devotions. He would not run cursorily over it, as many have the bad habit of doing, but used to repeat each of its clauses twice, thrice, or oftener, and would not pass on to the next before he had thoroughly weighed every word of the preceding, and had, with the full affection of his heart, imbibed from it individually all the sweetness of devotion. "It is better," he would say, "to recite the Lord's Prayer once only, thus repeating and drawing devotion from its clauses, than to run through it cursorily a hundred times with merely a slight attention." But on this point we would

offer a few

INSTRUCTIONS

VERY USEFUL FOR ALL PRAYER.

I. There should be preparation of the mind. Before prayer, prepare thy soul, and be not as a man that tempts God. Reflect seriously what thou art going to do. It is 'to converse and treat with God thy Creator, the Lord of heaven and earth, to tell his praises, to declare to him thy necessities and infirmities, to implore his assistance and his favours. Then how attentively, reverently, religiously, devoutly, and humbly ought this to be done in the presence of so great a Majesty!

II. Begin with an act of contrition. For God does not hear sinners,' nay he hates them, as such, or if not penitent for their sins. How, then, can an impenitent criminal dare to thrust himself into the presence of his offended Judge ?

III. Fix on a good intention beforehand, or rather not one, but many. As, for example, make thy prayer solely for the glory of God, or for thy own and thy neighbour's salvation; or with the desire to be endued with this or that virtue, or freed from this or that fault, &c.

IV. Ask grace to pray devoutly, attentively, and profitably. Resolve at the same time firmly within thyself not to give entrance, knowingly, to any thoughts foreign to prayer, let them present themselves ever so importunately, or under whatever form or pretext of advantage; and to this end keep strict guard over thy senses, especially thy eyes and thy ears. How easily does some cause of disturbance to our peace of mind enter in at these gates! Choose the spot most proper for prayer and least liable to distraction. Let the posture of thy body be such as will conduce to devotion. 1 Ecclus. xviii. 23.

2 John ix. 31.

V. Collect thy thoughts often in the course of thy prayer. Renew very frequently thy recollection of the divine Presence. Prayer (that is, vocal prayer, especially if framed by another) should be, as it were, sprinkled and seasoned from time to time with some mental address of thy own, that it may speak of itself to God, and also may treat with God, standing alone, as it were, without the support of another. This is to be done by eliciting affections in unison with the selection of words or of sentences, as of faith, hope, charity, contrition, gratitude, humility, &c.

VI. Lastly, do not forget to go away from prayer with reverence. If admitted by thy Sovereign to a conference on an affair of thy own, how rude and unbecoming would it be, if, after laying it before him, thou wert instantly to turn thy back upon him and depart, without shewing any mark of gratitude or of respect!

Examine, therefore, briefly, the issue of thy prayer. Be sorry and ask pardon for its defects, offer and commend humbly to God thy service, imperfect though it be, that it may please him, through the merits of his Son Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, and this for the intention or object proposed at the beginning. All this, for which some form will be given below, may be briefly and readily accomplished.

This is the method of praying rightly and profitably, or of using the forms of prayer prescribed in the Paradise or elsewhere; which, if thou observe not, good reader, I myself will also be ready to admit that vocal prayer is dry and devoid of spiritual fruit and devotion; and that thus is verified the complaint of the Prophet, that you eat, but have not enough; you drink, but are not filled with drink; you sow much, and bring in little, &c.1

I will not deny that prayers read from books have the disadvantage that is to be expected where there is the deficiency above mentioned of earnestness in prayer; that they often fail to harmonise with the particular feelings or wants of the person who reads them. Thus the words may express compunction, love of God and our neighbour, zeal for the divine Law, detestation of covetousness, &c., as when is said, for instance: Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty. And again, Oh, how have I loved thy law, O Lord; it my meditation all the day. Therefore have I loved thy commandments above gold and the topaz, &c. Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.3 And yet 1 Agg. i. 6. 2 Ps. cxxx. 1. 3 Ps. cxviii. 97, 127, 36.

the reader's heart may be unaffected with these virtues, nay, may be possessed with feelings opposed to them, nor even once shrink from them so far as to think of expelling them, for which reason his prayer is not turned into his bosom. For by gulping down unchewed all at once food already partially eaten by others, and prepared for the palate and taste of another, he loses its pleasantness of taste, and cannot convert it into the blood and juice that are necessary for his nourishment.

Now for this the only remedy is to utter the holy thoughts expressed in books of devotion, as though they were the spontaneous offspring of the inmost feeling of the heart, and to be affected conformably to them ourselves; to renounce before God the inward affections of our rebellious nature, which we discover to be opposed to them, and to endeavour to subdue and to correct them by his grace.

For this kind of devotion the safest of any is the Lord's Prayer, since from its adaptation to the wants and condition of all, it cannot but suggest matter for prayer at once suitable and necessary for all classes. Let it not, then, seem strange to thee, good reader, to see in this new Paradise exercises so many and various upon the Lord's Prayer. But marvel rather with me, that one and so short a prayer should be so pregnant with holy meaning, and furnish us with exercises of devotion in such varied abundance.

But how is this to be wondered at, when the great Master of all petitions in the supreme court has himself arranged it and dictated it to us! The reader may find its eulogies amply and beautifully written by S. Cyprian, S. Augustine, and others; but they are inadmissible within the narrow limits of this work.

We have given several, and indeed new, litanies, but their novelty need offend no one, for they consist merely of words and sentences from Scripture. They represent also the principal attributes, perfections, offices, benefits, praises, and eulogies, as well of the Divine Nature as of the several Persons in the most Holy Trinity; and are really nothing more than devout aspirations, such as any one may frame from Scripture in a sound acceptation of the words.

In these and other devotions, the good reader will, if I mistake not, have abundant matter for pious feelings and holy meditations. If, perchance, any one is wearied by their length, he may try to subdue or to temper this feeling with the love of God; if ineffectually, there is no reason why the

1 Ps. xxxiv. 13.

longer portions should not be divided. Or else, since in the Paradise, as at an elegant repast, there are various dishes served up, each may choose what is most to his taste. For here too, as elsewhere, much in substance is better than much in quantity. But let us close our Introduction with the words of S. Augustine. He says,―

To pray long is not, as some suppose, to pray with much speaking. A quantity of words is one thing, continuance in affection is another. For it is written of the Lord himself, that he passed the whole night in prayer, and that he prayed very long; all which was to give us an example how seasonable is the prayer that is made in time, of which the Father is the eternal hearer. For prayer should be free from much speaking, yet not from much praying, if the intention continue fervent. For to speak much in prayer is to express a necessity in a superfluity of words. But to pray much is to knock to him to whom we pray with a lasting and holy energy of heart, a work that is better performed with groans than with speeches, with weeping than with words.3

PREPARATORY PRAYER,

THAT MAY BE USED PROFITABLY BEFORE ANOTHER PRAYER.

Almighty and everlasting God, I, an unworthy sinner, but the work of thy hands, come before thy presence to praise thee, because thou art my God, my Lord, my Creator, my Saviour, and my Preserver; who alone, I know, canst bestow gifts profitable to my own and my neighbour's salvation, because thou art supremely powerful; nor can I doubt thy will, because thou art supremely good: to whom all creatures in heaven and earth owe praise, and can never praise as thou meritest to be praised.

But, wretch that I am, how unworthy, alas, and unprepared, from the countless number of my sins, do I come to pray to thee! From the bottom of my heart am sorry that I have ever offended thee, my God, who art supremely good, whom I ought to have praised and loved above all things.

But thou, of thy mercy, make me worthy, and cleanse me from all my iniquities with the precious Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ my Saviour. Deliver also my heart from all vain, hurtful, and absent thoughts, that I may be able to adore and praise thee in spirit and in truth, and obtain what

1 Luke vi. 12.

2 Ib. xxii. 43.

с

3 Ep. 121.

I purpose humbly to ask of thy infinite goodness; and this according to the good pleasure of thy most gracious will, to which in all things I cheerfully bow myself. But how can one who is an unprofitable servant find grace in thy sight? Look, O Father, upon the face of thy Christ, in whom thou art well pleased, in whose Name I humbly entreat thee mercifully to hear me.

Behold, I offer thee his most ardent prayers, devout affections, and holy desires, his most holy thoughts, words, and works, and all the merits of his Life, Passion, and Death, that from their union and perfection all my defects may be supplied, and that by him, as our Mediator and Advocate, this, my obedient service, may be pleasing to thee, O eternal Father!

And oh, that with the affection, zeal, and fervour of the most Blessed Mother and Virgin Mary, of the holy Angels, and of all the Blessed, especially my Patrons N. and N., I may be able to worship thee, love thee, and praise thee!

And this, to the end that thou mayest take away from me all, especially N. and N., that is displeasing to thee in me. Thy eyes see my imperfection, O Searcher of hearts! And that thou mayest bountifully bestow on me the grace and virtues most necessary to me, as these N. and N., that I may the more worthily serve thee in my vocation. That I may do all things to the greater glory of thy Name, and to my own and my neighbour's salvation, especially those to whom I am most especially bound.

This, only, O Lord, is the earnest desire of my soul, to serve thee, please thee, and adhere to thee, now and for ever. For thou art my God and my All! Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE HOURS.

Open my lips, O Lord, to bless thy holy Name; for I desire to sing to thee faithfully and attentively, and to praise thee sincerely, in union with that most perfect attention, with which thou prayedst to thy Father, and praisedst him upon earth, and that especially with which, with all the fervour of thy heart, and in the Bloody Sweat of thy face, thou prayedst at Mount Olivet.

Aid me by thy grace, without which I can do nothing, and let the power of thy measureless charity supply all my defects, that my obedient service may please thee, which I offer for the glory of thy Name, and for my own and my neighbour's salvation.