Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/157

 ments, our  ardour  for  the  world,  pleasures,  and  fortune:  and,  because it  is  not  certain  that  we  shall  die  to-day,  we  live  as  if  we  were to live  for  ever.

Observe, my  brethren,  that  this  uncertainty  is  in  effect  accompanied with  all  the  circumstances  most  capable  of  alarming,  or  at least  engaging  the  attention  of  a  prudent  man,  who  makes  any  use of his  reason. In the  first  place,  the  surprise  of  that  last  day  you have to  dread,  is  not  one  of  those  rare  and  singular  accidents  which befal only  some  unfortunate  wretches,  and  which  it  is  more  prudent to  disregard  than  to  foresee. In order  to  be  surprised  by death,  the  question  at  present  is  not  that  the  thunder  should  fall upon your  heads,  that  you  should  be  buried  under  the  ruins  of  your palaces, that  you  should  be  swallowed  up  by  the  waves,  nor  many other accidents,  whose  singularity  renders  them  more  terrible, though less  dreaded;  it  is  a  common  evil;  not  a  day  passes,  without furnishing  some  examples;  almost  all  men  are  surprised  by death;  all  see  it  approach,  while  they  believe  it  yet  at  a  distance; all say  to  themselves,  like  the  foolish  man  in  the  gospel,  "  Why should  I  be  afraid?  I  have  many  years  yet  to  come/'  In  this manner  have  you  seen  depart,  your  relations,  friends,  and  almost all  those  whose  death  you  have  witnessed;  every  instance  surprised you;  you  expected  it  not  so  soon;  and  you  endeavoured to  account  for  it  by  human  reasons,  such  as  the  imprudence  of  the patient,  or  the  want  of  proper  advice  and  medicines;  but  the  only and  true  reason  is,  that  the  hour  of  the  Lord  always  takes  us  by surprise.

The earth  is  like  a  vast  field  of  battle,  where  we  are  every  day engaged with  the  enemy. You have  happily  escaped  to-day;  but you have  witnessed  the  fall  of  many,  who,  like  you,  expected  to survive:  to-morrow  you  again  must  enter  the  lists;  and  who  has told you  that  fortune,  so  capricious  with  regard  to  others,  to  you alone will  continue  favourable? And since  you  at  last  must  perish there, are  you  prudent  in  building  a  fixed  and  permanent  habitation on  the  very  spot,  perhaps,  intended  for  your  tomb? Place yourselves in  any  possible  situation,  there  is  not  a  moment  but may be  your  last,  and  has  actually  been  so  to  some  of  your  brethren;  no  brilliant  action,  but  may  terminate  in  the  eternal  shades of the  graves;  and  Herod  is  struck  in  the  midst  of  the  servile  and foolish applauses  of  his  people:  no  day  set  apart  for  the  solemn display of  worldly  magnificence,  but  may  conclude  with  your  funeral pomp;  and  Jezebel  was  precipitated,  the  very  day  she had chosen  to  show  herself  in  her  greatest  pride  and  ostentation, from  the  windows  of  her  palace:  no  festival  but  may  be  the feast of  death;  and  Belshazzar  expired  in  the  midst  of  a  sumptuous banquet:  no  repose  but  may  conduct  you  to  an  everlasting sleep: and  Holofernes,  in  the  heart  of  his  army,  and  conqueror  of so  many  kingdoms  and  provinces,  fell  under  the  stroke  of  a  simple Jewish woman:  no  disease,  but  may  be  the  fatal  term  of  your course; and  every  day  you  see  the  slightest  complaints  deceive  the opinions of  the  most  skilful  and  the  expectations  of  the  patient,  and