Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/138

 who  had  governed  states  and  empires,  who  appeared  to  regulate  the whole universe,  and  had  filled  in  it  the  most  distinguished  places; who were  the  subjects  of  every  conversation,  and  of  the  desires  and hopes of  men;  who  engrossed,  almost  alone,  the  whole  attentions of the  earth;  what  a  frightful  void  will  they,  on  the  bed  of  death, find their  whole  life  to  be! Whilst the  days  of  the  pious  and  retired soul,  regarded  by  them  as  obscure  and  indolent,  shall  appear full, complete,  occupied,  marked  each  by  some  victory  of  faith,  and worthy of  being  celebrated  by  the  eternal  songs.

Meditate, my  brethren,  on  these  holy  truths. Time is  short;  it  is irreparable;  it  is  the  price  of  your  eternal  felicity;  it  is  given  to you  only  in  order  to  render  you  worthy  of  that  felicity. Calculate, therefore, what  portion  of  it  you  should  bestow  on  the  world,  pleasures, fortune,  and  on  your  salvation. My brethren,  says  the  apostle, time  is  short;  let  us  therefore  use  the  world,  as  not  abusing  it; let us  possess  our  riches,  places,  dignities,  and  titles,  as  though  we possessed  them  not;  let  us  enjoy  the  favour  of  our  superiors,  and the esteem  of  men,  as  though  we  enjoyed  them  not;  they  are  only shadows which  vanish  and  leave  us  for  ever;  and  let  us  only  reckon upon as  real,  in  our  whole  life,  the  moments  which  we  have  employed for  heaven.

Behold, to  what  at  last  shall  be  brought  the  desires,  hopes, counsels, and  enterprises  of  men. Behold, upon  what  at  last,  shall split the  vain  reflections  of  sages  and  freethinkers,  the  doubts  and eternal uncertainties  of  unbelievers,  the  vast  projects  of  conquerors, the monuments  of  human  glory,  the  cares  of  ambition,  the  distinction of  talents,  the  disquietudes  of  fortune,  the  prosperity  of  empires, and  all  the  insignificant  revolutions  of  the  earth. Such shall be the  awful  conclusion  which  will  unravel  the  mysteries  of  Providence on  the  divers  lots  of  the  children  of  Adam,  and  justify  its conduct in  the  government  of  the  universe. This fife  is,  therefore, but a  rapid  instant,  and  the  commencement  of  an  eternal  futurity. Torments without  end,  or  the  delights  of  an  immortal  felicity,  shall be our  lot  as  well  as  that  of  all  men.

Nevertheless, the  view  of  this  grand  object,  which  formerly  had been able  to  startle  the  ferocity  of  tyrants,  to  shake  the  fortitude of philosophers,  to  disturb  the  effeminacy  and  voluptuousness  of Caesars,  to  soften  the  most  barbarous  nations,  to  form  so  many martyrs, to  people  the  deserts,  and  to  bring  the  whole  universe submissive to  the  yoke  of  the  cross;  this  image,  so  terrifying,  is