he addresses, as it were, his drooping soul: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance."* But, let us consider more closely, in the firstmentioned words, the direction which he gives to his troubled spirit: he says, in the fulness of assurance, "My soul, wait thou only upon God." Many are the reasons which we find in other Psalms; thus, "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in Princes." And again, "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of the living." Once more, we see how well he knew where to apply for comfort in his distress: "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most High; unto God that performeth all things for me."§ This then is the sum of his experience; 'Be not disquieted, O my soul, nor wearied with waiting; hope thou only in the Lord, for my expectation is from Him, and He is my refuge.' This remedy must be yours, you who are suffer Psalm xlii. 5. + Ibid. cxviii. 8, 9. § Ibid. lvii. 1, 2. Ibid. cxlii. 4, 5. ing; whatever be your trial, wait only upon God; whatever your present doubts, difficulties, or causes of despondency, wait only upon God. I would not have you lose the force of the direction which is here given yon: 1. Wait. 2. Wait upon God. 3. Wait only upon God. First observe, that it is your duty and your interest to wait. What do you mean by waiting? 'The term 'wait,' (says an eminent servant of the Lord, who has ceased from his labours, and by God's mercy in Christ, reaps the fruit of his waiting,) the term 'wait,' implies a simple, dependent, expecting, attentive state of heart; which leads to frequency and perseverance in the use of proper means, notwithstanding delays and discouragements, with a determined rejection of all other confidence, and all inconsistent measures.'* I need not add a word more on this point: therefore, Secondly, wait upon God, for who so able, who so willing to hear your prayers, supply your wants, fulfil your expectations, and repay your waiting? who, besides Him, so powerful, and who so merciful? Did he not create you out of nothing? has He not therefore the power and the desire to preserve the work of His hands? Melancthon concludes one of his letters with mentioning the case of a friend, who had found a cheering relief, under deep affliction, in opening, by apparent accident, on the words, "He hath made us, and not we ourselves." This * Scott on Psalm xxv. 5. single reference to Divine Providence, the afflicted person said, seemed to kindle a heavenly light within, which diffused peace through his breast.'* Oh! yes does not the Lord love His creatures, and therefore does He not wish their happiness? but above all, did He not so love you, as to give His onlybegotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for you? and will He not, think you, with Him, freely give you all things?t Do you seek a further proof of His love? Having given the greater, He will not withhold the less; having provided richly for Eternity, He will provide for you in Time also. Lastly, I bid you, wait only upon God. Yes, be careful in this matter. Although a merciful, yet He is rightly a jealous God, and His "glory will He not give to another." He will not accept of a divided obedience, or of a partial confidence. You cannot serve God and Mammon, so neither can you trust God and man, the Creator and His creatures: God will not help you, if you trust Him not wholly; man can not save or deliver you, by himself, as the arm, trust you to him ever so much means must be used, and God requires us to use them, but we must not abuse them, by placing thereon our dependence. Consider then this to be your duty and your strength; "wait only upon God," declaring your unworthiness, but at the same time, never, oh! never lose sight of * Continuation of Milner, vol. ii. p. 169. + Rom. viii. 32. Isaiah xlviii. 11. the all-prevalent intercession of your Redeemer: never, oh! never trust to anything short of this. With the confidence of David, say unto your soul, "my expectation is from God, my God, my Father, in a covenant of peace with me through Jesus Christ." And say again, with David, "Now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in Thee." Surely you shall never be confounded. * Psalm xxxix. 7. VII. LAMENTATIONS III. 57. THOU DREWEST NEAR IN THE DAY THAT I CALLED UPON It is a mercy indeed, that we have a merciful God to deal with! and yet how few of the sons of men know this in reality: it is true, they will readily acknowledge this attribute of Jehovah, because they profess to depend on His mercy to pardon their short-comings: with them I can agree, in saying that the Lord God is "merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth"* but I must also tell them that He is just, and therefore cannot overlook sin, nor pardon iniquity in any other than the appointed way, even by Christ Jesus. These are they, who acknowledge the value and importance of the Bible, and profess to admire the richness of its promises, but who in truth, practically reject the precepts which it teaches, and taste Exodus xxxiv. 6. |