Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/572

 this remembrance  exact  of  us? Ah! my brethren,  an  ardent  desire of  repairing,  by  our  homages,  the  impiety  of  so  many  shocking communions which  crucify  Jesus  Christ  afresh. So many  impure, revengeful, worldly,  and  extortioning  sinners,  of  every  people  and of every  nation,  receive  him  into  profane  mouths:  we  ought  to  feel the insults  which  Jesus  Christ  thereby  suffers;  to  humble  ourselves before  him,  seeing  that  his  most  signal  blessing  is  become the occasion  of  the  greatest  crimes;  to  tremble  for  ourselves;  to  admire his  goodness,  which,  for  the  profit  of  a  small  number  of chosen,  hath  graciously  been  willing  to  submit  to  the  indignities of that  endless  number  of  sinners,  of  all  ages  and  of  all  times,  who have, and  still  continue  to  dishonour  him;  to  avert,  by  the  tears  of our  heart  and  a  thousand  inward  lamentations,  the  scourges  which unworthy communions  never  fail  to  draw  down  upon  the  earth. For, if  the  apostle  formerly  lamented  that  general  plagues,  epidemical diseases,  and  sudden  deaths,  were  only  a  consequence  of  the profanation of  the  sacrament;  ah! thy finger  has  long  been  upon us, Lord;  the  cup  of  thy  wrath  is  poured  out  upon  our  cities  and provinces: thou  armest  kings  against  kings,  and  nations  against nations; nothing  is  now  spoken  of  but  battles  and  the  rumours  of war;  our  fields  are  stricken  with  sterility;  our  families  are  consumed by  the  sword  of  the  enemy,  and  the  father  is  deprived  of  the only prop  and  consolation  of  his  old  age:  we  groan  under  burdens, which, though  keeping  the  enemy  of  the  state  from  our  walls,  yet leave us  a  prey  to  famine  and  want;  the  arts  are  now  almost  of  no avail  to  the  people;  commerce  languishes,  and  industry  can  hardly supply the  common  necessaries  of  life;  yet  what  are  even  the public calamities,  when  compared  with  the  private  miseries  known to thee  alone? We have  seen  our  citizens  mowed  down  by hunger  and  death,  and  our  cities  turned  into  frightful  deserts;  the enemy of  thy  name  takes  advantage  of  our  dissensions,  and  usurps thine inheritance.

Whence proceed  these  scourges,  great  God! so continued  and so terrible? Where are  formed  those  clouds  of  wrath  and  indignation which  have  so  long  been  pouring  out  their  torrents  upon us? Is it  not  to  punish  the  sacrilegious  that  thou  art  armed? Do not  the  outrages  which  are  every  day  committed  against  thy body, at  the  feet  of  the  altars,  draw  down  upon  us  these  marks of thy  wrath? O strike  us  then,  Lord,  and  avenge  thy  glory; stop not  the  arm  of  thy  angel  who  hovers  over  us;  let  the  houses where the  traces  of  a  profane  blood  are  still  imprinted  not  be  spared: thine anger  is  just. But no;  give  us  not  the  water  of  gall  because  we have  sinned  against  thee:  give  peace  in  our  days;  listen  to  the  cries of the  righteous  who  entreat  it  of  thee:  "Lord,"  say  they  with  the prophet, "  we  looked  for  peace,  but  no  good  came;  and  for  a  time  of health,  and  behold  trouble." Terminate the  profanations  which  are ever the  attendants  of  war;  cease  to  punish  sacrileges  by  multiplying them  on  the  earth;  once  more  restore  majesty  to  so  many temples profaned,  worship  and  dignity  to  so  many  churches  despoiled, peace  to  our  cities,  abundance  to  our  families,  consolation