Section 5

Thus doth this foul afcend to her
God.
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God. But to this end it mull fuffer felf or her own will, to be deftroyed by the power of divine love. This is a ftate of facrifice effential to the Chriftian religion, whereby the foul fuffereth the deftruQion of its own will, that the will of God may be done, and thereby rendereth true homage to the fovereign of the uni-' verfe ; as ’tis written, God alone is great, and he is honoured only by the', humble, Eccluf. iii. 20. We mull die to felf or our own will, that Jefus Chrift, who is the Word that liveth and abideth for ever, may live and prevail, be heard and obeyed. That our own will, or the life of felf being dead, our life may be hid with Chrift in God. In which confift- eth that adoration that giveth all honour, glory, and power, unto God and our Redeemer for ever and ever.
This is the prayer of truth ; this is to worfhip the Father in fpirit and in
truth :
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’.ruth: John iv. 23. In fpirit . be- caufe we are thereby drawn from our human and carnal manner of aiding, to enter into the purity of the fpirit which prayeth in us. And m truth, becaufe the foul is thereby placed in the truth of the ALL of GOD, and of the NO- THING of the creature.
There are only thefe two truths, :he All and the Nothing : every thing elfe is a counterfeit. We cannot honour God’s All, but by our own annihilation ; and we are no fooner annihilated, that is, emp- tied of ourfelves; than God, who allows not any thing to be void without filling it, doth replenifh us with himfelf.
O did we but know the infinite ^ood which accrue to the foul from this prayer, we would fcarce do any thing elfe ! This is the pearl of great price: this is the hidden trea -
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Jure. Mat. xiii. 44, 4,5. He that find eth it, mod cheerfully felleth al that he hath to purchafe it. This i the river of living water , rifmg up mt eternal life. John iv. 14, istowonlhip Godin fpirit and in truth and this is to piafrife the purel precepts of the gofpel.
D oth not Jef us Chnjl allure us. Lu xvii . 2 1 . that the kingdom of God is with inus? This kingdom is underflow two ways. One is, when God is f much mailer of us, that nothin doth any more refill him : then on foul is truly his kingdom. Th other is, when poffelfing God win is the fovereign good, we polfel the kingdom of God, which is th height of felicity, and the very en- for which we were created ; accord ing to the proverb, it tis faid, ferve God is to reign. The end fo, which we were created is, to en joy God even in this life : ye
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las, this is leaft in the thoughts of 10ft men.
Sect. XXI.
'hat the foul aHeth more difmtereftedand I more nobly by this manner of prayer \ than by any other.
TT7HEN fome perfons hear V V of the prayer of filence, aeygroundlefiy imagine, that there- n the foul is placed in a ftate of tupidity, lifelefs, and without Bion. But certain it is that there he foul a&ethmore nobly and with nore enlargement, than ever it did litherto ; becaufe in this kind of >rayer it tis moved by God himfelf, and it adleth by his fpirit. St. Paul would have us fuffer ourfelves to 'he led by the fpirit of God. Rom. viii.. 1 4. We don’t fay, that the foul ought
not
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not to aft at all, but only that i ought to aft dependently on the movement of grace. This is admir ably deferibed in theprophet-Eze&f/’ vifion of the wheels, Chap. i. 15 21. The Wheels, which he faw, hat the Jpirit of life, and they went whither Jo\ ever that Jpirit led them ; they wereliftec,, up or Jlood Jlill, according as they wert moved,. for the Jpirit ojlife was in them ; but they never returned back. Thus ought it to be with the foul ; it Ihould fuffer itfelf to be moved! and led by the quickening fpirit that is in it, following (till the move- ment of its aftion, and never fol- lowing any other. But this motion never inclines it to go back ; that is, either to refleft upon the crea- ture, or to bend towards itfelf ; but to go always {freight forward, advancing continually towards its end.
This aftion of the foul is an ac- tion
Method of Prayer . 85
ion altogether quiet and ferene. When it afteth by itfelf, it a&eth vith hurry and fatigue ; and here- by it diftinguifheth its own a£tion. But when it a&eth dependently on .he fpirit of grace, its aflion is fo ree, fo eafy, and fo natural; that t feemeth as tho’ it did nothing. He hath brought me forth into a large place, he hath delivered me becauf e ke oved me. Pfal. xviii. 19.
So foon as the foul hath srot into
SO
ts central bent and tendency, that s to fay, returned within itfelf by ecolleflion, from that inltant it
Ioegins to run its courfe towards its pentre, the attraftions of which jive it at once the greateft vigor and he fwiftell motion ; for no fwift- Vefs is equal to that of its central endency. This then is an aclion, put, it is fo noble, fo quiet, and fo teaceable, that it feemeth to the foul
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as tho’ it doth not aft at all, becauf its operation is fo natural.
While.a wheel is {lowly turned, ’ti eafy to perceive its motion diftinft ly, but when it goeth very fwiftly: w> can no longer diftinguilh any thin; in it ; juft fo the foul which con tinueth before God in quietnef hath an infinitely noble and elevai ed aftion, but withal an aftion tha is moft peaceable. The more th foul is in peace, the more fwiftly i runneth ; becaufe it is whollyrefigr ed to that fpirit which moveth ii and maketh it aft.
This fpirit is no other than Go himfelf, who draweth us, and draw ing us maketh us to run unto him as the divine lover well knew whe (lie laid, Cant. i. 4. vulg Drawm and we will run. Draw me, O m divine centre, by the profounde deep of my being, and by this th attraction the powers and fenft
fha
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lall all run to thee ! This attra&ion one is both an ointment which ealeth, and a perfume which draw- th us ; roe will run faith (lie, becaufe c the fmell of thy perfumes : this is a loft powerful attraftive virtue, yet virtue which the foul follows molt eely, and which being equally rong and fweet, both draws by its awer and charms by its fweetnefs. !raw me (faith the fpoufej and wh nil run. She lpeaketh of her fell* id to herfelf. Draw me, behold 1 e unity ofthe centrh which attracts '.i we will run, behold the running id correfpondence of all the pwers and fenfes, which follow the itraftion of the inward ground of ie foul.
Therefore we don’t in the lealt •.firm that we ought to remain idle, lit that we ought to a6l only in bpendance on the fpirit of God, nich Ihould animate us, fince ’tis
v H 2 only
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only in him, and by him, that we live that we abl, and that we are, Aids xvii 28. This meek dependance upor the fpirit of God, is abofutely necef fary, and the foul will thereby in- fallibly arrive to that fimplicity anc unity in which it was at firft created and it will thereby attain the enc of its creation. Therefore we mul quit the multiplicity of our ac tions, that we may enter into th fimplicity and unity of God, in who I image we were created. Gen. i. 27. Th fpirit of God is one only and manifold or multiplied, Wifd. vii. 22. yet hi unityhindereth not at all his m ultipli city. We enter into his unity whei we are united to his fpirit, as hav ing thereby one and the fame fpiri with him : and without departin from this unity, we are multipliei outwardly, in what regardeth hi will. So that God afling infinitely and we buffering ourfelves to b
Method of Prayer. 89
led by his fpirit, go much further ;han our utmoft a&ivity could carry us.
We rauft furfer ourfelves to be guided by the eternal wifdom : For '.his wifdom is more moving or active han the moji moveable things, Wif. ch. 7. 24. Let us then abide in depend- ince upon his motions, andwe fhall i6t indeed moll powerfully. By the Vord were all things made , and without him was not any thing made hat was made. Joh. i. 3. God created as at firft after his own image and ikenefs, and he infpireth into us he fpirit of the Word, by that breath fife , Gen. ii. 7, which he gave us vhen we were form’d to God’s mage, by the participation of this ife of the Word, who is the image )f his father : now this life is >ne, fimple, pure, intimate and tlwavs fruitful. The devil having poiled and disfigured this beautiful H 3 image
go A Short and Eafy.
image by fin, it was neceffary that the fame Word, whofe fpirit was breathed into us at our creation, fiiould come to repair it. It was needful it fhould be done, by him, becaufe he is the effential image o( his Father, and the defaced image does not repair itfelf by afting, but in being paffive to the abtion of him who came to lepair it.
Our abtion therefore ought only to be, to put ourfelves in a condi- tion to buffer God’s afcting upon us, and to give place unto the Word; to new model again his image in us. An image that fiiould always be in motion, would hinder the painter from drawing any defign upon it. All the motions which we make by our own fpirit, do hinder this admirable painter from exact- ly working, and do occafion the making imperfefl; ftrokes. We muft therefore remain in peace,
not
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not moving ourfelves but when he moveth us. Jfus Chnfi hath the 'ife in himfelf Job. v. 26. and every one that would live mult receive ife from him.
That this motion is the more loble, is a matter without difpute, or certainly things have no value )r worth, but fo far as the princi- )le whence they proceed is noble md fublime, and the adlions of a livine principle are divine aftions ; vhereas the aftions of the crea- ure, how good foever they feem o be, are but human, or at the ery bell, but moral virtues. Je- ts Chrift faith, that he hath the fe in himfelf : all other beings ave nothing but a borrowed life, ut the Word hath the life in him- :lf ; and being communicative of is nature, he defireth to commu- icate of his life to men. There -
>re we mull give way to this life,
that
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that it may flow into us; which cannot be done but by the empty- ing ourfelves, and looflng of the life of Adam, and our own will, as St. Paul allures us, i Cor. v. 17. If any one be in Chrijt JeJus, he is a new creature: all that was old is done away; all is become new. Which cannot be done but by the death of our own felf-aftivity, to the end that God may aft in us, and his divine will may be fubftituted in the place of ours.
It is not therefore pretended, that men Ihould not aft at all ; but only that all our doings fhould be in dependance on being guided by the Spirit of God, giving way to his aftion in lieu of that of the crea- ture. Which cannot be done but by confentof the creature, and the creature cannot give this confent, but by moderating its own aftivity, to give way by little and little that
God’s
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God’s operation may fucceed in its ftead.
Jefus Chrif in the gofpel, teaches us this is the way : Martha did good things, but becaufe file did them in her own fpirit, he reproved her. The fpirit of man is turbulent and unquiet, and therefore it doth but little, though it appears to do a great deal. Martha , Martha , faid Chrif. Luke x. 41, 42. you dif quiet and torment yourfelf with a great many things ; but after all, there is but one thing needful. Mary hath chofen the better part, which Jhall not be taken from her.
What hath Mary chofen ? It is peace, tranquillity, and reft. She ceafeth to aft in appear- ance, that fhe may fu-ff'er herfelf to be moved by the fpirit of Jefus Chnfl ; fhe ceafeth to live, that fo Jefus Chrif may live in her : and therefore it is fo very neceffary to
renounce
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I
renounce ones felf and ones own operations, if we would follow Je-l Jus Chrijt : for we can never follow Jtfus Chrijt unlefs we are animated with his fpirit. Now that the Spirit of Chrijt may be brought forth in us, it is neceflfary that our own fpirit give place unto him. Whojocver doth* cleave or adhere to the Lord, (faith St. .Paul, 1 Cor. vi. 17.) becometh one [pint with him. And David laid, Pf. lxxiii. 28. vulg. that It was good Jor him to adhere unto God, and to put his whole conjidencein him. .What is 1 this adhehon ? It is a beginning of union with Chrift. f.
In this union there is a begin-' ning, continuation.,- finishing, • and perfeft cohfu’mmation. it' lie be- ginning or enterinjT into ourdpion, is an inclination oft lie To uf towards.1 God. When th^foul is inti’overt- ed or turned' iriwjards. in the man-, ner afore fa i ^ T hps in !a tendency
Method of Prayer. 95
to its centre, and hath a ftrongpro- penfion to union. In this propen- fion is the union begun. After- wards when it approacheth nearer to God, it adhereth, then it is united with him ; and thence for- wards becometh one fpirit with him. Then it is that this fpirit, which went forth from God, re- turns back unto God ; it hath at- ained the end of its creation.
This divine life, this Spirit of Jefus Chrift, is the way we mull Df neceffity walk in, for St .Paul af- ures us that no man is Jef us Chrift’ s, fhehath not his Spirit. Rom. viii. 9. Mow then that we maybe one with Chrift, we mull fuffer ourfelves to )e emptied of our own, that fo ve may be filled with his fpirit ; vhich we cannot be fo long as we re full of ourfelves. St. Paul n the fame place, Ver. 14. further •roves the neceffity of our being
thus
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thus moved by this bleffed fpirit when he faith, All they that are ablei by the fpirit of God , are the children God. The fpirit of the divine filia tion, is therefore that of the divim nature animating us : therefore the apoltle adds, The [pint which ye hav received is not a fpirit offervitude to mak you live in fear : but it is the fpirit o God’ s children, whereby zue cry, Abba Father !
By no other fpirit than that 0| Chrijl, can we partake of his filia tion or fonfhip ; and this fpirit dob itfelf bear witnefs to ours, that we ar the children of God, Rom. viii. 16 So no fooner doth the foul leavi and give up itfelf to be animated by the fpirit of God, but it expe rienceth in itfelf the teftimony o this divine filiation : and this tefti mony greatly encreafeth itsjoy, bi the clear evidences it gives th foul, that it is called to the liberty
God
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God’s children, and that the Jpirit which it hath received, is not a fpirit of Servitude, but of liberty. The foui then feels that it ableth freely and fweetly, though ftrongly and infal- libly.
St. Paul proves from our ig- norances concerning the things we pray for, the neceffity of our neing in all things conduced, Doved and animated by this divine Spirit : The fp int, faith he, helpeth )ur infrmities ; for we know not what o pray for , nor how to pray as we mght : but the fpirit itfclf prayethfor iswilhgroanmgs which are unutterable. This is certain ; if we do not know vhatwewant, nor yet how to pray is we ought, for tbofe things which ,re neceffary for us ; and if the pirit that is in us, to whofe motion v'e give up ourfelves, mull needs .Ik and pray for us, ought we not hen to let this fpirit do it ? This I fpirit
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fpirit is the fpirit of the Wort whofe petition is always heard an granted, as he faid himfelf ; Ikno that thou hearejl me always, John x 42. Did we let this fpirit pray an interceed in us, we fhould alwaj have our petitions heard an granted. And why fo ? It is (adc eth St. Paid) hecaufe he that fearchei the hearts, knows what the fpirit defi\ eth, forafmuch as he inter cedeth at wording to God for the faints, Ron viii. 27. That is to fay, becaui this fpirit afketh for that only whic is conformable to the will of G01 The will of God is, that we fhoui be faved, and that we fhould l perfeft. He therefore afks, or it terceeds for that which is necefiai for our perfe&ion.