Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/371

 But a  final  reason,  which  renders  your  irreverential  behaviour still more  criminal  and  more  disgraceful  to  religion,  is,  that  it  is  in the  temple  where  you  come  to  offer  up,  in  one  sense,  with  the priest the  awful  sacrifice,  to  renew  the  oblation  of  the  cross,  and to present  to  God  the  blood  of  his  Son  as  the  propitiation  of  your sins. Now, my  brethren,  while  mysteries  so  august  are  celebrating; during these  awful  moments  when  heaven  opens  above  our  altars; in a  time  when  the  affair  of  your  salvation  is  agitated  between Jesus Christ  and  his  Father;  while  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  flowing upon  the  altar  to  wash  you  from  stain;  while  the  angels  of heaven  tremble  and  adore;  while  the  solemnity  of  the  ministers, the majesty  of  the  ceremonies,  and  even  the  piety  of  the  true  believers, all  inspire  fear,  gratitude,  and  respect,  scarcely  do  you  bow the knee,  scarcely  do  you  cast  a  look  upon  the  holy  altar,  where mysteries so  blessed  for  you  are  consummating. It is  even  with reluctance that  you  are  in  the  temple;  you  measure  the  duration and the  fatiguing  length  of  the  salutary  sacrifice;  you  count  the moments of  a  time  so  precious  to  the  earth,  and  so  replete  with wonders and  grace  for  men. You who  are  so  embarrassed  with your time,  who  sacrifice  it  to  an  eternal  inutility  and  circle  of nothings,  and  who  are  even  difficulted  in  contriving  to  kill  it;  you complain of  the  pious  solemnity  of  the  minister,  and  of  the  circumspection with  which  he  treats  the  holy  things. Ah! you require such respect  and  such  precaution  in  those  who  serve  you;  and you would  that  a  priest  clothed  in  all  his  dignity,  that  a  priest  representing Jesus  Christ,  and  performing  his  office  of  mediator  and high-priest with  his  Father,  should  treat  the  holy  mysteries  with precipitation, and  dishonour  the  presence  of  the  God  whom  he serves,  and  whom  he  immolates,  by  a  shameful  carelessness  and haste? In what  times,  O  my  God,  are  we  come? And was  it  to be  expected  that  thy  most  precious  and  most  signal  kindnesses should become  a  burden  to  the  Christians  of  our  ages?

Alas! the first  believers,  who  met  in  the  temple  at  stated  hours of the  day,  to  celebrate,  in  hymns  and  songs  with  their  pastor,  the praises of  the  Lord,  they  almost  never  quitted  these  sacred  abodes, and that  only  with  regret,  when  obliged  to  attend  to  the  affairs  of the  age,  and  to  the  duties  of  their  station. How beautiful,  my brethren,  to  see  in  those  happy  times  the  holy  assembly  of  believers in the  house  of  prayer,  each  in  the  place  adapted  to  his  station; on one  side,  the  recluse,  the  holy  confessors,  the  common  believers; on the  other,  the  virgins,  the  widows,  the  married  women, — all attentive to  the  holy  mysteries,  all  beholding,  with  tears  of  joy  and of religion,  to  flow  upon  the  altar,  the  blood  still  reeking,  as  I  may say, of  the  Lamb,  and  so  lately  crucified  before  their  eyes;  praying for the  princes,  for  the  Caesars,  for  their  persecutors,  for  their  brethren; mutually exhorting  each  other  to  martyrdom;  tasting  all  the  consolation of  the  divine  writings  explained  by  their  holy  pastors,  and retracing, in  the  church  of  the  earth,  the  joy,  the  peace,  the  innocence, and  the  profound  meditation  of  the  heavenly  church! How beautiful and  splendid  were  the  the  tents  of  Jacob,  although  the