A golden treatise of mental prayer/— the matter of prayer
CHAPTER II.
OF THE MATTER OF PRAYER.
Having taken notice of the utility of prayer and meditation, we will now declare the matter about which meditation is to be conversant; for seeing it is ordained to this end, that the soul of him that meditateth, may be excited to the fear and love of God, and the keeping of his commandments; the matter of meditation ought to be such, as doth next dispose to this end, and scope. And, although every creature, and the whole Scripture itself be able to minister this matter unto us, yet speaking generally, the mysteries of our holy faith, contained in the Creed, are most efficacious and profitable to attain unto this end. For these on the one side, contain Almighty God's benefits, the latter judgment, the pains of hell, and the glory of paradise; all which, like sharp pricks, do spur us on to the love and fear of God. On the other side, they comprehend the life and passion of our Lord and Saviour, which is the spring and fountain of all our good. These two things contained in the Apostolical Creed, for the most part yield matter of meditation; and, therefore, I think, prayer and meditation ought chiefly to be conversant about them, although every one in particular may have certain points, which may more specially inflame and excite the soul to the love and fear of God.
Being, therefore, persuaded with this reason, that I might the better conduct young beginners, and untrained soldiers into this way of mental prayer, and that I might give unto them altogether prepared, and (as it were to little children) foreshowed matter of meditation; I have selected two kinds of meditations, almost taken out of the mysteries of our faith; the one serving for the morning, the other for the evening; that as the body is commonly fed with two meals, so the soul may be strengthened and nourished with two spiritual refections, by the meditation and consideration of heavenly things. Some of these are of the passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, others of the mysteries of our faith, as I said before. But those who cannot have the opportunity, to meditate twice-a-day, after this manner, they may use them, to wit, they may take to their consideration the seven former meditations in the one week, and the latter in another week; or they may chiefly insist upon those of the life and passion of our Saviour; although the other be not to be neglected, especially in the beginning of a soul's conversion, to whom they are proper, when the fear of God, contrition and horror of sin, is chiefly to be regarded and sought after.