Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/499

 they are  the  children  of  God,  and  that  they  are  entitled,  through that august  title,  to  more  real  and  more  solid  riches  than  all  those of which  the  world  can  ever  despoil  them.

Secondly. Jesus Christ  promises  to  his  disciples  the  keys  of. heaven and  of  hell,  and  the  power  of  remitting  sins. What! my brethren, the  Jews  are  deeply  offended  when  he  pretends  to  remit them himself,  and  when  he  seems  to  attribute  to  himself  a  power reserved to  God  alone;  but  how  will  all  nations  of  the  earth  be scandalized  when  they  shall  read  in  his  Gospel  that  he  hath  even delegated his  power  to  his  disciples! And, if  he  be  not  God,  hath the mind  of  man  ever  imagined  such  an  instance  of  temerity  and folly! What right,  in  effect,  hath  he  over  consciences,  to  bind  or unbind  them  at  his  pleasure,  and  to  tranfer  to  weak  men  a  power which he  himself  could  not  exercise  without  blasphemy!

Thirdly. But this  is  not  all:  he  promises  to  his  disciples  the  gift likewise of  miracles;  that,  in  his  name,  they  should  raise  up  the dead; that  they  should  restore  sight  to  the  blind,  health  to  the sick, and  speech  to  the  dumb;  that  they  should  be  masters  of  all nature. Moses promises  not  to  his  disciples  the  gifts  with  which the Lord  had  favoured  him:  he  is  sensible  that  the  power  is  not his own,  and  that  the  Lord  alone  can  bestow  it  on  whomsoever  he may  think  fit. Thus, after  his  death,  when  Joshua  arrests  the  sun in the  middle  of  his  course,  in  order  to  complete  the  victory  over the enemies  of  the  people  of  God,  it  is  not  in  the  name  of  Moses that he  commands  that  planet  to  stand  still;  it  is  not  of  him  that he holds  the  power  of  making  even  the  stars  obedient  to  him; when he  wishes  to  exercise  it,  it  is  not  to  him  that  he  addresses himself: but  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  can  operate  nothing  but in the  name  of  their  Master;  it  is  in  his  name  that  they  raise  up the  dead  and  make  the  lame  to  walk;  and,  without  the  assistance of that  divine  name,  they  are  equally  weak  as  the  rest  of  men. The ministry and  the  power  of  Moses  terminate  with  his  life;  the  ministry and  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ  only  begin,  as  I  may  say,  after his death,  and  we  are  assured  that  his  reign  is  to  be  eternal.

What more  shall  I  say? He promises  to  his  disciples  the  conversion of  the  universe,  the  triumph  of  the  cross,  the  compliance of all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  of  philosophers,  of  Caesars,  of tyrants;  and  that  his  Gospel  shall  be  received  by  the  whole  world: but, doth  he  hold  the  hearts  of  all  men  in  his  hands  thus  to  answer for a  change  of  which  the  world  had  hitherto  no  example? You will, no  doubt,  tell  us,  that  God  layeth  open  the  future  to  his  servant. But you  are  mistaken:  if  he  be  not  God,  he  is  not  even  a prophet;  his  predictions  are  dreams  and  chimeras:  it  is  a  false  spirit which seduces  him,  and  which  is  concerned  in  his  knowledge  of the  future,  and  the  sequel  hath  belied  the  truth  of  his  promises: he prophesies  that  all  nations,  seated  under  the  shadow  of  death, shall open  their  eyes  to  the  light;  and  he  sees  not  that  they  are  on the  point  of  falling  into  a  more  criminal  blindness  in  worshipping him: he  prophesies  that  his  Father  shall  be  glorified,  and  that  his Gospel shall  every  where  form  to  him  worshippers  in  spirit  and  in