Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/315

 from nothing. The grossest  of  all  mistakes,  my  dear  hearer;  conversion is  in  general  a  slow  and  tardy  miracle,  the  fruit  of  cares,  of troubles,  of  fears,  and  of  bitter  anxieties.

The days,  saith  Jesus  Christ,  which  are  to  precede  the  utter  destruction of  this  visible  world  and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man, shall be  days  of  trouble  and  woe;  nations  shall  rise  against  nations, and kings  against  kings;  horrible  signs  shall  be  seen  in  the  firmament long  before  the  King  of  Glory  himself  shall  appear;  all  nature shall announce,  by  its  disorder,  the  approaching  destruction  and  the coming of  its  God. Ah! my dear  hearer,  behold  the  image  of  the change of  your  heart,  of  the  destruction  of  that  world  of  passions within you,  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  into  your  soul. Long before that  great  event,  internal  wars  shall  take  place;  you  shall feel your  passions  excited  one  against  the  other;  blessed  signs  of salvation  shall  appear  upon  your  person;  all  shall  be  shaken,  all shall be  disturbed;  all  within  you  shall  announce  the  destruction of the  carnal  man,  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  end  of  your iniquities, the  renovation  of  your  soul,  a  new  heaven  and  a  new earth. Ah! when these  blessed  things  shall  come  to  pass,  then  lift up your  head,  and  say  that  your  redemption  draweth  nigh;  then  be confident,  and  adore  the  awful  but  consolatory  preparations  of  a  God who is  on  the  eve  of  entering  into  your  heart. But, while  nothing is  shaken  within  you,  and  no  change  appears  in  your  soul;  while your heart  faileth  not  for  fear,  and  your  passions,  still  tranquil,  remain undisturbed  but  by  the  obstacles  which  retard  their  gratification;  ah! mistrust those  who  shall  tell  you  that  the  Lord  draweth nigh; that  you  will  immediately  find  him  in  the  sanctuary,  I  mean to say,  in  the  participation  of  the  sacrament,  in  those  retired  places to which  you  shall  perhaps  go  to  comfort  him  in  the  person  of  his afflicted members;  who  will  be  continually  saying,  "  Lo,  here  is Christ  fi  believe  them  not;  they  are  false  prophets,  saith  Jesus Christ:  no  sign  of  his  coming  hath  taken  place  within  you;  in  vain you  expect  and  presume;  it  is  not  in  this  manner  that  he  will  come; trouble  and  dread  walk  before  him;  and  the  soul  who  continues tranquil,  and  yet  trusts,  shall  never  be  visited  by  him.

"Happy, therefore,  is  the  man  that  feareth  always:"  he  whose virtues do  not  entirely  quiet  him  upon  his  eternal  destiny,  who trembles lest  the  imperfections  mingled  with  his  most  laudable  works not only  destroy  their  whole  merit  before  God,  but  even  rank  them among those  which  God  shall  punish  on  the  day  of  his  wrath. But what idea,  will  some  one  say  to  me,  do  you  give  us  of  the  God  we worship! An idea  worthy  of  him,  my  brethren;  and,  in  my  second part, I  shall  prove  to  you,  that  false  trust  is  injurious  to  him,  and forms to  itself  the  idea  of  a  God,  who  is  neither  true,  wise,  just, nor even  merciful.

Part II. — It is  rather  surprising,  my  brethren,  that  false  trust should pretend  to  find  even  in  religion  motives  which  authorize  it, and should  mistake  the  most  criminal  of  all  dispositions,  for  a  sentiment of  salvation,  and  a  fruit  of  faith  and  of  grace. In effect,  the