Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/481

 when we  narrowly  examine  the  lustre  of  his  wonders,  we  shall  see them marked  with  divine  characters  which  are  only  to  be  found  in the  life  of  those  great  men. But, to  judge  of  them  by  the  eyes  of the  senses  alone,  the  parallel  would  not  be  favourable  to  Jesus Christ. Is he  greater  than  Abraham;  that  man  so  great,  that  the Lord himself,  among  his  most  pompous  names,  had  taken  that  of the  God  of  Abraham,  as  if  in  order  to  proclaim  to  the  world  that the homages  of  a  man,  so  righteous  and  so  extraordinary,  were more glorious  to  his  sovereignty  than  the  title  of  God  of  empires and of  nations:  so  great,  that  the  Jews  believed  themselves  superior to  all  other  nations  of  the  earth,  only  because  they  were  the posterity of  that  famous  chief  so  cherished  of  Heaven;  and  that  fathers, in  recounting  to  their  children  the  wonders  of  their  nation, and the  history  of  their  ancestors,  animated  them  to  virtue,  only by putting  them  in  remembrance  that  they  were  the  children  of Abraham  and  the  members  of  a  holy  race? Is he  more  wonderful than Moses;  that  man,  mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds,  mediator  of a  holy  covenant,  who  broke  the  yoke  of  Egypt,  and  delivered  his people from  bondage;  that  man,  who  was  established  the  god  of Pharaoh,  who  seemed  the  master  of  nature,  who  covered  the  earth with plagues,  who  divided  seas,  who  made  a  new  nourishment  to be  showered  from  heaven;  that  man,  who  saw  the  Lord  face  to face  upon  the  holy  mountain,  and  who  appeared  before  Israel  all resplendent in  light? What is  there  more  astonishing  or  more magnificent in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ? Nevertheless, these  were only rude  sketches  of  his  glory  and  might:  he  was  to  be  the  last finishing and  perfection  of  them. Now, if  Jesus  Christ  were  not the image  of  the  substance  of  his  Father,  and  the  eternal  splendour of his  glory,  he  at  the  utmost,  could  only  be  equalled  with  these first men;  and  the  credulity  of  the  Jews  might,  without  blasphemy, demand of  him,  "  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Abraham,  or than  the  prophets  which  are  dead?  Whom  makest  thou  thyself  r" I  have  then  justly  said,  that  if,  in  the  first  place,  you  will  estimate his ministry  from  that  pompous  train  of  oracles  and  of  figures which have  announced  him,  the  splendour  is  such,  that,  if  Jesus Christ be  but  a  man  similar  to  us,  the  wisdom  itself  of  God  would be culpable  of  the  mistake  of  those  who  worship  him.

But, my  brethren,  the  Christ  hath  been  foretold  with  his  members;  we  are  comprised  in  the  prophecies  which  have  announced him to  the  earth;  we  have  been  promised  as  a  holy  race,  a  spiritual people, who  were  to  bear  the  law  engraven  on  their  heart,  who were to  sigh  only  after  eternal  riches,  and  who  were  to  adore  in spirit  and  in  truth:  like  Jesus  Christ,  we  have  composed  the  expectation of  the  just  of  ancient  times,  and  the  desire  of  nations: we are  that  new  Jerusalem,  pure  and  undefiled,  so  often  announced in the  prophets,  where  God  alone  was  to  be  known  and  worshipped; where faith  was  to  be  the  sole  light  to  illuminate  us,  charity  the only bond  of  union,  and  the  land  of  promise  the  only  hope  to  animate us. Now, do  we  answer  an  expectation  so  illustrious  and  so holy? Are we  worthy  of  having  been  the  earnest  desire  of  all