Of the Five Partes of Praier. Cap. II
HERE I must aduertise the deuout Christian reader, that he must not spende all the whole tyme of this exercise, in meditation onelie: For before meditation, there maie goe two other partes of prayer, which be preparation, and readinge: and after the same, there maie followe other two, which be thankes geauinge, and petition. For the first thinge that we must doe herein, is, to prepare our hartes vnto this exercise: and then it shall doe well,1 to read those poyntes, that we intend to meditate vpon. And after the readinge,2 we haue to meditate vpon such thinges, as we haue read: the which beinge done,3 we maie then make an ende with some deuout geuinge of thankes vnto almightie God,4 for all his benefites: and with a petition,5 or demaund of al such thinges, as we shall thinke are necessarie both for our owne sowles, and for the sowles of our neighboures. Of which fiue partes, we minde godwillinge to treat hereafter more at large in their proper place. This diuision, and order maie be followed by them, that are as yet but yonge beginners, and nouices in this trade.
As for those, that haue had greater exercise, they stand not in so great neede, of these introductions and rules.
And it is to be noted, that the meditations that are here appoynted to be vsed at night, are first of all abridged into a briefe somme, wherein I haue set out in order the principall poyntes, that are to be considered in euerie one of them: (and afterwardes I haue added thereunto, a more large and ample declaration of all the same poyntes.) And this summarie abridgement I made, to the intente, that after they haue bene red ouer diuers tymes, they maie be the better vnderstode, and meditated vpon. True it is, that of the meditations vpon the holie passion, I haue not made the like abridgement at the beginninge of them, as I haue done of the others: because I iudge, that the text of the holie Euangelistes, which I haue there set before, maie suffice for that purpose.
And it is not needefull for vs at euerie tyme we go to meditation, to consider all the principall poyntes, that are there particularlie noted: but it shall suffise to take two, or three of them, moe, or lesse, according as the deuotion, and tyme, that euerie one hath,6, shall require. For certeinlie there is more profit taken by one misterie, or point, well thowght vpon, and dewlye considered: then by many that are sleightelie passed ouer in hast. Howbeit I thowght good, to note diuerse and sundrie poyntes, to the intent, that emonge so great varietie of considerations, euerie one might make his choise of such thinges, as might best serue his deuotion.
Footnotes
Chapter 7 of 29