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.

And sayest, [Text.] Return ye sons of men.

ALbeit, as we have heard, there is an inevitable necessity, laid upon all Adams posterity, by reason of sin, that they must once die, Thou turnest man to destruction. So sure and certain it is, that all men shall one day rise again, Thou sayest, Return ye sons of men.

q. d. At thy will, and at thy word, they shall at last return from dust and corruption again.

Though the bodies of men by rea∣son of sin, [Doct. 3] * 1.1 do tast of death, and turn to dust; yet by a word speaking of God, they shall at last rise again, Thou say∣est Return again ye sons of men.

This is a fundamentall truth, and

a principall article of our faith, where∣in we professe to believe the Resur∣rection of the dead. Besides the Scrip∣tures are most plentifull in this.

I am sure (saith Job) that my Re∣deemer liveth, * 1.2 and that I shall rise out of the earth at the last day.

The dead shall arise, * 1.3 even with my body shall they arise. Awake, and sing, ye that dwell in the dust.

This is acknowledged by Hannah in her song, The Lord killeth, * 1.4 and ma∣keth alive, bringeth down to the grave, and raiseth up.

The Apostle Saint Paul proves the Resurrection by divers unanswerable arguments; as

If there be no Resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, * 1.5 and then is the faith of a Christian vain, his hope vain, and the preaching of the Gospell vain, and the godly departed this life perished: all which were foul and grosse absurdities, once to think or imagine. Besides these, there might be added divers other places of Scrip∣ture, to confirm this Doctrine of the Resurrection, as that of Paul.

If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again, * 1.6 even so them also that sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. * 1.7 And again, Whether we live or dye, we are the Lords. But I will not insist upon so clear a truth. Take the Reasons and Arguments, which serve for the farther illustration of the point.

The first may be taken from that everlasting Covenant of grace that God hath made with his children, [Reas. 1] to be their God for ever by an everla∣sting Covenant; now this Covenant is not made only in regard of their souls, but of their bodies also, even to the whole man. When God said, I am the God of Abraham, the meaning is not, that he is the God of Abraham's soul only, but also of his body. And hence it is, that the bodies of Believers, although they are dead and rotten in their graves, yet still are within the Covenant.

But is it not said, [Object.] that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living?

In the sence of the Pharisees that de∣nied the Resurrection of the dead, [Answ.] God

is not the God of the dead: But he is the God of Abraham being dead in body to be raised up to life again; And so was he the God of the living, and this is the meaning of Christ on that place.

Because all true beleevers being mem∣bers of Christ have part in the Resur∣rection of Christ, [Reas. 2] whom Paul calls the first fruits of them that sleepe. * 1.8 Now Christ did not rise from the dead as a private person, as Lazarus or as his widdowes Son, but as the head of the Church, and therefore said, * 1.9 when I am lifted up, I draw all men unto me.

Againe, [Reas. 3] there could be no perfect happiness to the godly, if these bodies of ours should not riseagain at last; for the Soule cannot be perfect without the body; the glorification of the body makes for the perfection of the Soule. The Souls vnder the Altar cry, * 1.10 How long Lord which art holy and true, &c. They long for this Resurrection.

If the bodies of the Saints should not at last rise again, [Reas. 4] they were of all men most miserable, * 1.11 for who are more hated, scorned, derided, and persecuted

then they? what folly then was it in Paul, to indure so many watchings, perils, and so much hardship as he went under, but that he had hope in this Resurrection? [Reas. 5]

But especially Gods truth and pro∣mise lyes at the stake, who is yea and Amen in all his promises and cannot faile. Now he hath said, When thou makest a feast, * 1.12 call the blind and the lame. And he gives the Reason, for God shall reward thee in the resur∣rection of the just. I confesse there is nothing that crosseth carnall and na∣turall reason more then this, that these bodies of ours should moulder to dust and rottennesse, cast into the Sea, devoured of fishes, burnt to ashes, and scattered upon the earth, that these bodies thus wasted, and consumed should at last bee raised up againe.

To beleeve this, our faith must bee taken up with the admiration of the mighty power of God, and we must say with Iob, I know thou canst doe e∣very thing, and that no thought is hid from thee: till we looke upon this Almighty power of his, and captivat

our reason thereto, we shall still stag∣ger in our beleefe of this Article of our Resurrection.

Now let us apply this.

Seeing these bodies of ours, by rea∣son of sin doe tast of death; [Use. 1] yet by a word speaking, God at last shall raise them up againe, Thou turnest man, &c. This may serve to strengthen our faith in this great Article of our beliefe, the Resurrection of our bodies. That these bodies of ours shall at last rise againe, 'tis a point that carnal reason is hardly brought to beleeve. But why should we scruple or dispute that which God hath so plainly affirmed, and the Scrptures so fully prove: faith lookes unto Gods Almighty power, as Abraham in the promise of Isaac, he judged him faith∣full, and that God was able to do it.

Secondly, [Use 2] this Doctrine of our Re∣surrection that God at last will raise up these bodies of ours out of the dust, and rottennesse, and though they cast off Corruption, they shall not perish in Corruption. Saint Paul would have us to comfort our selves in these things, * 1.13 wherefore comfort you 〈…〉〈…〉

these words: that is, in the Doctrine of the Resurrection.

[Quest.] But what ground of comfort can there arise to a Believer by the know∣ledge of it?

[Ans.] Many and great are the comforts and consolations, * 1.14 that a true believer may receive from the knowledge of it.

First of all this will arme us against the feare of Death. Tis true, there is something in death that breeds feare, [unspec 1] and horror and dread, that makes flesh and blood to shrink, and to tremble. To lie in the grave and there to bee eaten up of wormes, and to bee made subject to corruption, &c. yet this may be our comfort, that ere long we shall be raised out of this condition, to a blessed and glorious estate. It is but the putting off our cloathes at night, we shall put them on againe in the morning. Shall we bee like unto little children that cry when they put off their cloathes?

Secondly, [unspec 2] this may comfort us a∣gainst all our troubles and sufferings that we meete withall in the world. The worst that Tyrants can doe, is but

to kill the body; yet when they have done that, and put them to the greatest cruelty and torture that they can de∣vise, they shall be restored to us againe. This was that comfort that Christ gave to his Disciples, * 1.15 when he spake of his owne death. The Son of man shall be delivered to the chiefe Priests and Scribes, and they shall condemne him to death, and deliver him to the Gen∣tiles to be Crucified; but the third day he shall rise againe. Now that which was Christs comfort may be ours also.

Thirdly, there is comfort in it, [unspec 3] in regard of our friends that die in the Lord, that though death may sepa∣rate us asunder for a time, yet we shall meet again. If a man take a long jour∣ney, his wife & friends do not weep & lament as if they should never see him again: So a man that dies in Christ, though he take a long journey, yet we should not mourn, as those which have no hope, we shall meet again.

And lastly, [unspec 4] this may also comfort us, in regard of the present infirmities of our bodies, blindnesse, lamenesse, crookednesse, and other deformities,

that we are subject unto here: In the Resurrection, we shall leave all these behinde us in the grave, and our bo∣dies shall rise again glorious bodies, and incorruptible bodies. As those two godly Martyrs going to the stake, the one blinde, the other lame, comforted each other: Be of good cheer, Brother, my Lord of London will this day cure thee of blindnesse, and me of my lame∣nesse. Thus will death do, and in the Resurrection, these imperfections shall be done away. So that the comforts are great, which flow from this Do∣ctrine of the Resurrection.

But as this Doctrine serves for mat∣ter of comfort and consolation to the godly, [Use 3] so it serves for matter of ter∣rour, fear, and astonishment, unto all wicked and unregenerate men, that are out of Christ, that as they live, so die in a naturall estate. 'Tis true, these also shall partake of this Resurrection, and shall rise again at last, but in a sarre different manner from the godly.

The bodies of believers shall arise by vertue of that union they have with Jesus Christ, as members of that my∣sticall

body of his, whereof Christ is the head, so shall he at last draw his members to himselfe.

But now all wicked and ungodly men, they shall arise by the power of Christ, at the voice of the Arch-Angel at the sound of the Trump; for as the Apostle saith, the Trump shall sound. * 1.16 And these shall arise out of their graves, as out of a Prison, and that to go to the place of execution: These shall no sooner put their heads out of their graves, and behold the Lord Jesus comming in his glory. That Christ whom they have crucified by their sins, that Christ whom they have persecuted in his members, that Christ whose blood they have tram∣pled under their feet; but they could wish that they had never seen his face.

O, thinks a wicked man, that I were in my grave again; O that this filthy and polluted carcase of mine, had ne∣ver been made alive again, but as it tasted of corruption, it might for ever have perished there. And it is not im∣possible, but they that at the last shall

cry to the mountains to fall upon them, * 1.17 and the hills to cover them, but they may seek to hide themselves in their graves from the presence of Christ.

As the bodies of believers shall arise glorified bodies, the bodies of the wicked shall arise most black, ugly, and deformed bodies, black faces, gast∣ly countenances, more like Devills than Men and Women; ugly as Toads, hatefull to themselves and others. Thus shall they arise at last; they shall arise out of their graves quaking and trembling, wishing that they had never been born, or born Toads or Ser∣pents, rather than Men and Women.

O the horrour and terrour that shall seize upon the wicked at that day, no heart is able to conceive, or tongue a∣ble to expresse! When the Lord deli∣vered the Law to the people upon Mount Sinai, when the Trumpet sounded, how did the people quake and tremble. * 1.18 How terrible then will his appearance be at the last day, when he shall come to exact vengeance upon the transgressors of this Law? O con∣sider

this ye that now forget God you that will not now be wrought upon by the sound of the Word, to be raised from the death of sin, to the life of righteousnesse. How will you endure at this day the voice of the Arch-An∣gell, and the sound of this Trumpet, Arise ye dead, and come unto judg∣ment?

And last of all, [Use 4] seeing these bodies of ours that now go to their graves, shall return again, and rise again; how carefull should we be to keep our bodies clean, and pure, and undefiled, and every member of the same. The Apostle Saint Paul exhorts us unto this, * 1.19 To possesse our Vessells in holinesse and honour. If death leave thee a drunkard, an unclean person, a swea∣rer, a worldling, a vile and prophane wretch, in a naturall condition; in the same condition shalt thou be ha∣led to judgment, when that wretched body, and that wofull soul of thine, that have been a Simeon and Levi, brethren together in sin, shall now for ever share alike in punishment and torment. When a man hath done some

foul and shamefull fact, we use to say of such a man, he will never be able to shew his face again. How then will many a vile and desperate sinner, shew his face before God at that day? How carefull then ought we to be, to keep our Vessells in holinesse and honour? This is that very Use the Apostle Peter makes of this Doctrine of our Resur∣rection, Seeing all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be? Paul professing the hope of the Resurrection, I exercise my selfe (saith he) to have a clear con∣science before God and all men, * 1.20 voide of offence. And of Jerome it is said, that whatsoever he did, he thought he heard this voice, Arise ye dead and come to judgment.

Notes

• * 1.1

  All men at last shall rise again.
• * 1.2

  Iob 19.23.
• * 1.3

  Esay 26.19.
• * 1.4

  1 Sam. 2.6.
• * 1.5

  1 Cor. 15. verse 13.
• * 1.6

  1 Thess. 4.14.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 14.8.
• * 1.8

  1 Cor. 15.20, 25.
• * 1.9

  Ioh. 11.
• * 1.10

  Rev. 6.11.
• * 1.11

  1 Cor. 1••.
• * 1.12

  Luke 14.
• * 1.13

  1 Thess. •••• ult.
• * 1.14

  Comforts from the Doctrine of the Resurre∣ction.
• * 1.15

  Mat. 20.19.
• * 1.16

  1 Cor. 15
• * 1.17

  Rev. 6.
• * 1.18

  Exod. 19
• * 1.19

  2 Thess. 4.4.
• * 1.20

  Acts 24.