OF

JOHN BAPTIST MASSILLON

AND

LEWIS BOURDALOUE,

TWO CELEBRATED FRENCH PREACHERS.

ALSO,

A SPIRITUAL PARAPHRASE

OF SOME OF

The Psalms,

IN THE FORM OF

DEVOUT MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS.

BY J. B. MASSILLON.

TRANSLATED BY REV. ABEL FLINT,
Pastor of a Church in Hartford.

HARTFORD :

PRINTED BY LINCOLN AND GLEASON.

District of Connecticut, ss.

Be it remembered, that on the third day of August in the thirtieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, LINCOLN & GLEASON of the said District, Printers in Co. bare deposited in this Office the title of a Book the right whereof they claim as Proprietors in the words following,

viz.

"Sermons of John Baptist Massillon, and Lewis Bourdaloue, "two celebrated French preachers. Also, a Spiritual Paraphrase of some of the Psalms, in the form of Devout Meditations and Prayers. By F. B. Massillon. Translated by Rev. ABEL "FLINT, Pastor of a Church in Hartford."

"

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned." CHARLES DENISON.

46

Clerk of the District of Connecticut.

Connecticut ss. Office of District Clerk.

The foregoing is a true Copy of Record.

Attest,

CH. DENISON, Clerk.

PREFACE.

JOHN B. Massillon and Lewis Bourdaloue were two celebrated French preachers, who flourished the one in the beginning of the last, and the other at the close of the preceding century. Doctor Blair, in his Lectures on Elocution, speaks of them as follows: "Among the French Roman Ca"tholic divines, the two most distinguished "are Bourdaloue and Massillon. It is a "subject of dispute among the French crit❝ics, to which of these the preference is due, "and each of them have their several par"tizans. To Bourdaloue, they attribute "more solidity and close reasoning; to Mas"sillon, a more pleasing and engaging manBourdaloue inculcates his doctrines "with much zeal, piety, and carnestness. "Massillon has more grace, more sentiment, and in my opinion, every way more. genius. He discovers much knowledge "both of the world and of the human heart; "he is pathetic and persuasive; and upon "the whole, is perhaps, the most eloquent "writer of sermons which modern times "have produced."

"ner.

The Translator, from the account given of these preachers by Doctor Blair, and others

who had read their writings, was induced, some years since, to procure them; and for his own instruction and amusement, he translated several sermons of each of these authors, and also part of a work of Massillon, entitled a spiritual Paraphrase of some of the Psalms. Some of these Translations he now offers to the public.

The two first Sermons in this volume were preached by Massillon to a Synod, and the third to a number of young ministers, at a College. Some of the observations in these discourses may not be applicable to the Clergy of this country; but the gener al strain of them is applicable to all the ministers of Christ, and in them they will see many parts of their duty strikingly inculcated, and ministerial faithfulness urged by weighty motives. The necessity of zeal and engagedness in their work, the charac teristics of true ministerial zeal, and, the spirit of the ministry, are here illustrated with great force and beauty.

The fourth Sermon by Massillon, and the fifth by Bourdaloue, are upon a common though all will acknowledge a very important subject. The closing scene of life is a very interesting period in man's existence, and one on which every person ought fre quently to meditate.

The sixth Sermon, by Bourdaloue, is up

on Spiritual Blindness, and it is thought will afford instruction to the attentive reader.

The Paraphrase of some of the Psalms was written by Massillon in the latter part of his life, and, as the Editor of the original work observes, "It is to be regretted that "he did not in this way go through the "whole Book of Psalms. There is perhaps "no work which, in a more striking manner, exhibits the emotions of the heart, "when lamenting past sins, or when, having renounced the world and its false blessings, it acknowledges that being created "for God, it can find consolation and happiness only in God."

Respecting this Paraphrase the original Editor further observes," It is not a Com"mentary upon the Psalms; it is neither "the historical nor the prophetical sense "which the Author pretends to explain. It "is not, properly speaking, a Paraphrase ; "for a Paraphrase adds nothing to the text "when it is clear, it only endeavors to ren"der obscure passages more clear by add"ing to them. But the object of Massil"lon was to furnish models for prayer and "devout meditation. Taking a verse or

part of a verse, and sometimes more than "one verse, as a theme, he pursues a train "of reflections adapted to the subject." In some instances these reflections may