The spiritual sacrifice, or, A treatise wherein several weighty questions and cases concerning the saints communion with God in prayer are propounded and practically improved by Mr. Alexander Pitcarne.

Sect. I. The Lord will certainly answer all those prayers that are grounded upon the promises.

1 Joh. 5.14, 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if, &c.

Isa. 45.19. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain.

A wight man (we use to say) never wanteth a weapon; this is the Christians motto, none can rob him of his arms; enemies may assault, and fight against us, yea, they may prevail, and tread upon us; they may spoil us and dis∣arm us, and take away from us all such weapons as they use against us; but yet when devils and men have done their worst, the Christian stands alwaies girt with his armour of proof; it is out of the enemies reach; our magazine is in a high and impregnable rock, which cannot be stormed; its(a) 1.1 the armour of God, and he who made it, doth still keep and preserve it; though he gave it to us for our use, yet he is still the owner, and keeper both of it, and of those in whose hands he puts it, Eph. 6.11, 13, 14, 16. The Christian (if he prove not false to his Master, and faint∣hearted without cause) can never be brought so low, as to render his sword; no enemy can force him to yield; and therefore he only is the truly worthy and invincible man; he will not and cannot upon any terms submit, or be overcome; he disdaineth to capitulate with an enemy, whatsoever con∣ditions of peace are dishonourable to him, he must prevail and carry the day, Eph. 6.16. Rom. 8.37. Jam. 4.7. Now prayer is a main(b) 1.2 parcel of this armour, which supposeth

and girdeth all the rest fast to us, and therefore frequently carrieth the name of the whole, preces & lachrymae sunt ar∣ma Eecclesiae, prayers and tears (according to the old saying) are the arms of the Church; as none are able, So neither will any labour to rob them of their arms, though some mocking, others insulting, will upbraid them with them; but let such mock on, yet wo to them, if they use these arms against them, their malice, plots and machinations; if David pray, that the counsel of Achithophel may be turned into foolishness, it will not stand, and being rejected, it will prove an occasion of his ruine, 2 Sam. 15.31. and 17.23. whether persecutors fall, or prevail, they are hastening their own ruine; and though the prayers of the Saints be not directed against their persons, nor for their eternal destructi∣on, yet, the Lord in justice, doth thus punish incorrigible enemies at length; and in the mean time the Lord is trea∣suring up wrath against them, and many a time poureth out some visible judgment upon them here; and if there be any way or mean for reclaiming of them, the prayers of the persecuted will prevail; so that the Saints prayers never return empty; this sword is never drawn, nor this bow bent in vain; and therefore may fitly be compared to the bow of Jonathan, and the sword of Saul, which are said never to return empty, 2 Sam. 1.22. Honest supplicants are like these left-handed Benjamits, which could aim at an hair∣breadth and not miss, Judg. 20.16. And this is the excel∣lency of this notable piece of armour, that it is not only a weapon for defence, but a talent also wherewith we may trade for time and eternity; its usefull in times of peace, as well as war; and therefore it shall continue and abide, even then when (according to that sweet promise concerning the dayes of the Gospel, Isa. 24.) men shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into prunning-hooks, and shall learn war no more: What is said of godliness in the general, 1 Tim. 4.8. may well be applied to prayer in parti∣cular, it is profitable unto all things, and in all times, in eve∣ry trade and condition of life, in every business and occur∣ence it may be improven to advantage; the praying soul

as he only, so alwayes, is happy and successfull; he cannot miscarry nor be disappointed, (when his faith and expecta∣tion is regulated by the promise, the least jot whereof shall not be un fulfilled to him) the Lord will hear him when he crieth, and satisfie his desire, Psa. 145.18, 19. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; — and we know that we have the petitions we desired of him: if we ask, it shall be given; if we seek, we shall find; if we knock, it shall be opened, and we shall receive liberally, not some few things, but all things whatsoever we shall ask in Christs Name, 1 Joh. 5.14, 15. Mat. 7.7. Mat. 21.22. Mark 11.24. Luk. 11.9, 10. Jam. 1.5. Ioh. 14.13, 14. Ioh. 16.23, 24. &c.

We will not now stay to enumerat the several promises made to prayer, these being so many and obvious; nor to vindicat the Lords fidelity from atheistical cavils; or to hold forth some grounds for supporting our faith, in waiting upon the Lord for the accomplishment of his promises, having at so great a length insisted to these particulars, Part 2. Ch. 2. Sect. 2. Let us now only view some few Scriptures, and ponder how pithily the Spirit of God there expresseth the efficacy, power and prevalency of prayer; Let me alone (saith the Lord to praying Moses) Exod. 32.10. Domine, quis tenet te? who holdeth thee, O Lord? saith Austin: an ho∣nest supplicant holds (as it were) my hands, and will not (saith the Lord) let me alone; though I would compound with him and buy his peace, yet he will not be put off, but I must yield to him, v. 10.14. And then let us consider, what is recorded of praying Jacob, Gen. 32.24, 25, 26.28. Hos. 12.3, 4. first, that he had power with God; yea, and, 2. that he had power(c) 1.3 over God, and prevailed over the great(d) 1.4 Angel of the Covenant; 3. that though he said Let me go, yet he would not let him go till he blessed him; and, 4. wherein his strength did lye, viz. in his tears and supplica∣tions: but, let none through their folly and ignorance strain and abuse these words, which do most significantly hold forth the power and success of prayer, but not any weakness and im∣perfection in our holy and mercifull God, Who did (as Calvin

speakeah) hold up Jacob with his right hand, and fight against him only with his left. To these we shall add no moe but a word or two from Isa. 45. where, v. 11. the Saints are in∣vited to to ask him of things concerning his sons, which we may conceive to be spoken of spiritual mercies to every thirst∣ing soul, or of publick mercies to the Church; and concern∣ing the works of my hands, or things that fall under a com∣mon and general providence, viz. temporal and outward mer∣cies,(e) 1.5 command ye me, saith the Lord, who commands all the host of heaven and earth, v. 12. If these words had dropt from the pen of a man, we might justly have abominated them as blasphemous; but the Lord himself having thus stoop'd so low to strengthen our faith, let us admire this wonderfull condescension and improve it to the right end, for supporting our confidence when we draw nigh to God: What? shall worm Jacob have power with God, and pot-sheards on earth strive and wrestle with their Maker? yea, and may they in the combate prevail and carry the day? Yea, saith the Lord, this honour and priviledge have all the Saints; all mourn∣ing Jacobs shall become prevailing and victorious Israels. What? may the base beggar and wretched rebel come to court and have access to the King? Yea, saith the Lord, the beggar may come in his rags and lay out all his sores; and if the rebel hath submitted and gotten a pardon, he may pre∣sent his supplication to me; and all my subjects and servants, of whatsoever rank or condition, may not only come and ask what they will, but they may command me: surely the Lord doth not complement with his poor creatures, when he saith, they may command him There is here the reality of the thing, but in a way that is suitable to the glorious majesty of the great and infinite Lord, in that the Saints have more power and moyen with God, then the greatest Courtiers and Favou∣rits of an earthly King have with him; and in that they shall as certainly prevail, as if they could command. O! when will we be sensible enough of this astonishing condescension and love, that the high and lofty one will regard us and take no∣tice of our requests; and then stoop so low to express his ten∣der bowels, and to encourage us while we draw nigh to him,

as in our own dialect to speak to us, and to hold out himself as one with whom and over whom we had power, yea, and shall I say (what he himself hath said) whom we may com∣mand? and shall we be so base and ingrate as to doubt any more? O! let us rebuke our ignorance and unbelief, and from henceforth, with confidence, and in(f) 1.6 full assurance of faith, draw nigh to him; knowing, that though the fig-tree do not blossom, nor fruit be in the vines, though the labour of the Olive fail, and the fields yield no meat, though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet all honest supplicants may rejoyce in the God of their sal∣vation, who will not suffer the promise to fail nor disappoint those that wait upon him: the return of prayer is more cer∣tain and infallible then the seasons of the year; though these long ago were established by an un-alterable covenant, Gen. 8.22. yet, the Lord hath reserved a liberty, not to follow alwayes there the same course, and by such variations of pro∣vidence to punish (when it seemeth good to him) the delin∣quencies of men; but this word of promise, concerning the success of prayer, is so absolute and peremptory, that it ad∣mits of no exception; and the return of prayer being ground∣ed upon such a sure foundation, though(g) 1.7 heaven and earth should pass away, though the mountains should melt as wax, and all the host of heaven be dissolved, and fall down as the leaf falleth off from the vine, yet the Lord will own his(h) 1.8 Word, and will fulfill all his Promises, the least jot or title whereof shall not, cannot fail, Mat. 5.18. Luke 16 17. And doth he not solemnly protest, that though he command∣eth, inviteth and intreateth us to come unto him and pour out our desires before him, and proclaimeth his fury and in∣dignation to all persons and families that call not upon his Name, yet he never said, seek ye me in vain? Isa. 45.19. Who is the man that dare challenge the God of truth, and can say, that ever he sought him in vain, if in truth and with the whole heart?

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Eph. 6.11, 13.
• (b) 1.2

  Eph. 6.18. And it is there last placed, not as if it were the least part of it, but because it importeth, and maketh use of all the former.
• (c) 1.3

  Vid Cal∣vin. (supr ci∣tatum) in loc.
• (d) 1.4

  See Dio∣dat. on Hos. 12.
• (e) 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 praecipietis mihi, Pagnin. Jubete mihi Mercer. in rad. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (f) 1.6

  Heb. 10.22.
• (g) 1.7

  Habak. 3.17, 18.
• (h) 1.8

  Isa. 34.3, 4. Psa. 97.5.