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| Chapter V. How they ought not to go back to bed again after the Mattin prayers.
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Chapter V.
How they ought not to go back to bed again after the
Mattin prayers.
But some in this
province, not knowing the reason why this office was appointed and
introduced, go back again to bed after their Mattin prayers are
finished, and in spite of it fall into that very habit to check which
our Elders instituted this service. For they are eager to finish it at
that hour, that an opportunity maybe given, to those who are inclined
to be indifferent and not careful enough, to go back to bed again,
which most certainly ought not to be done (as we showed more fully in
the previous book when describing the service of the
Egyptians),739
for fear lest
the force of
our
natural passions should be aroused and stain that purity of ours which
was gained by humble confession and prayers before the dawn, or some
illusion of the enemy pollute us, or even the repose of a pure and
natural sleep interfere with the fervour of our spirit and make us lazy
and slothful throughout the whole day, as we are chilled by the
sluggishness caused by sleep. And to avoid this the Egyptians, and
especially as they are in the habit of rising at fixed times even
before the cock-crow, when the canonical office740
has
been celebrated, afterwards prolong their vigils even to daylight, that
the morning light when it comes on them may find them established in
fervour of spirit, and keep them still more careful and fervent all
through the day, as it has found them prepared for the conflict and
strengthened against their daily struggle with the devil by the
practice of nocturnal vigils and spiritual
meditation.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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