2. Meditation fits for Prayer, Prayer is Spiritualis pulsus, the spiritual pulse of the soul, by which it beats strongly after ⟨p. 240⟩God. There is no living without prayer; a man cannot live unless he takes breath, no more can the Soul unless it breathes out its desires to God. Prayer Ushers in mercy, and prayer sanctifies mercy;*; it makes mercy to be mercy: prayer hath power over God, vincit invincibilem*. Hosea 12.4. Prayer comes with Letters of mandamus to heaven, Isa. 45.11. Prayer is the spiritual Leech, that sucks the poison of sin out of the soul. What a blessed (shall I say duty or) privilege, is prayer! 3Now meditation is an help to prayer: Gerson calls it the nurse of Prayer. Meditation is like oil to the lamp; the lamp of prayer will soon go out unless meditation cherish and support it: meditation and prayer are like two Turtles, if you separate one, the other dies; ⟨p. 241⟩A cunning angler observes the time and season when the fish bite best, and then he throws in his angle: When the heart is warmed by meditation, now is the best season to throw in the angle of prayer, and fish for mercy. After Isaac had been in the field meditating, he was fit for prayer when he came home. When the Gun is full of powder, it is fittest to discharge. So when the mind is full of good thoughts, a Christian is fittest by prayer to discharge, now he sends up whole volleys of sighs and groans to heaven. Meditation hath a double benefit in it, it pours in, and pours out; first it pours good thoughts into the mind, and then it pours out those thoughts again in prayer; meditation first furnisheth with matter to pray, and then it furnisheth with a heart ⟨p. 242⟩to pray, Psalm 39.3. I was musing (saith David;) and the very next words are a prayer, Lord make me to know my end; 4and Psalm 143.5, 6. I muse on the works of thy hands, I stretch forth my hands to thee; the musing of his head, made way for the stretching forth of his hands in prayer. When Christ was upon the mount then he prayed: So when the Soul is upon the mount of meditation, now it is in tune for Prayer; Prayer is the Child of meditation: meditation leads the van, and prayer brings up the Rear.
2. Meditation fits for Prayer, Prayer is Spiritualis pulsus, the spiritual pulse of the soul, by which it beats strongly after ⟨p. 240⟩God. There is no living without prayer; a man cannot live unless he takes breath, no more can the Soul unless it breathes out its desires to God. Prayer Ʋshers in mercy, and prayer sanctifies mercy;*; it makes mercy to be mercy: prayer hath power over God, vincit invincibilem*. Hosea 12.4. Prayer comes with Letters of mandamus to heaven, Isa. 45.11. Prayer is the spiritual Leech, that sucks the poison of sinne out of the soul. What a blessed (shall I say duty or) privilege, is prayer! 3Now meditation is an help to prayer: Gerson calls it the nurse of Prayer. Meditation is like oyl to the lamp; the lamp of prayer will soon go out unless meditation cherish and support it: meditation and prayer are like two Turtles, if you separate one, the other dies; ⟨p. 241⟩A cunning angler observes the time and season when the fish bite best, and then he throws in his angle: When the heart is warmed by meditation, now is the best season to throw in the angle of prayer, and fish for mercy. After Isaac had been in the field meditating, he was fit for prayer when he came home. When the Gun is full of powder, it is fittest to discharge. So when the minde is full of good thoughts, a Christian is fittest by prayer to discharge, now he sends up whole volleys of sighs and groans to heaven. Meditation hath a double benefit in it, it powres in, and poures out; first it poures good thoughts into the mind, and then it poures out those thoughts again in prayer; meditation first furnisheth with matter to pray, and then it furnisheth with a heart ⟨p. 242⟩to pray, Psalm 39.3. I was musing (saith David;) and the very next words are a prayer, Lord make me to know my end; 4and
- *1 Tim. 4.5.
- *Luther.
- 3Meditatio nutrix ora tionis. Gerson.
- 4Hinc utilitas meditationis conspicitur quia animum Davidis ad pre candi studium erexit. Calvin.
