Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/520

 the  decline  of  age;  whether  after  the  errors  of  youthful  manners, or after  an  entire  life  of  dissipation  and  licentiousness,  thou wouldst, O  my  God! that their  hope  in  thee  be  not  extinguished; and thou  assurest  us  that  the  highest  point  of  our  crimes  is  but  the lowest degree  of  thy  mercy.

But, likewise,  great  God! if thou  listen  to  my  desires;  if,  once more, thou  restore  to  me  that  life  and  that  light  which  I  have  lost; if thou  break  asunder  my  chains  of  death  which  still  fetter  me;  if thou  stretch  out  thine  hand  to  withdraw  me  from  the  gulf  in  which I am  plunged,  ah  I  never,  O  Lord,  shall  I  cease  to  proclaim  thine eternal mercies. I will  forget  the  whole  world,  that  I  may  be  occupied only  with  the  wonders  of  thy  grace  toward  my  soul. I will every moment  of  my  life  render  glory  to  the  God  who  shall  have delivered me:  my  mouth,  for  ever  shut  against  vain  things,  shall with difficulty  be  able  to  express  all  the  transports  of  my  love  and of my  gratitude;  and  thy  creature,  who  still  groans  under  the  dominion of  the  world  and  of  sin,  then  restored  to  his  true  Lord,  shall, henceforth and  for  evermore,  bless  his  deliverer.

Such will  be  that  last  spectacle  which  shall  terminate  the  eternal revolutions  which  the  aspect  of  this  world  is  continually  offering to  our  eyes,  and  which  either  amuse  us  through  their  novelty, or seduce  us  by  their  charms. Such will  be  the  coming  of  the  Son of Man,  the  day  of  his  revelation,  the  accomplishment  of  his  kingdom, and  the  complete  redemption  of  his  mystical  body. Such the day  of  the  manifestation  of  consciences,  that  day  of  misery and despair  to  one  portion  of  men,  and  of  peace,  consolation,  and ineffable delight  to  the  other:  the  sweet  expectation  of  the  just, the dread  of  the  wicked;  the  day  which  is  to  determine  the  destiny of all  men.

It was  the  image,  ever  present  to  their  minds,  of  that  terrible day, which  rendered  the  first  believers  patient  under  persecution, delighted under  sufferance,  and  illustrious  under  injury  and  reproach. It is  that  which  has  since  supported  the  faith  of  martyrs,  animated the constancy  of  virgins,  and  smoothed  to  the  anchorite  all  the  horrors of  a  desert:  it  is  that  which  still,  at  this  day,  peoples  those  religious solitudes  erected,  by  the  piety  of  our  ancestors,  as  asylums against the  contagion  of  the  age.