Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/134

 favour, and  consideration  drag  after  them,  affects,  attracts,  and transports us. Thus, the  majority  of  men  inconsiderately  create to themselves  a  tumultuous  and  agitated  life,  which  the  Almighty never required  of  them,  and  eagerly  seek  for  cares  where  they cannot be  in  safety,  unless  the  order  of  God  had  prepared  them for us.

Indeed, we  sometimes  hear  them  complaining  of  the  endless agitations inseparable  from  their  places;  sighing  for  rest,  and  envying the  lot  of  a  tranquil  and  private  station;  repeating,  that  it should  indeed  be  time  to  live  for  themselves,  after  having  so  long lived for  others. But these  are  merely  words  of  course;  they seem to  groan  under  the  weight  of  affairs;  but  with  much  more uneasiness and  grief  would  they  support  the  weight  of  leisure  and of a  private  condition:  they  employ  one  part  of  their  life  in  struggling against  each  other  for  the  tumult  of  places  and  employments, and the  other  they  employ  in  lamenting  the  misfortune  of  having obtained them. It is  a  language  of  vanity:  they  would  wish  to appear  superior  to  their  fortune;  and  they  are  not  so  to  the  smallest reverse,  or  the  slightest  symptom  of  coldness  which  threatens them. Behold how  our  passions  create  occupations  and  embarrassments, which  God  required  not,  and  deprive  us  of  a  time  whose value we  shall  be  ignorant  of  till  we  reach  that  moment  when  time finishes and  eternity  begins.

Yet still,  my  brethren,  in  the  midst  of  the  endless  occupations attached to  your  stations,  were  you  to  regard  as  the  most  privileged those  connected  with  your  salvation,  you  would,  in  some measure at  least,  repair  the  dissipation  of  that  portion  of  your  life, which the  world  and  the  cares  of  this  earth  entirely  occupy. But it is  still  on  this  point  that  our  blindness  is  deplorable;  we  cannot find time  for  our  eternal  salvation. That which  we  bestow  on fortune,  the  duties  of  a  charge,  the  good  offices  expected  from  our station, the  care  of  the  body,  and  attention  to  dress;  that  which we give  to  friendship,  society,  recreation,  and  custom,  all  appear essential and  indispensable:  we  even  dare  not  encroach  upon  or limit  these;  we  carry  them  beyond  the  bounds  even  of  reason  and necessity; and  as  life  is  too  short,  and  our  days  too  rapid  to  suffice for all,  whatever  we  retrench  is  from  the  cares  of  our  salvation: in the  multiplicity  of  our  occupations  we  are  sure  to  sacrifice  those which we  ought  to  bestow  on  eternity. Yes, my  brethren,  in  place of retrenching  from  our  amusements,  from  the  duties  which  ambition multiplies,  from  the  ceremonies  which  idleness  alone  has established, from  the  cares  and  attentions  we  bestow  on  a  vain dress which  custom  and  effeminacy  have  rendered  endless;  in  place of retrenching  from  these,  at  least  some  little  time  every  day, scarcely do  they  leave  us  some  accidental  remains  which  by  chance have escaped  from  the  world  and  pleasure;  some  rapid  moments the world  wishes  not,  with  which  we  are  perhaps  embarrassed, and which  we  know  not  how  to  dispose  of  otherwise. So long  as the  world  chooses  to  engage  us;  so  long  as  it  continues  to  offer pleasures, duties,  trifles,  and  complaisances,  we  yield  ourselves  up