Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/317

 not the  Lord,  of  those  barbarous  nations  who  have  never  heard  his name. Doth God  not  rule  over  the  hearts  of  all  men? Who hath ever withstood  his  will? Is he  not  able  to  make  his  light  shine through the  profoundest  darkness,  to  change  into  lambs  the  fiercest lions, and  to  turn  his  enemies  into  the  most  intrepid  confessors  of his  name? Is the  heart  of  an  Indian,  or  of  a  savage,  a  more  arduous conquest to  him  than  that  of  a  presumptuous  sinner? Is not  every thing alike  easy  to  him? He hath  only  to  say,  and  it  is  done. — Yet, nevertheless,  would  you  thereupon  be  willing  that  your  eternal destiny should  run  the  same  hazard  as  that  of  a  savage,  who,  in  the heart of  his  forests,  almost  inaccessible  to  the  preaching  of  the Gospel, worships  absurd  and  monstrous  divinities? God may  raise up in  his  favour,  evangelical  ministers,  who,  along  with  the  lights of faith,  shall  bring  grace  and  salvation  to  his  soul. You say  that it requires  one  of  those  miraculous  efforts  of  the  Almighty  power to overcome  all  the  difficulties  which  apparently  render  the  conversion of  that  unfortunate  creature  impossible:  on  the  contrary,  that you, surrounded  with  the  aids  of  sacrament,  with  the  light  of  the doctrine and  of  instruction,  are  surely  in  a  situation  much  more likely to  secure  your  salvation,  and  consequently,  that  you  have  infinitely more  ground  to  promise  it  to  yourself. Ah! my dear  hearer, you deceive  yourself,  and  I  assure  you,  that,  to  me,  the  salvation of that  infidel  appears  less  hopeless  than  yours. He has  never abused favours,  which  he  has  never  received;  and  hitherto  you  have unworthily rejected  all  those  which  have  been  offered  to  you:  he  has never resisted  that  truth  which  he  has  never  known,  and  you  iniquitously  withstand  it:  the  first  impulse  of  grace  will  triumph  over  his heart, and  the  strongest  impressions  are  ineffectual  against  the  inflexibility of  yours:  a  single  ray  of  light  will  disclose  to  him  errors  and truths till  then  unknown,  and  all  the  lights  of  faith  are  unable  to disturb  the  tranquillity  of  your  passions:  he  holds  out  to  the  mercy of God  only  the  misfortune  of  his  birth,  only  sins  almost  involuntary, only  wretchedness  rather  than  crimes,  all  of  them  proper  motives to  affect  him,  and  you  hold  out  to  him  affected  acts  of  ingratitude and  vile  perseverance  in  obstinacy,  all  subjects  calculated  to  remove him  for  ever  from  you. Ah! it is  easy  for  the  Lord  to  bear upon the  wings  across  the  seas  apostolical  men;  his  angels,  when  he pleaseth,  know  to  transport  his  prophets  from  the  land  in  which he is  worshipped,  even  into  Babylon,  in  order  to  visit  a  just  man exposed to  the  fury  of  lions;  but  if  any  thing  were  difficult  to  him, it would  be  that  of  conquering  a  rebellious  heart,  of  recalling  a  soul born in  the  kingdom  of  light,  surrounded  with  all  the  succours  of faith,  penetrated  with  all  the  feelings  of  grace,  aided  by  all  the  examples of  piety,  and,  nevertheless,  always  firm  in  its  errors. It is an  illusion,  therefore,  in  his  power  to  search  for  vain  motives  of security;  God  could  operate  so  many  other  prodigies  in  favour  of  a thousand  sinners  whom  he  forsaketh,  although  they  be  not  so unworthy  as  you  of  his  grace. It is  a  dangerous  maxim  to  regulate his  will  upon  his  power.

The second  error  which  authorizes  false  trust,  has  its  foundation