Moses his prayer. Or, An exposition of the nintieth Psalme.: In which is set forth, the frailty and misery of mankind; most needfull for these times. Wherein [brace] 1. The sum and scope. 2. The doctrines. 3. The reasons. 4. The uses of most texts are observed. / By Samuel Smith, minister of the Gospel, author of Davids repentance and the Great assize, and yet living.

Yet is their strength but labour and sorrow. [Text.]

WE have yet farther to observe, that in asinuch as Moses saith, their Strength, that is, the chiefest and most excellent estate, the very flower of their life, wherein men do so much glory and rejoyce, is but a time of labour and sorrow;

We are taught, [Doct. 3] that there is no estate of man in this life, so high, or so sure and certain, or so sweet and comfortable, but it is subject to alte∣rations and change, subject to misery and trouble. For Moses speaks this in generall, both of Prince and Peer, rich and poor, one and all, there is no estate, but hath misery enough atten∣ding upon it.

Who is there living amongst all mankind, that is so happy and prof∣perous in the world, who if they should compare their comforts with their Crosses but must acknowledge, that mans life is full of labour and sorrow: No, not the greatest Prince and Monarch in the world, that is free from cares, fears, and troubles; as we may see in David, who was a man of trouble all his daies, exercised some∣times by forraigne enemies, some∣times by his own Courtiers, yea, by Absalom his darling son: Their Crownes are continually attended with cares and fears of treasons, and they are still filled with the cares and troubles of the Common-weal they are set over; and are to look unto.

And those who have been highly advanced to honour and dignity, as who but they, waited upon by a great and sumptuous train, in all glory and honour, yet have suddainly been thrown down to the lowest degree of shame and dishonour.

And the like may be said of all ranks and conditions of men, what

with cares, fears, discontents, crosses, losses, and dayly vexations, and mo∣lestations we are incident unto, and daily meet withall it is not the least of our misery to live long to bear them.

So that it may be said of man as it was said of the Angeil of Lavdicea, He knew not that he was wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Here is our case, in the midst of all our pomp and glory, and outward felicities in this world, we are igno∣rant of what miseries daily attend us: for what have we here, that is not got with labour, kept with care and fear, and parted withall with grief•• and sorrow: so that in the getting, enjoy∣ing, and parting with what we enjoy here below, we may say with the Pro∣phet, The people shall even weary thomselves for every vanitle. Like little children, we sweat again in catching Butter-flies, whilest in the mean time, we neglect the true trea∣sure of life and glory.

Besides, the spirituall evills of this life as ignorance, unbeliefe, pride

hypocrisy, hardnesse of heart, and the like, these so pester and annoy e∣ven the best of Gods servants, that they often complain with Paul, O wretched man that I am, &c. and with the father of the child, I believe, Lord help my unbeliefe; as Bradford, that blessed Martyr of God, was wont to do, so that we have cause continu∣ally to groan under the burthen of our miseries here, and subscribe this truth of Moses, that our most happy and flourishing estate in this world, is but labour and sorrow.

That herein and hereby the Lord might exercise our spirituall armour, [Reas. 1] wherewith he hath furnished us, to wit, the shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, the breast-plate of Righte∣ousnesse, and the sword of the Spirit: For, wherefore should all these parts of our spirituall armour be provided us of God, but that we must look dai∣ly to have them exercised?

Secondly, [Reas. 2] to wean us from the world, whose practise is, to mingle our sweet with soure.

And lastly, [Reas. 3] to make us long after

a better life, where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and sin from our so••ls.

Seeing this is so, [Vse 1] that our chiefest strength, our best time, and the most excellent and principall part of our life, is not freed from labour and sor∣row, cares, fears, vexations, and mo∣lestations, but that our whole life is full of labour and sorrow;

As this should wean us from the world, and put us out of love of all things here below: so it should stir us up to seek that life, where all these miseries shall be taken away, where God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, and where there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, but pleasure without pain, and full∣nesse of joy at his right hand for e∣vermore. Our best estate here is mixed with griefe, sorrow, care and trouble. But happy, and thrice happy are they, which shall be judged worthy to inherit that life which shall last for ever, and that without all cares, fears labour and sorrow, Blessed are

the dead that die in the Lord, they rest from their labours.

Secondly, [Vse 2] seeing no estate of our life is free from sundry sorrowes and miseries, troubles, cares, and fears; it may serve to admonish us all to bear them patiently, and not to for∣sake our callings and places wherein the Lord hath set us, because of them. For, here we see, that in this short life of ours, the most excellent part thereof is not free from labour and sorrow.

There is no calling or condition of life, but hath miseries enough at∣tending upon it, to make them wretched that live in it, if they want patience to bear them.

And those that seem most happy, and we look upon them as most free from those miseries, themselves many times could wish rather to be any o∣ther, then that they are; and if we could change our estates with theirs, it is possible we should wish to take our own again. Why then should we be weary of those callings wherein the Lord hath set us, but rather undergo

the same, and arme our selves against these troubles and sorowes, and not to use unlawfull means to escape them, for that will but encrease our sor∣rowes, and make our selves more miserable.

Notes

• No e∣state, but full of labour and for∣row.
• Rev. 3.17.
• Hab. 2.13.
• Ro. 7.24.
• Mar. 9.24.
• Rev. 21.4.
• Rev. 14.13.