prayer, the understanding rest awhile, and recreate itself in the arms of contemplation.
Here let every one resist whatsoever imaginations shall present themselves unto his mind, let him still his understanding, let him fasten his memory strongly upon God; considering that he is placed in his holy presence. But let him not adhere to any particular contemplation of God, but only content himself with that knowledge which faith hath ministered unto him; and to this, let him add his will and affection, seeing this is only that which embraceth God, and in which the whole fruit of meditation consisteth.
The weak understanding is little able to conceive or comprehend anything of God, but the will can love him very much. Let him, therefore, rouse up himself from temporal things, and let him recollect himself within himself, that is to say, to the centre of his soul, where is the lively image of God; here let him hearken attentively, as though he heard Almighty God speaking from a high turret; or as though he held him fast, being present in his soul; or as though there were no other persons in the world, besides God and himself. Nay, I say more, let him quite forget himself, and those things which he doth; for, as one of the ancient holy fathers saith, prayer is then every way complete, when he that prayeth doth not consider that he is before God in prayer, and this is to be done, not only in the end of the exercise, but in the midst, and in every
