Holy rules and helps to devotion both in prayer and practice In two parts. The fourth edition. Written by the right reverend father in God, Bryan Duppa, late Lord Bishop of Winton, in the time of his sequestration.

THe Understanding be∣ing awakened with these Considerations, the fourth act of the Soul in re∣lation to Prayer, is, to rouze the Affection, which is seated in the Will: This being so necessary an Ingredient in your Prayer that is it but a cold Offering without it. The understanding may pro∣vide for you this Spiritual food, but it is the Will that must taste, and swallow, and digest it into nourishment; the one may make you wise, but the other must make you holy. The Prophet tells you, that the Seraphins in God's presence, with two of their wings cover their face, and

with two other their feet, leaving only their breast open, which is the seat of Love. When therefore you present your selves in the sight of God, be sure you so far imitate these Seraphins, that though your eyes be vaile (you cannot look into his Glory) you cannot know him as you would, your Breast, the seat of your Af∣fections, be open to receive and emit those beams of di∣vine love, which only can kindle devotion to the height and unite your Soul to God by a most intimate Union. But alas! you will say, those blessed Spirits that are in such a nearness to God, may well be all fire and love, but

you at such a distance can∣not find the effects of it; the wood lies upon the Altar, but you want fire to kindle it; all that you can do, is to search in the ashes for some small spark to blow at: But know you not (saith Siracides) how great a fire a small spark may kindle? The same Spi∣rit of God that moved up∣on the Waters till it had produced the World, moves upon thy heart, foments and cherisheth the least spark of the love of God which it finds there, and makes it flame out into a servent prayer. David found this by experience, where he saith of himself, while I was thus musing, my heart kindled with∣in

me, and I spake with my Tongue.

The Devotion of the heart (saith St. Bernard) is the Tongue of the Soul, without this it is silent and shut up; but actuated and heated with Love, it poures it self forth in Supplications, and Pray∣ers, and Discourses with God; sometimes Praising him for the Infinite Blessings received from him, some∣times Praying to him for those which we yet want. This is that conversing of the Soul with God, which Gre∣gory Nyssen speaks of, as a Son Conversing with his Father, or a Friend with a Friend, into whose bosom he may pour forth with confidence

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all the Secrets of his Soul as a Favourite with his Prince, or a betrothed Virgin with her Lover. What the result of these discourses is, what words are spoken, what se∣crets discovered, what de∣lights enjoyed, may easier be felt than spoken of: When the Soul being lifted up by the wings of Prayer, and rarified into a flame by Love, reacheth the very Bosom of God. But though every devout Soul mounts not to this pitch, this top of the Ladder, let none be dis∣maied at it: For God knows whereof you are made, he sees the body of flesh which you bear about you, and the Plummets which it

hangs upon your Soul, and therefore when you cannot rise high enough to him, he comes down to you; for so you find in this Vision, there were descending as well as ascending Angels. We do not read that St. Paul was of∣ten rapt into the third Hea∣ven: Notwithstanding his Raptures, the Angel of Sa∣tan that buffeted him, made him remember that he was still upon the Earth: For one foot of the Compass will un∣avoidably be fixed there, when the other moves in the circumference of divine con∣templation. Iacob himself was but at the bottom, at the foot of the ladder, when his Soul was at the highest, and saw God at the top of it.