Ps. lxxvii. 7 — 10. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore ? Hath God forgotten to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? And I said, this is my infirmity : but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.
IT pleases God to deal with men in a great variety of ways : some, in their bodies, experience scarce any pain or sickness till the period of their dissolution ; whilst others know little of health or ease through the greatest part of their lives. In like manner, the souls of some enjoy an almost uninterrupted course of peace and prosperity; whilst others are made to pass through deep waters, and to sustain fiery trials during a great part of their earthly pilgrimage. It is of these last that we propose at this time to speak. The afflictions of Asaph were certainly exceeding heavy : and the account, which in the preceding verses he gives of himself, shews, that he may well be considered as a mirror, wherein the Lord's people in all ages may, under their several temptations, behold the workings of their own minds. Scarcely any one can experience a sorer temptation than hisa. When he wrote this psalm, he was brought through itb: but he tells us faithfully, what were his views and feelings under it. He sought the Lord without intermission ; but found no comfort0 : his very recol- lections of God's character contributed only to aug- ment his griefd. To such a degree was his spirit oppressed, that he was deprived of all rest by night, and of all power of friendly communication by day; and he altogether sunk under his trouble6. In vain did he call to mind the consolations he had enjoyed under former trials f, or examine to find the causes of this peculiar dispensation g: he thought surely that
a He seems to have been that Asaph who was contemporary with David.
b ver. 1. c ver. 2. d ver. 3. e ver. 3, 4.
f ver. 5, 6. s ver. 6.