Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/299

 in that  deplorable  state? You would  not  dare  to  say  so. That you have only  to  live  tranquil  in  your  debaucheries  till  God  shall  touch you, and  till  grace  shall  be  given  to  you? But it  is  the  height  of folly  to  expect  grace  while  you  render  yourself  every  day  more  and more unworthy  of  it. That you  are  not  guilty  before  God  of  the delay of  your  conversion,  seeing  it  depends  not  on  you? But all delaying sinners  who  die  impenitent  would  then  be  justified,  and hell would  no  longer  be  but  for  the  just  who  are  converted. That you ought  no  more  to  concern  yourself  with  your  salvation,  but  to leave  it  to  chance,  without  giving  yourself  any  uneasiness  or  trouble with regard  to  it? But that  is  the  resolution  of  impiety  and  despair. That the  moment  of  your  conversion  is  marked,  and  that  a little  more  or  less  of  debauchery  will  neither  advance  nor  retard  it an  instant? But, according  to  that  doctrine,  you  have  only  to pierce  your  heart  or  plunge  yourself  into  the  waves,  under  the  pretext that  the  moment  of  your  death  is  determined,  and  that  such madness will  neither  hasten  nor  retard  it  a  single  instant. " O man!" cries the  apostle,  in  replying  to  the  folly  and  impiety  of  this pretext, "  is  it  thus  that  thou  contemnest  the  riches  of  the  goodness of  thy  God?  Art  thou  ignorant,  that  his  patience  in  suffering thy  debaucheries,  far  from  authorizing  them,  ought  to  recall thee  to  penitence;  and,  nevertheless,  it  is  his  long  forbearance  itself which  hardens  thee  in  guilt;  and  through  thine  obstinacy  of  heart thou  amassest  an  overwhelming  treasure  of  wrath  for  that  terrible day  which  shall  surprise  thee,  and  on  which  shall  be  rendered  to every  one  according  to  his  works?"

The only  rational  consequence,  therefore,  that  you  could  be  permitted to  draw,  supposing  that  grace  is  wanting  to  you,  is,  that you, more  earnest  than  any  other,  ought  to  pray  to  obtain  it;  to neglect  nothing  to  soften  an  irritated  God,  who  has  withdrawn  himself from  your  heart;  to  overcome  by  your  importunities  his  resistance;  to  remove,  in  the  meanwhile,  whatever  removes  his  grace from your  heart;  to  make  straight  the  way  for  him;  to  throw  aside all the  obstacles  which  have  hitherto  rendered  it  ineffectual  to you;  to  deny  yourself  every  opportunity  in  which  your  innocence almost  always  finds  new  rocks,  and  which  completely shut your  heart  against  the  holy  inspirations:  such  is  the  Christian and  prudent  manner  of  rendering  glory  to  God,  of  confessing that  he  alone  is  the  master  of  hearts,  and  that  every blessing and  gift  proceed  from  him. But to  say,  as  you  continually do,  without  changing  in  any  respect  your  disorderly  manners, "  When  God  shall  want  me,  he  knoweth  how  to  find  me,"  is to  say,  P  I  wish  him  not  as  yet;  I  have  no  occasion  for  him; I live  happy  and  contented;  when  he  shall  force  me,  and  I can  no  longer  avoid  him,  then  I  will  yield;  but,  in  the  mean  time, I will  enjoy  my  prosperity,  and  the  privilege  which  he  granteth  to me  of  delaying  my  conversion ."  What  a  shocking  preparation for  that  precious  grace  which  changeth  the  heart!  Such  is, however,  all  that  an  impenitent  soul  can  adduce  for  confidently awaiting  it.