Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/42

 ent questions  which  God  has  yielded  up  to  the  controversies  of men. You ought  to  undertake  every  thing,  and  to  employ  every exertion, to  place  appearances,  at  least,  in  your  favour,  and  to  find out a  situation  where  prejudices  would  be  on  your  side:  and  here, where every  thing  concludes  against  you, — where  the  law  is  unfavourable,— where  you  have  nothing  in  your  favour  but  some fallacious appearances  of  reason,  upon  which  you  would  not  hazard the smallest  of  your  temporal  interests, — and  with  manners,  which to this  period  have  saved  none,  and  in  which  you  only  strengthen and comfort  yourselves  by  the  example  of  those  who  perish  with you, — you are  tranquil  in  this  path;  you  admit  of  and  acknowledge the wisdom  of  those  who  have  chosen  a  more  certain  one:  you  saythat  they  are  praiseworthy;  that  they  are  happy  who  can  assume such a  command  over  themselves;  that  it  is  much  safer  to  live  as they  do;  you  say  this,  and  you  think  it  needless  to  imitate  or follow  their  example! Madman! cries the  apostle,  what  delusion is  it  which  blinds  thee? and wherefore  dost  thou  not  obey that truth  which  thou  knowest? Ah! my brethren,  in  a  choice which interests  our  glory,  our  advancement,  our  temporal  interests, are ]we  capable  of  such  imprudence? Of all  the  various  ways which present  themselves  to  ambition,  do  we  leave  those  where every appearance  seems  favourable  to  our  success,  and  make  choice of such  as  lead  to  nothing;  where  fortune  is  tardy  and  doubtful; and which  have  hitherto  been  only  productive  of  misfortune? Of salvation alone,  therefore,  we  make  a  kind  of  speculation,  if  I  may venture to  speak  in  this  manner;  that  is  to  say,  an  undertaking without arrangement,  without  precaution,  which  we  abandon  to the  uncertainty  of  events,  and  of  which  the  success  can  alone  be  expected from  chance,  and  not  from  our  exertions. In a  word,  as  my last  reflection,  allow  me  to  ask,  Why  you  search  for,  and  allege  to us  so  many  specious  reasons,  as  a  justification  to  yourselves  of  the manners in  which  you  live? Either you  wish  to  be  saved,  or  you are determined  to  be  lost. Do you  wish  to  be  saved? Choose, then, the  most  proper  means  of  attaining  what  you  aspire  to. Quit those doubtful  paths,  by  which,  none  have  hitherto  been  conducted to it;  confine  yourselves  to  that  which  Jesus  Christ  has  pointed out to  us,  and  which  alone  can  safely  lead  us  to  it. Do not  apply yourselves to  lessen  in  your  own  sight  the  danger  of  your  situation, and to  view  them  in  the  most  favourable  light,  in  order  to  dread them less;  rather  magnify  the  danger  to  your  mind:  we  cannot dread too  much  what  we  cannot  shun  too  much:  and  salvation  is the  only  concern  where  precaution  can  never  be  excessive,  because a mistake  in  it  is  without  remedy. See if  those  who  once  followed the same  deceitful  paths  in  which  you  tread,  and  who  employed the same  reasons  that  you  make  use  of  for  their  justification,  have confined themselves  to  them  from  the  moment  that  grace  had operated in  their  hearts  serious  and  sincere  desires  of  salvation: they regarded  the  dangers  in  which  you  live  as  incompatible  with their design:  they  sought  more  solid  and  certain  paths;  they  made the holy   safety  of  retirement   succeed   to  the  inutility  and  the