Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/488

 than Elijah:  he  penetrates  into  the  future,  but  with  more  accuracy and clearness  than  all  the  prophets:  he  is  produced,  not  only  from a barren  womb  like  Samuel,  but  likewise  by  a  pure  and  innocent virgin. What shall  I  say? And not  only  he  does  not  undeceive men by  certain  precise  expressions  upon  his  origin  as  purely human; but  his  sole  language,  with  respect  to  his  equality  to  the Most High,  nay,  the  sole  doctrine  of  his  disciples,  who  tell  us that  he  was  in  the  bosom  of  God  from  all  eternity,  and  that  all hath been  made  through  him,  who  call  him  their  Lord  and  their God, who  inform  us  that  he  is  all  and  in  all  things,  would  justify the  errors  of  those  who  worship  him,  had  even  his  life  been, in other  respects,  an  ordinary  one,  and  similar  to  that  of  other  men.

O you! who refuse  to  him  his  glory  and  his  divinity,,  yet  nevertheless, consider  him  as  a  messenger  sent  by  God  to  instruct men, complete  the  blasphemy,  and  confound  him  with  those  impostors who  have  come  to  seduce  the  world,  since,  far  from  tending to establish  the  glory  of  God  and  the  knowledge  of  his  name, the splendour  of  his  ministry  has  answered  the  sole  purpose  of erecting  himself  into  a  divinity,  of  placing  him  at  the  side  of  the Most High,  and  of  plunging  the  whole  universe  into  the  most  dangerous, the  most  durable,  the  most  inevitable,  and  the  most  universal of  all  idolatries.

For our  part,  my  brethren,  we  who  believe  in  him,  and  to  whom the mystery  of  the  Christ  hath  been  revealed,  let  us  never  lose  sight of that  divine  model  which  the  Father  shows  to  us  from  on  high  on the  holy  mount. Let us  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  divers  mysteries of  which  his  whole  mortal  life  is  composed;  they  are  merely the different  states  of  the  life  of  the  Christian  on  this  earth;  let  us confess  the  new  empire  which  Jesus  Christ  came  to  form  in  our hearts. The world,  which  we  have  hitherto  served,  hath  never been able  to  deliver  us  from  our  grievances  and  wretchedness. We vainly  sought  in  it,  freedom,  peace,  and  comfort  of  life;  and we have  found  only  slavery,  disquiet,  bitterness,  and  the  curse  of life. Behold a  new  Redeemer,  who  comes  to  bring  peace  to  the earth; but  it  is  not  as  the  world  promises  it  that  he  gives  it  to  us. The world  had  wished  to  conduct  us  to  peace  and  happiness through the  pleasures  of  the  senses,  indolence,  and  a  vain  philosophy:  it  hath  not  been  successful;  by  favouring  our  passions it hath  only  augmented  our  punishments. Jesus Christ  comes to propose  a  new  way  for  the  attainment  of  that  peace  and  happiness which  we  search  after:  detachment  from,  and  contempt  of  the world, mortification  of  the  senses,  self-denial;  behold  the  new riches which  he  comes  to  display  to  men. Let us  be  undeceived; we have  no  happiness  to  expect,  even  in  this  life,  but  by  repressing our passions,  and  by  refusing  ourselves  the  gratification  of  every pleasure which  disquiets  and  corrupts  the  heart:  there  is  no  philosophy, but  that  of  the  Gospel,  which  can  bestow  happiness,  or make  real  sages,  because  it  alone  regulates  the  mind,  fixes  the heart, and,  by  restoring  man  to  God,  restores  him  to  himself. All those who  have  pursued  other  ways,  have  found  only  vanity  and