  receive  it  with  that  delight testified by  the  magi  on  seeing  the  miraculous  star. They had beheld the  magnificence  of  Jerusalem,  the  pomp  of  its  buildings, the majesty  of  its  temple,  the  splendour  and  grandeur  of  Herod's court;  but  the  Gospel  makes  no  mention  of  their  having  been  affected by  that  vain  display  of  human  pomp:  they  behold  all  these grand objects  of  desire  without  attention,  pleasure,  or  any  exterior marks of  admiration  or  surprise;  they  express  no  wish  to  view  the treasures and  the  riches  of  the  temple,  as  those  ambassadors  from Babylon formerly  did  to  Hezekiah:  solely  taken  up  with  the  light of Heaven  manifested  to  them,  they  have  no  eyes  for  any  earthly object; feeling  to  the  truth  alone  which  has  enlightened  them,  every thing else  is  an  object  of  indifference,  or  a  burden  to  them;  and their heart,  viewing  all  things  in  their  proper  light,  no  longer  acknowledges either  delight,  interest,  or  consolation  to  be  found  in  any thing but  the  truth.

On our  part,  my  brethren,  the  first  rays  of  truth  which  the  goodness of  God  shed  on  our  heart,  probably  excited  a  sensible  delight.