Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/426

 In effect,  we  sensibly  feel  ourselves  the  danger  and  the  imprudence of the  choice  we  make:  even  the  more  we  find  the  oracle  complying, the  more  we  mistrust  his  lights;  the  more  he  respects  our  passions, the  less  we  respect  his  ministry;  he  is  frequently  made  the subject even  of  our  derisions;  we  turn  into  ridicule  that  very  indulgence which  we  have  sought;  we  vaunt  the  having  found  a  protector so  convenient  for  the  human  weaknesses;  and,  through  a blindness  which,  cannot  be  mentioned  without  tears,  the  soul  and eternal salvation  are  confided  to  a  man  who  is  believed  unworthy, not only  of  respect,  but  even  of  attention  and  decency;  like  those Israelites, who,  a  moment  after  having  bowed  the  knee  to  the golden calf,  and  expected  from  it  their  salvation  and  their  deliverance, broke  it  in  pieces  with  disgrace,  and  reduced  it  to  ashes.

But, after  all,  when  the  ignorance  or  the  weakening  of  ministers should even  be  an  oceasion  of  error,  the  examples  of  the  holy  undeceive you. You see  what,  from  the  beginning,  hath  been  the path of  those  who  have  obtained  the  promises,  and  whose  memory and holy  toils  we  still  honour  upon  the  earth:  you  see  that  none of them  hath  accomplished  his  salvation  by  that  way  which  the world vaunts  as  being  so  safe  and  so  innocent:  you  see  that  all  the holy have  repented,  crucified  the  flesh,  despised  the  world  with  its pleasures and  maxims:  you  see  that  those  ages,  so  opposite  to each  other  for  their  manners  and  customs,  have  never  made  any change in  the  manners  of  the  just;  that  the  holy  of  the  first  times were the  same  as  those  of  the  last;  that  the  countries,  even  the most dissimilar  for  their  disposition  and  behaviour,  have  produced holy men,  all  resembling  each  other;  that  those  of  the  most  distant climates, and  the  most  different  from  our  own,  resemble  those  of our  own  nation;  that,  in  every  tongue  and  in  every  tribe,  they  have all been  the  same;  lastly,  that  their  situations  have  been  different; that some  have  wrought  out  their  salvation  in  obscurity,  others  in elevation;  some  in  poverty,  others  in  abundance;  some  in  the  dissipation of  dignities  and  of  public  cares,  others  in  silence  and  in  the calm of  solitude;  in  a  word,  some  in  the  cottage,  others  on  the throne; but  that  the  cross,  violence,  and  self-denial  hath  been  the common path  of  all.

What then  art  thou,  to  pretend  to  reach  heaven  by  other  ways? And thou  flatterest  thyself  that,  in  that  crowd  of  illustrious  servants of  the  living  God,  thou  alone  shalt  be  privileged. My God! with what  lustre  hast  thou  not  surrounded  the  truth,  in  order  to render  man  inexcusable! His conscience  shows  it  to  him;  thy  holy law guards  it  for  him;  the  voice  of  the  church  makes  it  to  resound in his  ears;  the  example  of  the  holy  incessantly  places  it  before  his eyes; every  thing  rises  up  against  guilt;  all  take  the  interests  of  thy holy law  against  his  false  peace;  from  every  quarter  proceed  rays of light  which  go  to  bear  the  truth  even  to  the  bottom  of  his  soul: no place,  no  situation  can  protect  him  from  those  divine  sparks emitted from  thy  bosom,  which  every  where  pursue  him,  and  which, in enlightening,  rack  him:  the  truth,  which  ought  to  deliver  him, renders him  unhappy;  and,  unwilling  to  love  its  light,  he  is  forced, beforehand, to  feel  its  just  severity.