from
Of the
Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity
by Richard Hooker
[Of
Prayer]
Between
the throne of God in heaven and his Church upon earth here militant
if it be so that Angels have their continual intercourse, where
should we find the same more verified than in these two ghostly
exercises, the one Doctrine, and the other Prayer? For what is the
assembling of the church to learn, but the receiving of Angels
descended from above? What to pray, but the sending of Angels upward?
His heavenly inspirations and our holy desires are as so many Angels
of intercourse and commerce between God and us. As teaching bringeth
us to know that God is our supreme truth; so prayer testifieth that
we acknowledge him our sovereign good.
Besides,
since on God as the most high all inferior causes in the world are
dependent; and the higher any cause is, the more it coveteth to
impart virtue unto all things beneath it; how should any kind of
service we do or can do find greater acceptance than prayer, which
sheweth our concurrence with him in desiring that wherewith his very
nature doth most delight?
Is
not the name of prayer usual to signify even all the service that
ever we do unto God? And that for no other cause, as I suppose, but
to shew that there is in religion no acceptable duty which devout
invocation of the name of God doth not either presuppose or infer.
Prayers are those 'calves of men's lips' [Hosea 14:2], those most
gracious and sweet odours; those rich presents and gifts, which
being carried up to heaven do best testify our dutiful affection,
and are for the purchasing of all favour at the hands of God the
most undoubted means we can use.
On
others what more easily, and yet what more fruitfully bestowed than
our prayers? If we give counsel, they are the simpler only that need
it; if alms, the poor only are relieved; but by prayer we do good to
all. And whereas every other duty besides is but to shew itself as
time and opportunity require, for this all times are convenient:
when we are not able to do any other thing for men's behoof, when
through maliciousness or unkindness they vouchsafe not to accept any
other good at our hands, prayer is that which we always have in our
power to bestow, and they never in theirs to refuse. Wherefore 'God
forbid,' saith Samuel, speaking unto a most unthankful people, a
people weary of the benefit of his most virtuous government over
them, 'God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, and cease to
pray for you.' It is the first thing wherewith a righteous life
beginneth, and the last wherewith it doth end.
The
knowledge is small which we have on earth concerning things that are
done in heaven. Notwithstanding thus much we know even of Saints in
heaven, that they pray. And therefore prayer being a work common to
the church as well triumphant as militant, a work common unto men
with Angels, what should we think that but that so much of our lives
is celestial and divine as we spend in the exercise of prayer? For
which cause we see that the most comfortable visitations, which God
hath sent men from above, have taken especially the times of prayer
a their most natural opportunities. (5.23)
