Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/195

 ing images  of  your  God:  he  wisheth,  in  a  word,  that  while  nothing is spared  toward  the  gratification  of  an  inordinate  passion  for gaming, and  every  thing  is  on  the  verge  of  being  for  ever  swallowed up in  that  gulf,  you  come  not  to  calculate  your  expenses,  to  measure your  ability,  to  allege  to  us  the  mediocrity  of  your  fortune  and the embarrassment  of  your  affairs,  when  there  is  question  of  consoling an  afflicted  Christian. He wisheth  it;  and  with  reason  doth he wish  it. What! shall you  be  rich  for  evil,  and  poor  for  good! — your revenues  be  amply  sufficient  to  effect  your  destruction,  and not suffice  to  save  your  soul,  and  to  purchase  heaven! — and, because you carry  self-love  to  the  extreme,  that  every  barbarity  of  heart should be  permitted  you  toward  your  unfortunate  brethren?

But whence  comes  it  that,  in  this  single  circumstance,  you  wish to lower  the  opinion  that  the  world  has  of  your  riches? On every other occasion  you  wish  to  be  thought  powerful;  you  give  yourselves out  as  such;  you  even  frequently  conceal,  under  appearances of the  greatest  splendour,  affairs  already  ruined,  merely  to  support the vain  reputation  of  wealth. This vanity,  then,  does  not  abandon you  but  when  you  are  put  in  remembrance  of  the  duty  of compassion. Not satisfied  then  with  confessing  the  mediocrity  of your  fortune,  you  exaggerate  it,  and  sordidness  triumphs  in  your heart, not  only  over  truth,  but  even  over  vanity. Ah! the Lord formerly reproached  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Laodicea,  "  Because thou  sayest,  I  am  rich  and  increased  with  goods,  and  have need  of  nothing,  and  knowest  not  that  in  my  sight  thou  art  wretched, and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked." But at  present he  ought,  with  regard  to  you,  to  change  that  reproach  and  to say,  "  O!  you  complain  that  you  are  poor  and  destitute  of  every thing,  and  you  will  not  see  that  you  are  rich  and  loaded  with wealth;  and  that  in  times  when  almost  all  around  you  suffer,  you alone  want  for  nothing  in  my  sight."

This is  the  second  pretext  made  use  of  in  opposition  to  the  duty of charity — the  general  poverty. Thus the  disciples  reply,  in  the second place,  to  our  Saviour,  as  an  excuse  for  not  assisting  the  famishing multitude — that  the  place  is  desert  and  barren,  that  it  is now  late,  and  that  he  ought  to  send  away  the  people  that  they might go  to  the  country  round  about,  and  into  the  villages,  and buy themselves  bread,  for  they  had  nothing  to  eat. A fresh  pretext they  make  use  of  to  dispense  themselves  from  compassion — the misery  of  the  times,  the  sterility  and  irregularity  of  the  seasons.

But first,  might  not  our  Saviour  have  answered  to  the  disciples, as a  holy  father  says,  It  is  because  the  place  is  barren  and  desert, and that  this  people  knows  not  where  to  find  food  to  allay  their hunger, that  they  should  not  be  sent  away  fasting,  lest  their strength fail  them  by  the  way. And, behold,  my  brethren,  what  I might  also  reply  to  you — the  times  are  bad,  the  seasons  are  unfavourable. Ah! for that  very  reason  you  ought  to  enter  with a more  feeling  concern,  with  a  more  lively  and  tender  anxiety,  into the wants  of  your  fellow-creatures. If the  place  be  desert  and barren even  for  you,  what  must  it  be  for  so  many  unfortunate