Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/519

 operations of  the  Holy  Spirit;  you  insist  that  such  a  new  life  is only  a  fresh  snare  to  entrap  the  public  credulity,  and  a  new  path more securely  to  attain  some  worldly  purpose. Thus, the  works  of the  almighty  power  of  Jesus  Christ  harden  you;  thus  even  the wonders of  his  grace  complete  your  blindness;  thus,  you  make every thing  conducive  toward  your  destruction. Jesus Christ becomes to  you  a  stumbling-block,  when  he  ought  to  have  been  a source  of  life  and  salvation. The examples  of  sinners  stain  and corrupt you:  their  penitence  revolts  and  hardens  you.

Great God! suffer, then,  in  order  that  a  life  altogether  criminal at last  be  terminated,  that  I  now  raise  my  voice  to  thee  out  of  the depths in  which  I  have,  for  so  many  years,  languished. The impure chains  with  which  I  am  bound,  attach  me,  by  so  many  folds, to the  bottom  of  the  gulf  in  which  I  drag  on  my  gloomy  days, that, in  spite  of  all  my  good  desires,  I  still  remain  fettered,  and almost incapable  of  any  effort  toward  disengaging  myself  and returning to  thee,  O  my  God,  whom  I  have  forsaken. But, Lord out of  the  depths  even  in  which  thou  seest  me,  like  another Lazarus, fettered  and  buried,  I  have,  at  least,  the  voice  of  the  heart free to  send  up,  even  to  the  foot  of  the  throne,  my  sorrows,  my lamentations,  and  my  tears.

The voice  of  a  repentant  sinner  is  always  agreeable,  O  Lord,  to thine  ear;  it  is  that  voice  of  Jacob  which  awakens  all  thy  tenderness, even  when  it  offers  to  thy  sight  but  hands  of  Esau,  and  still covered with  blood  and  crimes.

Ah! thine holy  ears,  O  Lord,  have  now  been  sufficiently  turned away from  my  licentious  and  blasphemous  words;  let  them  now be attentive  to  the  voice  of  my  supplications;  and  let  the  singularity of  the  words  which  T  now  address  to  thee,  O  my  God! attract a more  favourable  attention  to  my  prayer.

I come  not  here,  great  God! to excuse  my  disorders  in  thy  sight, by alleging  to  thee  the  occasions  which  have  seduced  me,  the  examples which  have  led  me  astray,  the  misfortune  of  my  engagements, and  the  nature  of  my  heart  and  of  my  weakness;  cover thine eyes,  O  Lord,  upon  the  horrors  of  my  past  life,  the  only  possibility of  excusing  them  is,  not  to  behold  or  to  know  them. Alas! if I  am  unable  myself  to  support  even  their  view;  if  my  crimes dread and  fly  from  mine  own  eyes,  and  if  my  terrors  and  my  weakness render  it  absolutely  necessary  to  turn  my  sight  from  them, how, O  Lord,  should  they  be  able  to  sustain  the  sanctity  of  thy looks, if  thou  search  into  them  with  that  eye  of  severity  which  finds stains in  the  purest  and  most  laudable  life?

But thou,  O  Lord,  art  not  a  God  like  unto  man,  to  whom  it  is always  so  difficult  to  pardon  and  to  forget  the  injuries  of  an  enemy:  goodness  and  mercy  dwell  in  thine  eternal  bosom;  clemency is the  first  attribute  of  thy  supreme  being;  and  thou  hast  no  enemies but  those  who  refuse  to  place  their  trust  in  the  abundant riches of  thy  mercy.

Yes, Lord! be the  hour  what  it  may  when  a  criminal  soul casts himself  upon  thy  mercy;  whether  in  the  morning  of  life  or  in