Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/87

 amusing and  lulling  their  consciences,  than  the  effects  of  piety  and real contrition.

We impose  greatly  upon  ourselves,  my  brethren,  with  regard to our  consciences  reproaching  us  with  nothing  criminal;  for  we see  not,  that  it  is  even  that  tranquillity  which  constitutes  the danger, and  perhaps  the  guilt  likewise  of  it. We believe  ourselves in security  in  our  state,  because  it  perhaps  offers  to  our  sight  more innocence and  regularity  than  that  of  disorderly  souls;  and  indeed, we wish  not  to  conceive  how  a  life  purely  natural  should  not  be  a life  of  grace  and  of  faith;  or  that  a  state  of  habitual  idleness  and sensual gratification,  should  be  a  state  of  sin  and  death  in  a  Christian life.

Thus, my  dear  hearer,  you  whom  this  discourse  regards,  reanimate yourself  without  ceasing  in  the  spirit  of  your  vocation; according to  the  advice  of  the  apostle,  raise  yourself  every  day by prayer,  by  mortification  of  the  senses,  by  vigilance  over  your passions, and  by  a  continual  retrospection  to,  and  investigation of, your  own  heart, — that  first  grace,  which  operates  to  draw  you from the  errors  and  wanderings  of  the  world,  and  fits  you  to  enter into the  paths  of  God. Depend upon  it,  that  piety  has  nothing sure or  consoling  but  fidelity;  that,  in  relaxing  from  it,  you  only augment your  troubles,  because  you  multiply  your  bonds;  that,  in retrenching  from  your  duty,  zeal,  fervour,  and  exactitude,  you  likewise retrench  all  its  sweets  and  pleasures;  that,  in  depriving  your state of  fidelity,  you  deprive  it  of  security;  and  that,  in  limiting yourself simply  to  shun  iniquity,  you  lose  the  most  precious  fruits of virtue.

And after  all,  since  you  have  already  sacrificed  the  essential, why will  you  still  attach  yourselves  to  the  frivolous  parts? After having accomplished  the  most  laborious  and  painful  exertions toward salvation,  must  you  perish  for  not  finishing  the  slightest and  most  easy? When Naaman,  little  convinced,  because the prophet,  for  the  cure  of  his  leprosy,  had  only  ordered  him  to bathe  in  the  waters  of  Jordan,  retired  full  of  contempt  for  the  man of God,  and  believing  it  impossible  that  his  recovery  could  be  accomplished by  so  simple  a  remedy,  the  people  who  accompanied him made  him  sensible  of  his  error,  by  saying  to  him,  "  But, master,  had  the  prophet  bid  thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldst thou  not  have  done  it?  How  much  rather,  then,  when  he  saith to  thee,  Wash,  and  be  clean? "

And now,  my  brethren,  attend  to  what  I  have  to  say,  while  I finish  this  Discourse. You have  abandoned  the  world,  and  the idols which  you  formerly  worshipped  in  it;  you  are  come  from  afar into the  paths  of  God;  you  have  had  so  many  passions  to  overcome, and obstacles  to  surmount,  so  many  things  to  sacrifice,  and  difficult exertions to  make,  there  remains  only  one  step  more  to  accomplish, which is  a  faithful  and  constant  vigilance  over  yourselves. If a sacrifice  of  the  criminal  passions  were  not  already  made,  and  you were required  to  do  it,  you  would  not,  I  believe  hesitate  a  moment; cost what  it  might,  you  would  make  it:  and,  in  the  mean  while,