Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/61

 trials; peace  and  felicity  are  only  for  heaven;  but,  notwithstanding this, I  say  that  it  is  unjust  to  form,  from  the  disagreeable  circumstances which  may  accompany  virtue  in  this  life,  a  pretext  either to abandon  God  when  we  have  begun  to  serve  him,  or  to  be  afraid to serve  him  when  we  have  begun  to  know  him.

Behold my  reasons:  in  the  first  place,  because  disgusts  are inevitable in  this  life;  secondly,  because  those  of  piety  are  not  so bitter  as  we  imagine  them  to  be;  thirdly,  because  they  are  less  so than  those  of  the  world;  fourthly,  because,  were  they  equally  so, they yet  possess  resources  which  those  of  the  world  have  not. Let us investigate  those  edifying  truths,  and  implore  the  assistance  of divine  grace  toward  their  proper  explanations.

Reflection I. — I  say,  in  the  first  place,  because  disgusts  are inevitable in  this  life. Alas! we complain  that  the  service  of  God disgusts us;  but  such  is  the  condition  of  this  miserable  life. Man, born fully  to  enjoy  God,  cannot  be  happy  here  below,  where  he can  never  but  imperfectly  possess  him. Disgusts are  a  necessary consequence of  the  inquietude  of  a  heart  which  is  out  of  its  place, and is  unable  to  find  it  on  the  earth;  which  seeks  to  fix  itself, but cannot  with  all  the  created  beings  which  surround  it;  which, disgusted with  every  thing  else,  attaches  itself  to  God;  but  being unable to  possess  him  as  fully  as  it  is  capable  of  doing,  feels  always that something  is  wanting  to  its  happiness;  agitates  itself,  in  order to attain  it,  but  can  never  completely  reach  it  here;  finds  in  virtue almost the  same  void  and  the  same  disgusts  it  had  found  in  sin, because, to  whatever  degree  of  grace  it  may  be  exalted,  there  still remains much  to  accomplish  before  it  can  arrive  at  that  fulness of righteousness  and  love  which  will  possess  our  whole  heart — will fill all  our  desires — extinguish  all  our  passions — occupy  all  our thoughts — and which  we  can  never  find  but  in  heaven.

Were it  possible  to  be  happy  in  this  world,  we  should  undoubtedly be  so  in  serving  God,  because  grace  calms  our  passions,  moderates our  desires,  consoles  our  sufferings,  and  gives  us  a  foretaste of that  perfect  happiness  we  expect,  and  which  we  shall  not  enjoy but in  a  blessed  immortality. Of all  the  situations  in  which  man can find  himself  in  this  life,  that  of  righteousness  undoubtedly brings him  nearest  to  felicity;  but  as  it  always  leaves  him  in  the path which  conducts  to  it,  it  leaves  him  likewise  still  uneasy,  and, in one  sense  miserable.

We are  therefore  unjust  to  complain  of  the  disgusts  which  accompany virtue. Did the  world  make  its  followers  happy,  we should  then  have  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  at  not  being  so  in  the service of  God. We might  then  accuse  him  of  using  his  servants ill; of  depriving  them  of  a  happiness  which  is  due  to  them  alone; that, far  from  attracting,  he  rejects  them;  and  that  the  world  is preferable  to  him,  as  a  more  consoling  and  faithful  master. But examine all  stations;  interrogate  all  sinners;  consult  in  rotation the partisans  of  all  the  different  pleasures  which  the  world  promises and  the  different  passions  which  it  inspires;  the  envious,  the