accompany and secure our Exit out of this Life and the bowing of his Head to us at that time is an Invitation to us to lift up our Hearts to him Inclinato capite emisit spiritum Ah my dearest Saviour I receive with the most profound Submission possible with the greatest Veneration thy Holy thy Divine Spirit I embrace it as bequeath'd me by my most tender Master I 'le cherish this sacred Depositum this divine Pledge of an infinite Love I 'le carefully preserve it to the end of my days for 't is then I desire to die when I cease to Pray 2. If Prayer came from Heaven as we must needs allow since it was brought us from thence by the Worlds Redeemer it glories in a Prerogative more to our advantage that is it leads and conducts to us Heaven 'T is the property of Water to remount to a Level with its Sourse or Origin Prayer therefore taking its rise in Heaven we must attribute to it an Excellency common to it and Grace Omnis qui bibit ex aqua hac fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam If any one drink of that delicious Spring which pious and religious Souls so frequently refresh themselves with in the holy Exercise of Prayer it shall become in him a Fountain whose Waters shall reascend as high as their Origin as high as Heaven to that inexhaustible Ocean of ever-living Waters Quid est oratio says to this purpose the great St. Augustin nisi ascensio animae de terrestribus ad coelestia inquisitio supernorum invisibilium desiderium For what is Prayer but an elevation of the Soul from terrestrial to celestial Cogitations an inquisition or search into supernatural Concerns a fervent desire of purchasing that Happiness which is as yet out of sight 'T is for this Reason that Prayer is compar'd to the Ladder Jacob the Patriarch saw in a Vision As that gave an ascent from Earth to Heaven as those mysterious Rounds bore the mounting Angels to their Sovereign Lord so Prayer wings our earthly lumpish Nature that we can soar aloft to the Region of Spirits and to this purpose it refines our Humanity from all dregs of Mortality As our Lord was seen leaning upon the utmost Rounds of this mystick Ladder or rather as the Septuagint give a more congruous Construction as the Ladder was seen leaning upon our Lord that supported it so Prayer derives its efficacy its vigour and force from the gracious assistance of an all-powerful God who both raises and draws its Votaries to himself Finally as there were in Jacob's Vision seen ascending and descending Angels they are yet upon the same Concern for Christians devoted to Prayer They carry our Petitions as St. Hilary saith to the Throne of Glory they return to minister for us in the great work of our Salvation The Soul likewise upon the Wings of Prayer takes her flight to Heaven she enters into the Palace of her Lord without controul or disturbance Prayer being the Key of Paradise saith S. Augustin which gives her admittance into the Royal Bed-Chamber where she freely entertains her self with an infinite Majesty she becomes familiar with her God she not only obtains his Blessing as her Father disarms his just Indignation against her own and the Worlds Offences atones for her self and others but addresses her self to him as her dearest Friend appropriates him to her as her Beloved with the Spouse in the Canticles Dilectus meus mihi ego illi Insomuch that our Sovereign infinitely delighted with such familiar Addresses invites encourages and engages the Soul to continue her languishing Desires Fac me audire vocem tuam Let me hear thee speak Vox enim tua dulcis For thy Voice is sweet and charming Labia tua sicut vitta coccinea Eloquium tuum dulce Thy Lips are like a Thred of Scarlet thy Speech is sweet and grateful Such was the Prayer of Moses upon the Mount where he made up to God as to his best of Friends Discoursed with him face to face so much to the advantage of the glorious Saint that one would have thought the Almighty had interchanged Properties with him for he seems to tie the Hands of an Omnipotent God that was ready to dart his revenging Thunder at the criminal Heads of the rebellious Jews Dimitte me saith the Almighty ut irascatur furor meus Let me alone that I may give way to my anger As if he were unable to resist the Influence of the Prayers of Moses 3. But we have not only the advantage of being conducted to Heaven by Prayer 't is also blessed with a singular Priviledge that it makes us find Heaven upon Earth To evidence this Truth let us settle our serious Consideration let us fix our Regards upon such devout Christians as are given to Prayer We see they are disencumbred from the Bustle or troublesom Concerns of this World we see they are intirely divorc'd from the Creature totally united to the Creator we see they are dead to the Life of the World living a divine or supernatural Life dead to themselves animated with the Life of God Ah happy Death Happy end of a Life well lost Thrice happy beginning of a Life that must never end The union of Body and Soul is the Life of a Man the separation of the Body and Soul is the Death of a Man The union of the Body and Soul with the World is the Life of a Worldly Man the Death of a Christian The separation of the Body and Soul from the World is the Death of a Man as to the present World but the Life of a Man in reference to the World to come Men living with the Life of the World are dead to Heaven Men living or leading their Lives in Prayer find Heaven even in this World inasmuch as they are dead to the World to live with God to live with the Angels with the Life of God they are penetrated with God they are absorpt in God they are chang'd by a thrice happy Transformation into God himself But this Death to the World ought rather to be stil'd a Resurrection then a Death A Resurrection with their divine Original Christ Jesus from the Grave of this World Those that are risen with Christ have their Affections taken off from the things here below they savour nothing but what 's above Those by consequence that are devoted to Prayer are risen with Christ have a Heaven upon Earth with Christ not yet ascended will mount with Christ from Earth to Heaven If the Angels our Guardian-Angels to whose care and custody Man as yet a Traveller is recommended by God if they that keep us in all our ways that direct our steps through the Mazes of this World if they that are so much taken up with our Concerns as that they are continually upon the Watch upon the Guard to secure us from that roaring Lyon the Devil seeking to devour
us if they notwithstanding are at the same time bless'd with the beatifical Vision if they see God enjoy Heaven upon Earth certainly there is some proportion between Souls in Prayer and Spirits upon Duty betwixt Souls rais'd above themselves upon the Wings of Devotion and Spirits below themselves upon Matters of Obedience if we have regard to the Concern they are engag'd in their Heaven must be upon Earth If we look upon the Soul as confin'd to the Body she has at least an Antipast of that Bliss these Spirits are perfectly possess'd with since she commences here an Exercise that must never end She beholds the face of God by Prayer who is to be the Object of her Happiness for all Eternity Do not we thus enjoy Heaven upon Earth do not we thus partake of the Happiness of Angels Prayer comes from Heaven Prayer leads to Heaven Prayer makes us happy with Heaven upon Earth O quam suavis est Domine Spiritus tuus in nobis O my Lord and Saviour Christ how sweet is thy Spirit How beneficial is the Spirit thou hast left us the Spirit of Prayer which thou hast recommended to us From the Excellency of Prayer and the Advantages we reap by it 't were easie to conclude the Obligation incumbent on us as we tender our eternal Welfare of having a constant recourse to so Religious an Employment But because among variety of Motives it may so fall out by the Order of Providence that some of them at least may conduce as well to stir up those that will not yet grant themselves so much leisure even as to think of future Happiness as to encourage those that are already bent upon the Inquiry I shall now proceed to shew the Necessity we have and the Manner how we are to Pray which is the Subject of my Second Part. Saint John Damascen defines Prayer to be an Elevation of the Mind to God in which we either beg to be deliver'd from Evil or invoke his assistance upon our selves or Neighbours to embrace what 's Good or pay to him our Homage as our Supreme Lord our Sovereign King 'T is evident from the First Part of the Discourse that the Mind is elevated to God by Prayer the Explication therefore of the Sequel of this Definition shall be a pregnant proof of the Necessity we are in of making such Addresses to him as that we may alleviate the Burden of our Troubles in this World we may invite the celestial Influence of his Grace upon our selves and Neighbours we may acknowledge him as we ought as we are oblig'd to be our chief Good our ultimate or last End We are not I am fully persuaded unacquainted with the Miseries we as mortal Men are liable or subject to Homo brevi vivens tempore repletur multis miseriis said Job who had found the truth of his Assertion by experience Man living but a short time is full of many miseries We know there are Miseries that oppress the Soul Miseries that afflict and torment the Body The Miseries of the Soul are many She is blind erroneous ignorant in the Operations of her Understanding she is deprav'd in her Will which is bent upon Evil which is obstinate perverse malicious at the best more prone to acquiesce to the Suggestions of Sin then comply with the previous Motions of Grace She is corrupted in her Judgment decay'd in her Memory she is weak and feeble in all her Faculties Add to these domestick Evils these in-born Miseries those she suffers from abroad those she suffers from the World from the Allurements of the Flesh from the Suggestions of the Devil She is betray'd to the World by the Concupiscence of the Eyes she is a Slave to Sensuality by the Concupiscence of the Flesh The Devil Lords it over her by engaging her through his Wiles into Pride of Life What must she do to be deliver'd from this intolerable Oppression Whose assistance must she call upon Whose help She is closely besieg'd by her Enemies without she is treacherously betray'd by her Domesticks within Inimici hominis domestici ejus To whom shall she have recourse for Succour or Relief To whom but to the King her Supreme Lord her Sovereign her God To whom shall she send her devout Sighs her penitential Tears her assiduous and fervent Prayers The Almighty gave her Orders to call upon him in the day of Affliction He promis'd her his Aid and Assistance upon Condition she would attribute to him the Glory of the Victory she would return him her Acknowledgments and Homage Invoca me in die tribulationis eruam te Honorificabis me The Apostle grievously infested with an intestine War from the Concupiscence of the Flesh cries out for help to crush the Rebel Infaelix homo quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus Unhappy unfortunate Man what Friend will deliver me from the Body of this Death He do's not desire here as in another place a separation betwixt Body and Soul he begs to be freed from the vicious Inclination of a deprav'd Appetite which he calls Corpus peccati the Body of Sin from whence as from a noxious and pernicious Root spring up so many destructive Branches of inordinate Desires Quis me liberabit Who is it that will destroy this Body this Body of Sin Corpus peccati He calls to mind the Promise of his Lord and expects relief from the Grace of Jesus Gratia Domini Jesu Christi Invoke his Assistance therefore beg he would extinguish the Rebellion of the Flesh Ter Dominum rogavi I have Petition'd thrice replies the afflicted Soul Vt auferretur a me stimulus carnis meoe Neither were his Petitions unregarded the Grace he receiv'd at the Instance of his Prayers enabled him couragiously to withstand all Assaults repel all Temptations to triumph over the Enemies that aim'd at his Ruine Sufficit tibi Paule gratia mea If Prayer prove so necessary to the relief of the Soul in the midst of Troubles incompass'd or rather oppress'd with the intolerable weight of Miseries and Afflictions 't is as absolutely requisite against the Miseries that fall upon the Body the Miseries of the Body being as grievous as afflicting in some proportion as those of the Soul I need not call upon any other Witness then our own Experience to manifest the truth of this Assertion Since that Sin that was unfortunately hatch'd in the Garden of Eden Man that was before Lord of this Universe the Master of the World has now the Universe the whole World against him Nature shook him off as no longer her Darling when once he had revolted from the Allegiance due to her Sovereign and Creator The Heavens ever since have prov'd his Bane in their malignant Influence The Elements that jarr and wrangle with one another meet in the Composition of disloyal Man not to end but to continue their Quarrel that they like Samson may draw after their own the Ruine
Christians of the Excellency of Prayer of the Advantages we may reap from the constant Exercise of Prayer We are convinc'd I suppose of the Necessity of Prayer We have been furnish'd with the Conditions requisite for Prayer If we admire it for its Excellency we should embrace it as an Advantage Nay we ought to comply with so necessary an Obligation since we are not ignorant of the Manner how to discharge our selves I was not Master of Ceremonies my self when I plac'd Prayer amongst the Seraphins A Learned Author tells us That a Person constantly addicted to so pious an Employment has not only the Love of a Seraphin but likewise enjoys the Perfection of each Hierarchy of every Quire He is a Cherubin in his Knowledge a Throne inasmuch as his Soul is the Seat or Residence of God the Temple of the Holy Ghost A Domination in the Government of his Passions A Power in the Dominion over the Infernal Spirits A Vertue in his miraculous Life in his Life of Miracles An Archangel in his Heroick Enterprizes An Angel in his Prompt Obedience to the Commands of his Sovereign A Person in fine devoted to Prayer is a wonderful Epitome of all Heaven Who would not after this addict themselves to Prayer That holy Bishop of Geneva St. Francis Sales taxes those that will not of the want of common Sense But the foolish and unwise shall perish saith the Psalmist Simul insipi ens stultus peribunt Men may be asham'd of their supine Neglect in a Business of such Moment and Concern while they shew themselves so eager in the pursuit of Toys and Trifles If its charming Excellency do's not invite us let its Advantages engage us let its Necessity oblige us For its Advantages saith St. Ambrose Vberior est gratia quam precatio semper enim Dominus plus tribuit quam rogatur God is more liberal of his Grace then we of our Prayers he always confers more upon us then we require then we look for or expect Abraham desir'd a Son and obtain'd over and above the Measure of his Petition a numerous Progeny from his Loyns a Progeny as numerous as the Stars Obtain'd a Blessing never to be mention'd but with Joy The Redeemer of the World came from the propagation of his Seed Jacob the Patriarch beg'd God would be pleas'd to furnish him with Necessaries with Aliments for the Body and was stor'd with Riches in abundance was honour'd with the Company of Ascending and Descending Angels Solomon Pray'd for Wisdom and receiv'd Omnia bona pariter cum ea An affluence of all good things with it Ezechias Pray'd for his own Recovery when sick to death which was granted with an addition of Fifteen Years and the Promise of a glorious Victory over his Enemies The Samaritan desir'd Water but obtain'd Grace The Centurion beg'd of our Blessed Saviour to restore his Servant's Health Our Lord cur'd the Body of the Servant and the Soul of the Master The Thief upon the Cross desir'd only to be remembred when our Saviour came to his eternal Kingdom whereas our most gracious Lord promis'd him on that very Day to place him in Paradise Add now to these Advantages with those above mention'd the strict Obligation the pressing Necessity A Soul without Prayer is like a City in time of War without Guards without Walls without either Food or Ammunition which the Enemies may take and Plunder as they please S. Augustin and St. Ambrose the greatest and Learnedst Doctors of the Church both center in this Opinion That a Person stands in as much need of Prayer as of Grace to attain Salvation St. Ambrose farther assures us That Prayer is as much the Life of the Soul as the Soul is the Life of the Body Hence I rationally and evidently conclude That as the Soul is essential to the Life of the Body Prayer is as essential to the Life of the Soul The Body without a Soul is but a foul and ugly Carcass the Leavings of a Man the Food of Worms and the Grave The Soul without Prayer is dead detestable in the sight of God and his Angels whose Grave will be the nether Hell whose Worms those Stings of Conscience which shall never die As we take all Care possible therefore to preserve Nature the union of the Soul and Body since we are not ignorant of the Means we ought to take all Care possible to preserve Grace by a constant Exercise of Prayer Should you deny your Body its necessary Food the Soul takes Wing and leaves the Skeleton Should you deprive your Soul of the Sustenance of Prayer Grace quits the barren the unhospitable Soil the roaring Lion the ravenous Wolf the infernal Serpent each from Hell every Beast of Prey Omnes bestiae sylvae do not pass through only but inhabit there Let us Pray therefore always D. Christians as our Blessed Saviour has enjoyn'd us Sempe rorare not always upon our Knees with Hands erected with Eyes lifted up to Heaven that Ceremony at all times is neither necessary nor convenient Let us Pray always by a constant union of our Souls always with God Let us Pray always by doing what we do for the sake of God Let us Pray always by bearing our Sufferings for God Let us Pray always by desiring what we desire may redound to the Honour of God Let us Pray always by loving what we love for the love of God Let us Pray always in fine by rendring our Thoughts Words and Works constant Effects of Faith Hope and Charity Prayer then and Grace will be individual Companions Grace will be acquir'd at the Instances of our Prayers Glory will be the due Reward of Grace Gratiam enim Gloriam dabit Dominus For the Lord says the Psalmist will give Grace and Glory Which God of his infinit Mercy grant to the Prayers of your most Sacred Majesty to my Prayers and to the Prayers of all that hear me In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen FINIS Jo. 13.34 Matth 19.25 Chrysost Hom. 23. in Matth. I. Part. Matth. 21.18 Job 22 14. Joan. 13.15 Luc. 6.12 Luc. 23.34 Luc. 23.46 Joan. 4.14 Cant. 2.16 8.13 Cant. 2.14.4.3 Exod. 32.10 II. Part. Job 14.1 Matth. 10.36 Psal 49.15 Rom. 7.24 Rom. 6.6 2 Cor. 12.7 2 Cor. 11.26 Psal 41.5 Eccl. 35. Chrysost Hom. 5. de Incompr Dei Natura Acts 9.4 Acts 9.1 Aug. Ser. 1. de Sanctis 4. I. Condition 1 Joan. 3.21 S. Greg. Mor. l. 17. c. 11. Joan. 15.7 Isa 1.13 S. August Conc. 3. in Psal 30. II Condition Psal 122.2 III. Condition IV. Condition Joan. 15.5 August in Manual cap. 21. V. Condition Matth. 11.12 2 Tim. 2.5 Psal 43.11 Luc. 18.1 Psal 18.1