Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/435

 thou speakest  not  of  the  difficulty  of  salvation  for  the  great  and  the powerful, but  in  terms  which  would  seem  to  deprive  them  of  all hope of  pretending  to  it,  if  we  knew  not  that  thou  wishest  the  salvation of  all  men,  and  that  thy  grace  is  still  more  powerful  for  our sanctification than  prosperity  for  our  corruption.

And surely,  my  brethren,  if  grandeur  and  elevation  were  to  render our  condition  more  fortunate  and  more  favourable  with  regard to salvation,  in  vain  would  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ  teach  us  to dread  grandeurs  and  human  prosperities;  in  vain  would  it  be  said to us,  that  blessed  are  they  who  weep,  and  who  suffer  here  below; that woe  unto  those  who  laugh  now,  for  they  shall  mourn  and  weep; and unto  those  who  are  rich,  for  they  have  received  their  consolation;  and  that,  to  receive  our  reward  in  this  world,  through  the transitory riches  and  honours  which  we  there  receive,  is  almost  a certain  sign  that  we  are  not  to  receive  it  in  the  other. On the  contrary, grandeur  and  prosperity  would  become  a  state  worthy  of envy,  even  according  to  the  rules  of  faith:  against  the  maxim  of Jesus  Christ,  it  would  be  necessary  to  call  those  happy  who  are immersed in  pleasures  and  in  opulence;  since,  besides  the  comforts of a  smiling  fortune,  they  would  likewise  find  there  a  way  of  salvation more  mild  and  more  easy  than  in  an  obscure  state;  those  who suffer, and  who  weep  here  below,  would  then  be  the  most  miserable of all  men;  since  to  all  the  bitterness  of  their  condition,  would likewise be  added  those  of  a  Gospel,  more  rigorous  and  more  austere for  them  than  for  the  persons  born  in  abundance. What new Gospel would  it  then  be  necessary  to  announce  to  you,  if  such  were the rules  of  the  morality  of  Jesus  Christ!

But I  say  not  even  enough. Granting that  prosperity  should not exact  more  rigid  precautions,  in  consequence  of  the  dangers which surround  it,  it  would  exact,  at  least,  more  rigorous  reparations, through  the  crimes  and  excesses  which  are  inseparable  from it. Alas! my brethren,  is  it  not  among  you  that  the  passions  no longer  know  any  bounds;  that  the  jealousies  are  more  keen,  the hatreds more  lasting,  revenge  more  honourable,  evil  speaking  more cruel, ambition  more  boundless,  and  voluptuousness  more  shameful? Is it  not  among  the  great  that  the  most  shocking  debauchery even  refines  upon  the  common  crimes;  that  dissipations become an  art;  and  that,  in  order  to  prevent  those  disgusts  inseparable from  licentiousness,  resources  are  sought  in  guilt  against guilt itself? What indulgence,  then,  can  you  promise  yourselves  on the  part  of  religion? If the  most  righteous  be  responsible  for  the whole law,  should  the  greatest  sinners  be  discharged  from  it? Measure your duties  upon  your  crimes,  and  not  upon  your  rank;  judge of yourselves  by  the  insults  which  you  have  offered  to  God,  and not by  the  vain  homages  which  are  paid  to  you  by  men;  number the days  and  the  years  of  your  crimes  which  shall  be  the  eternal titles of  your  condemnation,  and  not  the  years  and  the  ages  of the  antiquity  of  your  race,  which  are  only  vain  titles  written upon the  ashes  of  your  tombs;  examine  what  you  owe  to  God,  and not what  men  owe  to  you. If the  world  were  to  judge  you,  you