scudderpage255

greatest extremities, your faith and hope shall secretly, though you feel not their work, preserve you from utter despair. As it was with David, and with our blessed Saviour, Psa. xxii. 1, who, although these words of theirs to God, Why hast thou forsaken me, argue fear, and want of sense of God's love; yet these words, My God, my God, do argue a secret alliance and hope, Matt. xxvii. 46.

(4.) Doubts of God's love on account of extraordinary afflictions, removed.

And whereas you say, that no man's grief or troubles are like yours, partly by reason of outward afflictions, and partly by inward temptations and distresses, give me leave to deal plainly with you, it is a foolish and a false speech. Talk with a thousand thus troubled, they will also say thus: No man's case was ever as mine is, nor as bad. Will any that have but common sense, think this to be true? Most of these must needs be deceived. You feel your own distresses, but you cannot fully know what another feels.

If you would rightly look into the distresses of others, who were better than yourselves, as they are recorded in Scripture, you would not think thus. As for outward afflictions, upon whom did God ever lay his hand more heavy than on his servant Job? Job i. Had not Paul also his trouble without, of all sorts, and terrors within, &c. 2 Cor. xi. 23 - 33. And, if you consider sorrows, fears, and distresses of all sorts, were yours such as David's were, or more than his? I pray, what mean these, and many more such speeches? My bones are vexed; my soul is vexed. But thou, O Lord, how long? - I am weary with my groaning. - Mine eye is consumed with grief, it waxes old, Psa. vi. 2, 3, 6, 7. Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in time of trouble? Psa. x. 1. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord; for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? Psa. xiii. 1. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My