A Short Method Of Prayer Part 3
CHAPTER XI.
OF REST IN THE PRESENCE OF G.o.d--ITS FRUITS--INWARD SILENCE--G.o.d COMMANDS IT--OUTWARD SILENCE.
The soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation than that of repose: for _the presence of G.o.d_ during the day, which is the great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be _intuitive_ and _almost continual_. The soul is conscious of a deep inward happiness, and feels that G.o.d is in it more truly than it is in itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find G.o.d, which is to retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself in prayer.
It is astonished at this infinite happiness; there is carried on within it a conversation which outward things cannot interrupt. It might be said of this method of prayer, as was said of Wisdom, "All good things together come to me with her" (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 11), for virtue flows naturally into the soul, and is practised so easily, that it seems to be quite natural to it. It has within it a germ of life and fruitfulness, which gives it a facility for all good, and an insensibility to all evil. Let it then remain faithful, and seek no other frame of mind than that of simple rest. It has only to suffer itself to be filled with this divine effusion.
"The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him" (Hab. ii. 20). The reason why inward silence is so necessary is, that Christ, being the eternal and essential Word, in order that He may be received into the soul, there must be a disposition corresponding with what He is. Now it is certain that in order to receive words we must listen. Hearing is the sense given to enable us to receive the words which are communicated to us. Hearing is rather a pa.s.sive than an active sense, receiving, and not communicating. Christ being the Word which is to be communicated, the soul must be attentive to this Word which speaks within it.
This is why we are so often exhorted to listen to G.o.d, and to be attentive to His voice. Many pa.s.sages might be quoted. I will be content to mention a few: "Hearken unto me, O my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation" (Isa. li. 4). "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel" (Isa. xlvi. 31). "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty" (Ps. xlv. 10, 11).
We must _listen_ to G.o.d, and be attentive to Him, _forgetting ourselves_ and all self-interest. These two actions, or rather pa.s.sions--for this condition is essentially a pa.s.sive one--arouse in G.o.d a "desire" towards the "beauty" He has Himself communicated.
Outward silence is extremely necessary for the cultivation of inward silence, and it is impossible to acquire inward silence without having a love for silence and solitude.
G.o.d tells us by the mouth of His prophet, "I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak to her heart" (marginal reading of Hosea ii. 14).
To be inwardly occupied with G.o.d, and outwardly occupied with countless trifles, this is impossible.
It will be a small matter to pray, and to retire within ourselves for half an hour or an hour, if we do not retain the unction and the spirit of prayer during the day.
CHAPTER XII.
SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION.
Self-examination should always precede confession. Those who arrive at this degree should expose themselves to G.o.d, who will not fail to enlighten them, and to make known to them the nature of their faults.
This examination must be conducted in peace and tranquillity, expecting more from G.o.d than from our own research the knowledge of our sins.
When we examine ourselves with an effort, we easily make mistakes. We "call evil good, and good evil;" and self-esteem easily deceives us. But when we remain exposed to the searching gaze of G.o.d, that Divine Sun brings to light even the smallest atoms. We must then, for self-examination, abandon ourselves utterly to G.o.d.
When we are in this degree of prayer, G.o.d is not slow to reveal to us all the faults we commit. We have no sooner sinned than we feel a burning reproach.
It is G.o.d Himself who conducts an examination which nothing escapes, and we have only to turn towards G.o.d, and suffer the pain and the correction which He gives. As this examination by G.o.d is continual, we can no longer examine ourselves; and if we are faithful to our abandonment to G.o.d, we shall soon be better examined by the divine light than we could be by all our own efforts. Experience will make this known. One thing which often causes astonishment to the soul is, that when it is conscious of a sin, and comes to confess it to G.o.d, instead of feeling regret and contrition, such as it formerly felt, a sweet and gentle love takes possession of it.
Not having experienced this before, it supposes that it ought to draw itself out of this condition to make a definite act of contrition. But it does not see that, by doing this, it would lose true contrition, which is this _intuitive love_, infinitely greater than anything it could create for itself. It is a higher action, which includes the others, with greater perfection, though these are not possessed distinctly.
We should not seek to do anything for ourselves when G.o.d acts more excellently in us and for us. It is hating sin as G.o.d hates it to hate it in this way. This love, which is the operation of G.o.d in the soul, is the purest of all love. All we have to do then is to remain as we are.
Another remarkable thing is, that we often forget our faults, and find it difficult to remember them; but this must not trouble us, for two reasons: The first, that this very forgetfulness is a proof that the sin has been atoned for, and it is better to forget all that concerns ourselves, that we may remember G.o.d alone. The second reason is, that G.o.d does not fail, whenever confession is needful, to show to the soul its greatest faults, for then it is He Himself who examines it.
CHAPTER XIII.
ON READING--VOCAL PRAYER--REQUESTS.
The proper manner of reading in this degree is, as soon as we feel attracted to meditation, to cease reading, and remain at rest.
The soul is no sooner called to inward silence, than it should cease to utter vocal prayers; saying but little at any time, and when it does say them, if it finds any difficulty, or feels itself drawn to silence, it should remain silent, and make no effort to pray, leaving itself to the guidance of the Spirit of G.o.d.
The soul will find that it cannot, as formerly, present definite requests to G.o.d. This need not surprise it, for it is now that "the Spirit maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of G.o.d.
The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. viii. 26, 27).
We must second the designs of G.o.d, which are to strip the soul of its own works, to subst.i.tute His in their place.
Let Him work then, and bind yourself to nothing of your own. However good it may appear to you, it cannot be so if it comes in the way of G.o.d's will for you. The will of G.o.d is preferable to all other good.
Seek not your own interests, but live by abandonment and by faith.
It is here that _faith_ begins to operate wonderfully in the soul.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FAULTS COMMITTED IN THIS DEGREE--DISTRACTIONS, TEMPTATIONS--THE COURSE TO BE PURSUED RESPECTING THEM.
As soon as we fall into a fault, or have wandered, we must turn again within ourselves; because this fault having turned us from G.o.d, we should as soon as possible turn towards Him, and suffer the penitence which He Himself will give.
It is of great importance that we should not be anxious about these faults, because the anxiety only springs from a secret pride and a love of our own excellence. We are troubled at feeling what we are.
If we become discouraged, we shall grow weaker yet; and reflection upon our faults produces a vexation which is worse than the sin itself.
A truly humble soul does not marvel at its weakness, and the more it perceives its wretchedness, the more it abandons itself to G.o.d, and seeks to remain near to Him, knowing how deeply it needs His help.
G.o.d's own word to us is, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Ps. x.x.xii.
8).
In distractions or temptations, instead of combating them directly, which would only serve to augment them, and to wean us from G.o.d, with whom alone we ought to be occupied, we should simply turn away from them, and draw nearer to G.o.d; as a little child, seeing a fierce animal approaching it, would not stay to fight it, nor even to look at it, but would run for shelter to its mother's arms, where it would be safe. "G.o.d is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: G.o.d shall help her, and that right early" (Ps. xlvi. 5).
If we adopt any other course of action, if we attempt to attack our enemies in our weakness, we shall be wounded, even if we are not entirely defeated; but remaining in the simple presence of G.o.d, we find ourselves immediately fortified.
This was what David did: he says, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope." It is also said by Moses, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exod. xiv. 14).
CHAPTER XV.
PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME--OUR ANNIHILATION IN THIS SACRIFICE--SOLIDITY AND FRUITFULNESS OF THIS PRAYER AS SET FORTH IN THE GOSPEL.