Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/274

 unknown to  the  greatest  part  of  the  believers  who  run  in  crowds  to the  feet  of  these  Christian  pulpits,  and  which  are  the  ordinary cause  of  our  ministry  being  attended  with  so  little  fruit.

Part I. — It  is  not  the  body  of  external  works,  says  St.  Augustine, which  distinguishes  the  just  from  the  carnal  Christian:  it  is the  invisible  spirit  which  animates  them. Pious actions  are  frequently common  to  the  good  and  to  the  wicked;  it  is  the  disposition of  the  heart  which  discriminates  them. All run,  says  the Apostle, but  all  reach  not  the  goal,  for  it  is  not  the  same  spirit which impels  them.

Now, to  apply  this  maxim  to  my  subject:  of  all  the  duties  of Christian  piety,  there  is  undoubtedly  none  of  which  the  external is more  equally  fulfilled  by  the  worldly,  and  by  the  pious,  than  that of coming  to  hear  the  word  of  the  Gospel. All run  in  crowds,  like the Israelites  formerly  to  the  foot  of  the  holy  mountain,  to  hear the words  of  the  law. Our temples  are  hardly  sufficient  to  contain the  multitude  of  believers:  profane  assemblies  break  up  to swell  the  number  of  the  holy  assembly  at  the  hours  of  instruction; and the  ages  which  have  seen  the  zeal  of  Christians  so  relaxed  on every  other  duty  of  religion,  have  not,  it  would  seem,  witnessed  it in  this. Nevertheless, of  all  the  ministries  confided  to  the  church for the  consummation  of  the  chosen,  there  is  scarcely  any  so  unprofitable as  that  of  the  word;  and  the  most  efficacious  means which the  church  hath,  in  every  age,  employed  for  the  conversion of men,  is  become,  at  present,  its  feeblest  resource. You, my brethren,  are  yourselves  a  melancholy  proof  of  this  truth. Never were instructions  more  frequent  than  in  our  days,  and  never  were conversions so  rare.

It is  of  importance,  therefore,  to  explain  the  causes  of  so  common and  so  deplorable  an  abuse. Now, the  first  is  undoubtedly the want  of  those  dispositions  which  ought  to  accompany  you  to this  holy  place,  in  order  to  listen  to  the  word  of  salvation. And, surely, if  St.  Paul  formerly  commanded  all  believers  to  purify themselves before  coming  to  eat  of  the  bread  of  life, — if  he  declared to  them,  that  not  to  distinguish  it  from  ordinary  food  was to render  themselves  guilty  of  the  body  of  the  Lord,  we  have  no less  reason  to  tell  you  that  you  ought  to  prove  yourselves,  and  to prepare  your  soul  before  you  come  to  participate  in  that  spiritual food which  we  break  to  the  people:  and  that  not  to  distinguish  it from  the  word  of  men,  in  your  manner  of  listening  to  it,  is  to  render yourselves  guilty  even  of  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ.

The first  disposition  required  of  you  by  the  sanctity  of  this  word, when you  come  to  hear  it,  is  a  sincere  desire  that  it  may  be  useful to you. Before coming  to  our  temples,  you  ought,  privately,  in your  own  house,  to  address  yourself  to  the  Father  of  Light,  to  entreat him  to  bestow  upon  you  that  ear  of  the  heart  which  alone makes his  voice  to  be  heard;  to  give  to  his  word  that  efficacy,  that inward unction,  those  attractions  so  powerful  and  so  successful  in the  conversion  of  sinners,  that  he  may  overcome  that  insensibility