Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/79

 plaisance in  his  victory,  this  action  is  the  commencement  of  his reprobation, and  the  Spirit  of  God  withdraws  itself  from  him. Joshua, on  the  contrary,  too  credulous,  spares  the  Gibeonites,  whom the Lord  had  commanded  him  to  exterminate;  he  went  not  before the ark  to  consult  him,  previous  to  his  alliance  with  these  impostors. But this  infidelity  being  an  act  of  precipitancy  and  surprise, rather than  a  disobedience,  and  proceeding  from  a  heart  still  faithful, religious,  and  submissive  to  God,  it  appears  slight  in  his  eyes, and the  pardon  almost  immediately  follows  the  crime. Now, if  this principle be  incontrovertible,  upon  what  do  you  depend  when  you regard your  daily  and  habitual  infidelities  as  slight? Are you acquainted with  all  the  corruption  of  your  heart,  from  which  they proceed? God knows  it,  who  is  the  searcher  and  judge;  and  his eyes are  very  different  from  those  of  men. But if  it  be  permitted to judge  before  the  time,  say,  if  this  fund  of  indolence  and  infidelity which  is  in  you;  of  voluntary  perseverance  in  a  state  displeasing to  God;  of  deliberate  contempt  for  all  the  duties  which you consider  as  not  essential;  of  attention  and  care,  as  I  may say, to  labour  only  for  the  Lord  when  he  opens  before  you  the gates of  punishment  and  destruction; — say,  if  all  these  can  constitute in  his  sight  a  state  worthy  of  a  Christian  heart;  and  if faults,  which  proceed  from  so  corrupted  a  principle,  can  in  reality be slight,  or  worthy  of  indulgences.

Paul, my  brethren,  that  miraculous  man,  to  whom  the  secrets of heaven  had  been  revealed;  Paul,  who  no  longer  lived  for  himself, but  in  whom  Jesus  Christ  alone  lived;  Paul,  who  earnestly longed every  moment  for  the  dissolution  of  his  earthly  body that he  might  be  clothed  with  immortality;  this  apostle,  always ready to  sacrifice  his  life  for  his  Master,  and  a  willing  victim  to faith;  this  elected  instrument  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  whose conscience could  reproach  him  with  nothing,  knew  not,  however, whether he  merited  the  love  or  hatred  of  his  Lord;  whether  he still  possessed  in  his  heart,  or  had  forfeited,  the  invisible  treasure of charity;  and  in  these  melancholy  doubts,  the  testimony  of  his conscience was  insufficient  to  calm  his  dread  and  uncertainty. David, that  king  so  penitent,  whose  delights  were  centred  in  the constant meditation  of  the  law  of  God,  and  whom  the  Holy Spirit calls  a  king  after  God's  own  heart; — David  trembles, however, lest  the  iniquity  of  his  crimes  be  not  sufficiently known to  him;  lest  the  corruption  of  his  heart  conceals  not from him  their  enormity. He figures  to  himself  unknown  gulfs in his  conscience,  which  cause  him  to  shed  torrents  of  tears;  to prostrate  himself  before  t^ie  majesty  and  holiness  of  his  God, and supplicate  his  assistance  toward  his  purification  from  secret infidelities, by  making  him  sensible  of  them. And you,  who watch not,  nor  search  your  hearts;  you  who,  devoted  to  lukewarm and sensual  habits,  with  deliberate  coolness  allow  yourselves  every day a  thousand  infidelities,  upon  the  iniquity  of  which  you  are utterly ignorant  what  judgment  the  Almighty  may  form:  you, who every  moment  experience  these  suspicious  ebullitions  of  pas-