HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SECOND CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
How a perfect worker shall pray, and what prayer is in itself; and if a man shall pray in words, which words accord them most to the property of prayer.
AND therefore it is, to pray in the height and the deepness, the length and the breadth of our spirit. And that not in many words, but in a little word of one syllable.
And what shall this word be? Surely such a word as is best according unto the property of prayer. And what word is that? Let us first see what prayer is properly in itself, and thereafter we may clearlier know what word will best accord to the property of prayer.
Prayer in itself properly is not else, but a devout intent direct unto God, for getting of good and removing of evil. And then, since it so is that all evil be comprehended in sin, either by cause or by being, let us therefore when we will intentively pray for removing of evil either say, or think, or mean, nought else nor no more words, but this little word "sin." And if we will intentively pray for getting of good, let us cry, either with word or with thought or with desire, nought else nor no more words, but this word "God." For why, in God be all good, both by cause and by being. Have no marvel why I set these words forby all other. For if I could find any shorter words, so fully comprehending in them all good and all evil, as these two words do, or if I had been learned of God to take any other words either, I would then have taken them and left these; and so I counsel that thou do.
Study thou not for no words, for so shouldest thou never come to thy purpose nor to this work, for it is never got by study, but all only by grace. And therefore take thou none other words to pray in, although I set these here, but such as thou art stirred of God for to take. Nevertheless, if God stir thee to take these, I counsel not that thou leave them; I mean if thou shalt pray in words, and else not. For why, they be full short words. But although the shortness of prayer be greatly commended here, nevertheless the oftness of prayer is never the rather refrained. For as it is said before, it is prayed in the length of the spirit; so that it should never cease, till the time were that it had fully gotten that that it longed after. Ensample of this have we in a man or a woman afraid in the manner beforesaid. For we see well, that they cease never crying on this little word "out," or this little word "fire," ere the time be that they have in great part gotten help of their grief.