Of Petition. Cap. IX

NOW it remaineth that we doe treate of the last parte of all, which is petition: which containeth in it two partes: in the one parte, we make petition vnto almightie God for our neighboures: and in th'other, for our selues.

The first parte maie be continued with thankes geuinge, desiringe that all creatures maie serue and praise our Lorde, who is so worthie to be praised, and serued, for that he is so mercifull and bountifull vnto all his creatures.¹ And with this affection and desire of the glorie of almightie God, let him praie first and principally for all the vniuersall worlde, that all nations and people maie knowe and serue so mightie a Lorde. Then for all the Catholike Churche, and for all the gouernours in the same. As for example, we must praye for the Pope, and for all the Cardinals, Archebishops, Bishops, and for all other inferiour Prelates, Pastors, and Curates: that they maie be carefull of their duetie in directinge all the faithfull in the knowledge and seruice of their Creator.

² Likewise let him praie for all the members of the Catholike Churche: For the iust persons, that it maie please almightie God to continewe them in their vertuouse lyfe: For sinners, that it maie please him to perdon them: And for the sowles departed our of this worlde,³ that it maie please him to deliuer them out of the greiuous paines of Purgatory, and bringe them to the rest of lyfe euerlastinge. Let him praie also for his parentes, and for his godfathers, and godmothers, and for his ghostlie father, and for all his kinsfolke, freindes and benefactours, and for all that be in tribulation, and captiuitie, and for all prisoners, and sicke persons, vnto whom he maie (without anie distraction or intermission of his praier) doe the workes of mercie, in recommendinge them vnto almightie God who created them, and referringe the necessities of all men into those handes, which were stretched vpon the crosse for all men.

⁴ After this, he maie desire such thinges for him selfe, as he perceiueth him selfe to stande in neide of, accordinge to the particuler necessities and miseries that he feeleth in his sowle, and espetiallie when he desireth helpe ād remedie of almightie God against such vices, and passions, as doe most trouble and moleste him, and to graunt him such vertues as be most needefull for him. This kinde of petition (emonge other commodities) hath this withall, that it reneweth dailie in the sowle good purposes, and desires of vertues, and moueth it to be the more earnest in doinge that thinge, which he hath so often times and so hartelie desired, and it maketh him to be the more ashamed of him selfe when he doth it not, by callinge to minde with how great desire and instancie he hath desired our Lorde to graunte him grace to doe it. And of this minde is S. Chrisostome,⁵ where he saiethe thus: Such as praie earnestlie in verie deede will not suffer their harte to committe anie thinge that is vnseemlie for such an exercise, but haue euer their eie vpon almightie God, with whom a litle before they talked, and were conuersant. And so by that cogitation they put a waie from them all the suggestions of the diuell, when they thinke and consider what a haynous matter it were, that he who had a litle before talked with almightie God, and desired of him chastitie, and holines, with all other vertues, shoulde immediatly runne to his enemies syde, and open the gate of his sowle to receiue in filthie and dishonest delightes, and suffer the diuell to place him selfe in that harte, where a litle before the holie Ghost made his abode.

But it is verie much to be lamented, that there be some persons that thinke to excuse them selues, by sayinge, that they knowe not what thinge to desire of almighie God. Suerly, this is no sufficiente excuse. For what beast is so insensible, but that he knoweth some maner of waie how to signifie the neide he standeth in? What sicke man is there, that can not saie, here it greiueth me? Consider therefore (ô man) thy selfe. Consider (I saie) with what vices and passions thou art most troubled, and molested: If with couetousnes, if with anger, if with detraction, if with vaine glorie, if with stubbornnes of thine owne will, if with losenes of tonge, if with lightnes of harte, if with the loue of honour, estimation, and delightes, if with inconstancie in such good purposes as thou intendest, if with selfe loue, or anie other the like passions, and pestilences of the minde, and discouer all these woundes plainly, one by one, vnto that heauenly phisition, that he maie heale and cure them with the oyntment of his grace.

⁶ After that thou hast demaunded remedie against thy vices, desire him then to graunt thee all such vertues as be most behouefull for thy saluation. And because this is a principall parte of this exercise of prayer, wherein often tymes is spente all the tyme thereof, with verie great taste, and profite, I thinke it good to note here vnto the deuoute reader those principall vertues which be as it were the pillers of the spirituall lyfe, that thou mayst alwaies longe and sighe for them, and alwaies desire them verie instātlie of our Lorde in thy praier.

Of the most necessary vertues, that are to be demaunded in Petition. § I

FIRST thou must desire of our Lorde these fowre vertues, which be as it were the foundation of all the spirituall lyfe: the which vertues we must alwaies haue before our eies, because they be alwaies necessarie in all the steppes of our lyfe.

These vertues be a comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man: discretion, and attention in all such thinges as we shall either doe, or saie, that euerie thinge maie be directed accordinge to the iudgemēt and order of reason: and withall to brydle our tonge, and to take a dewe accompte of it: and to vse rigour, and austerite in the gouernment of our person. Now emonge these vertues we haue put the comelie composition of the inwarde and outwarde man in the first place: because it is the beginninge, that disposeth vnto all the others. The composition of the inwarde man consisteth in hauinge almightie God presente in his harte: And the composition of the outwarde man consisteth in doinge all thinges in such sorte, as is seemely for one that standeth alwaies in the presence of almightie God, and that hath him alwaies before his eies, as the iudge and witnes of his whole lyfe.

After these, doe followe other fower vertues, wherein consisteth the somme of perfection, which vertues be in such wise annexed and lincked th'one to th'other, that the one can not be had without the other.⁷ These vertues be perfecte obedience: Mortification of our owne proper will: Fortitude to ouercome all maner of difficultie, and labour: and to haue a hatred and contempt of our selues. For it is manifest that the somme of all Christian doctrine is a perfecte obedience and conformitie vnto the will of almightie God, as well in all such thinges as he commaundeth,⁸ councelleth, and inspireth, as in all that he ordeyneth, and disposeth concerninge vs. This obedience can not be kepte vnlesse we haue a knife in our hande, to cut awaie all the inordinate appetites of our sensualitie, and will, which doe withstande the will of almightie God. But this stroke no man is able to geue, vnlesse he haue great fortitude of minde to fighte with him selfe, and to make mortall warre against his owne inclinations, and appetites. And this kinde of warre none other shal euer make, but he that hath for the loue of God atteyned to haue a true and holie abhorringe and contempre of him selfe. For looke where abhorringo is, there doth easilie followe euill entreatinge and contempt of the thinge that is abhorred: but where is nothinge but loue, there doth a man very vnwillingly take the whippe in his hande, to deale roughlie with that thinge which he loueth. Whereby it appeareth, that no one of these vertues is able to moue one steppe, without the helpe and succour of the others.

After these doe followe immediatlie other fowre verie highe and noble vertues, which be, Humilitie both inwarde, and outward: Pouertie both of spirite, and of bodie: Patience in all aduersities, and tribulations: Purenes of intention in good workes, doinge all thinge[…] that we shall doe all onelie for the loue of God, without mixture of anie commoditie, or respecte, either temporall, or spirituall.

After these doe followe other fowre vertues: which are the beginninge and ende of all perfection: to witt: a most firme faith of such thinges, as almightie God saith, and promiseth: and an assured hope in him, as in our trewe and louinge father in all the necessities and tribulatiōs that shall happen vnto vs: a loue of almightie God, which must alwaies burne in our hartes: and iointly with this loue, to haue a feare and reuerence of his great maiestie, and iustice, which must euermore accompanie all our workes.

And with all these vertues aboue named, we must ioyne perseuerance and cōtinuance in the exercise of all these vertues, the which causeth a man in a smalle time to attaine to the toppe of perfection. In these foresaid vertues doth the somme of all perfection principally consist: and therefore all our studie, and diligence, must be emploied, in seekinge them by all meanes possible, and espetially by praier, which is the principall meane, whereby all goodnes is obtayned.

Here I thinke good to geue this aduise, that when a man shall demaunde of almightie God any of these vertues, he staie him selfe therein for a time, and make as it were a station in euerie one of them, in cōsideringe breifly the principall motiues that maie most induce vs to the loue and exercise of such a vertue. As for example.⁹ When we shall desire of almightie God the vertue of charitie, which is the loue of God, we maie saie in this wise: Graunt me grace ô Lorde I beseech thee, that I maie loue thee with all my harte, and with all my sowle, for that thou arte an infinite goodnes, and excellencie, that deserueth to be loued with infinite loue: and besides this, for that thou arte my onely benefactor, my father, my creator, my last ende, and the spouse of my sowle, vnto whom all loue is due. In like maner when thou shalt desire the vertue of hope, thou mayst saie in this wise:¹⁰ Geue me grace also ô Lorde I beseech thee, that in all the necessities and tribulations that shall happen vnto me in this lyfe, I maie trust in thee, seinge thy mercie is infinite, and thy promises true, and the merites of thy onely begotten sonne be of infinite value, which doe speake and make intercession for me. After this sorte mayst thou desire the feare of God, and humilitie, with other vertues. The forme of which petitions I thinke not meete to note here particularly in writinge. For like as it is saied, that that meate doth more profite the sicke man, which he him selfe eateth and cheweth with his teeth, than that which is geuen vnto him in drincke: euen so is that prayer wonte to be more profitable, which is framed by him that praieth with such wordes as the holie Ghost teacheth him, than that praier which is made and compounded with other folkes wordes, which oftentimes be sayed and passed verie lightly ouer, without anie maner of attention, or affection.

This last parte which is petition (besides that it is verie easie to be done) is also very profitable. For (as we saied before) it is not onely an exercise of praier, but also of all vertues, and as it were a readinge and conference of them all: wherein a man reneweth all his good purposes, and desires, and recordeth in his memorie the principall pointes and articles of the lawe of God, which is the continuall exercise of the iust man:¹¹ of whom it is saide, that he meditateth vpon the lawe of our Lorde both daie, and nighte.

These fiue partes aforesaid maie be vsed in the exercise of praier: albeit (as we haue saide) they be not all necessarie to be vsed at all times. For some times all the time of prayer is spente in meditation alone, or in petition. Neuerthelesse I thought good to specifie here all these partes of prayer, that no man might leaue of this holie exercise for wante of matter, and also that at such time as deuotion fayleth, (which is no iust cause why we shoulde relent and withdrawe our selues from good exercises) a man might haue matter whereupon to occupie him selfe duringe that time, doinge on his parte somuch as lieth in him, which is the thinge that almightie God requireth principallie of vs.

Here is diligentlie to be noted, that emonge all these fiue partes of prayer, the best is, when the sowle talketh with almightie God, as it doth in petition. For in readinge, or meditatiō, the vnderstādinge discourseth with litle labour wheresoeuer it thinketh good. But when we talke vnto almightie God, then the vnderstandinge mounteth vp on highe, and after it followeth also the will, and then hath a man commonly on his parte greater deuotion, and attention, and greater feare, and reuerence of the maiestie of almightie God, with whō he speaketh, and withall an humble, and feruent desire of the thinge which he demaundeth of him. And this mouinge, and liftinge vp of the spirite, with all these actes of vertues accompanienge it, doe leaue the sowle in a more noble state, and better edified, than anie other discource whatsoeuer it be, as euerie man maie perceyue by experience in him selfe. For it is euidēt, that in the discource of meditation there is none other thinge but onely a godly inquisition and cōsideration of spirituall thinges, the which as it is an acte of the vnderstandinge, so is it of litle profite, or commoditie: but in the deuour praier there is made a concurrence and generall assemblie in a maner of all vertues, and with there winges the sowle lifteth it selfe vp on high, and attayneth to be ioyned and vnited with almightie God.

And althoughe this spirituall communication and conference with almightie God be the best poynte of all the exercises of prayer, yet emonge all the communications with him, the best and most profitable is the communication of loue, at such time as we be actually louinge of almightie God, and praisinge him, and desiringe him with great instancie, and most earnest desires, to graunt vs that we maye loue him. For sithence Charitie is the greatest of all vertues, there is nothinge more acceptable vnto almightie God, nor more pleasant and profitable to a man, than the vse, practice, and exercise of this so excellent a vertue.

This the holie fathers doe calle the exercise of aspiringe vnto the loue of God. And to this ende were meditation, and praier, and all other good exercises ordeyned. And therefore it is geuen for a generall rule vnto all such as doe praie, that they labour and endeuour so much as lyeth in them, to lifte vp their spirite vnto this diuine communication, which is to speake and treate with almightie God him selfe, and espetiallie concerninge his loue, and the exercises of aspiringe vnto him. And for this cause it shall doe well, to leaue this petition of the loue of God vntill the ende of all the exercise of prayer, and so to reserue the best wyne for the ende of this bankette, to the intent that when a man is come to the ende of his iourney, he maie staie him selfe herein so longe as he listeth. Howbeit it shall not be amisse both to beginne and ende with this petition of the loue of God, whensoeuer the holie Ghost shall open him a waye, and direct him vnto the same.

Moreouer, I thinke it meete here to geue this aduertisement, that in all such thinges as we shall demaunde, we doe alledge alwaies in our behalfe the merites of Iesus Christ our onelie and trewe Sauiour: who (as the Apostle saiethe) Is our iustice, wisedome, sanctification, and redemption. ¹² Vpon his merites we ought principally to staie our confidence. And his merites we ought to present before the diuine maiestie, reckeninge them, and offeringe them one by one vnto the heauenly father, and takinge (as S. Bernarde saiethe) out of that treasure all such thinges as are necessarie for vs. For this is that Lorde, that hath sanctified and offered him selfe in sacrifice, to the intent that we might be holie in deede.¹³ Wherefore If God be for vs, who shalbe against vs? If God iustifie vs, who shall condemne vs?¹⁴ This is he (saieth S. Peter) of whom all the Prophetes beare witnes: that by him is obteined pardon and remission of sinnes. So that in the vertue and name of this Lorde we ought to take a good harte and courage with vs, when we goe to make our prayers to almightie God, and haue this confidence, that whatsoeuer we shall dewlie demaunde by him shalbe graunted vnto vs. For the principall condition that our petition must haue that it maye be effectuall before almightie God,¹⁵ is (as S. Iames saieth) to make the same with faith, and confidence. And this confidence must not be grounded principallie vpon our owne selues,¹⁶ nor vpō our owne workes, and merites, but vpon the workes and merites of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, and iointly therewith vpon the infinite goodnes and mercie of almightie God, which cā neuer be ouercome with anie kinde of sinne, or iniquitie: and besides this, our cōfidence must be also grounded vpon the trueth of the wordes and promises of almightie God, who hath promised in all the holie scriptures neuer to faile that man that with all his harte shall conuerte him selfe vnto him, and calle vpon him, and repose his trust and confidence in him. And albeit he that prayeth hath bene vntill that time neuer so great and haynous a sinner, yet let him not therefore be desmayde:¹⁷ for (as S. Ierome saith) our sinnes past doe not condemne vs, if we take no delighte in them. Whereby it appeareth, that they be deceyued, that in consideringe their owne defectes, and weakenes, doe mistrust that almightie God will not heare them:¹⁸ and they doe not consider that the principall foundations of this confidence are the merites of our Sauiour Christ, and the mercie of almightie God, and the trueth of his holie worde, which (as the Prophet saieth) is a sheelde vnto them that put their trust in him.

we must praye for the conuersion of all nations and people, vnto God. For all the Gouernours of the Catholike Church. ↩
For all the members of the Catholike Churche. ↩
For the sowles departed and remayninge in the greiuous paynes of Purgatorie. ↩
what thinges we must demaunde for our selues. ↩
S. Chrisostome. ↩
we must praye to obteyne vertues. ↩
In these vertues consisteth the somme of perfection. ↩
we can not haue a perfecte obedience and conformitie vnto the will of God, vnlesse we denye our owne will, and haue a holie hatred and contempté of our selues. ↩
How to desier of God the vertue of Charitie. ↩
How to desier the vertue of Hope. ↩
Psal. 1.2. ↩
1. Cor. 1.30.
↩
Rom. 8.31. ↩
Act. 10.43. ↩
Iacob. 1.6. ↩
whereupō our confidence must be grounded when we make petition vnto almightie God. ↩
S. Ierome. ↩
Note the principall foundatiōs of our confidence in prayer. Psalm. 90.5. ↩

Chapter 27 of 29

Of Petition. Cap. IX

Of the most necessary vertues, that are to be demaunded in Petition. § I

Footnotes