Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/188

 this soul  that  the  hour  is  come,  and  that  eternity  approaches;  when they come  to  tell  him  in  the  name  of  the  church,  which  sends  them, " Depart,  Christian  soul;  quit  at  last  that  earth  where  you  have  so long  been  a  stranger  and  a  captive:  the  time  of  trial  and  tribulation is  over:  behold  at  last  the  upright  Judge,  who  comes  to  strike  off the  chains  of  your  mortality:  return  to  the  bosom  of  God  from whence  you  came:  quit  now  a  world  which  was  unworthy  of  you: the  Almighty  hath  at  last  been  touched  with  your  tears;  he  at  last openeth  to  you  the  gate  of  eternity,  the  gate  of  the  upright:  depart faithful  soul;  go  and  unite  thyself  to  the  heavenly  church which  expects  thee:  only  remember  your  brethren  whom  you  leave upon  the  earth  still  exposed  to  temptations  and  to  storms:  be touched  with  the  melancholy  state  of  the  church  here  below,  which has  given  you  birth  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  which  envies  your  departure:  intreat  the  end  of  her  captivity,  and  her  re-union  with  her spouse, from  whom  she  is  still  separated. Those who  sleep  in  the Lord perish  not  for  ever:  we  only  quit  you  on  the  earth  in  order to regain  you  in  a  little  time  with  Jesus  Christ  in  the  kingdom  of the  holy:  the  body,  which  you  are  on  the  point  of  leaving  a  prey to worms  and  to  putrefaction,  shall  soon  follow  you,  immortal  and glorious. Not a  hair  of  your  head  shall  perish. There shall  remain in  your  ashes  a  seed  of  immortality,  even  to  the  day  of  revelation, when  your  parched  bones  shall  be  vivified,  and  again  appear more resplendent  than  light:  what  happiness  for  you  to  be  at  last quit of  all  the  miseries  which  still  afflict  us;  to  be  no  longer  exposed, like your  brethren,  to  lose  that  God  whom  you  go  to  enjoy;  to  shut your eyes  at  last  on  all  the  scandals  which  grieve  us;  on  that  vanity which  seduces  us;  on  those  examples  which  lead  us  astray; on those  attachments  which  engross  us;  and  on  those  troubles which consume  us! What happiness  to  quit  at  last  a  place  where every thing  tires  and  every  thing  sullies  us;  where  we  are  a  burden to ourselves,  and  where  we  only  exist  in  order  to  be  unhappy;  and to go  to  a  residence  of  peace,  of  joy,  of  quiet,  where  our  only  occupation will  be  to  enjoy  the  God  whom  we  love!"

What blessed  tidings,  then,  of  joy  and  immortality  to  this  righteous soul! What blessed  arrangement! With what  peace,  what confidence, what  thanksgivings,  does  he  not  accept  it! He raises, like old  Simeon,  his  dying  eyes  to  heaven;  and  viewing  the  Lord who cometh  inwardly,  says  to  him,  "  Break,  O  my  God!  when  thou pleasest,  these  remains  of  mortality;  these  feeble  ties  which  still keep  me  here:  I  wait,  in  peace  and  in  hope,  the  effects  of  thine eternal  promises." Thus, purified  by  the  expiation  of  a  holy  and Christian life,  fortified  by  the  last  remedies  of  the  church,  washed in the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  supported  by  the  hope  of  the  promises, and ripe  for  eternity,  he  shuts  his  eyes  with  a  holy  joy  on  all  sublunary creatures:  he  tranquilly  goes  to  sleep  in  the  Lord,  and  returns to the  bosom  of  that  God  from  whence  he  came.

My brethren,  any  observation  here  would  be  useless. Such is the  end  of  those  who  have  lived  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord:  their  death is precious  before  God,  like  their  life. Such is  the  deplorable  end