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.

Let thy work appeare.

SEing Moses and the people of God, crave protection at Gods hand, and this they acknowledge to be a work of God;

We learne, [Doct. 1] from whom to seeke for protection in times of danger, * 1.1 and in times of distresse, viz: of the Lord. Be∣cause all our help, comfort, and protecti∣on comes from him. He is the Lord high Protector of his Church and people.

Thou art the God of my salvation (saith David,) * 1.2 on thee do I wait all the day. He lookes not to men, or Angels, but unto God alone to be his Saviour and Protector.

Salvation (saith he) belongeth unto the Lord. * 1.3 Whatsoever the Instrument be that God useth in the deliverance of his Church and people, it is not in their Horses and Chariots, but God onely that saves.

Thus Jehosaphat and the men of Judah, * 1.4 when they were at that great straight, that they knew not what to do; Our eyes (say they) are toward thee. And hence is it that David was so con∣fident, and held himselfe so safe in dan∣ger

that he rested upon Gods protecti∣on. * 1.5 Though I walke throughout the valley of the shadow of Death, I wil fea••e no evill, for thou art with me. And againe,

The Lord is my light and my salva∣tion, whom shall I feare? The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid? what became of Pharaohs plots from time to time against the Church, did not God disappoint them, and still delivered his people? what became of Hamans plot? Achitophels counsell? And those that vowed they would nei∣ther eat nor drink till they had killed Paul? * 1.6 Was not the Lord their Prote¦ctor? And hence is it that he is calld the God of patience, the God of Consolation, and the God of comfort. By whose power assisting us, and Spirit inabling us, we who can neither do, nor suffer, any thing as of our selves, * 1.7 are able to do al things thorough Christ.

Now the Reasons why we must only seek for protection, comfort, and delive∣rance, in times of distresse only from God, are,

[Reas. 1] It is his commandment that in the

time of misery and distresse we should still have recourse unto him. * 1.8 Call upon me in the time of trouble &c. Is any be aflicted let him, pray. And thus when the Lord hath foretold the great afflicti∣ons that should betide the Church, the Lord directs them to this way of their deliverance take unto you words, * 1.9 and turne unto the Lord. Yea, hee pre∣scribes unto them, the very forme of words, how they are to seeke him; Take away our iniquities and receive vs gratiously.

Secondly, this is our maine end, [Reas. 2] wherefore the Lord many times doth humble his people, and bring them low, that we might fly unto him for help and succour; this honour God gaineth by our afflictions, to drive us home to him; as it is said in their afflictions they will seeke me diligently. * 1.10

Thirdly, God only is to be sought unto for protection in times of danger; because the power of all creatures is but finite; and they are but servants, to his hand of providence, but it is he that is the great Lord Protector of heaven and earth. And without him neither Satan,

nor his instruments have power so much as over one haire of our heads; and therefore the Apostle exhorts us, To goe boldly to the throne of grace, * 1.11 that we may receive mercy, and finde grace, to help in time of need.

Seeing all protection and safegard is from God, [Vse 1] it is his worke; How may this condemne the preposterous course of many in these dayes, that in times of misery and distresse, seeke any where, even every where, rather then unto God, for help and protection, yea fall upon unlawfull shifts, and use unlawfull meanes, to help themselves.

If they can but get under the protecti∣on of some Noble man, or great man, they think themselves secure from dan∣ger. But if thou have not the Lord for thy Protector, vaine is the help of man Men may see, and heare, and pitty our miseries; but they are not able many times to help and succour us. But this honour have all the Saints, That they have a powersull and omnipotent God, that is able, and ready, to help us.

Seeing all protection is from God, [Vse 2] it is his worke to save; this may serve to

stay us at this day, now that the Church and house of God, hath many ruines and breaches on it; rent and torne in peeces by many unnaturall brethren, that have of late endevoured to divide the seamlesse coat of Christ, by Sects & Schismes, factions and fractions, the like whereof was never seene in the daies of our forefathers. Since the times of reformation, sad presages of fearfull times, if the Lord speedily put not to his hand and worke sure reformation.

Yet here is our hope, and here is our stay, that we have a God to fly unto, and it is he that must purge his house, and protect his Church. O this is a sin∣gular work of God. We must pray to him to work all our works for us, and to be humbled for our sins, that have looked so much to an arme of flesh our Councells and Parliaments, which hi∣therto have not stead us, whilest in the meane time we have overlooked God, the rock of our Salvation. O let us at last returne unto him and seeke for pro∣tection, safety, and deliverance, refor∣mation, and Salvation at his hands; and intreat the Lord and say, Let thy

work appeare to thy servants. And that he would take the cause of his poore Church, Religion, and Gospell, into his owne hand, and become our Migh∣tie Protector.

Seeing all Safety and protection come from God, [Vse 3] this shewes to whom we are bound for safety and protection from all our troubles and dangers, both of Soul, and body viz. to this Lord Pro∣tector of his people, who ought to have the praise and glory of his owne Worke.

Thus when the Lord hath been plea∣sed to come in with some speedy mercy or deliverance to his Church, they have had their solemn dayes of praise and thanksgiving unto God as Israels De∣liverance from Pharaoh: the Jewes de∣liverance from that damnable plot of Haman. * 1.12 And Jehosophat and the men of Judah their deliverance from their iniquities. * 1.13 And David never partakes of any great mercy, or deliverance, but still he returnes ptaise and thanksgiving unto God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  God the protector of his people.
• * 1.2

  Ps. 15.5.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 3.8.
• * 1.4

  2 Chron. 20.
• * 1.5

  Psa. 23.4.
• * 1.6

  Acts 23.10.
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 1.4. Rom. 15.5.
• * 1.8

  Ps. 50.15. Jam. 5.13.
• * 1.9

  Hos. 14.23.
• * 1.10

  Esa. 26.16.
• * 1.11

  Heb. 4.16
• * 1.12

  Exod. 15.
• * 1.13

  Hest. 9.2 Chr. 26