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.

Of the Impediments and Enemies of Prayer.

HAving considered the glorious Fruits, and admirable Ef∣ficacy of Prayer, we are to look about, and to discover what Enemies we are like to meet with, to op∣pose and hinder us in the ex∣ercise of this Heavenly Du∣ty: For Prayer is in its own nature a kind of Wrestling and Striving for a Victory, which presupposeth an op∣position: And rather than it shall be wanting, God him∣self will enter into the Lists,

as he did with Iacob, in that * 1.1 famous Wrestling, when to shew the power of Prayer, he that was invincible, was content to be overcome by him, who had no other wea∣pons but Tears and Prayers. * 1.2 When therefore you find your selves afflicted, make use of our Saviour's Parable, Arise, though it be at Mid∣night, * 1.3 repair speedily to the Gates of your true Friend, God himself; (for you have no Friend like him) though you find the doors shut, and your Friend asleep, begin your Battery, and give not over knocking, with im∣portunate Cries and Pray∣ers, till he open to you; as Iacob would not let the

Angel go, till he had blessed him.

O Omnipotent and Invisible GOD, who lettest thy Self down to my Weakness, and givest me strength to wrestle with Thee for a Blessing, streng∣then my Prayer to that height, that when Thou seemest most to set thy Self against me, I may prevail with Thee, as Jacob did: For my overcoming Thee, is but the effect of Thy overco∣ming thy Self in me; so that the glory of the Victory which I get over Thee, will be intirely Thine. Wrestle on therefore, O my Soul, give not over thy hold, take no answer that brings not a Blessing with it: For it is Thy God who strengthens thee; and

through him thou shalt at last be more than Conqueror.

Amen.

AS Prayer therefore is a Wrestling with God, we look not upon this op∣position as an hindrance, but as an advantage to Devoti∣on. The true Enemies of Prayer exercise a more dan∣gerous Hostility, where the Van is led by those damned Spirits, who being fallen from Heaven themselves, endeavour the more envi∣ously to obstruct the ways that may lead us thither; and because nothing condu∣ceth more to this than Prayer, they order all their Temptations to this end chiefly, either to divert us

from it, or disturb us in it: If they tempt us to excess in Meats and Drinks, their aim is not only to make us guilty of Intemperance, but by it to render us the more unfit for Prayer: Or if they prompt us to Anger and Im∣patience, their design ter∣minates not in that sin, but rather makes use of it to a further end, that the mind being thus disquieted, may not be able easily to compose and settle it self to Prayer. For the effecting this, they make daily use of the humors of the body, the distempers of the mind, the weakness and weariness of the flesh, the injuries and oppressions of the Time, the cares and

distractions of the World. Of these they make their Engines to assault us, and weave their Nets to entan∣gle us. And as S. Bernard observed by his own experi∣ence, they are never more earnest to disturb us, than when they see us most earnest in this duty. As it was said therefore of the Chri∣stians, That that Religion could not but be very good, which Nero persecuted; so we may very well conceive of Prayer, that it must needs be some divine and heavenly thing which the Devil with all his Engines so violently opposeth. And the truth is, he hath so much the more reason to set himself against

it, for nothing is more de∣structive, nothing more ter∣rible to him, than a Soul armed with Prayer; for he trembles at the sight of it, saith St. Chrysostom. When St. Paul therefore, having first shewn us what Enemies we were to deal with, that we were to wrestle with Prin∣cipalities, with Powers, with the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, with spiritual wickedness in High places; when (I say) after this fearful Muster-Roll, he adviseth us to arm our selves with the whole Armor of God, with the Breast-plate of Righte∣ousness, * 1.4 the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit; he adds

in the last place, Pray always, with all manner of Prayer and * 1.5 Supplication in the Spirit; as if all the rest were nothing without Prayer. And this the Apostles themselves found to be true, who being * 1.6 not able to cure the Luna∣tick, and to drive the evil Spirit out of him, our Savi∣our shewed them wherein they failed, by telling them, That this kind is not cast out * 1.7 but by Prayer and Fasting. For though they might have so much Faith as to remove Mountains, yet without pray∣er that Faith could not re∣move the Devil. For this only is that perfume whose smoke will make him fly as far as did that unclean Spi∣rit * 1.8

whom Tobias his perfume did drive away.

But there is an Hostility more dangerous than this, because being more inward and domestick, it makes the heart the seat of the War, and opposeth Prayer in the proper place and bed of the conception of it, which the Devil immediately and di∣rectly cannot do. Of these inward and intestine Ene∣mies to Prayer, St. Bernard reckons up four kinds; For there are our past sins to wound us, our present cares to distract us, our distemper∣ed Passions to disorder us, and a whole swarm of loose and floating imaginations to mo∣lest us. And of these In∣gredients

is that cloud made up, which the Prophet Iere∣miah * 1.9 complains of, That God was covered with a Cloud, that our Prayer could not pass through to him. For as gross Vapors ascend from the Earth, and being in the upper Region of the Air, condescend into Clouds, hin∣der us from seeing of the Sun, and enjoying the heat and splendor of it: So (saith St. Gregory) out of our earth∣ly hearts arise those several Vapours, which being join∣ed and cast into a Cloud, beats back our Prayers, and intercepts the Beams of the Sun of Righteousness from shining on us. St. Austin likens a Soul in this conditi∣on

to a man that is unhap∣pily married; for as he ha∣ving spent the day in mana∣ging his affairs abroad, trem∣bles at the very thought of coming home at night, be∣ing sure to meet with no∣thing but bitterness and dis∣quiet there: So the troubled Sinner being haunted with these ill Guests, entertains his Thoughts contentedly enough with objects abroad, but trembles to call them home, and fix them upon Prayer. But there is no remedy, home we must come, and sweeten as well as we can the Discontents we find there: Though the mind be clouded and troubled, this must not make us cast aside

our Prayers, but cry out the more earnestly, as David did, Save me, O God, from the great Waters that are come even into my Soul; Deliver me from mine enemies, for they are too mighty for me: Cast out these Temptations that come about me like Bees, quiet my thoughts, compose my mind, so that I may not fear to look home, or find that to be a torment to me, which was made to be my com∣fort.

But to consider these Ene∣mies of Prayer apart, we shall find in the first rank of them our unrepented sins: When our Conscience stands up against us, and cries out to us, First make peace with

me, or else never think to make peace with God. For he accepts of no unclean, no unwashed Sacrifice; and if Repentance usher not in, Prayer will never find ad∣mittance. Holy David deep∣ly apprehended the Conse∣quence of this: If (saith he) I incline my heart unto wicked∣ness, God will not hear me: For what an impudence were it to expect pardon for those sins which I am yet so far pleased with, as I am not re∣solved to leave; or to look for Mercy, when that Lust is not yet cool'd with which I have offended? Bring therefore * 1.10 no more vain Oblations, your Incense is an Abomination to me, saith God to that people of

his, who honoured him with their lips, when their hearts were far from him: Your ap∣pointed Feasts my Soul hates; * 1.11 they are a trouble to me, I am weary to bear them: When you spread forth your hands, I will * 1.12 hide mine eyes from you; yea, though you make many Prayers, I will not hear. Would you know why? The very next words will satisfie you: Your hands are full of blood; you have not washed them in the waters of Repentance, you are yet in your sins, there∣fore you are not heard.

But what is to be done then in this case? God tells you by his Prophet, Wash you, make you clean, put away your evil do∣ings * 1.13 from before mine eyes, cease

to do evil: And when you have done this, Come, saith the Lord, and let us reason to∣gether: * 1.14 As if he should say, You are now qualified for a Conference with God, your Prayers will be seasonable; and for your sins which hi∣therto have hindered you: Do but confess, and resolve to leave them, Though they be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like Crimson, they shall be white us Wool.

The Enemies of Devoti∣on in the second Rank, are our Passions, which though they are not in their own nature sins, yet quickly slide into them, and being prone to be irregular, are like cross

winds to hinder us, unless we can allay and temper them. For unmortified pas∣sions at the time of Prayer, is like loud musick at a meeting of Friends, which suffers them not to hear one the other. When God appear'd in the flaming Bush to Moses, on purpose to be seen by him, yet he would not suffer him to make any near approach to him, till he had put off his shoes, which signifies * 1.15 something more than is in the Letter, and relates ra∣ther to the heart, than to the feet: As if he should say to thee, Here I am, even I thy God; but come not near me, till thou hast put off thine earthly Affections, till thou hast devest∣ed

thy self of whatsoever is dis∣pleasing in my sight; if not, take heed: No man can see me, and live: that is, saith St. Gre∣gory. None can see me spiri∣tually, that lives carnally.

It was an high expression of him who was so great an Admirer of Euripides, that he was wont to say, That if he were sure there were any sense in death, he could be content to die, only that he might see Eu∣ripides: But then to see God, who would not mortifie him∣self? Say therefore with that earnestness as St. Austin did, Moriar ut te videam.

O Thou Fountain of Life, Make me die that I may see Thee! Mortifie me, that I may enjoy Thee! Strangle me, take away my breath, that I may speak to Thee! But then again, Videam te, ut Moriar; Let me, in some measure, see Thee first, that I may value Thee, that I may be content to die, to the end I may see Thee further: For if I know not at all how to contemplate Thee, I shall as little know how to mor∣tifie my Affections, so as to fit my self for Prayer.

THE third Assault that is made upon the Soul, is by the Cares of this Life, which like so many Thorns, are ready to choak the seeds of Grace as soon as they are sown. For overmuch soli∣citude and anxiety of Mind in worldly things, casts such an heap of Earth upon our * 1.16 Prayers, as will not suffer them to ascend, taking up the Mind, and all the Facul∣ties of it, and hardly admit∣ting so much as a Thought of Heaven. But as they say of Thorns, That they may do well in an Hedg, but ill in a Garden; so is it with these Cares, which being kept within their bounds;

and measures, hurt not the Soul; but if we admit them among our Prayers, they cor∣rupt the very nature of them, and turn them into Sin. When thou art therefore set∣ting thy self to thy Devoti∣ons, imagine that thou hear∣est thy Saviour calling to thee, as he did to Martha, Why art thou so careful? why art thou troubled about many things? One thing is only needful, the saving of thy Soul: Since therefore * 1.17 thou art come to treat about it, dismiss whatsoever may disturb thee, lay aside, thy Cares as Mary did; place thy self at my feet, hear me in my Word, that I may hear thee in thy Prayer.

O Gracious Iesu, I am come at this time to humble my self at thy Feet, and to beg Mercy for my Soul, which ought to be dearer to me than a thou∣sand Worlds. O suffer not then any Worldly Cares to divert or hinder me; Root out this Bed of Thorns, and sow holy Thoughts instead of them. Let me not be like Martha, troubled about many things, but fix me upon that One thing needful, which I am come about; that so having chosen the better part, it may never be taken from me.

Amen.

BUt the Conflict is not yet done; when these for∣mer Enemies are overcome, there may be a swarm left of busie, vain, impertinent thoughts, of which we may complain as David did, that they have compassed us a∣bout like Bees: For the Ima∣gination being naturally un∣quiet and tumultuous, inter∣poseth it self many times without asking leave of us, casting thoughts in our way, and forcing the Understand∣ing to reflect upon them. And these she either fetch∣eth from Objects without, from something that we have either seen, or heard, or done; or if it fail of new

plies from thence, it present∣ly busies it self within, in forming of various Images, Figures and Forms, which like so many Atoms, cast∣ing themselves into several Schemes, trouble and vex the Soul in the midst of her Devotions; not unlike the Birds, which would have hin∣dered Abraham in his Sacri∣fice: * 1.18 And happy it were if we could as easily chase away these thoughts from us, as Abraham drove away those Birds: But their pertinacy is such, that when you drive them out of one Form, they assume another; and are so importunately troublesome, as makes many think it a thing impossible to be freed

from them. Cassianus con∣fesseth of himself, that he was brought very near to a dispairing of it, till open∣ing himself to a devout man of more experience (himself being then but young) he was brought off by this Similitude: Should you ask (saith he) one that could neither swim himself, nor e∣ver saw others swim, Whe∣ther he thought it possible that the heavy body of a Man could spread it self upon the water without sinking; Would not he answer per∣emptorily, That it was not possible? But let the same man see once with what ease the Swimmer keeps his head above the water, Would he

not as suddenly change his mind upon the sight of this Experiment, and apply him∣self to practise it? You say it is impossible, but you do not try whether it be so or no. For either holy Men have deceived us, or some of them, by the Grace of God assisting them, have at∣tained such a degree of Power over themselves, as the Centurion in the Gos∣pel * 1.19 had over his Souldiers, they could have given the Law, not only to their out∣ward senses, as Iob did to his eyes, that they should not so much as look on Vanity, but to their more inward Fa∣culties, they could command their Appetite to love or

hate, their rational Faculty to meditate, their imagina∣tive to think on this, or not to think on that: For the same St. Paul, who humbled himself so low as to say, that of himself he could do no∣thing, could say too, with∣out arrogancy, That he could do all things; but then it was in Christ that strength∣ned him: All things in Christ, nothing of himself. The Centurion whom we spake of, that had his Soul∣diers so absolutely at his Command, confesseth inge∣nuously, that he himself ex∣ercised his Authority under another. For in all powers subordinate, the way to be obeyed, is to obey: Nor can

these Imaginations be possi∣bly subdued to Reason, till Reason be subdued to Faith. Submit thy self therefore to God, O my Soul, and there will follow a glorious Victo∣ry. But you must strive for it; for this unruly swarm of thoughts hurt none but those that yield to them. When they buz about thee like Flies in a hot day, drown their noise with the louder cry of thy Prayers. And as Spiders cannot easily weave their Nets in a High Wind, so nei∣ther shall whole Armies of vain Imaginations be able to ensuare thee, as long as thy earnest Prayers, like a vehe∣ment wind shall blow against them.

O Most mighty God, who seest my Weather-beaten Soul tost and driven by vain and various Imaginations, like a torn Bark by contrary Winds, and not suffered to sail on in a straight Course towards Thee; send thy Holy Spirit to calm this Tempest, and to lay these Winds, that they may no longer hinder me in my way to Heaven, or disturb me in my Prayers; which are then most acceptable to Thee, when they flow from an undivided and untroubled Mind.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. xxxii. 24.
• * 1.2

  Hos. xii. 4.
• * 1.3

  Luke xi. 5.
• * 1.4

  Ephes. vi. 12.
• * 1.5

  18.
• * 1.6

  Matth. xvii. 16.
• * 1.7

  21.
• * 1.8

  Tob. viii. 3.
• * 1.9

  Lam. iii. 44.
• * 1.10

  Isa. i. 13.
• * 1.11

  14.
• * 1.12

  15.
• * 1.13

  16.
• * 1.14

  18.
• * 1.15

  Exod. xxxiii. 20.
• * 1.16

  Dan. vi.
• * 1.17

  Luke x. 41.
• * 1.18

  Gen. XV. 11.
• * 1.19

  Matth. viii. 9.