Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/212

 solations of  faith. The same  sensibility  which  renders  our  heart susceptible of  chagrin,  should  open  it  to  grace  which  soothes  and supports it. A good  heart  has  many  more  resources  against  afflictions, in  consequence  of  grace  finding  easier  access  to  it. Immoderate grief is  rather  the  consequence  of  passion  than  of  the goodness of  the  heart;  and  to  be  unable  to  submit  to  God,  or  to taste  consolation  in  our  troubles,  is  to  be,  not  tender  and  feeling, but intractable  and  desperate.

Moreover, all  the  precepts  of  the  gospel  require  strength,  and  if you  have  not  enough  to  support  with  submission  the  crosses  with which the  Lord  pleaseth  to  afflict  you,  you  must  equally  want sufficient for  the  observance  of  the  other  duties  prescribed  to  you by the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ. It requires  strength  of  mind  to forgive  an  injury;  to  speak  well  of  those  who  traduce  us;  to  conceal the  faults  of  those  who  wish  to  dishonour  even  our  virtues. It requires  fortitude  to  be  enabled  to  fly  from  a  world  which  is agreeable  to  us;  to  tear  ourselves  from  pleasures  toward  which  we are  impelled  by  all  our  inclinations;  to  resist  examples  authorized by the  multitude,  and  of  which  custom  has  now  almost  established a law. Strength of  mind  is  required  to  make  a  Christian  use  of prosperity;  to  be  humble  in  exaltation,  mortified  in  abundance, poor of  heart,  amidst  perishable  riches,  detached  from  all  when possessed of  all,  and  filled  with  desires  for  heaven  amidst  all  the pleasures and  felicities  of  the  earth. It is  required  to  be  able  to conquer  ourselves;  to  repress  a  rising  desire;  to  stifle  an  agreeable feeling;  to  recall  to  order  a  heart  which  is  incessantly  straying from it. Lastly, among  all  the  precepts  of  the  gospel,  there  is  not one which  does  not  suppose  a  firm  and  noble  soul;  every  where self-denial is  required;  every  where  the  kingdom  of  God  is  a  field to be  brought  into  cultivation,  a  vineyard  where  toil  and  the  heat of the  day  must  be  endured,  a  career  in  which  continual  and  valiant combating is  required;  in  a  word,  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  can never be  weak  without  being  overcome;  and  every  thing,  even  to the  smallest  obligations  of  faith,  requires  exertion,  and  bears  the mark of  the  cross,  which  is  its  ruling  spirit;  and  if  you  fail  but  for an instant  in  fortitude,  you  are  lost. To say  then  that  we  are  weak, is to  say  that  the  entire  gospel  is  not  made  for  us,  and  that  we  are incapable of  being  not  only  submissive  and  patient,  but  likewise  of being  chaste,  humble,  disinterested,  mortified,  gentle,  and  charitable.

But however  weak  we  may  be,  we  ought  to  have  this  confidence in  the  goodness  of  God,  that  we  are  never  tried,  afflicted, or tempted  beyond  our  strength;  that  the  Lord  always  proportioned the  afflictions  to  our  weakness;  that  he  dealeth  out  his chastisements like  his  favours,  by  weight  and  measure;  that  in striking  he  meaneth  not  to  destroy,  but  to  purify  and  to  save  us; that he  himself  aideth  us  to  bear  the  crosses  which  he  imposeth; that he  chastiseth  us  as  a  father,  and  not  as  a  judge;  that  the same hand  which  strikes,  sustains  us;  that  the  same  rod  which makes the  wound,  bears  the  oil  and  the  honey  to  soften  its  pain. He knoweth  the  nature  of  our  hearts,  and  how  far  our  weakness