Vol 01 - Chapter 05 - Of Prayer.
Chapter 05 - Of Prayer
l. Seeing the true knowledge of God and CHRIST crucified, is not to be attained, unless we keep oar eye constantly fixed upon the book of the innocent and holy life of Jesus CHRIST our Lord; and since, in order to this, a devout, humble, fervent, and earnest prayer is required; it is highly necessary to make some inquiry into the nature of prayer, which does not so much consist in an utterance of the words, as in a sweet intercourse of the heart with GOD, and in a lifting up of the soul and of all her faculties and powers to him. And this falls under a threefold denomination, being either oral, internal, or supernatural.
2. Oral prayer is an humble address to GOD, by an external exercise, using the soul gradually to the internal duty of prayer, and leading a man into the more interior recesses of his own heart; especially if the words outwardly uttered, by an attentive application of thee mind, be well pondered, and meditated upon. This proves often a means to bring our spirits so nigh unto GOD, as in filial confidence to entertain a sweet conference with our heavenly Father.
3. Internal prayer is offered without intermission, by the spirit, unto God in faith, according to that of our Savior, "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." And that of David, "Let the meditation of my heart be ever before thee." And again, commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search." Whereby, says St. Paul, speaking of the Spirit of adoption, " we cry, Abba, Father." And by this internal prayer, we are led on gradually to that which is supernatural, and consists in a true union with God by faith; when our created spirit dissolves, as it were, and sinks away in the untreated Spirit of God; and when all is transacted in a moment, whatever in words or deeds has been done and declared by all the saints from the beginning of the world: and for that reason is this supernatural prayer unspeakably more excellent than that which is external; for therein the soul is by true faith so replenished with Divine love, that it can think of nothing else but God. Or if, perhaps, another thought should slide unawares into the heart, it proves an occasion of great grief and trouble of the mind, and the soul cannot be at ease till the intruding thought be turned out again.
4. A soul once arrived at this' happy state, gives but little employment to the tongue: "it is silent to the Lord: it panteth after, and thirsteth for God: it longs, yea, even fainteth for him:" it loves him only, rests in him alone, not minding the world, nor any worldly affairs. Whence it is still more and more filled and possessed with an experimental, savoury knowledge of GOD, with love and joy, to such a degree as no tongue is able to express. For whatever the soul then perceiveth, is beyond all possibility of being explained by words. Insomuch, that if one should ask a soul wrapped up in these sublime contemplatious, What she thinks on, or what she perceives she would certainly answer, A Good that is above all good! What scest thou A Perfection of Beauty, transcending all created forms. What feelest thou A joy surpassing all joys. What dost you taste The inexpressible delights of love. Nay, such a one would tell you, that all the words that can be framed come infinitely short of the comprehensiveness of what was inwardly felt, and sweetly suffered; nothing but the actual sense and perception itself being capable to give a sound impression of it. This is the voice of the Eternal Word, and its discourse with a loving soul; according to that of the Lord, " He that loves me, I will manifest myself unto him." Whatever here is felt, whatever here is seen, is above nature. Here voices are heard, and words that are unspeakable; nor is it possible for a man to utter them.
5. This is the school wherein the soul learneth to know God aright, and, as it were, to taste him. Whilst she knows him, she loves him; and whilst she loves him, she affectionately longeth for a total enjoyment of him. For this is a most certain property of love, to desire wholly to possess the object beloved; to be intimately united with, and altogether transformed into it. From this affectionate desire springeth up both mental and oral prayer; the soul being fully convinced that these Divine visitations are not to be attained but by fervent prayer. And in all this, a wonderful wisdom of God appears, whereby every thing is managed in order and harmony, and the soul, by a gradual ascent, led up to the enjoyment of the greatest Good. Thus none is permitted to attain mental prayer, but he who begins with that which is vocal, and endeavors to blow up the coals of secret and internal prayer, by some external act and exercise. Again, none must have an access to the supernatural prayer, or to an union with the sublimest and most delightful Good, but by mental prayer. But these things can only be known by experimental perception, not expressed by words. And this is the true cause, why God so strictly, so frequently, and earnestly enjoins prayer; because it is a sacred pledge and bond by which God draws us up to himself; and by elevating us into his immediate presence, detaineth us there awhile, and unites us, as it were, to our first Original. If this prayer begin to languish at any time, then we lose, by little and little, the sweet remembrance of GOD, and deprive ourselves of all the unspeakable benefits that result from his most comfortable presence.
6. If therefore you wouldst rightly pray, see you do it not with a divided, but with thy whole heart. But this is not to be attained but by frequent exercise, and a continual and unwearied diligence. without this, you art never like to reap the fruits of prayer. On' the contrary, as often as you givest attendance to any external work, take care you set not thy heart upon it. If you eat, drink, or attend any other outward affair incident to human life, see that you bestow not thyself, that is, thy whole heart, upon it. Do it as if you didst it not: for thy heart is to rest entirely in God alone, and closely to adhere to him by mental and internal prayer; which cannot be done, except it be set free from the encumbrances of the world. The more you offerest thyself up to the Lord by prayer, the greater will be thy illumination. And again, the more the knowledge of God is enlarged in thy mind, the more endearing will be thy sense and perception of the highest Good; the more ardent also, the more tender and affectionate will be thy love to the Lord; and, in fine, the more capable wilt you be of enjoying him. Thy soul being thus disposed, shall, in a supernatural manner, taste of a happiness so high and transcendent, as infinitely exceeds all the words and expressions of men.
7. Of this prayer, Jesus CHRIST has set us a pattern, from whom we may learn the nature and method of it. For we find that he often « continued whole nights in prayer to GOD," praying with all fervency, from the very bottom of his soul; and in prayer triumphing and rejoicing in spirit. He has therefore, both by words and action, or example, taught us how to pray; leaving us a pattern to follow after, and commanding us to " watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation." He recommends also, most frequently, the duty of prayer, thereby to testify, that nothing was more pleasing to him than our prayer; having enjoined it for no other reason than to let us see how entirely he loved us, and how desirous he was that by prayer we should be made partakers of the greatest and most precious Good that ever was, or can be.
8. But lest we should pretend that so noble an effect, as results from a due performance of prayer, was not attainable by us, the Lord does not think it enough to have said, "Ask," but encourages us also with a promise annexed; " and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full;" exciting us moreover to pray by his own example, seeing the most exquisite sufferings did not extinguish in him, but rather blew up the ardour of his devotion: for " being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground." Set therefore this mirror of prayer before thine eyes, and learn to persevere therein. Whenever you beginnest to grow faint and weak in praying, turn seriously the eyes of thy mind upon thy Lord, who prayed not for himself, or upon his own account, but for thee, and upon thy account, and so sanctified thy prayer, blessed it, and added life and efficacy thereto. Him therefore behold, who, though he was true GOD, and consequently in actual possession of all things; yet, as he was man, he obtained for thee of his heavenly Father, all things by prayer. And hence was his whole life a continual and uninterrupted prayer, and a perpetual longing to do the will of God; which he finished, praying on the cross.
9. If therefore thy Lord prayed so fervently upon thy account, and was heard, then surely he will not suffer thy prayers to be poured forth in vain. Did he procure all things for thee by prayer, and thinkest you that without it you can obtain any blessing As it is plain that, without Divine grace, without light, without faith, not one can be saved; it is not less plain, that these and all other heavenly graces, can no otherwise be attained than by prayer. It is the Lord you must entreat, by fervent prayer, to obtain from him only faith, love, hope, humility, patience, the Holy Spirit, together with the whole train of gospel virtues, which he alone is able to bestow and strengthen in thy soul. It is he alone that infuses them into the heart. But as he that has them not cannot give them; so the Lord, whose gift they are, will not give them without being asked.
10. Now if you art truly desirous to pour out thy soul before the Lord in fervency of spirit, there is not a more ready and effectual means thereto than with the eyes of thy mind to behold the mirror of the most meek and most humble life of CHRIST: to keep, I say, thy eyes attentively fixed upon the poverty, the reproach and contempt, the grief, and sorrows, and the most ignominious death of thy blessed Savior. Into this book of prayer, if you diligently look, you shall perceive thy heart become inflamed with ardent desires. And though the devil and the flesh may not cease to assault thee with temptations on all hands, whilst you continuest faithful in these holy exercises; yet, by means of prayer, shall they be subdued at last. For after a sincere application to the Lord by prayer, the Spirit of God visits the heart with his gracious presence, as he descended upon the apostles, when they were with one accord praying at Pentecost.
11. As to temptations, that are wont to attend the duty of prayer, you must behave thyself under them as the Lord himself did; who, in the midst of his agony on mount Olivet, "prayed the more earnestly." Thus shall thy prayer prove at last- the means of victory over all thy enemies. By prayer does the Lord manifest himself unto his children: by prayer we learn to practice true humility: for it is by prayer the Highest; is united to the lowest; the most high God to the most. humble heart. And this humility is the inlet whereby plenty of Divine grace is infused into the soul. Now the more it humbleth a man, the more grace itself gets root in the soul. And again, the more a soul is enriched with grace, the more does she improve in humility.
12. The most considerable obstruction in prayer seems to be when God withdraws the grace of a fervent and lively devotion *. And yet in this case it is, that we ought to stir up ourselves the more carefully to prayer and supplication. For though indeed a prayer poured forth with a spirit of fervency be acceptable to God; yet is that which climbs up the throne of grace in affliction, spiritual dryness, and brokenness of soul, still more pleasing in his sight+. For as the heart of a father is sooner softened by the broken sighs and trembling words of a sick and languishing child, than by the strong voice and more ready utterance of one in perfect health; so is the secret affliction, and earnest, though weak effort of a soul truly affected with the sense of. her weakness, and of her want of spiritual life, more acceptable to our infinitely merciful Father, than the more vigorous petitions of a soul raised by a sense of faith, and abounding in consolation. Hold out but patiently in these spiritual straits, and depend upon it, the Lord, in his own time, will certainly "restore unto thee the joy of his salvation." *
Does God ever withdraw this unless we have, by some means, previously grieved his Holy Spirit + This is very questionable: it is nowhere taught us in the Scriptures. A PRAYER. MOST merciful Father, it is in great weakness I lift up my heart unto thee, and return unto thee humble thanks for thy heavenly convictions, wherewith you have been pleased to visit my soul, and to make me sensible both of my degenerate state of sin, and of my glorious descent and high pedigree. By this thy Divine visitation, I begin to see, that I am the lost sheep, so far gone astray from thy flock, and quite benighted in the howling wilderness of the world. I begin to perceive that I am that prodigal son who has wasted his substance with riotous living, and, after having left his own home, has taken his journey into a far country.
I am that unfaithful steward, that has spent his Lord's goods, and have never thought on the account I must give of my stewardship.' I am one of those that have been standing idle in the "market-place of a vain and unruly world, and never minded the call to go and to work in the vineyard. Look down, most gracious GOD, with an eye of pity, and let the great Restorer of our breaches, under the dispensation of thy gospel, continue the work which you have begun under the operation of thy law. I hear, though at a great distance, the call of my Shepherd, who has followed me wherever I have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day of my sin and apostasy.
O let me not only hear his voice, but follow it also; never minding again the voice of strangers. I begin to feel, with the prodigal son, the spiritual famine which overspreads all the faculties of my soul. I am entirely stripped of that garment of original righteousness, wherewith I was adorned at first. I have neglected the light of thy countenance, the guidance of thy counsel, the still voice of thy Spirit, whereby I might have been led into the path of life, and hack to my heavenly home. I have hardened myself against the sweet precepts of thy love, and submitted to the commands of sin, which, like art Egyptian task-master, lays unmerciful burdens upon rue. I have forfeited the true - freedom of mind, and am brought by sin into straitness, bondage, and slavery.
All this, most merciful Father, I am now sensible of! But though I find some weak efforts and desires to regain my liberty, yet, in the midst of my efforts, I sink down again into mire and misery, where there is no standing. I feel a ray of thy light shining forth upon my darkness, and a dawning of the day of salvation in the night of my corruption: yet since I have all along loved darkness rather than light, I cannot now cast off the works of darkness, nor put on the armour of light. I feel the healing power the Sun of Righteousness carrieth in his wings; but the diseases of my soul are so deep and infectious, that I do not know where to begin the cure. Let thy grace, O Lord, appear for my deliverance, and draw me to thy Son, the true Redeemer of those that groan under their bondage; the Light of those that are sensible of their darkness; and the Physician of all such as, feeling their disease, labor after a remedy. Let his blood cleanse and heal me; let his Spirit renew and comfort me; let his love constrain and chasten me; let his grace support and establish me; let his promises purify and perfect me! Let my faith victoriously triumph over sin, and over all the powers of hell and darkness, through him that loved me. Amen!