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Of Preparation, which is a thinge verie requisite to be vsed before praier, and meditation. CAP. V

NOW it shalbe requisite for vs to treate particularly of euerie one of these fiue partes aforesayde, and first of Preparation, which ought to goe before the others.

We sayde euen now that it was needefull to vse some preparation of our minde before we enter into prayer.1 This preparation maye be made diuers maners of waies. For a man maye dispose him selfe vnto prayer by callinge to minde his synnes, and offences, and namely such sinnes as he hath committed that present daie, and he maie accuse him selfe of thē, and desire of our Lorde pardō for them, according to the sayeinge of the Wise man. The iust man at the beginninge is an accuser of him selfe.

This maner of Preparation seemeth to be as it were the pullinge of of our hose and shooes to enter into the holie lande, and as it were the washinge of our garmentes to goe to receiue almightie God, when he commeth to treate with men, and to teache them his holie lawe. This maner of preparation we are taught to vse euen by nature it selfe. For we see it is a cō mon maner, that when we goe to request anie benefite of anie frende of ours whom we haue offended, we doe first desire him of pardon, and forgeuenes, before we demaūde any other thinge of him. This maie be done sometimes with the harte onely, and sometimes by sayeinge the general confession, Confiteor Deo, &c. or the psalme: Miserere mei Deus: 2 or some other like praiers. Wherein good heede must be taken, that these praiers be not saide in post hast, but with as great quietnes, attention, feelinge, and repentance of harte as we can.

Howbeit a man ought not to staie ouer longe in this consideration of his sinnes, (as some persons doe, that both beginne and ende herewith, yea and passe all their whole lyfe therein). For albeit this consideration of our synnes be alwaies good, (and at the beginninge very necessary) yet it is meete that it be taken with such moderation, as that it occupie not that time which shoulde be bestowed about other better matters. Neither is it needefull in this exercise for a man to consider very particularly his sinnes, and namely such as the remēbraūce whereof maie moue him to some euill cogitations: But it is sufficient to make as it were a bundell of them all, and to drowne them in the bothomles Sea of the infinite goodnes and mercie of almightie God, with good hope to receiue pardon and remedie of them from the same.

3 We maie also prepare our selues vnto prayer, by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of that Lorde vnto whom we goe to speake in praier. For this consideration will teach vs, with what great reuerence, and humilitie, and with how great attention, it behooueth such a miserable creature as man is, to speake vnto a lorde of so great maiestie as almightie God is, concerninge a matter of so great importance as is his owne saluatiō. But that thou mayst vnderstande somewhat of the maiestie of almightie God, thou must consider that the heauens, the earthe, and all that is created, is no more before the maiestie of almightie God,4 than a litle emyte, or (as the Wise man saieth) a grayne of weight in the balance. Now if all creatures be no more than an emite before him, what shalt thou then seeme to be before him, that arte so smalle a parte of the whole?

This consideration of the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God is as it were a profounde reuerence, that the sowle maketh within it selfe before the throne of that supreme maiestie, at what tyme she entereth into his pallace to speake with him.5 With this maner of humilitie and reuerence the Sonne of God taught vs to praie, when makinge his praier he cast him selfe prostrate vpon the grounde: geuinge vs thereby to vnderstande, how humble and lowly a man ought to be, and how much he ought to consider of his owne basenes, and vilenes, whensoeuer he goeth about to speake vnto almightie God. With this spirite and humble reuerence a man maie repete those wordes of the holie Patriarke, where he saithe: I will speake to my Lorde, althoughe I be but duste, and ashes.

But aboue all this, it shall helpe vs verie much in this preparation to consider well what we goe about to doe, when we settle our selues to prayer. For if we doe well consider it, we goe to praie for none other purpose, but to receiue the spirite of almightie God, and the influencies of his grace, and the ioye of charitie, and deuotion, wherewith we see how the sowles of iust persons are replenished at the ende of their longe and deuoute praiers. Now this beinge so, thou mayst perceiue hereby, with how great humilitie, and reuerence, and with how great attention, and deuotion, thou oughtest to come, when thou doest open the mouthe of thy sowle to receiue almightie God. Consider with what great and feruente deuotion the holie Apostles were enflamed,6 at what tyme they expected and looked for the comminge of the holie Ghost, and by that mayest thou vnderstāde, how thou oughtest to prepare thy selfe when thou goest aboute to looke for and receyue the same holie Ghost, albeit it be not in such plentifull and abundante wise as the Apostles was. Hereby thou seest, how close shutte thou oughtest to haue the gates of thy vnderstandinge and will at the time of prayer from all the cares and thoughtes of the worlde: and how open they oughte then to be vnto almightie God alone, that in case he come to enter therein, he returne not backe againe, findinge the gates shutte against him, or the lodginge taken vp and pestered with other ghestes.

Now with this preparation and spirite mayest thou presente thy selfe in prayer before the face of our Lorde,7 as that sicke man of the dropsie did, who stoode before him expectinge from his mercifull hande to be restored vnto his healthe:8 or as that leperous person did, who kneeled downe at his feete, and saied hū bly vnto him.9 O Lorde if thou wilte thou canst make me cleane. Consider that in like maner as a litle hongrie dogge standeth before his masters table, fauninge verie earnestelie vpon him with his eies, and all his whole bodie, lookinge euer for some litle peice of breade to come from his table, and after the same sorte oughtest thou to presente thy selfe before the riche table of the Lorde of heauen, confessinge thy selfe to be vnworthie of the whole abundaunce of his mercies, and desiringe him most humblie to bestowe some litle portion thereof vpon thee for thy reliefe. With this lowlie spirite mayst thou saie the Psalme:10 Ad te leuaui oculos meos qui habitas in caelis, &c. The which albeit it be but shorte, yet is it verie fitt and conueniente to stirre vp and enkendle this foresaid affection, in preparinge thy selfe vnto prayer.

This maner of preparation of th'other thou mayst (gentle reader) vse at thy libertie: but the first seemeth to be more conuenient for the night, when a man ought to examine his conscience, and desire pardon and forgeuenes of almightie God, of all such defectes, and offences, as he hath offended him in that daie. And the second maner of preparation is most fitt for the morninge, when he riseth before the daie breake, to desire then of almightie God the assistance and succour of his grace, whereby he maie the better bestowe that daie in his seruice.

But because to knowe how to praie as a man ought,11 is a very spetiall gifte of almightie God, and a worke of the holie Ghost, therefore desire him most humblie both in th'one preparation and th'other to instructe thee how to doe thy duetie herein, and to geue thee grace that thou mayst speake vnto him in thy prayer with such attention, and deuotion, with such recollection and closenes of mynde, and with such feare, and reuerence, as is behouefull to be vsed before so great a maiestie: and withall desire him, that thou mayst in such wise perseuere, and spende that litle time in this exercise of prayer, that thou mayst in the ende arise frō the same with newe force, and strength, to doe all such thinges as apperteyne to his seruice.12

It is thought also to be a good maner of preparation to saie some vocalle praiers before meditation: of which sorte there be manie in diuers bookes of deuotion, and namely in the meditations of S. Augustine, and in the Psalter of Dauid, where there be some verie deuout Psalmes that will helpe very much to enkendle and stirre vp deuotion. For it is the propertie of deuoute sentences (beinge saiede with an earnest minde and attention) to wounde the harte, and to lifte it vp vnto almightie God: the which deuour sentences are so much the more behouefull and necessarie for vs, by how much we finde our spirite to be more colde, and distracted.13

And these same prayers doe serue much better for this purpose when they be in mitre, as are manie Hymnes of the Sainctes,14 and the Proses, and Versicles. Forsomuche as (I knowe not how it is, that) the wordes of God vsed in this kinde of stile, and harmonie, doe bringe with them a greater sweetenes, and delighte to our sowles. And therefore we finde in the workes of S. Bonauenture (who was a verie deuout holie man) manie of these Hymnes. The like we finde in the workes of S. Bernarde, and in diuers and sundrie other of the holie fathers. Likewise there is great commendation geuen by manie learned men (and surely not without good cause) to those three diuout himnes that Ieronimo de Vida made to the three persons in Trinitie, which beinge learned by harte, and saiede deuoutly, be as it were a most sweite Manna to sweiten the tast of our sowle at the beginninge of prayer, and to dispose it to take a delighte in spirituall and diuine matters.

Here I thinke it necessarie to declare with what intention a man ought to come vnto prayer.15 For he must not goe thereunto cheifly for his owne consolation, and delighte, (as some that be great louers of them selues vse to doe,) but onely to fulfill herein the will of almightie God, and to desire of him his grace, and to dispose him selfe for the obteyninge of the same. And herewith he must submitte him selfe in such wise into the handes of almightie God, that he must be as readie and contente to be without consolations in his prayer as to haue them, remittinge himselfe humbly into his handes, to dispose of him, and of all thinges belonginge vnto him, as he shall thinke good, acknowledginge on the one side, that he deserueth not anie thinge of him, and beleeuinge on the other, that althoughe it be so in verie deede, yet our Lorde of his infinite goodnes and mercie will doe whatsoeuer shall be most conuenient and behouefull for his saluation. And therefore a man ought to contente him selfe a-like, whether the consolations be great, or litle, and to take in good parte whatsoeuer vsage our Lorde shall shewe vnto him, accountinge him selfe vtterlie vnworthie of all those thinges that he bestoweth vpon him, and beinge readie to fulfill all such thinges as he shall commaunde him, not in respecte of the benefites that he hopeth to receyue, but in respecte of them that he hath alreadie receyued, and in consideration of his bounden duetie vnto almightie God. But we see that manie persones doe quite contrarie to this rule, and be like herein vnto yonge shrewde boies who vnlesse they be dandeled, and cooxed, will not doe the thinge that they are commaunded.

I thinke it also requisite here to aduertise, that when a man mindeth to vse the exercise of praier in the morninge,16 he doe goe to bedde with this care ouer nighte: and like as those that intende to bake the next daie, doe vse to laie the leuen ouer nighte, euen so must a man with a godly carefulnes preuente and recommende ouer nighte vnto our Lorde that thinge which he intendeth to meditate the nexte daie followinge. And in the morninge so soone as he awaketh, he ought forthwith to occupie his harte with this holie thought, before anie other doe enter therein. For at that time the disposition of our harte is such, that whatsoeuer thoughte doth first enter into vs, it seasethe and taketh possession of our harte in such wise, that we shall verie hardly afterwardes put it awaie from vs.

And forsomuch as the praier of manie persons is very acceptable vnto our Lorde,17 therefore thou shalt doe well to consider in thy prayer both in the morninge, and eueninge, what a nomber of Gods seruantes both mē and women as well in monasteries as without be at that time watchinge and perseueringe before the presence of almightie God, sheedinge many deuoute teares, yea and perhappes also disciplininge and whippinge them selues, and sheedinge great abundance of bloud for the loue of God: with which persones thou oughtest humbly to ioyne thy selfe, that the presence and sweete remembrance of them maie be vnto thee a prouocation of deuotion, and an example of perseuerance in thy praier, and also that whensoeuer thou shalt finde thy selfe colde and negligent in this exercise of prayer, and that some thoughtes come into thy minde mouinge thee to ende the same, thou mayst be ashamed, and reprehende thy selfe, by the example of so manie good and vertuouse persons, which with so good attention and carefulnes doe perseuere so longe time in this exercise of prayer without ceassinge, offeringe there their bodies and sowles vnto almightie God in sacrifice.

Footnotes

  1. Preparation vnto prayer may be made, diuerse wayes. we maye prepare our, selues vnto prayer by consideringe our sinnes and offences, Prou. 18.17. Exod. 3. Exod. 19. ↩

  2. Psal. 50. ↩

  3. we may prepare our selues vnto prayer by consideringe the maiestie and greatnes of almightie God. ↩

  4. Sap. II. ↩

  5. Math. 26.39 Our Sauiour Christe gaue vs an example with what humilitie and reuerence we oughte to praye vnto almightie God. Gen. 18.27. It is verie good to consider before hande, for what purpose, and ende, we goe to praye vnto almightie God. ↩

  6. Act. 1. ↩

  7. Luc. 14. ↩

  8. Math. 8. ↩

  9. Marc. 1.40. ↩

  10. Psal. 122. ↩

  11. To knowe how to praye as a man oughte, is a speciall gifte of God. ↩

  12. It is also a good maner of preparation to saye some vocalle prayers before meditation. ↩

  13. The sayinge of ↩

  14. Hymnes, proses, and versicles, doe stirre deuotion. ↩

  15. With what intention a man oughte to come vnto prayer. ↩

  16. we must be carefull ouer nighte of the meditatiō we intende to make the nexte morninge. So soone as we a wake in the morninge it is good to occupie our harte forthwith with some holie thowghte. ↩

  17. It is good to thinke when we praye how manie deuoute Christians are at that time prayinge also vnto God with vs. ↩

Chapter 23 of 29