Sermons in One Volume, Sermon 23
The Petition of Moſes to God.
The Text, Deut. 3. Chap. 23. 24 verſe.
And I beſought the Lord the ſame time, ſaying, O Lord God, thou haſt begunne to ſhew thy ſeruant thy greatnes, and thy mightie hand, for where is there a God in heauen or earth that can doe like thy workes, and like thy power.
HEere Moſes teacheth vsus howe to pray, hee beginneth firſt and telleth God that he hath begunne to ſhewe him fauour, & well might Moſes ſo ſay, for hee was no ſooner borne but the Lorde beganne to ſhewe him his greatneſſe, in ſauing him when he was caſt into the Riuer,Exod. 26. and deliuering him vntounto a Kings daughter to be brought vp: and after by his mightie prouidence bringing him to his mother to be nurſed. If all that the Lorde hath done for him till this time be conſidered, hee had great cauſe to ſay, O Lorde thou haſt begun to ſhewe thy ſeruaut thy greatnes. Heerein Moſes in ſome part ſheweth himſelfe thankefull, for that hee hath receiued, truſting thereby to intreat GOD to continue his benefits and louing-kindnes towards him, which is a thing that pleaſeth God, for which of vsus hauing a friend, at whoſe hands wee had receiued a benefite heretofore, if we ſhould ſtand in neede of him againe, woulde not ſaie vntounto him, Sir, you hauehave beene my friend heretofore, and many waies good vntounto mee, the conſideration whereof at this time hath imboldened mee to come vntounto you againe? Who is it but will account this a thankfull fellow, and ſaye, ſee, it is a good deede to doo for one which ſheweth himſelfe ſo thankfull? Euen ſo Moſes commeth to God, he is not like one who ſitting in his doore and ſeeth one day by daye come by him and ſalute him, and yet taketh no acquaintance, ſo that if he ſtand in need of him either hee knoweth not where he dwelleth, or els becauſe he is not acquainted with him, he is abaſhed to aske any thing of him. Moſes is not ſuch a one, but hee is acquainted with the Lorde, who ſo often paſſed by him and therefore he now ſayth, Thou haſt begun (O Lord) thou haſt begun to ſhewe thy ſeruaunt thy greatneſſe and thy mightie hand. Of this is already ſpokē, what this greatnes and mightie hand which God ſhewed to Moſes was, we hauehave alreadie heard: namely, that mightie deliuerance which the Lorde euen from his birth to this time had ſent him in the time of neede.
For where is there a God in heauen or in earth that canne doo like thy woorkes or like thy power? Here Moſes challengeth all the Idoll Gods, and telleth them, that amongſt them all, there is not one of them that can doo like his God.Pſal. 87. 7. So God when he is oppoſed and ſet againſt his enemies, is then moſt glorious and confoundeth them all. Now Moſes procedeth in his prayer, ſaying: I praye thee let mee goe ouer and ſee the good land that is beyond Iordan, that goodly mountaine & Lebanon.
But the Lord was angrye with mee for your ſakes, and would not heare mee, and the Lord ſaid vntounto me, Deut. 3. 25. 26.Let is ſuffiſe thee or bee content, ſpeake no more vntounto me of this matter. Get thee vp into the top of Pisgah, &c.
Heerein is foure things to be conſidered: Firſt, the prayer of Moſes in theſe wordes, I pray thee &c. Then the anſwere of God for his prayer, then the mitigating of his anger ſet downe in theſe wordes, Let it ſuffiſe thee, or be content, &c. Speak no more vntounto mee of this matter. Then the promiſe which God maketh vntounto Moſes that hee ſhall ſee the land of Canaan, though not poſſeſſe it?
Firſt for the prayer of Moſes ſet down in theſe wordes. I pray thee let mee goe ouer and ſee the good Land, &c.
Here Moſes prayeth like one of vsus, who are alwayes crauing, but neuer hauehave reſpect to the will of God, to ſay, Thy will bee done: Chriſt hath not taught vsus to aske Our dayly bread, before he taught vsus to ſay. Thy will be done: and therefore Chriſt when he went to pray,Mark. 14. 33. 36 after hee had prayed that if it were poſſible that houre might paſſe from him: Yet after remembring how hee had taught his Diſciples before, returned againe and ſaide, Neuertheleſſe, not that I will, but that thou wilt bee done.
And our prayer made after this ſort is the cauſe many time why wee are not hearde, therefore let vsus hereafter learne in our prayers to pray that Gods will may bee doone. What this Mountaine Lebanon is, ſurely Moſes meaneth the place where the Temple ſhoulde bee built, and God honoured: For after that Ioſua had quietly poſſeſſed the Lande of Canaan, Ioſu. 22. 10.he builded a Tabernacle, wherein to call vppon the Lorde, not perfect.
Nowe it followeth in the Text: But the Lorde was angrie with mee for your ſakes and would not heare me, &c.
So ſoone as Moſes changed his praier, God turneth from him and will not heare him: So ſoone we make God to forſake vsus, if wee doe not according to his will: Moſes ſheweth the cauſe why God woulde not heare him, although he were a great man and in high authority, yet he is not aſhamed to confeſſe his fault, which hee might hauehave kept ſecrete if he would: for the people knewe not that he had ſinned, becauſe the ſinne which he committed was not open but ſecret: yea, it was but a little repine, as in the eleuenth of Numbers the eleuenth verſe, & therefore Moſes might hauehave kept it from them,Num. 1. 11. 12. 13. but becauſe hee woulde not iuſtifie himſelfe, hee telleth them that the Lorde was angry with him,Exo. 5. 22 and becauſe hee would not hauehave the people to iuſtifie themſelues, he telleth them it is for their ſakes. Thus when Moſes changeth his prayer, God will no longer heare him: ſo wee ſee that where ſin is, their prayer is not effectuall: ſo that if wee will hope to receiue by prayer any thing at Gods handes, wee muſt firſt remooue and take a way the cauſe of our hinderance (which is ſinne) before wee can receiue the thing wee pray for.Num. 14. 19. For here we ſee that prayer which before pacified the wrath of God:Exo. 31. 14 which healed Meriam being ſtriken with Leproſie:Num. 12. 14. which raiſed the widdowes Sonne from death to life,1. King. 17. 22. 23. by which Dauid obtayned victorie:2. Kin. 4. 25. which brought downe fire from heauen to conſume the Idolaters Sacrifices,Act. 20. 19. which brought Ieremiah out of priſon,1. Cro. 18. and Ionah out of the Fiſhes belly,2. Cro. 7. 1. and made the Sunne to ſtande ſtil,Iere. 34. 14. and the raine to fall from heauen,Ion. 1. 2. 10. and triumphed ouer all,Ioſua. 8. 12. is heere by a little ſinne, quite ouerthrowne euen like a greate Monarke poyſoned with a little Spider. But the Lord was angrie with me for your ſakes and would not heare me. God when Moſes had prayed did not graunt his requeſt, but was angrie with him: but leſt Moſes ſhould be quite diſcouraged, he ſtraight wayes mitigateth his anger & biddeth him be content and ſpeake no more vntounto him of that matter. God doth not bid him that hee ſhoulde not praie any more vntounto him, but that he ſhould pray no more for that thing. Firſt God biddeth him to be content, as if he ſhould hauehave ſaid, although thou maiſt not enter into the land, yet I will content thee other waies: thus God woulde hauehave vsus in what eſtate ſoeuer we be, to be content with our calling, for it is his appointment. And ſeeing he hath in ough to content vsus all, therefore wee ſhoulde not murmure nor grudge one at another, but be thankfull vntounto him, becauſe it is his good will and pleaſure it ſhoulde bee ſo. And ſurelie Moſes woulde, and was willing that the Iewes ſhould profite by his Doctrine, for he hath ſet it downe in the 20. of Numbers, twiſe,Num. 20. 12▪ 24. 27. 13. and in the 27. 13. in the 32. Deut. 49. and in this place, all to the intent to ſhewe that God is able to content all.Deu. 32. 49. He is not like to Iacob, Gen. 27. 33who when hee had bleſſed one of his ſonnes, could not bleſſe the other: but he when hee had bleſſed the poore, bleſſed the hungry, and when hee had bleſſed the hungrie, he bleſſed them that wept, when he had bleſſed them that wept, he bleſſed them that were reuiled, and ſuffered for Chriſtes ſake. There is no ende of his bleſſing, becauſe his merciemercy indureeh for euer. God is ſo mercifull, that though we are nor able to praie aright, yet he conſidereth of our praiers, and turneth to the beſt for our good,Pſal. 135. not graunting our requeſt manie times, but a better thing than we doe deſire of him: as when Dauid praied that the Childe gotten in adultery, might liue, God heard him and did conſider of it, yet did not graunt his requeſt but a better thing, that was, that his Sonne Salomon ſhould raigne after him: And when our Sauiour Chriſt praied that that houre might paſſe ouer him, God heard him and did conſider of it, yet did not grant his requeſt, but a better thing, that his death ſhould take away the ſinnes of the world, and here in this place where Moſes priaeth, God heareth his praier, and doth conſider of it, yet doth not grant his requeſt, but a better thing, that is, that he ſhall goe into heauenly Canaan. Thus wee ſee that God is ſo mercifull that hee can ſcarce puniſh ſinners, hee is ſo louing that often he giueth vsus better things than wee can deſire, who then will offend ſo merciful and louing a father? Let vsus, ſeeing God is ſo merciful vntounto vsus, take heede that we abuſe not his mercies, leſt in ſo dooing we prouoke him vntounto iudgement. Now God hath told Moſes, that he ſhall not goe into the Land, he beginneth to teach him how hee ſhall doe to ſee it, and biddeth him goe vp into the top of Piſgah, and caſt his eies Eſtward, and weſtward, and Northward and Southward, and behold it, &c.
As a Bird ſtaied with a little ſtring, or a ſtrong man in ſwimming held backe by a ſmall twig: ſo a little ſinne ſtaieth this great Captaine that he cannot come within the land of Canaan. Firſt God is angry with him & enuies him altogether, as though hee were not worthy ſo much as to go vp the mount: thus we may ſee how one of the leaſt ſinnes is able to turne from vsus all the goodnes, & all the fauour which God beareth to vsus.
After God commands Moſes to go vp the mount. Here Moſes obeieth Gods cōmandement, but if he had bin like many a murmuring man, he would hauehave denied to go vp the moūt, ſaying, what banquet is this to me, but a dainty diſh ſet before one forbiddē to eate? but Moſes had rather die than anger the Lorde againe, when he had bid him be content. Thus we may learne of Moſes to bee content with our calling whether wee hauehave little or much: For God contented Moſes as wel with the ſight of Canaan, as thoſe who poſſeſſed it. So when GOD hath not ordained vsus to ſee great ſubſtance as he hath ſome of our brethren: yet becauſe we ſhould not be diſcontent, he will giuegive vsus as much pleaſure at the ſight of them in others, as though we our ſelues enioyed them. So GOD contenth Moſes, and he contenteth Ioſua: for as Ioſua came into the land as Moſes could not, ſo Moſes saw it as Ioſua coulde not. So I ſay God contenteth all, that Ioſua ſhould not enuie Moſes, nor Moſes enuie Ioſua. And this was the great power of God: who although Moſes were very old, yet was his eie-ſight moſt perfect, inſomuch that hee could ſee farther than any of all his company: For,Deut. 34. 1. 26. being vponupon the Mount, hee ſawe all the land of Gilead vntounto Dan, and all Nepthalie, the land of Ephraim & Manaſſes, and all the lande of Iuda, vntounto the vttermoſt Sea, &c. The like to this did neuer any ſee beeing of the age of Moſes who was 120. yeares olde. Manie things might Moſes hauehave obiected which might hauehave hindered him from going vp the Mount: For ſurely it muſt needes be a griefe to him when he conſidered that great paine which he had taken in bringing them through the wilderneſſe, and conducting them 40. yeares together, and nowe when he had no further to goe but euen ouer Iordaine, to be taken a waie then: and another which neuer tooke any paines, poſſeſſe all his labours. This I ſay, muſt bee a great and intollerable thing to fleſhe and bloode: for when one hath laid a foundation, and anothere come and build vponupon it, ſurely hee will think himſelfe hardly dealt withal: Or if one hauehave drawne a picture, head and face, and all ſauing the legges, if one come and drawe the legges, and ſo take his labours, hee woulde hardlie take it well. You knowe how they which were hired and wrought all the daie long,Mat. 20. 11 becauſe the had not more than thoſe which began the laſt houre, murmured againſt the maiſter of the houſe. Such is our nature, and yet notwithſtanding all this Moſes is content. Hee knoweth that God doth him no wrong,Gen. 49. 55 but is iuſt and mercifull alſo. He bleſſeth all alike, as Iacobs children were bleſſed.
Moſes ſo long as he was vponupon the plaine ground, could not ſee the types of heauen: but when he was vponupon the Mount, he ſaw it before he came to heauen it ſelfe: So let vsus euen now ſeale the Mount as Moſes did, that we may ſee and conſider theſe ioyes. Which thing ſhall be to reclaime our heartes from earthly matters. As Peter went vp the mount to ſee Chriſts glory, and Moſes went vp the mount to ſee the lande of promiſe: ſo let vsus aſcend from theſe earthly things to the contemplation of heauenly. This ſhould be our iourney till wee come vp to heauen it ſelfe, to clime the hill: for we are lowe men of ſtature like Zacheus, who cannot ſee Chriſt before we be lifted from the earth, ſo that if we will euer poſſeſſe heauen, we muſt pluck our heartes from the earth, and then ſhall we ſee God nearer than we can poſſibly, if wee keepe our mindes vppon earthlie matters. God ſheweth himſelfe to ſome nearer, to ſome farther off, and to ſome in parables: As the Prophetes ſawe God nearer than the Patriarches: and the Apoſtles nearer than the Prophetes:Gen. 22. 18 As to Abraham hee ſaide In thy ſeede: Eſa. 9. 6.Eſaiah came nearer and ſaid, vntounto vsus a childe is borne, Iohn 1. 36.&c. Iohn yet came more neare and ſaid,2. Pet. 1. 18 Behold the Lamb of God.
Get thee vp into the top of Piſgah, and lift thine eies Weſtward, and Northward & Southward, and Eaſtward, and beholde it with thine eies, for thou ſhalt not goe ouer this Iordaine.
Now Moſes is in his proſpect, as Dauid was in his Tower. Here he muſt prepare him ſelfe to die, while hee is looking vponupon the land which ſo long he hath beene in comming to. Who woulde not but hauehave grieued at this? That after ſo long as fourtie yeares trauaile in hope to poſſeſſe it, ſhould now in the ende bee content with a ſight of it, and ſo vaniſh awaie. Yet Moſes (for all this) murmureth not, but like Iob taketh it patiently. And as hee was vponupon the Mount where GOD vaniſhed: So heere hee is vponupon the Mount and vaniſheth away himſelfe: as it appeareth in Deuteronomie the thirtie foure Chapter, and the ſixth verſe, no man knoweth his tombe, nor which way hee is gone, leſt the Iewes ſhoulde hauehave worſhipped his Reliques as the Papiſtes doe theirs. So good Rulers are taken awaie in a time when death is leaſt ſuſpected. As Lot was taken away before the people of Sodom knew as is ſhewed in the nineteenth Chapter of Geneſis, and the tenth verſe: So wee ſee that when our time is come, and our glaſſe run out: that neither our riches, nor our wits, nor our friends, nor any thing that wee hauehave in this world, can cary vsus no further. No, no more than Moſes coulde goe ouer this Iordaine.
But Charge Ioſua, and incourage him, and embolden him, for he ſhall goe before this people, and hee ſhall deuide for inheritance vntounto them the land which thou ſhalt ſee, &c.
Now Moſes fainteth, here commeth Ioſua a figure of Chriſt, who leadeth the people into Canaan, as Chriſt doth lead them into heauen. Moſes is no ſooner dead, but God chooſeth another to goe in & out before his people. And now God chooſeth a gouernour: See what a man he chooſeth. O would that God might hauehave the chooſing ſtill, for then all gouernours ſhould be ſuch as Ioſua: for ſuch is our corruption,Nu. 27. 16. that if we chooſe our ſelues, that we ſtill chooſe ſuch as God would not hauehave choſen, and therefore wee had neede to pray to the Lord God as Moſes did,Deu. 27. 16 that hee would appoint a man which may go in & out before vsus, that we be not as ſheepe without a ſhepheard. More was ſpoken touching this point, which I hauehave not noted, becauſe I coulde not ſet it downe in ſuch perfection as it was deliuered.
But Charge Ioſua, incourage him, and imbolden him, &c. God would not hauehave Moſes to incourage Ioſua words onelyonly, but in deeds too: and therefore Moſes giueth him all the glory he can, as Iohn gaue it vntounto Chriſt.
Charge Ioſua, incourage him, & bolden him. Heere God woulde hauehave Ioſua incouraged with all the incouragement that may bee, as though he coulde neuer bee incouraged enough. God had incouraged him himſelfe before,Deut. 3. 21. as in the 21. verſ. before: And I charged Ioſua the ſame time, Nu. 27. 22.&c. And in 27. Deut. Moſes ſetteth him before Eliazar the Prieſt, and he put his hand vponupon him, Deu. 31. 23.and gaue him a charge, &c. And in 31. Deut. 23. GOD bids him Be ſtrong & of a good courage. Ioſu. 1. 5. 6. 7. 8▪ 9. 10.And in 1. Ioſua 50. God tels him, That there ſhall not be a man able to withſt and him all the dayes of his life, For he will be with him and neuer leaue him, nor forſake him. And againe in the 9. verſe, hee ſaith, HaueHave not I commaunded thee not to feare? for I will bee with thee whither ſo euer thou goeſt. And in the 31. of Deut. verſe. 7. When Moſes prepared himſelfe to die:Deu. 31. 7. hee called Ioſua & bid him Be ſtrong and of a good courage. Ioſ. 8. 10.And in 8. Ioſua, ver. 10. the Lorde biddeth him, Not to feare when his enemies come vponupon him. Thus is Ioſua incouraged of all: and thus ſhould Ioſua bee encouraged ſtill: But who encourageth Ioſua ſo? Nay, where is that hee, that doth not diſcourage Ioſua? Now Ioſua is contemned & ſcorned of the vileſt. And is this to encourage him? No, Ioſua had neede of better incouragemēt than this: elſe Ioſua and all the Ioſuas in this land will faint, and ſo ſhall the people be left without a guide to goe in and out before them, and then ſhall they be readie and a fit pray for the Wolfe. Well, we ſee that Ioſua here is better incouraged, and it is not without a cauſe that God would hauehave Ioſua thus incouraged. For if hee had an eare at euerie mans mouth, hee would rather wiſh to die with Moſes vponupon the mount, than take in hand to bring ſuch wicked Caines into the lande of Canaan. That which olde Ie…hro taught Moſes (that a gouernour had neede to be a man of courage) heere he findeth true: for nothing more burteth Iustice than feare. Therefore a Magiſtrate had need to be ſuch a one as ſhall not feare the face of any whatſoeuer: which cauſed Moſes to ſpeake ſo oftē to Ioſua bidding him to bee of good courage. And to that end God commaundeth Moſes againe and againe, to incourage him, vſing theſe three words, Charge, incourage, and imbolden him, as the cock crowed thriſe, that if Peter were ſleepe the firſt and the ſecond time, yet he might at laſt awake him.
Now it reſteth, that I ſhoulde incourage Ioſua which ſucceedeth me. But how ſhould I begin to incourage him? or where ſhoulde I begin? ſhall I tell him, that he ſhall liue now at eaſe and in ſecurity? No. Why, how ſhould I incourage Ioſua? ſhall I tell him, you will louelove him, and follow him, and that hee ſhall finde you willing and forward in eueryevery good action? If I promiſe it, ſhall I not lie? If I become bounden for you, ſhall I not forfeit? I feare yes. Why, how then ſhould I incourrage Ioſua? ſhall I tell him, all will ſpeake wel of him? or ſhall I tell him none will ſlaunder him? No. For if he be as righteous as Chriſt, yet ſome of the Scribes and Phariſies will ſeeke to perſecute him. If hee will liue in quietnes, he muſt not vtter all the Counſell of God, though God commaund him. Nor he muſt not reprooue ſome ſinnes, for then he ſhall be thought to enuie againſt ſome perſons. Nor he muſt not keepe company with the godlie, for then ſhal he be accounted a partaker. No, he muſt not denie the company of the wicked, for then he ſhall be accounted a Preciſian, a Puritane, and I knowe not what. But thou wilt ſaye: what then, is there no comfort for Ioſua? I anſwer, yes. And that is: it may be after ſome 3. or 4. yeares labour and trauaile, he ſhall winne ſome 2. or 3. vntounto Chriſte which ſhall extinguiſh al griefe: For God will one day reward him for his labour, & glorifie him in heauen. But if Ioſua ſhould bee in trouble, as he cannot almoſt otherwiſe chooſe, if hee keepe a good conſcience and reprooue the mightie vnderunder his charge, then he ſhall ſee, moſt of the great ones wil quite forſake him which now ſeeme to fauour him, & they wil ſee him perſecuted like Chriſt, and ſtand a farre off like Pilate, and waſh their handes, as though they were innocent, when it is in their power and authoritie to amend it.
If he ſtand out like a valiant ſouldier & preuaile, then all will draw vntounto him. But if hee faint for lack of ſtrength, although he weepe like Peter yet none will pitie him. Therefore ſtand you to him both in proſperity & aduerſitie. LoueLove him & obey him in all righteouſnes as the Iewes did their Ioſua, and heere I deliuer you vntounto him, & with my louelove, leaue and good will, I giuegive him my poſſeſſion, my labors, & my twelue moneths trauailes. And here becauſe I woulde not keepe you ouerlong, like as Ioſua kept the people before his death with an exhortation to feare God: or as one friend holdeth another by the hand being loth to part. I wil make an end, beſeeching you, as Ioſua beſought the people of Iſrael, that you will henceforward feare the Lord & ſerue him in truth, and put away all enuie and vngodlines, that it may not be ſaid they hauehave returned, with the dog to his vomit, or with the ſwine to their puddle, but that you may go on forward in all goodnes, ſeruing the Lord in ſpirite and trueth. Then ſhall the God of heauē bleſſe & proſper you in all temporall graces, and in the end glorifie you in the kingdome of heauen: to the which, the Lord for his mercies ſake bringe you all, Amen.
This was the laſt Sermon that Henry Smith made at Clement Danes.
FINIS.