The Christians Guide to Devotion, Part 4 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The fourth particular help to Devotion; The uſe of Prayer.
I Do not deſign here to make any Commendation of Prayer, nor to diſplay all it's Uſes; which both the Antients and Moderns have done very Amply. I ſhall only ſay, that 'tis one of the ſureſt means to purifie the Soul; ſince there is no Action whereby we approach nearer to God, no time wherein he communicates himſelf more to us. He hath been very often obſerv'd to give his Extraordinary inſpirations in Prayer. In praying St Peter fell into an Extaſie, Paul was raviſht to the third Heaven; Cornelius in his Prayers receiv'd the Viſion of an Angel: Monica St Auſtin's Mother after her Prayers and Tears for the Salvation of her Son, had in her dream that excellent Revelation of his Converſion. An Angel tells her, Afflict not thy ſelf, thy Son is with thee. As God is the Sun of our Soul, and jets his beams perpendicularly into our Hearts, he muſt neceſſarily clarifie and heat them; he diſperſes the vapours of the Inferiour part and draws his own Image there. Now this Communication of the Raies of Grace is never made more than in Prayer.
I ſhall not ſtay to examine any further the Conditions with which Prayers ſhould be made to be Devout: it's already ſhown enough, that they ought to be Attentive, Perſevering and Ardent: I ſhall only give here two Advices, the one to avoid Wearineſs, the other to avoid Diſtraction. Firſt I ſay, that few Souls are capable of long Prayers: For to render a Prayer perfectly devout there's need of an extreme Contention of Mind, an extraordinary Elevation, and an entire looſening ones ſelf from the World. Now theſe Actions do a kind of Violence to the Soul, which naturally tends to a releaſing of it ſelf; and therefore they cannot be of any long Continuance. If we give no relaxation to the Heart, it takes it, and rambles ſome where or other in ſpite of our teeth: ſo as I would have the exerciſes of Devotion to be long, tho divided into little ſpaces of time; that they have many parts, and each of 'em be ſhort. Devotion is compoſed of three principal Acts, Reading, Meditation, and Prayer: each of theſe need not be done preſently, ſo as to follow one another, but they may be mingled: for we muſt allow ſome grains to the Souls Weakneſs, and we muſt keep it from diſguſt by variety: A little reading may be the firſt degree of it's Elevation; a little meditation on that reading will lift it a degree higher; and after the reading and meditation, a ſhort Prayer will lead it to the higheſt degree of forgetting the World: after which, it will return wholly new to reading and Meditation in the ſame order. In Prayer, it will fly through the Air by the force of its own Wings: and, at its return to reading, it will do like thoſe Birds, that, weary with flying, come to repoſe themſelves, not on the Earth, but ſome very high Tree of their own choice; ſo our devout Soul will come to reſt it ſelf, not by falling on the Earth, for 'twill never ſet foot there, nor permit the mind to return to the World; but it will continue elevated upon the Props of the holy Prophets and Apoſtles; Ʋr and Aaron will ſuſtain it, lifted up towards the Heaven, and from thence taking its flight, it will by little and little riſe upon the Wings of Meditation, untill it return by Prayers whither it was firſt lifted up. This method, undoubtedly, will give it time to renew its ſtrength; it cannot hold out long, if its courſe be puſh'd on to the utmoſt of its vigour; but by taking breath, and marching fairly on from time to time, it will make a very great advance in a day.
The other Direction I would give, regards thoſe, who having not been buſied about the operations of the Mind, are leſs proper for the great Elevations. Theſe People ordinarily make their Devotions in Prayers pronounced by heart; from which way Diſtractions are almoſt inſeparable. Theſe I would counſel to endeavour to untye themſelves from Words, and hold only to the Senſe. I do not mean, that in their Family-Prayers they ſhould diſpenſe themſelves from their Forms: I know very well that all the World has not the gift of forming their thoughts, and putting them into an order which may edifie the Publick; but for the Devotions of the Cloſet, they are rather to be made by Heart than by the Tongue. When the Imagination does not make ſome endeavour for the production of its Thoughts and the choice of its Words, in following the beaten Road, which it fears not to loſe; it never fails of going ſomewhither elſe, as having nothing to do in the place where we would retain it: but when it gives Attention to the manner in which is neceſſary to expreſs the things which the Heart has conceiv'd, the Heart and the Imagination uniting their Forces make up a compleat Attention. I cannot endure to hear ſome ſay, That all the World is not capable of compoſing: all are not able to compoſe for Men, but to compoſe for God they are able. Let us make never ſuch Efforts to ſpeak well, we ſtammer in the Mouth before the Lord: and with relation to God, there can be no other difference betwixt the moſt eloquent and him that is leaſt ſo, than between one Child and another. God underſtandeth all Languages and all Stiles; he requires no Order nor Elegance; the moſt confuſed Thoughts, that come in a Crowd from the Heart, are often moſt pleaſing to him: he hears the Sighs of the Dumb, he knows what we deſire better than we can ſpeak or oftentimes conceive: for, The Spirit of God, as St. Paul ſays, maketh Interceſſion for us with Groanings, which cannot be uttered. After all, there are none but know what they want, and by conſequence, none but can pray; for, Prayer is nothing but a weaving of Deſires for thoſe things which we ſtand in need of for the preſent Life, the Salvation of the Soul, and the Life to come. The Paſſions are eloquent, and the Imagination is warmed by its ſympathy with the Heart; wherefore, thoſe Perſons that excuſe themſelves upon the ſmallneſs of their Light, when they are inflamed with Choler never want Words: and certainly, if their Heart be heated with the Fire of Devotion, the Imagination will be very ſenſible of it, and they cannot complain of want of Thoughts or Expreſſions.
Meditation.
THou haſt never well compriſed, O my Soul, how much honour thy God does thee in permitting thee to caſt thy ſelf at his Feet; thou art not ſenſible of this Favour. Thou believeſt that God does owe thee it for that thou wilt humble thy ſelf before him. Thou remembreſt not how dear and ſcarce are the Audiences before the Kings of the earth, which yet are in the preſence of God but a Shadow, a Nothing. The King of Kings is pleaſed to lend his ear to thee, to hear thee, to ſuccour thee; his Throne is acceſſible at all times. To approach thither there is no need either of Favour or Friends, or Credit, or painful Sollicitations, or troubleſome Attendings: notwithſtanding, what is that Throne, and how great its Magnificence and Glory! Thereon God is ſeated, environed with a Light whoſe luſtre dazles the eyes of Seraphims; all around millions of Angels and Arch-Angels falling upon their Faces: on the right hand Rivers of Milk and Honey, which his Children drink of; on the left are Torrents of Fire to devour his Adverſaries; on the one ſide is Hell and Death, and the dreadful Miniſters of Divine Vengeance, and on the other Heaven and Paradiſe, with the glorious Rewards which God prepares for thoſe whom he loves. Thou doſt not ſee this, O my Soul, and therefore thou art the leſs touch'd; but thou oughtſt to believe it though the Veil of thy Fleſh rob thee of the fight. Therefore repreſent to thy ſelf the Magnificence of that Throne, tremble, admire, and be fill'd with Gratitude; for that being corrupted by the Commerce thou haſt with a miſerable Body, abiding in an Houſe of Clay, and having thy Seat in the Duſt, thou canſt, nevertheleſs, at all times with liberty preſent thy ſelf before him who ſits upon the Cherubims, who flies upon the Wings of the Wind, who maketh his Angels Spirits, and his Miniſters a Flame of Fire. Thou haſt the permiſſion to pray, but thou knoweſt not how to pray, and that becauſe thou knoweſt not to love. One intimate Friend never wants things to diſcourſe on to another: when our Heart is perfectly opened to any one, and we have received his Soul into our Breaſt, we are never ſhort. Alas, my Soul! If thou lovedſt thy God perfectly thou wouldſt be never weary with entertaining him; never would thy Imagination be congealed, thy Tongue remain ſpeechleſs, or thou want Words; thy Mouth would pour it ſelf forth like a Torrent, and thy Prayers would roul like a Flame: but thou languiſheſt in thy Prayers, ſince thou doſt not ſpeak to God as thy neareſt and beſt Friend; the barrenneſs of thy Heart comes from the coldneſs of thy Love.
Prayer.
O Holy Spirit, which art Love it ſelf in the most adorable Trinity, O Spirit of Prayer, make Interceſſion for me with dumb interrupted Groans, and ſuch as cannot be exprest. Teach me how I ought to pray. I know almost what ought to be the Matter of my Prayers, but I am ignorant how to give them their form. I feel in my ſelf a Chaos of confuſed Thoughts and Motions, which I cannot unmixe or diſentangle: the Light is found blended with Darkneſs, worldly with heavenly thoughts. O holy ſpirit, which at the world's beginning didſt in the like Chaos draw Light out of Darkneſs, and Order out of Confuſion, ſtretch forth thy wings upon the wavering waters of my thoughts, and hatch them into well conceiv'd, formed, and digeſted Prayers. Thou makeſt the dumb to ſpeak, and giveſt Eloquence to thoſe that are ſlow of speech: Touch my Tongue with a coal from thy Altar, that my Lips may be purified, my mouth opened, and I may declare thy Praiſes. Warm my heart, and fill it with devout and pious thoughts, that from the abundance of my heart my mouth may ſpeak. And thou, O Lord Jeſus, the Mediator of the new Covenant, our great High-Prieſt, receive my Prayers as Incenſe, and carry them before that adorable Throne upon which thy Father ſitteth; make them to ſmoke before him; make them a ſweet ſmelling Odour of Atonement; that theſe calves of my Lips may be acceptable to him: and becauſe my Offerings are imperfect, cover them with thy perfect Righteouſneſs; obtain, through thy Inteceſſions, what my Prayers alone would never obtain.