Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/221

 ought not  to  have  my  trust  in  men;  that  prosperity  is  a  dream; glory a  mistake;  the  talents  which  men  admire,  vices  concealed under the  brilliant  outsides  of  human  virtues;  the  whole  world  a deception,  which  feeds  us  with  only  vain  phantoms,  and  leaves nothing solid  in  the  heart;  and  that  thou  alone  art  worthy  to  be served,  for  thou  alone  forsakest  not  those  who  serve  thee."

Behold the  most  natural  effect  of  afflictions;  they  facilitate  all the duties  of  religion;  hatred  of  the  world,  in  rendering  it  more  disagreeable to  us;  indifference  toward  all  creatures,  by  giving  us experience,  either  of  their  perfidy  by  infidelities,  or  of  their  frailty by unexpected  losses;  privation  of  pleasures,  by  placing  obstacles in their  way;  the  desire  of  eternal  riches,  and  consoling  returns toward God,  by  leaving  us  almost  no  consolation  among  men; lastly, all  the  obligations  of  faith  become  more  easy  to  the  afflicted soul; his  good  desires  find  fewer  obstacles,  his  weakness  fewer rocks, his  faith  more  aids,  his  lukewarmness  more  resources,  his passions more  checks,  and  even  his  virtues  more  meritorious opportunities.

Thus the  church  was  never  more  fervent  and  purer  than  when she was  afflicted;  the  ages  of  her  sufferings  and  persecutions were the  ages  of  her  splendour  and  of  her  zeal. Tranquillity afterward corrupted  her  manners;  her  days  became  less  pure  and  less innocent as  soon  as  they  became  more  fortunate  and  powerful; her glory  ended  almost  with  her  misfortunes;  and  her  peace,  as  the prophet said,  was  more  bitter,  through  the  licentiousness  of  her children, than  even  her  troubles  had  ever  been  through  the  barbarity of  her  enemies.

Even you  who  complain  that  the  crosses  with  which  the  Lord afflicteth you  discourage  you,  and  check  any  desire  of  labouring toward your  salvation;  you  well  know  that  happier  days  have  not been for  you  more  holy  and  more  faithful;  you  well  know  that then, intoxicated  with  the  world  and  its  pleasures,  you  lived  in  a total  neglect  of  your  God,  and  that  the  comforts  of  your  situation were only  the  spurs  of  your  corruption,  and  the  instruments  of your  iniquitous  desires.

But such  is  the  perpetual  illusion  of  our  self-love. When fortunate, when  every  thing  answers  to  our  wishes,  and  the  world  smiles upon us,  then  we  allege  the  dangers  of  our  state  to  justify  the errors of  our  worldly  manners:  we  say  that  it  is  very  difficult,  at  a certain  age  and  in  a  certain  situation,  when  a  rank  is  to  be  supported, and  appearances  to  be  kept  up  with  the  world,  to  condemn ourselves to  solitude,  to  prayer,  to  flight  from  pleasures,  and  to  all the duties  of  a  gloomy  and  a  Christian  life. But on  the  other  side, when under  affliction;  when  the  body  is  struck  with  lassitude,  and fortune forsakes  us;  when  our  friends  deceive,  and  our  masters neglect us;  when  our  enemies  overpower,  and  our  relations  become our persecutors;  we  complain  that  every  thing  estranges  us  from God in  this  state  of  bitterness  and  sorrow;  that  the  mind  is  not sufficiently tranquil  to  devote  any  thoughts  to  salvation;  that  the heart is  too  exasperated  to  feel  any  thing  but  its  own  misfortunes; that amusements  and  pleasures,  now  become  necessary,  must  be