Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/528

 in a  life  more  regular  and  more  retired,  in  the  opinion  of  men,  you shall still  have  preserved  all  your  self-love,  your  attachment  to the  flesh,  all  the  niceties  of  sensuality;  and,  in  a  word,  all  the  sins of the  most  worldly  souls.

I will  search,  even  to  the  bottom,  that  pretended  zeal  for  my glory  which  made  you  so  deeply  lament  over  the  scandals  of  which you were  a  spectator,  which  led  you  to  condemn  them  with  such confidence and  pride,  and  to  blaze  out,  with  such  warmth,  against the irregularities  and  weaknesses  of  your  brethren;  and,  perhaps, shall that  zeal  be  no  longer  in  my  sight  but  a  natural  severity  of temper,  a  malignity  of  disposition,  an  inclination  toward  censure and upbraiding,  an  indiscreet  warmth,  a  vain,  ostentatious  zeal; far from  finding  you  full  of  zeal  for  my  glory,  and  for  the  salvation of your  brethren,  you  shall  no  longer  appear  before  me,  but  unjust, obstinate,  malicious,  and  rash.

I will  demand  an  account  from  you  of  those  splendid  talents which, it  would  appear,  you  employed  only  for  my  glory  and  for the instruction  of  believers;  and  which  had  drawn  upon  you  the blessings of  the  just  and  the  acclamations  even  of  the  worldly; and, perhaps,  that  continual  attention  to,  and  gratification  of  your own pride,  the  desire  of  surpassing  others,  and  your  sensibility  of human  applause,  will  prove  the  prominent  features  of  your  works to be  only  the  works  of  man  and  the  fruits  of  pride;  and  that  I shall  curse  those  labours  which  had  sprung  from  so  impure  a source.

Great God! what works,  upon  which  I  had  so  firmly  depended, shall then  be  found  dead  in  thine  eyes! How terrible  shall  be that  discrimination! And, of  all  the  actions  which  we  have  performed even  for  heaven,  how  few  wilt  thou  acknowledge  as  thine, and which  thou  wilt  deem  worthy  of  reward!

Do not  from  thence  conclude,  my  brethren,  that  it  is  then  needless to  labour  for  salvation,  seeing  that  just  Judge  shall  seek  only the condemnation  of  men. Only their  condemnation! My brethren, he  is  come  solely  to  save  them,  and  his  mercies  will  far surpass even  his  justice. But behold  the  conclusion  which  you ought rather  to  draw. Those righteous  souls  whom  you  so  frequently accuse  of  excess,  of  scrupulosity  in  the  practice  of  the  duties of  a  Christian  life,  as  though  they  carried  things  too  far;  these souls, exposed  to  the  light  of  God,  shall  appear  lukewarm,  sensual, imperfect, and  perhaps  criminal:  and  you,  who  live  in  the  dangers and pleasures  of  the  world;  you,  who  devote  to  religion  and  your salvation only  the  most  idle  moments  of  your  life;  you,  who  scarcely mingle a  single  work  of  piety  with  an  entire  year  of  dissipation and  inutility,  in  what  situation  shall  you  then  be,  my  dear hearer? If those  who  shall  have  only  laudable  works  to  present shall yet  be  in  danger  of  rejection,  what  shall  be  your  destiny, — you, who  have  only  a  life  entirely  worldly  to  offer? If the  tree full of  blossoms  be  treated  with  such  rigour,  what  shall  become  of the  withered  and  barren  tree? And, if  the  just  be  even  with  difficulty saved, — I  speak  not  of  the  sinner,  for  he  is  already  judged,