Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/90

 particular opposition  to  order  and  righteousness,  which  our  past morals, and  our  first  passions,  have  left  in  our  hearts;  that  love  for the world  and  its  pleasures;  that  dislike  to  virtue  and  its  maxims; that empire  of  the  senses,  fortified  by  a  voluptuous  life;  that  invincible indolence,  to  which  every  thing  is  a  burden,  and  to  which whatever is  a  burden  becomes  almost  impossible;  that  pride,  which knows neither  how  to  bend  nor  break:  that  inconstancy  of  heart, incapable of  end  or  uniformity,  which  presently  tires  of  itself; which cannot  submit  to  rule,  because  that  is  always  the  same; which wishes,  and  wishes  not;  passes  in  a  moment  from  the  lowest state of  dejection  to  a  vain  and  childish  joy,  and  leaves  scarcely  the interval of  a  moment  between  the  sincerest  resolution  and  the  infidelity which  violates  it.

Now, in  a  situation  so  miserable,  what,  O  my  God,  can  the  most just accomplish,  delivered  up  to  his  own  weakness  and  all  the snares which  surround  him;  bearing  in  his  heart  the  source  of  all his errors,  and  in  his  mind  the  principles  of  every  illusion? The grace of  Jesus  Christ,  therefore,  can  alone  deliver  him  from  so many  miseries;  enlighten  him  in  the  midst  of  so  much  darkness; support him  under  so  many  difficulties;  restrain  him  from  following the  dictates  of  so  many  rapid  desires,  and  strengthen  him against so  many  attacks. If left  a  moment  to  himself,  he  inevitably stumbles, and  is  lost. If an  Almighty  hand  ceases  an  instant  to retain  him,  he  is  carried  down  by  the  stream. Our consistency  in virtue  is,  therefore,  a  continual  grace  and  miracle. All our  steps  in the  ways  of  God  are  new  motions  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  that  is  to say,  of  that  invisible  guide  which  impels  and  leads  us  on. All our pious actions  are  gifts  of  Divine  mercy;  since  every  proper  use  of our  liberty  comes  from  him,  and  he  crowns  his  gifts  in  recompensing our  merits. All the  moments  of  our  Christian  life  are  like  a new  creation,  therefore,  in  faith,  and  in  piety:  that  is  to  say,  (this spiritual  creation  does  not  suppose  a  non-existence  in  the  just,  but a  principle  of  grace,  and  a  liberty  which  co-operates  with  it,)  that as, in  the  order  of  nature,  we  should  again  return  to  our  nonentity, if the  Creator  ceased  for  an  instant  to  preserve  the  being  he  has  given us; in  the  life  of  grace,  we  should  again  fall  into  sin  and  death,  did the Redeemer  cease  a  single  moment  to  continue,  by  new  succours, the gift  of  righteousness  and  holiness,  with  which  he  had  embellished our  soul. Such is  the  weakness  of  man,  and  such  is  his  continual dependence  on  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ. The fidelity  of the  just  soul  is  therefore  the  fruit  of  continual  aids  of  grace;  but  it is  likewise  the  principle. It is  grace  alone  which  can  accomplish the fidelity  of  the  just;  and  it  is  the  fidelity  alone  of  the  just  which merits the  preservation  and  increase  of  grace  in  the  heart.

For, my  brethren,  the  ways  of  God  toward  us  being  full  of equity  and  wisdom,  there  must  necessarily  be  some  order  in  the distribution of  his  gifts  and  grace. The Lord  must  communicate himself more  abundantly  to  the  soul  which  faithfully  prepares  its heart for  his  ways;  he  must  bestow  more  continual  marks  of  his protection and  mercy  on  the  upright  heart  which  gives  him  con-