Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/30

 leave us  behind  them,  to  wander  still  unfortunately  at  the  pleasure of  our  illicit  desires. We view  with  a  tranquil  eye  the  prodigy of  their  change;  and  their  lot,  far  from  exciting  our  envy, and awaking  in  us  any  weak  desires  of  salvation,  only  induces  us, perhaps, to  think  on  replacing  the  void  which  their  retreat  has made in  the  world:  of  elevating  ourselves  to  those  dangerous  offices from which  they  have  just  descended  through  motives  of  religion and faith: — what  shall  I  say? we become,  perhaps,  the  censurers  of  their  virtues:  we  seek  elsewhere  than  in  the  infinite  treasures of  grace,  the  secret  motives  of  their  change;  to  the  work of God  we  give  views  entirely  worldly;  and  our  deplorable  censures become  the  most  dangerous  trials  of  their  repentance. It is thus,  O,  my  God! that Thou  sheddest  avenging  darkness  over  iniquitous passions! Whence comes  this? We want  esteem  for the holy  undertaking  of  salvation:  this  is  the  first  cause  of  our indifference.

In the  second  place,  we  labour  in  it  with  indolence,  because  we do  not  make  a  principal  object  of  its  attainment,  and  because  we never  give  a  preference  to  it  over  our  other  pursuits. In effect, my brethren,  we  all  wish  to  be  saved;  the  most  deplorable  sinners do not  renounce  this  hope;  we  even  wish,  that  amongst  our  actions there  may  always  be  found  some  which  relate  to  our  salvation; for  none  deceive  themselves  so  far  as  to  believe,  that  they shall be  entitled  to  the  glory  of  the  holy,  without  having  ever  made a single  exertion  toward  rendering  themselves  worthy  of  it;  but the point  in  which  we  commonly  deceive  ourselves  is,  the  rank which we  give  to  those  works,  amidst  the  other  occupations  which divide our  life.

The trifles,  the  attentions  which  we  lavish  so  profusely  in  our intercourse with  society,  the  functions  of  a  charge,  domestic  arrangements, passions,  and  pleasures,  their  times  and  their  moments marked  in  our  days; — where  do  we  place  the  work  of  salvation? What rank  do  we  give  to  this  special  care,  above  our other cares? Do we  even  make  a  business  of  it? And, to  enter into the  particulars  of  your  conduct,  what  do  you  perform  for  eternity, which  you  do  not  for  the  world  an  hundred-fold? You sometimes employ  a  small  portion  of  your  wealth  in  religious  charities; but what  are  these  when  compared  to  the  sums  which  you  sacrifice every day  to  your  pleasures,  to  your  passions,  and  to  your  caprices? In the  morning,  you,  perhaps,  raise  up  your  mind  to  the  Lord  in prayer;  but  does  not  the  world,  in  a  moment,  resume  its  place  in your  heart,  and  is  not  the  remainder  of  the  day  devoted  to  it? You regularly attend,  perhaps,  in  order  to  fulfil  the  external  duties  of religion;  but,  without  entering  into  the  motives  which  frequently carry you  there,  this  individual  exercise  of  religion,  is  it  not  compensated by  devoting  the  remainder  of  the  day  to  indolent  and worldly pursuits? You sometimes  correct  your  inclinations;  you perhaps bear  with  an  injury;  you  undertake  the  discharge  of  some pious obligation;  but  these  are  individual  and  insulated  exertions, out of  the  common  track,  and  which  are  never  followed  by  any  re-