The Pomander of prayer.

¶How in tyme of prayer somtyme the mynde is moche dystracte by reason of wordely besynes And remedyes for the same. Ca. v.iii. (Book 8)

LIke as example by euery thyng that is he¦uy of the self / or laden with ony thyng that depresseth the berer / sooner & more easely it may descende downe the hyll / than it may ascend vp the moūt. Prayer is an ascencyō of the mynde to god as Damascene sayth.* 1.1 Accordyng also to y^e wordes of the prophete in his psalme sayng. I haue lyft vp myn eyes vnto the mountes. That is to say. I haue made my prayer to the holy sayntes in heuen / as meanes to god / of whom I trust helpe and socoure. For my socoure and helpe is of god / the whi∣che made heuen and erthe. wherfore euery thynge y^t is heuy vnto the soule / dooth depresse the spyryte and letteth parfyte deuocyon / and causeth many & often

tymes distraccyon of mynde in tyme of prayer. Accor¦dyng to the sayng of the Sapience.* 1.2 The body y^t is cor¦rupte doth greue & let the soule / and the sences do de∣presse hym / whose mynde is occupyed aboute many thīges. For vndubted in tyme of prayer / there y^e myn¦de is moche inclyned / where about in other tymes it is moost occupyed. If grete study / besynesse / and care doth occupy the mynde / as to gete temporall ryches & honours worldsy {pro}mocyōs: or other suche pleasu∣res: no meruel yf y^t soule can not be fyxed in one thing specyally yf it be iner spyrytual. But prayer syth it is one of the partes of cōtemplaciō / yf it be pure / it hath respect onely or pryncypally vnto one thyng / which is god almyghty. To whom prayer bereth the pety∣cyō of the hert / & maketh supplicacyon for helpe. But y^e hertes of them y^t be occupyed in many thinges can not longe be fyxed on one thyng / wherfore theyr pra∣yer can not be long pure without distracciō of mynd. Martha was occupyed about many thinges:* 1.3 & ther¦fore she was troubled in her mynde. But Mary occu¦pyed about one / dyd chuse the better parte. And ther¦fore she was quyet in spyryte / & all togyder contēpla∣tyue. Of the which example we may lerne / that sith bothe these women were holy & moche accept in y^e fa¦uour of god: that the labours of them which ben pre¦lates & take cure of other. and be cōtent for the loue of god to leue theyr cōtemplacyon / & to take labours spi¦rytual or temporall for theyr subgectes / ben moch me¦rytoryo{us}. For albeit y^t they haue distraccyōs in theyr prayer / & somtyme fele not suche swetnes & flame of deuocyō / as they were wont to haue afore they dyde take y^t offyce on them. yet let them be sure: syth theyr

labours is for god / & helpyng of soules / so moch more ryche is theyr merytes afore god. how moch more is theyre labours & cures? In so moche y^t these houshol∣ders also / whiche dyscretly and truely doth occupye the worlde for the mayntenyng of theyr houshold / al¦beit they comēly haue dystracciōs of mynde in tyme of theyr prayer: yet they not wylling to haue suche e∣uagacions of mynde: yf they often call in theyr mynd to the remēbraunce of god they shal not lese theyr me¦ryte. For as saynt Thomas sayth.* 1.4 Holy men haue sō∣tyme euagacyōs of mynde in tyme of prayer: And he sayth moreouer that / y^t person dooth praye in spyryte & trouthe / whiche moeued of the instinceyō of y^e holy goost procedeth and gooth to pray. Notwithstādyng y^t for weykenes of spyryte y^e mynde afterward be wā¦dryng & dystract. For whan y^e mynde of hym y^t dothe pray ascendeth to god by contemplacion / than anone by cause it is feble & weyke it falleth to euagacyōs & wāderyng myndes. But holy mē oftētymes calleth in theyr spyryt to remēbre what they pray / & so they contynue theyr deuocion. And this is one generall re¦medy / & as a dayly medicyn contynually to be vsed of euery persone agaynst dystracciōs of mynde / for to cō¦serue theyr attencyō / deuocyon / & meryte in prayer. Another remedy is oftētymes with actual intent (as moche as fraylte wyl suffre) to do theyr werkes and worldly besynes to the honoure of god / actually refer¦ryng them to his glory. As saynt Paule sayth.* 1.5 why∣ther ye eate or drynke / or what someuer els ye shal do do al to the glory of god. This exercyse of mynde vsed in other prayers / shal encreas the loue of god in theyr hertes / wherby thyer spyrytes shalbe more strong in

deuociō to auoyde grete distraccyons of mynde in ty∣me of prayer. And it wolde be noted of euery crysten man that besyde the naturall loue which he hath to his wyfe / chyldrē / & seruauntes / except in true catho¦lyke faith of y^e chirch he endeuer himself by his good example of lyfe to edyfye thē in vertue / to the honour of god & profyte of theyr soules / he shall do lytell more to his housholde thā dothe the pagan or turke to his famylly. For they dayly do labour & {pro}uyde for theyr housholde / & naturally dooth loue the same. But the faythfull seruaunt of god an true crystyans must do more. ¶Another remedy agaynst distracciōs is this It is necessary for al such honest worldly lyuers whi¦che be moche troubled w^t scateryng mynde in prayer to apply thēself to some ordred exercyse / specyally in y^e chyrche of god. As after they haue taken holy water knele downe in som place where they intende to rest & pray. And all worldly besynes sequestred all grud∣ges agaynst neyghbour al iniuryes / & offences clene put out of mynde and remyt with meke and contryte spyryte / aske god mercy for theyr vnkyndnes & negli¦gēces done & cōmyth syth y^e last tyme they were there ānd for all vndyscrete behauour & impacyency to his houshold & neyghbours. And thanke god for y^e preser¦uacion of hym or his / & all crysten people. And for al y^e benefites of god / specyally for your creacion / redēpciō & gloryficacyō / which we all trust to haue by y^e mea∣nes of his sones blyssed passyon. whiche than lete vs call afore our mynde. and in sure fayth depely cōsyde∣ring y^e lame sete vs mekely thank the father of heuen for his ineffable mercy / loue / & charyte / y^t wold sende his eterne & onely beloued sone to suffe in our nature

so paynfull & ignomyneo{us} a dethe to redeme man out of the thraldome of the deuyll. And also with all oure hertes thank our sayd lord Iesu cryst y^e sone of god for his lyke loue / mercy / & charyte. To whom (as saynt Poule sayth.* 1.6 Ioye & glory profferd / all cōfusyon dyspi¦sed) wolde sustene the crosse / & suffre the moost payn∣full dethe for our saluacyon. If we wolde thus ordre our self in the chyrche dystraccyons sholde haue lytell place in prayer. But yf the persone be vnlettred & mo¦che encombred with wandryng cogytacyōs of theyr herte / than it is expedyēt for such to haue afore theyr eyes some deuout remembraūce or obiect / as some py¦cture of the passyon of Cryste / or some other saynt / to whome they haue moost deuocyon. That whyle sen¦ses be stayed & fyxed in that sensyble deuout ymage / theyr spyryte may more lyberally ascende to god or to the saynt to whom they pray. And for y^t consyderacy¦on ymages of sayntes be set vp in the chyrches as bo¦kes of lay mē. That they redynge in thē / theyr actes & Iestes suffred for almighty god may be styred to de¦uocyon / and for to honoure god in his holy sayntes. ¶Some vseth agaynst suche dystraccions lytell bo∣kes / in the whiche is conteyned pyctures of the arty∣eles of the lyfe and passion of our lorde Iesu / and tor∣nyng ouer theyr leues dooth worshyp our lorde / say∣eng for euery article a Pater nr̄ / an Aue & a crede. and this exercise is good for thē whiche be vnlerned. & I councell them y^t can haue no suche bokes to remēbre the sayd articles by the feestes of the yere. begynnīg at the natyuyte of oure lorde god / his circumcysion / his epyphany / his presentacion in to the temple / his fast and temptacyon / his dethe and bytter passyon /

his resurreccyō / & ascention / with other solēpne festes in y^e yere. And for eche say the prayer aboue rehersed. And this done serue our lady lykewyse / begynnynge at her concepcyō / natyuite / salutacyō / visitacyō / puri¦ficacyō / & assumpcyō. And after this y^e apostles / mar∣tyrs: & other holy sayntes as theyr festes cā be called to remembraūce / or as they appere & be reprynted a∣fore thē in theyr ymages set vp in chyrches. This or∣dre vsed shall call in the mynde from worldly besynes (& so distraccyō auoyded) it shall kyndle deuocyon / & encreace the meryte and fruyte of prayer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Li. iiii. ca xxiii ps. xii.
• * 1.2

  Sapi••∣••ie. j.
• * 1.3

  Luce. x
• * 1.4

  xxij. q•• xxxiij. arti xi••
• * 1.5

  j. Co. ••
• * 1.6

  Ad He¦bre. xii