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BY what hath beene saide, it appeareth that the essence or nature of Mentall Praier, pro∣perly consisteth in speaking within our selues to God our Lorde, for two principall endes.
1. The first is, to praise him, and blesse him for what hee is: and to giue him thankes for the be∣nefits, and rewardes hee bestoweth vpon vs, exer∣cizing
that soueraigne manner of Praier which S. Paule counselleth vs, saying: Bee filled vvith the Holy Spirit speaking to yourselues in Psalmes, & Hymnes, and spirituall Canticles, chaunting, & singing in your heartes to our Lorde, giuing thankes al vvaies for all things, in the name of our Lord IESVS Christe to God & the Father. In the which wordes the holy Apo∣stle pointeth at foure diuine affections, wherewith wee may speake in our heartes to God our Lorde for the ende aforesaide, that is to say, Psalmes, Hymnes, spirituall Canticles, and Thankesgiuing.
Interiour Psalmes are Actions of the Loue of God, with effectuall desires, and determinations to serue, and obey him, offering ourselues to keepe most perfectly his Commandements, and Counsailes. This is that Musicke which Dauid cal∣leth the Psalter of ten strings: for as hee that plaieth on the Psalter, or Harpe, handleth all the ten strings thereof, sometimes some of them, someti∣mes othersome, and sometimes all of them togi∣ther; so in Praier making this musicke to God, wee are to haue feruent desires to exercise the Vertues of Obedience, Humillitye, Patience, and the rest, now one, then another, & sometimes alltogither: as likewise stedfast purposes to keepe Gods Com∣maundements, & his Counsells, laying handes now vpon one, then vppon another, and sometimes vpon alltogither.
Hymnes are Affections of the Praises of God, re∣ckoning vp all the excellencies, & perfections that hee hath, and the workes that hee hath donne, for the which hee is worthily to bee praised, & glori∣fied of all creatures. Sometimes I may say with the Seraphins, Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God of Hostes, or in steede of this worde Holy, I may put in other like wordes, saying: Good, Mercifull, Iust, VVise, and Povverfull arte thou my Lord, and my God, and
most worthy to haue thy Sanctity, and thy Grea∣tenesse preached by the Seraphins. Sometimes, with the Seniours in the Apocalips, I will say, vvorthy art thou, o Lambe of God, vvhoe didst dye for vs, to receiue Povver, and Diuinitye, and VVisdome, and Strength, and Honour, and Glory, and Benedi∣ction for euer and euer. Amen. And othersome times with the three Children of Babilon, that were in the fornace, I will inuite all Ceatures to praise, and glorify God. And wth Dauid I will prouoke myne owne Soule, and all the faculties thereof to blesse our Lord.
Spirituall Canticles, are Affections of Spirituall Ioy, and Alacritie, rejoicing that God is who hee is; and for the Infinite good that hee hath in himselfe: and for the Glory giuen to him by the Saintes in heauen; and for the seruices donne him by the Iust vpon the earthe: and rejoicing within ourselues for the hope of eternall good, and for the possession which the blessed doe enjoy, saying that of the Apocalips; Alleluia, because our Lord God the omnipotent hath raigned. Let vs bee glad, and reioice, and giue glory to him, because the mariage of the Lambe is come, and his vvife hath prepared herselfe.
Thankesgiuings, are Actions of thankefullnesse for the benefits wee haue receiued of our Lorde, recounting them all very often, and praising him for euery one of them: and I am not onely to giue him thankes for the benefits I my selfe haue receiued, but also for those which hee hath donne to the Angells in Heauen, and to all the men vpon earthe, and to the insensible creatures that kno∣we not how to thanke him; yea, and for those hee hath donne to the Deuills themselues, and to the Damned, that haue no will to bee thankefull vnto him.
VVith these 4. Affections wee may speake to our Lord in Praier, to the ende to glorifye him, procuring (as S. Paul sayeth) the holy Spirit to bee the beginning of our Interiour speeches; the midle or Mediatour, to bee Christe IESVS our Sauiour; and the ende, and person to whome they bee directed, to bee the Father euerlasting, albeeit (as hath beene saide) they may likewise bee directed to all the three Persons.
2. The second ende why wee are to speake vnto God our Lord, is to require of him newe coele∣stiall guiftes, and graces, ordained to our owne saluation, and perfection, and to his Glory. These Petitions, and Colloquies, may bee made in many formes, according to the diuerse disposition of him that prayeth, and speaketh to God.
Sometimes wee are to speake vnto him as a Sonne speaketh vnto his Father, asking of him all such things as a good Sonne may, and ought to aske of a good Father, with the Spirit of Loue, and Confidence. And in this sorte wee speake vnto God in that praier of our Pater noster, where Christe our Lord declareth what things wee are to aske, as wee shall see in the Meditation which shallbee made vpon that praier in the third parte.
Sometimes wee are to speake vnto God, as a poore wretche doth to a riche, and mercifull man, begging of him an almes. VVith this Spirit prayed Dauid very often, calling himselfe a poore wretch, and a begger, begging a spirituall almes of God, who (as S. Paule saith) is riche tovvard all that inuocate him.
Sometimes wee may speake to God, as a sicke man speaketh to a Phisition, declaring vnto him his Infirmityes, and desiring remedie thereof: or as a man that hath a processe, or one that is
guilty speketh to a Iudge, when he informeth him of his right & requireth a fauourable sentence, or pardon of his Crime. And in this case our Col∣loquye must bee accompanied with Affections of humilliation, of Sorrowe for Sinne, of Purposes of satisfaction, & amendmēt. Of the which wee shall see forward many exāples in the meditations vpon the Miracles, & Parables of our Sauiour Christe.
Finally other sometimes wee may speake vnto God with that Spirit that a Scholler speaketh vn∣to his Master, requiring of him Light, and In∣struction in such things as wee knowe not. Or as one friende speaketh vnto another, when hee talketh with him of some waighty affaire, asking him Counsaile, Direction, and Aide. And if Confidence, and Loue shall so farre imbolden vs, our Soule may speake vnto God, as the Bride spea∣keth to her Spouse in seuerall Colloquyes, where∣with the booke of Canticles is replenished.
In all these sortes wee may speake to our Lord in praier, clothing ourselues with the foresaide affections, sometimes with one, and sometimes with another, for all are fitting vnto vs with our God, who is our Phisition, our Iudge, our Frien∣de, and the Spouse of our Soules. Truth it is, that the greatest certainety in these Petitions, & Col∣loquyes, dependeth principally vpon the holy Spirit, who (as S. Paule saith) requesteth for vs vvith gronings vnspeakeable: for with his inspira∣tion hee teacheth vs, and mooueth vs to aske, or∣dering our petitions, and rowzing vp those Affe∣ctions wherewith they are to bee made. To which purpose S. Bernard saide, that Deuotion is the Tongue of the Soule, which whosoeuer hath, is very skilfull in talking, and reasoning with the eternall VVorde. But this notwithstanding wee for our parte must aide ourselues, and learne to
treate, and conferre with God, obseruing the man∣ner, and the affection wherewith men speake one to another in the cases rehearsed.
VVhereunto I adde, that albeit Praier is properly a speeche, & Colloquy with our Lord, wee may not withstanding speake therein to ourselues, & haue conference with our owne Soule. Sometimes, our selues (as S. Paule saieth) exhorting ourselues, & re∣uiuing ourselues in the affections, & petitions re∣hearsed. Other sometimes reprehending ourselues for our faultes, & for our want of zeale, & beeing ashamed of our selues that wee serue God so euilly.
In this sorte Dauid spake many times to his Sou∣le, saying: O my Soule, why arte thou sorrowfull? and why art thou troubled? hope in God, for still I haue time to praise him, and to confesse that hee is my Sauiour, and my God. Subject thyselfe to God, o my Soule, for vpon him dependeth my Pa∣tience. From these Colloquyes wee must make a step to speake to God himselfe, as did the prodi∣gall Sonne, when hee spake to himselfe saying: Hovv many of my Fathers hirelings haue abound∣ance of breade, and I heere perish for famine? I vvill arise, and vvil goe to my Father, and say to him, Father, I haue sinned, against Heauen, and before thee, I am not novv vvorthy to bee called thy Sonne, make mee, if it so please thee, as one of thy Hirelings.
Finally wee may likewise in Praier speake to our blessed Lady the Virgin, to the Angells, and Saintes for the same forsaid two endes; either to praise, and blesse them for their Sanctitye, & Ver∣tues, and for the benefits which they doe vs; or to require them to aide, and fauour vs in the busi∣nesse of our Saluation. For the which wee may li∣kewise alledge vnto them, some of those Titles which we laid downe in the precedent §. & other speciall ones beseeming eche of them. To the most
sacred Virgin may bee alledged, that shee is our mother, and the Aduocatrice of Sinners, and that for our remedie her Sonne gaue her this Office in charge: alledging also the Loue that shee bea∣reth him, and her desire that all should loue, and serue him, beseeching her to doe for vs the office of a mother, and an Aduocatrice, and to demon∣strate vnto vs, that, her Loue, and Desire, in obtai∣ning for vs what wee request, that wee may the better serue him whome shee so dearely loueth. Also to our Angell Gardian may bee alledged, that hee comply with the Office hee holdeth, to present our praiers vnto God, and to procure a good dispatche of them: and that his honour is interessed in our beeing good, and hauing a happy issue of our pretention of Heauen: and that seeing the Deuill sleepeth not to tempt vs, that hee sleepe not, but bee watchfull to defende vs. After this sorte wee may speake to the rest of the Sainctes, that shall offer themselues in the matter of meditation, or to whome wee are de∣uoted, rather to stirre vp deuotion in ourselues, then to moue them thereby: for as they loue vs, and desire our Saluation, they are very much inclined to sollicite it.
Ad Eph. 5.19. Ad Co∣loss. 3.16.
Ex D. Th. lectio 7. in ad Ephes. 5.
Psal. 32.2.
Isai. 6.3.
Apoc. 5.12.
Dan. 3.57. Psal. 102 1.
Apoc. 19.6.
Psal. 24.16. & 39.18. Ad Rom. 10.12.
Ad Rom. 8.26.
Serm. 15. in Can∣tica.
Ad Colos. 3.16.
Psal. 41.12. & 42.5. Psal. 61.6.
Luke. 15.17.