occasion: it contains the same complaints*; and ends, like the former, with a third time condemning his own impatience, and encouraging his soul to trust in God.
His words lead us to consider, I. The sources of dejection —
It cannot be doubted but that temporal afflictions will produce a very great dejection of mind : for though sometimes grace will enable a person to triumph over them as of small consequence, yet more frequently our frail nature is left to feel its weakness ; arid the effect of grace is, to reconcile us to the dispensations of Providence, and to make them work for our good : still however, though we are saints, we cease not to be men : and it often hap- pens, that heavy and accumulated troubles will so weaken the animal frame, as ultimately to enfeeble the mind also, and to render it susceptible of fears, to which, in its unbroken state, it was an utter stranger. The disquietude of the Psalmist himself arose in a measure from this source : and therefore we must not wonder if heavy losses, and cruel treatment from our near friends, or troubles of any other kind, should weigh down the spirits of those who have made less attainments in the divine life. But we shall confine our attention principally to spiritual troubles : and among these we shall find many fruitful sources of dejection :
1 . Relapses into sin —
[By far the greatest part of our sorrows originates here. A close and uniform walk, with God is productive of peace : but declensions from him bring guilt upon the conscience, together with many other attendant evils. And if those professors of religion who complain so much of their doubts and fears, would examine faithfully the causes of their disquietude, they might trace it up to secret neglects of duty, or to some lust harboured and indulged ]
2. The temptations of Satan —
[Doubtless this wicked fiend is an occasion of much trouble to the people of God ; else his temptations had not been cha- racterized
*■ Compare xlii. Q. with xliii. 2.