Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/286

 What a  mistake,  my  brethren,  to  banish  yourselves  from  these holy assemblies,  under  pretence  that  you  already  know  enough,  and likewise that  you  are  already  sufficiently  versed  in  all  the  duties  of piety,  which  you  have  long  professed;  and  that  Christian  reading, and a  small  degree  of  reflection  in  private,  go  a  greater  way,  and are attended  with  more  benefit,  than  all  our  discourses! But, my dear  hearer,  if  you  profess  piety  and  righteousness,  what  sweeter consolation can  you  enjoy,  than  that  of  hearing  the  wonders  of  the Lord published,  the  ordinances  of  his  holy  law,  truths  which  you love and  practise,  and  of  which  you  ought  to  wish  the  knowledge to be  given  to  all  men? What sight  more  soothing  and  consoling to you  than  that  of  your  brethren  assembled  here  at  the  foot  of  the altar, attentive  to  the  words  of  life,  absent  from  the  spectacles  of the  world,  and  removed  from  the  occasions  of  sin,  forming  holy  desires, opening  their  hearts  to  the  voice  of  God,  perhaps  conceiving the promises  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  commencement  of  their penitence, and  to  be  enabled  to  join  yourself  with  them,  in  order  to obtain  from  the  Father  of  mercies,  the  completion  in  their  soul  of the  work  of  salvation,  which  he  hath  begun  to  operate  within  them?

Not but  that  the  most  consolatory  resources  are  furnished  to  Christian piety,  by  the  meditation  of  the  divine  writings. But the  Lord hath attached  graces  to  the  power  of  our  ministry,  and  to  the  legitimate calling,  which  you  will  not  find  elsewhere. The most  simple truths in  the  mouths  of  the  pastors,  or  of  those  who  speak  to  you in their  place,  draw  an  efficacy  from  the  grace  of  their  mission, which is  not  inherent  to  them. The same  book  of  Isaiah,  which, when read  from  a  chariot  by  that  officer  of  the  queen  of  Ethiopia, was to  him  as  a  book  sealed  up,  and  only  amused  his  leisure  without enlightening  his  faith, — explained  by  Philip,  instantly  became to him  a  word  of  life,  and  of  salvation. And, lastly,  you  owe  that example to  your  brethren,  that  edification  to  the  church,  that  respect to  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  uniformity  to  the  spirit  of peace  and  of  unity,  which  binds  us  together. O, banish  yourselves, and  so  much  the  better,  from  those  profane  and  criminal assemblies, where  piety,  alas! is always  a  stranger,  suffering,  and constrained: but  here  is  its  place,  and  its  home;  this  is  the  assembly of  the  holy,  seeing  it  is  only  toward  their  formation  that our ministry  hath  been  established,  and  still  continues  to  endure  in the  church.

I have  said,  in  the  second  place,  a  spirit  of  faith;  and  in  this  disposition, two  others  are  comprised: — a  love  of  the  holy  word,  independent of  the  talents  of  the  man  who  announces  it  to  you;  a taste,  formed  by  religion,  which  comes  not  here  in  search  of  vain ornaments, but  of  the  solid  truths  of  salvation;  that  is  to  say,  to listen  to  it,  neither  with  a  spirit  of  censure  nor  with  a  spirit  of curiosity.

And, in  effect,  your  love  of  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ  ought  to render  you  blind,  as  I  may  say,  to  the  defects  of  those  who  announce it to  you:  in  a  mouth  even  rude  and  unpolished,  you  ought  to  find it lovely,  divine,  and  worthy  of  all  your  homage;  in  whatever  shape