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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	bring_v	year_n	youth_n	22	3	7.4612	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93404	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.	Smith, Samuel, 1588-1665.	1656 (1656)	Wing S4189A; Thomason E1624_1; ESTC R208959	212,879	567

hearted to preach liberty to the captive 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 Luk. 19.10 if thou be not one that Christ came to seek and to save But if thou be not a lost creature a poor wretched damned 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 displeasure 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 flyeth Ps 42.1 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 contraries God brings men to joy by sorrow to blessednesse by the sense of our cursednesse as at the first Creation God brought light out of darknesse so doth God now bring life out of death and out of our deep apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure 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 Almighty for sin You never felt such a weight and burthen of sin that you were ready to sink under it O deceive not your own souls the foundation 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 intollerable here is a good mark that God intends much good to such a soul Seeing this is Gods manner of dealing 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 lamentation in regard of the great security 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 misery 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 cannot but know how many we have that sit upon their Ale-bench and there despite the Spirit of grace glorying in their sin O that such would but consider that dreadfull place of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.13 That all might be damned that took pleusure in unrighteousnesse yet fear not damnation But the damnation of such doth not sleep And last of all Use 3 here is matter of admirable 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 Bartimaeus Behold Christ calleth thee who for this spirit of heavinesse will give thee the spirit of gladnesse sorrow may endure for a night but joy commeth in the morning and Mat. 5.4 Blessed 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 sorrow 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 bondage to fear again Ro. 8.15 which word implyeth 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 children at first in some measure or other 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 properties First when the heart is carried against sin with such an indignation as that there is a heart-rising against a mans most secret corruptions 2 Cor. 7.11 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 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 it may be known by the blessed victory that the soul gets daily against sin when corruption weakens daily and grace growes more vigorous in the soul these may comfort the heart that such a soul is qualified for mercy Ver. 10. The daies of our years are threescore years and ten and

And welfare those afflictions that send us home to God By this dealing of the Lord with a Nation and with a people Reas 3 by sharp and sore afflictions the Lord is pleased to humble them and thereby to fit them for mercy and deliverance And this is no other thing then what the Lord himself hath promised If a Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse Ier. 18.5 I will repent of the plague that I thought to have brought upon them Thus Niniveh prevented her Judgement And this is the right way to stop the breach of Gods wrath and to call in his Judgements when they are gone out against us This serves to shew the monstrous impiety and prophanesse of this age Use 1 and time wherein we live that do not thus mark and observe the dealing of God with us We have seen the hand of God in a grievous manner upon the Land in generall The Lord hath rode Circuit amongst us and what Country nay what Family hath not suffered in these times the sword hath been in the bowells of this Nation and hath drunk much blood The Lord hath likewise sent forth other messengers of his anger against us as unseasonable years at one time making the fruits of the earth dung for the earth at another time making the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the Creature hath mourned to teach us to mourn and now again by an universall sicknesse and disease the like whereof no age can remember when so many are sick and weak and taken away by death Yet who makes this use of it as Moses and the people of God here who is humbled under Gods hand who mournes for sin the cause of all No no we can be content to passe over the Lords dealing thus with the Land as if these Judgements concerned us not we lay them not to heart Surely it is to be feared that the Lord wil come nearer unto us yet in the end Take we heed that it be not found true of us which the Lord speaketh I called for sackcloath and fasting Esa 22.13 14. but behold mirth eating and drinking c. when was there ever the like excesse of drinking then at this day but what saith the Lord This inquity shall not be purged untill ye die Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine serves to direct us what we ought to do and how wee ought to carry our selves in times of Common Calamitie Not to be gazers and lookers on of Gods Judgements But to search and try our waies to discover the sins of the Land and the evills of the times which should thus provoke the Lord to punish us in a different manner then our Forefathers in former ages as Moses here Surely it is a dangerous fin heedlesly to passe by Gods dealing with us at this time from former times How can we be humbled aright for our present miseries if we do not consider hi● former mercies This were to deprive God of his glory and our selves of confidence and comfort Lord thou hast been our dwelling place WE are farther to observe in this prayer of Moses Text. how they begin their prayer viz. with putting the Lord in mind of his former mercies shewed unto their Forefathers in times past and in former generations Thou hast been a Covert unto our Forefathers and good unto them guiding directing and protecting them Note hence That it is a speciall motive and reason to plead in prayer Doct. 3 To plead Gods former mercies a good Motive for futute to move the Lord to pitty and compassion to put him in mind of his former mercies and deliverances bestowed either upon us or our Forefathers The Prophet out of experience of former mercies prayeth for the continuance thereof Lord thou hast been favourable to the Land Ps 85.2 3 4. thou hast brought back the captivitie of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger c. And hence he grounds his request to God Turn us O God of our salvation Ver. 4 and cause thine anger towards us to cease And thus do Nehemiah and Daniel begin their prayers for the Church Nehc. 1. Dan. 9. they mind the Lord of his Covenant and mercifull promise to his people And thus David persecuted by Saul hee pleads his cause with God thus Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty c. Hee minds God of his former mercies and deliverances and thereby is confimed in his faith and confidence that God would not now leave him at this time of distresse And so when he was to go out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.34 hee calls to minde the Lords mercifull deliverance from the Lyon and the Bear and grounds his hope of successe at this time also upon it And this hath been the care of Gods people to keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies and deliverances to strengthen Ps 22.21 their prayers in the like time of danger yea so carefull have the people of God been to keep in memory former mercies and deliverances that they have raised up monuments and given name to prisons times and places for perpetuall records of mercies and deliverances as Jehosophat called the place wherein the Lord had given him the victory 2 Chron. 20.26 to be called the valley of Beracha and the Jewes it is thought have their Purim to this day This is to give the Lord the honour and glory of his works Reas 1 when they are kept in remembrance 1 Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people that his glorious works might be kept in remembrance amongst them Yea this is such a duty that we are often to presse upon our hearts Ps 103.2 as David did Blesse the Lord O my soul and for get not his benefits We cannot honour God more then to mind him of his former mercies and deliverances This makes a believer bold with God as we are with a trusty friend that we have had experience of It serves to strengthen our faith to quel our doubts and fears and causeth us with much confidence to rely on him Besides Reas 2 it is one of the greatest comforts in times of extreamities and dangers the experience we have had of Gods goodnesse and mercy Experience saith the Apostle worketh hope God being the same ever to his people In him is no variablenesse Jam. 1.17 nor shadow of change And hence it is that the godly in times of adversity can hold up their heads with comfort when wicked men are at their witts end and many times overwhelmed with sorrow This serves for our Direction Use 1 how to begin our prayers unto God the better to move him to pitty and to have compassion upon us viz. to remember the former mercies of

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 Eph 4.26 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 living 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 indignation to lick up the dust thereof Thus was the zeal of Phineas kindled against Zimri and Cosbi and executing 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 displeasure In all diseases we say the cause is worse then the effect Now all the plagues and judgments that God executeth 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 Families and Houses brought down and laid in the dust Inheritances translated to others the Sword hath begot a new tenure confusion in the Church Sects and Heresies abound in every corner the Ordinances of God contemned 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 against 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 lamenting Church that it is the Lords mercy 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 discountenanced Piety encouraged and Prophanenesse 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 Magistrates 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 Ps 101. Zach. 5.4 Pr. 3.33 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 observed that as the effects of Gods anger and wrath are terrible So it is the sight of sin Doct. 4 Sight of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for sin ground of repentance and ●●●ious 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 manifested 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 apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin that set them upon their repentance The fight of sin and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin ever goes before true repentance This Church and people acknowledge that God had set their their iniquities before him c. And withall had a deep sense of Gods anger and displeasure before they addresse themselves for pardon And surely this is Gods order of working in the great work of Repentance 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 apprehension of mercy in Christ Never did any truly repent but first apprehended the curse and Gods indignation against sin before Let this be duly thought upon as a most certain 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 unto the Lord Hos 6.1 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 Act. 2.37 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 Deut. 28.66 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 Dan. 5. when he saw the hand writing the joynts of his knees smote together thus doth the Lord strike the soul with amazement and fear whilest he shall see before him nothing but death hell and condemnation thus the Lord ordinarily 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 reconciliation 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 Mat. 9.13 Es 55.1 Joh. 7.37 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 Ioh. 16.8 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 righteousnesse of Christ unto salvation And thus the Prophet brings in Christ speaking thus Es 61.1 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