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 workes appeare unto thy Servants.

Hitherto of their request, that God would be their protector and delive∣rer.

• Now for this they use a Double Reason.
• 1. Taken from their condition they were his servants.
• 2. Taken from the end of their pro∣tection and deliverance, and that is his owne glory.

Unto thy ••••ervants, that is, to those that be in Covenant with thee, love and fear thee, and serve, and obey thee, as their Lord and master whence note.

Who they are that may looke for protection at the hands of God, [Doct. 2] * 1.1 viz. those and onely those, that are in cove∣nant with God, that honour him as a Father, feare him as a master, and are ready to do his commands. These be∣ing the Lords servants, and under his roofe, they may assure themselves of protection at his hands.

Whereas such as are not his servants, neither in Covenant with him, these

can looke for no protection from God, the framing of the Mercy-seate was a type of the Church. In the Arke was the Commandements of God, to shew.

1 That those that are in the Arke and so members of the Church, these keepe his commandements, and

2. That they that keepe the com∣mandements of God, may looke for protection from God.

For the mercy-seate was made just as big as the Arke, and no bigger, to shew that none be shadowed, and protected, by Gods mercifull providence and pro∣tection, but onely the servants of God, and no more.

So that of those and none else it may be said, * 1.2 Happy art thou O Israel, who is like unto thee. O people saved of the Lord, the shield of thy helpe, and the sword of thy excellency. Now wherein stood the happinesse of this people, but in that they were in Govenant with God; that God was their God, and they his people.

And hence is it that it is usual with the faithfull, when they have come un∣to

God in prayer; to plead Gods co∣venant with them, as Jacob did, when he prayed to be delivered from his Bro∣ther Esau, Lord (sayth he) thou hast sayd I will do thee good. And thus Da∣vid oftentimes minds the Lord of his promise. * 1.3 Quicken me O Lord accor∣ding to thy word, and, Let thy mercifull kindenesse be my comfort according to thy word.

Whereas the estate and condition of all wicked and ungodly ones is most mi∣••erable, for such can have no hope at all to be heard in prayer, for they are out of Covenant with God. Nay, let such pray in time of misery and distresse, and God will say unto them, * 1.4 What hast thou to do since thou hast cast my Cove∣nant behind thee?

Now that such as are in Covenant with God may looke for prote∣ction at Gods hands, these Rea∣sons shew.

First, [Reas. 1] in regard of the high esteeme the Lord hath of such, they are precious in his sight. * 1.5 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast beene Honourable, and I have loved thee. They are Gods

Jewels. * 1.6 And they shall be mine sayth the Lord in that day that I make up my Jewels. And will not a man looke to his Jewels? They are his Friends, his Sons, and Daughters, yea, as the Apple of his eye, God makes more account of them then of all the world besides, and therefore his speciall providence must be over them, to protect, and defend them.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] in regard of his promise made to such. I will dwell in them and walke in them, * 1.7 and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And how can such want protection from God? for as it is a just thing with God to de∣part from them that depart from him, so to stand by them that stand by him and keepe covenant with him.

This may yield matter of Singular comfort and consolation for every poor child of God: [Vse 1] If thou be one of the Ser∣vants of God, a true beleever, one that art in covenant with God, thou maist both claim protection at Gods hand in time of distresse, and assure thy self of it, for can a father be unmindfull of his child? or will not a loving Master take care of his Servants? Will not a King

protect his Subjects, or a loving Hus∣band his Wife? So if thou be a true ser∣vant of God, thou maist assure thy selfe, that God will let his worke appear, to protect and defend thee.

And this lets us see the happy privi∣ledge of the faithfull above all wicked and ungodly men: [Vse 2] whereas the wicked lye open to all miseries, and dangers, & have no rock of defence to fly unto for shelter, the faithfull have a sure rock of defence to flye unto in time of need.

Hath God made this known to thy Soul that thou art one that God hath taken into covenant with himselfe, O happy and blessed for ever is thy con∣dition. * 1.8 Happy be the people that be in such a case, Blessed be those folke that have the Lord for their God; others may bee more rich in regard of these out∣ward things, but none more happy.

The prophet concludes the happiness of such, when he sayth, * 1.9 The Lord is a Sun, and a shield, the Lord will give grace, and glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from them, that are up∣right.

1. He will be a Sun to them, that is,

as the Sun gives light and comfort, so will God be all in all unto them.

2. He will be a shield unto them, no∣thing shall hurt them that are in cove∣nant with him.

3. He will give grace more to them then to all the world besides; which is more worth then kingdomes.

4. Glory. I am thine (sayth David) O save me. When Christ which is our life shall appeare, then shall we appeare with him in glory.

5. And lastly, No good thing will he with-hold, if he give the greater, he will not deny the lesser.

If riches be good, they shall have it; If credit be good, they shall have it, if health, peace, prosperity, &c. if the Lord see them good for them, they shall not want them. But if afflictions, povertie, sicknesse, &c. be best, they shall have them too. See there what a portion they shall have, that have the Lord for their God, that are his servants, and are in covenant with him.

All those gratious promises that God hath made in his word belong to thee! And I tell thee, that one promise is more worth then all thou hast in the

world besides, and will last longer, and do thee more good, yea more, thou hast now to leave to thy posterity a promise that God will be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee, which is more worth then all the portion thou canst leave them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gods ser∣vants on∣ly may looke for protecti∣on from God.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 33.29.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 119 ver. 74.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 50.
• * 1.5

  Esa. 43.4.
• * 1.6

  Mal. 3.17
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 6 16.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 144 15.
• * 1.9

  Ps. 84.11