Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/540

 can render  him  the  happiest  of  kings. He is  thereby  great:  but he is  not  thereby  happy. His felicity  has  commenced  with  his piety. Whatever does  not  sanctify  man,  can  never  make  the  happiness of  man. Whatever does  not  place  thee,  O  my  God! in a heart,  places  only  vanities  which  leave  it  empty,  or  real  evils  which fill it  with  disquiet;  and  a  pure  conscience  is  the  only  resource  of real  enjoyments.

It is  to  this  truth  that  the  church,  on  the  occasion  of  this  solemnity, confines  its  whole  fruit. As the  common  error,  that  the  life of the  saints  has  been  gloomy  and  disagreeable,  is  one  of  the  principal artifices  employed  by  the  world  in  order  to  prevent  us  from imitating them,  the  church,  in  renewing  their  memory  on  this  day, gives us  to  remember,  at  the  same  time,  that  not  only  they  now enjoy an  immortal  felicity  in  heaven,  but  also  that  they  have  been the only  happy  of  the  earth,  and  that  he  who  carries  iniquity  in  his bosom always  carries  terror  and  anxiety:  and  that  the  lot  of  the godly is  a  thousand  times  more  tranquil  and  more  satisfactory,  even in this  world,  than  that  of  sinners.

But in  what  does  the  happiness  of  the  just  in  this  life  consist? It consists,  first,  in  the  manifestation  of  truth  concealed  from  the sages of  the  world. Secondly, in  the  relish  of  charity  denied  to  the lovers of  the  world. In the  lights  of  faith  which  soften  all  the sufferings of  the  believing  soul,  and  which  render  those  of  the sinner still  more  bitter:  this  is  my  first  point. In the  comforts  of grace  which  calm  all  the  passions,  and  which,  denied  to  a  corrupted heart, leave  it  a  prey  to  itself,  is  the  last. Let us  examine  these two truths,  so  calculated  to  render  virtue  amiable  and  the  example of the  saints  beneficial.

Part I. — Our  sorrows  proceed,  in  general,  from  our  errors;  and we are  unhappy  only  because  we  are  inadequate  judges  of  what  is really  good  and  evil. The just,  who  are  children  of  light,  are,  therefore, much  happier  than  sinners,  because  they  are  more  enligntened. The same  lights  which  correct  their  judgments  alleviate  their suffering; and  faith,  which  shows  the  world  to  them  such  as  it  is, changes, into  sources  of  consolation  for  them,  the  very  same  events in which  souls,  delivered  up  to  the  passions,  find  the  principle  of all  their  disquiets.

And, in  order  to  make  you  sensible  of  a  truth  so  honourable  to virtue,  observe,  I  pray  you  my  brethren,  that,  whether  a  contrite soul recall  the  past,  and  those  times  of  error  which  preceded  his penitence; whether  he  pay  attention  to  what  passes  before  his eyes in  the  world;  or,  lastly,  whether  he  look  forward  to  the future, every  thing  consoles,  every  thing  strengthens  him  in  the  cause of virtue  which  he  has  adopted,  every  thing  unites  in  rendering  his condition infinitely  more  pleasing  than  that  of  a  soul  who  lives  in dissipation,  and  who  finds,  in  these  three  situations,  only  bitterness and  inward  terrors.

For, in  the  first  place,  however  the  sinner  may  be  delivered  up to  all  fervency  of  his  heart,  he  is  not  so  violently  hurried  away,  by