III. DEPRESSION OF BPJRITB 0ALLB FOIi ALL-TRIUMPHING PATIENCE. On those who have to deal with such persons, patience has its perfect work. (1) We think how much patience the depressed require from their fellows; but (2) can we conceive aright of the infinite patience God has with them? For at such timeR they not only say bitl.c:r things against themselves, they say bitter things against God.-R. 'l'. Vere. 6, 7.-The loneliness of the a.fftit:ted. Removed from the interests and activities of life, the bed-ridden sufferer feels as if left alone; his very weakness and helpless- ness make him feel lonely; there must be long boars of the day when he is actually alone, and long, sleepless hours of the night when he seems all alone ; and he must go altogether alone down into the "valley of the shadow." Here the psalmist uses as figures three birds which were regarded, in his day, as types of loneliness. The pelican is the bird of the swamp; the owl is the night-bird of the desolate ruin; the sparrow is melancholy when it loses its mate. Tristram describes the pelican as sitting motion- less for hours after it has gorged itself with food, its head sunk on its shoulders, and its bill resting on its breast. There is a bird in Western Asia, sometimes called a sparrow, which has a custom of sitting solitary upon the habitation of man. It never associates with any other, and only at one season with its own mate; and ernn then it is often seen quite alone upon the house-top, where it warbles its sweet and plaintive strains, and continues its song, moving from roof to roof. I. LONELINESS AS AN ELEMENT OF TROUBLE. There is a forced loneliness, and there is a sought loneliness. That sought loneliness may be right, worthy, useful; but it may also be wrong, trying to others, and making needlessly difficult the work of the nurse. Those wbo would cheer us by their presence are too often frowned away. Sick people fail sometimes in due self-restraint; they become self-centred, and inconsiderate of the feelings of others. 'l'he wish to be alone may be quite wrong. II. LONELINESS AS A 0ALL TO CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY. Waiting-times of pain seem very long; waiting-times of mere necessary resting without pa.in may even seem longer. The visit of mere good cheer is Christian service. The sight of another face, the sound of another voice, the touch of another hand, are full of truest relief and comfort. Ease the lonely hours of every sick friend within your reach. III. LONELINESS AS AN APPEAL FOR DIVINE MANIFESTATION. That is the point we have in the psalm. God is the Supreme Friend of the lonely heart. Compare "Alone, :yet not alone, because the Father is with me." Jesus on the cross is the sublime model of loneliness; yet he could say, "My God, my God 1"-R. T. Ver. 10.-The real bitterness of h'/J,man aifiiction. "And that because of thine indignation and wrath." The conscience of sin makes men regard al'lliction as Divine judgment. For man, God's favo'/J,r is life, God's frown is death-death of peace, pleasur~, hope. Man can lose everything and be rich if he can keep the sense of gracious relations with God. Man can keep everything, and be poor and miserable, if'he has lost the sense of God's favour. While this is true of every man, it is in au especial manner true of the man who has once known the joy of God's smile and favour. It is S'1/,Ch a man who feels the bitterness of human affiiction when it is seen a, Divine judgment. The Book of Job represents the struggle of good men to get riglit vie".'.':; vi human affliction. And what comes out so clearly from its discussions is, that no one explanation will suffice. It may be Divine judgment; but Job'i; friends are wrong when they say that it must be. It may be Divine chastisement for correctiou ; but it would be a mistake to say that it is always chastisement. It may be pure testing, simple culture, God's way of nonishing the good, and not involving the removal of any bad. When a sufferer can see suffering to be Divine culture, or even Divine chastisement, bis trials lose their bitterness. But it is always hard tu be compelled to call suffering 1J1vine judgment. I. THIS MAY DE THE VIEW OF oun TROUBLES THAT OTHERS TAKE. It is the view Job's friends took at once, and they would hear nothing else. Job had at least secretly sinned, and his suffering was his judgment. Of Messiah it is said, " We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and aftlictcd." It is what we first think of others, and. what others first think of us. But it had better never be spoken, for it may not be true, 880 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [Ps. on. 1-28,
and it will certainly add to the sufferer's burden. What a mistake to think of the suffering Jesus as a mitlefactor ! II. Tars IIIAY BE THE VIEW OF OUR TROUBLES THAT WE OURSELVES TAKE nIGITTLY, It m_ay be the e~p)anation. And some heart-searc?ing is proper at the beginning of all times of alll1ctlon. Perhaps we have been go11-g astray, or becoming wilful or negligent.. There are "secret faults,"" presumptuous sins," "leavings of first love" which must be dealt thus with. God's people have to come into jud_qments which w\11 mark the character of their sins, and into chastisements which will deliver them from their power. ill. THIS MAY BE THE VIEW OF OUR TROUBLES THAT WE OURSELVES TAKE WRONGLY, Many gnod Christians are too ready to think evil of themselves, and write bitter things against themselves. Absolute sincerity nnd truthfulness should be sou"ht even in dealing with our own faults and failings. We may even confess too much.~R. 'l'.