Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/114

 stagger in  their  road,  like  the  ark  of  Israel,  while  conducting  in triumph  to  Jerusalem,  for  the  purest  and  most  shining  virtue  has its spots  and  eclipses,  and  even  the  most  solid  cannot  always  equally support itself;  but  the  Lord  is  incensed,  when  rash  and  impure hands, like  those  of  Uzziah,  shall  venture  to  put  them  right;  and scarcely have  they  touched  them,  when  they  are  smote  by  his wrath. He takes  to  himself  the  slightest  insults  with  which  they dishonour his  servants,  and  he  cannot  endure  that  virtue,  which  has found admirers,  even  amongst  tyrants  and  the  most  barbarous nations, should  frequently,  among  believers,  find  only  censures  and derisions. Thus the  little  children  of  Israel  were  devoured  on  the spot, for  having  mocked  the  small  number  of  hairs  of  the  man  of God;  nevertheless,  these  were  only  the  puerile  indiscretions  so pardonable  at  their  age. Fire from  heaven  fell  upon  the  officer  of the  impious  Ahaziah,  and  in  a  moment  consumed  him  for  having  in derision  called  Elijah  the  man  of  God;  nevertheless,  it  was  a  courtier, from  whom  little  regard  might  be  expected  for  the  austerity and simplicity  of  a  prophet,  or  for  the  virtue  of  a  man,  rustic  in  his appearance, and  hateful  to  his  master. Michal was  struck  with barrenness, for  having  too  harshly  censured  the  holy  excesses  of joy  and  piety  of  David  before  the  altar;  nevertheless,  it  proceeded merely from  female  delicacy. But to  meddle  with  those  who  serve the Lord,  is,  according  to  the  Scripture,  to  meddle  with  the  apple of your  eye. He invisibly  curses  those  rash  censures  on  piety; and though  he  may  not  strike  them,  as  formerly,  with  instant  death, yet he  marks  on  their  forehead,  from  this  life  forward,  the  stamp of reprobation,  and  denies  to  themselves  that  precious  gift  of  sanctity and  grace  which  they  had  despised  in  others. Nevertheless, it is  the  upright  who  are  now  become  the  general  butt  of  the  malignity of  public  discourses;  and  we  may  safely  say,  that  virtue  gives birth to  more  censurers  in  the  world  than  vice.

I do  not  add,  that  if  these  slanders,  which  you  term  light,  be highly  criminal  in  their  motives  and  circumstances,  they  are  still more so  in  their  consequences;  I  say  their  consequences,  my  brethren, which  are  always  irreparable. You may  expiate  the  crime  of voluptuousness  by  mortification  and  penitence;  the  crime  of  hatred by love  for  your  enemy;  the  crime  of  ambition  by  a  renunciation of the  honours  and  grandeurs  of  the  age;  the  crime  of  injustice  by  a restoration  of  what  you  had  unjustly  ravished  from  your  brother; even the  crime  of  impiety  and  free-thinking,  by  a  religious  and public respect  for  the  worship  of  your  fathers;  but  what  remedy, what virtue,  can  repair  the  crime  of  detraction? You revealed  to only  one  person  the  vices  of  your  brother:  it  may  be  so;  but  that unlucky confidant  will  soon,  in  his  turn,  have  communicated  it  to others,  who,  on  their  part,  no  longer  regarding  as  a  secret  what they have  just  heard,  will  relate  it  to  the  first  comers;  in  the  relation of it,  every  one  will  add  new  circumstances;  each,  in  his  way,  will empoison it  with  some  new  trait;  in  proportion  as  they  publish, they will  increase,  they  will  magnify  it:  similar  to  a  spark  of  fire, says St.  James,  which,  wafted  by  an  impetuous  wind  to  different