Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/333

 selves in  following  your  steps! Fifthly, how  many  souls,  still too attached  to  worldly  interests,  would  dread  lest  piety  should  be an  obstacle  to  their  advancement,  and  perhaps  find,  in  this  temptation, an  effectual  bar  to  all  their  penitential  desires,  if  they  were not taught,  in  seeing  you,  that  piety  is  useful  to  all,  and  that, while attracting  the  favours  of  heaven,  they  do  not  prevent  those of the  earth! Sixthly, your  inferiors,  your  creatures,  and  all  who  depend upon  you,  view  virtue  in  a  much  more  amiable  light,  since  it  is become  a  certain  way  of  pleasing  you,  and  that  their  progress  in  your confidence and  esteem  depends  upon  their  advancement  in  piety.

Lastly. What an  honour  to  religion,  when,  in  your  persons,  she proves that  she  is  still  capable  of  forming  righteous  men,  who  despise honours,  dignities,  and  riches;  who  live  amidst  prosperity without being  dazzled  with  it;  who  enjoy  the  first  places  without losing sight  of  eternal  riches;  who  possess  all,  as  though  possessing nothing;  who  are  greater  than  the  whole  world,  and  consider as dirt  all  the  advantages  of  the  earth,  whenever  they  become  an obstacle  to  promises  held  out  by  faith  in  heaven! What confusion for the  wicked  to  feel,  in  seeing  you  treading  the  paths  of  salvation amidst every  human  prosperity,  that  virtue  is  not  an  adoption  of despair! that they  vainly  endeavour  to  persuade  themselves,  that recourse is  had  to  God  only  when  forsaken  by  the  world,  since  you fail not,  though  loaded  with  all  the  favours  of  the  world,  to  love the shame  of  Jesus  Christ! What consolation,  even  for  our  ministry, to  be  enabled  to  employ  your  examples  in  these  Christian pulpits, in  overthrowing  the  sinners  of  a  more  obscure  lot;  to  cite your virtues  to  make  them  blush  at  their  vices;  to  cover  with shame all  their  vain  excuses,  by  proving  your  fidelity  to  the  law  of God;  that  their  dangers  are  not  greater  than  yours;  that  the  objects of  their  passions  are  less  seductive;  that  more  charms  and more illusions  are  not  held  out  by  the  world  to  them  than  to  you; that if  grace  can  raise  up  faithful  hearts  even  in  the  palaces  of kings,  it  must  be  equally  able  to  form  them  under  the  roof  of  the citizen and  of  the  magistrate,  and,  consequently,  that  salvation  is open  to  all,  and  that  our  station  becomes  a  favourable  pretext  to our  passions,  only  when  the  corruption  of  our  hearts  is  the  true reason which  authorizes  them.

Yes, my  brethren,  I  repeat,  that,  in  serving  God,  you  give  a  new force to  our  ministry;  more  weight  to  the  truths  announced  by  us to  the  people;  more  confidence  to  our  zeal;  more  dignity  to  the word of  Jesus  Christ;  more  credit  to  our  censures;  more  consolation to  our  toils;  and,  in  viewing  you,  the  world  is  convinced  of truths  which  it  hath  disputed  with  us. What benefits,  then,  accrue from your  examples! You accredit  piety,  and  honour  religion  in the  mind  of  the  people;  you  animate  the  righteous  of  every  station;  you  console  the  servants  of  God;  you  spread  throughout  a whole  kingdom  a  savour  of  life  that  overthrows  vice  and  countenances virtue;  you  support  the  rules  of  the  gospel  against  the maxims of  the  world;  you  are  cited  in  the  cities  and  in  the  most distant provinces  to  encourage  the  weak,  and  to  aggrandize  the