Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/136

 ful and  endless  duties  attached  to  your  station,  you  believe  that  you serve God,  accomplish  your  measure  of  righteousness,  and  labour toward your  salvation. I grant  it;  but  we  must  fulfil  these  duties according to  the  views  of  the  Lord,  from  motives  of  faith,  and  in the  true  spirit  of  religion  and  piety. God reckons  only  what  we do  for  him;  of  all  our  pains,  fatigues,  submissions,  and  sacrifices, he accepts  only  those  which  are  offered  to  his  glory,  and  not  to  our own; and  our  days  are  only  full  in  his  sight  when  they  are  full  for eternity. All actions,  which  have  nothing  for  their  object  but  the world; a  fame  limited  to  this  earth;  a  perishable  fortune;  some praises they  may  attract  to  us  from  men,  or  some  degree  of  grandeur and  reputation  to  which  they  may  raise  us  here  below,  are nothing in  his  presence,  or,  at  least,  are  only  puerile  amusements, unworthy of  the  majesty  of  his  regards.

Thus, my  brethren,  how  different  are  the  judgments  of  God  from those of  the  world! In the  world  we  call  beautiful  that  splendid life in  which  great  actions  are  numbered,  victories  gained,  difficult negotiations concluded,  undertakings  successfully  conducted,  illustrious employments  supported  with  reputation,  eminent  dignities acquired by  important  services,  and  exercised  with  glory;  a  life which passes  into  history,  fills  the  public  monuments,  and  of  which the remembrance  shall  be  preserved  to  the  latest  posterity. Such, according to  the  world,  is  a  beautiful  life. But if,  in  all  this,  they have sought  more  their  own  than  the  glory  of  God;  if  they  have had nothing  more  in  view  than  to  erect  to  themselves  a  perishable edifice of  grandeur  on  the  earth;  in  vain  shall  they  have  furnished a splendid  career  to  the  eyes  of  men;  in  the  sight  of  God,  it  is  a life  lost:  in  vain  shall  history  record  us;  we  shall  be  effaced  from the book  of  life,  and  from  the  eternal  histories:  in  vain  shall  our actions be  the  admiration  of  ages  to  come;  they  shall  not  be  written on the  immortal  columns  of  the  heavenly  temple:  in  vain  shall  we have  acted  a  dignified  part  upon  the  stage  of  all  earthly  ages;  in  the eternal ages  we  shall  be  as  those  who  never  were:  in  vain  shall  our titles and  dignities  be  preserved  upon  the  marble  and  brass;  as  the fingers of  men  have  written  them,  they  shall  perish  with  them,  and what the  finger  of  God  shall  have  written  will  alone  endure  as  long as himself:  in  vain  shall  our  life  be  proposed  as  a  model  to  the  ambition of  our  descendants;  its  reality,  existing  only  in  the  passions of men,  from  the  moment  they  shall  cease  to  have  passions  and  the objects which  inflame  them,  shall  be  annihilated;  this  life  shall  be nothing,  and  shall  be  replunged  into  nonentity,  with  the  world  which admire it.

For, candidly,  my  brethren,  can  you  really  wish  that  in  that  awful and  terrible  day,  when  righteousness  itself  shall  be  judged,  the Almighty should  give  you  credit  for  all  the  pains,  cares,  and  disgusts you  have  experiened  and  devoured,  in  order  to  raise  yourselves in the  world? That he  should  regard,  as  well  employed,  the  time you have  sacrificed  to  the  world,  fortune,  glory,  and  the  elevation  of your  name  and  race,  as  if  you  were  upon  the  earth  only  for  yourselves? That he  should  place,  among  the  number  of  your  works  of