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.

CHAP. II. Prayer held forth under several Scripture expressions. Paralleled for preventing mistakes

Math. 7.7, 8. Ask, and &c. for every one that asketh, recei∣veth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knock∣eth, it shall be opened,

Jam. 1.6. Ask in faith, nothing wavering;

And, 5.16, The eff••ctuall fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Eph. 6.18, Praying alwayes and watching there∣unto with all perseverance, &c.

DIvers names and expressions (if the difference be not meerly literal and grammatical) must contribute not a little for clearing of the nature of the thing it self; it will not then be impertinent for us here to ponder a little the different wayes whereby the subject of our present enquiry is expressed in Scripture, especially since such a view in the porch (some brief observations for explication being intermixed) may help to prevent a double mistake, the one of carnall hearts, who because they find Prayer some times held forth under words that seem to import no great difficulty, seriousness and diligence, as to ask, seek, call, cry, knock, &c. are ready to ap∣prehend

that it is an easie task to pray, and that they need no further trouble themselves, if they can utter some few words in a formall way: and on the other hand, the Godly hearing of such importunity in Prayer, such fervency, watchfulnesse, perseverance, wrestling, weeping, &c. are in hazard to draw hard conclusions against themselves, as if they never had yet prayed acceptably.

Albeit now we may not speak at any length to these material cases, it being one of the main designs of the practicall part of this treatise to give some clearing to these; yet, for the present, we may set before both the presuming Atheist and the tender Christian, what, through the blessing of God, may prove a reme∣dy to both, if they will be at the pains to compare these Scrip∣tures together; and thus seek after the sense. Carnall men may see that there is difficulty in the work, and that lip-labour is no Prayer; and the Godly, who offer up the desire of their heart to God, need not be discouraged, though at all times they have not such enlarged affections, zeal and continuance, as some of Gods children upon speciall occasions have had. And as this parallel, may now be helpfull to that purpose; So it may give some light, when we come to speak of these cases more fully in the qualifications of Prayer, and to what we are to say con∣cerning the nature of it here, Chap. 4.

1. We will begin with such expressions as seem to import no great difficulty. And thus to pray, 1. Is but to ask, Mat. 7.7. O! but stay a little fond atheist, and remember, not every one who saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdome of heaven, except he be a doer of the will of God, v. 21. Thou must then be a doer as well as an asker, and thou must ask in faith, nothing wavering, and with an honest and single mind, Ja. 1.6, 8. And thy end must be pure and holy, for many ask, and receive not, because they ask amisse, Ja. 4.3.

2. To pray is but to seek, Mat. 7.7. O! but if thou wouldst find, thou must seek with all thy heart and with all thy soul, Deut. 4.29. Thou must seek God diligently, Heb. 11.6. Thou must first seek the Glory of God and prefer holiness to the world, Mat. 6.33. otherwise, though thou wouldest seek God daylie, thou wouldest not meet with successe, Is. 58.2.3.

If thou choose not the fear of the Lord, though thouseek him early, thou shalt not find him, Prov. 1.28, 29. And there∣fore we are commanded to adde wrestling and striving to our seeking, that we may prevail, Rom. 15.30.

3. If we will but knock or cry, it will be opened to us, Mat, 7.8. O? but it is the cry of such as fear him that he will hear, Ps. 145, 19. If we harken not to God while he calleth and cryeth to us in his word, we may cry, howl and complain as much as we will, and he laugh at our calamity, and mock when our fear cometh, Prov, 1.24, 26, 28. Hos. 7.14. Its true our Prayers and praises, are the fruit of the lips, Heb. 13.15. Our tongue must be employed in honouring our God, and the lips that are thus employed, must not be feigned, Ps. 17.1. They must follow the heart and expresse what it enditeth, Ps. 45.1. Thy words must be the fruit of meditation, Ps. 5.1. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off their remembrance from the earth, Ps. 34.16, 17, And then if thou wouldst have the door opened unto thee while thou knockest, thou must open to Christ while he stands at thy door and knocks, Rev. 3.20. Otherwise, though thou wert his spouse he will withdraw for a while and shut the door upon thee, Cant. 5.2, 6.

4. To Pray, is but to desire: for, the Lord will satisfie the desire of every living thing. Ps. 145, 16. O! but whatever the Lord, out of his general bounty doth for satisfying the natu∣ral desires of bruits and brutish men, yet as a father, he will not bestow covenanted mercies upon any who are not his children, he will thus only satisfie the desire of them that fear him, v. 19. and of such as walk humbly before him, Ps. 10, 17.

5. We need do no more but look unto God, and he will save and deliver us, Is. 45.22. O! but thou must look unto him with the eye of faith and with a mourning eye; thou must in bitternesse look upon him whom thou hast peirced, Zech. 12.10. He that looks to God for good things, must shut his eyes from seeing evill, Is. 33.15, 16, 17. Otherwise thou mayest till thine eyes grow dimme, look for peace, but no good will come; and for a time of health, and behold trouble, Jere. 8.15, 14.

6. If wee draw nigh to him, he will draw near to us with mercies, Ja. 4, 8. O! but we must draw near to him with the heart and not with the mouth only: the Lord is nigh only to such as are of a broken heart, and will only save such as be of a contrite spirit, Ps. 34.18. But wo to them that draw nigh to God, with their mouth and honour him with their lips, and remove their heart far from him; he will draw nigh to such but in wrath, and judgement. Is. 29, 13▪ 14. If such open their mouth, he will lift up his Hand against them. O! but if thou hearken to what proceeds from the mouth of God, and walk not in the lust of thine own heart, then open thy mouth as wide as thou wilt, and God will fill it, Ps. 81, 10, 11.

7. If we will but lift up our hands unto him, we will be satisfied, Ps. 63.4, 5. O! but first we must lift up our soul, Ps. 25.1. and then lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting. 1. Tim. 2.8. We must wash and make our selves clean, otherwise the Lord will hide his eyes when we spread forth our hands, Is. 1.15, 16, &c.

As to the second sort of expressions, the Scripture sheweth how the Saints should be enlarged in Prayer, and that often they have(a) 1.1 mounted up with wings as Eagles when they look towards the Throne, and that they have run without fainting and weariness, that they should cry(b) 1.2 mightily un∣to the Lord, Joh. 3.8. and pour out their heart like water before his face, Lam. 2.19. and pray night and day exceeding∣ly, 1. Thess. 2.10. and make their bed to swim, and water their couch with their tears, Ps. 6.6. and alwayes labour fervently in prayers, Col. 4.12. and(c) 1.3 strive and wrestle as in an agony, Rom. 15.30. and pray alwayes, watching thereunto with all perserverance, ••ph. 6.18. and never faint in praying, Luk 18.1. and seek God diligently, and with the whole heart and soul, Heb. 11.6. Deut. 4.29. never hold their peace day nor night and keep no silence, Is. 62.6. Ps. 22.2. and ask in faith, no∣thing wavering, Jam. 1.6. and still wrestle with tears and supplications untill they prevail, Gen. 32.24, 26. Hos. 12.4. &c.

Thus the Saints should be, and have been enlarged upon special occasions, trials and temptations, while the Lord hath

poured out upoh them the spirit of supplication, and hath filled their sails with a more then ordinary gale: and if thou hast not met with such trials, praise him who hath condescended to thy weakness; but make not what should be a mark and scope at which thou shouldst aim, a mark and rule whereby to judge of thy state and condition, or of Gods accepting of thy per∣formances and oblations.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Is. 40.31.
• (b) 1.2

  The pagan King could preach this point of Divi∣nity.
• (c) 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, A Metaphor from the Gre∣cian Games and Combats; in which as the Poet, saith; Multa tulit fecitque puer, sudavit & al∣sit, vid. Scap. lex. § 1〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & D. Ham∣m••nd on 1. Thess 2.8.