Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/231

 in which  you  always  find  yourself  the  same;  those  duties  which always meet  the  same  repugnance  in  your  heart;  in  a  word,  if  you feel that  inexhaustible  fund  of  weakness  and  of  corruption  which remains with  you  after  your  conversion,  and  which  alarms  so  much your virtue,  you  will  not  only  have  ample  matter  to  address  the Lord in  prayer,  but  your  whole  life  will  be  one  continual  prayer. All the  dangers  which  shall  threaten  your  weakness,  all  the  accidents which  shall  shake  your  faith,  all  the  objects  which  shall  open afresh the  former  wounds  of  your  heart,  all  the  inward  emotions which shall  prove  that  the  man  of  sin  lives  always  within  you,  will lead you  to  look  upwards  to  Him  from  whom  alone  you  expect deliverance from  them. As the  apostle  said,  every  place  will  be to  you  a  place  of  prayer;  every  thing  will  direct  your  attention  to God,  because  every  thing  will  furnish  you  with  Christian  reflections upon yourself.

Besides, my  dear  hearer,  even  granting  that  your  own  necessities should not  be  sufficient  to  fill  the  void  of  your  prayer,  employ  a portion  of  it  with  the  evils  of  the  church;  with  the  dissensions  of the  pastors;  with  that  spirit  of  schism  and  revolt  which  seems  to be  forming  in  the  sanctuary;  with  the  relaxation  of  believers;  with the depravity  of  manners;  with  the  sad  progress  of  unbelief,  and the diminution  of  faith  among  men. Lament over  the  scandals  of which  you  are  a  continual  witness;  complain  to  the  Lord,  with  the prophet, that  all  have  forsaken  him;  that  every  one  seeks  his  own interest; that  even  the  salt  of  the  earth  hath  become  tasteless,  and that piety  is  become  a  traffic. Entreat of  the  Lord  the  consummation of  his  elect,  and  the  fulfilment  of  his  designs  upon  the church; religious  princes,  faithful  pastors,  humble  and  enlightened teachers, knowing  and  disinterested  guides;  peace  to  the  churches; the extinction  of  error,  and  the  return  of  all  who  have  gone  astray.

What more  shall  I  add? Entreat the  conversion  of  your  relations, friends,  enemies,  protectors,  and  masters;  the  conversion  of those  souls  to  whom  you  have  been  a  stumbling-block;  of  those whom you  have  formerly  estranged  from  piety  through  your  derisions and  censures;  of  those  who  perhaps  owe  their  irreligion  and free-thinking solely  to  the  impiety  of  your  past  discourses;  of  those of whom  your  examples  or  solicitations  have  formerly  either  perverted the  virtue  or  seduced  the  weakness. Is it  possible  that these great  objects,  at  once  so  sad  and  so  interesting,  cannot  furnish a  moment's  attention  to  your  mind,  or  some  feeling  to  your heart? Every thing  which  surrounds  you  teaches  you  to  pray; every object,  every  accident  which  you  see  around  you,  provides you with  fresh  opportunities  of  raising  yourself  to  God;  the  world, retirement, the  court,  the  righteous,  the  sinful,  the  public  and  domestic occurrences,  the  misfortunes  of  some,  and  the  prosperity  of others;  every  thing,  in  a  word,  which  meets  your  eyes,  supplies you with  the  subject  of  lamentation,  of  prayer,  of  thanksgiving. Every thing  instructs  your  faith;  every  thing  excites  your  zeal; all grieves  your  piety,  and  calls  forth  your  gratitude;  and  amid  so many  subjects  of  prayer,  you  cannot  supply  a  single  instant  of