Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/194

 who suffer;  your  great  riches  are  only  sacred  deposits,  which  his goodness hath  entrusted  to  your  care,  for  security  against  usurpation and  violence,  and  in  order  to  be  more  safely  preserved  for  the widow and  the  orphan;  your  abundance,  in  the  order  of  his  wisdom, is  destined  only  to  supply  their  necessities;  your  authority, only to  protect  them;  your  dignities  only  to  avenge  their  interests;  your  rank  only  to  console  them  by  your  good  offices:  whatsoever you  be,  you  are  it  only  for  them;  your  elevation  would  no longer  be  the  work  of  God,  and  he  would  have  cursed  you,  in  bestowing on  you  all  the  riches  of  the  earth,  had  he  given  them  to  you for any  other  use.

Ah! allege, then,  no  more  to  us,  as  an  excuse  for  your  hardheartedness  toward  your  brethren,  wants  which  are  condemned by the  law  of  God;  rather  justify  his  providence  toward  all  who suffer; by  entering  into  his  order,  let  them  know,  that  there  is  a God  for  them  as  well  as  for  you;  and  make  them  bless  the  adorable designs of  his  wisdom,  in  the  dispensation  of  earthly  things,  which hath supplied  them,  through  your  abundance,  with  such  resources of consolation.

But, besides,  what  can  the  small  contributions  required  from  you retrench from  those  wants,  the  urgency  of  which  you  tell  us  so much? The Lord  exacteth  not  from  you  any  part  of  your  possessions and  heritages,  though  they  belong  wholly  to  him,  and  he  hath a right  to  despoil  you  of  them. He leaveth  you  tranquil  possessors of  those  lands,  of  those  palaces,  which  distinguish  you  and your people,  and  with  which  the  piety  of  your  ancestors  formerly enriched our  temples. He doth  not  command  you,  like  the  young man in  the  gospel,  to  renounce  all,  to  distribute  your  whole  wealth among the  poor,  and  to  follow  him:  he  maketh  it  not  a  law  to  you, as formerly  to  the  first  believers,  to  bring  all  your  riches  to  the feet of  your  pastors:  he  doth  not  strike  you  with  anathema,  as formerly  Annanias  and  Sapphira,  for  daring  to  retain  only  a  portion of  that  wealth  which  they  received  from  their  ancestors; — you, who  only  owe  the  aggrandizement  of  your  fortunes  perhaps  to public  calamities,  or  other  shameful  means  of  acquirement,  he  consenteth  that,  as  the  prophet  saith,  you  shall  call  the  land  by  your name, and  that  you  transmit  to  your  posterity  those  possessions which you  have  inherited  from  your  ancestors; — he  wisheth  that you lay  apart  only  a  portion  for  the  unfortunate,  whom  he  leaveth in indigence:  he  wisheth  that,  while  in  the  luxury  and  splendour of your  apparel  you  bear  the  nourishment  of  a  whole  people  of  unfortunate fellow-creatures,  you  spare  wherewith  to  cover  the  nakedness of  his  servants  who  languish  in  poverty,  and  know  not where to  repose  their  head;  he  wisheth  that,  from  those  tables  of voluptuousness,  where  your  great  riches  are  scarcely  sufficient  to supply  your  sensuality  and  the  profusions  of  an  extravagant  delicacy, you drop  at  least  a  portion  for  the  relief  of  the  Lazaruses  pressed with hunger  and  want:  he  wisheth  that,  while  paintings  of  the most absurd  and  the  most  boundless  price  are  seen  to  cover  the walls of  your  palaces,  your  revenues  may  suffice  to  honour  the  liv-