The church in the Lamentations gives a sad account of her state and condition in this matter; for she maketh that hard conclusion against herself, chap. iii. 18, "My strength and my hope is perished
from the Lord Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my
prayer," verse 8. So far is she from a comfortable persuasion of a particular interest in mercy and acceptance, that, under her pressures and in her temptations, she is ready positively to determine on the other side, namely, that she is rejected and cast off for ever. What course, then, shall she take? Shall she give over waiting on God, and say, " There is no hope?" " No," saith she, " I will not take that way ; for (verse 26) 'It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God.' " But yet there seems small encourage- ment for her so to do if things be with her as was expressed. "Things, indeed," saith she, " are very sad with me. ' My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down in me,' verse 20; but yet somewhat ' I recall to mind, and therefore have I hope,' verse 21, — * It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.' [verse 22.] There is mercy and never-failing compassion in God, so that though my own present condition be full of darkness, and I see no deliverance, yet I purpose still to abide waiting on him. Who knows what those infinite stores and treasures
VOL. VI. 27
418 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver,4.
of mercy and relief that are with him may at length afford mito me?" And many instances of the like kind may be added.
We may observe, by the way, how far this relief extends itself, and what it enables the soul unto ; as, —
1, The soul is enabled thereby to resign itself unto the disposal of sovereign grace in self-ahhorrency, and a renunciation of all other ways of relief: Lam. iii. 29, " He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope." " What God will," is his language. Here he lies at his disposal, humble, broken, but abiding his pleasure. " Though he slay me," saith Job, " yet will I trust in him," chap, xiii. 15; — "It is all one how he deals with me; Avhatever be the event, I will abide cleaving unto him. I will not think of any other way of extricating myself from my distress. I will neither fly like Jonah, nor hide like Adam, nor take any other course for deliverance." Saith the soul, " ' God is a God that hideth himself from me, Isa. xlv. 15 ; 'I walk in darkness and have no light,' chap. 1. 10. ' My flesh faileth and my heart faileth,' Ps. Ixxiii. 26; so that I am over- whelmed with trouble. ' Mine iniquities have taken such hold on me that I cannot look up,' Ps. xl. 1 2. ' The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.' [Isa. xlix. 14.] Every day am I in dread and terror, and I am ready utterly to faint, and no relief can I obtain. What, then, shall I do? Shall I 'curse God and die?' or cry, 'This evil is of the LoED; why should I wait for him any longer?' Shall I take the course of the world, and, seeing it will be no better, be wholly regardless of my latter end? No; I know, whatever my lot and por- tion be, that there is forgiveness with God. Tliis and that poor man trusted in him; they cried unto him, and were delivered. So did David in his greatest distress; he encouraged his heart in the Lord his God, 2 Sam. xv. 25, 26. It is good for me to cast myself into his arms. It may be he will frown ; it may be he is wroth still : but all is one, this way I will go. As it seems good unto him- to deal with me, so let it be." And unspeakable are the advantages Avhich a soid obtains by this self-resignation, which the faith treated of will infal- libly produce.
2. It extends itself unto a resolution of ivaiting in the condition ivherein the soul is. This the church comes unto. Lam. iii. 26, " It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salva- tion of the LoKD;" — " I will not give over my expectation, I will not make haste nor limit God; but I will lie at his feet until his own appointed time of mercy shall come." Expectation and quietness make up waiting. These the soul attains unto with this support- ment. It looks upwards, "as a servant that looks to the hands of his master," still fixed on God, to see what he will do, to hear what he will speak concerning him; missing no season, no opportunity
Ver.4.] EFFECTS OF FORGIVENESS DISCOVERED. 419
wherein any discovery of the will of God may be made to him. And this he doth in quietness, without repining or nmrmuring, turning all his complaints against himself and his own vileness, that hath cut him short from a participation of that fulness of love and gi^ace which is with God. That this effect also attends this faith will fully appear in the close of the psalm.