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OF THE profite and necessitie of prayer.
NOWE that I haue alreadie intreated of the order that suche as desire to liue like good Christians ought to kepe both on working and holy daies; it resteth, that I intreate of another kinde of dailye exercise verye necessarye for
eche one to obteine this their desired ende withal; chiefly yet for suche as minde to dedicate them selues more sincerely to diuine seruice. And this is the exercise of holy praier, not on∣lye vocal, which is common to eche one, and more frequented of al; but also mental, which very fewe wot of, and so consequently very fewe doo practise; being neuerthelesse the more excellent kinde a great deale. And therefore is it to be noted, that albeit vocal praier, to wit, that which is made with the mouth and voice, say∣ing of sundry offices, psalmes, and de∣uotions, is a verye profitable thing, instituted, approued, and practised in al religions and cathedral Churches; yet is not this, but that which we cal mental the more worthy and ex∣cellent kind a great deale, and wherof the holy doctors do chiefli mean, whē they speak of the excellēcie of praier, & the singuler fruits which proceede thereof. The which mental kinde of
praier doth so farre passe and go be∣yond the vocal, as doth the soule or spirite, in dignitie, passe and excel the body. Wherfore, such as minde to ex∣ercise them selues throughly in Gods seruice, and to batten & grow strong in spirite, ought not to content them selues only with vocal praier, but (as S. Paule saith) a 1.1 to praye with mouth and minde together, hauing receaued at Gods handes both thone and tho∣ther. Howbeit, let vs chiefly praye with spirite: for (as our Sauiour saide b 1.2 to the Samaritane) God is spirite, and those which adore him, must in spirite and truth adore him. Wherevpon we know right wel, that the holy Saintes of old time, and the moste spiritual men of our daies exercise them selues most chief∣lye and commonly in this kinde of praier, as hauing by experience pro∣ued, how much more profite and spi∣ritual comfort the soule receaueth by this mental praier thē by that of vo∣cal. This thing also alone, declareth
sufficiently, of what importance they deemed this exercise, and how neces∣sarye for al good Christians, in that they are not afraide to cal the same omnipotent: for so muche as being made as it ought to be, we thereby obteine euery thing, like as Christe our redeemer hath promised, saying: a 1.3 Verily I say vnto you, that what soeuer you shal aske by praier, beleeue it shalbe geuen you.
This praier, wherof we now speake, is a lifting vp of our minde to God, which is rather done with inflamed desires of the hart, then with varietie of outward words, and so are we lesse pained therein then in vocal praier: yea, looke howe much the longer we continue in this kind of exercise, and so much doo we finde it the more sa∣uourie and fruitful for our soule; for that eche time a man frequenteth this holy exercise, he stil sucketh out newe sap of graces and spiritual trea∣sure: yea, suche as at some times the soule doeth, as it were, palpate and
feele it moste apparantly. For like as Moises had his face lightned & made glittering, through his often conuer∣sing with God, in suche wise, as the children of Israel (according as holye a 1.4 scripture telleth) could not abide to looke vpon him; euen so the soule through perseuerance in praier be∣commeth more lightned and illumi∣nated with the newe graces it recea∣ueth: we know moreouer, how Christ our redeemer (as the holy Euangelist S. b 1.5 Luke reporteth) being in praier, was transfigured, and his face visiblye changed into as beautiful a bright∣nes as the Sunne, his garmentes also became as white as snowe; euen so is the soule of man in praier transfigu∣red and chaunged into God, and the darkenes thereof turned into light, frailty into force, feare into hope, sad∣nes into solace, with other innume∣rable commodities too many to re∣hearse, which trial testifieth to pro∣ceede out of this holy praier.
Sithens therfore this is for al so pro∣fitable and necessary an exercise; I shal stretche my selfe out a litle the further, to tel thee, in what maner thou art to make it. And firste shal I declare what such may do as be more spiritual, and haue better leisure, be∣ing minded to make this exercise; af∣terwardes wil I set downe another methode for the simple and more bu∣sied sort, such as want capacitie and leisure to exercise them whollye in this office; that by doing yet what they are able to doo, they may be∣come partakers of this so fruitful and necessary an exercise.
1. Cot. 14 c
Ioh. 4. c 2. Cor. 3. d
Mat. 21. b Mar. 11 c. Ioh. 15 b.
Exo. 34. d Cor. 3. c
Luc. 9. d Mat. 17. a. Mar. 9. a. 2. Pet. 1. c.