Of the three chiefe and principall fruites of Prayer

BUT albeit those reasons before mentioned seme very strong and wel able to moue the mindes of men to prayer, yet are there many slowe, dull, and vnapte to perfo[…]rme this bonde of duetie. The chiefe cause why, is, because the[…] do not tast nor sauour the pleasauntnes which many vertuous deuout men, many times do feele in prayer. And they wyll saye, that wyllyngly they woulde pray, so as they myght once taste of the sweetenes whiche they here some other do finde in prayer. But these men remē ber not, that the sweetenes of prayer can not be had where praier is not, & therfore to be obteyned by frequent vse therof before, & than afterward they may assuredly loke for the pleasant sweetenes which groweth therby. And in dede it is ye long vse & dayly continuance of prayer, which bringeth forth this delight aforesaid in ye mynde of man, lyke as long continued walkyng both breede vnto the bodye, warmth and heate. For lyke as he that goeth a whyle vp and downe, and walketh forwarde and backewarde, here and there, after some motion of his body, at the last feeleth heate: euen so after that a man hath long vsed and acquainted him selfe with prayer, there groweth in his soule a certayne spirituall sweetenes and heauenly delectation, wherewith he is beyonde measure rauished and pleased. But albeit that euery manne that prayeth, attayneth not in his prayer to this pleasauntnes,¹ yet is he not vtterly frustrate and voyde of other fruites and great commodities, whiche he may gether by prayer. For there be three sortes of fruites principallye growyng vnto man by prayer. And the first is the merite it selfe, whiche God hath promysed to graunt for prayers sake. The seconde is the obtaynyng the thyng whiche we earnestly desyre in our prayer. And the thirde is the feelyng of that wonderfull sweetenes whiche groweth to many men in the tyme of theyr prayer: whiche three kindes of fruites be so dyuers, that a man may easyly obtayne the fyrst of them, wantyng both the last. For a man may by prayer, procure fauour and rewarde at Gods hande, and yet not obtayne the thyng whiche in his prayer he requireth. As Sainct Paule confesseth him selfe, to haue prayed thrise vnto god,² to take from hym the concupiscence, or rebellion of his fleshe, wherwith he was gre[…]uously afflicted, and obtayned not his request therein: And yet it is certayne and sure, that he loste not the rewarde and merite of his good and godlye prayer. Agayne, the two fyrst maye both be had, and the thyrde yet not obtayned, as whan we see many whiche make humble request to God for the forgeuenes of theyr sinnes, obteyne both pardon of God, whiche they require, and besydes that, are assured of the rewarde at Gods hande (for that God workes accordyng to his promyse) and for all this, are not alwayes refreshed with the spirituall ioy and pleasure of theyr soule. of perfect charitie, that is to say, he that is alredy by charitie in the grace and fauour of almightie God, whan he prayeth. And therefore whosoeuer desyreth not to be defrauded of this reward, hath first to care and labour diligently that charitie haue fyrst roote in his hart and soule, whiche beyng so, than is not onlye his prayer to be iudged meritorious, but also euery other dede he doth, proceeding from the same roote and foundation. And the more it hath of charitie, the greater muste the merite be. As thus: They are most worthy rewarde at the hande of God, that most earnestly pray vnto hym for the well doyng of theyr enemyes, and euyll wyllers, forasmuche as that kynde of prayer procedeth of so high a degree of Christian charitie. And therefore it shall be expedient for hym that loketh for any suche rewarde of his prayer, to studye specially not to want perfect charitie, that is to say, to be whan he prayeth in the fauour of god, and state of grace, the whiche thing as great as it is, yet may it be moste easyly of euery man obteyned, be he neuer so greeuous a synner, as Saint Chrisostome doth at large affirme, wrytyng vpon the Gospel of Saint Iohn, saying thus: That man which desireth to be in that state, let him but repent and retourne from synnes, purpose assuredly with himselfe to leade a newe lyfe in folowing of Iesus Christ, and he is euen than of a synner made ryghteous, and hath this charitie so acceptable to God, and consequently (beyng thus iustified) prayeth in the fauour of God and state of grace. Whiche saying of Saint Chrisostome maye well be confirmed by the Prophete Ezechiell, who from the mouth of God hym selfe promiseth,³ that in what houre soeuer a sinner shall mourne in hart for his sinne and euyll lyfe, all the same wyll God couer with obliuion, and no more remember them to punishe the same. Omnium iniquitatem eius non recordabor. I wyll not (sayth the Prophete in the person of God) remember agayne or take vengeaunce of any of his sinnes. But we may be sure, and must beleue, that synnes are by none other meanes blotted out and remoued from the syght of God and his remembraunce, but by the gyftes of his grace & perfect charitie. By the meanes of the which, it is wrought, that the sinner whiche is returned and fledde from his sinne, that is to say, which is hartyly and truely penitent for his former euyll lyfe, beyng nowe whollye brought to humble obedience vnto the wyll of Chryst, is truely iudged to be nowe placed in the state of grace and charitie. Wherefore, forasmuche as repentaunce and amendement of our former euyls, and the […] and chaunge of our olde lyfe, dependeth partly of our owne wyll, whiche is free to euery man, and partly of the helpe of the grace of God, whiche is denyed to no man, but hym that hath not that good wyll and desire aforesayde, to […]aue the same: it shalbe very easy for euery sinner, by those meanes, euen in a moment, to be made of a sinner, iust and ryghteous, so as he effectually wyll and intende the same, and therewith repose a stedfast hope in the mercy and goodnes of God. And therefore, whosoeuer, intendyng to pray, eftsones renueth and refresheth his fayth in Christ Iesus, and detestyng the fylthynesse of his former lyfe, purposeth with hym selfe from thencefoorth to abstayne from synne, and to do all other thynges accordyng to the wyll and commaundement of God and his Churche, he maye vndoubtedly be accompted in the state of charitie and the grace of god, and shal not want the fruite of his prayer, that is to say, such merite as shall accordynglye be recompenced and rewarded in euerlastyng felicitie.

Thus muche hytherto haue we sayde of the first fruite of prayer.

vseth it, neyther yet to ascribe vnto it selfe, that by it selfe eyther this key, or this nayle was made and fashioned, but only by the Smyth, vsyng the hammer as his toole and instrument. Euen so is it not lawfull for vs to dispute blasphemously agaynst God, that of our selues, or of our owne power we haue done these workes, but only by the ayde, helpe and workmanship of his grace, by the which he rayseth and lyfteth vs vp to do any good deede, lyke as the Smyth doth his hammer to frame his worke, and by vs as his instrumentes he bryngeth to passe this his worke in vs. And therfore we are all bounde to render continuall thankes to almyghtie God, with all the humilitie and meekenesse we be able, that he vouchsaueth to vse vs as his instrumentes in the doyng of these good workes, whereas yf it so had pleased his goodnesse, he myght and were able to worke the same by any other, and peraduenture so much the more fruitefully, as those other myght be more apt, redy, and pliaunt to the execution of the work of God than we be. But whan a man hath with this consideration, in all humilitie deiected hym selfe in the syght of the maiestie of God, it is further very necessarie, that he do diligently examine and weygh with hym selfe, what it is that he intendeth to require of God in his supplication and prayer, lest perhappes his requeste be hurtefull vnto hym selfe, and such a peticion no man ought to loke for at Gods hande. For almightie God who is of his owne nature most gracious and well wyllyng to man, can not graunt to his beseacher and suppliaunt his suite and request, where as it is knowen vnto his diuine wysedome, that the same shalbe hurtfull and peryllous vnto hym that requireth the same. And we be assured that God knoweth all those thynges aswell that be or maye be hurtfull vnto vs, as those that be or may be expedient and profitable, before we require the same. And therefore we do not at all tymes obteyne of GOD the thynges whiche we do requyre, speciallye whan he seeth that our rerequestes tende to our owne h[…]r[…]e and destruction. There is also a third thing required to […] this fruite aforesaid, that is to say, that the thyng whiche we require of God, apperteyne vnto our selues. For albeit that we be bounde to pray for our neyghbours, yet are we not alwayes harde when we praye in that sort, and specially […]s touchyng the fruite which we nowe be in hande withall: fo[…] that man for whō we re[…]uire any thyng at the hande of God, is perhappes eyther vnworthy to receiue that grace and […]vour from God, or els the thing it selfe is nothing necessary for his owne health and well doyng. Neuerthelesse, yf for those causes we do not obteine the thing which we require, yet is not our prayer vtterly vnprofitable, nor wholly voyde of merite, for he can not but deserue wel that prayeth so: Lyke as the Prophete saith,⁴ Oratio […] in sinu meo conuertetur. My prayer (sayth he) shalbe turned agayne into myne owne bosome, which is as much as yf he had sayde: Uerylye my prayer which I make for others, yf it profite not them, yet shal it not be voyde of all fruite and commoditie, for I know that at the least it shall turne vnto mine owne merite, the profite therof shal come to me, and my prayer shall returne with gayne, into myne owne hart & bosome. Therefore yf the prayer of any man be grounded vpon the pyller of humilitie, & be exhibited vnto God, for his owne comfort, reliefe & necessitie, and require nothyng hurtefull or vnconuenient for hym selfe, let hym proceede and go forwarde in the name of our Lorde God, whosoeuer he be thus affected, nothyng mistrustyng, but the thyng whiche he in this wyse humbly requireth, he shal graciously obteyne, nothyng mistrustyng I say, because Saint Iames doth promise so, saying: Postulet in fide, ⁵ nichil besitans & dabitur ei. Let hym (sayth he) require in a faith not waueryng nor doutfull, and his request shalbe graunted vnto hym. And lykewyse our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell sayth thus.⁶ Quicquid orantis, petitis, credite quia accipietis, & fiet vobis. What thyng soeuer ye require by prayer, beleue that ye shall obteyne it, and your desire shalbe perfourmed. And nowe this shall suffise for the declaration of the seconde fruite of prayer, and howe and by what meanes we may obteyne the same.