Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/551

 to taste  any  pure  and  unadulterated  joy;  that  the  world,  a  little searched into,  is  nothing;  that  they  are  astonished  themselves  how it can  be  loved  when  known;  and  that  happy  are  they  alone,  here below, who  can  do  without  it  and  serve  God. Some long  for  the opportunity of  an  honourable  retreat;  others  are  continually  proposing to  themselves  more  orderly  and  more  Christian  manners. All admit  the  happiness  of  the  godly;  all  wish  to  become  so;  all bear testimony  against  themselves. They are  the  forced  rather than the  voluntary  followers  of  pleasure. It is  no  longer  inclination, it  is  habit,  it  is  weakness,  which  retains  them  in  the  shackles of the  world  and  of  sin. They feel  this;  they  lament  it;  they  acknowledge it;  and  they  give  way  to  the  current  of  so  wretched  a lot. Deceitful world! render happy,  if  in  thy  power,  those  who serve thee,  and  then  will  I  forsake  the  law  of  the  Lord  to  attach myself to  the  vanity  of  thy  promises.

You yourself,  my  dear  nearer,  since  the  many  years  that  you served the  world,  have  you  greatly  forwarded  your  happiness? Put in  a  balance,  on  the  one  side,  all  the  agreeable  moments  and days you  have  passed  in  it,  and,  on  the  other,  all  the  sorrows and vexations  you  have  there  experienced,  and  see  which  scale will preponderate. In certain  moments  of  pleasure,  of  excess, and of  frenzy,  you  have,  perhaps,  said,  "  It  is  good  for  us  to  be here  f  but  that  was  only  a  momentary  intoxication,  the  illusion of  which  the  following  moment  discovered  to  you,  and  plunged you  into  all  your  former  anxieties.  Even  now,  when  speaking to  you,  question  your  own  heart:  are  you  at  peace  within?  Is nothing  wanting  to  your  happiness?  Do  you  fear,  do  you  wish for  nothing?  Do  you  never  feel  that  God  is  not  with  you?  Would you  wish  to  live  and  die  such  as  you  are?  Are  you  satisfied  with the  world?  Are  you  unfaithful  to  the  Author  of  your  being  without remorse?  There  are  twelve  hours  in  the  day:  are  they  all equally  agreeable  to  you?  And  have  you,  as  yet,  been  able  to  succeed in  fashioning  a  conscience  so  as  to  remain  tranquil  in  guilt?

Even then,  when  you  have  plunged  to  the  very  bottom  of  the sea of  iniquity  to  extinguish  your  remorses,  and  have  succeeded, as you  thought,  in  stifling  that  remnant  of  faith  which  still  pleads in your  heart  for  virtue,  hath  not  the  Lord  commanded  the  serpent as he  saith  in  his  prophet  Amos,  to  follow  and  sting  you  even  in the  abyss  where  you  had  fled  for  shelter? And, even  there,  have you not  felt  the  secret  gnawings  of  the  ravenous  worm? Is it not  true  that  the  days  you  have  consecrated  to  God  by  some religious duty  have  been  the  happiest  of  your  life;  and  that  you have never  lived,  as  I  may  say,  but  when  your  conscience  has  been pure, and  that  you  have  lived  with  God? No, says  the  prophet, with a  holy  pride,  the  God  whom  we  worship  is  not  a  deceitful God, nor  is  he,  like  the  gods  which  the  world  worships,  unable to reward  those  who  serve  him;  let  the  world  themselves  be  the judges here.

Great God! what then  is  man,  thus  to  wrestle  his  whole  life against himself,  to  wish  to  be  happy  without  thee,  in  spite  of  thee,