Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/302

 hath left  to  us  for  the  world  and  for  vanity? Is he  not  even  jealous of  the  first-fruits  of  our  heart  and  of  our  life,  figured  by  those first-fruits of  the  earth,  which  were  commanded  by  the  law  to  be offered  up  to  him? Why then  would  you  retrench  from  him  the fairest portion  of  your  years,  to  consecrate  it  to  Satan  and  to  his works? Is life  too  long  to  be  wholly  employed  for  the  glory  of  the Lord who  hath  given  it  to  us,  and  who  promiseth  to  us  an  eternal one? Is youth  too  precious  to  be  consecrated  toward  becoming worthy of  the  eternal  possession  of  the  Supreme  Being? You reserve, then,  for  him,  only  the  remains  and  the  dregs  of  your  passions and  life! And it  precisely  is,  as  if  you  said  to  him,  Lord,  so long  as  I  shall  be  fit  for  the  world  and  its  pleasures,  think  not  that I shall  turn  toward  or  seek  thee;  so  long  as  the  world  shall  be pleased  with  me,  I  can  never  think  of  devoting  myself  to  thee;  afterward, indeed,  when  it  shall  begin  to  neglect  and  to  forsake  me, then I  will  turn  me  toward  thee;  I  will  say  to  thee,  Lo,  I  am  here! I will  pray  thee  to  accept  a  heart  which  the  world  hath  rejected, and which  reluctantly  finds  itself  under  the  hard  necessity  of  bestowing itself  on  thee;  but,  till  then,  expect  nothing  from  me  but perfect indifference,  and  a  thorough  neglect. After all,  thou  art only entitled  to  our  services  when  we  ourselves  are  good  for  nothing else; we  are  always  sure,  at  least,  of  finding  thee;  all  times  are the same  to  thee;  but,  after  a  certain  season  of  life,  we  are  unfitted for  the  world,  and,  while  yet  time,  it  is  proper  to  enjoy  it before  it  deserts  us. Soul, unworthy  of  ever  confessing  the  mercies of  a  God  whom  you  treat  with  such  insult! and do  you  believe that he  will  then  accept  of  a  homage  so  forced,  and  so  disgraceful to his  glory,  he,  who  taketh  no  delight  but  in  voluntary  sacrifices, he, who  hath  no  need  of  man,  and  who  favoureth  him  when  he deigneth  to  accept  even  his  purest  vows  and  his  sincerest  homages?

The prophet  Isaiah  formerly  mocked,  in  these  terms,  those  who worshipped vain  idols:  "  You  take/'  said  he  to  them,  "  a  cedar from Lebanon;  you  set  apart  the  best  and  handsomest  parts  of  it for  your  occasions,  your  pleasures,  the  luxury  and  ornament  of your  palaces;  and  when  you  know  not  how  to  employ  otherwise  the remnant, you  carve  it  into  a  vain  idol,  and  offer  up  to  it  ridiculous vows and  homages."  And  I,  in  my  turn,  might  say  to  you,  you set  apart  from  your  life  the  fairest  and  the  most  flourishing  of  your years,  to  indulge  your  fancies  and  your  iniquitous  passions;  and when  you  know  not  to  what  purpose  to  devote  the  remainder,  and it  becomes  useless  to  the  world  and  to  pleasures,  then  you  make  an idol  of  it;  you  make  it  serve  for  religion;  you  form  to  yourself  of it  a  false,  a  superficial,  and  inanimate  virtue,  to  which  you  reluctantly consecrate  the  wretched  remains  of  your  passions  and  of  your debaucheries.  O  my  God!  is  this  then  regarding  thee  as  a  jealous God,  whom  the  slightest  stain  in  the  purest  offerings  wounds  and offends,  or  as  a  vain  idol,  which  feels  not  the  indignity  and  the hypocrisy  of  the  homages  offered  up  to  it?

Yes, my  brethren,  nothing  can  be  reaped  in  an  advanced  age  but what has  been  sown  in  the  younger  years  of  life. If you  sow  in