Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/145

 But if  there  be  a  future  state,  and  he  should  deceive  himself  in rejecting  faith,  what  does  he  not  risk? The loss  of  eternal  riches; the possession  of  thy  glory,  O  my  God! which would  for  ever  have rendered him  happy. But even  that  is  only  the  commencement  of his  misery:  he  goes  to  experience  punishment  without  end  or measure,  an  eternity  of  horror  and  wrath. Now, compare  these two destinies:  what  party  here  will  the  freethinker  adopt? Will he risk  the  short  duration  of  his  days,  or  a  whole  eternity? Will he hold  by  the  present,  which  must  finish  to-morrow,  and  in  which he even  cannot  be  happy? Will he  tremble  at  a  futurity  which has no  other  limits  than  eternity,  and  can  never  finish  but  with God himself? Where is  the  prudent  man,  who  in  an  uncertainty even equal,  durst  here  balance? And what  name  shall  we  give  to the  unbeliever,  who,  with  nothing  in  his  favour  but  frivolous doubts, while  on  the  side  of  truth,  beholding  the  authority,  example, prescription, proof,  and  voice  of  all  ages,  the  entire  world,  singly adopts the  wretched  cause  of  unbelief;  dies  tranquil  as  though  he were  no  longer  to  have  existence;  leaves  his  eternal  destiny  in  the hands of  chance,  and  carelessly  prepares  to  encounter  so  awful  a scene. O God! is this  a  man  conducted  by  cool  reason;  or,  is  it  a man,  who  looks  forward  to  no  resource  but  despair? The uncertainty of  the  freethinker  is  therefore  foolish  in  the  proofs  on  which it depends.

But, lastly,  it  is  still  more  dreadful  in  its  consequences. And here, my  brethren,  allow  me  to  lay  aside  the  deep  reasonings  of erudition  and  doctrine;  I  wish  to  speak  only  to  the  conscience  of the  unbeliever,  and  to  confine  myself  to  the  proofs  which  his  own feelings acknowledge.

Now, if  all  shall  finish  with  us,  if  man  have  nothing  to  expect after this  life,  and  that  here  is  our  country,  our  origin,  and  the  only happiness we  can  promise  ourselves,  why  are  we  not  happy? If only created  for  the  pleasures  of  the  senses,  why  are  they  unable to satisfy  us? and why  do  they  always  leave  a  fund  of  weariness and sorrow  in  the  heart? If man  have  nothing  superior  to  the beast, why,  like  it,  do  not  his  days  flow  on  without  care,  uneasiness, disgust,  or  sorrow,  in  sensual  and  carnal  enjoyments? If man have  no  other  felicity  to  expect  than  merely  a  temporal  happiness, why  is  he  unable  to  find  it  on  the  earth? Whence comes  it that  riches  serve  only  to  render  him  uneasy;  that  honours  fatigue him; that  pleasures  exhaust  him;  that  the  sciences,  far  from  satisfying, confound  and  irritate  his  curiosity;  that  reputation  constrains and  embarrasses  him;  that  all  these  united  cannot  fill  the immensity of  his  heart,  and  still  leave  him  something  to  wish  for? All other  beings,  contented  with  their  lot,  appear  happy  in  their way in  the  situation  the  Author  of  nature  has  placed  them;  the stars, tranquil  in  the  firmament,  quit  not  their  station  to  illuminate another world;  the  earth,  regular  in  its  movements,  shoots  not  upwards to  occupy  their  place;  the  animals  crawl  in  the  fields, without envying  the  lot  of  man,  who  inhabits  cities  and  sumptuous palaces. The birds  carol  in  the  air  without  troubling  themselves