Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/190

 He, no  doubt,  might  nourish  them  himself,  as  he  formerly  nourished Paul  and  Elijah  in  the  desert;  without  your  interference  he might  comfort  those  creatures  which  bear  his  image;  he,  whose  invisible hand  prepares  food  even  for  the  young  ravens  which  invoke him in  their  want;  but  he  wishes  to  associate  you  in  the  merit  of his  liberality;  he  wishes  you  to  be  placed  between  himself  and  the poor, like  refreshing  clouds,  always  ready  to  shower  upon  them those fructifying  streams  which  you  have  only  received  for  their  advantage.

Such is  the  order  of  his  providence;  it  was  necessary  that  means of salvation  should  be  provided  for  all  men:  riches  would  corrupt the heart,  if  charity  were  not  to  expiate  their  abuse;  indigence would fatigue  and  weary  out  virtue,  if  the  succours  of  compassion were not  to  soften  its  bitterness;  the  poor  facilitate  to  the  rich  the pardon of  their  pleasures;  the  rich  animate  the  poor  not  to  lose  the merit of  their  sufferings.

Apply yourself,  then,  be  whom  you  may,  to  all  the  consequence of this  gospel. If you  groan  under  the  yoke  of  poverty,  the  tenderness and  the  care  of  Jesus  Christ  toward  all  the  wants  of  a  wandering and  unprovided  people  will  console  you;  if  born  to  opulence, the example  of  the  disciples  will  now  instruct  you. You will  there see, first,  the  pretexts  which  they  oppose  to  the  duty  of  charity confuted: secondly,  you  will  learn  what  ought  to  be  its  rules. That is to  say,  that  in  the  first  part  of  this  Discourse  we  shall  establish this duty  against  all  the  vain  excuses  of  avarice;  in  the  second,  we shall  instruct  you  in  the  manner  of  fulfilling  it  against  even  the  defects of  charity;  it  is  the  most  natural  instruction  with  which  the history of  the  gospel  presents  us.

Part I. — It  is  scarcely  a  matter  of  controversy  now  in  the  world, whether the  law  of  God  makes  a  precept  to  us  of  charity. The gospel is so  pointed  on  this  duty;  the  spirit  and  the  groundwork  of  religion lead  us  so  naturally  to  it;  the  idea  alone  which  we  have  of Providence,  in  the  dispensation  of  temporal  things,  leaves  so  little room on  that  point  to  opinion  or  doubt,  that,  though  many  are  ignorant of  the  extent  of  this  obligation,  yet  there  are  almost  none who do  not  admit  of  the  foundation  and  principle.

Who, indeed,  is  ignorant  that  the  Lord,  whose  providence  hath regulated all  things  with  an  order  so  admirable  and  beautiful,  and prepared food  even  for  the  beasts  of  the  field,  would  never  have left men,  created  after  his  own  image,  a  prey  to  hunger  and  indigence, whilst  he  would  liberally  shower  upon  a  small  number  of happy  individuals  the  blessings  of  heaven  and  the  fat  of  the  earth, if he  had  not  intended  that  the  abundance  of  the  one  should  supply the  necessities  of  the  other.

Who is  ignorant,  that  originally  every  thing  belonged  in  common to all  men:  that  simple  nature  knew  neither  property  nor  portions; and that  at  first,  she  left  each  of  us  in  possession  of  the  universe: but that,  in  order  to  put  bounds  to  avarice,  and  to  avoid  trouble and dissensions,  the  common  consent  of  the  people  established  that