Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/94

 and who,  notwithstanding  they  never  arrive  at  that  degree  of  piety which the  faithful  accomplish,  never  proceed  to  those  lengths  in iniquity  which  criminal  and  abandoned  souls  do.

I know  it,  my  brethren,  but  I  likewise  know,  that  this  indolence of  heart  defends  us  only  from  crimes  which  would  cost  us trouble;  makes  us  avoid  only  those  pleasures  which  we  would  be obliged  to  purchase  at  the  expense  of  our  tranquillity,  and  which the love  of  ease  alone  prevents  us  from  enjoying. It leaves  us virtuous  only  in  the  eyes  of  men,  who  confound  the  indolence which dreads  embarrassment  with  the  piety  which  flies  from  vice; but it  does  not  defend  us  against  ourselves,  against  a  thousand illicit desires,  a  thousand  criminal  compliances,  a  thousand  passions, more  secret  and  less  painful  because  shut  up  in  the  heart; from jealousies,  which  devour  us;  ambition,  which  domineers over us;  pride,  which  corrupts  us;  a  desire  of  pleasure,  which engrosses us;  an  excess  of  self-love,  which  is  the  principle  of  all our conduct,  and  infects  all  our  actions:  that  is  to  say,  that  this indolence delivers  up  our  heart  to  all  its  weaknesses,  at  the  same time that  it  serves  as  a  check  against  the  most  striking  and  tumultuous passions,  and  that  what  appears  only  indolence  in  the eyes of  men,  is  always  before  God  a  secret  ignominy  and  corruption.

I know,  in  the  second  place,  that  this  love  of  piety,  and  this unction which  softens  the  practice  of  religious  duties,  is  a  gift  frequently refused  even  to  holy  and  faithful  Christians. But there are three  essential  differences  between  the  faithful  soul,  to  whom the Lord  denies  the  sensible  consolations  of  piety,  and  the  lukewarm and  worldly  one,  whom  the  weight  of  the  yoke  oppresses, and who  is  capable  of  enjoying  the  things  of  God.

The first  is,  that  a  faithful  Christian,  in  spite  of  his  repugnances, preserving  a  firm  and  solid  faith,  finds  his  state,  and  the exemption from  guilt  in  which  he  lives,  since  touched  by  God,  a thousand  times  more  happy  than  that  in  which  he  lived  when  delivered up  to  his  passions;  and,  penetrated  with  horror  at  his  former excesses,  he  would  not  change  his  lot,  or  re-engage  himself  in his  former  vices,  for  all  the  pleasures  of  the  earth. In place  of which,  the  lukewarm  and  unfaithful  heart,  disgusted  with  virtue, enviously regards  the  pleasures  and  vain  happiness  of  the  world; and his  disgusts  being  only  the  consequence  and  sufferings  of  his weakness and  the  lukewarmness  of  his  faith,  to  plunge  into  sin begins to  appear  as  the  only  resource  left  him  from  the  weariness and gloominess  of  piety.

The second  difference  is,  that  the  faithful  Christian,  in  the midst of  his  disgusts  and  hardships,  at  least  bears  a  conscience which reproaches  him  not  with  guilt. He at  least  is  supported  by the  testimony  of  his  own  heart,  and  by  a  certain  degree  of  internal peace, which,  though  neither  warm  nor  very  sensible,  fails  not, however, to  establish  within  us  a  calm  which  we  never  experienced in the  paths  of  error. On the  contrary,  the  lukewarm  and  unfaithful soul,  allowing  himself,  against  the  testimony  of  his  own  con-