Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/365

 of that  pure  and  spotless  church  which  he  hath  washed  in  his blood: you  insult  the  piety  of  the  church,  who,  believing  you  united in  her  faith  and  in  her  charity,  places  in  your  mouth,  through the hymns  which  accompany  the  holy  mysteries,  sentiments  of  religion, of  sorrow,  and  of  penitence. Lastly, — you receive  the  faith and the  piety  of  the  righteous  there  present,  and  who,  considering you as  forming  with  them  only  one  heart,  one  mind,  and  one  same sacrifice, join  themselves  with  you,  and  offer  to  the  Lord  your  faith, your desires,  your  prayers,  as  their  own. You are  there,  then,  as an  anathematized,  separated  from  all  the  rest  of  your  brethren: an impostor,  who  secretly  disavows  what  you  are  publicly  professing, and  who  comes  to  insult  religion,  and  to  reject  all  share  in  the redemption and  in  the  sacrifices  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  very  moment that  he  is  renewing  the  memory,  and  offering  up  the  price  of it  to  his  Father.

What are  we  thence  to  conclude? — that, if  a  sinner,  we  are  to banish  ourselves  from  our  temples,  and  from  the  holy  mysteries? God forbid! Ah! then it  is,  that  we  ought  to  come  to  this  holy place in  search  of  our  deliverance;  then  it  is,  that  we  ought  to  come to solicit,  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Lord, ever ready  in  that  place  to  lend  a  favourable  ear  to  sinners;  then it is,  that  we  ought  to  call  in  every  religious  aid  held  out  to  faith, to arouse  in  ourselves,  if  possible,  some  sentiments  of  piety  and  of repentance. And whither,  O  my  brethren,  shall  we  fly,  when  unhappily fallen  under  the  displeasure  of  God? And what  other  resource could  remain  for  us? It is  here  alone  that  sinners  can  find a refuge:  here  flow  the  quickening  waters  of  the  sacrament,  which alone have  the  virtue  of  purifying  the  conscience:  here  the  sacrifice of propitiation  is  offered  up  for  them,  alone  capable  of  appeasing the justice  of  God,  which  their  crimes  have  irritated:  here  the truths of  salvation,  enforced  upon  their  heart,  inspire  them  with hatred against  sin  and  love  of  righteousness:  here  their  ignorance is enlightened,  their  errors  dissipated,  their  weakness  sustained, their good  desires  strengthened:  here,  in  a  word,  religion  offers remedies for  all  their  ills. It is  sinners,  therefore,  who  ought  most to frequent  these  holy  temples;  and  the  more  their  wounds  are  inveterate and  hopeless,  the  more  eagerly  ought  they  to  fly  here  in search  of  a  cure.

Such is  the  first  disposition  of  innocence  and  of  purity,  which  the presence here  of  a  holy  God  requires  of  us,  and  of  the  blessed  in heaven:  "  For  they  are  without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God."

But if  the  sole  state  of  guilt,  without  remorse,  without  any  wish for a  change,  and  with  an  actual  intention  of  preserving  in  it,  be  a kind  of  irreverence,  by  which  the  sanctity  of  our  temples  and  of our  mysteries  is  profaned;  what,  O  my  God! shall it  be  to  choose these holy  places,  and  the  hour  of  the  awful  mysteries,  to  come  to inspire  infamous  passions, — to  permit  themselves  impure  looks, — to form  criminal  desires,  to  seek  opportunities  which  decency  alone prevents them  from  seeking  elsewhere,- — to  meet  objects  whom the vigilance  of  those  who  instruct  us  keeps  at  a  distance  in  all