The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

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 begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand, for where is there a God in heaven or earth that can do like thy works, and like thy power.

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.

Here Moses teacheth us how to pray, he beginneth first and telleth God that he hath begun to show him favour, & well might Moses so say, for he was no sooner borne but the Lord began to show him his greatness, in saving him when he was cast into the River,¹ and delivering him unto a Kings daughter to be brought up: and after by his mighty providence bringing him to his mother to be nursed. If all that the Lord hath done for him till this time be considered, he had great cause to say, O Lord thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness. Herein Moses in some part showeth himself ⟨p. 903⟩thankful, for that he hath received, trusting thereby to entreat GOD to continue his benefits and loving-kindness towards him, which is a thing that pleaseth God, for which of us having a friend, at whose hands we had received a benefit heretofore, if we should stand in need of him again, would not say unto him, Sir, you have been my friend heretofore, and many ways good unto me, the consideration whereof at this time hath emboldened me to come unto you again? Who is it but will account this a thankful fellow, and say, see, it is a good deed to do for one which showeth himself so thankful? Even so Moses cometh to God, he is not like one who sitting in his door and seeth one day by day come by him and salute him, and yet taketh no acquaintance, so that if he stand in need of him either he knoweth not where he dwelleth, or else because he is not acquainted with him, he is abashed to ask any thing of him. Moses is not such a one, but he is acquainted with the Lord, who so often passed by him and therefore he now saith, Thou hast begun (O Lord) thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand. Of this is already spoken, what this greatness and mighty hand which God showed to Moses was, we have already heard: namely, that mighty