Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/185

 Jesus Christ  speaks  no  new  or  foreign  language  to  him;  it  is  the language of  his  heart:  they  are  the  sentiments  of  his  whole  life. Nothing soothes  him  so  much,  then,  as  to  hear  that  God  spoken of whom  he  had  always  loved;  those  eternal  riches,  which  he  had always coveted;  that  happiness  of  another  life,  for  which  he  had always sighed;  and  the  nothingness  of  that  world  which  he  had always despised. All other  subjects  of  conversation  become  insipid to  him;  he  can  listen  only  to  the  mercies  of  the  God  of  his fathers, and  he  regrets  the  moments  as  lost,  which  must  necessarily be devoted  to  the  regulation  of  an  earthly  mansion  and  the  succession of  his  ancestors. Great God! what knowledge! what peace! what delicious  transports! what holy  emotions  of  love,  of  joy,  of confidence,  of  thanksgiving,  then  fill  the  soul  of  this  righteous  character! His faith  is  renewed;  his  love  is  invigorated;  his  fervour is excited;  his  compunction  is  awakened. The nearer  the  dissolution of  the  earthly  man  approaches,  the  more  is  the  new  man completed and  perfected! The more  his  mansion  of  clay  crumbles, the more  is  his  soul  purified  and  exalted! In proportion  as  the body falls  into  ruin,  the  spirit  is  disengaged  and  renewed;  like  a pure  and  brilliant  flame,  which  ascends  and  shines  forth  with  additional splendour,  in  proportion  as  it  disengages  itself  from  the remains of  matter  which  held  it  down,  and  as  the  substance  to which  it  was  attached  is  consumed  and  dissipated.

Alas! all discourses  upon  God  fatigue  the  sinner  on  the  bed  of death:  they  irritate  his  evils;  his  head  suffers  by  them,  and  his rest is  disturbed. It becomes  necessary  to  manage  his  weakness, by venturing  only  a  few  words  at  proper  periods;  to  do  it  with precaution, lest  their  length  should  incommode  him;  to  choose  the moments for  speaking  to  him  of  the  God  who  is  ready  to  judge him, and  whom  he  has  never  known. Holy artifices  of  charity  are required, nay  deception  is  even  necessary  sometimes,  to  make  him bestow a  thought  upon  his  salvation. Even the  ministers  of  the church but  rarely  approach  him,  because  they  well  know  that  their presence is  only  an  intrusion. They are  excluded  as  disagreeable and melancholy  prophets;  his  friends  around  him  carefully  turn the conversation  from  salvation,  as  conveying  the  news  of  death, and as  a  dismal  subject  which  wearies  him;  they  endeavour  to  enliven his  spirits  by  relating  the  affairs  and  vanities  of  the  age,  which had engrossed  him  during  life. Great God! and thou  permittest that this  unfortunate  wretch  should  bear,  even  to  death,  his  dislike to truth;  that  worldly  images  shall  still  occupy  him  in  this  last moment; and  that  they  shall  dread  to  speak  to  him  of  his  God whom he  has  always  dreaded  to  serve  and  to  know!

But let  us  not  lose  sight  of  the  faithful  soul. Not only  he  sees nothing on  the  bed  of  death  which  surprises  him,  but  he  is  likewise separated  from  nothing  which  he  laments  or  regrets. For what can  death  separate  him  from  to  occasion  either  regret  or tears? From the  world? Alas! from a  world  in  which  he  had always lived  as  an  exile;  in  which  he  had  found  only  shameful  excesses which  grieved  his   faith;    rocks,  at  which   his   innocence