Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/336

 dependent upon  you,  and  in  intrusting  with  employments  only  those whose piety  entitles  them  to  the  public  confidence;  by  placing  dependence upon  the  fidelity  of  your  inferiors  only  in  proportion  as they  are  faithful  to  God,  and,  in  men,  looking  principally  for  rectitude of  heart  and  innocence  of  manners,  without  which  all  other talents no  longer  form  but  an  equivocal  merit,  either  injurious  to themselves,  or  useless  to  the  public.

And from  thence,  what  new  weal  to  the  public! What happiness for a  kingdom  in  which  the  godly  occupy  the  first  places;  where employments are  the  rewards  of  virtue;  where  the  public  affairs  are intrusted only  to  those  who  have  more  the  public  interest  in  view than their  own,  and  who  consider  as  nothing  the  gain  of  the  whole world if  they  thereby  lose  their  soul!

What advantage  for  the  people  when  they  find  their  fathers  in their  judges, — the  protectors  of  their  helplessness  in  the  arbiters  of their  lot, — the  consolers  of  their  sufferings  in  the  interpreters  of their  interests! What abuses  prevented! — what tears  wiped  away! — what crimes  avoided!— what  harmony  in  families! — what consolation for  the  unfortunate! What a  compliment  even  to  virtue, when the  people  are  rejoiced  to  see  it  in  office,  and  when  the world, all  worldly  as  it  is,  is,  however,  well  pleased  to  have  the godly for  its  defenders  and  judges! What an  attraction  to  virtue, when it  is  seen  to  have  the  promise,  not  only  of  the  life  that  now is, but  of  that  also  which  is  to  come!

And say  not,  my  brethren,  that,  in  rewarding  virtue,  sinners  are not corrected,  but  only  hypocrites  multiplied,  I  know  how  far men may  be  carried  by  a  thirst  of  advancement,  and  what  abuses they are  capable  of  making  of  religion  in  order  to  accomplish their ends:  but,  at  least,  you  force  vice  to  hide  itself;  you  divets it of  that  notoriety  and  security  which  spread  and  communicate it; you  preserve  the  externals  of  religion  among  the  people;  you multiply the  examples  of  piety  among  believers,  and  if  licentiousness be  not  in  reality  diminished,  at  least  the  scandals  are  more  rare!

Lastly. The holy  liberalities  of  virtue. But I  feel  that  my  subject leads  me  away,  and  it  is  time  to  conclude. Yes, my  brethren, what an  additional  fund  of  comfort  for  the  people  in  the  Christian and charitable  use  of  your  riches! You shelter  innocence;  you open asylums  of  penitence  for  guilt;  you  render  virtue  lovely  to  the unfortunate by  the  resources  which  they  find  in  yours;  you  secure to husbands  the  fidelity  of  their  wives, — to  fathers  the  salvation  of their  children, — to  pastors  the  safety  of  their  flock;  peace  to  families, comfort  to  the  afflicted,  innocence  to  the  deserted  widow,  an aid  to  the  orphan,  good  order  to  the  public,  and,  to  all,  the  support of their  virtue,  or  the  cure  of  their  vices.

And here,  my  brethren,  could  you  but  comprehend  the  wide-extended  fruits  of  your  virtue,  and  the  inexplicable  advantages  accruing from  it  to  the  church, — what  scandals  avoided! — what crimes prevented! — what public  scourges  checked! — how many  weak  preserved! — how many  righteous  sustained! — how many  sinners  recalled! — how  many  souls  withdrawn   from   the  precipice! — how