Chapter I. Of prayer in general

ARTICLE I, The great advantage of being a man of prayer, A MAN of prayer is attached to nothing ; for he yalues neither talents, nor offices, nor honours, nor the friendship of influential persons, nor any other temporal advantages. He has no esteem or love except for the treasure he bears within himself, and which no external force can take from him. In comparison with this treasure he despises all else ; and so that this only good be preserved to him, he is careless of losing every thing beside. It is as if some connoisseur in precious stones had by him a false one, which however, in common estimation, passed for being real ; he would willingly give it to any one who wanted it, because he knows it to be worth nothing, notwithstanding the high value set upon it by those who are unskilled in the matter, and who judge of such things only by their appearance.

When a man has wholly given himself to God by a life of prayer, he is no longer pained either by calumnies or by any thing that may befal him, however grievous. He is like men protected with armour of proof ; whether the missile be snow-ball, or stone, or bullet, it matters not, it may strike them, but it cannot penetrate their armour ; it does them no harm. In like manner, a man of prayer, when his reputation is assailed, examines his conscience, and if he finds himself guilty, confesses his fault and makes satisfaction to the party aggrieved. If he is innocent, he blesses God for the opportunity of suffering for Jesus Christ.

Article II

Advice on mental prayer in general, 1. The spirit of devotion and prayer will never visit us until we have blotted out the ideas of our past life, the images and the memory of innumerable things which foster our self love and vanity.

2. In prayer our only object ought to be, to perfect the will, and not merely to become more enlightened.

3. It is only our sins and our evil habits that prevent the will, in prayer, from flying instantly to its Sovereign Good and being enkindled with love. This obstacle removed, the will would soon be all on fire without any long exercise of the understanding.

4. Whatever has most impressed the mind out of prayer will not fail to return to us in prayer more readily than in our other actions. The reason of which is, that in the time of prayer the mind being in a state of quiescence, it is more disposed to receive disturbing impressions of this kind than during the excitement of other actions which occupy it more.

5. Before prayer it is necessary to regulate and dispose the mental powers : the imagination, by representing to it some place on which it may fix itself ; the memory, by arranging the several points ; the understanding and the will, by providing beforehand some special end of meditation, as the deep realisation of some truth, exciting the affections towards some virtue, combating some vice.

6. One good method of prayer, according to the holy Bishop of Geneva, is to place ourselves silently in the presence of God, and there without the active use of the understanding remain in the presence of God, as listening to Him, although we do not deserve that He should speak to us. He will bestow this favour upon us when we shall have, in a manner, satisfied His justice for having neglected so many times to obey His inspirations.

7. Some in their prayer leave the sacred Humanity, and fly to the contemplation of the Divinity. Such proceeding is generally rash and ill-advised ; and if we examine such persons strictly, we shall find them full of imperfections, attachment to their own judgment, pride, and self-love, because they have not sufficiently applied themselves to acquiring self-knowledge and purity of heart before soaring so high. The safest path for them is to return to meditation on the mysteries of Jesus Christ, and the virtues, particularly mortification and humility.

8. Prayer presupposes a tranquil and recollected soul, which is neither agitated by violent passions, nor mastered by any irregular affection, nor burdened by too many occupations, nor embarrassed by cares ; nor does God ordinarily communicate Himself until we have been faithful in the exercise of prayer for some time^ according to the method prescribed to beginners.

9. Every one ought to adhere faithfully to the kind of prayer suited to his degree and state in the spiritual life. There are three sorts of prayer. Meditation^ or disctmiye prayer, is suited to beginners who are in the purgatiye life ; affectiye prayer to those who have made progress and are in the illuminatiye life ; contemplation and prayer of miion to the perfect who are in the unitiye life.