Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/335

 finishes and  sustains  the  endless  good  which  your  examples  have begun. And, in  speaking  of  the  authority,  why  can  I  not  here  unfold all  the  immensity  of  the  fruitful  consequences  of  the  piety  of the  great,  which  this  idea  excites  in  my  mind?

First. The protection  of  virtue. Timid virtue  is  often  oppressed because it  wants  either  boldness  to  show  itself,  or  protection  to  defend it;  obscure  virtue  is  often  despised,  because  nothing  exalts it to  the  eyes  of  the  senses,  and  the  world  is  delighted  to  turn  into a crime  against  piety  the  obscurity  of  those  who  practise  it. But, so soon  as  you  adopt  its  cause,  ah! virtue no  longer  wants  protection:  you  become  the  interpreters  of  the  godly  with  the  prince, and the  channels  by  which  they  find  continual  access  to  the  throne; you bring  righteous  characters  into  office,  who  become  public  examples;  you  bring  to  light  servants  of  God,  men  of  learning  and of virtue,  who  would  have  remained  in  the  dust,  and  who,  through favour of  your  support,  appear  to  the  public,  employ  their  talents, contribute to  the  edification  of  believers,  to  the  instruction  of  the people, to  the  consummation  of  the  holy,  teach  the  rules  of  virtue to those  who  know  them  not,  will  teach  them  to  our  descendants, and will  hand  down,  to  all  ages  to  come,  with  the  pious  monuments of their  own  zeal,  the  immortal  fruits  of  that  protection  with  which you have  honoured  virtue,  and  of  your  love  for  the  righteous.

What shall  I  say? — You strengthen  the  zeal  of  the  godly  in  holy undertakings; and  your  protection  animates  and  enables  them  to conquer  all  the  obstacles  which  the  demon  constantly  throws  in  the way of  works  which  are  to  glorify  God  and  to  contribute  to  the salvation of  souls. What noble  foundations  and  pious  designs,  now carried into  execution,  would  have  failed,  if  the  authority  of  a righteous  man  in  office  had  not  removed  the  impediments  which rendered their  accomplishment  apparently  impossible!

What more  shall  I  say? — By your  examples  you  render  virtue respectable to  those  who  love  it  not,  and  they  are  no  longer ashamed of  being  a  Christian  from  the  moment  that  they  therein resemble you. You divest  impiety  of  that  air  of  confidence  and  of ostentation  with  which  it  dares  to  show  itself,  and  free-thinking ceases to  be  fashionable  as  soon  as  you  declare  against  it. You maintain the  religion  of  our  fathers  among  the  people;  you  preserve faith  to  the  following  ages;  and  often  it  requires  only  a  single person of  rank  in  a  kingdom,  firm  in  faith,  to  stop  the  progress  of error  and  innovation,  and  to  preserve  to  a  whole  people  the  faith of their  ancestors. The single  Esther  saved  the  people  and  the law of  God  in  a  great  empire;  Matthias  individually  stood  out against foreign  altars,  and  prevented  superstitions  from  prevailing in the  midst  of  Judah. Oh! my brethren,  how  grand  when  you belong to  Jesus  Christ! and with  what  superior  lustre  and  dignity do your  rank  and  your  birth  appear  in  the  vast  fruits  of  your piety, than  in  the  luxury  of  your  passions,  and  in  all  the  vain  pomp of human  magnificence!

Secondly. The rewards  of  virtue. You render  it  honourable  by giving  it  that  preference  which  is  its  due,  in  the  choice  of  places