Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/352

 services, incumbent  on  every  citizen  to  his  country  and  state,  would no longer  be  given;  that  such  an  extreme  of  singularity  is  not  required; and  that  real  devotion  proves  itself,  by  living  together  and fulfilling the  duties  of  the  station  in  which  God  hath  placed  us: such are  your  maxims. But, on  the  other  hand,  when  the  virtuous unite with  piety  the  duties  of  their  station  and  the  innocent  interests of  their  fortune;  when  they  still  keep  up  a  certain  degree  of intercourse  and  society  with  the  world,  and  show  themselves  in places  from  which  their  rank  does  not  allow  them  to  banish  themselves;  when  they  still  partake  in  certain  public  pleasures,  which their station  renders  inevitable;  in  a  word,  when  they  are  prudent in good,  and  simple  in  evil, — ah! you then  proclaim  that  they  are made like  other  men;  that  it  appears  very  easy  to  you,  at  that price, to  serve  God;  that  you  see  nothing  in  their  devotion  to frighten  you;  and  that  if  nothing  more  were  required,  you  would soon be  yourself  a  great  saint. In vain  may  piety  assume  every appearance; it  is  sufficient  that  it  is  piety,  to  displease  and  to  merit your censures. Be consistent  with  yourselves;  you  would  have the pious  to  resemble  yourselves,  yet  you  condemn  them  from  the moment that  you  can  trace  a  resemblance.

The obstinacy  and  injustice  of  the  Jews,  in  our  gospel,  are  renewed in  you. When John  the  Baptist  appeared  in  the  desert, clothed in  goats'  skins,  neither  eating  nor  drinking,  and  holding  out to Judea  an  austerity  of  virtue  which  none  of  the  preceding  just  or prophets  had  ever  equalled,  they  considered,  says  Jesus  Christ,  the austerity of  his  manners  as  the  illusion  of  a  false  spirit,  which  seduced and  urged  him  on  to  these  excesses,  merely  that,  in  a  worldly vanity, he  might  find  the  recompense  of  his  penance. On the contrary, the  Son  of  Man  afterward  came,  continues  the  Saviour, eating and  drinking;  exhibiting  to  them,  in  his  conduct,  the  model of a  virtue  more  consonant  with  human  weakness,  and  serving  as an  example  to  all,  by  leading  a  simple  and  ordinary  life  which  all may imitate:  is  he  more  sheltered  from  their  censures? Ah! they declaim against  him,  as  being  a  man  of  pleasure  and  a  lover  of good  cheer;  and  the  bendings  of  his  virtue  are  no  longer,  in  their opinion, but  a  relaxation  which  stains  and  dishonours  it. The most dissimilar  virtues  are  successful  only  in  attracting  the  same reproaches. Ah! my brethren,  how  much  to  be  pitied  would  the pious be,  were  they  to  be  judged  before  the  tribunal  of  men! But they know  that  that  world,  which  sits  in  judgment  on  them,  is itself  already  judged.

And what  in  this  severity,  with  which  you  condemn  the  slightest imperfections of  the  pious,  is  more  deplorable,  is,  that,  if  a  notorious and  infamous  sinner,  after  a  whole  life  of  iniquity  and  crimes, but give,  on  the  bed  of  death,  some  weak  proof  of  repentance;  if he  but  pronounce  the  name  of  that  God  whom  he  has  never  known, and has  always  blasphemed;  if  he  at  last  consent,  after  many  delays and  repugnances,  to  receive  the  last  offices  of  the  church, which he  formerly  held  in  contempt;  ah! you rank  him  among  the saints; you  maintain  that  he  has  died  the  death  of  a  Christian;