Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/560

 nesses of  piety. To discern  thy  body,  Lord,  it  is  to  devote  more cares, more  attention,  and  more  circumspection  toward  worthily receiving thee,  than  to  all  the  other  actions  of  life. To discern  thy body, Lord,  it  is  to  respect  the  temples  in  which  thou  art  worshipped, the  ministers  who  serve  thee,  and  our  bodies  which  receive thee. Let every  man  examine  himself,  let  him  thereupon  listen  to the  testimony  of  his  own  conscience;  and  this  is  the  second  preparation, a  prudent  faith,  which  makes  us  to  prove  ourselves; — let  a man  examine  himself.

Reflection II. — I know  that  we  are  unacquainted  with  our own heart;  that  the  mind  of  man  is  not  always  informed  of  what takes place  in  man;  that  the  passions  seduce,  examples  harden, and prejudices  drag  us  away;  that  our  inclinations  are  always  victorious over  our  lights;  that  the  heart  is  never  in  the  wrong;  that, to examine  one's  self,  is  frequently  only  to  harden  one's  self  in error. Such is  man,  O  my  God! delivered up  to  his  own  understanding:  he  is  continually  deceived,  and  nothing  appears  to  his eyes but  under  fictitious  colours;  he  but  imperfectly  knows  thee; he hardly  knows  himself;  he  comprehends  nothing  in  all  that  surrounds him;  he  takes  darkness  for  light;  he  wanders  from  error  to error;  he  quits  not  his  errors  when  he  returns  to  himself:  the lights alone  of  thy  faith  can  direct  his  judgment,  open  the  eyes of his  soul,  become  the  reason  of  his  heart,  teach  him  to  know himself, lay  open  the  folds  of  self-love,  expose  all  the  artifices  of the  passions,  and  exalt  him  to  that  spiritual  man,  who  conceives and judges  of  all. By the  rules  of  faith,  then,  my  brethren,  must we examine  ourselves;  all  human  doctrines,  the  compromises  of custom,  the  examples  of  the  multitude,  our  own  understanding,  all are deceitful  guides;if  ever  it  was  of  importance  not  to  be  deceived, it surely  is  in  a  conjuncture  where  sacrilege  is  the  consequence  of mistake.

But upon  what  shall  we  examine  ourselves? Upon what! Upon the holiness  of  this  sacrament,  and  upon  our  own  corruption. It is the  body  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  the  bread  of  angels,  it  is  the  Lamb without stain,  who  admits  none  around  his  altar  but  those  who either have  not  defiled  their  garments  or  who  have  purified  them in the  blood  of  penitence. And what  art  thou,  forward  soul,  whom I see  approaching  with  so  much  confidence? Bringest thou  there thy modesty,  thy  innocence? Hast thou  always  possessed  the vessel of  thy  body  in  honour  and  in  holiness? Hath thy  heart  not been dragged  through  the  filth  of  a  thousand  passions? In the sight of  God,  is  not  thy  soul  that  blackened  brand  of  which  the prophet speaks,  which  impure  flames  had  blasted  and  consumed from thine  earliest  years,  and  which  is  no  longer  but  a  shocking vestige of  their  fury? Art thou  not  totally  covered  with  shameful wounds? Is there  a  spot  upon  thy  body  free  from  the  mark  of some  crime? Where wilt  thou  place  the  body  of  the  Lamb? What! it shall  rest  upon  thy  tongue;  that  pure  and  immaculate body upon  a  tomb  which  had  never  exhaled  but  infection  and stench; that  body  immolated  with  so  much  gentleness  upon  the