CHAP. X.] OF MENTAL PRAYER. 331
The use of such words, being first led unto by the desires of the mind, may and doth lead the mind on to express its farther desires also, and increaseth those which are so expressed. It is from God's insti- tution and blessing that the mind and will of praying do lead unto the words of prayer, and the words of prayer do lead on the mind and will, enlarging them in desires and supplications. And without this aid many would oftentimes be straitened in acting their thoughts and affections towards God, or distracted in them, or diverted from them. And we have experience that an obedient, sanctified per- sistency in the use of gracious words in prayer hath prevailed against violent temptations and injections of Satan, which the mind in its silent contemplations was not able to grapple with. And holy affec- tions are thus also excited hereby. The very words and expressions which the mind chooseth to declare its thoughts, conceptions, and desires about heavenly things, do reflect upon the affections, increas- ing and exciting of them. Not only the things themselves fixed on do affect the heart, but the words of wisdom and sobriety whereby they are expressed do so also. There is a recoiling of efficacy, if I may so speak, in deep impressions on the affections, from the words that are made use of to express those affections by. But we treat of prayer principally as it is to be performed in families, societies, assemblies, congregations, where this mental prayer would do well to promote the edification which is attainable in the silent meetings of the Quakers.
And because this kind of prayer, as it is called, is not only recom- mended unto us, but preferred before all other ways and methods of prayer, and chosen as an instance to set off the devotion of the church of Rome, to invite others thereunto, I shall a little more particularly inquire into it. And I must needs say, that, on the best view I can take, or examination of it, it seems to be a matter alto- gether useless, uncertain, an effect of and entertainment for vain curiosity, whereby men " intrude themselves into those things which they have not seen, being vainly puffed up by their own fleshly mind ;" for, not to call over what was before intimated in things that are practical in religion, no man can understand any thing whereof he can have no experience. Nothing is rejected by virtue of this rule whereof some men, through their own default, have no experience; but every thing is so justly, whereof no man in the discharge of his duty can attain any experience. He that speaks of such things unto others, if any such there might be belonging unto our condition in this world, must needs be a barbarian unto them in what he speaks. And whereas also he speaks of that wherein his own reason and un- derstanding have no interest, he must be so also unto himself; for no man can by the use of reason, however advanced by spiritual
332 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER. [BOOK VII.
light, understand such actings of the souls of other men or his own as wherein there is no exercise of reason or understanding, such as these raptures are pretended to consist in. So whereas one of them says, " Fundus animse meae tangit fundum essentia^ Dei/' it had cer- tainly been better for him to have kept his apprehensions or fancy to himself, than to express himself in words which in their own pro- per sense are blasphemous, and whose best defensative is that they are unintelligible. And if it be not unlawful, it is doubtless inex- pedient, for any one, in things of religion, to utter what it is impossi- ble for any body else to understand, with this only plea, that they do not indeed understand it themselves, it being what they enjoyed without any acts or actings of their own understanding. To allow such pretences is the ready way to introduce Babel into the church, and expose religion to scorn. Some pretending unto such raptures among ourselves I have known ; wherein for a while they stirred up the admiration of weak and credulous persons ; but through a little obser- vation of what they did, spake, and pretended unto, with an exami- nation of all by the unerring rule, they quickly came into contempt. All I intend at present is, that whatever be in this pretence, it is altogether useless unto edification, and therefore ought the declara- tion of it to be of no regard in the church of God. If the apostle would not allow the use of words, though miraculously suggested unto them that used them, without an immediate interpretation of their signification, what would he have said of such words and things as are capable of no interpretation, so as that any man living should understand them? for those by whom at present they are so ex- tolled and commended unto us do themselves discourse at random, as blind men talk of colours, for they pretend not to have any ex- perience of these things themselves. And it is somewhat an un- couth way of procedure to enhance the value of the communion of their church, and to invite others unto it, by declaring that there are some amongst them who enjoyed such spiritual ecstasies as could neither by themselves nor any others be understood; for nothing can be so wherein or whereabout there is no exercise of reason or understanding. Wherefore, the old question, cut bono ? will dis- charge this pretence from being of any value or esteem in religion with considerate men.