Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/485

 and more  enlightened  than  all  the  wisdom  of  old  men. In proportion as  he  grows  up,  his  glory  unfolds  itself:  John  the  Baptist, that man,  the  greatest  of  the  children  of  men,  humbles  himself before him,  and  says  that  he  is  not  worthy  of  performing  the meanest offices  to  him. A voice  from  Heaven  declares  that  he  is the  well-beloved  Son. The affrighted  demons  fly  from  before  him, are unable  to  support  the  sole  presence  of  his  sanctity,  and  confess that he  is  the  holy  of  God. Collect together  testimonies  so  different and  so  new,  circumstances  so  unheard-of  and  so  extraordinary; what is  this  man  who  appears  upon  the  earth  with  so  much  eclat? And are  not  the  people  who  have  worshipped  him  at  least  excusable?

But these  are  only  weak  preludes  of  his  glory. If he  privately withdraw himself  upon  the  Tabor,  accompanied  with  three  disciples, his  glory,  impatient,  if  I  dare  to  say  it,  at  having  hitherto been held  captive  under  the  veil  of  humanity,  openly  bursts  forth: he appears  all  resplendent  in  light;  the  heavenly  Father,  who then, it  would  appear,  lest  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ  should  become an occasion  of  error  and  idolatry  to  the  astonished  disciples,  spectators of  this  sight,  ought  to  have  warned  them  that  this  Jesus, whom they  beheld  so  glorious,  was  nevertheless  only  his  servant and messenger,  declares  to  them,  on  the  contrary,  that  this  is  his well-beloved Son,  in  whom  he  his  well  pleased,  and  affixes  no bounds  to  the  homages  which,  according  to  his  pleasure,  they  are to render  to  him. When Moses  appeared  surrounded  with  glory, and, as  it  were  transfigured  on  Mount  Sinai,  afraid  lest  the  Israelites, always  superstitious,  should  consider  him  as  a  god  descended upon the  earth,  the  Lord,  amid  a  flame  of  fire,  declared  at  the same time  from  on  high,  "  I  am  that  I  am,  and  thou  shalt  worship only  me." Moses himself  appears  before  the  people  with  only  the tables of  the  law  in  his  hands,  as  if  to  let  them  know  that,  notwithstanding the  glory  with  which  they  had  seen  him  arrayed,  he nevertheless  was  only  the  minister,  and  not  the  author  of  the  holy law; that  he  could  offer  it  to  them  only  engraven  on  stone,  and that it  belonged  solely  to  God  to  engrave  it  on  hearts. But on the  Tabor,  Jesus  Christ  appears  as  the  legislator  himself:  the  new law is  not  given  to  him  by  his  Father  to  bear  it  to  men;  he  only commandeth them  to  listen  to  him,  and  from  his  own  mouth  he proposeth  him  as  their  legislator,  or  rather  as  their  living  and eternal law.

What more  shall  I  say,  my  brethren? If from  the  Tabor  we pass  to  Mount  Calvary,  that  place,  in  which  all  the  ignominy  of  the Son of  Man  was  to  be  consummated,  is  not  less,  however,  the  theatre of  his  glory  and  divinity. All nature,  disorganized,  confesses its Author  in  him;  the  stars  which  are  hidden;  the  dead  who  arise; the stones  of  the  tombs,  which  open  of  their  own  accord,  and break in  pieces;  the  veil  of  the  temple,  which  is  rent  from  top  to bottom;  even  incredulity  itself,  which  confesses  him  through  the mouth of  the  centurion;  all  feel  that  it  is  not  an  ordinary  man  who dies, and  that  things  take  place  upon  that  mount  totally  new  and extraordinary.