A quotation from Montaigne
God’s justice and His power are inseparable; ’tis in vain we invoke His power in an unjust cause. We are to have our souls pure and clean, at that moment at least wherein we pray to Him, and purified from all vicious passions; otherwise we ourselves present Him the rods wherewith to chastise us; instead of repairing anything we have done amiss, we double the wickedness and the offence when we offer to Him, to whom we are to sue for pardon, an affection full of irreverence and hatred. Which makes me not very apt to applaud those whom I observe to be so frequent on their knees, if the actions nearest to the prayer do not give me some evidence of amendment and reformation.
[Sa justice & sa puissance sont inseparables: Pour neant implorons nous sa force en une mauvaise cause: Il faut avoir l’ame nette, au moins en ce moment, auquel nous le prions, & deschargée de passions vitieuses: autrem
... Show more...A quotation from Montaigne
God’s justice and His power are inseparable; ’tis in vain we invoke His power in an unjust cause. We are to have our souls pure and clean, at that moment at least wherein we pray to Him, and purified from all vicious passions; otherwise we ourselves present Him the rods wherewith to chastise us; instead of repairing anything we have done amiss, we double the wickedness and the offence when we offer to Him, to whom we are to sue for pardon, an affection full of irreverence and hatred. Which makes me not very apt to applaud those whom I observe to be so frequent on their knees, if the actions nearest to the prayer do not give me some evidence of amendment and reformation.
[Sa justice & sa puissance sont inseparables: Pour neant implorons nous sa force en une mauvaise cause: Il faut avoir l’ame nette, au moins en ce moment, auquel nous le prions, & deschargée de passions vitieuses: autrement nous luy presentons nous mesmes les verges, dequoy nous chastier. Au lieu de rabiller nostre faute, nous la redoublons ; presentans à celuy, à qui nous avons à demander pardon, une affection pleine d’irreverence & de haine. Voyla pourquoy je ne louë pas volontiers ceux, que je voy prier Dieu plus souvent & plus ordinairement, si les actions voisines de la priere, ne me tesmoignent quelque amendement & reformation.]
Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 1, ch. 56 (1.56), “Of Prayers [Des prieres]” (1572–1580) [tr. Cotton/Hazlitt (1877)]
More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #montaigne #micheldemontaigne #divinejustice #divinepower #God #hatred #intercession #piety #prayer #purity #sin
God's justice and His power are inseparable; 'tis in vain we invoke His power in an unjust cause. We are to have our souls pure and clean, at that moment at least wherein we pray to Him, and purified from all vicious passions; otherwise we ourselves …
WIST Quotations