Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/541

 present gratifications,  but  that  he  sometimes  gives  a  look  back  to those  years  of  iniquity  which  he  amasses  behind  him. Those days of darkness,  which  he  has  consecrated  to  debauchery,  have  not  so completely  perished,  but  that,  in  certain  moments,  they  obtrude themselves upon  his  remembrance. Gloomy and  troublesome images force  themselves  upon  his  soul,  and,  from  time  to  time, arouse him  from  his  lethargy  by  holding  out,  as  if  collected  into one point,  that  shocking  mass  of  crimes  which  make  less  impression, during  their  commission,  because  he  only  sees  them  in  succession. At one  glance  of  his  eye  he  sees  favours  always  contemned, inspirations  always  rejected,  a  vile  perversion  of  a  disposition naturally  good  and  originally  formed,  it  appears,  for  virtue; weaknesses at  which  he  now  blushes,  phantoms  and  horrors  against which he  would  wish  for  ever  to  shut  his  eyes.

Such is  what  the  sinner  leaves  behind  him. He is  miserable  if he  looks  back  to  the  past. His whole  happiness  is,  as  it  were,  shut up in  the  present  moment;  and,  to  be  happy,  he  must  never  think, but allow  himself,  like  the  dumb  creation,  to  be  led  away  by  the attraction of  the  present  objects;  and,  to  preserve  his  tranquillity, he must  either  extinguish  or  brutify  his  reason. And thence  those maxims so  unworthy  of  humanity,  and  so  circulated  in  the  world, that too  much  reason  is  a  sorry  advantage;  that  reflection  spoils all the  pleasures  of  life;  and  that,  to  be  happy,  the  less  we  think the better. O man! was it  for  thy  misery,  then,  that  Heaven  had given thee  that  reason  by  which  thou  art  enlightened,  or  to  assist thee in  search  of  the  truth,  which  alone  can  render  thee  happy? Could that  divine  light  which  embellishes  thy  being,  be  a  punishment rather  than  a  gift  of  the  Creator? And should  it  so  gloriously distinguish thee  from  the  beast,  only  that  thy  condition  may  be more  wretched?

Yes, my  brethren,  such  is  the  lot  of  an  unbelieving  soul. Intoxication, delirium of  passion,  and  the  extinction  of  all  reason, alone can  render  him  happy;  and,  as  that  situation  is  merely momentary, the  instant  the  mind  becomes  calm  and  regains  itself, the charm  ceases,  happiness  takes  wing,  and  man  finds  himself alone with  his  conscience  and  his  crimes.

But how  different,  O  my  God,  is  the  lot  of  a  soul  who  walks in thy  ways,  and  how  much  to  be  pitied  is  the  world  which knows thee  not? In effect,  the  sweetest  thoughts  of  a  righteous soul are  those  by  which  the  past  is  recalled. He there  encounters, it is  true,  that  portion  of  his  life  which  had  been  engrossed  by  the world and  the  passions:  and  the  remembrance,  I  confess,  fills  him with shame  before  the  sanctity  of  his  God,  and  forces  from  him tears of  compunction  and  sorrow. But what  consolation  in  his tears and  in  his  grief!

For, my  brethren,  a  contrite  soul  can  never  retrace  the  whole train of  his  past  errors,  without  discovering  all  the  proceedings  of God's  mercy  upon  him:  the  singular  ways  by  which  his  wisdom hath gradually,  and,  as  it  were,  step  by  step,  couducted  him  to  the blessed moment  of  his  conversion:  so  many  unexpected  favourable