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.

For all our daies are past away in thy wrath. [Text.]

HEnce we may observe, how ter∣rible the effects of Gods anger and wrath for sin is. That mans life being so short of it selfe, by Gods an∣ger and displeasure for sin, is made more short. Note hence:

That when God is angry, [Doct. 3] the ef∣fect of his anger is terrible. The infi∣delity and murmuring of this people, brought ruine and destruction upon many thousands, who were miserably wasted and consumed, now that the wrath of God was kindled against them.

But herein we must be exceeding carefull, that we conceive not amisse of God.

It is true, the Scriptures frequently make mention of Gods anger and wrath; but we must know, there is a great difference betwixt these sinfull passions in our corrupt nature, and these essentiall properties that are in God.

He is angry and sins not; but our

anger and wrath is mixed with sin and therefore evill.

Gods anger and wrath is as pure and holy as his mercy is, being no∣thing else, but the execution of his justice.

So that this anger and wrath in God, are not in God according to passions, whereunto God is not sub∣ject, but according to the effect. As when God chasteneth for sin, he see∣meth unto us to be angry, and so we judge of God according to humane sense.

The termes thus explained, we re∣turn to the Doctrine.

That the effects of Gods anger and wrath are very terrible; His anger is a consuming anger, and his wrath de∣voures to destruction. It is called a fierce wrath, sore displeasure, a con∣suming fire. As Moses hath it, For a fire is kindled in my anger, and shall burn to the lowest hell.

The consideration hereof made the Church to pray so earnestly, Turn us, O God of our salvation, and release thy anger towards us for ever. Wilt

thou prolong thy wrath from one ge∣neration to another?

How earnestly do they beg and in treat to be discharged of Gods anger, and that they might enjoy his former favour and countenance again.

And if we look into those examples in the Word whom God hath made spectacles of his anger and wrath for fin; who can but conclude, that the effects thereof are terrible.

In the casting of the Angells out of Heaven.

In the destruction of the old World, Sodome and Gomorrah.

In the example of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, Herod.

The rejection of the Jewes &c.

Besides Gods severity towards his own people themselves, when they provoked his anger against them, as we may see in Moses, David, &c.

Because it is the wrath of God, [Reas. 1] and so the highest wrath, and the sorest wrath. Now if the wrath of a King, a mortall creature is as the roaring of a Lion, O what is the wrath of God? the wrath of man can but reach to

the bodies and estates of men, but the anger of God reacheth to the soul; the anger of men is finite, the anger of God is infinite, as himselfe is.

Secondly, [Reas. 2] the effects of the anger of God must needs be terrible, in re∣gard his anger is as himselfe is, infi∣nite, Who knowes the power of thy wrath, saith Moses? And the dupli∣cation of the word anger and wrath, denotes the heat and fury of his dis∣pleasure; that Moses and the Church apprehended deeply the sense of Gods indignation against them for their sins for God is angry at nothing in his creatures but sin.

But do not the sins of the godly so far provoke Gods wrath, [Quest.] as utterly to deprive them of his love and favour?

No, [Answ.] we must take heed of such thoughts as these. What though the sins of his people do deserve his anger and wrath, yea, his everlasting wrath and condemnation it selfe: yet his anger and displeasure doth never ex∣clude them out of his love.

He is angry, and sins not, since he is only angry at sin; as a Father that

sees a Serpent in his Childs bosome, he hates the Serpent, but loves the Child: So here, God is not angry with his children to destroy them, but with their sins to save them.

And howsoever the sins of his Cho∣sen may so far provoke the Lord to wrath, as to turn his smiles into frownes, which God many times doth by their sins; and those fruits of his love, are many times turned into the effects of his hatred, in outward appearance; yet then, even then, are they beloved of him, and the Lord is about to do them good. God never hates any, whom he once loved in Christ.

Neither can any sin of any of Gods Elect, cause the Lord to reject them, though the Lord hates sin in them; yet he still holds a fatherly affection towards them.

Let us apply this.

Seeing the effects of Gods anger and wrath are so terrible, [Use 1] we may hence observe the difference betwixt the anger of God, and the anger and wrath of man.

Mans anger and wrath proceeds from corruption within, which is quickly provoked to any thing that crosseth it.

But Gods anger and wrath is ever at sin, which is so contrary to that holy and pure nature of his, that he will not fail to correct, even in his own children. O how happy were we, if we could bring our hearts to this, to be angry, and sin not, to make sin the object of our anger and wrath in our selves and others: As Moses, though he were the meekest man li∣ving, yet when the people had made the golden Calfe, he caused the same to be grownd to powder, and made the people in a holy anger and in∣dignation to lick up the dust there∣of.

Thus was the zeal of Phineas kin∣dled against Zimri and Cosbi, and ex∣ecuting judgment upon them, Gods wrath was appeased.

Secondly, [Use 2] seeing the effects of Gods wrath for sin are so terrible what then is sin, the cause of Gods displea∣sure? In all diseases, we say, the cause

is worse then the effect. Now all the plagues and judgments that God ex∣ecuteth in the World, are but the effects of sin. We have seen in our times the great alterations that have been in Church and State; the Crown it selfe is withered, many Noble Fa∣milies and Houses brought down and laid in the dust, Inheritances transla∣ted to others, the Sword hath begot a new tenure, confusion in the Church, Sects and Heresies abound in every corner, the Ordinances of God con∣temned and despised, the Ministry slighted and disesteemed, as if it were uselesse and might be spared: never more open prophanenesse, nor aparent signes of Gods anger and wrath against a people, then God hath manifested a∣gainst us, with his unwonted judgmēts, and strange visitations, by unwonted sicknesses and diseases. Surely, in the midst of them all, we are to justifie God, since England's sin hath caused all our plagues upon us this day; and we are to confesse with the lamen∣ting Church, that it is the Lords mer∣cy we are not quite laid wast: That

it might be said of England, that we were a people that kept not Covenant with God.

And when we shall see Religion advanced, discipline and order in our Church, Sects and Heresies discoun∣tenanced, Piety encouraged, and Pro∣phanenesse suppressed; then, and not till then, may we hope that God will remove his wrath, and turn away his anger from us.

And last of all, [Vse 3] this may serve for Exhortation, to admonish all to take heed of sin; we shall never escape Gods anger nor displeasure, whilst we are guilty of sin; sin laies us naked and open to all judgments.

But especially this concerns Ma∣gistrates, that as they desire to keep off Gods judgments from a Land and Nation, that they see that sin be duly punished: When Phineas executed judgment, the Plague ceased.

And this care ought Parents and Heads of Families to have, that as they desire protection from God, and to see his blessing upon their Families, that they suffer not an

Achan under their roof, but purge their house, as David did his. For certain it is, the curse of God is up∣the habitation of the wicked, whereas the habitation of the righteous shall prosper.

There is one thing more to be ob∣served, that as the effects of Gods an∣ger and wrath are terrible:

So it is the sight of sin, [Doct. 4] and ••••••i∣ous consideration of Gods anger and displeasure against sin, that is the ground-work and foundation of true repentance.

There are many excellent fruits of godly sorrow and true repentance ma∣nifested by this people, from verse 12. to the end; yet, if we observe well these two verses, 8, 9. we shall see it was the sight of their sins, and the apprehensi∣on of Gods anger and displeasure for sin, that set them upon their re∣pentance.

The fight of sin, and the apprehen∣sion of Gods anger and displeasure for sin, ever goes before true repen∣tance. This Church and people ac∣knowledge, that God had set their

their iniquities before him, &c. And withall had a deep sense of Gods an∣ger and displeasure▪ before they ad¦dresse themselves for pardon.

And surely this is Gods order of working, in the great work of Re∣pentance and Salvation; first, to cast down through the sight of sin, and apprehension of Gods displeasure for sin and then to raise up in the appre∣hension of mercy in Christ.

Never did any truly repent, but first apprehended the curse, and Gods in∣dignation against sin before. Let this be duly thought upon as a most cer∣tain ground of truth, that those whom the Lord intends to save, he will first discover unto them their sin, and Gods wrath due unto them, even the curse of the Law, which is eternal death of Soul and Body for ever, before he ever give them the sweet apprehension of his favour and love in Christ.

The Scriptures are clear and plain in this point; Come, let us return un∣to the Lord, for he hath wounded us: Where we see the Lords order first to wound, and then to binde up. Thus

dealt he with those Jewes, who had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus, they were first brought to see their sins by the Ministry of Peter, and apprehend Gods wrath due for the same, and then they cry out to the Apostles, Men and Brethren, what shall we do to be saved. The Lord deals with a pure soul, whom he intends to save, as he said to Moses, Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night. Now it is with a soul in this plight, as it was with Balshazar in his cups, when he saw the hand writing, the joynts of his knees smote together: thus doth the Lord strike the soul with amaze∣ment and fear, whilest he shall see be∣fore him nothing but death, hell, and condemnation; thus the Lord ordi∣narily breaks the heart, and humbles the ••oul, before he fills it with mercy.

Baloved, let us not flatter our selves, to think, that repentance and recon∣ciliation with God were a matter so easily got: No, no, the Lord will have us into the furnace first, and the Lord will make us to see our sins, and to

feel the waight and burthen of them, with the sence of his anger and wrath against sin, before we can look for mercy. The Scriptures are full in this particular. And the Reasons are:

God hath so appointed it, [Reas. 1] that all the Elect should thus be brought home to him, I will send you the Comforter (saith Christ) and he shall rebuke the world of sin and of righteousnesse. First of sin, unto condemnation, and then of righteousnesse, viz. the righteous∣nesse of Christ unto salvation. And thus the Prophet brings in Christ, speaking thus, The spirit of the Lord is on me, and the Lord hath annointed me, and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor, to binde up the broken hearted, to preach liberty to the cap∣tive, &c. Here you see to whom Christ is sent, and here is a soul qualified for mercy; not all and every one that lives under the Gospell, that hath been Baptized, and goes under the name of a Christian; but such only as are sensible at their spirituall misery and thraldome by reason of sin. I

came (saith Christ) to seek and to save that was lost. Miserable creature thou, if thou be not one that Christ came to seek and to save: But if thou be not a lost creature, a poor, wretched, dam∣ned creature in thy own apprehension, thou wilt never have Christ to save thee.

Secondly, till we thus see sin, [Reas. 2] and are sensible of Gods wrath and dis∣pleasure for sin, we shall never prize Christ, neither are fit to receive any comfort from Christ. When a poor soul comes truly to see fin, and the wrath of God due for sin, and that sin is a burthen, too heavy for that soul to bear, Christ will never be pretious to the soul, The full soul loatheth the hony comb.

But take a poor wounded soul, whose heart is truly humbled, it is like a smitten Hart; O, to the soyle it fly∣eth, As the Hart brayeth after the Rivers of water, so longeth my soul after thee, O God.

Let such a soul have all the treasure in the world presented unto him on the one hand, and the least drop of the

blood of Christ on the other hand: O, it is Christs blood that he priseth above all. As Rachel said to Jacob, Give me Children, or else I die; so saith a poor soul, Give me Christ for the pardon of my sins, or else I die, and shall perish for ever.

This serves to discover unto us what is Gods manner of dealing in the work of mans Conversion and Salvation; [Use 1] the Lord works by contra∣ries, God brings men to joy by sor∣row; to blessednesse, by the sense of our cursednesse: as at the first Creati∣on, God brought light out of dark∣nesse, so doth God now, bring life out of death; and out of our deep ap∣prehension of Gods anger and dis∣pleasure, God founds and grounds our greatest comfort.

Well then, would you know how it fares between God and your souls; call to minde your sins past, the sins of your youth, the sins of your middle age, and the sins of your riper years, and see how your hearts stand affected towards them: Can you think of them without griefe of heart? have you as

yet never felt the terrours of the Al∣mighty for sin? You never felt such a weight and burthen of sin, that you were ready to sink under it. O, de∣ceive not your own souls, the founda∣tion of grace and salvation is not yet laid.

But now, if upon examination, you finde the terrours of the Lord, your hearts wounded, that the remembrance of your sins is grievous unto you, and that the burthen of them is intollera∣ble; here is a good mark, that God intends much good to such a soul.

Seeing this is Gods manner of dea∣ling in the work of Repentance and conversion to God, [Use 2] to work in the soul an apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin.

Here is matter of mourning and la∣mentation, in regard of the great se∣curity of this age wherein we live; there is little fear or dread of Gods anger and wrath for sin amongst men; a clear argument, that men are far from this grace of true repentance.

The Lord be mercifull to a world of men that live amongst us, even in

the bosome of the Church, if we had a fountain of tears with Jeremy, we might weep them out, to see the mi∣sery of the greatest part of the world, that though they live in the bosome of the Church, and partake daily of the Word, yet are not wrought upon.

How many have we, that are so far from grieving for their sins, that it is their grief they cannot sin more freely? Men cannot endure to meet with any check or controlment in their sinfull courses.

You that know the world, and you that know the state of this place, can∣not but know, how many we have that sit upon their Ale-bench, and there despite the Spirit of grace, glo∣rying in their sin: O that such would but consider that dreadfull place of the Apostle, That all might be dam∣ned that took pleusure in unrighteous∣nesse; yet fear not damnation: But the damnation of such doth not sleep.

And last of all, [Use 3] here is matter of admi∣rable comfort and consolation to such, upon whose hearts God hath been at

work, that have been under the Spirit of bondage, and have layne under the threats of the Law, have seen sin and have apprehended Gods displeasure in their souls for sin: I may say to such a one, as it was said to blind Barti∣maeus, Behold, Christ calleth thee; who for this spirit of heavinesse will give thee the spirit of gladnesse: sor∣row may endure for a night, but joy commeth in the morning; and, Bles∣sed are they that mourn, for they shall rejoyce.

O, [Object.] but if I were sure that my sorrow were right, I might have comfort; but I fear my trouble is not so much for offending God by my sins, as for fear of Hell and of wrath; which sor∣row even a wicked man may have, and yet perish at last?

Even this fear of Gods wrath, [Ans.] of hell and damnation, may be at the first in us, and as a needle make way for the threed of godly sorrow: thus much is intimated by that of Paul, Ye have not received the Spirit of bon∣dage to fear again; which word im∣plyeth thus much, that even the very

godly themselves, had at first in them the spirit of bondage to fear God for his wrath, hell and damnation. A degree of grace, if I may so call it, that, for ought I know, all Gods chil∣dren at first, in some measure or o∣ther passe under.

But how shall I know, [Quest.] that it is not my case at this present?

True sight of sin and humiliation of the soul that shall finde comfort, [Answ.] hath principally these three proper∣ties.

First, [unspec 1] when the heart is carried a∣gainst sin with such an indignation, as that there is a heart-rising against a mans most secret corruptions, What indignation (saith Paul) hath it wrought in you? A heart-rising against our most secret corruptions, stirring in us, is a good signe our sorrow for sin is sound.

It may again be known by that full purpose of heart that is in us, [unspec 2] not to sin again, as those godly Converts mentioned in the Scripture, Paul, Zacheus, Mary Magdalen, Peter, &c. fell not into their sins again.

Thirdly, [unspec 3] it may be known by the blessed victory that the soul gets dai∣ly against sin, when corruption wea∣kens daily, and grace growes more vigorous in the soul, these may com∣fort the heart, that such a soul is qua∣lified for mercy.

Notes

• The ef∣fects of Gods an∣ger, ter∣rible.
• Anger of God what.
• Ier. 3.9. Ps. 2.5. Heb. 12.29. Deut. 32.22.
• Psal. 85.4, 5.
• Iude 6.
• Gen. 6.
• Num. 16.
• Eph; 4.26.
• Ps. 101. Zach. 5.4. Pr. 3.33.
• Sight of sin, and sense of Gods dis∣pleasure for sin, ground of repen∣tance.
• Hos. 6.1.
• Act. 2.37
• Deut. 28.66.
• Dan. 5.
• Mat. 9.13 Es. 55.1. Joh. 7.37.
• Ioh. 16.8
• Es. 61.1.
• Luk. 19.10.
• Ps. 42.1.
• 2 Thess. 2.13.
• Mat. 5.4.
• Ro. 8.15.
• 2 Cor. 7.11.