Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/508

 The first  is,  confidence  in  Jesus  Christ. Lord, says  Mary,  the sister of  Lazarus,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died; but I  know  that,  even  now,  whatsoever  thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God will give  it  thee. I am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  said  Jesus unto her;  believest  thou  this? Yes, Lord,  said  she,  I  believe  that thou art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  which  should  come  into  the world. It is  through  this  that  the  miracle  of  raising  up  Lazarus begins, namely,  the  perfect  confidence  that  Jesus  Christ  is  able  to deliver  him  from  death  and  corruption.

For, my  brethren,  the  delusion  continually  employed  by  the  demon, in  order  to  render  our  desires  of  conversion  unavailing,  and to counteract  their  progress,  is  that  of  despondency  and  mistrust: he warmly  retraces  to  our  imagination  the  horrors  of  an  entire  life of guilt;  he  says  to  us,  in  secret,  that  which  the  sisters  of  Lazarus say to  Jesus  Christ,  though  in  a  different  sense, — that  we  ought, at a  much  earlier  period,  to  have  checked  our  career;  that  it  is  now impossible, when  so  far  advanced,  to  return;  that  the  time  for  attempting a  change  is  now  passed:  and  that  the  virulency  and  age of our  wounds  no  longer  admit  a  resource. Upon this  they  abandon themselves to  languor  and  indolence;  and,  after  having  incensed the righteousness  of  God  through  our  debaucheries,  we  insult  his mercy through  the  excess  of  our  mistrust.

I confess  that  a  soul  long  dead  in  sin  must  suffer  much  in returning  to  God;  that  it  is  difficult,  after  so  many  years  of  dissipation, to  form  to  one's  self  a  new  heart  and  new  inclinations;  and that it  is  even  fit  that  the  obstacles,  the  sufferings,  and  the  difficulties, which  always  attend  the  conversion  of  souls  of  that  description, should make  great  sinners  feel  how  dreadful  it  is  to  have  been  almost a  whole  life-time  removed  from  God.

But I  say,  that  from  the  moment  a  truly  contrite  soul  wishes  to return  to  him,  his  wounds,  however  virulent  or  old,  ought  no  longer to alarm  his  confidence:  I  say,  that  his  wretchedness  ought  to  increase his  compunction,  but  not  his  despondency:  I  say,  that  the first step  of  his  penitence  ought  to  be  that  of  adoring  Jesus  Christ as the  resurrection  and  the  life;  a  secret  confidence  that  our  wants are always  less  than  his  mercies;  a  firm  persuasion  that  the  blood of Jesus  Christ  is  more  powerful  in  washing  out  our  stains  than our corruption  can  be  in  contracting  them:  I  say,  that  the  fewer resources of  strength  a  criminal  soul  may  find  in  himself,  the  more ought he  to  expect  from  him  who  taketh  delight  in  rearing  up the  work  of  grace  upon  the  nothingness  of  nature;  and  that  the more he  is  inwardly  opposed  to  grace,  the  more  does  he,  in  one sense, become  an  object  worthy  of  divine  power  and  mercy,  for God wisheth  that  all  good  shall  evidently  appear  as  coming  from above, and  that  man  shall  attribute  nothing  to  himself.

And, in  effect,  my  dear  hearer,  whatever  may  the  horror  of  your past crimes  be,  the  Lord  will  not  long  refuse  you  grace,  from  the moment that  he  hath  inspired  you  with  the  desire  and  the  resolution of  asking  it. It is  written  in  Judges,  that  the  father  of  Samson, terrified  by  the  apparition  of  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who,  after