Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/275

 which you  have  opposed  to  all  the  truths  hitherto  heard;  that  he fix  those  momentary  feelings  which  you  have  so  often  experienced while listening  to  us,  but  which  have  never  been  productive  of  any consequences toward  your  salvation;  that  to  us  he  give  that  zeal, that wisdom,  that  dignity,  that  fulness  of  his  Spirit,  those  piercing lights, that  divine  vehemence  which  carries  conviction  to  the  heart, and which  never  speaks  in  vain;  that  he  form  in  our  hearts  the  relish of  those  truths  which  he  putteth  in  our  mouths;  that  he  render us  insensible  to  your  praises,  or  to  your  censures,  in  order  that we may  be  more  useful  to  your  wants;  that  the  ardent  desire  to accomplish  your  salvation  fully  compensate  the  want  of  those talents denied  to  us  by  nature;  and  that  we  honour  our  ministry, not by  seeking  to  please,  but  to  save  you.

And, surely,  if  the  Israelites,  before  approaching  Mount  Sinai  to hear  the  words  of  the  law  which  the  angel  was  to  announce  to  them, were obliged,  by  the  order  of  the  Lord,  to  purify  themselves,  to wash  their  garments,  and  even  to  abstain  from  the  holy  duties  of marriage,  in  order  to  prepare  themselves  for  that  grand  operation, and to  carry  nothing  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  unworthy  of  the sanctity of  the  law  they  went  to  hear;  is  it  not,  says  a  holy  father, much more  reasonable,  when  you  come  to  hear  the  words  of  a  more holy law,  that  you  bring  there  at  least  those  precautions  of  faith,  of piety,  of  external  respect,  which  mark  in  you  a  sincere  desire  of conforming  your  manners  to  those  maxims  which  we  are  to  announce to  you? What, my  brethren! are the  precepts  of  Jesus Christ, the  words  of  eternal  life,  to  be  listened  to  with  less  precaution than  the  ordinances  of  a  figurative  law? Is it  because  they are no  longer  announced  to  you  by  an  angel  from  heaven? But are not  we  equally  as  he,  the  instruments  of  God  to  promulgate  his word, and,  like  him,  do  we  not  speak  in  his  place? Did the  angel upon the  mountain  bear  more  the  mark  of  Divinity  than  we  bear of him? He wrote  the  law  upon  tables  of  stone;  the  grace  of  our ministry engraves  it  on  hearts. He promised  milk  and  honey; and we  announce  real  and  everlasting  riches. The thunders  of heaven,  which  accompanied  his  menaces  against  the  transgressors of the  law,  overthrew  the  people  struck  with  terror  at  the  foot  of the  mountain;  but  what  were  these  threatenings  and  temporal maledictions, their  cities  demolished,  their  wives  and  children  led into captivity,  when  compared  to  that  eternal  misery  which  we  are instructed continually  to  foretel  to  the  violaters  of  the  law  of God? Separate what  we  are  from  the  ministry  which  we  fill,  and what is  there  here,  either  less  awful  or  less  respectable  than  upon Mount Sinai?

And, nevertheless,  what  preparations  accompany  you  to  an  action so holy  and  so  worthy  of  respect? A vain  curiosity  which  you wish to  gratify;  an  irksome  leisure  which  you  are  well  pleased  to have  amused;  a  religious  spectacle,  the  pleasure  of  which  you wish to  share;  a  custom  which  you  follow,  because  the  world  hath adopted it? What do  I  know? The pleasure,  perhaps,  of  pleasing a  master,  by  imitating  his  respect  for  the  word  of  the  Gospel,