1, David's perplexed estate ; and, 2, His recovery out of it.
His perplexity is laid down in these words : ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? ' &c. His recovery out of it is first by questioning with him- self : ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? ' and then by a charge laid upon his soul : ' Trust in God ;' and this trust is amplified from the matter, for what his soul should trust in God : ' I shall yet praise him, and give him thanks ;' that is, I shall be delivered, for which delivery my heart will be enlarged to give him thanks. Because this is my God, my salvation, and my help, there is the ground of my faith and trust.
1. For the first, which is his perplexity, consider the way, how he comes to be thus perplexed.
(1.) He was in great troiihles and afflictions. So that it is seen, God sufi'ers his children to fall into extremities, many and long and great afflic- tions and troubles, ere deliverance come. They are most sensible of spiritual crosses by reason of the life of grace that is in them ; and there- fore it is that these do cast them down more than all other things. The want of spiritual means makes them thirst more than any want else ; yea, than the hart which brayeth after rivers of water, Ps. xlii. 1. Spiritual wants grieve much, spiritual thirst is strong, and the life of grace must be kept. Now to want the means which must do it, this toucheth him more than all the rest.
A soul that is lively in grace cannot endure to live under small means of
52 discouragement's recoveby.
salvation, much less to endure blasphemous reproaches. Therefore such persons who can content themselves -vvith small or any means, with small comforts, without labouring and striving after more sweet and near com- munion with God, they have cause to fear their own estates. A child, so soon as it is born, if it be not still-born, cries and seeks for the breast, which puts it out of all question there is life in it, though never so weak. So the life of grace begun in us is known by our spiritual appetites and desire after the means of grace.
(2.) The second thing that troubled this holy man, was the blasphemous
words of wicked men. Therefore if we would try our state to be good, see
how we take to heart everything that is done against religion. Can a child
be patient when he sees his father abused ? "VMien a man sees the gospel
of God trodden down, for a man now to be quiet, that shews his heart is
dead. It is better to rage than to be quiet in such a case ; for that shews
life, though with much distemper. God will set light by his salvation that
sets light by his honour. The enemy said, ' "UTiere is now thy God ? ' Ps.
xlii. 10. This went to David's heart. '^Miat doth the enemy say now at
this day ? Where is now your God ? your reformed religion ? your Christ ?
where is your God ? Well, they that are not affected with this are in
an evil and in a dangerous state, let them judge of themselves what they
will. God's children are sensible of such things ; they are men, and not
stones flesh, and not iron. Therefore it is no wonder that they are so
sensible of our times, and take them to heart as they do ; forget their
wounds,_ and mingle their passion with their afflictions, that so perplexeth
their minds. Thus David was troubled, and over-troubled and grieved,
and that too much, for he checks himself: ' Why art thou cast down, 0
my soul ? ' Indeed, by natiire we have no bounds in our alFections ; if we
joy, we joy too much ; if we sorrow, we sorrow too much. Grace only doth
qualify all our actions and aflections, and where there is no grace there is
either all joy or all sorrow. Xabal, when he did begin to joy, he joys
over much, and when he did begin to sorrow, he exceeded in that, 1 Sam.
XXV. 36, 37. A wicked man hath nothing to uphold him, and therefore he
is over head and ears in all that he doth. The child of God is kept upright
by that which is wrought in his heart, wherebv his sorrow and joy is mixed
together.
' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? ' The point is this, Ohs. 1. That it is a sin for a child of God to be too much discouraged and cast down in afflictions, nay, I add more, though the cause be good, as it was here, to be banished and want means of comfort ; in this case, to be too much cast down and disquieted, it argues a distempered heart.
Quest. But how shall we know when a man is cast down too much ? for it is a sinful thing in a man not to be sensible of that which lies upon him.
Ans. The soul is cast down too much, to name this one for many, when our mourning and sorrow brings us not to God, but drives us from God. Gnef, sorrow, and humility are good; but discouragement is evil. That which brings a man from delighting, from trusting in God, which hinders a man m his calhng, either as he is a Christian, or in his particular calling, by this he may know he is in excess. As the children of Israel were in great trouble under Pharaoh, and heeded not therefore unto that which Moses spake unto them for anguish of spirit, Exod. vi. 9. The husband and wife must not live at odds, lest their prayers be interrupted, 1 Pet. 111. 7. ho; though the cause be never so good, they must not be over much