Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/348

 more delicate  in  submitting  to  injury,  more  proud  in  elevation,  and more attached  to  their  own  interests. This is  the  second  injustice of the  world  toward  the  pious:  not  only  does  it  maliciously  interpret their  intentions,  which  is  a  temerity,  but  it  also  scrutinizes their slightest  imperfections,  which  is  an  inhumanity.

Part II. — It may  truly  be  said,  that  the  world  is  a  more  rigid and severer  critic  upon  the  pious  than  the  gospel  itself;  that  it exacts  a  greater  degree  of  perfection  from  them,  and  that  their weaknesses find  less  indulgence  before  the  tribunal  of  men  than  they shall one  day  experience  before  the  tribunal  of  God  himself.

Now, I  say  that  this  attention  to  exaggerate  the  slightest  errors  of the  pious,  (second  injustice  into  which  the  world  falls  with  regard to  them,)  is  an  inhumanity,  considering  the  weakness  of  man,  the difficulty of  virtue,  and,  lastly,  the  maxims  of  the  world  itself. I entreat your  attention  here,  my  brethren.

Inhumanity, considering  the  weakness  of  man. Yet, my  brethren, it is  an  illusion  to  suppose  that  there  are  perfect  virtues  among men; it  is  not  the  condition  of  this  mortal  life;  almost  every  one bears with  him  in  piety,  his  faults,  his  humours,  and  his  peculiar weaknesses; grace  corrects,  but  does  not  overturn  nature;  the Spirit of  God,  which  creates  in  us  a  new  man,  leaves  still  many remains of  the  old:  conversion  terminates  our  vices,  but  does  not extinguish our  passions;  in  a  word,  it  forms  the  Christian  within us, but  it  still  leaves  us  men. The most  righteous,  consequently, still preserve  many  remains  of  the  sinner:  David,  that  model  of penitence,  still  blended  with  his  virtues  a  too  great  indulgence  for his children,  a  secret  pride  at  the  number  of  his  people  and  the prosperity of  his  reign;  the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children,  in  spite of faith,  through  which  she  was  so  strongly  attached  to  Jesus  Christ, lost nothing  of  her  anxiety  for  the  elevation  of  her  children,  or  of her  concern  toward  procuring  for  them  the  first  stations  in  an earthly  kingdom;  the  apostles  themselves  disputed  rank  and  precedency with  each  other:  never  shall  we  be  divested  of  all  these little weaknesses  till  we  are  delivered  from  this  body  of  death, which is  the  fountain  from  which  they  spring. The most  shining virtue here  below,  always,  therefore,  hath  its  spots  and  its  flaws, which are  not  to  be  too  narrowly  examined:  and  the  just  must always in  some  points  resemble  the  rest  of  men. All, then,  that can be  exacted  from  human  weakness,  is,  that  the  virtues  rise superior to  the  vices,  the  good  to  the  evil;  that  the  essential  be regulated,  and  that  we  incessantly  labour  toward  regulating  the  rest.

And surely,  my  brethren,  overflowing  with  passions,  as  we  are in the  wretched  condition  of  this  life;  loaded  with  a  body  of  sin, which oppresses  the  soul;  slaves  to  our  senses  and  to  the  flesh; bearing within  us  an  eternal  opposition  to  the  law  of  God;  the continual prey  of  a  thousand  desires  which  combat  against  our soul; the  everlasting  sport  of  our  inconstancy  and  the  natural instability of  our  heart;  finding  nothing  within  us  but  what  is repugnant  to  duty;  eagerly  pursuing  whatever  removes  us  from