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.

TO THE READER.

I Am not very anxious, nor shall I now spend many words for satisfying those, who (knowing how the most part of my time hath been imployed) have told me, they did not expect to see me first appear upon such a subject. But, for thy sa∣tisfaction, Christian Reader, I shall briefly show the occasion of writing, and now pub∣lishing this Treatise; forbea••ing, at this time, to give an account of my former Studies, and whether or not any(a) 1.1 Zarah hath drawn back his hand, while this Pharez hath broken forth. Having (not long after the Lord called me to the Ministery) made choice of our blessed Lords fare-well Sermon, Joh. 14. &c. (that sweet and excellent portion of Scripture) to be the ground and sub∣ject of that Doctrine I was to preach to this people every Lords day in the fore-noon, (reserving for the afternoon some word of warning, exhortation, reproof, &c. as the Lord would direct me, and their need and the occasion did require) when I came to the 13. and 14. verses of that 14. Chapter, which contain such an ample and full promise concerning the success and return of prayer, (as a most powerfull mo∣tive to the serious and constant practice of that duty, and as a reviving cordial and notable incouragement under all our tryals and afflictions) I resolved to stay a while on that excellent and usefull Theme, mak∣ing choice of suteable Texts for unfolding the several particulars which belong to that head; not having then the least thought to publish these Sermons; especially considering, that so many able Divines had al∣ready laboured in that field: but when I observed my Meditations to pitch on those things I had not met with in those Authors, I looked upon that as an invitation to prosecute that work, and to write at length what I purposed to deliver, and not to mark only some brief notes (as my custom for the most part is) of what I was to enlarge in the Pulpit. And having brought that work to some close,

though I was conscious of my own weakness, and not ignorant how critical this luxuriant age is; yet I did at last give way to the publishing of it, when I considered, that the times call for such a Peece, (though performed with greater dexterity) having also met with some invi∣tation and incouragement from some who occasionally heard, and others who had seen some of these Sheets.

So much briefly concerning the rise and design; and having in the subsequent Preface, spoken a little of the excellency, necessity, usefullness, singular advantages, success and fruit of Prayer, which is the subject; I shall now only offer some few advertisements concer∣ning the Treatise it self. And, 1. since few or none (whom I had seen or could hear of) have handled, at any length, those questions that belong to the nature of Prayer, I have insisted on these the more largely, (not leaving them without some practical application) Part first; and as to the rest of the Tractat, I have but briefly touched such particulars as have been more fully prosecuted by others. And thus, 2. since a great part of Mr. Cobbets discourse of Prayer, is spent upon the qualifications of that spiritual Sacrifice, I have, Part second, only in a word, named those be insisteth on, adding some few, with a more full explication of that faith, required Jam. 1.6. since I conceived not only him, but others who had spoken to that case, not to insist on that which is the main importance thereof. 3. As to the cases propounded, Part third, these are but few, and I have only in∣sisted on the first two, as being most usefull and material; and the third (I might also add the second, as belonging to this head, yea and the first also, except what the learned Mr. Cobbet hath offered for clearing of it) hath scarcely been named by any practical Di∣vine I have perused. As to the kinds of Prayer, such as ejacula∣tory and more continued, closet Prayer and publick, extraordinary and ordinary, set-forms and extempore, &c. I have not descended to these; as for other reasons, so because the judicious Mr. Curnal in his Christian Armour, Part 3. hath lately handled these (ex∣cept the last we named) very accuratly.

As to the fourth Part, concerning the success and answer of Prayer, the first Table will give thee an account of the particulars there handled: but what these two great Divines, Mr. Gee and Mr. Good∣win, have at so great length delivered in two compleat Treatises, the one Concerning the return of Prayer; the other Concerning the reasons of Gods hiding himself from his peoples prayers, grounded on his promises; and of his seeming, by his provi∣dences, to answer the prayers which are contrary thereunto, I have in few words summed up; propounding the chief heads of their

large Discourse, with some additional observations, in six or seven Pages, it is then far from my thoughts to render the labours of others who have written before me, on this excellent and most comprehensive head, use∣less; but their Works will be necessary to supply my defects and weak∣ness; yet I have not altogether omitted any thing I conceived ne∣cessarily to belong to the present Subject.

If it be askt, whether I now offer these Sermons as they were preach'd? Ans. There will be found no considerable alteration, as to the practicall part, except that I did then enlarge some particulars and insist longer upon them, when I conceived the need of this people so to require; but that defect is here supplied with addition of se∣veral polemick Questions (especially Part 1.) and Citations, which had not been pertinent for such an Auditory, nor from such a place; however usefull School-debates may be to the learned and judicious, yet to the multitude they prove but a beating of the air; and there∣fore, though they may invite and delight an intelligent Reader, (and the unlearned may pass them over and go to that which is more profi∣table) yet the Preacher would minde all his hearers, especially the most rude and ignorant, (for others might better provide for them∣selves) that when he is to give an account of his stewardship, he may be able to say, with the Apostle, That his preaching was not with the inticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 1 Cor. 2.4. and, That in the Church, he did rather speak five words to the capacity of his hearers, then ten thousand they did not understand, 1 Cor. 14.19.

As to the errors in printing, these I observed by a cursory view, are so many, that I dare not under take to give a perfect catalogue; but let me intreat thee, before thou read, to correct with thy pen these which I have here set down, as being most material; especially that blasphemy in the Preface, Page 2. where in stead of justice, thou wilt find injustice ascribed to the holy One of Israel. As to to the marginal citations, I had not time to compare them with the Au∣thors; and I did the rather forbear that task, because there be seve∣ral Authors I perused in writing, which I have not now beside me (for this small Treatise hath lyen in the Press these two years almost, the Printer having met with some diversions) therefore I have only corrected some few errors, (or, shall I say, non-sense) in the matter: but as to the places cited, thou wilt find one and the same passage made use of (some few pages only interjected) with a divers citation, and the Authors names sometimes so mangled, that hardly wilt thou be able to conjecture who they be, as Pet. art. 8. Jos de, for Pet. a S. Jos. ide. habet for Bernard. Aug. just. for August. Calv. for Cla∣vius,

Ramerius for Rainerius; thou wilt also find some imperfect citations, the Author named, but no place designed, or the Book, but not the chapter or question: sometimes also there is no letter in the page to direct thee to the citation in the margin, and at other times it point∣eth out the wrong place; which the judicious Reader will easily per∣ceive, and may correct. As to the numberal figures on the several pages, there are so many mistakes, that it were not easie to sum them all up; but the most observable is, that from page, 544. to page 649. there is an hundred less then the just number; but to pre∣vent confusion, I have in the tables supplyed what was wanting, and have followed the number wherewith the page ought to have been marked. Thou wilt also now and then find some mistake in the in∣scription of the pages, and that the designation of the Part, Chapter and Section is wanting, and that in the page the several purposes are not distinguished with their proper paragraphs. Thou wilt moreover often find least for lest, and in the first seven or eight sheets the par∣ticle to, once and again, superfluously added, in which the Printer made use of that coppy (having two) I did not write nor revise. As for lite∣ral mistakes, wrong pointing, &c. the(b) 1.2 Poets apology may have place:

Sunt delicta tamen quibus ignovisse velimus: Nam neque chorda sonum reddit, quem vult manus & mens, Poscentique gravem persaepe remittit acutum: Nec semper feriet quodcunque minabitur arcus.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Gen. 38.29, 30.
• (b) 1.2

  Horat. de art. poet.