a treatise on good works-第13节

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〃Therefore　I　say　unto　you；　What　things　soever　ye　desire；　when　ye

pray；　believe　that　ye　receive　them；　and　ye　shall　surely　have

them。〃　And　Luke　xi：　〃Ask；　and　it　shall　be　given　you；　seek；　and

ye　shall　find；　knock；　and　it　shall　be　opened　unto　you；　for　every

one　that　asketh　receiveth；　and　he　that　seeketh　findeth；　and　to

him　that　knocketh　it　shall　be　opened。　Or　what　father　is　there　of

you；　who；　if　his　son　shall　ask　bread；　will　he　give　him　a　stone？

or　if　he　ask　a　fish；　will　he　give　him　a　serpent？　or　if　he　ask　an

egg；　will　he　give　him　a　scorpion？　But　if　you　know　how　to　give

good　gifts　to　your　children；　and　you　yourselves　are　not　naturally

good；　how　much　more　shall　your　Father　which　is　in　heaven　give　a

good　spirit　to　all　them　that　ask　Him！〃



V。　Who　is　so　hard　and　stone…like；　that　such　mighty　words　ought

not　to　move　him　to　pray　with　all　confidence！　joyfully　and　gladly？

But　how　many　prayers　must　be　reformed；　if　we　are　to　pray　aright

according　to　these　words！　Now；　indeed；　all　churches　and　monastic

houses　are　full　of　praying　and　singing；　but　how　does　it　happen

that　so　little　improvement　and　benefit　result　from　it；　and　things

daily　grow　worse？　The　reason　is　none　other　than　that　which　St。

James　indicates　when　he　says：　〃You　ask　much　and　receive　not；

because　ye　ask　amiss。〃　For　where　this　faith　and　confidence　is　not

in　the　prayer；　the　prayer　is　dead；　and　nothing　more　than　a

grievous　labor　and　work。　If　anything　is　given　for　it；　it　is　none

the　less　only　temporal　benefit　without　any　blessing　and　help　for

the　soul；　nay；　to　the　great　injury　and　blinding　of　souls；　so　that

they　go　their　way；　babbling　much　with　their　mouths；　regardless

of　whether　they　receive；　or　desire；　or　trust；　and　in　this

unbelief；　the　state　of　mind　most　opposed　to　the　exercise　of　faith

and　to　the　nature　of　prayer；　they　remain　hardened。



From　this　it　follows　that　one　who　prays　aright　never　doubts　that

his　prayer　is　surely　acceptable　and　heard；　although　the　very

thing　for　which　he　prays　be　not　given　him。　For　we　are　to　lay　our

need　before　God　in　prayer；　but　not　prescribe　to　Him　a　measure；

manner；　time　or　place；　but　if　He　wills　to　give　it　to　us　better

or　in　another　way　than　we　think；　we　are　to　leave　it　to　Him；　for

frequently　we　do　not　know　what　we　pray；　as　St。　Paul　says；　Romans

viii；　and　God　works　and　gives　above　all　that　we　understand；　as

he　says；　Ephesians　iii；　so　that　there　be　no　doubt　that　the　prayer

is　acceptable　and　heard；　and　we　yet　leave　to　God　the　time；　place；

measure　and　limit；　He　will　surely　do　what　is　right。　They　are　the

true　worshipers；　who　worship　God　in　spirit　and　in　truth。　For　they

who　believe　not　that　they　will　be　heard；　sin　upon　the　left　hand

against　this　Commandment；　and　go　far　astray　with　their　unbelief。

But　they　who　set　a　limit　for　Him；　sin　upon　the　other　side；　and

come　too　close　with　their　tempting　of　God。　So　He　has　forbidden

both；　that　we　should　err　from　His　Commandment　neither　to　the　left

nor　to　the　right；　that　is；　neither　with　unbelief　nor　with

tempting；　but　with　simple　faith　remain　on　the　straight　road；

trusting　Him；　and　yet　setting　Him　no　bounds。　



VI。　Thus　we　see　that　this　Commandment；　like　the　Second；　is　to　be

nothing　else　than　a　doing　and　keeping　of　the　First　Commandment；

that　is；　of　faith；　trust；　confidence；　hope　and　love　to　God；　so

that　in　all　the　Commandments　the　First　may　be　the　captain；　and

faith　the　chief　work　and　the　life　of　all　other　works；　without

which；　as　was　said；　they　cannot　be　good。　



But　if　you　say：　〃What　if　I　cannot　believe　that　my　prayer　is　heard

and　accepted？〃　I　answer：　For　this　very　reason　faith；　prayer　and

all　other　good　works　are　commanded；　that　you　shall　know　what　you

can　and　what　you　cannot　do。　And　when　you　find　that　you　cannot　so

believe　and　do；　then　you　are　humbly　to　confess　it　to　God；　and　so

begin　with　a　weak　spark　of　faith　and　daily　strengthen　it　more　and

more　by　exercising　it　in　all　your　living　and　doing。　For　as

touching　infirmity　of　faith　（that　is；　of　the　First　and　highest

Commandment）；　there　is　no　one　on　earth　who　does　not　have　his　good

share　of　it。　For　even　the　holy　Apostles　in　the　Gospel；　and

especially　St。　Peter；　were　weak　in　faith；　so　that　they　also

prayed　Christ　and　said：　〃Lord；　increase　our　faith　〃；　and　He　very

frequently　rebukes　them　because　they　have　so　little　faith。　



Therefore　you　shall　not　despair；　nor　give　up；　even　if　you　find

that　you　do　not　believe　as　firmly　as　you　ought　and　wish；　in　your

prayer　or　in　other　works。　Nay；　you　shall　thank　God　with　all　your

heart　that　He　thus　reveals　to　you　your　weakness；　through　which

He　daily　teaches　and　admonishes　you　how　much　you　need　to　exercise

yourself　and　daily　strengthen　yourself　in　faith。　For　how　many　do

you　see　who　habitually　pray；　sing；　read；　work　and　seem　to　be

great　saints；　and　yet　never　get　so　far　as　to　know　where　they

stand　in　respect　of　the　chief　work；　faith；　and　so　in　their

blindness　they　lead　astray　themselves　and　others；　think　they　are

very　well　off；　and　so　unknowingly　build　on　the　sand　of　their

works　without　any　faith；　not　on　God's　mercy　and　promise　through

a　firm；　pure　faith。　



Therefore；　however　long　we　live；　we　shall　always　have　our　hands

full　to　remain；　with　all　our　works　and　sufferings；　pupils　of　the

First　Commandment　and　of　faith；　and　not　to　cease　to　learn。　No　one

knows　what　a　great　thing　it　is　to　trust　God　alone；　except　he　who

attempts　it　with　his　works。　



VII。　Again：　if　no　other　work　were　commanded；　would　not　prayer

alone　suffice　to　exercise　the　whole　life　of　man　in　faith？　For

this　work　the　spiritual　estate　has　been　specially　established；

as　indeed　in　olden　times　some　Fathers　prayed　day　and　night。　Nay；

there　is　no　Christian　who　does　not　have　time　to　pray　without

ceasing。　But　I　mean　the　spiritual　praying；　that　is：　no　one　is　so

heavily　burdened　with　his　labor；　but　that　if　he　will　he　can；

while　working；　speak　with　God　in　his　heart；　lay　before　Him　his

need　and　that　of　other　men；　ask　for　help；　make　petition；　and　in

all　this　exercise　and　strengthen　his　faith。　



This　is　what　the　Lord　means；　Luke　xviii；　when　He　says；　〃Men　ought

always　to　pray；　and　never　cease；〃　although　in　Matthew　vi。　He

forbids　the　use　of　much　speaking　and　long　prayers；　because　of

which　He　rebukes　the　hypocrites；　not　because　the　lengthy　prayer

of　the　lips　is　evil；　but　because　it　is　not　that　true　prayer　which

can　be　made　at　all　times；　and　without　the　inner　prayer　of　faith

is　nothing。　For　we　must　also　practise　the　outward　prayer　in　its

proper　time；　especially　in　the　mass；　as　this　Commandment

requires；　and　wherever　it　is　helpful　to　the　inner　prayer　and

faith；　whether　in　the　house　or　in　the　field；　in　this　work　or　in

that；　of　which　we　have　no　time　now　to　speak　more。　For　this

belongs　to　the　Lord's　Prayer；　in　which　all　petitions　and　spoken

prayer　are　summed　up　in　brief　words。



VIII。　Where　now　are　they　who　desire　to　know　and　to　do　good　works？

Let　them　undertake　prayer　alone；　and　rightly　exercise　themselves

in　faith；　and　they　will　find　that　it　is　true；　as　the　holy　Fathers

have　said；　that　there　is　no　work　like　prayer。　Mumbling　with　the

mouth　is　easy；　or　at　least　considered　easy；　but　with　earnestness

of　heart　to　follow　the　words　in　deep　devotion；　that　is；　with

desire　and　faith；　so　that　one　earnestly　desires　what　the　words

say；　and　not　to　doubt　that　it　will　be　heard：　that　is　a　great　deed

in　God's　eyes。　



Here　the　evil　spirit　hinders　men　with　all　his　powers。　Oh；　how

often　will　he　here　prevent　the　desire　to　pray；　not　allow　us　to

find　time　and　place；　nay；　often　also　raise　doubts；　whether　a　man

is　worthy　to　ask　anything　of　such　a　Majesty　as　God　is；　and　so

confuse　us　that　a　man　himself　does　not　know　whether　it　is　really

true　that　he　prays　or　not；　whether　it　is　possible　that　his　prayer

is　acceptable；　and　other　such　strange　thoughts。　For　the　evil

spirit　knows　well　how　powerful　one　man's　truly　believing　prayer

is；　and　how　it　hurts　him；　and　how　it　benefits　all　men。　Therefore

he　does　not　willingly　let　it　happen。　



When　so　tempted；　a　man　must　indeed　be　wise；　and　not　doubt　that

he　and　his　prayer　are；　indeed；　unworthy　before　such　infinite

Majesty；　in　no　wise　dare　he　trust　his　worthiness；　or　because　of

his　unworthiness　grow　faint；　but　he　must　heed　God's　command　and

cast　this　up　to　Him；　and　hold　it　before　the　devil；　and　say：

〃Because　of　my　worthiness　I　do　nothing；　because　of　my

unworthiness　I　cease　from　nothing。　I　pray　and　work　only　because

God　of　His　pure　mercy　has　promised　to　hear　and　to　be　gracious　to

all　unworthy　men；　and　not　only　promised　it；　but　He　has　also　most

sternly；　on　pain　of　His　everlasting　displeasure　and　wrath；

commanded　us　to　pray；　to　trust　and　to　receive。　If　it　has　not　been

too　much　for　that　high　Majesty　so　solemnly　and　highly　to　obligate

His　unworthy　worms　to　pray；　to　trust；　and　to　receive　from　Him；

how　shall　it　be　too　much　for　me　to　take　such　command　upon　myself

with　all　joy；　however　worthy　or　unworthy　I　may　be？〃　Thus　we　must

drive　out　the　devil's　suggestion　w