Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/330

 Is not  his  hand  alone  which  hath  separated  your  ancestors  from  the crowd, and  hath  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  people? Is it  not through his  providence  alone  that  you  are  born  of  an  illustrious blood, and  that  you  enjoy,  from  your  birth,  what  a  whole  life  of care  and  toil  could  never  have  afforded  you  reason  to  expect? What had you  in  his  eyes  more  than  so  many  unfortunate  fellow-creatures whom he  leaveth  in  want? Ah! if he  had  paid  regard  only  to  the natural qualities  of  the  soul,  to  probity,  honesty,  modesty,  innocence, how many  obscure  souls,  born  with  all  these  virtues,  might  have been preferred,  and  would  now  have  been  occupying  your  place! — If he  had  consulted  only  the  use  which  you  were  one  day  to  make of his  benefits,  how  many  unfortunate  souls,  had  they  been  placed in your  situation,  would  have  been  an  example  to  the  people,  the protectors of  virtue,  and  in  their  abundance  would  have  glorified God, they  who  even  in  their  indigence  invoke  and  bless  him;  while you, on  the  contrary,  are  the  cause  of  his  name  being  blasphemed, and your  example  becomes  a  seduction  for  his  people!

He chooseth  you,  however,  and  rejecteth  them;  he  humble th them  and  exalteth  you;  for  them  he  is  a  hard  and  severe  master, and for  you  a  liberal  and  bountiful  father. What more  could  he have  done  to  engage  you  to  serve  and  to  be  faithful  to  him? What more powerful  attraction,  or  more  likely  to  secure  the  homages  of hearts  than  benefits? "Thine, O  Lord,"  said  David,  at  the  height of all  his  prosperity,  "is  the  greatness,  and  the  power,  and  the glory:  both  riches  and  honour  come  from  thee;  and  in  thine  hand it  is  to  make  great,  and  to  give  strength  unto  all.  It  is  just, then  O  my  God,  to  glorify  thee  in  thy  gifts;  to  measure  what I  owe  thee  upon  what  thou  hast  done  for  me;  and  to  render mine  exaltation,  my  greatness,  and  all  that  I  am,  subservient  to  thy glory."

Yet, nevertheless,  my  brethren,  the  more  he  hath  done  for  you,  the more do  you  raise  yourselves  up  against  him. It is  the  rich  and  the powerful who  live  without  other  God  in  this  world  than  their  iniquitous pleasures. It is  you  alone  who  dispute*  the  slightest  homages to him;  who  believe  yourselves  to  be  dispensed  from  whatever  is irksome  or  severe  in  his  law;  who  fancy  yourselves  born  for  the sole purpose  of  enjoying  yourselves,  of  applying  his  benefits  to  the gratification of  your  passions,  and  who  remit  to  the  common  people the care  of  serving  him,  of  returning  him  thanks,  and  of  religiously observing the  ordinances  of  his  holy  law.

Thus frequently  the  people  worship,  and  you  insult  him;  the people appease,  and  you  provoke  him;  the  people  invoke,  and  you neglect him;  the  people  zealously  serve  him,  and  you  look  down upon his  servants;  the  people  are  continually  raising  up  their  hands to him3  and  you  doubt  whether  he  even  exists,  you  who  alone  feel the effects  of  his  liberality  and  of  his  power;  his  chastisements form worshippers  to  him,  and  his  benefits  are  followed  with  only derisions and  insults.

I say  his  benefits:  for,  with  regard  to  you,  he  hath  not  confined them to  the  mere  external  advantages  of  fortune. He hath  likewise