Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/575

 and to  the  luxury  of  those  sounds  and  voices  so  calculated  to soften  the  heart;  a  soul  alike  insensible  to  scorn  or  to  praise;  a soul  beyond  the  reach  of  the  things  of  this  earth,  and  proof  against all the  revolutions  of  life;  the  same  in  good  or  in  bad  fortune; viewing, with  indifferent  eyes,  every  occurrence  here  below,  esteeming the  good  or  the  evil  which  occur  to  him  as  a  matter  that  does not regard  him;  and,  through  all  the  agitations  of  the  earth,  the tumult of  the  senses,  the  contradiction  of  tongues,  the  vain  enterprises of  men,  always  watchful  to  guard  over  his  peace  of  heart, to move  continually  with  a  steady  pace  toward  eternity,  never to lose  sight  of  his  God,  and  to  have  his  conversations  always in heaven.

Not that  I  would  exclude  from  the  altar  all  those  who  have  not yet attained  to  this  state  of  death:  alas! it is  the  business  of  a whole  life;  and  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  is  an  aid  established  to fortify  and  to  assist  us  in  this  undertaking. But our  inclination ought  to  bend  to  it,  lest  we  approach  the  altar  unworthily;  we  must  be  at  open  war  with  the  senses,  with  our  own  corruption, with  our  own  weaknesses,  and  be  continually  gaining  the advantage in  some  article;  Christian  self-denial  must  be  practised; the  daily  victories,  which  the  impressions  of  the  world and of  the  senses  gain  over  us  must  be  expiated  by  retirement, by silence,  by  tears,  and  by  prayer;  we  must  rise  with  fresh vigour from  every  backsliding. But I  mean  you  to  understand that a  communion  is  not  the  concern  of  a  day,  or  of  a  solemnity; that our  whole  life  ought  to  be  a  preparation  for  the  eucharist; that all  our  actions  should  be  as  steps  which  lead  us  up  to  the altar; that  the  life  of  too  many  in  the  world,  even  of  those  who  are not in  debauchery,  who  restrict  themselves  upon  nothing,  who  live according to  the  senses,  who  are  warm  only  on  the  interests  of  the earth, is  a  life  which  shows  not  the  death  of  the  Lord,  and  which, consequently, excludes  you  from  this  mystery. I mean  you  to comprehend,  that  the  eucharist  is  a  festival,  if  I  dare  to  say  so,  of mourning  and  death;  that  delights,  pleasures,  and  vain  decorations disfigure  this  sacred  table,  and  occasion  your  being  rejected equally as  him  who  appears  there  without  the  wedding  garment; that the  meats  of  the  earth  and  the  bread  of  heaven  cannot  be  eaten at the  same  time;  and  that,  on  the  morrow  after  the  Israelites  had eaten of  the  old  corn  of  the  Land  of  Canaan,  the  manna  ceased, neither had  they  any  more  of  that  heavenly  food. I mean  you  to comprehend,  that  this  sacrament  is  the  fruit  and  not  the  mark  of penitence;  that  those  communions,  determined  by  a  solemnity, gave rise  to  more  profaners  than  true  worshippers;  that  the  body of Jesus  Christ  cannot  be  eaten  without  living  by  his  spirit; that the  plenitude  of  the  Holy  Spirit  must  even  rest  upon  a soul,  as  upon  Mary,  before  Jesus  Christ  can  enter  into  it,  as  it were,  to  assume  once  more  the  human  nature. I mean  you  to  comprehend, that  the  reading  of  the  holy  books,  and  the  salutary  rigours of  penitence,  should  prepare  an  abode  in  our  hearts  for  Jesus Christ, to  the  end  that  we  might  be  like  holy  arks,  and  that  this