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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Pf^ACTicAL Guide
TO
SPIRITUAL PRAYER.

JOHN GHRSON.
>>\
LITERALLY TRANSLATED
BY THE REY. H. AUSTIN.

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ILonlion!
THOMAS RICHARDSON AND SON,
23, Kino Edward Street, City;
j, . And Derby,
: 1884.

PREFACE.

John Charlier, surnamed Gerson, took this
name from a village in the diocese of Bheims,
where he was born in 1363. He studied
theology under Pierre d'Ailli, and succeeded
him in the dignity of Chancellor and Canon
of the Church of Paris. Some anthers have
attributed to him the excellent book of the
" Imitation of Christ." He died in a Monas
tery of the Celestines, near Lyons, in France,
in 1429.
The style of Gerson is said 'to be full of
matter, soundly reasoned, but without polish.

practical ^nxldz
TO
SPIRITUAL PRAYER.

CHAPTER I.
THE DJVINE VOCATION.
God calls all men to salvation; for, according
to the Apostle, God wills all men to be saved.
It is from this that all have that natural
craving for beatitude, which cannot be got rid
of. Still, in tlie matter of divine vocation, one
goes after this manner, another after that,
according to the division of graces, admiiiistra-
tions, and operations. For the Apostle say.s ;
" To one is given, by the Spirit, the word
of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge,
to another faith, to another the grace of heal
ing, to another the working of miracles, to
another prophecy, to another the discernment
of spirits, to another the gift of tongues, to
another the interpretation of speeches. But

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all tliese worketh one and the same Spirit,
dividing to every one according as He will ;
even as the body is one, aud its members
have different offices."
Now, here it is said that the word of wis
dom, which is very like the grace of contem.
piation, if it be not the very same thing, is
given by tlie Spirit, not to all, but to this
one or that one; just as is also the grace of
healing, faith, that is, (I fancy) peace in be.
lieving, working of miracles, prophecy, &c.,
&c. Just, then, as it is not fitting that all who
are called to glory should endeavour indis
criminately to obtain some grace of adminis.
tration or operation, so neither ought all to
give theraselves up to the pursuit of wisdom
or contemplation. In matters of the arts and
sciences the ancient philosophers have pointed
this out to those concerned in government of
states, for all cannot do all thiugs. This is
too plain to require curious investigation.
Vocations being so various, and the settle
ment often a matter of great difficulty, one
thinking himself called to this work, another
to that, each should strive to make sure hia
calling to salvation. It is no small help to

Spiritual Prayer.

this end to take counsel of experienced and
spiritual men, such as judge all things. The
consideration, too, of our own personal cir
cumstances, and of our bodily temperament,
may assist us, our condition in life, our char
acter, intellect, and temper.
Even of those called to contemplation all
are not at once able to be borne aloft into God.
Fearful and anxious, they look on Him as a
most severe judge, as an austere master,
whose condemnation once past knows no recal.
These in their groanings complain to God :
" Who knoweth the power of Thine anger,
and for Thy fear can number Thy wrath?"
Or again, " If Thou shalt mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand ?" Or again, " Enter
not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord,
for in Thy sight shall no man living be justi
fied." Or, " Eebuke me not, O Lord, in Thy
fury." This class do not so much desire the
eternal rewai-d as they wish to escape eternal
punishment, which even the perfect may cau
tiously fear. A second class are called hire-
lings, seeking a recompense from God for
their service, as from a most liberal king, or
as from the Father of mercies and God of all

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- consolation. These say with the prodigal :
" Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before Thee, aud am no more worthy to be
called Thy son; make me as one of Thy hired
servants." These rightly behave as sons, but
sons conscious of having done evil, and they do
not reach so far as the perfect.
Tiiere are a third class, fewer in number,
who do not seek God in a servile manner, nor
after the manner of a hireling. Forgetful of
their servitude, and of their reward, forgetful
of God's paternal authority, they with more
than filial mind consort with God as a friend
with a friend; nay, they are knit to Him with
a sweeter intimacy still, as a bride with her
bridegroom, and their words are, '' I to my
Beloved, and His turning is towards me." Or
again, " What have I in heaven 1" that is, for
reward ; " and besides Thee what do I desire
upon earth ?" that is, for the escaping of pun
ishment. " For Thee my flesh and my heart
hath fainted away. Thou art the God of my
Iieart, and the God that is my portion for
ever." The flrst are the beginners, the second those
that advance, the rest are the perfect. But

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all at times should treat with God as with a
most severe judge, or again, as with a Master
and Lord, a Father who keeps them, but will
avenge every negligence ; otherwise let them
fear what is said, " Unless thou hold thyself
constant in the fear of God, thy house will be
speedily overturned."
But even after offences and adulteries we
may return to our Spouse, for God says in
Jeremias, " Thou hast committed fornication
with many lovers, yet return to Me, and I
will receive thee." Now, for the best manner
of approaching God each one is at liberty to
form his own judgment; but to ray mind, the
most advisable mode for most, is to go to Ilim
as our Father who is in heaven. This in
duces a reverential fear and a childlike love,
and it brings a person to ask with respectful
confidence all things necessary for our toil
some pilgrimage. If we come before God as
Lord, our judge, as the just one who speedily
requites with vengeance, and the like, these
naraes fill the soul with fear rather than with
love. But, on the contrary, such names aa
spouse, love, abiding in delights and in beds
of aroinatical spices, my Beloved white jyid

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ruddy, abiding between the breasts, whose
left hand is under my head, and Hia right
hand shall embrace me; these with some
breathe more of softness than of affection, and
procure less of sincere love. The name our
Father is in a wonderful manner between
both, so aa to mix fear with lore, and temper
love with fear.

CHAPTER II,

THE TEMPERAMENT.
It is a dictum of philosophers that the soul
follows the body, and we know this well by
daily experience. This following, however,
is not of necessity, either from within or from
without, but it is one of inclination. When a
work is in conformity with our natural bent,
this is a most wonderful help to its perform
ance. When it is repugnant it is a great
liindrance. Our will, though free, though
schooled, though aided by custom, will scarcely
suffice to overcome the repugnance.

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S. Gregory, so long and thoroughly versed
in the art of contemplation, tells ua that he
had found some men so restless and fond of
change, that the quiet of contemplation was to
them, if not intolerable, at least most exceed
ingly irksome, whereas, others of a calmer
nature were most apt for it, and inclined that
way. To the flrst he allots the active life,
the second he sends to contemplation.
Now we all know that some raen are more
passionate than others ; sorae again have
great good sense and understanding ; others
are mostly affectionate. It is by this that we
see some men arrive at compunction, and con
sequently at the grace of contemplation, by
the passion of anger, through detesting the
vileness of their vices. The second set reach
conteraplation more frora a good judgraent,
which loves truth, and sees how right and
beautiful it is to live in accordance with reason.
But one with a soft and friendly heart, easily
capable of compassion and love, such an one
as the spouse is described, whose soul melted
when her Beloved spoke, the all-desirable, —
one like this is drawn to the rest of contem
plation by brooding over the Passion of our

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Practical Guide io

Lord, or by considering the great condescension
and love of God, or by something pious and
touching in the lives of the Saints. Wom^n,
who are called the devout female sex, are
often of this last character.
The cause, then, is plain why different ones
are drawn rather by this than by that mode
to contemplation ; for the mode of action suits
their natural bent, and the flesh obeys the
spirit more willingly in its upward flight,
when it has in itself some concordance, or'
aptitude for that to which it is carried. Now,
as far as we may conjecture from their deeds,
it would appear that in S. Jerome and S. Am
brose the dominant principle in the tempera
ment was that of anger, in S. Gregory and S.
Bernard that of love and affection, but in S.
Augustine and S. Thomas sound reason and
intelligence. This, however, does not exclude
from any of them the loving and friendly
heart capable of deep affection, nor does it ^
exclude from each a searching study after
truth, and a veheraent zeal against all that ia^
unseemly in conduct.
How thankful ought those to be who are
well born, whether, like John Baptist, they

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13

owe this to a miracle of God's hand, or they
have it flow to them from their ancestors
and parental stock, or they have been care
fully brought up in good and wholesome
morality ; this grace, from whatever source it
come, let them not receive it in vain. Let
each take care, says S. Bernard, that the word
which cometh forth from the raouth of the Lord
shall not return to Him vain, but shall prosper,
and do all things for which God sent it, ao
that each may say. The grace of God in rae
was not in vain. To neglect the gift is an
iiijnry to the giver. Not to use it is a token
of intolerable pride, and hateful thankless-
nesa of heart.

CHAPTER III.

THE PERSONAL CONDITION.

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f-

How vast is the variety of ranks and occu- ^
pations in the world I In the world, as in the
Church, all the members have not the same
office. But the call to contemplation requires /

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Practical Guide to

leisure from outward cares ; and as many are
bound, by their office and state of life, to be
in busy exercise and bustle, both for mind and
body, how can a counsel to contemplation be
given to such ? They would simply spoil
both. " The e-iiemy shall behold ihem, a-ixd.
shall mock at iheir Sabbaths." (Lam. i. 7.)
We may, then, pass in silence those who are
occupied in mechanical works, shops, and hard
country labour ; those again in bonds of mar
riage, when the woman has thoughts of the
world, liow she may please her husband, and
the man to provide for his wife and children.
Prelates, says S. Gregory, ought to be, above
all others, lost in conteraplation. But if they
then flrst want to study contemplation, when
they ought to be attending to the wants of
their subjects, they deceive themselves. In
abandoning the care of their people for the
sweets of contemplation they give way to a
teraptation, for they neglect a necessary obli
gation to attend to a thing of their own will,
not necessary.
Where, however, conteraplation has become
a familiar thing, and a man can use both
hands, and so, like an angel of God, can con-

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template in the midst of action, or can im
mediately after action betake hiraself to
contemplation without much difficulty, then
it is right enough, and just suits the state of
contemplation in exercise to which be ia
called. The ecclesiastical state, especially in those
who are Eeligious, is to tend to thia perfection,
and for this purpose they are set in the school
of prayer and devotion, that they raay be like
the eyes of the Church, making the other
members attend to God and to themselves.
Children are little capable of contemplation;
but looking to the future, great care must be
taken that their young minds get no taint by
foul words, or pictures, or things. Everything
that is modest and religious they should be
imbued with. A new vessel once defiled re
tains the evil savour long after. Our Lord,
therefore, denounced a woe on those who
scandalized Plis little ones. Youths ought to
be more burdened with bodily exercises to
repress the violence of their passions. When
these are moderated by age and custom, the
remainder of life may be given all to the quiet
of contemplation.

"

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Practical Guide to

CHAPTER IV.

AIMINQ AT PEBPECTION.
Many say, " The common Hfe is enough for
me. If I can be saved with the lowest, that
will suffice ; I have no wish for the merits of
the Apostles ; I do not want to soar aloft, I
am content to go on the level." Such as these
should consider that this imperfection is a
refusal to be perfect ; for in the way of God
not to advance is to go back. The slothful
servant is condemned, because, being content
to keep hia talent, he did not give it out to
intereat. This may be made clear by an
example. Supposing some great gentleman has several
children, capable by their talents of greatly
increasing his wealth and consideration; but
one of them, whilst the rest enter this or that
profession, and make their way in life, stopa
at home idle, doing nothing suitable to hia
talents or to his noble birth, but saying that
he is quite content to remain as he is, pro-

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17

vided he doea nothing particularly disgrace
ful. In this case, if, when the father calls on
his son, and spurs him to do something more
:joble, yet the son turns a deaf ear, and obeys
not his wishes, will not such a son become
hateful to his father ? Now, those put them
selves in this very position with our heavenly
Father whora He draws to more excellent
graces and diviner actiona; but they are dull,
sticking in the mud, and making no effort
nfler perfection.
Those that are tied by sorae office, or by
their state of life, cannot, without transgress
ing a precept, rise to these higher things,
and what has been said doea not speak of
'Jiem : their highest merit is to work in obe
dience to the divine command. Mary, too,
might honourably with Martha have minis
tered to our Lord as her guest ; yet she is
praised because, intent on one thing, she
chose the best part. He then is to be blamed
who makes the worser part his.
From what has been said it plainly follows
that since the contemplative life is more per
fect, according to theologians, than the active,
he who is suited for it, aud is not tied by

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necessity to action, is at perfect liberty to give
up the active life to embrace contemplation.
S. Augustine says that, if no work of charity
is imposed on ns, i.e., by necessity or a
Buperior's injunction, we should study to con
template truth. Nor need any one fear to be
condemned as having hidden his talent, on
which he could have traded" by preaching,
serving the poor, and other works of the active
life; for a contemplative person with heart
and eye, is of plentiful profit to the Church,
devoutly serving God, whilst others minister
with the mouth, the hands, or the feet. ,
The neglect of contemplation ia very blame-
able in thoae who are placed in the school of
the Religious life, as a school of prayer, devo
tion, and tears; so also with such priests as
have plenty to live on and little to do. Many
secular persona also, men and women, have
sufficient leisure, instruction, and abilities, to
give themselves thus wholly to God. , Filled
with faith, hope, and charity, they would
require little instruction to pass wholly to
a good state of heart.

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CHAPTER V. r.,

1- (¦^

/
THE AVOIDANCE OF OCCUPATIONS.
The wise man says, " Write wisdom in tlie \
time of leisure,* for he that is less in action ^
shall perceive her." Let thy actions, then, be
few, if thou wouldst be of good mind. No
one, it is said, full of occupation finds wisdom.
The perfect, even in occupation have wisdom,
but they found it in leisure. A bird that has
its wings tied, or daubed with lime, cannot fly
upwards ; a man who has his feet bound can
not swim ; so a man full of occupation cannot
soar into the heights of contemplation. For
this there is required a wide vacuum; the
heart must be like a blank sheet, not filled
with cares, straitened with anxieties, or be
fouled with filthy passions, or there will be no
])lace for the writing of the iinmense doctrine
of wisdom.
What happens with treea will give us an
example ; if there is a wound in the bark, the
sap that should ascend to nourish the tree, in-

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stead of thia flows out by the wound, and ia
wasted idly on the ground. Now love is fitly
called the sap of the soul :^ the wounds of the
soul are fleshly passions, earthly cares and
the like; when there is this wound, love, in
stead of going upwards as a nutriment to
heavenly desires, flows downwards and ia lost.
Those who would fain poise their wings and
soar aloft in the flights of contemplation,
grieve often to find that the sap of their iove
is running downwards to the wounded place of
their hearts, to temporal cares, to a thought
of anger, to some anxiety, or the like. They
experience what the prophet bewails, when
he says : " My loins, i.e., my affections, are
filled with illusions." (Ps. 1.) These are the
illusions which he elsewhere calls "vanities
and false madnesses." This made the poet
say: " Wonld'st thou be free from envy or evil love,
Fill thee with good, and turn to the things above."
Is there any one, however, entirely free
from these troubles ? No one : for all is
vanity. It is one thing, however, to give
oneself up to these distracting thoughts,

fr>

r, •

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21

whether by duty, or zeal for such occupations,
and quite another to suffer them unwillingly,
wiping them away, as it were, with the hand
of discretion; driving thera off as teasing
flies; just as Abram kept off the birds that
hovered over hia evening sacrifice.
Now, as regards the occupation of many
Eeligious in singing psalms and hymns with
high sounding chants, multiplied beyond
number ; does this help them either to attain
or to exercise conteraplation ? What is to
be thought of it? It is true that S. Augus
tine wept plentifully, in hearing the sweet
melody of the hymns of the Church, and was
wonderfully moved by the voices, and the
^ruth distilled into hia heart ; but it is not
said that he was one of the singers. How
ever, as grace will do more to bring a person
to the quiet of conteraplation than our own
industry, and since there are intermissions in
the singing, it is quite possible that some
persons with their minds thus engaged have
had raptures, especially in cases where the
person was striving to rise from the sensual to
the rational, or further still to the spiritual
man. '

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It may be, too, that this multiplication of
psalm-singing has been ordained more for the
sake ofthe sensual, that is, to occupy the minds
of such as know not how to meditate in quiet
with themselves, or to raake good use of their
leisure, than for spiritual persons, who are rare.
Indeed a well ordered Institute might, per
haps, make such more free from this yoke, eo
as to have sorae at least with Mary sitting at
the feet of Jesus, and not to have only Martha.
If whilst singing psalras, God and Hia
Spirit visits the soul, nothing is mightier or
more blessed. Blessed, says David, is the
the people that knoweth jubilation, singing
wisely, and joining to the words the under
standing and affections. Happy indeed is
such a soul. For such an one, O my Jesus,
is not like land without water to Thee, but
she is Thy love. Thy dove, Thy spouse.
For in saying the hours she fulfils the precept
of religious praise, yet ia privileged like one
in deepest solitude, and is still more mighty,
still more blessed than such.
It is good by premeditation to make ready
matter for the time of prayer, that the
affections may be more speedily enkindled.

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It is good, too, from what is said, not to seek
a subtle and manifold knowledge, so much as
relish and exultation. For often where there
is less knowledge there is more affection, and
love enters when knowledge stands without.
We should imitate those who rejoice at the
sound of the drum and the harp, who feel de
lighted enongh with the melody, without
exaraining over nicely about the rules of
harmony. All then that we hear read, or think, should
be drawn to good affections. If we hear
Pater noster, our raind should rise to reverence
and love, to beg for our necessities and those
of others, of whom God is the common Father.
Then, in considering who is our Father, we
should have noble thoughts, and despise all
that is low and foul ; unsuited with the royalty
of onr extraction. And as onr Father is in
heaven, we should mourn our exile on the
the earth, far from our true inheritance.
Such affections as these can be found with
out end or number ; sweet and new every day,
liidden as honey in the comb; or as manna
flowing abundantly, when pressed by the teeth
of contemplation.

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Practical Guide to

CHAPTER VI.
WITHDEAVfAL OP CONTEMPLATION.
In following contemplation it must not be
from curiosity. Curiosity is either a study
about unprofitable things, or a searching into
those that are profitable, beyond what is law
ful, becoming, or expedient. We should not
sigh after contemplation to get knowledge of
its lofty heights, as scanned by the Saints, nor
with the purpose of making them known
presently to others. Our object should rather
be that we may be viler in our own eyes,
onr vileness being seen the more clearly by
the comparison of the conteraplation of the
Godhead ; or that we may be stronger against
temptation, more fervent in the love of God
and of our neighbour, and stricter in the
keeping of God's comraandraents.
We ought also to tremble when we consider
that there are faithless children, and wicked
servants ; to whom, nevertheless, the heavenly
Father sometiraes gives of the fat of wheat,

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25

and satiates them with honey oat of the rock;
just indeed as some princes have to persons
condemned to death, sent, shortly before their
execution, dainties from their own table. We
must not then be over wise, but fear, since the
grace of contemplation is reckoned amongst
the graces gratis datce; which, like faith, and
hope, and prophecy, and other powers, may
be had lifeless, and without charity. No one
securely glories, but he who glories in the
Lord. Woe, then, to human presumption, for these
and the like spiritual gifts are to be found
sometimes with the cursed and reprobate
children, either to the increase of their
damnation by their most ungrateful use of the
gift of God ; or for the instruction of others ;
or as a sort of transil;ory reward for their
labours as false and unprofitable. Like labour,
like reward, says the proverb. They desired
in a manner to commit fornication with the
gifts of God, by a wicked love, of presump
tion, and what then? God gave them the
desire of their hearts, bnt in anger. So they
hear the Gospel, — Take that is thine, and go
thy way. 2

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Practical Guide to

Now God, by a merciful dispensation, often
withdraws from His elect, but not in wrath
nor to the end; but who shall be able to
sound the deep abyss of His judgments ? We
may, frora the sayings of the Saints, who have
sorae of them spoken of these mysteries, learn
something, God having inspired them to speak.
This happens, then, often for our humiliation,
either to check pride that has arisen, or to
prevent it from rising. S. Bernard therefoi-e
testifies that nothing so powerfully helps
either to flnd, keep, or recover this grace, as
not to be too loftily wise, but to be wise unto
sobriety. Blessed is the man that is always
fearful, and stands upon his watch.
Sometiraes, again, God does this to inflame
the desire more vehemently, as a flre pent up
rages afterwards more flercely. God would ,
have us seek great things in a grand manner.
This happens that raan's fragility, and the
depth of his miseries, may be seen by him
more clearly, so that he may grow vile in hia
own eyes, considering what he is in himself,
and what by the grace of God he can be.
Sometiraes it is done to teach pity for thoae
in desolation, to whom comfort ia not given ;

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27

or, after being given, is taken away. It
takes place that a man may satisfy either for
himself or others, by the painful sense of
abandonment, just as our Lord's huraan nature
was abandoned and steeped in a torrent of
pains, that so He might satisfy, not for His
own sins, but those of others.
It may be also, because one who is capable
by his learning of assisting others, wills ever
to be at leisure for hiraself, and loving the
embraces of Eachel, refuses the work of
charity, has no care to give fruitfulness to
Lia. But a well ordered nature has a horror
of idleness ; so when it finds it cannot rise to
higii things, it seeks occupation in those that
are lower. Thus this soul made weak and
humbled, is thereby perfected more com
pletely, and receives the willing showers of
divine dew.
Again, this happens, that being tempted in
many things, a man may learn obedience and
other virtues, so as to teach them with greater
power. For that saying of Socrates is true,
we speak best of what we know best. That
we kuow best, which we have had intimate

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Practical Guide to

experience of; the inexperienced man, what
does he know ?
God takes away contemplation, lest on its
account man should neglect the obligation of
the divine commands.
Sometiraes He punishes venial defects thia
way, just as an indulgent father might turn
away his face from a wanton son ; or show a
sad look, that his son might be more careful
in future in keeping himself strictly modest,
and lest, by neglecting small things, he might
fall by little aud little.
It happens again, that we may know how
trne that word of the Apostle is : " It is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God, who showeth mercy." For it is
not by our own industry that we arrive at
contemplation. And this becomes a pl^in
sign, since after a man has said to himself
that at such a,' time he will be free, ahd will
prepare himself for the enjoyment of the
sweets of contemplation, lo, when the time
comes, he finds himself dry, and filled with
bitterness; no relish for reading, or prayer,
only darkness and trouble. On the contrary,
when we are not expecting it, and have pre-

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29

pared nothing, God visits us with the longed-
for grace.
Sometimes it is done to purify the spiri
tual sea, a sea great and wide ; for this sea,
like the material sea, contracts filth by too
long a quiet, and agitation and commotion
clear it away.
Sometiraes God thus proves whether the
soul is ready to serve llim at her own cost,
in pains and tribulation, with no salary of
consolations and sweetness. For some there
are who refuse to pray, or who imagine their
prayer to be useless, if they do not receive a
comfort with it, as if God never gave a pre
cept of labour.
God at times weans us, to make the virtue
of hope necessary, or lest we should make
these consolations a sort of last end, or should
receive our reward here below instead of look
ing for one to come. Just so sometimes a
prince does not at once recompense a brave
soldier, or a father his son, having in his mind
some very great reward. Still, usually
smaller gifts are at once bestowed, whilst the
more solid marks of love are reserved for the-
future.

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Practical Guide to

Soraetiraes so great a Guest declines to
come to the soul, lest ills coming should put
her to too great expense, just as David re
fused the invitation of his son Absalom. But
what are the expenses? Sighs and tears of
contrition, fasting, and short sleep, which
burden the body. Or it may be the soul ia
too young, and cannot yet bear too much of
tho intoxicating draughts of the Spirit, if the
King were to bring her into the cellars of
wine. So He keeps the key in His own
hand, now opening aud now shutting as He
will. Again, God so acts as the eagle provoking
its young to fly, or as a mother teaching her
child to walk. A mother sometiraes hides
herself from her child, that her child as for
saken may cry for her, and that when she
returns he may be more cautious to stick close
to her, that he may take greater care not to
fall, that he raay rejoice at having found her,
and that sweetness may be added to her kisses
and caresses.
God does it for the exercise of patience,
because patience hath a perfect work ; for
what tribulation is more bitter, and what

Spiritual Prayer.

31

more plentiful material of patience can there
bo than for a soul that was having a foretaste
of the delights of paradise, to fall, as it were,
into the pains of hell, the likeness of the
shadow of death, the miseries of the exile ?
Some conjecture may be formed, by the grief
it suffers, of the bitterness of an eternal sepa
ration. Now those who would devote theraselves to
contemplaiiou should do so with all their
force, yet still ex]iect the result from above.
They must be prepared to accept of it thank
fully, aud use it humbly when given, and when
denied, to be still of good heart. They raust
love those who have this grace, and not de
spise those who have it not, remembering
always that the kingdom of God consists only
in loving God.
But the spiritual as well as the natural
earth is subject to the curse. It does not
bnng forth its fruits without thorns and
thistles. The soul does not bring forth her
offspring of truth without paiu.

32

Vractlcnl Guide to
CHAPTER VII.
THE NIOED OP PATIENCE.

Now it may chance that, from the considera
tion of what has gone before, some may be
tempted to set aside all endeavours to obtain
the sweet and wholesome fruits of contem
plation, saying, " Why should I labour in
vain, why strive to get what may not be pro
fitable to my soul, what raay be obtained only
to my conderanation ? Let the holy will of
God be done. If He wills it, let Him give
me here a foretaste of His sweetness, and if
He wills, let Him deny it; my heart is ready
for both."
But yon who would thus talk should know
that though he who plants is nothing, nor he
who waters, yet God wills that we shall both
plant and water diligently, whether in the
natural or spiritual order. Otherwise how
can we be " fellow helpers with God" ? And
if we give up our own efforts, looking to the
divine help alone, how do we fulfil the saying,

Spiritual Prayer.

33

"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"?
Let us, then, do our part, our industry, plant
ing and watering, and let Christ give the in.
crease by a quickening virtue poured from
above. From Him we must seek it in lowly
confldence. Let no one excuse hiraself from aiming at
contemplation, kept back by negligence and a
sluggish heart. The consideration telling ua
to tend to perfection should shame such. And
let no one give up the journey to perfection
because he finds snares and temptations laid
in the pathways. Even if often driven back,
and seeming to make no progress, let hin^ still
press on. But let him lean not on the reed
of his own efforts, but on the strong staff dt
the protection of God Most High.
He that receiveth it, let him receive it.
Forthe grace of contemplation is to be sought
by, labour, and labour is required to obtain
that which it cannot give. But so we see in
the formation of man. The generation comes
from the father, the nourishing in the womb
from the mother, and without these how could
a child be born? Still, all would be to no
purpose unless God gave the soul from above.

34

Practical Guide to

By the sole will of the Creator is the life
given, without which all would be without
form and unprofitable.
A man removes the shutters, raises hia
head, opens his eyes. How without this can
he see ? But with all this, if the sun with
held its beams all would be in vain. It is the
same with the Sun of Justice. If God gives
nothing to men without great labour, as an
ancient author says ; if no one is crowned un
less he strives lawfully, as the apostle de
clares; if again the learning of minor things
costs such care and trouble, to escape poverty,
to increase wealth, to get honour or some
perishable good, and labour overcomes all
difficulties, — " labor omnia vincit," — then
surely we ought to blush with shame to be
less careful, patient, and energetic in our
search for this most beautiful and excellent
divine grace of conteraplation.
The brave pilgrim that would ascend this
mount of contemplation must go forth strenu
ously like a giant to run his course. He must
plant his foot firmly, so as not to slip back.
ward. And if he should slip, he must rise
again with vigour, shaking from off his neck

f

Spiritual Pra.yer.

35

the burden of earthly thoughts. He should
do aa did the fabled Sisyphus. How long
shall we be content to lie in the valley of
tears, in the deep mire and mud ? Let us
sigh for the peace and joy of the Spirit in a
purer atmosphere.

CHAPTER VIII.
BOOTS OP THB PASSIONS.
Mystical theology has this peculiarity, that
whereas all other sciences have their seat in
the understanding, this ha.s its seat in the
affections. And as every affection is either
itself love, or takes its rise from love, mystical
^)lieofogy may be fitly termed the art of'love,
the seie'nce of loving. Love is so .^irely the
source of all the other affections and passions,
that even hatred is born of love. In a con
fused raanner all are in love. Hope and fear,
joy and sorrow, equally spring frora love.
If God is loved above all thing.s, then that
which opposes Him is hated. Again, as the

36

Practical Guide to

^

soul recognises in God an object of sovereign
delight, joy is felt at His presence, sorrow
or fear at His absence. Authors disagree
as to the number of the passions, some
enumerating more, others fewer. Hugh of
S. Victor counts nine, though |ie hints that
the passions are innumerable. However,
three may be considered enough, corres
ponding to the power, wisdom, and goodness
of God. Suitably with tuis division, Eichard
of S. Victor divides the graces of contem
plation, according to the triple exclamation
concerning the devout soul in the Canticles :
where she is likened, from her abundance of
compunction, to a pillar of smoke ; and from
the greatness of her admiration to the morning
rising ; and from tlie fulness of her joy,, to one
leaning on her beloved.
If, then, we consider deeply the riches and
power of God, and our own poverty and frailty,
how can we help being pierced with dread,,
thinking on our own- wretched unworthineMr
and shuddering, because' we have sinned
against a Judge who is so terrible in His
counsels over the sons of men,, against so-
powerful a Lord, so majestic a Fatheiv

Spiritual Prayer,

37

A»ain, if we consider with the eyes of our
mind how wonderful is God's knowledge, so
high that wc canmit reach to it, our minds fail
with wonder and amazement ; for it can in no
wise take iu how it is that some are destineil
by Him for glory, and some He foreknows
will go into everlasting misery. We cannot
understand how it is that He denies many
things to those who are thankful, and would
nse them well, and yet gives thera to the un
grateful, who then fight against Him. Or again,
how for almost their wliole life He endures
some who are sunk in abominable crimes, and
saves them like the thief on the Cross, whilst
ujiun others, who, like Juilas, are to perish
everlastingly, lie bestows the grace of divers
virtues. How stupefying it is to consider that no one
can correct that man whom He despises, that
He hath shut up all under sin, and the like.
The si^ht of these things forced from the
Apostle that bewildered exclamation, " O, the
height and the depth of the riches, the wis
dom, and knowledge of God," &c.
But last there comes into the mind the
thought of the torrent of divine sweetness, aud

38

Practical Guide to

how good God is to Israel ; to those of an
upright heart. Then, full of exultation, the
soul cries out: How sweet, O Lord, is Thy
Spirit. How great is the multitude of Thy
sweetness, which Thou hast laid up for them
that fe.ir Thee.
We have, then, here the three principal
affections; compunction with fear, adrairation
with amazement, and exultation with glad
ness, exercised in reference to the power,
wisdom, and goodness of God, and according
to tbe three powers of the soul as defined by
the school-men ; the irascible, the rational,
and the concupiscible.
Again, nothing will be found in the whole
of Scriptnre, which by this recognition may
not be fitted to a prayer that shall appease
God. The power of Qod raay be opposed to
our own weakness, and to the tyranny of our
foes ; God's wisdom to our folly aud the craft
of our enemies ; God's benevolence against our
malice and that of others. Every thing we
read in Scripture, and indeed all we see, seems
to be speaking to us of our misery, the wicked
ness of our enemies, or the majesty of God, in
power, wisdom, and goodness.

Spiritual Prayer.

39

But if our thoughts are vain and earthly,
if the spring of love be corrupted, then
passions of a similar kind will rise up, but
perversa and froward. Vain fear will rise
from the dread of poverty, or of death by the
violence of some tyrant; an unprofitable com
punction. Adrairation will enjoy the sight of
deceitful cunning; whilst frora fll thy pleasure,
false joy will spring, and from the worst of
things a still baser glorying.
To have, then, onr affections praiseworthy,
there must be a pure spring of love to make
thera grow, and the honest and good ground of
a true faith and of holy thought must drink
in the watering of the spring. Hence the
Apostle warns us to have our minds reformed
and purged, that is, from the fever of a corrupt
love, so that our eyes may look to that which
is alone supremely fair and full of light, our
cars may drink in true harmony of sound, our
taste may savour the highest sweetness, our
smell the most exquisite perfumes, and our
touch what is raost pleasant and delightful,
all the senses being lifted up into God.
We may consider the affections and passions
iu another manner, as affected from without

40

Practical Guide to

and from within, through the fancy, imagi
nation or reason, through illuminations from
God and good Angels, through bad angels,
against whom we have to flght rather than
against flesh and blood, so that the most pure
and holy souls are sometimes forced to suffer
the troublesome stings of blasphemous and
most filthy thoughts. Sometimes in old age
and solitude, they feel tempted in a sort that
they never were when young, and in the
midst of the snares of the world.
We may again, conformably with the
teaching of Aristotle in his rhetoric, consider
the natural causes and roots of the passions,
whence modesty conies, whence vain-glory,
whence shame, despair, amazement, admira-
aon, anger, envy, &c., whence comes the ap
petite for flattering, for detraction, reverence,
detestation, and the four general passions of
hope, fear, sorrow, and joy.
S. Augustine, that most subtle analyser of
the thoughts, says, that in every vico we are
really wishing to imitate in some way the ex
cellence of God; so true it is that thebegin-
ning of every sin is pride. What is sin but an
unmeasured inordinate affection. Pride, theu.

Spiritual Prayer.

41

is the root of every froward affection ; and, on
the contrary, humility is the mother of every
pious affection. The shortest and most in
cisive rule, then, for discerning between good
and bad affections, is this double root, one of
which will manifest its flavour in the fruits of
the affection if tasted carefully.
Is any one envious? it is because he desires
that he alone should excel. Is he angry ?
he wishes to excel undisturbed. Is he
avaricious, he wishes to excel in being clear
of want. Is he slothful ? he wishes to excel
in freedom from toil. Is he lustful? he
wishes to excel in pleasure; and so of gluttony.
Is he fainthearted, arrogant, or disobedient?
Does he do ill for no reason, one would think?
it is to excel in his self-will, and to do all
tliese things unpunished.
Take away this longing to excel unpunished,
and immeiliately the branches, leaves, and
fruits springing therefrom will wither away.
Then, instead of envy, will come charity; ami
instead of anger, meekness ; instead of avarice
liberality; and instead of sloth, vigorous
action, and so of the rest. In these the Man
Christ is imitated; in the others it is Lucifer.

42

Practical Guide to

i

CHAPTER IX.
THE TIME AND PLACE.
Some places are public, others private ;
some qniet, others noisy ; some dark and
small, others light and roomy, open to the
air. So in time there is afternoon, and
evening, and night, cock crowing, dawn, day
light, first, third, sixth, and ninth hours.
There is again posture suitable for contem
plation, standing, kneeling, lying flat. One
will lie on his face, another on his back; again,
one will place his face between his knees,
another covers his with his hands, another
leans on his elbow; one lifts his eyes upwards,
another casts them down, another lets thera
wander hither and thither; one stands still,
another walks about. iSvery one abounds in
his own sense, according to the word of the
Apostle. The rule, then, in these matters is for every
one to do what seems good iu his own eyes to
facilitate his contemplation, unless those who

,¦

Spiritual Pra.yer.

43

are tied by a coramon Eeligious discipline to a
particular observance, either of time, or place,
or posture. For woe to him that causes
scandal by his singularity. For who hath
devoured the vineyard of the Lord ? Truly a
singular wild beast such as this. (Ps. Ixxix.)
Some persons are helped by being in a low,
narrow, dark place, silent, and fearful with
horror. Such as these dwell, as it were, in
tombs, hollow places of the earth, and caverns.
Others like an open, large, and lightsome
place, lofty, and with plenty of open air.
These have dwelt in the mountains and in
deserts, where S. Jerome says there is an in
describable serenity, quite different from the
smoke of cities.
Some hate the slightest sound, but others
do not mind it at all. The souml of water
falling, or the whisper of the leaves, or the
song of birds, or dashing of the waves on the
sea shore, is a help to them. Some espe
cially are assisted by church music, the voices
in choir, or the bells or organ.
What incites others to wanton thoughts
gives to some thoughts that are modest and
grave. With some, ihough few, dances and

44

Practical Guide to

harping, and the beauty of women iu splendid
array of gold and variety, are converted into
hi;;h and truest contemplation and raptures,
whilst to others these things minister only to
silly and filthy lust. To those who so love
God all things work together for good, so that
they make profit out of everything, like bees
collecting their honey. Those who are lifted
np from the earth draw all things to them
selves. Now, what rule is to be laid down about the
variety of times, since there is a time to laugh,
and a tirae to weep, a time to embrace, and a
tirae to refrain from embracing. Again, the
Psalmist says, " Seven times a day will I
praise Thee, because of the judgments of Thy
justice." Aud in another place he says, " In
the middle of the niglit did I rise to confess
to Thee." And again he says, that in tho
morning he slew all the sinners of the earth ;
that is, he subjected all temptations to sin,
which he could not have done but by watching
and praying. Again, he says to the Lord,
" Thou shalt make the outgoings of the morn
ing and evening to be joyfnl." But who can
dare to set God His time ? Must we not rather

Spiritiial Prayer.

45"

watch and wait for the time of His own good
pleasure? The afflicted Job says of man,
" Thou visitest him early, and suddenly
provest him."
However, in so far as respects our own
efforts, perhaps the raost fllting time for
prayer is when our food is digested, and the
cares of the world ave laid aside, and when no
one is present to observe us, when no one can
mark our deep-drawn sighs, onr sobs or groan
ings, our prostrations or weeping eyes, our
cheeks now red, now pale, our uplifted hands,
the beating of our breast, the kissing of the
altar or the ground, and other suppliant ges
tures. For bodily posture that is the best which
helps t^e quiet of the mind. The prudent
soul sits and is at rest. Nor can the mind be
in peace unless the body has learned to remain
fixed in the same posture.
For place, a holy one is ordinarily best,
wliere there is the jjower of Christ's presence,
the soleran consecration, where the prayers of
the faithful are said, the deeds of the Saints
are depicted, and where are the graves of the
dead.

46

Practical Guide to

+

And who can doubt that at sn.cred and
solemn times a more plentiful river of divine
grace flows down, both on the living that ate
sick, and the dead in the prison of purgation.
Then we come in a good day; then with more
•confldence may we say to the Saints, " Be
favourable on this thy day of triuraph." Then
more abundant remnants of graces fall like
crumbs for the poor from the magnificent
table of the blessed, to be given to those
beggars who ask, and seek, and knock. Doea
not the Cliurch sing of Esther's wedding,
" This is the raarriage of our huraan nature
with the Godhead; on this day, through all
the world, the heavens are flowing with
honey"? As ordinary beggars, the sick and
halt, we should know how to choose q§r time,
or as prisoners who receive sorae better rem
nants of food from the table of their judge.
To speak now of the diversity of tiraes.
There is a tirae to weep, and a time to laugh,
that is, a tirae of adversity, symbolised by
night in holy Scriptnre, and a tirae of pros
perity, typified by the day. To pass by the
perfect, who know how to raake use of both
by the arraour of justice on the right hand aud

Spiritual Prayer.

47

on the left, clever with both hands, and able to
say with the Apostle, "I know how to abound,
and how to suffer need, to rejoice with them
that rejoice, and to weep with them that
weep.*' With such that line of Virgil is true,
" Meus imniota manet, lacrymce volvuntur inanes."
For the mind remains fixed in the centre of
eternity, like an axle round which runs the
wheel of teraporal things, or as a needle that
is magnetised turns to the pole.
Passing these by, it raust be allowed, with
the Scripture, that for beginners and advancers
the tirae of adver.sity is raost profitable, if the
adversity be raoderate, and such as leaves un
touched the judgment of reason, so that by the
gift of God patience brings forth fruit. For
adversity with a stronger hand warns them to
clear themselves out of the deep mire, and
lift themselves up from earth, since it is there
they find tribulation and sorrow. They there
fore become more in earnest, und call on the
name of the Lord. For they know that God
is nigh to them that are of a troubled spirit,
and that lie brings seasonable help in tribu-

48

Practical Guide to

i

lation, as it is written, " Call on Me in the
day of trouble, and thou shalt glorify Me."
Thus the rational dove, not finding where to
set the foot of its desire, returns to the ark of
contemplation, and as the waters of tribulation
increase, the ark is still higher lifted up.
Thus Anna and Peter ascended in trouble to
the upper parts of the house, being in dis
grace, or afflicted by the death of relations,
the misfortunes of their country, or poverty.
This is a sort of spiritual anti j)er isto sis,
which fortifies the contrary.* This is the
whetstone to sharpen the knife. This is the
wormwood that weans the infant from tbe
breast, the mallet that stretches the metal.
" In tribulation," says the Psalraist, " 'J'hou
hast enlarged me." This is the file that
polishes, and takes off the rust, and brightens
np. This is the furnace that purges frora the
dross. This is the rod that by striking delivers
from hell. He that suffers tribu'ation may
say with Ezekias, "Lord, if man's life be such,
and the life of my spirit be in such things as
these. Thou shalt correct me, and raake rae to
* An application of cold to increase heat, or heat
to increase cold.

1

Spiritual Prayer.

49

live. Behold, in peace is ray bitterness most
bitter." Or again, " Let rottenness enter into
my bones, and swarm under me, that I may
rest in the day of tribulation, and mount
up," that is, by contemplation, "to a girded
people," that is to say, of the citizens above.

CHAPTER X.

POOD AND SLEEP.

Now it is to be remarked, first, that a dif
ferent observance is to be practised by be
ginners in conteraplation from that of those
who are making progress, and from that of
the perfect. For the perfect have by custom
their sen.ses so exercised that, with the apos
tle, they know how to abound and how to
suffer need, and in every place to lift up pure
hands. It is otherwise with beginners. They re
quire props till a firraer building has been
set up. The remarks about the observance of
times and places apply to them as well as

50

Practical Guide io

these now on moderation in food and sleep.
As in begiiming of contemplation very great
labour of mind is required, and this is a con
siderable drain on the vital force, a corres
pondent recovery is necessary, by means of
food and sleep, either taken in greater quan
tity at a time, or with more frequency.
But it may be said that a plentiful meal
burdens and clogs the soul. The taste of
fleshly things causes spiritual ones to lose
their relish. This raay be trne of a plentiful
meal, but not of a temperate one. But even
a plentiful raeal, though it burden just a little
afler taking, may still be esteemed tem
perate, if we look to the issue in the long run.
There have been persons, who, in order to get
the grace of contemplation, have copied the
austerity and abstinence of Elias, Daniel, and
John the Baptist, or the Fathers of the Desert ;
but instead of prophets, they became mad
men. Their example tenches that all cannot
fly with the perfect. Some graces are given
for adrairation, not for imitation.
If the body is weakened, not only by fasts
and broken sleep, but by mental labour too,
aud thus the vital force is exhausted, what can

Spiritual Prayer.

51

we look for in such a case but a speedy dis-,
solution, or grievous sickness, or a softening
of the brain ? The body, then, is to be helped
with food, not overwhelmed either by glut
tony or famishment. But a hungry belly
that often wants food is better, according to
S. Jerome, than a t^vo days fast.
If, then, one who is beginning conterapla
tion is tied by Eeligious profession to obey
some indiscreet teacher, who will not let him
have enough food or sleep, it will be best for
him to raoderate his exercise of raeditation,
his contrition, and his tears, lest he should
lose himself, and become foolish, by the injury
of his reason. It must be enough for him just
to follow the community, if he would not
entirely bring his body to ruin.
It is well known, however, that the food
and sleep which is too little for one is too
much for another. It is irapossible, then,
exactly to lay down a measure for all. Each
one's proper experience, well weighed, will
teach him the suitable quantity, or he may
trust himself to the counsel of the wise, or
the unction of the Spirit will guide him.
Medical doctors and theologians agree in this,

52

Practical Guide io

that indiscreet fasting is raore hurtful than
intemperate eating ; the latter can be reme
died, but the forraer is often incurable; though
nature is content with little, if gluttony be
not yielded to.
We may take a lesson from what we see in
plants. Sorae are helped by plentiful and
frequent watering, others wither away under
the same treatraent. Some grow and bear
fruit best, when planted by running water or
in marshy ground, others seek rather lofty
and dry ground, flourishing green on stony
gravel. Others again, when freshly planted,
require some moderate supply of water, till
they get well rooted ; after, a very small
quantity suffices.
Now, the wise man says, "The body, which
is corrupted, weighs down the soul." This is
still more so, if gluttony, drunkenness, or
worldly cares are added. But as a superior
virtue, either of nature or good habits, or
fortiSed from above, can more easily bridle
and rule the- lower powers, even though they
resist by their weight or corruption, so a
virtuous man, who has grown strong, either
through God's gift or by long exercise, is not

4
%

t

Spiritual Prayer.

53

distracted by his body being loaded wilh food,
or his raind with worldly cares, in the same
way as one unpractised. One unpractised
might have his reason overturned or greatly
trimbled,just as an unskilled sailor in a storm,
when the ship rises bow mountains high, and
then sinks into an abyss, is utterly confused,
whereas the pilot sticks firm by the wheel all
the time, quite unmoved. In these matters,
then, of eating and drinking, let tbat saying
of the apostle be followed: "Let not him that
eateth despise hira that eateth;" and so of
the rest of things, which vary according to
varying circurastances.

CHAPTER XI.
SILENT MEDITATION.
Those who think to secure the grace of
contemplation by assiduous reading, vocal
prayers, or listening to devout discourses,
deceive themselves. These things are helps,
but do not of themselves suffice. It may be
that, whilst reading or listening, a person may

54

Practical Guide io

feel compunction; but take away the book or
the serraon, and away goes the compunction
with it. It is necessary, therefore, in silence
to wait for God's salvation, and to get accus
tomed to pray with mind and spirit, without
any sound of the voice, and without looking
at a book. The meditation ranst be the book
and the serraon, or the soul will never arrive
at wisdora.
Some, however, complain that they cannot
recollect theraselves in silence. The mind
flies off hither and thither, but a book or a
sermon keeps it close tied. No doubt, to
keep the spirit from wandering is a hard task,
a difficult toil : but every effort must be made
to secure this. We raust sit solitary if we
would raise ourselves above ourselves, so that
we should not easily seek refuge from this in
a book or a serraon.
But it will appear, perhaps, that we waste
our tirae in this silence, and we are tired of it,
as unprofitable. We raust not be too hasty ;
silence will become less irksome by delay.
I'o break it easily will render the practice
still more wearisome. It raay ease the mind
for the while, but just as a dog, beaten away

Spiritual Prayer.

from a bone, returns to it, so will this cause
the craving to break silence to be more severe.
Alas! this is the reason why contemplative
persons are so rare, even amongst those well
read, priests, religious, and theologians; for
we cannot arrive at contemplation unless by
enduring to meditate long alone. Before
the mind has scarce begun to meditate, some
other thing is sought, reading, or conference,
or the like, which hinder sin indeed, and give
refreshment, on the plea of not wearying the
soul in vain. This plea, however, is false, for
if we only persevere seeking and knocking,
God will not forget at length to be merciful
to lis.
Now, what meditations are flttest to excite
good affections? It is irapossible to say
exactly. Many men, raany minds. The kind
of meditation must vary with each individual.
Still we may specify some few out of raany,
calculated to excite holy fear.
It is truly and divinely said that the fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But
to prevent fear from running to despair, we
must ally hope with it. Fear is the begin
ning with almost all, as we see it was with S.

56

Practical Guide to

Bernard (super Cantica), and with Eichard of
S. Victor, on the Twelve Patriarchs.
"For God is pleased with those who fear
Him, and who put their hope in His mercy."
But some one will perhaps object what has
been before said, that love is the root of every
other affection. If, then, love does not corae
first, how will fear and hope come in ? It is
thus: there are two kinds of love. One that
craves for God, and is begotten by the bare
knowledge of His existence. This kind of love
precedes all affections, and even faith itself,
which it fixes in its certainty. Some have
maintained that this love can tend towards
good as its primary object, without any know
ledge either going before it or accompanying
it; just as in the orders of the Angels the
seraphim come before the cherubim.
The other love is fervent, extatic, and per
fect. This joins the lover with the Beloved,
and is not found till' many otlier affections
have preceded it in the soul, and until the
soul has had her inmost senses cleansed and
healed. This purging frora the feverish lan
guor of the infection of sin nothing can better
effect than the fear of the Lord. For thisi

Spiritual Prayer,

57

fear chases away sin, pierces the carnal affec
tions, neglects nothing, and coraforta the
blessed mourners. From this fear comes the
hope of salvation, and many other gracioua
blessings, according to Scriptnre. Theolo
gians divide tbis fear into three classes; the
initial, which dreails punishment; the mer
cenary, wliich looks not to lose the reward ;
and the filial, which is careful not to be parted
from the Beloved.
When the soul meditates in fear, she says,
with Ezekias, " I will meditate like a dove."
The meditation of a dove is a lament, the
plaintive song bronght on by fear. For this
reason perhaps it was that another, king
David, says, " TVho will give me the wings as
of a dove, and I will flee away, and be at rest?"
It is said fear adds wings to the feet. Let us,
then, under the figure of a dove, join medi
tations of the mixed corapany of fear and
hope. In the Canticles the soul is called by
the name of "dove." This dove has two
wings, which are fear and hope, and dis
cretion is the tail to serve as a rudder. The
wings are silvered with the silver of God's
word, and each wing is made up of ten pinions.

58

Practical Guide to

Spiritual Prayer.

59

ten for faith, ten for hope. Both wings must
be poised equally. The wing of fear raust
not sink into despair, nor that of hope be
lifted up to presumption. The left wing is
fear, the right is hope.
The first pinion of the wing of fear is the
severity of God. Of this pinion the instances
of God's severity are the feathers, for exam
ple, the fall of the angels, the great deluge,
the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrha, the end of
the traitor Judas, the last judgment wheu
few are chosen.
The second pinion is everlasting damnation.
The various feathers are the different kinds
of torment : the fire unquenchable, the worm
that dies not, the brimstone, the groans, the
weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, the
cold, the bad companionships, the multitude
of the tormented, the incoraprehensible nature
of unending suffering, the absence of hope,
and utter exclusion of the vision of God.
The third pinion is the enormity of sin ;
the feathers are the various kinds of sins, and
their aggravating circurastances.
The fourth pinion is our own frailty ; the

M>

Teatliers are the different particulars iu which
it shows itself, and the dangers of the future.
The fifth pinion is the seduction of pros
perity; the feathers are the perils, through
pride and lust, to which we are thus exposed.
The sixth pinion is a crushing adversity,
with its feathers of the occasions of impa
tience, trouble, anger, &c.
The seventh is a domestic foe, with the
slippery teraptations, for its feathers, of our
fleshly nature.
The eighth is the perversity of the devil,
and its feathers are his snares and wiles.
The ninth is injustice to the living ; its
feathers are ingratitude, scandals, &c., against
benefactors, neighbours, our owu family, aud
Bubjects. The tenth is cruelty to the dead ; the
feathers are neglect of assistance, so that they
remain in torments, and are kept frora the
enjoyment of glory.
Now for the wing of hope the first pinion
is the mercy of God ; the feathers are the
glory of the Angels, the seeing of Adam, Noe,
Lot, David, Peter, Paul, Magdalen, the adul
terous woman, the good thief, the prodigal

60

Practical Guide to

son, etc. Christ is the Saviour. There is also
the guardianship of Saints and Angels.
The second pinion is the incomprehensible
glory to come ; the feathers being the quali
ties bestowed on soul and body.
The third pinion is the grace of repentance ;
the feathers being the various sentiments of
contrition, and acts of penance.
The fourth pinion is the sustaining hand of
God; the feathers being the various helps He
gives, by virtues, gifts, by beatitudes, by the
Holy Eucharist, which is so powerful, by
penance, and the like.
The fifth is holy joy, with its feathers of
prosperity hurably received, and the occasions
of doing good thereby.
The sixth is the lesson of sadness, and ita
feathers are adversities bravely endured.
The seventh is free-will, and its feathers
are the modes by which it subjects the flesh.
The eighth is the benevolence of the Saints
and Angels, the feathers being their various
modes of assistance.
The ninth is the helps of the living, and
the feathers are the different ways they
assist.

Spiritunl Prayer.

Gl

The tenth is the prayers of the dead, how
we assist them, and they us.
After the exaraple given, those who wish
may have abundant raatter of meditation in
the whole body of holy Scripture. For wings
they may use other affections, as e.g., charity
to God and to their neighbour, with raedita-
, tions inducing to both; on the raotives for
hating sin and vice. But indeed the raedita-
tions on fear lead to the hatred of sin, and
many other meditations lead to the love of
God and their neighbour.
Let us, then, take to ourselves wings, wak
ing with the dawn, as soon as the morning
of the divine light sheds its beams on the
earth of the soul ; and let us dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea, as on a flrm shore
of wavering thoughts and boiling desires.
Even there the Lord's hand, and not our own
industry, shall lead us, and Uis right baud
shall hold us. (Ps. cxxxviii.)
We ranst, however, take care not to let
unbelief cut off our wings, or despair break
them, or sloth clog thera, or avarice bind
them, or lust burn thera, or gluttony weigh
them down. 4

-,

62

Practical Guide to

CHAPTER XII.
THE EEMOVAL OP IMAGES.
Mystical Theology, or the experimental
knowledge of God, is an extatic love, follow-
in" upon a purely spiritual mode of intelli
gence, an intelligence not obscured by the
clouds of the imagination. One, then, who
would give himself to mystical theology, must
endeavour after this pnre intelligence, other
wise how shall he reach the love that follows
on it?
Now, if we examine St. Denys's writings,
where he treats of mystical theology, we shall
find him laying down a raethod by which the
soul may turn herself from all bodily images,
and by which, renouncing all that can be
thought, imagined, or understood, the spirit
bears itself by love into the divine darkness,
where God is known, above all speech, and
above all conception of the mind.
St. Denys likens the process to the ex
ample of a sculptor making a statue. For

Spiritual Prayer.

63

the sculptor forms his most beautiful image,
whether of wood or stone, simply by removing
certain parts of his material. So the spirit,
removing by denial whatsoever has iraper-
fection, incompletion, dependency, privation,
or changeablencss, thus arrives at the idea of
God ; God all in act, sovereign, pure, and
necessary. Whether this notion of God be only experi
mental in the summit of the affection.s, knit to
Him by love ; or whether beyond this experi
mental knowledge there is a proper, and
absolute, thougli not intuitive intellectual con
ception of the divine Being, is a matter of
dispute amongst the commentators on S.
Denys. If we may abstract and remove all imper
fection frora Being, the same raay be done
with power, wisdora, and goodness, and the
like. So in the conception of man we may
abstract all accidental things, such as raotion,
posture, figure, &c., and there results a
general image or idea of man. But by the
abstraction of all privation, dependency, or
other imperfections, from being, there results
the conception of God, proper and absolute.

^

64

Practical Gxiide to

Those who reason after this raanner add
the arguraent that God Himself answers that
this is His Name, saying to Moyses : " Thou
shalt say to them, He who is hath sent me to
you." The same affirmation they make con
cerning the conception of goodness, as Christ
in the New Law says : " Tiiere is none good
but God." S. Augustine seems to lean to
this opinion in his treatise on the Holy
Trinity, and S. Bonaventura in the sixth
Itinerarium. Those that are not learned in metaphysics
or theology, may still turn their rainds away
frora images, and seek to go above them and
beyond thera. In all their raeditations and
the knowledge they attain of God, they should
never stop in that knowledge, bnt by the force
of their affections they should aspire with the
gaping raouth of the heart, as it were, to taste
the savour of His power, His wisdom, and Ilis
goodness, as the attributes of Him who is
altogether terrible in His counsels over the
sons of men, by the majesty of His power
ruling and judging; whose wisdom is great,
wonderful, and without end, and who is Him
self all sweet, all desirable, loveable ex-

i

1

Spiritual Prayer.

65

ceedingly for His goodness and the torrent of
His pleasures.
Now when we are thus reaching out after
God, a crowd of troublesome images will rush
into the mind, importunately placing them
selves before the eyes of the heart. What
are we to do? We must wipe them away as
well as we can, and cast them outside, shake
the hand as it were, and strive to get free of
these meshes, and disentangled. Or we may
feign not to behold them. Or we raay despise
thera, and go on our way as though they
existed not, going through the midst of tho
turbulent band, and breaking away.
Spiritual thirst should goad us on, so that,
as the hart pants for the brooks of water, to
escape the heat and the biting of the dogs, so
our souls shoulil pant after God. We should
be able to say, " My soul desireth Thee, O
God. My soul hath thirsted for the strong
living God ; when shall I come, and appear
before the face of God ?"
We must know, however, that unless the
file of fear has first purged us by an entire
and unfeigned repentance, and unless the
mind, thus cleared of the rust of siu, shines

66

Practical Guide to

clear by reformation in newness of spirit, it
will be vain for us to rise before the light,
striving to reach the height of perfection.
This purgation anu illumination are first
necessary. So David says ; " Eise after ye
have sat down, ye that eat the bread of
sorrow ;" to wit, of that fear without which
no raan can be justified before God. For .it
were an unmannerly rudeness to offer to kiss
the raouth before having first kissed the feet
with tears, and the hands with thanksgiving.
But the soul, intelligent and cleansed, may
come to such a state as to be little anxious,
whether concerning joys, or pain, or reward.
She hag no hard or uneasy thoughts of God,
as a judge who rewards, or who takes ven
geance. What she thinks of Ki.n is that He
is all desirable, sweet and mild, most worthy
of being loved, even though He should kill
her. Now when thus love is her only busi
ness, her only pleasure, let her fly to the em
braces of her Bridegroom, and strained to the
Divine Heart by the arms of the most pure
friendship, let her give those chastest kisses
of peace, that peace which passeth all under
standing, that so in a torrent of delight, and

Spiritual Prayer.

61

of loving devotion, she may say those words
of the spouse, " My Beloved to me, and I
to Him."

-q^-

qp-

mOllAUDdUN AND BON, 1" HINT 15118, DKUBr.

y y

Contents.

OHAP. PAOE
Preface ... ... ... ... 3
I. — Tlie Divine Vocation ... ... ... 5
II. — The Temperament ... ... ... 10
III.— The Personal Condition ... ... 13
IV. — Aiming at Perfection ... ... ... 16
V. — The avoidance of Oecupationa ... 19
TI.— Withdrawal of Contemplation ... 24
VII. — The need of Patience ... ... 32
VIII.— Eoota of tlie Passions ... ... 35
IX.— Tlie Time and Place ... ... ... 42
X.— Food and Sleep ... ... ... 49
XI,— Silent Meditation  53
XII.— The Kemoval of Images ... ... 63

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