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.

Satisfie us early (or) in the Mor∣ning.

THat is, with speed; they that lust for a thing cannot indure to be delaied: It is death to a thirsty man to belongwithout drink. So they that have their Soules scorched with the sense of Gods anger; O it is mercy, they long for. And such a Soul thinks every hour ten, and every day a year, till they be refreshed with Gods mercy.

All delaies to such distressed soules, is death it self. Hear me speedily O Lord saith David, My Spirit faileth, hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the ••it.

Satisfie us early (or) in the Mor∣ning. q. d. Lord let us not lye any longer soaking in extream miseries, lest we be even swallowed up in desperati∣on; but make speed to take pitty upon us The like we have by that of David, * 1.1 Hear my prayer in the Morning: where David intreats the Lord not to defer his mercy, but to to make speed to his help. So Moses here intreats the Lord to hear them in the Morning. That is, with speed, that hee would not deferre to hear them, but with speed to take pitty on their miseries and troubles.

Now when Moses and the people of God pray thus, that God would not defer to help them; they do not this with impatient minds, but partly in regard of their own frailty, lest if the Lord should suffer them to lie longer in misery; their faith should fail them in their expectation of Deliverance; [Doct. 4] And partly to shew their hearty, * 1.2 and longing desire and comfort, and feeling of his loving countenance again to∣wards them.

Hence we learn, that only God fa∣vour, and loving countenance gives sa∣tisfaction

to a distressed Soul: or, a poor soul will count it self most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour. And thus did Aaron and his sonns usually blesse the people. * 1.3 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and grant you his peace.

* 1.4 Thus Moses makes the favour and loving countenance of God the foun∣dation of all happinesse having this they should be blessed with all the blessings of Heaven, and of the Earth in Soul and Body. Herein David pla∣ceth true Blessednesse, * 1.5 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven, an•• whose sin is covered: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin. Par∣don of sin, and reconciliation to God, causeth a man to be truly blessed.

The favour, and comfortable pre∣sence of God to a poor distressed Soul, is as the Sun to the Creature in Summer; it quickens all Creatures, Man and Beast, Trees, Plants, Herbes and Flower; All Creatures are revived and quickned by the Suns presence, which in winter time, seem to mourn for its absence.

So whilst we enjoy Gods favour, the Soul is filled with joy, and comfort: whereas if God hide his face and frown upon us, the Soul is then cast down Thou turnest thy face from me, and I was sore troubled. And it must needs be so, that the poor Soul will count it most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour.

For all the time the Conscience ap∣prehends his displeasure, [Reas. 1] and looks up∣on God as angry and displeased; the Conscience will never cease, to vex, ac∣cuse, * 1.6 and torment a man. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God and as Job hath it, * 1.7 A dreadfull sound is in his ears. Such a Soul sees as it were the Heavens on fire over him, and Hel•• mouth ready open to receive him: Men, Angells and Devills, Enemies un∣to him, whilst God remains his E∣nemie.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] when the wrath of God is once appeased, and God reveals him∣self a reconciled God to the soul, then come wee to have bold and free accesse unto him, and the Throne of grace; then we come boldly to the

Throne of grace, then we come boldly into his presence, and ask any thing at his hands, with much assurance to be heard: Which whilst we lie in our sins, and in an impenitent estate, God looks on us his enemies; neither can we look to obtain any thing at his hands.

Seeing that Gods favour, [Use 1] and loving countenance brings such refreshments unto a distressed soul; What condition then are all gracelesse sinners in, that a∣bide under his wrath and displeasure for sin? * 1.8 As Jehu sometimes said to Je∣horam, What hast thou to do with peace? so what peace, what joy, what comfort, can such have, to whom God is not a reconciled God, but an angry Judge; who is a consuming fire, and all wicked and ungodly men are but as stubbble before him. Surely all the peace, all the joy, and rejoycing of such, is but as the crackling of Thorns under a pot, soon in, and soon out, they want that which is the ground and cause of true joy, and that is Gods countenance: * 1.9 which is better then life it self: the spirit of bondage and fear must needs torment them; And how∣soever

soever they may outface conscience for a time, yet God at last will open the Mouth of conscience, and when con¦science shall speak out, Horror, and Dread, will be ready to overwhelm that soul If a poor condemned Crea∣ture were now going to execution, what were the thing now to be desired, that would yield him comfort, and render him happy; not gold, or silver land, or livings, would not now to be look∣ed upon, but the Princes pardon would be the most welcomest thing in the World This the gracelesse World shall find true one day. That howsoe∣ver Satan the God of this World hath blinded their eies, and their consciences are fast asleep, that they neither see their misery, nor what it is to lie under Gods displeasure; yet the time will come when this poor wretched Crea∣ture, would give all the world for one smile from this angry God.

And this lets us see the happy privi∣ledge of the faithful above all the men in the world, [Use 2] let their outward estat•• be what it will, let them endure hunger, thirst, cold, nakednesse, imprisonment,

banishment such cannot be miserable, that are at peace with God, have their sins pardoned, and they reconciled un∣to him. Enemies, Tyrants, Death, Devils, cannot make such miserable: what though thou wantest health, peace, libertie, and those comforts that others enjoy; if thou hast that which thousands in the World do want, the favourable countenance of God in Christ, is that, which wil make amends for all.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ps. 5.3.
• * 1.2

  Only Gods fa∣vour re∣fresheth a distressed Soul.
• * 1.3

  Num. 6.6.
• * 1.4

  Deu. 28.
• * 1.5

  Ps. 32.12.
• * 1.6

  Esay 57.
• * 1.7

  Iob. 15.
• * 1.8

  2 Reg. 9.2.
• * 1.9

  Ps. 63.3.