Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/150

 For, lastly,  if  there  be  no  future  state,  what  design,  worthy  of his  wisdom,  could  God  have  proposed  in  creating  man? What, in forming  them,  had  he  no  other  view  than  in  forming  the  beast? Man, that  being  so  noble,  who  is  capable  of  such  sublime  thoughts, such vast  desires,  and  such  grand  sentiments, — susceptible  of  love, truth, and  justice;  man,  of  all  creatures,  alone  worthy  of  a  great destination, that  of  knowing  and  loving  the  Author  of  his  being; that man  should  be  made  only  for  the  earth,  to  pass  a  small  portion of  days,  like  the  beast,  in  trifling  employments,  or  sensual  gratifications:  he  should  fulfil  his  purpose,  by  acting  so  risible  and  so pitiable  a  part;  and  afterward  should  sink  back  to  nonentity, without any  other  use  having  been  made  of  that  vast  mind  and elevated heart  which  the  Author  of  his  being  had  given  him? O God! where would  here  be  thy  wisdom,  to  have  made  so  grand  a work  for  the  duration  only  of  a  moment;  to  have  exhibited  men upon the  earth  only  as  a  playful  essay  of  thy  power;  or  to  amuse thy leisure  by  a  variety  of  shows! The deity  of  the  freethinker  is not  grand,  therefore,  but  because  he  is  more  unjust,  capricious,  and despicable than  men! Pursue these  reflections,  and  support,  if you  can,  all  the  extravagance  of  their  folly.

How worthy,  then,  of  God,  my  brethren,  to  watch  over  the  universe; to  conduct  man,  whom  he  has  created,  by  the  laws  of  justice, truth,  charity,  and  innocence;  to  make  virtue  and  reason  the bond of  union  and  the  foundation  of  human  society! How worthy of God  to  love  in  his  creatures  those  virtues  which  render  himself amiable; to  hate  the  vices  which  disfigure  in  them  his  image;  not to confound  for  ever  the  just  with  the  impious;  to  render  happy with himself  those  souls  who  have  lived  only  for  him;  and  to  deliver up  to  their  own  misery  those  who  believed  they  had  found  a happiness  independent  of  him!

Behold the  God  of  the  Christians;  behold  that  wise,  just,  and holy Deity  whom  we  adore;  and  the  advantage  we  have  over  the freethinker is,  that  ours  is  the  God  of  an  innocent  and  pure  heart; the God  whom  all  creatures  manifest  to  us;  whom  all  ages  have invoked; whom  the  sages,  even  of  Paganism,  have  acknowledged; and of  whom  nature  has  deeply  engraven  the  idea  on  the  very foundation of  our  being!

But, since  God  is  so  just,  ought  he  to  punish,  as  crimes,  inclinations for  pleasure  born  with  us;  nay,  which  he  alone  has  given us? Last blasphemy  of  impiety,  and  last  part  of  this  Discourse. I shall  abridge  it,  and  conclude.

But, in  the  first  place,  be  whom  you  may,  who  hold  this  absurd language,  if  you  pretend  to  justify  all  your  actions  by  the  inclinations which  induce  you  to  them;  if  whatever  we  wish  become legitimate; if  our  desires  ought  to  be  the  only  regulation  of  our duties; on  that  principle,  you  have  only  to  regard  with  an  envious eye the  fortune  of  your  brother,  to  acquire  a  right  to  despoil  him of it:  his  wife,  with  a  corrupted  heart,  to  be  authorized  to  violate the sanctity  of  the  nuptial  bed,  in  opposition  to  the  most  sacred rights of  society  and  nature. You have  only  to  suspect,  or  dislike