Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/535

 on the  earth,  was  alone  worthy  of  being  written  down  in  the  eternal books,  and  offers  to  the  eyes  of  God  a  sight  more  worthy  of angels  and  men  than  all  the  victories  and  conquests  which  here below fill  the  vanity  of  histories,  to  which  pompous  monuments are erected  in  order  to  eternize  their  remembrance,  and  which, then, shall  no  longer  be  considered  but  as  puerile  squabbles,  or the  fruit  of  pride  and  the  human  passions. — First disorder  repaired on that  great  day:  vice  concealed  here  below  from  public  shame, and virtue  from  the  applauses  it  merits.

The second  disorder  which  the  mixture  of  the  good  and  of  the bad gives  birth  to  in  the  world,  is  the  inequality  of  conditions,  and the unjust  exchange  of  their  lots. It is  with  the  present  age  as with  the  image  of  which  Daniel  explained  the  mystery:  the  just, like the  clay  which  we  trample  under  our  feet,  or,  like  iron  hardened in  the  fire  of  tribulation,  in  general  occupy,  here  below,  only the meanest  and  most  contemptible  stations;  while,  on  the  contrary, the sinful  and  the  worldly,  typified  by  the  gold  and  silver,  vain objects of  their  passions,  almost  always  find  themselves  placed  at the  head  of  affairs,  and  in  the  most  eminent  places. Now, this  is a  disorder;  and,  although  the  good  be  thereby  exercised,  and  the wicked hardened;  although  this  confusion  of  good  and  evil  enter into the  order  of  Providence,  and  that,  by  ways  and  means  impenetrable to  man,  God  makes  use  of  them  to  lead  the  just  and  the sinner to  his  purposes;  yet  it  is  necessary  that  the  Son  of  Man gather together  all  things,  and  that  it  shall  at  last  be  discerned  between the  righteous  and  the  wicked;  between  him  that  serveth God and  him  that  serveth  him  not. Now, behold  the  grand  spectacle of  that  last  day:  order  shall  be  re-established;  the  good  separated from  the  wicked:  the  sheep  set  on  his  right  hand,  and  the goats on  the  left.

Separation, first,  altogether  new. It will  not  be  demanded  from you, in  order  to  determine  what  rank  you  ought  to  hold  in  this awful scene,  what  were  your  names,  your  birth,  your  titles,  or  your dignities; these  were  but  a  vapour,  which  had  no  reality  but  in  the public illusion;  you  will  be  examined  only  to  prove  whether  you be an  unclean  animal  or  an  innocent  sheep:  the  prince  shall  not  be separated  from  the  subject:  the  noble  from  the  peasant;  the  poor from the  powerful;  the  conqueror  from  the  vanquished:  but  the chaff from  the  good  grain;  the  vessels  of  honour  from  the  vessels of shame;  the  goats  from  the  sheep.

The Son  of  Man  shall  be  seen  from  on  high,  casting  his  regards over all  the  mingled  nations  and  people  assembled  at  his  feet;  recalling, in  that  view,  the  history  of  the  universe,  that  is  to  say,  of the  passions  or  of  the  virtues  of  men;  he  shall  be  seen  gathering together his  chosen  from  the  four  quarters;  choosing  them  from among every  tongue,  every  station,  and  every  nation;  reuniting the children  of  Israel  dispersed  through  the  universe;  unfolding the secret  history  of  a  holy  and  new  people;  bringing  forth  to  view heroes of  faith  till  then  unknown  in  the  world:  no  more  distinguishing ages  by  the  victories  of  conquerors,  by  the  establishment