Moses Prayer, Title page – Psalm 90
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
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.
Eſay 40 6. The voice ſaid cry. And he ſaid, what ſhall I cry? All fleſh is graſſe, &c.
London, Printed by W. Wilſon, and are to be ſold at his Houſe in Well yard, neare Weſt-Smithfield. 1656.
TO THE TRVLY RELIGIOUS, And his much honored Friend Mr SAMUEL FREBORNE, and his Religious Conſort in Prittlewell in Eſſex; The Author wiſheth the increaſe of all Happineſſe, Temporall and Eternall.
SIR,
THE very Heathen could ſay, That Ingratitude was plagued of their gods. How unbeſeeming it is then for a Chriſtian, that hath taſted of ſo much kindneſſe and Chriſtian reſpect as I have done from you, (unleſſe I ſhould prove ingratefull) in the time of Jacobs troubles, when it was not my caſe alone, but the condition of many hundreds of the Miniſtry in this Nation to fly to London as that City of Reſuge, to the which they fled, when it was not ſafe for them to live at their Paſtorall Charges. Whoſe bounty and kindneſſe towards them at that time (as I can ſpeake by experience) was ſuch, as doth aſſure me that God hath yet mercy in ſtore for that Citty. Was not your bowels likewiſe inlarged to me ſomtimes your unworthy Paſtor? Did not you when you heard of my condition in London, ſend up to have me and my aged Wiſe come downe to you? Did you not moſt chearefully ſupply our wants, and were as Ebed Melech to Jeremy: And as Oneſiphorus to Paul, 2 Tim. 1.16. to ſupply our wants with Foode and Rayment, and Money at our departure. I cannot forget the goodneſſe of your nature; but acknowledge eſpecially the power of Gods grace in you, and tell the world of it, whether you will or no: Though I know you looke not after the praiſe of men. And now ſince providence hath (ſince theſe times of more happy peace) Separated us ſo far aſunder, let this Fruit of my Miniſtry in my old age, bee the meſſenger of my unfained Thankfulneſſe unto you, with the reſt of my Antient and Chriſtian Friends with you, for their undeſerved kindneſſe towards us. And if this ſmall peece may but add to the increaſe of your knowledge, the growth of your Faith, the fitting of your accompt at laſt; And prove profitable to the Church, I have my deſire: And ſhall remaine
Your Remembrancer to the throne of grace. SAMUEL SMITH.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
Reader,
THe kind acceptation of thoſe firſt fruits of my Miniſtry many yeares ſince publiſhed, viz. Davids Repentance, The Great Aſſize, with ſome others; which were the fruits of the Spring time of my Miniſtry; Hath been no ſmall encouragement unto me, to preſent thee with ſome fruits of the Autumne of my dayes, which ſhould be more ripe: The Lord having lengthened out my pilgrimage that I have paſſed the firſt age of man, which Moſes ſaith according to the ordinary courſe of nature is Threeſcore yeares and ten. And have now for ſome yeares entred upon that other age, wherein I find that true by experience of Moſes in this Pſalme, that that part of mans life is but labour and ſorrow. Beſides, old age is enough to render my life a burthen unto me: the manifold infirmities creeping daily upon me, and which ſeeke to make a breach for Death to enter in at, with thoſe ſpectacles of mortality we have daily before our eyes; put me at firſt upon the Expoſition of this Pſalme in my owne Cure: Not knowing but that God might afford me that honour to preach my owne Funerall Sermon. I am ſure whilſt I handled it, it proved ſo to others that heard it. Now what ſubject could be more neceſſary for ſuch times of common mottality then this? It was the wiſdome and care of Joſeph of Arimathea, Joh. 19.41. To have his Tomb in a Readineſſe in his Garden. And why in his Garden? But that in the midſt of all his delights and pleaſures, he might be put in mind of his Death, and might prepare for it And indeed That man may truly be ſaid to live, that is alwaies prepared to dye. It was Gods Ordinance at the Inſtitution of the Paſſover, Ex. 12.11. That it ſhould be eaten thus, VVith their Ioynes girded, their Shoes on their feet, with their ſtaffe in their hands, and to eate it in haſt. No doubt the reaſon of all this was, That they might be in a continuall readineſſe when God ſhould call them to paſſe out of Egypt into Canaan. The ſpiritual uſe ſtill remaines; That we ſhould alwaies be prepared for our paſſage out of the Egypt of this world into the Celeſtiall Canaan. And herein could my pen have aſwered my Meditations of this ſubject, or thoſe enlargements of the Spirit that many times we meet withall, in our publike Miniſtry, (which none can expect) It had not appeared ſo liveleſſe as here it doth. And howſoever I may ſeeme to light a candle to the Sun, in theſe times wherein ſo many exquiſite pens have been ſet on worke, as no age ſince the Reformation of Religion could paralell. Amongſt whom I cannot forget the fruitfull labours of my Learned Friend Mr. Richard Baxter, thoſe Practicall and Souleſearching peeces of his already publiſhed, Eſpecially his Saints Everlaſting Reſt: which I could wiſh that every Family in England (where any one can reade) were not without. Yet if in the Expoſition of this Pſalme, I can but add one cubit to thy Stature, and helpe thee forward through the wilderneſſe of this world towards thy Celeſtiall Canaan, I have my deſire. In which journey I wiſh thee good ſpeede, chearefulneſs in thy way, and conſtancy in thy courſe. And in the end that happy reſt of Gods Redeemed ones purchaſed by the blood of the Lambe. And reſt
Thine in the common Saviour, SAMUEL SMITH.
The XC Pſalme.
A Prayer of Moſes the man of God.
v. 1. Lord thou haſt been our Dwelling place in all generations.
2. Before the Mountaines were brought forth, or ever thou hadſt formed the earth and the VVorld, even from everlaſting to ever laſting thou art God.
3 Thou turneſt man to deſtruction, and ſayſt, Returne yee children of men.
4 For a thouſand yeares in thy ſight are but as yeſterday, when it is paſt as a watch in the night.
5 Thou Carrieſt them away as with a flood, they are as a ſleepe in the morning, they are as graſſe which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flouriſheth and groweth up: In the Evening it is cut downe and withereth.
7 But we are conſumed in thy anger: and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou haſt ſet our iniquities before thee, our ſecret ſinnes in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our dayes are paſsed away in thy wrath, we ſpend our yeares as a tale that is told.
10 The dayes of our yeares are three-ſcore yeares and ten, and if by reaſon of ſtrength they be foure-ſcere yeares, yet is their ſtrength labour and ſorrow, for it is ſoone cut off, and we flee away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy feare, ſo is thy wrath.
12 So teach us to number our dayes: that we may apply our hearts unto wiſedome.
13 Returne O Lord how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants.
14 O Satisfie us early with thy mercy: that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes.
15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou haſt afflicted us: and the yeares wherein we have ſeene evill.
16 Let thy worke appeare unto thy ſervants: and thy glory unto their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and eſtabliſh thou the worke of our hands upon us: yea the worke of our hands, eſtabliſh thou it.