Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/369

 is divided  from  brother;  even  our  successes  shed  mourning  and sorrow through  our  families,  and  we  are  forced  to  weep  over  our own victories. Whence comes  this? Ah! it is  that  the  prayers of the  church,  the  only  sources  of  the  favours  which  God  sheddeth upon kingdoms  and  upon  empires,  are  no  longer  listened  to;  and that you  force  the  Lord,  through  the  irreverence  with  which  you accompany them,  to  avert  his  ears,  and  to  turn  his  attention  from them, and  which  thereby  renders  them  useless  to  the  earth.

But, not  only  ought  you  to  appear  here  as  suppliants,  and  in  a  spirit of prayer,  since  it  is  here  that  the  Lord  dealeth  out  his  favours  and his grace;  as  it  is  here,  likewise,  that  every  thing  renews  to  you the remembrance  of  those  already  received,  you  ought  also  to  bring hither a  spirit  of  gratitude  and  of  thanksgiving,  seeing  that,  on whichever  way  you  turn  your  eyes,  every  thing  recalls  to  you  the  remembrance of  God's  blessings  and  the  sight  of  his  eternal  mercies upon your  soul.

And, first,  it  is  here  where,  in  the  sacrament  by  which  we  are regenerated, you  have  become  believers:  it  is  here  that  the  goodness of God,  in  associating  you,  through  baptism,  to  the  hope  of  Jesus Christ, hath  discerned  you  from  so  many  heathens  who  know  him not: it  is  here  that  you  have  engaged  your  faith  to  the  Lord;  your written promises  are  still  preserved  under  the  altar. Here is  the book of  the  covenant  which  you  have  made  with  the  God  of  your fathers: you  should  no  longer  then,  appear  here  but  to  ratify  the engagements of  your  baptism,  and  to  thank  the  Lord  for  the  inestimable blessing  which  hath  associated  you  with  his  people,  and honoured you  with  the  name  of  Christian;  you  ought  to  feel  all the tenderness  and  respect  of  a  child,  for  the  blessed  womb  which hath brought  you  forth  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  glory  of  this  house ought to  be  your  glory.

What are  you  then,  when,  in  place  of  bringing  your  thanksgivings to  the  feet  of  the  altar  for  so  singular  and  so  distinguished  a blessing,  you  come  to  dishonour  it  by  your  irreverences? You are an unnatural  child,  who  profane  the  place  of  your  birth  according to faith;  a  perfidious  Christian,  who  come  to  retract  your  promises before the  very  altars  which  witnessed  them;  who  come  to  break the treaty  on  the  sacred  spot  where  it  was  concluded;  to  blot  yourself out  of  the  book  of  life,  where  your  name  was  written  with  those of the  faithful;  to  abjure  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the  very fonts where  you  had  received  it;  to  make  a  pompous  display  of  all the vanities  of  the  age,  at  the  feet  of  the  altar  where  you  had  solemnly renounced  them;  and  to  profess  worldliness  where  you  had made professions  of  Christianity.

Nor is  this  all;  for,  secondly,  it  is  here  that  Jesus  Christ  hath so often  said  to  you,  through  the  mouth  of  his  ministers,  "My  son, thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee;  go  and  sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing befal  thee." It is  here,  that,  melting  in  tears,  you  have  so  often said to  him,  a  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before  thee." Now,  my  brethren,  on  the  very  spot  where  you  have  so  often  experienced the  grace  of  forgiveness,  not  only  you  forget  the  blessing,