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