Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/36

 the Lord  either  death  or  deliverance. Be not  surprised,  said  a voice  from  heaven  to  her,  if  your  sufferings  are  extreme,  and  that it costs  you  so  much  to  become  a  mother;  the  reason  is,  you  carry two nations  in  your  womb. Such is  your  history,  my  dear  hearers; you are  surprised  that  it  costs  you  so  much  to  accomplish  a  pious work; to  bring  forth  Jesus  Christ,  the  new  man  in  your  heart. Alas! the reason  is,  that  you  still  preserve  there  two  loves  which are irreconcileable,  Jacob  and  Esau,  the  love  of  the  world  and  the love of  Jesus  Christ;  it  is  because  you  carry  within  you  two nations, as  I  may  say,  who  make  continual  war  against  each  other. If the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  alone  possessed  your  heart,  all  there would be  calm  and  peaceable;  but  you  still  nourish  iniquitous passions in  it;  you  still  love  the  world,  the  pleasures  and  distinctions of  fortune;  you  cannot  endure  those  who  eclipse  you; your heart  is  full  of  jealousies,  of  animosities,  of  frivolous  desires, of criminal  attachments;  and  from  thence  it  comes  that  your sacrifices, like  those  of  Cain,  being  always  imperfect,  like  his,  are always gloomy  and  disagreeable.

Serve, then,  the  Lord  with  all  your  heart,  and  you  will  serve him with  joy. Give yourself  up  to  him  without  reserve,  without retaining the  smallest  right  over  your  passions. Observe the righteousnesses of  the  law,  in  all  their  fulness,  and  they  will  shed holy pleasures  through  your  heart:  for,  thus  saith  the  prophet, "The statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart." Think not that  the  tears  of  penitence  are  always  bitter  and  gloomy. The mourning is  only  external;  when  sincere,  they  have  a  thousand secret recompenses. The upright  soul  resembles  the  sacred  bush; nothing strikes  our  view  but  prickles  and  thorns,  but  you  see  not the glory  of  the  Lord  which  dwells  within  it;  you  see  only  fastings and bodily  sufferings,  but  you  perceive  not  the  holy  unction  which soothes and  softens  them;  you  see  silence,  retirement,  flight  from the world  and  its  pleasures,  but  you  behold  not  the  invisible Comforter, who  replaces,  with  so  much  usury,  the  society  of  men, now become  insupportable,  since  they  have  begun  to  taste  that  of God;  you  see  a  life  apparently  gloomy  and  tiresome,  but  you  are incapable of  seeing  the  peace  and  the  joy  of  that  innocence  which reigns within. It is  there  that  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God of all  consolation,  so  liberally  sheds  his  favours;  and  that  the  soul, unable sometimes  to  support  their  fulness  and  excess,  is  obliged to intreat  the  Lord  to  suspend  the  torrent  of  his  kindness,  and  to measure  the  abundance  of  his  gifts  by  the  weakness  of  his  creature.

Come yourself,  my  dear  hearer,  and  make  a  happy  experience of it;  come,  and  put  the  fidelity  of  your  God  to  the  trial;  it  is here  he  wishes  to  be  tried;  come,  and  prove  whether  or  not  we render  false  testimonies  to  his  mercies;  if  we  attract  the  sinner  by false  hopes,  and  if  his  gifts  are  not  still  more  abundant  than  our promises. You have  long  tried  the  world;  you  have  found  it destitute  of  fidelity;  it  flattered  you  with  hopes  of  accomplishing every thing;  pleasures,  honours,  imaginary  happiness;  it  has deceived you;  you  are  unhappy  in  it;  you  have  never  been  able