1. The truth is, I am so fixed in a dislike of that mere outside, formal course of reading or singing prayers which is in use in the Roman church (which though, in Mr Cressy's esteem, it have a show of a very civil conversation with God, yet is it indeed accompanied with the highest contempt of his infinite purity and all divine ex- cellencies), and do so much more abhor that magical incantation which many among them use, in the repetition of words which they understand not, or of applying what they repeat to another end than what the words signify, — as saying so many prayers for such an end or purpose, whereof it may be there is not one word of mention in the prayers themselves, — that I must approve of any search after a real internal intercourse of soul with God in this duty. But herein men must be careful of two things: (1.) That they assert not what they cart fancy, but what indeed, in some measure, they have an experi- ence of. For men to conjecture what others do experience (for they can do no more), and thence to form rules or examples of duty, is dangerous always, and may be pernicious unto those who shall fol- low such instructions. And herein this author fails, and gives no- thing but his own fancies of others' pretended experience. (2.) That what they pretend unto an experience of be confirmable by Scripture rule or example ; for if it be not so, we are directed unto the conduct of all extravagant imaginations in every one who will pretend unto spiritual experience. Attend unto these rules, and I. will grant in prayer all the ways whereby the soul, or the faculties
CHAP. X.] OF MENTAL PRAYER. 329
of it, can rationally act itself towards God in a holy and spiritual manner. But if you extend it unto such kind of actings as our na- ture is not capable of, at least in this world, it is the open fruit of a deceived fancy, and makes all that is tendered from the same hand to be justly suspected. And such is that instance of this prayer, that it is in the will and its affections without any actings of the mind or understanding; for although I grant that the adhesion of the will and affections unto God by love, delight, complacenc}*", rest and satisfaction, in prayer, belongs to the improvement of this duty, yet to imagine that they are not guided, directed, acted by the understanding, in the contemplation of God's goodness, beauty, grace, and other divine excellencies, is to render our worship and devotion brutish or irrational, whereas it is, and ought to be, our "reasonable service."
And that this very description here given us of praj-er is a mere effect of fancy and imagination, and not that which the author of it was led unto by the conduct of spiritual light and experience, is evi- dent from hence, that it is borrowed from those contemplative philoso- phers who, after the preaching of the gospel in the world, endeavoured to refine and advance heathenism into a compliance with it ; at least is fancied in imitation of what they ascribe unto a perfect mind. One of them, and his expressions in one place, may suffice for an in- stance,— Plotinus, Ennead. vi., lib. 9, cap. 10 ; for after many other as- criptions unto a soul that hath attained union with the chiefest good, he adds: — Ou yap n szivzlro <xap auTui, ou ^tv^bg, obx s^iOu/Aia aXXou Tap^v av-ui, avuCt&rjxori' dXX' ou ds Xoyog, ov d's Tig vor\aig' cv 6' oXug ai/rog, el bzT xa! tovto X'eyziv' dXX' &/<frrsp apfaeOtig jj Iv&oxjGtaGag r,G\jyy\ h sprjjMw xaracrdan yiyivr\rai arpif/,1?, rrj avrou ovm'q ovdap^ov d^oxXivuv, ohhi Kipi avrbv Grpitpo^svog, sffTOjg Tavrrj xai o7ov Crdffig yivo/nvog' — "A mind thus risen up is no way moved, no anger, no desire of any thing is in it" (a perfect rest of the affections) ; " nay, neither reason nor under- standing" (are acted), " nor, if I may say so, itself: but being ecsta- sied and filled with God, it comes into a quiet, still, immovable repose and state, no way declining" (by any sensible actings) " from its own essence, nor exercising any reflex act upon itself, is wholly at rest, as having attained a perfect state;" — or to this purpose, with much more to the same. And as it is easy to find the substance of our author's notion in these words, so the reader may see it more at large declared in that last chapter of his Enneads; and all his com- panions in design about that time speak to the same purpose.
2. The spiritual intense fixation of the mind, by contemplation on God in Christ, until the soul be as it were swallowed up in admira- tion and delight, and being brought unto an utter loss, through the infiniteness of those excellencies which it doth admire and adore, it
330 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
returns again into its own abasements, out of a sense of its infinite distance from what it would absolutely and eternally embrace, and, withal, the inexpressible rest and satisfaction which the will and affections receive in their approaches unto the eternal Fountain of goodness, are things to be aimed at in prayer, and which, through the riches of divine condescension, are frequently enjoyed. The soul is hereby raised and ravished, not into ecstasies or unaccountable rap- tures, not acted into motions above the power of its own understand- ing and will ; but in all the faculties and affections of it, through the effectual workings of the Spirit of grace and the lively impressions of divine love, with intimations ot the relations and kindness of God, is filled with rest, in "joy unspeakable and full of glory." And these spiritual acts of communion with God, whereof I may say with Bernard, Rara hora, brevis mora, may be enjoyed in mental or vocal prayer indifferently. But as the description here given of mental, spiritual prayer hath no countenance given it from the Scriptures, yea, those things are spoken of it which are expressly contrary thereunto, as perfect purity and the like, and as it cannot be confirmed by the rational experience of any, so it no way takes off from the necessity and usefulness of vocal prayer, whereunto it is opposed; for still the use of words is necessary in this duty, from the nature of the duty itself, the command of God, and the edifica- tion of the church. And it is fallen out unhappily, as to the exalta- tion of the conceived excellency of this mental prayer, that our Lord Jesus Christ not only instructed his disciples to pray by the use of words, but did so himself, and that constantly, so far as we know, Matt. xxvi. 39, 42; yea, when he was most intense and engaged in this duty, instead of this pretended still prayer of contemplation, he prayed [Lira xpavy^g is-xypag, "with a strong outcry," Heb. v. 7, which, Ps. xxii. 1, is called the "voice of his roaring." And all the reproaches which this author casts on fervent, earnest, vocal prayer, — namely, that it is a tedious, loud, impetuous, and an uncivil con- versation with God, a mere artificial slight and facility, — may with equal truth be cast on the outward manner of the praying of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was ofttimes long, sometimes loud and vehement. And unto the example of their Lord and Master we may add that of the prophets and apostles, who mention nothing of this pretended elevation, but constantly made use of and desired God to hear their "voices," their " cry," their "words," in their sup- plication, the words of manj7 of them being accordingly recorded. Wherefore, words proper, suggested by the Spirit of God, and taken either directly or analogically out of the Scripture, do help the mind and enlarge it with supplications. " Interdum voce nos ipsos ad devotionem et acrius incitamus," August. Epist. cxxi. ad Probam.