Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/88

 when  simple  purifications  are  only  demanded  of  you;  nay,  when you are  required,  as  I  may  say,  almost  the  same  things  which  you do, but  only  to  be  practised  with  more  fervour,  fidelity,  faith,  and vigilance, are  you  excusable  in  declining  them? Why will  you  render useless  all  your  former  efforts,  by  the  refusal  of  a  thing  so  easy? Why should  you  have  renounced  the  world,  and  all  its  criminal pleasures, only  to  find  in  piety  the  same  rock,  which  by  flying  from sin you  thought  to  have  escaped? And would  it  not  be  lamentable, if, after  having  sacrificed  to  God  the  principal  parts,  you  should  lose yourselves, by  wishing  still  to  dispute  with  him  a  thousand  little sacrifices, much  less  painful  to  the  heart  and  to  nature?

Finish, then,  in  us,  O  my  God! that which  thy  grace  has  already begun: triumph  over  our  languors  and  our  weaknesses,  since  thou hast already  triumphed  over  our  crimes:  give  us  a  heart  fervent  and faithful, since  thou  hast  already  deprived  us  of  a  criminal  and  corrupted one:  inspire  us  with  that  willing  submission  which  the  just possess,^since thou  hast  extinguished  in  us  that  pride  and  obstinacy which occasion  so  many  sinners. Leave not,  O  my  God! thy work unfinished;  and,  since  thou  hast  already  made  us  enter  into the holy  career  of  salvation,  render  us  worthy  of  the  holy  crown promised to  those  who  shall  have  legally  fought  for  it.

Now to  God,  &c. Amen.

Since Simon  thought  the  presence  of  our  Saviour  necessary  for the cure  of  his  mother-in-law,  it  would  appear,  my  brethren,  that the evil  was  pressing,  and  threatened  an  approaching  death. The usual remedies  must  have  been  found  ineffectual,  and  nothing but a  miracle  could  operate  her  cure,  and  draw  her  from  the  gates of death:  nevertheless,  the  Scriptures  mention  her  being  attacked by only  a  common  fever. On every  other  occasion,  we  never  find that they  had  recourse  to  our  Saviour,  but  to  raise  people  from  the grave, to  cure  paralytics,  restore  sight  to  the  blind,  and  hearing  to the  deaf,  from  their  birth:  in  a  word,  to  cure  diseases  incurable  by any  other  than  the  sovereign  Master  of  life  and  death. In this instance he  is  called  upon  to  restore  health  to  a  person  attacked  by a  simple  fever.

Whence comes  it  that  the  Almighty  power  is  employed  on  so slight  an  occasion? It is,  that  this  fever,  being  a  natural  image  of lukewarmness  in  the  ways  of  God,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  wished  to