Chapter XX.

Of The Power And Necessity Of Prayer, In These Holy Contemplations.

I will seek him whom my soul loveth.—Song of Sol. 3:2.

Since the living knowledge of God and of Christ crucified, is not to be attained, unless we keep our eye constantly fixed upon the innocent and holy life of Jesus Christ our Lord; and since we cannot arrive at this elevation of mind, but by devout, humble, believing and earnest prayer; it is, therefore, highly necessary to make some further inquiry into the nature of prayer. It consists not so much in an utterance of words, as in a meditation or intercourse of the believing heart with God, and in a lifting up of the soul, and of all her faculties and powers, to our Heavenly Father. Ps. 19:14; 25:1. As it is impossible to find God without prayer, so prayer is a means for seeking and finding him. Matt. 7:7, 8.

2. And as it falls under a threefold denomination, it being either oral, internal, or supernatural (according to St. Paul: “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also;” 1 Cor. 14:15); so we shall now consider each of these in order.

3. Oral prayer is an humble address to God, and an external exercise, which conducts the soul to the internal duty of prayer, and leads man into the interior recesses of his own heart; 235 especially if the words uttered be digested in faith, and if, by attentive application, they be well pondered and considered. This often proves a means of elevating the spirit and soul so near unto God, as to enjoy with faith a truly filial intercourse with Him, our heavenly Father.

4. Internal prayer is offered up without intermission, in faith, spirit, and mind, according to the words of our Saviour: “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4: 23); also those of David: “Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord.” Ps. 19:14. And again: “I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search.” Ps. 77:6. Hereby, says St. Paul (speaking of the Spirit of adoption), we cry, Abba, Father. Rom. 8:15. By this internal prayer, we are led on gradually to that which is supernatural; which, according to Tauler, “consists in a true union with God by faith; when our created spirit dissolves, as it were, and sinks away in the uncreated Spirit of God. It is then that all is transacted in a moment, which in words or deeds has been done by all the saints from the beginning of the world.” For this reason this supernatural prayer is unspeakably more excellent than that which is chiefly external; for therein the soul is by true faith so replenished with the divine love, that it can think of nothing else but of God only. Or if another thought should enter inadvertently into the heart, it proves but an occasion of trouble and sorrow; and the soul cannot be at ease till the intruding thought has again vanished. A soul that has once arrived at this happy state gives but little or no employment to the tongue: it is silent before the Lord: it panteth and thirsteth after God (Ps. 42:1, 2): it longeth, yea, even fainteth for him (Ps. 63:1; 84:2). It loves him only; it rests in him alone, not at all minding the world, nor worldly affairs. Whence it is still more and more filled with an experimental knowledge of God, and with such love and joy as no tongue is able to utter. Whatever the soul then perceives, is beyond all possibility of being expressed in words. If one should ask a soul under these contemplations: What dost thou perceive? the answer would be: A good that is above all good. What seest thou? A perfection of beauty, transcending all other beauty. What feelest thou? A joy surpassing all joys. What dost thou taste? The inexpressible delight of love. Nay, such a one would tell you that all the words that possibly could be framed, were but a shadow, and came infinitely short of the inward delight which was experienced. This is the voice of the eternal Word; this His speech to a loving soul; according to that saying of the Lord: “He that loveth me—I will manifest myself unto him.” John 14:21. Whatever is felt here, whatever is seen here, is above nature. Here voices are heard, and words perceived that are termed words of the understanding and the mind.

5. This is the school in which the soul learns to know God aright, and, as it were, to taste him. Ps. 34:8. Whilst she knows him, she loves him: and whilst she loves him, she longs for the full enjoyment of him. This is the true sign of love, to desire wholly to possess the beloved object, to be intimately united with, and altogether transformed into it.

6. This the soul now and then perceives in a glance, which lasts but for a moment, and then vanishes again; 236 but it puts the soul upon fervent desires, to recover, if possible, that beam of heavenly joy which darted upon her, and to regain this divine taste, which so lovingly moved her. And she desires all this, in order to be more intimately united to her beloved. From this affectionate desire spring up both internal and oral prayer; the soul being fully convinced that these heavenly pleasures and visitations are to be attained only by prayer. And in all this, the wonderful wisdom of God appears, by which everything is managed in the most perfect order.

7. Thus none is permitted to attain unto mental prayer, but he who begins with that which is oral; and none can have an access to the supernatural prayer, or to a union with the highest and most delightful Good, but by mental prayer. But this highest can only be known by an experimental perception, not expressible by words.

8. And this is the cause why God so strictly, so frequently, and so earnestly enjoins prayer (Ps. 50:14); because it is a sacred pledge and bond, by which God draws us up to himself; and by elevating us into his immediate presence, detains us there a while, and unites us with himself, who is the source of all that is good. And thus we are always reminded of him; without this gracious order, we would think less frequently on him, and would not share in the gifts of his mercy.

9. If, therefore, thou desirest that thy prayer be acceptable to God, see that thou perform it not with a divided, but with a whole and entire heart. But this is not to be attained, except by frequent exercise and continual and unwearied application. Without this, thou canst not reap the fruits of prayer. On the contrary, as often as thou givest attendance to any external work, take care that thou set not thy heart wholly upon it. If thou eatest and drinkest, or attendest to any other outward affair incident to this life, see that thou bestow not thyself, that is, thy whole heart, upon it. For thy heart is to rest entirely in God alone, and closely to adhere to him by internal prayer. The more thou offerest up thyself to God by this prayer, the more will the divine light display itself in thy mind. And again, the more the knowledge of God is enlarged, the more delightful will be thy sense and perception of the highest good; the more ardent also and affectionate will be thy love to the Lord; and in fine, the more capable wilt thou be of enjoying him. The soul thus disposed will in a supernatural manner taste of a happiness so high and transcendent as infinitely to exceed all the language and expressions of men.

10. Of this threefold prayer, Jesus Christ himself has furnished us with a bright and perfect pattern, whence we may learn the nature and method of it, if we but attentively consider his manner of praying. We find that he often continued whole days and nights in prayer to God. Luke 6:12. He prayed with a fervency that made him triumph in prayer, and rejoice in spirit. Luke 10:21. He has, therefore, both by example and words, taught us the method of praying; and leaving us a pattern to follow, has commanded us to watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation. Matt. 6:9. He also most frequently recommends to us the duty of prayer (Matt. 26:41); thereby testifying that nothing was more pleasing, nothing more acceptable to him than our prayer; he having enjoined it for no other reason than to show 237 us how entirely he loved us, and how desirous he was that by prayer we should partake of the highest and most precious good.

11. Lest, however, we should allege that so noble an effect as that which results from a due performance of prayer was not attainable by us, the Lord did not think it enough to say: “Ask,” but he has encouraged us also with a promise annexed: “And ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24. He moreover excites us to pray by his own example, for amid his sufferings he prayed for us, as the Evangelist records: “For being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44.

12. Set, therefore, this mirror of prayer before thine eyes, and study to persevere therein. Whenever thou feelest thyself faint and weak in prayer, then seriously advert to thy Lord Jesus Christ, who prayed not for himself, or upon his own account, but for thee and upon thy account, and thus sanctified thy prayer and blessed it, and added life and efficacy to it. Him, therefore, behold, who, though he was true God, and consequently in actual possession of all things, yet as man, obtained for thee of his Heavenly Father, all things by prayer. And hence as his whole life was a continual and uninterrupted prayer, and a perpetual longing to do the will of God: so he finished it with praying upon the cross. Luke 23:46.

13. If then thy Lord and Saviour prayed so fervently upon thy account, and was heard; surely he will not suffer thy prayers to be poured forth in vain. Did he procure all things for thee by prayer? And thinkest thou that thou canst obtain the least blessing without it? Thou knowest that without divine grace, light, and knowledge, and, in fine, without faith, not one can be saved; but it is no less plain that these and all other graces can be obtained by prayer alone. It is the Lord whom thou must entreat by fervent prayer, so as to obtain from him faith, love, hope, humility, patience, the Holy Spirit, together with the whole train of Christian virtues, which he is both able and willing to give, as well as to strengthen in thy soul. It is He alone that createth them in the heart. But as he that hath them not, cannot give them, so the Lord, whose gift they are, will not give them without being asked.

14. If then thou art truly desirous of pouring out thy soul before the Lord in fervency of spirit, there is not a more ready and effectual means of doing this than with the eyes of thy mind to behold the mirror of the most meek and humble life of Christ: to keep thy eyes attentively fixed upon the poverty, the reproach and contempt, the griefs and sorrows, and the most ignominious death of thy blessed Redeemer. Into this Book of Prayer, if thou diligently look, thy heart and mind will become inflamed with most affectionate and ardent desires. And though the devil and the flesh will not cease to assault thee with temptations on all hands, yet, by means of prayer, they shall be subdued at last.

15. Nor is the duty of prayer only stirred up and revived by the contemplation of Christ crucified, but the heart is also cleansed thereby. Without this purification of the heart by faith (Acts 15:9), our prayers will prove altogether ineffectual in the sight of God: whereas, after a sincere application to the Lord by prayer, the Spirit of God is wont to visit the heart 238 with his gracious presence, as he descended upon the apostles, even then, when they were with one accord praying at Pentecost. Acts 2:1.

16. With reference to the temptations that are wont to attend the duty of prayer, thou must behave thyself under them as the Lord himself did. In the midst of the agony which he suffered on the mount of Olives, “he prayed the more earnestly.” Luke 22:44. Thus thy prayer shall prove at last the victory over all thy enemies. By prayer the Lord manifests himself unto his people. By prayer we learn to practise true humility; for by prayer the highest is united to the lowest; the most High God to the most humble heart. And this humility is the very channel through which abundance of divine grace is infused into the soul. The more this grace humbles man, the more grace itself gets rooted in the soul. And again, the more a soul is enriched with grace, the more she improves in humility.

17. The most considerable temptation and obstruction in prayer seems to be when God withdraws the grace of a fervent and lively devotion. And yet it is in this case that we ought the more to stir ourselves up to prayer and supplication. It is true, a prayer poured forth in a spirit of power and fervency must needs be acceptable to God; yet that which climbs up to the throne of grace in affliction, temptation, spiritual dryness, and brokenness of soul, is still more pleasing in his sight. For as the heart of a father is sooner softened into paternal tenderness, by the trembling words of a sick and languishing child, than by the strong voice of one in perfect health; so is the secret affliction, and feeble effort of a soul affected with a sense of her weakness in faith, of her poverty in spirit, and of her want of spiritual life and comfort, far more acceptable to our infinitely good God than the more vigorous petition of a soul elevated by a sense of faith and divine consolation. Only hold out patiently in these spiritual straits, and be assured that the Lord, in his own time, will certainly “restore unto thee the joy of his salvation.” Ps. 51:12.