Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/226

 law, that  we  have  no  occasion  to  seek  beyond  ourselves  for  the knowledge of  them,  but  that  they  may  be  all  accomplished  in  our heart and  in  our  mouth,  may  more  particularly  be  said  of  the  precept of  prayer,  which  is,  as  if  the  first  and  the  most  essential  of  all.

Nevertheless, what  they  commonly  oppose  in  the  world  against this duty  is,  that,  when  they  come  to  prayer,  they  know  not  what to say  to  God,  and  that  praying  is  a  secret  of  which  they  have never as  yet  been  able  to  comprehend  any  thing. I say,  then,  that the source  of  this  pretext  springs  from  three  iniquitous  dispositions: the first  is,  that  they  are  mistaken  in  the  idea  which  they  form  of prayer;  the  second  is,  that  they  are  not  sufficiently  sensible  of their  own  wretchedness  and  wants;  and  the  third  is,  that  they  do not  love  their  God.

First. I say  that  they  are  mistaken  in  the  idea  which  they  form of prayer. In effect,  prayer  is  not  an  exertion  of  the  mind,  an  arrangement of  ideas,  a  profound  knowledge  of  the  mysteries  and counsels of  God;  it  is  a  simple  emotion  of  the  heart;  it  is  a  lamentation of  the  soul,  deeply  affected  at  the  sight  of  its  own  wretchedness;  it  is  a  keen  and  inward  feeling  of  our  wants  and  of  our  weakness, and  a  humble  confidence  which  it  lays  before  its  Lord,  in order  to  obtain  relief  and  deliverance  from  them. Prayer supposes, in the  soul  which  prays,  neither  great  lights,  uncommon  knowledge, nor  a  mind  more  cultivated  and  exalted  than  that  of  the  rest of men;  it  supposes  only  more  faith,  more  contrition,  and  a  warmer desire of  deliverance  from  its  temptations  and  from  its  wretchedness. Prayer is  neither  a  secret  nor  a  science  which  we  learn  from men; nor  is  it  an  art,  or  private  method,  upon  which  it  is  necessary to consult  skilful  teachers,  in  order  to  be  master  of  its  rules  and precepts. The methods  and  the  maxims  thereupon,  pretended  to be  laid  down  to  us  in  our  days,  are  either  singular  ways  which  are not to  be  followed,  or  the  vain  speculations  of  an  idle  mind,  or  a fanaticism  which  may  stop  at  nothing,  and  which,  far  from  edifying the  church,  hath  merited  her  censures,  and  hath  furnished  to the  impious  matter  of  derision  against  her,  and  to  the  world  fresh pretexts of  contempt  for,  and  disgusts  at,  prayer. Prayer is  a  duty upon which  we  are  all  born  instructed:  the  rules  of  this  divine science are  written  solely  in  our  hearts;  and  the  Spirit  of  God  is the  sole  master  to  teach  it.

A holy  and  innocent  soul,  who  is  penetrated  with  the  greatness of God,  struck  with  the  terror  of  his  judgments,  touched  with  his infinite mercies,  who  only  knows  to  humble  himself  before  him,  to acknowledge,  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  his  goodness  and  wonders, to  adore  the  orders  of  his  providence  upon  him,  to  accept  before him  of  the  crosses  and  afflictions  imposed  upon  him  by  the wisdom of  his  councils;  who  knows  no  prayer  more  sublime  than to be  sensible  before  God  of  all  the  corruption  of  his  heart;  to groan  over  his  own  hardness  of  heart,  and  opposition  to  all  good; to intreat  of  him,  with  fervent  faith,  to  change  him,  to  destroy  in him  the  man  of  sin,  which,  in  spite  of  his  firmest  resolves,  continually forces  him  to  make  so  many  false  steps  in  the  ways  of  God: