Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/268

 of your  attachment  to  them  diminishes  its  merit;  and  they  punish you for  the  fervour  and  the  shame  of  your  transports,  by  taking occasion even  from  thence,  to  suffer  all,  even  to  their  gratitude, to be  cooled.

Behold the  ungrateful  returns  experienced  by  our  sinner  in  the ways of  the  passions! But in  her  penitence  every  thing  is  reckoned; the slightest  step  which  she  takes  for  Jesus  Christ  is  noticed,  is praised,  is  defended  by  Jesus  Christ  himself. The Pharisee  vainly endeavours to  lessen  her  merit  (for  the  world  never  studies  but  to diminish  the  value  of  the  virtues  of  the  just);  the  Saviour  undertakes her  defence:  "Seest  thou  this  woman?" said he  to  him;  as if  he  thereby  meant  to  say,  Knowest  thou  all  the  merit  of  the  sacrifices which  she  makes  to  me,  and  how  far  the  strength  and  the excess of  her  love  for  me  extend? She hath  not  ceased  to  wash my feet  with  tears,  and  to  wipe  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head. He reckons,  he  observes  every  thing;  a  sigh,  a  tear,  a  simple  movement of  the  heart:  nothing  is  lost  upon  him  of  whatever  is  done for him;  nothing  escapes  the  exactness  of  his  glances,  and  the  tenderness of  his  heart;  we  are  well  assured  that  we  serve  no  ungrateful master;  he  overvalues  even  the  slightest  sacrifices. "Seest thou this  woman? "  He  would,  it  appears,  that  all  men  view  her with the  same  eyes  that  he  did:  that  all  men  should  be  as  equitable estimators as  himself  of  her  love,  and  of  her  tears:  he  no  longer sees her  debaucheries;  he  forgets  a  whole  life  of  error  and  guilt: he sees  only  her  repentance  and  her  tears.

Now, what  consolation  for  a  contrite  soul  to  have  it  in  her  power to say  to  herself,  Till  now,  I  have  lived  only  for  error  and  vanity. My days,  my  years,  my  cares,  my  inquietudes,  my  distresses,  are all hitherto  lost,  and  no  longer  exist,  even  in  the  memory  of  those men for  whom  alone  I  have  lived,  for  whom  alone  I  have  sacrificed every thing. My rectitude,  my  attentions,  my  anxieties,  have never been  repaid  but  with  ingratitude;  but  henceforth,  whatever I do  for  Jesus  Christ  will  receive  its  full  estimation:  my  sufferings, my afflictions,  the  slightest  sacrifices  of  my  heart;  my  sighs,  my tears,  which  I  have  so  often  shed  in  vain  for  creatures,  all  shall  be written  in  immortal  characters  in  the  book  of  life:  all  these  shall eternally exist  in  the  remembrance  of  that  faithful  Master  whom I serve;  all  these,  in  spite  of  the  defects  mingled  with  them  by  my weakness  and  my  corruption,  shall  be  excused,  and  even  purified through the  grace  of  my  Redeemer,  and  he  will  crown  his  gifts  by rewarding  my  feeble  deserts. I no  longer  live  but  for  eternity;  I no  longer  labour  in  vain;  my  days  are  real,  my  life  is  no  longer  a dream. O, my  brethren,  what  a  blessed  gain  is  piety;  and  how great are  the  consolations  which  a  soul  recalled  to  Jesus  Christ receives, in  compensation  for  the  trifling  losses  which  he  sacrifices to him!

Lastly, difference  in  the  certitude  of  the  correspondence. That love of  creatures  which  actuated  our  sinner,  had  always  been  attended with  the  most  cruel  uncertainties. One is  always  suspicious of an  equal  return  of  love:  the  heart  is  ingenious  in  rendering  itself