OF PREPARATION,

which is a thing very requisite to be used before prayer, and meditation.

        Now it shall be requisite for us to treat particularly of every one of these five parts aforesaid, and first of Preparation, which ought to go before the others.

            We said even now that it was needful to use some preparation of our mind before we enter into prayer. This preparation may be made divers manners of ways. For a man may dispose himself unto prayer by calling to mind his sins, and offences, and namely such sins as he hath committed that present day, and he may accuse himself of them, and desire of our Lord pardon for them, according to the saying of the Wise man. The just man at the beginning is an accuser of himself.

            This manner of Preparation seemeth to be as it were the pulling off of our hose and shoes to enter into the holy land, and as it were the washing of our garments to go to receive almighty God, when he cometh to treat with men, and to teach them his holy law. This manner of preparation we are taught to use even by nature itself. For we see it is a common manner, that when we go to request any benefit of any friend of ours whom we have offended, we do first desire of him pardon, and forgiveness, before we demand any other thing of him. This may be done some times with the heart only, and some times by saying the general confession, Confiteor Deo, etc. or the psalm: Miserere mei Deus: or some other like prayers. Wherein good heed must be taken, that these prayers be not said in post haste, but with as great quietness, attention, feeling, and repentance of heart as we can.

            Howbeit a man ought not to stay over long in this consideration of his sins, (as some persons do, that both begin and end herewith, yea and pass all their whole life therein.) For albeit this consideration of our sins be always good (and at the beginning very necessary) yet it is meet that it be taken with such moderation, as that it occupy not that time which should be bestowed about other better matters. Neither is it needful in this exercise for a man to consider very particularly his sins, and namely such as the remembrance whereof may move him to some evil cogitations: But it is sufficient to make as it were a bundle of them all, and to drown them in the bottomless Sea of the infinite goodness and mercy of almighty God, with good hope to receive pardon and remedy of them from the same.

            We may also prepare ourselves unto prayer, by considering the majesty and greatness of that Lord unto whom we go to speak in prayer. For this consideration will teach us, with what great reverence, and humility, and with how great attention it behooveth such a miserable creature as man is, to speak unto a lord of so great majesty as almighty God is, concerning a matter of so great importance as is his own salvation. But that thou mayest understand somewhat of the majesty of almighty God, thou must consider, that the heavens, the earth, and all that is created, is no more before the majesty of almighty God, than a little emite, or (as the Wiseman saith) a grain of weight in the balance. Now if all creatures be no more than an emite before him, what shalt thou then seem to be before him, that art so small a part of the whole?

            This consideration of the majesty and greatness of almighty God is as it were a profound reverence, that the soul maketh within itself before the throne of that supreme majesty, at what time she entereth into his palace to speak with him. With this manner of humility and reverence the Son of God taught us to pray, when making his prayer he cast himself prostrate upon the ground: giving us thereby to understand, how humble and lowly a man ought to be, and how much he ought to consider of his own baseness, and vileness, whensoever he goeth about to speak unto almighty God. With this spirit and humble reverence a man may repeat those words of the holy Patriarch, where he saith: I will speak to my Lord, although I be but dust, and ashes.

            But above all this, it shall help us very much in this preparation to consider well what we go about to do, when we settle ourselves to prayer. For if we do well consider it, we go to pray for none other purpose, but to receive the spirit of almighty God, and the influences of his grace, and the joy of charity, and devotion, wherewith we see how the souls of just persons are replenished at the end of their long and devout prayers. Now this being so, thou mayest perceive hereby, with how great humility, and reverence, and with how great attention, and devotion, thou oughtest to come, when thou dost open the mouth of thy soul to receive almighty God. Consider with what great fervent devotion the holy Apostles were inflamed, at what time they expected and looked for the coming of the holy Ghost, and by that mayest thou understand, how thou oughtest to prepare thyself when thou goest about to look for and receive the same holy Ghost, albeit it be not in such plentiful and abundant wise as the Apostles was. Hereby thou seest, how close shut thou oughtest to have the gates of thy understanding and will at the time of prayer from all the cares and thoughts of the world: and how open they ought then to be unto almighty God alone, in that case he come to enter therein, he return not back again, finding the gates shut against him, or the lodging taken up and pestered with other guests.

            Now with this preparation and spirit mayest thou present thyself in prayer before the face of our Lord, as that sick man of the dropsy did, who stood before him expecting from his merciful hand to be restored unto his health: or as that leprous person did, who kneeled down at his feet, and said humbly unto him. O Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. Consider that in like manner as a little hungry dog standeth before his masters table, fawning very earnestly upon him with his eyes, and all his whole body, looking ever for some little piece of bread to come from his table, and after the same sort oughtest thou to present thyself before the rich table of the Lord of heaven, confessing thyself to be unworthy of the whole abundance of his mercies, and desiring him most humbly to bestow some little portion thereof upon thee for thy relief. With this lowly spirit mayest thou say the psalm: Ad te levavi oculos meos qui habitas in caelis, etc. The which albeit it be but short, yet it is very fit and convenient to stir up and enkindle this foresaid affection, in preparing thyself unto prayer.

            This manner of preparation or the other thou mayest (gentle reader) use at thy liberty: but the first seemeth to be more convenient for the night, when a man ought to examine his conscience, and desire pardon and forgiveness of almighty God, of all such defects, and offences, as he hath offended him in that day. And the second manner of preparation is most fit for the morning, when he riseth before the day break, to desire then of almighty God the assistance and succor of his grace, whereby he may the better bestow that day in his service.

            But because to know how to pray as a man ought, is a very special gift of almighty God, and a work of the holy Ghost, therefore desire him most humbly both in the one preparation, and the other, to instruct thee how to do thy duty herein, and to give thee grace that thou mayest speak unto him in thy prayer with such attention, and devotion, with such recollection and closeness of mind, and with such fear, and reverence, as is behooveful to be used before so great a majesty: and withal desire him, that thou mayest in such wise persevere, and spend that little time in this exercise of prayer, that thou mayest in the end arise from the same with new force, and strength, to do all such things as appertain to his service.

            It is thought also to be a good manner of preparation to say some vocal prayers before meditation: of which sort there be many in divers books of devotion, and namely in the meditations of St. Augustine, and in the Psalter of David, where there be some very devout Psalms that will help very much to enkindle and stir up devotion. For it is the property of devout sentences (being said with an earnest mind and attention) to wound the heart, and to lift it up unto almighty God: the which devout sentences are so much the more behooveful and necessary for us, by how much we find our spirit to be more cold, and distracted.

            And these same prayers do serve much better for this purpose when they be in mitre, as are many Hymns of the Saints, and the Proses, and Versicles. Forsomuch as (I know not how it is, that) the words of God used in this kind of style, and harmony, do bring with them a greater sweetness, and delight to our souls. And therefore we find in the works of St. Bonaventure (who was a very devout holy man) many of these Hymns. The like we find in the works of St. Bernard, and in divers and sundry other of the holy fathers. Likewise there is great commendation given by many learned men (and surely not without good cause) to those three devout Hymns that Jeronimo de Vida made to the three persons in Trinity, which being learned by heart, and said devoutly, be as it were a most sweet Manna to sweeten the taste of our soul at the beginning of prayer, and to dispose it to take a delight in spiritual and divine matters.

            Here I think it necessary to declare with what intention a man ought to come unto prayer. For he must not go thereunto chiefly for his own consolation, and delight, (as some that be great lovers of themselves use to do,) but only to fulfil herein the will of almighty God, and to desire of him his grace, and to dispose himself for the obtaining of the same. And herewith he must submit himself in such wise into the hands of almighty God, that he must be as ready and content to be without consolations in his prayer as to have them, remitting himself humbly into his hands, to dispose of him, and of all things belonging unto him, as he shall think good, acknowledging on the one side, that he deserveth not any thing of him, and believing on the other, that although it be so in very deed, yet our Lord of his infinite goodness and mercy will do whatsoever shall be most convenient and behooveful for his salvation. And therefore a man ought to content himself alike, whether the consolations be great, or little, and to take in good part whatsoever usage our Lord shall shew unto him, accounting himself utterly unworthy of all those things that he bestoweth upon him, and being ready to fulfil all such things as he shall command him, not in respect of the benefits he hopeth to receive, but in respect of them he hath already received, and in consideration of his bounden duty unto almighty God. But we see that many persons do quite contrary to this rule, and be like herein unto young shrewd boys, who unless they be dandled, and coerced, will not do the thing that they are commanded.

            I think it also requisite here to advertise, that when a man mindeth to use the exercise of prayer in the morning, he do go to bed with this care over night: and like as those that intend to bake the next day, do use to lay the leaven over night, even so must a man with a godly carefulness prevent and recommend over night unto our Lord that thing which he intendeth to meditate the next day following. And in the morning so soon as he awaketh, he ought forthwith to occupy his heart with this holy thought, before any other do enter therein. For at that time the disposition of our heart is such, that whatsoever thought doth first enter into us, it seizeth and taketh possession of our heart in such wise, that we shall very hardly afterwards put it away from us.

And forsomuch as the prayer of many persons is very acceptable unto our Lord, therefore thou shalt do well to consider in thy prayer both in the morning, and evening, what a number of Gods servants both men, and women, as well in Monasteries, as without, be at that time watching, and persevering before the presence of almighty God, shedding many devout tears, yea and perhaps also disciplining and whipping themselves, and shedding great abundance of blood for the love of God: with which persons thou oughtest humbly to join thyself, that the presence and sweet remembrance of them may be unto thee a provocation of devotion, and an example of perseverance in thy prayer, and also that whensoever thou shalt find thyself cold and negligent in this exercise of prayer, and that some thoughts come into thy mind moving thee to end the same, thou mayest be ashamed, and reprehend thyself, by the example of so many good and virtuous persons, which with so good attention and carefulness do persevere so long time in this exercise of prayer without ceasing, offering their bodies and souls unto almighty God in sacrifice.