Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/479

 ravishing from  the  Divinity  that  glory  which  is  his  due,  in  order  to appropriate  it  to  himself.

In effect,  my  brethren,  whether  we  consider  the  lustre  of  his ministry in  that  pompous  train  of  oracles  and  of  figurative  allusions which  have  preceded  him,  in  the  wonderful  circumstances which have  accompanied  him,  and,  lastly,  in  the  works  which he hath  operated;  the  lustre  of  it  is  such,  that,  if  Jesus  Christ was only  a  man,  similar  to  us,  God,  who  hath  sent  him  upon the earth,  arrayed  in  such  glory  and  power,  would  himself  have deceived us,  and  would  be  culpable  of  the  idolatry  of  those  who worship him.

The first  signal  character  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ  is,  that,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  it  was  foretold  and  promised  to men. Scarcely had  the  fall  of  Adam  taken  place,  when  the  Restorer, whom  his  guilt  had  rendered  necessary  to  the  earth,  is  shown to him  from  afar. In the  following  ages,  God,  it  would  appear,  is only  occupied  in  preparing  mankind  for  his  coming:  if  he  manifest himself to  the  patriarchs,  it  is  in  order  to  confirm  their  faith  in  that expectation; if  he  inspire  prophets,  it  is  in  order  to  announce  him; if he  choose  to  himself  a  people,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  making  it the  depositary  of  that  grand  promise;  if  he  prescribe  sacrifices  and religious ceremonies  to  men,  it  is  in  order  to  trace  out  in  them,  as from  afar,  the  history  of  him  who  was  to  come. Whatever took place upon  the  earth  seems  to  lead  to  that  grand  event:  empires and kingdoms  fall  or  rise  only  in  order  to  prepare  the  way  for  it: the heavens  are  only  opened  to  promise  it:  and,  as  St.  Paul  says, the whole  creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  to  bring  forth the Righteous,  who  is  to  come  for  the  redemption  of  our  body  from the bondage  of  corruption  and  sin.

Now, my  brethren,  to  inspire,  from  the  beginning  of  all  ages, the earth  with  the  expectation  of  a  man,  and  to  announce  him  to it  from  heaven,  is  already,  in  fact,  to  prepare  men  to  receive  him with a  kind  of  religion  and  worship;  and  even  granting  that  Jesus Christ were  to  have  only  the  eclat  of  that  particular  circumstance which distinguishes  him  from  all  other  men,  the  superstition  of  the people, with  regard  to  him,  were  he  only  a  simple  creature,  had been to  dread. But even  the  circumstance  of  Jesus  Christ  being foretold is  not  so  wonderful  as  those  in  which  he  hath  been, which are  more  surprising  than  even  the  prophecies  themselves. In effect,  if  Cyrus  and  John  the  Baptist  had  been  foretold,  long before their  birth,  in  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  of  Malachi,  these are only  individual  prophecies,  without  consequence  or  train,  and which are  found  in  a  single  prophet;  predictions  which  announce only particular  events,  and  by  which  the  religion  of  the  people could never  be  caught  or  surprised:  Cyrus  to  be  the  re-establisher of the  walls  of  Jerusalem;  John  the  Baptist  to  prepare  the  way  for him who  has  to  come:  both  in  order  to  confirm,  by  the  accomplishment of  their  particular  prophecies,  the  truth  and  the  divinity  of all  the  prophecies  which  announce  Jesus  Christ.

But here,  my  brethren,  it  is  a  Messenger  of  Heaven,  foretold  by