Moses Prayer, Exposition · Verse 10
Ver. 10. The daies of our years are threeſcore years and ten; and if by reaſon of ſtrength they be fourſcore years, yet is their ſtrength but labour and ſorrow, for it is ſoon cut off, and we fly away.
MOSES having before ſhewed how unlike their life was to other Nations and People:
1. In that they were continually waſted with judgments, For we are conſumed in thy wrath.
2. In that they were ſo ſpeedily ſwept away.
Now he comes to ſet down the bounds and limits of mans life, and ſhuts it up within the compaſſe of threeſcore and ten years, or at the moſt fourſcore years: and this time is not all repleniſhed with joy and pleaſures, but even the beſt part is ſpent in labour and ſorrow.
In this Verſe Moſes ſets down two things, touching the brevitie and ſhortneſſe of mans life in generall.
1. That the ordinary term of mans life, according to the common courſe of nature, is ſeventy years, this is the ordinary ſtint, few do paſſe this, not one of a hundred, and where one doth, a hundred do not. But if men be of ſuch exceeding ſtrength of nature, and conſtitution of body, that they ſpin out the thred of their daies to eightie years, that is a great age indeed, and not one of a thouſand reach unto.
2. Leſt men ſhould think too well of this life, and be in love with it, he ſhewes, that even the beſt and moſt flouriſhing time of mans life, is but a bitter ſweet, full of cares, griefs, ſorrowes, and cutting labours, which makes it more like a continuall death, then a happy life.
And that which doth increaſe their miſery is this, that their flouriſhing eſtate doth laſt but for a while; For, it is ſoon cut off, and we fly away.
The daies of our years are threeſcore, &c. Text.
WHen Moſes ſaith, that the daies of our years are threeſcore years and ten, he doth not affirm all men to live ſo long, or none to live longer, but that the ordinary ſtint and terme of mans life is ſeventie years, which men do not uſually paſſe, for the beſt and ſtrongeſt bodies, he affirms, do not paſſe eightie years, and where one doth, a thouſand do not.
Seeing that within this compaſſe is the longeſt bounds of mens lives, Moſes would here ſhew us again the ſhortneſſe of our time in this world.
That mans life is ſhort. Doct. 1 What is ſeventie years when they are paſt, Mans life is ſhort.they ſeem to us to be ſoon gone, and but a few daies: and therefore Moſes ſaith, The daies of our years; and Jacob, though he lived long, yet acknowledged that his time was but ſhort, and that his daies were but few and evill; Gen. 47.9.The daies of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years, few and evill have the daies of the years of my life been; and I have not at tained to the daies of the years of the life of my Fathers, in the daies of their pilgrimage. Now if Jacob could ſay that his daies were few and evill, that lived ſixſcore and ten years, what are our daies that ſcarce live halfe ſo long.
Our life is ſhort, if we do but conſider what our childhood is, and how much of this time was ſpent in that ſtate of life, which cannot truly be termed life indeed; for, howſoever in childhood and youth we had wit and diſcretion to diſcern good and evill, yet there wanted that reaſon and underſtanding to chooſe the good and refuſe the evill: ſo that part of our life was paſt without any fruit, before we could truly be ſaid to live; for ſo long as we know not God, nor wherefore he created us, and are ignorant of the end wherefore we were ſent here into the world, we cannot properly be ſaid truly to live.
When we come to riper years, and come to our ſelves, as Solemon ſaith, He that encreaſeth knowledge, encreaſeth griefe: Then do the cares of the world, and the thoughts of providing for Wife and children take up our thoughts and time, that we martyr our ſelves, and our life is full of miſery.
Let men come to the age of fiftie years, doth not death then by their gray haires ſummon them daily, though neither ſickneſſes nor diſeaſes do aſſail us; yet we may then perceive that nature decayes, and we draw apace towards our long home.
But ſuppoſe (as Moſes ſaith) that we draw upon eightie years, are not our lives then a burthen unto us, whilſt we wreſtle daily with aches, pains, griefs, and a world of infirmities, that old age is ſubject unto; all which render our lives a burthen to our ſelves, and no leſſe are we burthenſome to others.
How frail then and how miſerable is the life of man? And indeed, that time cannot truly be ſaid to be long, that at laſt ſhall have an end.
So that all things conſidered, there is more detracted from mans life, then added to it.
Infancy is ſwallowed up with childhood, childhood with youth, youth with riper years; and both infancy, childhood, youth, and riper years, are all ſwallowed up of old age, and old age with death: So that our continuance here cannot truly be called Life, but a continuall paſſage from the womb to the grave.
Beſides, if we conſider, the halfe of this time of ſeventie years is ſpent in ſleep, which it a kinde of death, and is halfe our time: And out of the other halfe, if we would ſubduct our childhood, time ſpent in ſickneſſe of body, trouble of minde, ſo much time ſpent in doing nothing, ſo much time in doing little, we ſhall finde at laſt, that our daies and time on earth, may eaſily be meaſured by the ſhort Ell of a few daies, as Jacob ſaid to Pharaoh, Few and evill have the daies of my pilgrimage been.
Now then, Vſe 1 if it were thus in Moſes daies, that ordinarily men lived not above ſeventie years; this confutes that common opinion that is in the world, that as the world growes older, ſo mens lives grow ſhorter, and that the earth it ſelfe growes weaker and weaker, and carries leſſe burthen. Was not this in Moſes time, that men lived ordinarily not above ſeventie years? And therefore we are not to lay the ſhortneſſe of mans life upon the Lord, or the age of the world, but upon our ſelves and our ſins, that our lives are ſhortned unto us.
Let us not then lay the blame upon God when it is in us; for, if our daies be cut off ſhorter, and we live not ſo long, if we decay in ſtrength, and our lives are ſhortned, our own intemperancy, in ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe, and other diſorders in our lives, many times ſhorten our daies, which otherwiſe we might attain unto.
Seeing mans life is ſo ſhort, Uſe 2 though he reach to ſeventie or eightie years; how ſhould this move us all to eſteem leſſe of this life, that is ſo frail and ſhort, and tranſitory, and to ſeek for an everlaſting reſt, and a Kingdome that ſhall not fade, with thoſe primitive Chriſtians, Heb. 11.That looked for a City, the maker and builder whereof was God. And if we can be content to ſtudy, labour, and ſweat for a poor life here, of ſo ſhort a continuance, how much more ſhould we ſtudy and labour for life eternall? As Chriſt ſaith, Labour not for the meat that periſheth, John 6.but, &c. So let us labour for that life that periſheth not, and ſhall not laſt for ſeventy or eightie years and then end, as this life doth; but ſhall laſt whilſt God himſelfe laſts, even to all eternity.
Thirdly and laſtly, Uſe 3 ſeeing the ordinary time of mans life is ſeventie or eightie years, a goodly time to live in the world, if we have grace to uſe it well: O, if God give a man this goodly time, what a great mercy is it if men beſtow it well, how much glory might we bring to God, how much good to his Church, and what a meaſure of heavenly knowledge, faith, repentance, and other graces may a man get in theſe ſeventie or eightie years, if we are not wanting to our ſelves.
But alas, who makes this uſe and benefit of his time? Commonly, men beſtow this time, pretious time, vainly and unprofitably, and little of it is ſpent in the ſervice of God, in doing good to his Church, and furniſhing their ſouls with grace againſt the time of need. Did men but learn-one leſſon at every one Sermon that they hear, how much knowledge might be gained in ſeventie or eightie years, and what a ſtock of grace might men have in ſtore againſt the time of ſickneſſe, and when death ſhall come.
Yet is their ſtrength but labour and ſorrow.
MOSES having in the former part of this Verſe ſhewed the common rate of our life here in this world, and the ordinary ſtint, beyond which few paſſe;
Doth here likewiſe ſhow, that as this long life that men …, being compared to eternity is but ſhort, and not to be ſtood upon, ſo it is not free from trouble and ſorrow, from miſery and affliction; but that the chiefeſt part of it, even the pride and flower of the ſtrongeſt man is but labour and ſorrow: ſo that the ſweetneſſe of the longeſt life is tempered with manifold ſorrowes troubles, and afflictions, we never continue long at one ſtay, but in our chiefeſt proſperitie, our comforts are often blaſted, and ſuddainly gone.
So that in theſe words we have to obſerve,
1. The miſery of mans life, even in his beſt and moſt flouriſhing eſtate, it is mixed with labour and ſorrow.
2. The ground and cauſe of this, which is, It is ſoon cut off, and we flie away.
Firſt, in that Moſes affirmes, that the life of man is ordinarily, not only ſhort, and ſhut up within the compaſſe of ſeventie years, or at the moſt eightie years; but alſo affirmes, that the beſt and moſt excellent part of this time is … …ouble and ſorrow:
Hence we learn, Doct. 2
That the miſery of man ſince his fall is exceeding great; Miſery of man ſince the fall, great. Gen. 47.9.becauſe let his life be what it will be, yet his very beſt time is full of labour and ſorrow. As Jacob ſaid to Pharaoh, The dayes of the years of my pilgrimage, are few and evil: So true is that of Job, Job 14.1.Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes, and full of trouble.
The very honey and ſweetneſſe of this life is mixed with wormwood and gall: what day almoſt paſſeth over our heads without ſome croſſe or other, and cauſe of grief. He that drank deepeſt of the cup of all worldly proſperity; as Solomon took his fill of them yet at laſt concluded, Eccl. 2.13.23.That all was but vanity and vexation of ſpirit.
That mans day… are full of ſorrows, and his travel grief of heart, we ſee our joyes are uncertain, our ſorrows and grief more ſure: whileſt as Job ſaith, The evils which we fear, befall us, and the comforts we deſire fail us.
We are ſtill expecting better dayes and times, but finde worſe: In our mirth there is mourning, in our joy there is ſorrow; our falſe fears beget reall grief, though the things we fear never come to paſſe: And as if our preſent miſeries were not enough to make our lives miſerable, we torment our ſelves, in laying hold of thoſe we have already ſuffered, and fear thoſe that are to come, by which means, many times, we torment our ſelves before the time. In a word, there is no age or time of mans life, nor eſtate or condition we are in here, but it meets with its ſeverall miſeries incident thereunto, youth, middle age, old years, all of them have their labour and ſorrow, daies of vanity, full of miſery.
Seeing our life here in this world is ſo frail and ſo miſerable, Uſe 1 full of labour and ſorrow, both inward and outward, of body and minde; this ſhewes, that the greateſt part of the world are far from this perſwaſion of Moſes, as look not upon this world to be ſo full of miſery; for many a man could wiſh, he might ever live here, and never die. It ſeemes, theſe men did never yet taſt of the miſery of ſin, and of the miſery of this life; or, elſe they could never yet ſee what a bleſſed thing it is, to be freed from theſe miſeries, and to live eternally in Heaven.
Secondly, ſeeing our life is ſo ſhort, Vſe 2 frail and miſerable, full of labour and ſorrow; this ſhould teach us that leſſon of the Apoſtle, To uſe this world as though we uſed it not, ſeeing it is ſo full of miſery and trouble. We ſee a Mother, when ſhe would wean the Child from the breaſt, ſhe laies ſome bitter thing upon it, that ſo the Child taſting of it, might be out of love with it, and deſire it no more. Even ſo the Lord, knowing that we are exceedingly in love with the world, with the pleaſures and profits of this life, leſt we ſhould ſurfeit with theſe things, hath laid many bitter troubles and afflictions upon us, and all to wean us from the immoderate love of it.
This doth David acknowledge from experience, O Lord, thou haſt made my daies as an hand-breadth. Surely every man in his beſt eſtate is but vanity. Pſ. 39.5, 6.And that this might be remembred of us, he ſets upon it a note of attention, Selah, and ſhewes what uſe himſelfe made of it, O Lord, my hope is in thee: He caſts off all care of the world, and only flies to God and ſeeks to him for ſuccour.
Yet is their ſtrength but labour and ſorrow. Text.
WE have yet farther to obſerve, that in aſinuch as Moſes ſaith, their Strength, that is, the chiefeſt and moſt excellent eſtate, the very flower of their life, wherein men do ſo much glory and rejoyce, is but a time of labour and ſorrow;
We are taught, Doct. 3 that there is no eſtate of man in this life, No eſtate, but full of labour and forrow.ſo high, or ſo ſure and certain, or ſo ſweet and comfortable, but it is ſubject to alterations and change, ſubject to miſery and trouble. For Moſes ſpeaks this in generall, both of Prince and Peer, rich and poor, one and all, there is no eſtate, but hath miſery enough attending upon it.
Who is there living amongſt all mankind, that is ſo happy and profperous in the world, who if they ſhould compare their comforts with their Croſſes but muſt acknowledge, that mans life is full of labour and ſorrow: No, not the greateſt Prince and Monarch in the world, that is free from cares, fears, and troubles; as we may ſee in David, who was a man of trouble all his daies, exerciſed ſometimes by forraigne enemies, ſometimes by his own Courtiers, yea, by Abſalom his darling ſon: Their Crownes are continually attended with cares and fears of treaſons, and they are ſtill filled with the cares and troubles of the Common-weal they are ſet over; and are to look unto.
And thoſe who have been highly advanced to honour and dignity, as who but they, waited upon by a great and ſumptuous train, in all glory and honour, yet have ſuddainly been thrown down to the loweſt degree of ſhame and diſhonour.
And the like may be ſaid of all ranks and conditions of men, what with cares, fears, diſcontents, croſſes, loſſes, and dayly vexations, and moleſtations we are incident unto, and daily meet withall it is not the leaſt of our miſery to live long to bear them.
So that it may be ſaid of man as it was ſaid of the Angeil of Lavdicea, Rev. 3.17.He knew not that he was wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked.
Here is our caſe, in the midſt of all our pomp and glory, and outward felicities in this world, we are ignorant of what miſeries daily attend us: for what have we here, that is not got with labour, kept with care and fear, and parted withall with grief… and ſorrow: ſo that in the getting, enjoying, and parting with what we enjoy here below, we may ſay with the Prophet, Hab. 2.13.The people ſhall even weary thomſelves for every vanitle. Like little children, we ſweat again in catching Butter-flies, whileſt in the mean time, we neglect the true treaſure of life and glory.
Beſides, the ſpirituall evills of this life as ignorance, unbeliefe, pride hypocriſy, hardneſſe of heart, and the like, theſe ſo peſter and annoy even the beſt of Gods ſervants, Ro. 7.24.that they often complain with Paul, O wretched man that I am, &c. and with the father of the child, Mar. 9.24.I believe, Lord help my unbeliefe; as Bradford, that bleſſed Martyr of God, was wont to do, ſo that we have cauſe continually to groan under the burthen of our miſeries here, and ſubſcribe this truth of Moſes, that our moſt happy and flouriſhing eſtate in this world, is but labour and ſorrow.
That herein and hereby the Lord might exerciſe our ſpirituall armour, Reaſ. 1 wherewith he hath furniſhed us, to wit, the ſhield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, the breaſt-plate of Righteouſneſſe, and the ſword of the Spirit: For, wherefore ſhould all theſe parts of our ſpirituall armour be provided us of God, but that we muſt look daily to have them exerciſed?
Secondly, Reaſ. 2 to wean us from the world, whoſe practiſe is, to mingle our ſweet with ſoure.
And laſtly, Reaſ. 3 to make us long after a better life, where all tears ſhall be wiped away from our eyes, and ſin from our ſo…ls.
Seeing this is ſo, Vſe 1 that our chiefeſt ſtrength, our beſt time, and the moſt excellent and principall part of our life, is not freed from labour and ſorrow, cares, fears, vexations, and moleſtations, but that our whole life is full of labour and ſorrow;
As this ſhould wean us from the world, and put us out of love of all things here below: ſo it ſhould ſtir us up to ſeek that life, where all theſe miſeries ſhall be taken away, where God ſhall wipe away all tears from our eyes, Rev. 21.4.and where there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more pain, but pleaſure without pain, and fullneſſe of joy at his right hand for evermore. Our beſt eſtate here is mixed with griefe, ſorrow, care and trouble. But happy, and thrice happy are they, which ſhall be judged worthy to inherit that life which ſhall laſt for ever, and that without all cares, fears labour and ſorrow, Rev. 14.13.Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, they reſt from their labours.
Secondly, Vſe 2 ſeeing no eſtate of our life is free from ſundry ſorrowes and miſeries, troubles, cares, and fears; it may ſerve to admoniſh us all to bear them patiently, and not to forſake our callings and places wherein the Lord hath ſet us, becauſe of them. For, here we ſee, that in this ſhort life of ours, the moſt excellent part thereof is not free from labour and ſorrow.
There is no calling or condition of life, but hath miſeries enough attending upon it, to make them wretched that live in it, if they want patience to bear them.
And thoſe that ſeem moſt happy, and we look upon them as moſt free from thoſe miſeries, themſelves many times could wiſh rather to be any other, then that they are; and if we could change our eſtates with theirs, it is poſſible we ſhould wiſh to take our own again. Why then ſhould we be weary of thoſe callings wherein the Lord hath ſet us, but rather undergo the ſame, and arme our ſelves againſt theſe troubles and ſorowes, and not to uſe unlawfull means to eſcape them, for that will but encreaſe our ſorrowes, and make our ſelves more miſerable.
For it is ſoon cut off, and we fly away.
MOSES in the former part of this verſe, having ſhewed the miſeries, ſorrowes, and troubles, incident to the beſt and flouriſhing eſtate of mankinde in generall; in the latter part of this verſe, applies it to the ſtate and condition of the Church and people of God in the Wilderneſſe, and ſhewes: But for us, ſaith he, our time is cut off ſwiftly, and we flie away.
For ſo I take it, it makes the ſenſe plain, though it ſeemes to be read otherwiſe in our common tranſlation; yet, if we mark the ſcope of the Holy Ghoſt, which is to ſhew, that their eſtate in the Wilderneſſe was far worſe then other peoples were. Thus, though the ordinary time of mans life be ſeventie years, or eightie years; yet, we are otherwiſe dealt withall, our life is neither ſo long, nor yet ſo free from labour and ſorrow as other men are, becauſe, we are cut off ſuddenly, in the turning of an hand, we flie away and are gone.
Hence we may ſee and take notice of the hainouſneſſe of ſin, Doct. 4 Sin cauſeth many times ſuddain death.and eſpecially of the ſin of Infidelity, and murmuring againſt God, it made the Lord to cut down his people confuſedly and haſtily, even as a man by his Syth ſweepeth down his graſſe: Even ſo the Lord is here ſaid to cut down his people with the ſharp Syth of his judgment, as it had been graſſe.
And ſurely, amongſt other ſins wherefore the Lord, even in our time, hath cut down ſo many, ſome with one diſeaſe, & ſome with another, confus'dly, quickly, and haſtily, this ſin hath not been the leaſt provoking ſin of this land this day: Our diſtruſting of Gods power and providence, and murmuring againſt the Lord, as though we ſhould never ſee peaceable daies again, or Religion eſtabliſhed, and the Goſpell to flouriſh, and that we ſhall never ſee thoſe golden daies we have ſo long defired.
Even this ſin of murmuring and diſtruſting of Gods power and providence, is no ſmall let and hindrance to our deſired peace.
This, this, was the ſin of this Church and people, though they had had much experience of Gods power, and goodneſſe towards them, in delivering them from their cruell bondage in Aegypt, and that the Lord had now brought them to the ſight of Canaan: yet for their ſin of unbeliefe and murmuring againſt. Moſes and Aanon, the Lord would not ſuffer them to poſſeſſe that good Land, but cut them off and ſwept them away by hundreds, and thouſands, that they dyed in the Wilderneſſe. And how ſeverely God hath puniſhed this ſin in his own ſervants, Numb. 20 8.12. Luke 1.20.
For the Reaſons and Uſes, ſee the firſt Doctrine.
And we fly away.
MOSES ſpeaks not here of the people alone, that they were waſted and conſumed: But joynes himſelf with them, The Lord hath cut us off and we fly away. He joynes himſelfe in the ſin, and alſo in the puniſhment. They all had ſinned, even Moſes himſelf, and for his ſin the Lord would not ſuffer him to come into the land of Canaan. Num. 20.8.12.His ſin he here confeſſeth with the ſins of the people, and Gods righteous Judgement upon them for the ſame.
Hence wee may obſerve. Doct. 5 That the uſuall manner of the ſervants of God, Gods ſervants confeſſe their own ſins as the ſins of others.in their prayers hath been to confeſſe themſelves ſinners; And by their ſins to have drawn down Gods Judgements as well as the ſinns of others; This doth Moſes here, links himſelfe with the reſt of the people of Iſrael, in the caſe of Gods Anger.
Thus Daniel in that ſolemn prayer of his for the Church, Dan. 9.5.that the Lord would make good his promiſe to deliver them from their Captivity and Bondage, confeſſeth his own ſins and the ſins of the people. We have ſinned (ſaith he) and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy Judgements. And again, Ver. 7.O Lord, righteouſneſſe belongs to th…e, but unto us confuſion of face as at this day. Thus godly Nehemiah when hee makes his prayer in the behalf of the Church, Neh. 1.6.We have ſinned againſt thee, both I and my Fathers houſe have ſinned. If any man ſin (ſaith Saint John) we have an Advocate, &c. He joynes himſelf with others that ſtood in need of Jeſus Chriſt for their Advocate. And who could have ſaid more againſt Paul, then he againſt himſelfe, when he confeſſeth that he was the Chiefeſt of ſinners. Luk. 16.13. Luk. 15.18.And thus doth the poor Publican, the Prodigall, &c.
And it muſt be ſo: For
Firſt, Reaſ. 1 the godly have learned to give glory to God when his Judgements are gone out into the World; which they do when they acknowledge God to be juſt, and themſelves to have ſinned.
This Reaſon doth Joſhua preſſe upon Achan. Joſ. 7.19.My Son, I pray thee give …lory to God, and confeſſe thy fault. Hereby we clear his Juſtice, when wee take ſhame to our ſelves.
And this was Davids Reaſon, Pſ. 51.4.why he was ſo long and ample in the Confeſſion of his ſins. That thou mighteſt be juſtified, &c.
Secondly, Reaſ. 2 a child of God and true believer cannot but know, that hee lies under the guilt of many ſins which muſt be taken off by true Repentance and godly ſorrow. And hence it is that in hearty prayer when they confeſſe the ſins of the Church they cannot, they dare not, exclude themſelves.
Thirdly in a true and hearty Confeſſion of our ſins, Reaſ. 3 is grounded our hope and confidence, that God will hear and anſwer our prayers.
And hence it is that we ſhall find Gods people when in the moſt ſolemn manner, they have ſought the pardon of their fins, they have grounded their hopes of Mercy, from their hearty confeſſion of their ſins. Thus David, Pſ. 51.3.Waſh me throughly from my iniquity, and cleanſe me from my ſin: for, ſaith he, I acknowledge mine iniquity. Pſ. 32.5.And again, David preſſeth the Lord with this, I acknowledged my ſin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. And in times of publick Humiliation much of the work hath been ſpent in Confeſſion of ſins.
This ſerves for the juſt reproof of thoſe, Uſe 1 who ſeeing others plagued and afflicted, condemn them as juſtly puniſhed, and yet they themſelves as great ſinners no whit affected. As we ſee it common in the World. O ſay ſome no marvel though the Lord plague them, they are ſuch and ſuch a people. Did Moſes ſay thus of this people? did he ſo unmercifully ſingle out himſelfe and ſay, that it is but juſt that theſe Rebells be plagued, they murmured againſt me, and would not belive me: No, no, Moſes joynes himſelf with them, and ſaith, We are Cut off, and we fly away: What Spirit then are thoſe led by, that condemn others without pitty and compaſſion, and juſtifie themſelves as if they were Righteous.
This may ſerve alſo for our inſtruction. Uſe 2 That we learn by Moſes his Example, who though he was an excellent man of God, highly in Gods favour: yet he humbly joynes himſelfe with the Church in the Confeſſion of his ſins, as well as theirs. Acknowledging that his ſins were the cauſe of Gods Judgements, as the ſins of the people; though hee eſcaped and they were puniſhed.
Thus ſhould we do now, that ſo many places and Families, and perſons are viſited with ſickneſſe whilſt we eſcape; let us not think onr condition better then theirs, or that they were greater ſinners then our ſelves: But let us know that our ſins have been the cauſe to pull down Gods Judgements upon others, as well as their own.
As Moſes here acknowledgeth himſelf in the number of them that had ſinned, and had compaſſion on them, and prayed for them.
Even ſo though others die, and thou eſcape, others are in miſery when thou art free: O know that thou maiſt have a hand in their plagues; Thy ſins may be deep in the cauſe of Gods Judgements on the Land. And therefore to have compaſſion on others miſeries, to pitty them, and to pray for them, and to acknowledge that it is not thy goodneſſe above others, but the Lords goodneſſe towards thee, that thou eſcapeſt, and art not wrapt up in the ſame miſery.