Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/228

 solely a  virtue  of  perfection,  and  reserved  for  certain  purer  and more holy  souls;  it  is,  like  charity,  an  indispensable  virtue,  requisite to  the  perfect  as  to  the  imperfect,  within  the  capacity  of  the illiterate equally  as  of  the  learned,  commanded  to  the  simple  as  to the  most  enlightened:  it  is  the  virtue  of  all  men;  it  is  the  science of every  believer;  it  is  the  perfection  of  every  creature. Whoever has a  heart,  and  is  capable  of  loving  the  Author  of  his  being, — whoever has  a  reason  capable  of  knowing  the  nothingness  of  the creature, and  the  greatness  of  God,  must  know  how  to  adore,  to  return him  thanks,  and  to  have  recourse  to  him,  to  appease  him  when offended, to  call  upon  him  when  turned  away,  to  thank  him  when favourable, to  humble  himself  when  he  strikes,  to  lay  his  wants before him,  or  to  entreat  his  countenance  and  protection.

Thus, when  the  disciples  ask  of  Jesus  Christ  to  teach  them  to pray,  he  doth  not  unfold  to  them  the  height,  the  sublimity,  the depth of  the  mysteries  of  God;  he  solely  informs  them,  that,  in order  to  pray,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  God  as  a  tender,  bountiful, and  careful  father;  to  address  themselves  to  him  with  a  respectful familiarity,  and  with  a  confidence  blended  with  fear  and love; to  speak  to  him  the  language  of  our  weakness  and  of  our wretchedness; to  borrow  no  expressions  but  from  our  heart;  to make  no  attempt  of  rising  to  him,  but  rather  to  draw  him  nearer  to us:  to  lay  our  wants  before  him,  and  to  implore  his  aid;  to  wish that all  men  bless  and  worship  him;  that  his  reign  be  established in all  hearts;  that  his  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  on  earth;  that sinners return  to  the  paths  of  righteousness;  that  believers  attain to the  knowledge  of  the  truth;  that  he  forgive  us  our  sins;  that  he preserve  us  from  temptation;  that  he  assist  our  weakness;  that  he deliver  us  from  our  miseries. All is  simple,  but  all  is  grand  in  this divine prayer;  it  recalls  man  to  himself,  and,  in  order  to  adopt  it  as a  model,  nothing  more  is  required  than  to  feel  our  wants,  and  to wish  deliverance  from  them.

And behold,  why  I  have  said  that  the  second  iniquitous  disposition, from  whence  the  pretext,  founded  upon  not  knowing  how  to pray  proceeded,  is,  that  they  do  not  sufficiently  feel  the  infinite wants of  their  soul:  for,  I  ask  you,  my  brethren,  is  it  necessary  to teach  a  sick  person  to  entreat  relief? Is a  man  pressed  with  hunger difficulted  how  to  solicit  food? Is an  unfortunate  person, beaten with  the  tempest,  and  on  the  point  of  perishing,  at  a  loss how to  implore  assistance? Alas! doth the  urgent  necessity  alone not amply  furnish  expressions? In the  sole  sense  of  our  evils,  do we  not  find  that  animated  eloquence,  those  persuasive  emotions, those pressing  remonstrances  which  solicit  their  cure? Has a  suffering heart  occasion  for  any  master  to  teach  it  to  complain? In it every  thing  speaks,  every  thing  expresses  its  affliction,  every  thing announces its  sufferings,  and  every  thing  solicits  relief:  even  its silence is  eloquent.

You yourself,  who  complain  that  you  know  not  what  method  to take  in  praying,  in  your  temporal  afflictions,  from  the  instant  that a dangerous  malady  threatens  your  life,  that  an  unlooked-for  event