us, with whose visitation this tempest will cease; as it happened in a like case to the holy apostles, [1] as we shall see hereafter.
The weapons to fight against these distractions of heart and dryness of spirit are principally four.
1. The first is profound humility, acknowledging our weakness and misery, and being ashamed of ourselves to stand before God with such distraction; and accusing ourselves of our offences past and present, for which we are now chastised; for whoever in this manner " humbleth himself" in prayer " shall be" in that "exalted." [2]
2. The second is fortitude of mind, making a manly resolution not advisedly to allow entrance to any thought that may separate us from that matter out of which we make our prayer, though it be one that ministers to us much pleasure, or seems of very much importance; for at that time nothing imports so much as to attend to my prayer and to God, before whom I am to pray; and when unwittingly I find myself diverted, I will turn again to tie the thread of the good thought and reasoning begun; and if a thousand times I should be diverted, I will turn a thousand times to the same without losing my courage or confidence, remembering that Abraham, persevering in chasing away the importunate birds that approached to the sacrifice, came to sleep a mysterious sleep, in which God discovered to him great secrets, and passed like fire through the midst of the sacrifice in testimony that He accepted it. [3] So labouring with perseverance to chase away importunate thoughts that disquiet me in the sacrifice of prayer, I shall come, with God's favour, to sleep the quiet sleep of contemplation, in which He may illuminate my soul with His light that I may know Him, and inflame it with the fire of His love that I may love Him.
