In each of these things the understanding is to make a pause, detaining itself in every one so long as it shall find devotion and spiritual relish, without caring to pass to another, moving the will to divers affections of love and confidence, as has been said, making petitions and colloquies with our Lord according to what has been meditated and desired. And when our understanding has considered well one of these things, it may pass to another with the like quietness and calmness of mind, and so proceed in the rest Of all this we shall see manifest examples in the ensuing meditations, especially in the first, which will be a pattern for the rest.
I only notice that when the Holy Spirit, with special inspiration, moves us to pray, all is easy and sweet; for He refreshes the memory, revives the reasoning, rains showers of meditations, enkindles the affections, grants the petitions, disposes the colloquies, and makes perfect the whole work of prayer, ourselves co-operating without trouble. But when this special succour is wanting, it is necessary that we ourselves, using our free will with the assistance of grace, which never fails us, apply our faculties to the exercise of their acts in the form aforesaid, by which we invite the Holy Spirit to aid us with the special succour of His inspirations. For spiritual men who exercise prayer should not be like ships of high building, that cannot sail without wind, but rather like galleys, that navigate both with the wind and with the oar; and when they fail of the prosperous wind of divine inspiration, they are to navigate with the oar of their faculties, aided by the divine favour, though it be not so sensible. And this kind of prayer is wont to be sometimes most profitable, (though it be not so pleasing,) on account of its greater merit, in fighting against distractions and dryness of heart. And if we persevere, using the oars of prayer, in His time Christ our Lord will come to visit
