Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/334

 kingdom of  Jesus  Christ;  fathers  teach  your  names  to  their  children, to  animate  them  to  virtue;  and,  without  knowing  it,  you  become the  model  of  the  people,  the  conversation  of  the  lower  orders, the edification  of  families,  the  example  of  every  station  and  of  every class. Scarcely had  the  heads  of  the  tribes  in  the  desert,  and  the most distinguished  women,  brought  to  Moses  their  most  precious ornaments for  the  construction  of  the  tabernacle,  when  all  the  people, incited  by  their  example,  presented  themselves  in  crowds  to offer  their  gifts  and  presents;  and  Moses  was  even  under  the  necessity of  placing  bounds  to  their  pious  alacrity,  and  of  moderating the excess  of  their  liberalities.

Ah! my brethren,  what  good,  once  more,  may  your  examples  do among  the  people! Public dissipations  discredited  from  the  moment that you  cease  to  countenance  them;  indecent  fashions  proscribed whenever  you  neglect  them;  dangerous  customs  antiquated as  soon  as  you  forsake  them;  the  source  of  almost  all  disorders dried  up  from  the  moment  that  you  live  according  to  God. And how  many  souls  thereby  saved — what  evils  prevented — what crimes checked — what  misfortunes  hindered! What gain  for  religion is  a  single  person  of  rank,  who  lives  according  to  faith! What a  present  doth  God  make  to  the  earth,  to  a  kingdom,  to  a people,  when  he  bestoweth  grandees  who  live  in  his  fear! And, should the  interest  even  of  your  own  soul  be  insufficient  to  render virtue amiable  to  you,  should  not  the  interest  of  so  many  souls,  to whom,  by  living  according  to  God,  you  are  an  occasion  of  salvation, induce you  to  prefer  the  fear  and  the  love  of  his  law,  to  all  the vain pleasures  of  the  earth? Is the  heart  capable  of  tasting  a  more exquisite pleasure  than  that  of  being  a  source  of  salvation  and  of benediction  to  our  brethren?

And what  is  yet  more  fortunate  here  for  you,  is,  that  you  do  not live for  your  own  age  alone. I have  already  observed  that  your examples will  pass  to  the  following  ages:  the  virtues  of  the  simple believers perish,  as  I  may  say,  with  them,  but  your  virtues  will  be recorded  in  history  with  your  names. You will  become  a  pious model for  our  posterity,  equally  as  you  have  been  so  for  the  people of your  own  times. Connected, through  your  rank  and  your  employments, with  the  principal  events  of  our  age,  you  will  be  transmitted with  them  to  the  ages  to  come. Succeeding courts  will still find  the  history  of  your  piety  and  of  your  manners  blended with the  public  history  of  our  days. You will  do  credit  to  piety even in  the  ages  to  follow. The memory  of  your  virtues,  preserved in our  annals,  will  still  serve  as  an  instruction  to  those  of  your  descendants who  shall  read  them;  and  it  shall  one  day  be  said  of you,  as  of  those  men  full  of  glory  and  of  righteousness,  mentioned by Scripture,  that  your  piety  has  not  finished  with  you;  that  your bodies, indeed,  are  buried  in  peace,  but  that  your  name  liveth  for evermore, that  your  seed  standeth  for  ever,  and  that  your  name shall not  be  blotted  out.

Nor is  this  all:  the  example  renders  your  virtues  a  public  good, which is  their  first  character;  but  authority,  which  is  their  second,