Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/158

 almost in  an  instant  take  the  turn  of  death: — in  a  word,  figure yourselves in  any  possible  stage  or  station  of  life,  and  with  difficulty can you  number  those  who  have  been  surprised  in  a  similar  situation;  and  what  right  have  you  to  expect,  that  you  alone  shall  be exempted  from  a  lot  common  to  all? You allow,  you  confess  this; but these  confessions  are  merely  words  of  course,  and  are  never followed by  a  single  precaution  to  secure  you  from  the  danger.

Secondly. Did this  uncertainty  turn  only  on  the  hour,  the  place, or the  manner  of  your  death,  it  would  appear  less  shocking;  for, after all,  says  a  holy  father,  what  matters  it  to  a  Christian,  whether he shall  expire  in  the  midst  of  his  connexions  or  in  the  country  of strangers;  in  the  bed  of  sorrow  or  the  abyss  of  the  waves;  provided he dies  in  piety  and  righteousness? But what  renders  this  terrible, is, the  uncertainty  whether  you  shall  die  in  the  Lord  or  in  sin;  that you shall  know  not  what  will  be  your  lot  in  that  other  region  where conditions change  no  more;  into  whose  hands,  at  its  departure  from the body,  your  soul,  trembling,  a  stranger  and  alone,  shall  fall; whether it  shall  be  surrounded  with  light,  and  carried  to  the  foot  of the  throne  on  the  wings  of  blessed  and  happy  spirits,  or  enveloped in darkness,  and  cast  headlong  into  the  gulf:  you  hang  between these two  eternities;  you  know  not  to  which  you  shall  be  attached: death alone  will  disclose  the  secret;  and  in  this  uncertainty  you remain tranquil,  and  indolently  wait  its  approach,  as  though  it were  a  matter  of  no  importance  to  you,  nor  to  determine  your eternal happiness  or  misery? Ah! my brethren,  were  it  even  true that all  ends  with  us,  the  impious  man  would  still  be  foolish  in  saying, "  Let  us  think  not  on  death;  let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow we  die." The more  he  found  life  agreeable,  the  more  reason would he  have  to  be  afraid  of  death,  which  to  him  would,  however, be only  a  cessation  of  existence. But we,  to  whom  faith  opens prospects of  punishment  or  eternal  rewards  beyond  the  grave;  we, who must  reach  the  gates  of  death,  still  uncertain  of  this  dreadful alternative, is  there  not  a  folly, — what  do  I  say? — a madness,  (not, to  be  sure,  in  professing  the  sentiments  of  the  impious,  "  Let  us eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die,)"  in  living  as  though  we thought  like  him! Is it  possible  we  can  remain  a  single  instant unoccupied with  that  decisive  moment,  and  without  allaying,  by the  precautions  of  faith,  that  trouble  and  dread  into  which  this  uncertainty must  cast  a  soul  who  has  not  yet  renounced  his  eternal hopes?

Thirdly. In all  other  uncertainties,  the  number  of  those  who share the  same  danger  may  inspire  us  with  confidence;  or  resources, with  which  we  flatter  ourselves,  may  leave  us  more  tranquil;  or,  even  at  the  worst,  the  disappointment  becomes  a  lesson, which teaches  us,  to  our  cost,  to  be  more  guarded  in  future. But, in the  dreadful  uncertainty  in  question,  the  number  of  those  who run the  same  risk  can  diminish  nothing  from  our  danger;  all  the resources with  which  we  may  flatter  ourselves  on  the  bed  of  death, are, in  general,  merely  illusive;  and  religion  itself,  which  furnishes them, dare  ground  but  small  hopes  on  them:  in  a  word,  the  mis-