OF THE FRVITE WHICH WE reape by Praier and Meditation. CHAP. I
FOR so much as this litle treatise speaketh of Praier and Meditation, it shal be good, in the beginning thereof, to laie downe in few wordes the fruite which is reaped by this holie excercise, to th'end that men may with a more frank & free hart giue them selues to the same.
It is a thing most euident, that one of the greatest impediments & letts, which man hath to hinder him from his last felicitie and blisse, is the euil inclination of his soule, and the difficultie and tediousnes which he feeleth in doing good: in so much that, if this difficultie were not, it should be a most easie thing for him to runne the waie of vertues, and to obteine the end for which he was created. 1 And therfore the Apostle said. I am delighted with the law of God according to the inward man: but I see an other law in my membres, repugning to the law of my mind, and captiuing me in the law of sinne. This is then the most general reason that can be giuen of all our euil.
But now to quite our selus of this tediousnes & difficultie, & to make this affaire most easy, one of the things that most helpeth and furthereth is deuotion. 2 For, as S. Thomas saith deuotion is no thing els, but a promptnes & readines to woorke wel, which quiteth our sowle of al this difficultie and tediousnes, and maketh vs quick and nimble to all good. For deuotion is a spiritual refection, a ref[…]esshing and dew of heauen, a blast and breathing of the holie Ghost, and a supernatural affection, which so cōforteth, forceth, and transformeth or changeth a mans hart, that it geueth him a new tast & desire of spiritual things: and a new disgust and hatred of things that be sensual. And this dailie experience teacheth vs: for when a spirituall person cōmeth from anie deepe & deuou[…] praier, it is then that all his good purposes and desires be renued: then be al his feruors and determinations to dooe good: then he desireth to please and loue so good and so sweete a lord, as God there shewed him self to be: and to endure new labours & paines, and, that which is more, to spend his blood for him: and then finallie is renued and florisheth the fireshnes of our sowle.
And yf thou ask me, by what means we com to obtaine this so mightie and noble affection of deuotion: to this answereth the same holie Doctor aforenamed saying, that it is atteined by meditation and cōtemplation of heauenlie things, for that from the deepe meditation and consideration of them, riseth and springeth vp this affection and feeling in the wil, which we call deuotion, and which inciteth and moueth vs to all good. And therfore is this holie and religious exercise so highlie praised, & commended of al Saincts, because it is a meane to obtaine denotion, which, although it be but one vertue, maketh vs fit and moueth vs to al other vertues, and is as it were a generall spurre for them all. And yf thou desire to see how true this is, consyder how plainlie S. Bonauenture layeth it downe in these woords folowing.
If thow wilt suffer with patience what soeuer aduersities and miseries of this life be a man of praier. 3 If thou wilt obtaine force and strength to ouercom the tentations of the enemie, be a man of praier. If thou wilt mortifie thine owne wil, with[…]her euil appetites and passions, be a man of praier. If thou wilt throughlie know the wilines and subtiltie of the diule, and keepe thy self from his snares and deceits, be a man of praier. If thou wilt liue merelie in the seruice of God and passe on the waie of laboure and affliction with sweetenes and contentement of mind, be a man of praier. If thou wilt exercise thy self in a spiritual kind of life, 4 and not make prouision for the flesh in cōcupiscences, be a man of praier. If thou wilt driue owt of thy mind th'importunat flies of vaine cares and thoughts, be a man of praier. If thou wilt nourish thy sowle with the fatnes and marow of deuotion, and haue it alwais full of good cogitations and holy desires, be a man of praier. If thou wilt fortifie thy heart, in the good pleasure of God, with a stout courage and stedfast purpose, be a man of praier. Finallie, If thou wilt roote out al vices of thy soule, and set vertues in their places, be a man of praier, because in it is receaued the vnction of the holie Ghost, which teacheth our soule al things that be needfull. Moreouer if thou wilt mount vp to the height and top of contemplation, and enioye the sweete embracings of the spowse, exercise thy self in praier, because this is the way by which the sowle climmeth vp to the contemplation and tast of celestial things. Thou seeest then of what force and vertue praier is. And for the greater proofe of al that hath ben said, setting aside the testimonie of holie scripture, let this suffise for the present, that we haue heard and seene, and see dailie by experience manie simple and vnlearned persons, whoe by the vertue of praier haue obteined al the forsaid things, and manie greater also. Hitherto be the woords of S. Bonauenture. What treasure then, I praie yow, can be founde more riche, or what marchants shoppe better furnished with al sort of goods, then this? But hearken what an other holie and religious Doctor Laurentius Iustinianus saieth to this purpose, speaking of the self same matter.
By reason of vnspotted praier (saith he) the soule is clensed from sinne; the affection is comforted; 5 Charitie is nourished; the appetite of loue is increased; Faith is certified; Hope is strengthned; the spirite reioiceth; the bowels tremble; the heart is pacified; fiar is kindled; truth is discouered; tentatiō is put to slight; heauines is cast of; the senses ar renued; the strength which was weakened, is repaired; feruor is stirred vp; luke warmnes is abandoned; the rustines of vices is consumed; and in the same exercise the liuelie sparcles of heauenlie desires doe shine brightlie, and the flame of godlie loue groweth vp more and more. For the vndefiled praier of the soule is borne vppe with manie prerogatiues of merites, and is adorned with the beautie of manie spiritual priuileges, and with other principal vertues. In so much that the heauens stand alwais open to praier: to it be discouered and reueiled secretes: and the hearing of God is at all times attentiue to the same. This therfore maie be sufficient for the present to make vs in som manner to see the fruite of this holie exercise.
Footnotes
Chapter 4 of 23