Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/43

 dangers of  society;  the  habit  of  prayer  to  the  dissipation  of  gaming and amusements:  the  guard  of  the  senses  to  the  indecency  of  dress, and the  danger  of  public  spectacles;  Christian  mortification  to  the softness of  an  effeminate  and  sensual  life;  the  gospel  to  the  world: they considered  that  it  would  be  absurd  to  wish  their  salvation through the  same  means  by  which  others  are  lost. But, if  you  are determined to  perish,  alas! why will  you  still  preserve  measures with religion? Why will  you  always  seek  to  place  some  specious reasons on  your  side,  to  conciliate  your  manners  with  the  gospel, and to  preserve,  as  I  may  say,  appearances  still  with  Jesus  Christ? Why are  you  only  half-sinners,  and  still  leave  to  your  grossest passions the  useless  check  of  the  law? Cast off  the  remains  of that  yoke  which  is  irksome  to  you;  and  which,  in  lessening  your pleasures, lessens  not  your  punishment. WThy do  you  accomplish your perdition  with  so  much  constraint? In place  of  those  scruples, which  permit  you  only  doubtful  gains,  and  deny  you  still certain low,  and  manifestly  wicked  profits,  but  which  place  you  in the  number  of  those  reprobates  who  shall  never  possess  the  kingdom of  God;  overleap  these  bounds,  and  no  longer  place  any limits to  your  guilt,  but  those  of  your  cupidity:  in  place  of  those loose and  worldly  manners,  which  will  equally  prove  your  ruin, refuse nothing  to  your  passions,  and,  like  the  beasts  of  the  earth, yield to  the  gratification  of  every  desire. Yes, sinners,  perish  with all the  fruits  of  iniquity,  seeing  you  will  equally  reap  tears  and eternal punishment.

But, no,  my  dear  hearer,  we  only  give  you  these  counsels  of despair,  in  order  to  inspire  you  with  a  just  horror  at  them:  it  is a  tender  artifice  of  zeal,  which  only  assumes  the  appearance  of  exhorting you  to  destruction,  that  you  may  not  consent  yourselves. Alas! follow rather  those  remains  of  light,  which  still  point  out the truth  to  you  at  a  distance. It is  not  without  reason  that  the Lord hath  hitherto  preserved  within  you  these  seeds  of  salvation, and has  not  permitted  all,  even  to  the  principles,  to  be  blotted  out; it is  a  claim  which  he  still  preserves  to  your  heart:  take  care  only, that you  found  not  upon  this,  the  vain  hope  of  a  future  conversion: we are  not  permitted  to  hope  till  we  have  begun  to  labour. Begin, then, the  grand  work  of  your  eternal  salvation,  for  which  alone  the Almighty has  placed  you  upon  the  earth;  and  on  which  you  have never as  yet  bestowed  even  a  thought. Esteem so  important  a  care; prefer it  to  all  others;  find  your  only  pleasures  in  applying  to  it; examine the  surest  and  most  proper  means  to  succeed,  and  fix upon them,  whatever  they  cost,  from  the  moment  you  have  found them out.

Such is  the  prudence  of  the  gospel,  so  often  recommended  by Jesus  Christ;  beyond  that,  all  is  vanity  and  error. You may  possess a  superior  mind,  capable  of  every  exertion,  and  rare  and shining talents;  if  you  err  with  regard  to  your  eternal  salvation, you are  a  child. Solomon, so  esteemed  in  the  East  for  his  wisdom, is a  madman,  whose  folly  we  can  now  with  difficulty  comprehend. All worldly  reason  is  but  a  mockery,  a  dazzling  of  the  senses,  if  it