Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/201

 for your  portion  only  the  curse  prepared  for  those  who  shall  have seen Jesus  Christ  suffering  hunger,  thirsty  and  nakedness  in  his members, and  shall  not  have  relieved  him. Such is  the  illusion of the  pretexts  employed  to  dispense  themselves  from  the  duty  of charity:  let  us  now  determine  the  rules  to  be  observed  in  fulfilling it; and,  after  having  defended  this  obligation  against  all  the  vain excuses of  avarice,  let  us  endeavour  to  save  it  from  even  the  defects of charity.

Part II. — Not to  sound  the  trumpet  in  order  to  attract  the public attention  in  the  compassionate  offices  which  we  render  to our  brethren;  to  observe  an  order  even  of  justice  in  charity,  and not to  prefer  the  wants  of  strangers  to  those  with  whom  we  are  connected;  to  appear  feeling  for  the  unfortunate,  and  to  know  how  to soothe  the  afflicted  by  our  tenderness  and  affability,  as  well  as  by  our bounty; in  a  word,  to  find  out,  by  our  vigilance  and  attention,  the secret of  their  shame;  behold  the  rules  which  the  present  example of our  Saviour  prescribes  to  us  in  the  practice  of  compassion.

First. He went  up  into  a  desert  and  hidden  place,  says  the  gospel;  he  ascended  a  mountain,  where  he  seated  himself  with  his disciples. His design  according  to  the  holy  interpreters,  was  to conceal  from  the  eyes  of  the  neighbouring  villages  the  miracle  of multiplying  the  loaves,  and  to  have  no  witnesses  of  his  compassion except those  who  were  to  reap  the  fruits  of  it. First instruction, and first  rule;  the  secrecy  of  charity.

Yes, my  brethren,  how  many  fruits  of  compassion  are  every  day blasted in  the  sight  of  God,  by  the  scorching  wind  of  pride  and  of vain  ostentation! How many  charities  lost  for  eternity! How many treasures,  which  were  believed  to  have  been  safely  lodged  in the  bosom  of  the  poor,  and  which  shall  one  day  appear  corrupted with vermin,  and  consumed  with  rust!

In truth,  those  gross  and  bare  faced  hypocrites  are  rare  which openly vaunt  to  the  world  the  merit  of  their  pious  exertions: pride is  more  cunning,  and  it  never  altogether  unmasks  itself:  but, how diminutive  is  the  number  of  those  who,  moved  with  the  true zeal of  charity,  like  our  Saviour,  seek  out  solitary  and  private places to  bestow,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  conceal  their  holy  gifts! We now  see  only  that  ostentatious  zeal,  which  nothing  but  necessities of  eclat  can  interest,  and  which  piously  wishes  to  make  the public acquainted  with  every  gift:  they  will  sometimes  it  is  true, adopt measures  to  conceal  them,  but  they  are  not  sorry  when  an indiscretion  betrays  them;  they  will  not  perhaps  court  public attention, but  they  are  delighted  when  the  public  attention  surprises them,  and  they  almost  consider  as  lost  any  liberality  which remains concealed.

Alas! our temples  and  our  altars,  are  they  not  every  where marked with  the  gifts  and  with  the  names  of  their  benefactors; that is  to  say,  are  they  not  the  public  monuments  of  our  forefathers and  of  our  own  vanity? If the  invisible  eye  of  the heavenly Father  alone  was  meant  to  have  witnessed  them,  to  what