Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/217

 afflicting state  in  which  thy  providence,  O  Lord,  hath  been  pleased to place  me,  shall  then  be,  in  future,  to  reflect,  that  at  least  thou sparest me  not;  that  thou  measurest  thy  rigours  and  thy  remedies upon my  wants,  and  not  upon  my  desires;  and  that  thou  hast more regard  to  the  security  of  my  salvation  than  to  the  injustice of my  complaints.

I might  still  reply  to  you:  Enter  into  judgment  with  the  Lord, you who  complain  of  the  excess  of  your  sufferings;  place  in  a balance,  on  the  one  side  your  crimes,  and  on  the  other  your  afflictions;  measure  the  rigour  of  his  chastisements  upon  the  enormity of your  offences;  compare  that  which  you  suffer  with  that  which you ought  to  suffer;  see  if  your  afflictions  go  the  same  length  as your  senseless  pleasures  have  done;  if  the  keenness  and  the  continuance of  your  sorrows  correspond  with  those  of  your  profane  debaucheries;  if  the  state  of  restraint  in  which  you  live  equals  the licentiousness and  the  depravity  of  your  former  manners;  and  should your afflictions  be  found  to  overbalance  your  iniquities,  then  boldly reproach the  Lord  for  his  injustice. You judge  of  your  sufferings by your  inclinations,  but  judge  of  them  by  your  crimes. What! not a  single  moment  of  your  worldly  life  but  what  has  perhaps made you  deserving  of  an  eternal  misery,  and  you  murmur  against the goodness  of  a  God  who  commuteth  these  everlasting  torments, so often  merited,  into  a  few  rapid  and  momentary  afflictions, and even  against  which  the  consolations  of  faith  hold  out  so  many resources!

What injustice! what ingratitude! Ah! have a  care,  unfaithful soul, lest  the  Lord  listen  to  thee  in  his  wrath;  have  a  care  lest  he punish  thy  passions,  by  providing  for  thee,  here  below,  whatever  is favourable  to  them;  lest  thou  be  not  found  worthy  in  his  sight  of these  temporal  afflictions;  lest  he  reserve  thee  for  the  time  of  his justice and  his  vengeance,  and  that  he  treat  thee  like  those  unfortunate victims  who  are  ornamented  with  flowers,  who  are  nursed and fattened  with  so  much  care,  only  because  they  are  destined  for the sacrifice,  and  that  the  knife  which  is  to  stab,  and  the  pile  which is to  consume  them,  are  in  readiness  upon  the  altar. He is  terrible in  his  gifts  as  in  his  wrath;  and  seeing  that  guilt  must  be  punished either  with  fleeting  punishments  here  below,  or  with  eternal pains after  this  life,  nothing  ought  to  appear  more  fearful  in  the  eyes of faith,  than  to  be  a  sinner  and  yet  prosperous  on  the  earth.

Great God! let it  be  here  then  for  me  the  time  of  thy  vengeance; and since  my  crimes  cannot  go  unpunished,  hasten,  O  Lord,  to satisfy  thy  justice. The more  I  am  spared  here,  the  more  shalt thou appear  to  me  as  a  terrible  God,  who  refuseth  to  let  me  go  for some fleeting  afflictions,  and  whose  wrath  can  be  appeased  by  nothing but  mine  eternal  misery. Lend not  thine  ear  to  the  cries  of my  grief,  nor  to  the  lamentations  of  a  corrupted  heart,  which  knows not its  true  interests. I disown,  Lord,  these  too  human  sighs which the  sadness  of  my  state  still  continually  forces  from  me; these carnal  tears  which  affliction  so  often  maketh  me  to  shed  in thy  presence. Listen not  to  the  intreaties  which  I  have  hitherto