Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/357

 your derision  and  censure,  because  they  are  humble,  simple,  chaste, and modest:  and  the  Christian  life,  which  found  admirers  and  panegyrists even  among  tyrants,  experiences  from  you  only  mockery and profane  railleries.

What folly,  my  brethren! to find  worthy  of  laughter  in  the world, which  is  itself  but  a  mass  of  trifles  and  absurdities,  only those who  know  its  frivolity,  and  whose  only  thoughts  are  bent  on placing  themselves  secure  from  the  wrath  to  come! What folly, to despise  in  men  the  very  qualities  which  render  them  displeasing to God,  respectable  to  angels,  and  useful  to  their  fellow-creatures! What folly,  to  be  convinced  that  an  eternal  happiness  or  misery awaits us,  yet  to  find  ridiculous  only  those  who  are  interested  in  so important  an  affair!

Let us  hold  virtue  in  respect,  my  brethren;  it  alone,  on  the earth, merits  our  admiration  and  praise. If we  find  ourselves  still too weak  to  fulfil  its  duties,  let  us  at  least  be  equitable,  and  esteem its lustre  and  innocence;  if  we  cannot  live  the  life  of  the  just,  let us wish  to  attain  it,  let  us  envy  their  lot;  if  we  cannot  as  yet  imitate their  example,  let  us  consider  every  derision  on  virtue  not  only as a  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  as  an  outrage  on  humanity, which  virtue  alone  honours  and  dignifies;  far  from  reproaching the  godly  with  those  virtues  which  render  them  dissimilar to  us,  let  us  reproach  ourselves  with  the  vices  which  prevent  us from  resembling  them;  in  a  word,  let  us,  by  a  true  and  sincere  respect for  piety,  deserve  to  obtain  one  day  the  gift  of  piety  itself.

And you,  my  brethren,  who  serve  the  Lord,  remember,  that  the interests of  virtue  are  in  your  hands;  that  the  weaknesses,  the stains with  which  you  blend  it,  become,  as  I  may  say,  stains  on  religion itself;  consider  how  much  the  world  expects  from  you,  and what engagements  you  contract  toward  the  public,  when  you  espouse the  cause  of  piety;  consider  with  what  dignity,  what  fidelity, what respectability,  you  ought  to  support  the  character  and  personage of  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. Yes, my  brethren,  let  us, with majesty,  support  the  interests  of  piety  against  the  sneers  of those  who  despise  it;  let  us  purchase  the  right  of  being  insensible to their  censures  by  giving  no  foundation  for  them;  let  us  force the world  to  respect  what  it  cannot  love;  let  us  not  of  the  holy profession of  piety  make  a  sordid  gain,  a  vile  worldly  interest,  a life  of  ill-nature  and  caprice,  a  claim  to  effeminacy  and  idleness,  a singularity  from  which  we  arrogate  honour,  a  prejudice,  a  spirit  of intolerance  which  flatters  us,  and  a  spirit  of  division  which  separates us  from  our  fellow-creatures;  let  us  make  it  the  price  of eternity,  the  path  to  heaven,  the  rule  of  our  duties,  and  the  reparation of  our  crimes;  a  spirit  of  modesty  which  makes  us  unassuming, a  compunction  which  humbles  us,  a  gentleness  which draws us  to  our  brethren,  a  charity  which  makes  us  bear  with  them, an indulgence  which  attracts  their  regard,  a  spirit  of  peace  which ties us  to  them;  and,  lastly,  a  union  of  hearts,  of  desires,  of  affections, of  good  and  evil  on  the  earth,  which  shall  be  the  forerunner and hope  of  that  eternal  union  which  charity  is  to  consummate  in heaven.