Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/261

 opposite to  every  thing  pious,  have  been  those  in  whom  grace  hath operated the  most  wonderful  change. And, without  mentioning the sinner  of  our  gospel,  the  Augustines,  the  Pelagiuses,  the Fabioleses, those  worldly  and  dissipated  souls,  so  obstinate  and rooted in  their  debaucheries,  and  so  diametrically  opposite,  it  would seem, to  piety,  what  progress  have  they  not  since  made  in  the ways of  God! And their  former  propensities  have,  as  I  may  say, only paved  the  way  for  their  penitence. The same  soil  which nourishes and  produces  great  passions,  gives  birth  likewise  to  the greatest virtues,  when  it  pleases  the  Lord  to  change  the  heart. My God! thou hast  made  us  all  for  thee;  and  in  the  incomprehensible arrangement  of  thy  providence,  and  of  thy  mercy  toward man, even  our  weaknesses  are  to  conduce  toward  our  sanctification. It is  thus  that  our  sinner  made  reparation  for  the  iniquitous use which  she  had  made  of  her  heart.

But, secondly,  the  love  which  she  had  for  Jesus  Christ  was  not one of  those  vain  and  indolent  sensibilities  which  are  rather  the natural emotions  of  an  easily  affected  heart  than  real  impressions of grace,  and  which  never  produce  any  thing  in  us  farther  than that of  rendering  us  satisfied  with  ourselves,  and  persuading  us  that our heart  is  changed:  the  sacrifices,  and  not  the  feelings,  prove the reality  of  love.

Thus, the  second  disorder  of  her  sin  having  been  the  criminal and almost  universal  abuse  of  all  creatures;  the  second  reparation of her  penitence,  is  the  rigorously  abstaining  from  all  those  things which she  had  abused  in  her  errors. Her hair,  her  perfumes,  the gifts of  body  and  of  nature,  had  been  the  instruments  of  her  pleasures;  for  none  is  ignorant  of  the  use  to  which  a  deplorable  passion can apply  them;  this  is  the  first  step  of  her  penitence:  the  perfumes are  abandoned,  and  even  consecrated  to  a  holy  ministry; her hair  is  neglected,  and  no  longer  serves  but  to  wipe  the  feet  of her  deliverer;  beauty,  and  every  attention  to  the  body  are  neglected, and  her  eyes  are  blinded  with  tears. Such are  the  first sacrifices of  her  love:  she  is  not  contented  with  giving  up  cares visibly criminal,  she  even  sacrifices  such  as  might  have  been  looked upon as  innocent,  and  thinks  that  the  most  proper  way  of  punishing the abuse  she  had  formerly  made  of  them,  is  by  depriving  herself of the  liberty  she  might  still  have  had  of  employing  them.

In effect,  by  having  once  abused  them,  the  sinner  loses  the  right he had  over  them:  what  is  permitted  to  an  innocent  soul,  is  no longer  so  to  him  who  has  been  so  unhappy  as  to  deviate  from  the right path. Sin renders  us,  as  it  were,  anathematized  to  all  creatures around  us,  and  which  the  Lord  had  destined  to  our  use. Thus, there  are  rules  for  an  unfaithful  soul,  not  made  for  other men: he  no  longer  enjoys,  as  I  may  say,  the  common  right,  and  he must  no  more  judge  of  his  duties  by  the  general  maxims,  but  by the  personal  exceptions  which  concern  him.

Now, upon  this  principle,  you  are  continually  demanding  of  us, if the  use  of  such  and  such  an  artifice  in  dress  be  a  crime? If such and such  public  pleasures  be  forbidden? I mean  not  here  to  decide