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.

Return, O Lord.

THe next thing that we may ob∣serve is the person they pray unto, viz. the Lord himselfe: They run to no Saint nor Angell for help and suc∣cour

in this time of their great distresse; but they flie to God, because that he alone was offended, and of him they seek for reconciliation, Return O Lord. [Doct. 2]

Hence we Iearn that in times of mi∣sery and distresse God alone is to be sought unto. * 1.1

And for this we have both precept and example: Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and deliver thee. And, Ask, * 1.2 and ye shall have, seek and ye shall finde, &c.

O what gratious and mercifull pro∣mises hath God made unto his Church and people, and all to make them flie unto him, and rest upon him in time of trouble; yea, such is the Lords in∣clination to pitie and compassion to∣wards his people in times of misery and distresse, that he hath said, * 1.3 Before they call I will answer, and whilst they speak I will hear.

And as for Example; the Scriptures afford us divers in this kinde, of the faithfull, that in times of misery and distresse have made the Lord their on∣ly refuge to flie unto, and have found comfort and deliverance: as that of

Jehosophat and the men of Judah, when the Amorits, * 1.4 the Moabits, and they of Mount Seir came up against them, that both Prince and people were at a great straight, and knew not what to do, only say they, Our eyes are upon thee. They seeking help from God were delivered.

Thus David in all his troubles, * 1.5 had still recourse to God; for my love they are become my Adversaries; But I give my self to prayer. Yea, God is pleased to be stiled by this very name, to be the God that heareth prayer. O thou that hearest prayers, to thee shall all flesh come. Thus Hezekiah, when that mighty Host of Senacherih was ready to fall upon him and his people Hee made the Lord his only Rock and De∣fence, * 1.6 to fly unto. And when he recei∣ved in himself the Sentence of death, still he flyes to God. * 1.7 And that fugi∣tive Prophet, Jonas, Out of the belly of Hell cryed I, and thou heardst my voice. And great reason. For

This is one principall end, [Reas. 1] where∣fore the Lord correcteth his Children, to make them fly into his arms for

help and succour; and to let us see how vain and helplesse all earthly helps and comforts are without him: And this very end the Lord himself expresseth, * 1.8 when he saith, I will be unto Ephra∣im as a Lyon, &c. till they acknowledge their offences, and seek me dili∣gently.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] in times of misery and distresse, God only is to be sought un∣to. Because the time of misery is the fittest and opportunest time of seeking God. * 1.9 Call upon me in the time of trou∣ble, &c. There is indeed no time to the time of affliction, either for us to pray, or for God to hear prayer, for now if ever the heart is in a right frame and temper of seeking God. If there be any zeal and affection at all in the heart, times of affliction and adversity draw them out, and lay them out, in seek∣ing of God, when the rod is upon us.

What a stay and comfort have the godly then to lean and rest upon, [Vse 2] in their greatest straights, that they have still a God to fly unto. The Lord doth never leave his Children comfortlesse whilst he affords them thus the means

of comfort, and deliverance. This Ho∣nour have all the Saints.

Whereas wicked and ungodly, men here is their misery; they are desti∣tute of the very means of deliverance, they cannot pray. Let them perform this duty, * 1.10 at any time, God shuts out their prayers, they are abomination to the Lord. * 1.11 God heareth not sinners. If I regard wickednesse in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. * 1.12 How doth the Lord protest against the Jews, that though they should stretch forth their hands to him, he would hide his eyes from them; and though they should make many prayers, he would not hear, because their hands were full of blood.

O the misery of wicked men, that whereas their only refuge is to fly unto God in times of misery and distresse that the Lord should not only shut out their prayers, but that the same should become abomination in his sight; who can put to silence the voice of Despera∣tion.

But God doth somtimes hear the wicked; [Object. 1] did not the Lord hear Ahab,

when he humbled himself, * 1.13 and sate in ashes?

I answer, [Ans. 1] It is not in mercy at any time that God hears the prayers of a wicked man, no, not when the Lord seems to grant them the things that they pray for; for commonly they are temporall things, not spirituall gra∣ces.

God bestows these indeed many times upon wicked men, [unspec 2] as gifts of his left hand, rather in wrath, then in mercy.

Whatsoever God bestows in love, [unspec 3] and mercy, flows ever from Christ, and from some promise made unto us in him. But as for wicked men, as they are not in Christ, so have they no pro∣mise: For all the promises of God are yea, and amen in Christ.

But do we not see that many times the godly themselves pray, [Obj. 2] and God seems not to hear them; did not David himself complain, * 1.14 O my God I cry by day, but thou hearest not; and by night, but have no audience.

And David prayed most earnestly for the life of the child, * 1.15 and yet the

child died. God did not answer him according to his prayer.

God many times delaies his chil∣dren, [Ans. 1] when hee doth not deny to an∣swer them, for now is the time when the Lord is pleased to exercise his gra∣ces in the hearts of his servants, as faith, hope, patience, &c. For what would become of these graces, if there were no more but ask and have. No doubt Christ heard the request of the poor Canaanitish woman at first, but it was after many requests that hee answered her, delighting in her often calling upon him, Josias, Jesus, mercy, mercy.

Secondly, [unspec 2] there may be some sin or other, even in the godly themselves un∣discovered, and unrepented of, that for the present may cloud their prayers, and which may lie as a bar in their way, that God doth not by and by return them an answer; which when they have discovered, and by true re∣pentance have removed, then God will not fail to return them a gracious answer.

Thirdly, [unspec 3] God many times denies this own servants in the particular thing

desired. As Paul that would have had the Buffettings of Sathan removed. * 1.16 But the Lord answered him in another kind, giving grace in the stead thereof to support him. My grace (saith he) is sufficient for thee. Thus doth God many times when wee ask for Silver, give us gold. Somthing or other equivalent thereto; as when wee ask for Earthly blessings, if hee give us Heavenly, hee is not behind-hand with us.

Thus long life is promised as a blessing in the keeping of the fift Commandment to children that obey their Parents: yet we know that many obedient children die young, as Jesus did, yet the Lord makes good his pro∣mise in giving them a better life. Yea, Christ himself, when he prayed that the cup might passe from him: yet did he drink of it, yet was heard in his prayer, when God gave him strength to bear it, and withall an Angel to comfort him.

And last of all, in all our prayers and requests that we put unto God, we are tyed to certain conditions, which

not performed, wee must not look to speed.

As first that all our petitions be ac∣cording to his will. [unspec 1] If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

All our petitions must bee put up in faith. [unspec 2] * 1.17 Pray in Faith and waver not.

As wee aske good things at Gods hand so wee must ask them to a good end, [unspec 3] if our end be evill, our prayers can not be good, as Saint James hath it. Ye ask and receive not, * 1.18 because you ask amisse, that ye may spend them upon your lusts. Let us apply this.

Seeing Moses and the people here, [Vse. 1] ha∣ving provoked Gods anger and displea∣sure against them by their sins, do now fly unto him, & beg reconciliation again with him; We are taught now at this time, that Gods hand lies so heavy up∣on this Land so many waies, to go un∣to him likewise, and pray, Return O Lord, How long? that he would bee pleased again to be reconciled unto us, and receive us into his favour a∣gain.

And because wee cannot come unto him without Christ, who alone must stand betwixt the wrath of his Father and us. We must come in his name, and through his Mediation and intercessi∣on, who will accept our prayers, not for any worthinesse in us, or them, but for his sake alone. It is he alone that must perfume our prayers, with the sweet incense of his merits, * 1.19 and media∣tion, without which, our persons and prayers can finde no acceptation with him.

Seeing it is God alone that in all misery and distresse is sought unto, [Vse 2] as this example shewes; This overthrows that erroneous Doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome, who teach men to pray to Saints and Angels, to Peter, and Paul, the Virgin Mary, to this He-Saint, and to that Shee-Saint, &c. we utterly renounce this Doctrine, and abhor this practise, as that which hath neither precept nor promise, nor Exam∣ple in all the Book of God, to leave the Creator for ever blessed, and fly to the Creature.

What greater dishonour can be done

to God and Christ, * 1.20 since we have one Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins. What is this but to leave the Kings son, and to go to a servant to speak to the Father: Nay, what is this but to rob God of his honour, and Christ of his office; both to be an advocate, and to make reconciliation, are proper to the per∣son of Jesus Christ: * 1.21 There is one Me∣diatour, even the man Christ Jesus. Besides, the Angels are but fellow-ser∣vant••, * 1.22 See thou do it not, I am thy fel∣low servant.

As for the Saints in heaven, they know not our wants, * 1.23 Doubtlesse thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel know us not.

And no lesse folly and madnesse is it to pray to stocks and stones, reliques and bones, as the Papists do.

And the last is, [Use 3] we are taught hence where to go and speed in times of af∣fliction and distresse. Lord (saith Peter) whither shall we go? thou haft the words of eternall life. It is our duty

then to repair and resort to God the Father, through the merits of his son Jesus Christ. What Parent can be more compassionate of the child in time of misery and distresse, then the Lord is to his children in their afflicti∣ons? yea, such is his love and compas∣sion towards them, that though (by reason of their affliction) they are not able to put up a distinct prayer to him; yet, their very sighes and grones shall passe for powerfull and effectuall prayers. Hezekiah mourning like a Dove and chattering like a Crane is heard, and answered of God: yea, the Spirit helps our infirmities, when we cannot pray as we ought, * 1.24 With sighes and grones that cannot be ex∣pressed.

We may rest assured, the Lord is neer to them, that draw neer to him.

Is our faith weaks he will streng∣then us; are weignorant, he will instruct us; do we want grace, he will supply us; is our love cold, he will quicken it; is our repentance imperfect, he will perfect it; are

judgments amongst us, he will re∣move them; are we in distresse, he will have mercy upon us; do our sins trouble us, he will discharge us; are we in sicknesse, he will restore us; are we in misery, he will deliver us.

So that every true believer may comfortably conclude, that his wea kest prayers, sighes, and grones, pro∣ceeding from a broken heart, a hun∣gring and thirsting desire after grace and mercy, shall not return in vain but God in his due time will answer the desire of their souls. We shall not want that grace that we unfainedly desire, neither shall we be hurt with that corruption we unfainedly la∣ment.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In times of misery, God is to be sought unto. Ps. 50.15.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 7.7.
• * 1.3

  Es. 65.24.
• * 1.4

  2 Chr. 20
• * 1.5

  Ps. 109.4. Ps. 4.12. Ps. 86 5, 6. Ps. 86 7, Ps. 65.2.
• * 1.6

  2 Reg. 20.1, 2.
• * 1.7

  Ionas 2.1, 2.
• * 1.8

  Hos. 5.14.
• * 1.9

  14. Ps. 50.51.
• * 1.10

  Pro. 15.8.28.9.
• * 1.11

  Io. 9.21.
• * 1.12

  Es. 1.15.
• * 1.13

  1 Reg. 21.
• * 1.14

  Ps. 22.2.
• * 1.15

  2 Sam. 12.14.
• * 1.16

  2 Cor. 12.
• * 1.17

  Iam. 1.
• * 1.18

  Iam. 4.3
• * 1.19

  Rev. 8.3. Io. 16.23.
• * 1.20

  1 Ioh. 2.1.
• * 1.21

  1 Tim. 2.5.
• * 1.22

  Rev. 22.9.
• * 1.23

  Es. 63.16.
• * 1.24

  Rom. 8.