Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/466

 some heir  of  the  blood  of  the  kings  of  Judah  should  expel  him from the  heritage  of  his  fathers,  and  remount  a  throne  promised  to his  posterity. With what  eye  must  he  then  regard  men  who  come to publish,  in  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  that  the  King  of  the  Jews  is born,  and  to  proclaim  him  to  a  people  so  attached  to,  and  so  zealous for  the  blood  of  David,  and  so  impatient  under  every  foreign rule! Nevertheless, the  magi  conceal  nothing  of  what  they  had seen in  the  east:  they  do  not  soften  that  grand  event  by  measured expressions less  proper  to  arouse  the  jealousy  of  Herod. They might have  called  the  Messiah  whom  they  seek,  the  messenger  of Heaven,  or  the  longed-for  of  nations;  they  might  have  designed him by  titles  less  hateful  to  the  ambition  of  Herod;  but,  full  of the  truth  which  hath  appeared  to  them,  they  know  none  of  these timid and  servile  time-servings;  persuaded  that  those  who  are  determined to  receive  the  truth  only  through  the  means  of  their errors, are  unworthy  of  knowing  it. They are  unacquainted  with the art  of  covering  it  with  disguises  and  considerations  for  individuals, which  dishonour  it:  they  boldly  come  to  the  point,  and  demand, "Where  is  he  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews? "  and,  not satisfied with  considering  him  as  the  sovereign  of  Judea,  they  declare that  heaven  itself  is  his  birthright;  that  the  stars  are  his,  and make their  appearance  in  the  firmament  only  in  obedience  to  his orders.

The priests  and  scribes,  on  the  contrary,  forced,  by  the  evidence of the  Scriptures,  to  render  glory  to  the  truth,  soften  it  by  guarded expressions. They endeavour  to  unite  that  respect  which  they owe to  the  truth,  with  that  complaisance  which  they  wish  still  to preserve  for  Herod;  they  suppress  the  title  of  king,  which  the magi had  given  to  him,  and  which  had  so  often  been  bestowed  by the  prophets  upon  the  Messiah;  they  design  him  by  a  title  which, might equally  mark  an  authority  of  doctrine  or  of  superior  power; they announce  him  rather  as  a  legislator  established  to  regulate the manners,  than  as  a  sovereign  raised  up  for  the  deliverance  of his  people  from  bondage. And, notwithstanding  that  they  themselves expect  a  Messiah,  King,  and  Conqueror,  they  soften  the truth which  they  wish  to  announce,  and  complete  the  blindness  of Herod,  with  whom  they  temporise.

Deplorable destiny  of  the  great! The lips  of  the  priests  quiver in speaking  to  them:  from  the  moment  that  their  passions  are known, they  are  temporised  with;  truth  never  offers  itself  to  them but with  a  double  face,  of  which  one  side  is  always  favourable  to them;  the  servants  of  God  wish  not  avowedly  to  betray  their  ministry and  the  interests  of  truth;  but  they  wish  to  conciliate  them with their  own  interest;  they  endeavour  to  save,  as  it  were,  both the rule  and  their  passions,  as  if  the  passions  could  subsist  with that rule  which  condemns  them. It seldom  happens  that  the great are  instructed,  because  it  seldom  happens  that  the  intention is not  to  please  in  instructing  them. Nevertheless, the  greater part would  love  the  truth  were  it  once  known  to  them:  the  passions and  the  extravagancies  of  the  age,  nourished  by  all  the  plea-