Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/483

 precautions lest,  in  the  revolution  of  ages,  the  credulity  of  his people render  to  him  divine  honours:  he  goes  up  alone  to  the mountain, to  expire  far  from  the  sight  of  his  brethren,  in  the  fear of their  coming  to  offer  up  victims  upon  his  tomb,  and  for  ever removes his  body  from  the  superstition  of  the  tribes:  he  does  not show himself  to  his  disciples  after  his  death;  he  contents  himself with leaving  to  them  the  law  of  God,  and  employs  every  mean  to obliterate  himself  from  their  remembrance. And Jesus  Christ, after all  the  miracles  which  he  operates  in  Judea,  after  all  the  prophecies which  had  announced  him,  after  having  appeared  as  a  God upon the  earth,  his  tomb  is  known  to  all  the  universe,  exposed  to the  veneration  of  all  people  and  ages;  even  after  his  death  he  shows himself to  his  disciples. Was superstition,  then,  less  to  be  dreaded here? Or is  Jesus  Christ  less  zealous  than  Moses,  for  the  glory of the  Supreme  Being  and  for  the  salvation  of  men?

Elijah, it  is  true,  raises  up  the  dead;  but  he  is  obliged  to  stretch himself out  upon  the  body  of  the  child  whom  he  recalls  to  life; and it  is  easily  seen  that  he  invokes  a  foreign  power;  that  he  withdraws from  the  empire  of  death  a  soul  which  is  not  subjugated  to him;  and  that  he  is  not  himself  the  master  of  life  and  death. Jesus Christ  raised  up  the  dead  as  easily  as  he  performs  the  most common actions;  he  speaks  as  master  of  those  who  repose  in  an eternal  sleep;  and  it  is  thoroughly  felt  that  he  is  the  God  of  the dead as  of  the  living,  never  more  tranquil  and  calm  than  when  he is  operating  the  grandest  things.

Lastly. The poets  represented  to  us  their  sybils  and  their priestesses as  mad  women,  while  foretelling  the  future:  it  would seem that  they  were  unable  to  sustain  the  presence  of  the  false spirit which  dwelt  within  them. Even our  own  prophets,  when announcing future  things,  without  losing  the  use  of  their  reason, or departing  from  the  solemnity  and  the  decency  of  their  ministry, partook of  a  divine  enthusiasm:  the  soft  sounds  of  the  lyre  were often necessary  to  arouse  in  them  the  prophetic  spirit;  it  was  easily to be  seen  that  they  were  animated  by  a  foreign  impulse,  and  that it was  not  from  their  own  funds  they  drew  the  knowledge  of  the future, and  those  hidden  mysteries  which  they  announced  to  men. Jesus Christ  prophesies  as  he  speaks;  the  knowledge  of  the  future has nothing  either  to  move,  disquiet,  or  surprise  him,  because  all times are  contained  in  his  mind;  the  future  mysteries  which  he announces  are  not  sudden  and  infused  lights  to  his  soul;  they  are familiar objects  to  him,  always  present  to  his  view,  and  the  images of which  he  finds  within  himself;  and  all  ages  to  come,  under  the immensity of  his  regards,  are  as  the  present  day  which  illuminates us. Thus, neither  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  nor  the  foretelling of the  future,  ever  injures  his  natural  tranquillity;  he  sports  himself, if  I  may  venture  to  say  so,  in  operating  miracles  in  the  universe;  and  if  he,  at  times,  appear  to  tremble  and  to  be  troubled, it is  solely  when  viewing  the  sin  and  the  perversity  of  his  people; because the  more  exalted  one  is  in  sanctity,  the  more  does  sin offer new  horrors;  and  that  the  only  thing  which  a  Man-God  can