Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/494

 presses us,  which  excites  our  murmurs,  and  which  we  would  soon free ourselves  from,  were  our  transgressions  against  it  to  go  unpunished:  nothing  is  heard  but  complaints  against  the  severity  of its  precepts,  but  contentions  in  order  to  support  the  propriety  of those  sufferings  which  the  world  always  mingles  with  their  practice: in  a  word,  were  he  not  an  avenging  God,  we  would  never confess him;  and  it  is  to  his  justice  and  to  his  chastisements  alone that he  is  indebted  for  our  respect  and  homages.

But the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  relation  to  men  whom  he came  to  instruct,  doth  not  less  establish  the  truth  of  his  divine birth; for  I  speak  not  here  of  the  wisdom,  the  sanctity,  and  the sublimity of  that  doctrine:  in  it  every  thing  is  worthy  of  reason, and of  the  soundest  philosophy:  every  thing  is  proportioned  to  the wretchedness and  the  excellency  of  man,  to  his  wants  and  to  his exalted lot;  every  thing  there  inspires  contempt  for  perishable things, and  the  love  of  eternal  riches:  every  thing  there  maintains good order,  and  the  peace  and  tranquillity  of  states:  every  thing there is  grand,  because  every  thing  is  true:  the  glory  of  the  deeds is more  real  and  more  shining  in  the  heart  than  the  deeds  themselves. The wise  man  of  the  Gospel  seeks,  from  his  virtue  here below, only  the  satisfaction  of  obeying  God,  who  will  one  day  amply recompense  him  for  it;  and  he  prefers  the  testimony  of  his  own conscience to  all  the  applauses  of  men:  he  is  greater  than  the  entire world,  through  his  exalted  faith;  and  he  is  below  the  least  of men,  through  the  modesty  of  his  sentiments. His virtue  seeks  not, in pride,  the  indemnity  of  its  sufferings:  that  is  the  first  enemy which it  attacks;  and,  in  that  divine  philosophy,  the  most  heroical actions are  nothing,  from  the  moment  that  we  count  them  as  any thing ourselves:  it  considers  glory  as  an  error,  prosperity  as  a  misfortune, elevation  as  a  precipice,  afflictions  as  favours,  the  earth  as a  place  of  exilement,  all  that  happens  as  a  dream. What is  this new language? What man  prior  to  Jesus  Christ  hath  ever  spoken in this  manner? And if  his  disciples,  merely  in  consequence  of having  announced  this  divine  doctrine,  were  taken  by  a  whole people for  gods  descended  upon  the  earth,  what  worship  shall  they have it  in  their  power  to  refuse  to  him  who  is  the  Author  of  it, and in  whose  name  they  announce  it?

But let  us  leave  these  general  reflections,  and  come  to  the  more precise duties  of  that  love  and  dependence  which  his  doctrine  exacts of  men  with  regard  to  himself. He commands  us  to  love  him as he  commands  us  to  love  his  Father:  he  insists  that  we  dwell  in him,  that  is  to  say,  that  we  establish  ourselves  in  him,  that  we seek  our  happiness  in  him,  as  in  his  Father;  that  we  direct  all  our actions, all  our  thoughts,  all  our  desires,  that  we  direct  ourselves to his  glory,  as  to  the  glory  of  his  Father. Sins themselves  are not remitted  but  to  those  who  sincerely  love  him;  and  all  the righteousness of  the  just,  and  the  reconciliation  of  the  sinner,  are the effects  of  the  love  which  we  have  for  him. What is  this  man who comes  to  usurp  the  place  of  God  in  our  hearts? Is a  creature worthy of  being  loved  for  itself,  and  every  noble  and   estimable