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.

By thy anger, by thy hot anger. [Text.]

BUt what! [Quest.] is the Lord subject to these passions, to be angry, and wroth?

Surely, nothing lesse, [Ans.] neither are we to think, that there is any such passion in God, or, that he is subject to these alterations and changes, for then he should not be God.

But the Scriptures thus speak, that God is angry and wrathfull, full of displeasure, &c. for our understan∣ding; as when the Lord doth that which men do, when they are angry, then God seems to be angry.

As when men be angry, they throw about them, lay on load, smite hard, &c. So when the Lord smites men, laies blow after blow, plague after plague, stroke after stroke, then he seems to be angry, when he seemes not to spare, but one judgment overtakes another.

Now by Gods anger in the Scrip∣ture, * 1.1 we are to understand three things.

First, [unspec 1] his just will and purpose to punish sin, either by temporall judg∣ments here, or by eternall hereafter; and so that place is to be understood, He that believeth not in the Son, * 1.2 the anger of God abideth on him, that is, Gods inward displeasure against the sin of unbeliefe, with his purpose to punish it.

Secondly, [unspec 2] by the anger of God is understood those menaces, and threat∣nings of punishment against sin, either immediately by Himselfe, or medi∣ately by his Prophets and Ministers: as, * 1.3 I will execute upon Ephraim the fiercenesse of my wrath: That is, that anger and wrath that I have threat∣ned.

Thirdly, by the anger of God is signified, the effects of his anger, which appears in sundry punishments and judgments; and so that place is to be understood, * 1.4 For such sins comes the wrath of God upon the children of dis∣obedience; that is, sundry judgments

and punishments, seize upon men for such sins.

And in this third sence and signi∣fication, is the anger of God, and his wrath to be taken here. When Moses complains, that they were consumed in his anger, he means, by those fear∣full effects of his anger, as the Plague, Pestilence, and the other judgments of God upon them for their sins.

Hence we may observe, [Doct. 4] the won∣derfull blockishnesse and stupiditie that is in all men by nature, * 1.5 who are no whit moved with such speeches, as are agreeable to Gods nature, as to say, the Lord is just, or, the Lord will punish, or the like.

But he must take upon him such passions as be in our nature, as to say, He is angry, wrathfull, full of dis∣pleasure and indignation; and all too little to move hard-hearted sinners, to fear before him: This shewes our grosse ignorance and stupidity in the things of God, that he is fain to de∣scend so low, as to speak thus to our capacities and understandings, as that he is angry, wrathfull, and full of in∣dignation,

otherwise we should un∣derstand little of God.

This proceeds from that bitter root of Adam's sin, [Reas. 1] who having in his Creation a clear knowledge of God, so far as the Creature was capable of: and not contenting himselfe with that excellent knowledge, * 1.6 given him in his Creation, but aspiring to be like unto God, lost his knowledge of his Maker, and brought this ignorance upon himselfe in his own understanding, and upon all his posterity; so that now we are without God in the world, * 1.7 stran∣gers from the life of God, through that ignorance that is in us.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] this depravitie in our understanding, is holp on by Sathan, who hath blinded our mindes, that we know not God, nor his waies, till we come to recover our selves out of the snares of the Devill; * 1.8 We are not sufficient as of our selves, to think any thing as of our selves.

Which may serve to teach us hence, [Use 1] to wonder at that great ignorance that is in many Congregations, Fa∣milies and Persons, at this day, that

are so ignorant of God, and those glorious attributes of his; but con∣ceive of God as a man, and call God, a good man, have very low and mean thoughts of God; consider him not as Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, the searcher of the heart, a consuming fire, &c.

O did we but truly know God, it would make us lay our selves low be∣fore him, when we come into his pre∣sence, as Abraham did, Behold Lord, I that am but dust and ashes: and to cry out with the Prophet, I am un∣done, I am a man of polluted lips.

Secondly, this blindnesse and igno∣rance of God, that is in us by nature, [Use 2] should minde us of the necessity of an able Ministry in every Congregation, whereby we may be taught to know God, and have this blindnesse and blockishnesse of our nature cured in us. Such set themselves against God and open their mouths against Heaven, that oppose the Ministry of the Word, and cry it down, as many do at this day: that think of all callings amongst us, the Ministry may best be spared:

And indeed, never was there greater affronts, or more disgrace offered to their Calling, then there hath been of late daies.

Whereas there is no Calling (the Magistracy excepted) whereby a Church or State, receiveth more be∣nefit, then by a faithfull, learned and painfull Ministry; they are the strength of a Nation, the Chariots and Hors∣men of Israel, they manifest Gods presence to a Land and Nation: and when they are discountenanced, si∣lenced and forced to depart, God usu∣ally is not far off, with some fearfull judgment.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gods an∣ger, what.
• * 1.2

  Iohn 3.36.
• * 1.3

  Hos. 11.9. Psal. 6.1. Es. 63.6.
• * 1.4

  Eph. 5.6.
• * 1.5

  Mans ig∣norance of God, great.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 3.6
• * 1.7

  Eph. 2.12.
• * 1.8

  2 Tim. 2.26. 2 Cor. 3.5.