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THe several Properties and Excellencies of Prayer, have afforded mat∣ter enough to the Ancient Fathers, to mold as many se∣veral and different Descrip∣tions of it; which like many Stars cast into a Constellati∣on, may give all together a full and perfect Representati∣on of it.
Gregory Nyssen defines Prayer to be the conversing or discoursing of the Soul with God, concerning her Salvation: Which being done by the outward Expressions of the Voice, is called Vocal Prayer; but if by the Mind alone, Mental.
In this way of conversing with God, the Soul makes use of her Three principal Faculties, her Memory, her Understanding, her Will: Her Memory, to call to mind what she is to treat of; her Understanding, to weigh and to judge what she deli∣vers: Her Will, to perform this Duty feelingly and af∣fectionately: For all these Faculties must concur in
Prayer, elevating the Soul, and fixing it upon God as the highest Truth, in which we are to believe the Soveraign Happiness which we are to hope for, the Supream Good∣ness which we are to love, and the infinite Excellence which we are to adore. So that Prayer is principally grounded on a lively Faith of such things as God hath re∣vealed, an assured Hope of what he hath promised, and a servent Love, which serves as the Fire to kindle this Sacri∣fice, and to carry the Soul upward, till it arrive at the Throne of Grace.
From hence it is, that Da∣mascen describes Prayer to be an ascending of the Soul to
God; being therefore com∣pared to the sweet Perfume that ascended from the In∣cense: But as the Incense be∣ing cast into the Fire ascends only in the more subtile and delicate part of it, which be∣ing converted into Air and Smoak, leaves behind it the grosser and earthier part turn'd into Ashes. So in this ascent, the Soul leaves be∣hind it the earthier parts, as Abraham left his Servants behind him at the foot of the Mountain, while he ascended to the top of it to sacrifice. For this is a busi∣ness that belongs to Eagles, which as they fly high, so in their flight they look sted∣fastly on the Sun. It is not
for those that intrench them∣selves in the Earth, as in their proper Element, nor yet for Birds of Prey, which though they fly high, yet their eyes are still cast down∣ward. Sursum Corda, was the form in ancient Litur∣gies; the Priest calling out to the People, Lift up your hearts; which the people as readily answered, Habemus ad Dominum.
This ascending of the Soul by Prayer, was figured (as St. Austin conceives) by that mysterious Ladder, whose foot being upon the Earth, the top of it reached unto Heaven, seen by Iacob in a Vision, with Angels ascend∣ing and descending on the
Rundles of it, carrying up our Prayers to God, and bringing down Blessings up∣on him that offers them. But because this ascent is not or∣dinarily by Rapture (for the Angels were not seen to fly up the Ladder, but to mount by degrees:) we are to con∣sider the several Steps and Rundles we are to ascend by.
THe first Step is laid hold on by the Memory, which begins this spiritual as∣cent, by putting the Soul in mind to look up to the Maje∣sty of him that stands above the Ladder, to remember, that though the place we chuse for our Devotion be never
so solitary, yet we are not alone; that God hears what we say, sees what we do; that the whole Trinity is present, as visible to thy eyes of Faith, as grosser Objects are to the outward senses. For there is God the Fa∣ther, the Fountain of good Thoughts, ready to assist through his power and to keep us from distraction in our Prayers; there is God the Son, the eternal Truth, prepared to direct us by his Wisdom, and to deliver us from errour and delusion; there is God the Holy Ghost, the Source and Spring of di∣vine Love, able to enflame the Will with fervent Af∣fections, and keep us from
damps of coldness and inde∣votion. And when we have thus put our selves into the presence of God with an aw∣ful Reverence and Adoration of him as present, we have then mounted the first step and degree of this Ladder.
O Heavenly Father, who hearest the Prayers of all that seek Thee, purifie the In∣tention of my Soul in all the Prayers I make to Thee; that I may neither seek nor desire any thing, but in relation to Thee, through IESUS CHRIST,
THe second step or act of the Soul, is, To look to the directing of the Inten∣tion, to fix it entirely upon God, and take it off from all earthly things: For as the least Grain and Atom of dust offends the eye, so this In∣tention admits of no mix∣ture, no vanity of being seen or heard at your Prayers, no curiosity of thinking to climb up by this Ladder into the secrets of God, no spiritual Pride, in reflecting upon your self as more devout than others; for as it must be sincere, so it must be hum∣ble, directed to the Glory of God alone; which in this ascent of your Soul, must
be always in your eye, as the Centre in which all the lines of Prayer must meet. But then this Intention of the Supplicant must be accom∣panied with some Offering too: For it was Gods Com∣mand to his People, that none should come into his presence with empty hands. Being therefore come into his presence, deal generously and freely with him, offer him the thing which he most desires, even thy heart, with all the thoughts and affecti∣ons of it, to be disposed by him, not only during the time of Prayer, but for all thy life. For this Offering of thy Heart to God, if it makes way for thy Prayer,
and breaks through those Clouds which thy sins have interposed between God and thee.
O Eternal God, who for all those Infinite Blessings which thou hast bestowed on me, requirest nothing back of me but my Heart. Behold I offer up to thee the Heart which Thou demandest: And since it is now Thine, fill it with Thy Gifts, and adorn it with thy Graces; that every beating, every pulse of it may be a Prayer, and every Prayer being kindled by Thy ho∣ly Spirit, may be a Sacrifice fit∣ted for Thine Altar, through Iesus Christ.
AFter this Offering, the next step is by raising the Understanding, and the awakening of our Faith to a due consideration of that which you are about. Be∣ing therefore retired into thine Oratory, make these few Questions to thine own Soul, and engage thy self to an answer: O my Soul, Wherefore art thou retired into this place? What is thy Design? What thy Pre∣tension? Where is thy God whom thou comest to Treat with? Is he present? Doth he hear thee? Or is he merci∣ful? Will he help thee? What is thy business thou art to negotiate? Is it the saving
of thy Soul, or the satisfying of thine earthly Desires? What words wilt thou use to move thy God to hear thee? What humble gestures? What profound reverence? Answer thy self briefly to every one of these Interrogatories, as thy own Conscience dictates to thee: For by this discourse made with thy self, thou shalt be the better prepared to discourse with God.
But to make this preparati∣on the more compleat, the quality of the Persons enga∣ged in this Treaty, is neces∣sarily to be weighed. Con∣sider therefore first with my self, who thou art that ma∣kest thy approaches to speak with God: That thou art
but dust and ashes; Abraham himself was no more. Con∣sider again the motives that may drive thee to this duty; Thy sins many, thy strength little, thy self nothing, thy dangers great; thy case the same with the Disciples in the Storm, when they cried out, Master, save us, or else we perish: For he that really lays these three things to heart:
Having thus far reflected on your own condition, you are in the next place to raise the Prospect from your self, to the Person you pray to, to consider, that he is no less than God, who clothed him∣self with light, as with a Garment. A God infinitely wise, from whom nothing can be hid, infinitely power∣ful to whom nothing is im∣possible; infinitely good, ready to shed, and diffuse, and impart his goodness to his Creatures; that therefore though his Majesty may ter∣rifie thee, yet his Mercy may invite thee; especially if you consider God as he is in
Christ, reconciling you un∣to himself: For as the one may strike a reverence into you, so the other will infuse a confidence, without which our weak Prayers will never have strength enough to reach the Throne of Grace.
O My Glorious God, Thou art the Holy of Holies, but I the Impurest of sinners; Thou art Mercy it self, I Misery even Misery it self: What should I seek farther to know either of thee, or my self? Let my love of Thee make up the knowledge that is wanting; For what should Misery be in love withal, but Mercy? Or where should Mercy exercise it self but where there is so much Misery?
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.
O Most wise God, the Un∣ction of whose Spirit can teach me all things, teach me the Rules I am to observe in this Heavenly Exercise of Prayer; Stir up my Memory, to remem∣ber that thou art present; fix my intention upon Thee, upon Thee alone: Awake my Under∣standing to consider what I am about and who I am to speak to. But above all inflame my Affe∣ctions, that my heart being set on fire with Thy Love, my Pray∣ers may participate of that Fer∣vency, and be accepted of Thee, for his sake who came to send this Fire upon the Earth, even Iesus Christ my Saviour.