The nine and thritty chapitre. How a parfite worcher schal preie, and what preier is in itself; and yif a man schal preie in wordes, whiche wordes acorden than moste to the propirté of preier.
Praying in the Fullness of the Spirit with One Word
The author urges praying in the height, depth, length, and breadth of the spirit, using a single-syllable word, defines prayer as a devout intention directed toward God, and introduces the two words 'sin' and 'God' as the most fitting for begging removal of evils and obtaining goods.
And so we should pray in the height and depth, the length and breadth of our spirit.✦ And that not in many words, but in a single word of one syllable.✦ And what should this word be? Surely such a word as best accords with the nature of prayer. And what word is that? Let's first look at what prayer actually is, and then we can better understand which word best fits its nature. Prayer in itself, properly speaking, is nothing other than a devout intention directed toward God, for obtaining goods and removing evils. Since all evils are contained in sin, either as a cause or as a reality, let’s make sure that when we want to pray intently for the removal of evils, we don't say, think, or mean anything else—or use any more words—than this one little word: sin.1 And if we want to pray intently to receive good things, let’s cry out, whether in word, thought, or desire, nothing else—and no more words—than this word: God. For in God are all good things, both as a cause and as a reality.2
Persevering in the One-Word Prayer
The author explains why he chose these two words, advises not to labor over words but to be led by grace, and emphasizes that the brevity of the prayer-word does not limit its frequency, using the example of a person crying 'Fire!' or 'Out!' until help comes.
Don't wonder why I set these two words above all others. For if I knew any shorter words that so fully gather into themselves all goods and all evils as these two words do, or if I had been taught by God to take any other words instead, I would then have taken them and left these; and that's what I advise you to do. Don't labor over words, for that way you'd never come to your purpose or to this work, for it is never gotten by study, but only by grace. And therefore take no other words to pray in—though I set these here—but only such as God stirs you to take. Nevertheless, if God stirs you to take these, I advise you not to leave them—I mean if you're going to pray in words, and otherwise not; for they are very short words.3 But even though the shortness of prayer is strongly recommended here, the frequency of prayer isn't held back because of that. For as was said before, it is prayed in the length of the spirit, so that it should never cease until the time when it has fully gotten what it longed for.4 We have an example of this in a man or a woman frightened in the way already described. For we see clearly that they never stop crying this little word "Out!" or this little word "Fire!" until they have largely gotten help from their distress.5
Read the original Middle English
And therfore it is to preie in the height and the depnes, the lengthe and the brede of oure spirit. And that not in many wordes, bot in a lityl worde of o silable.
And what schal this worde be? Sekyrlyche soche a worde as is best acordyng unto the propirté of preier. And what worde is that? Lat us first see what preier is propirly in itself, and therafter we mowe cleerlier knowe what worde wil best acorde to the propirté of preier.
Preyer in itself propirly is not elles bot a devoute entent directe unto God, for getyng of goodes and remowyng of yvelles.
And than, sithen it so is that alle yvelles ben comprehendid in synne, outher by cause or by beyng, lat us therfore, whan we wyl ententifly preie for remowyng of yvelles, outher sey or think or mene nought elles, ne no mo wordes, bot this lityl worde synne. And yif we wil ententifly preie for getyng of goodes, lat us crie, outher with worde or with thought or with desire, nought elles, ne no mo wordes, bot this worde God. For whi in God ben alle goodes, bothe by cause and by beyng.
Have no merveile whi I sette thees two wordes forby alle other. For and I couthe any schorter wordes, so fully comprehendyng in hem alle goodes and alle yvelles, as thees two wordes don, or yif I had be lernyd of God to take any other wordes outher, I wolde than have taken hem and lefte thees; and so I rede that thou do. Stody thou not for no wordes, for so schuldest thou never come to thi purpose ne to this werk, for it is never getyn by stody, bot al only by grace. And therfore take thou none other wordes to preie in -- althof I sete thees here -- bot soche as thou arte sterid of God for to take. Nevertheles, yif God stire thee to take thees, I rede not that thou leve hem -- I mene yif thou schalt preie in wordes, and elles not; for whi thei ben ful schorte wordes.
Bot althof the schortnes of preier be greetly comendid here, nevertheles the oftnes of preier is never the rather refreynid. For as it is seide before, it is preied in the lengthe of the spirite; so that it schuld never sees tyl the tyme were that it had fully getyn that that it longid after. Ensaumple of this have we in a man or a womman affraied in the maner beforeseide. For we see wel that thei seese never criing on this litil worde oute, or this lityl worde fiir, er the tyme be that thei have in greet party getyn help of theire angre.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩"by cause or by being" (ME outher by cause or by beyng) is scholastic: evils are summed up in sin either as what sin causes, or as what, in their own existence, is sin.
- 2 ↩"by cause and by being" mirrors s1: all goods are in God both as their cause and as that in which they have their being.
- 3 ↩'and elles not' clarifies that the counsel to keep these words applies only when praying in words; if prayer is not verbal, the advice does not apply.
- 4 ↩"in the lengthe of the spirite" is kept close to the source: prayer measured by the spirit's lasting reach, not by many spoken words.
- 5 ↩ME "angre" here means anguish/distress/danger rather than anger; rendered "distress" to match the frightened cry for help.
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A daily portion of stillness
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