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.

Who knoweth the power of thy Anger according to thy fear.

q. d. WHat man living is able sufficiently to consider the

waight of thy Anger for sin, ahd who doth fear thee accordingly? surely ve∣ry few. And those that do fear thee, yet come far short in the measure and degree of the fear, that they ought to have.

Hence we may observe, [Doct. 3] what is the cause why men do either altogether shake off the fear of God, * 1.1 or have little or no sence of his Anger and wrath for sin, or else fear the Lord but little and lesse then they ought to do. The Reason is plain, because that few do truly and indeed acknowledge the Power of Gods wrath, what a wofull thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God: would you know why men feare Gods Anger no more, and make so light accompt of his wrath and displeasure; surely it is because they never yet knew the wonderfull and unsupportable waight and burden of Gods displeasure. See how the Scrip∣tures speak of this Anger and wrath of God. * 1.2 The Mountains quake at him, and the Hills melt, and the Earth is burnt at his presence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein. VVho can

stand before his indignation, * 1.3 and who can abide the fiercenesse of his anger, his fury is poured out as fire, and the Rocks are thrown down by him. Yea, the best of Gods Servants that have e∣ver lived, have been astonished and cast down, with the beholding of Gods anger.

What a sad complaint was that of holy Job, * 1.4 O that my griefe were weighed, and my calamity laid in a ballance together, it would be heavier then the sand of the Sea, &c. And a∣gain, He hath broken me with one breaking after another, and runneth upon me as a Giant. Which shews that Jobs very inward and most noble parts were most afflicted with the sense of Gods anger, and displeasure.

And thus likewise doth Hezechiah complain: that God had bruised his bones like a Lion.

And David affirms the combating with Gods displeasure. His Soul was sore vexed and the very pangs of Hel gat hald upon him. And Jonas, * 1.5 out of the belly of Hell cryed I.

His wrath sets all on fire, sets the

conscience on fire as it did the consci∣ence of Jadas, and burnes that. Sets the estate of a man on fire and con∣sumes that, fals upon a mans house and habitation, sweepes away Sons and daughters, his Anger sets all on fire. If his wrath be but once kindled, * 1.6 peri∣shing and destruction is the issue of it. Now whilest men cast off this feare of Gods wrath, no marvell though men live in sin, and cease not to provoke him day by day, by their evill wayes, the feare of God is wanting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Men fear God no more be∣cause they know not the power of his wrath
• * 1.2

  Nahum. 1.5, 6.
• * 1.3

  v. 6.
• * 1.4

  Iob 6.2. Iob 16.12, 13. Esay 38.15.
• * 1.5

  Ps. 116.3
• * 1.6

  Hos. 2.5