August 14

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? - Psalms 77:9.

THERE is an infinite difference between the judgments of God and the judgments of men. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” saith the Lord; “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This Divine assertion may be addressed not only to unenlightened sinners, who are “alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,” but also to those who have “received the Spirit of God,” that they may “know the things which are freely given them of God.” Their illumination at present is partial; their views, in many cases, obscure; they frequently come to very erroneous conclusions, and sometimes they err where the glory of God and their own welfare are deeply concerned.

We have a striking instance of this in the passage which will engage our attention this morning. Here is a mournful complaint: “Hath God forgotten to be gracious?”-language which at least implies that God had ceased to be gracious towards the writer, and that he no longer exercised his care over him, and exhibited towards him no affection; while in reference to themselves, the wicked think too much of the goodness of God, by mistaking the effects of his general bounty for evidences of his peculiar friendship.

While living regardless of his praise, they yet persuade themselves that he will not be severe to mark what they have done. Yet the very reverse of this is the disposition of all the subjects of Divine grace. They know that self deception is tremendous-that it is probable; and they know, too, that self-deception is common, and therefore they are afraid of it. And they often carry their solicitude beyond the point of duty; and in reading and in hearing they will apply to themselves what was intended only for others; for, as an old divine says, “There is no beating off the dogs without making the children cry;” and therefore they still refuse to be comforted. They think too little of the favourable side of the question, and dwell too little on the kindness and tenderness of God. Though they are concerned to please him, they often “walk mournfully before the Lord.”

They are anxious as to how matters will go with them at last, and sometimes despair of ever seeing the goodness of God in the land of the living; and that he “has in anger shut up his tender mercies, and will be favourable no more.” Not that this is always the case. There are moments when their feelings are in unison with those of the Apostle when he said, “In all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that hath loved us;” “for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Then, again, the sky which was clear is overcast with clouds. Alas! he sighs, will the Lord cast me off for ever, and will he be favourable no more?