A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

they spake against God; they said, Can he furnish a Table in the wilderness? Unbelief in questioning of the promises is a speaking against God, a limiting of the holy One of Israel, as it is called, vers. 41. An assigning of bounds to his Goodness, Power, Kindness and Grace, according to what we find in our selves, which he abhors. By this Unbelief we make God like our selves; that is our limiting of him, expecting no more from him, than either we can do, or see how it may be done. This you will say was a great sin in the Israelites, because they had no reason to doubt or Question the promises of God. It is well we think so now; But when they were so many thousand families, that had not one bit of bread, nor drop of water aforehand for themselves and their little ones, there is no doubt but they thought themselves to have as good reason to question the promises, as any one of you can think that you have. We are ready to suppose that we have all the reasons in the world; every one supposeth ⟨p. 300⟩he hath those that are more cogent than any other hath, to question the promises of Grace, Pardon, and forgiveness; and therefore the questioning of them is not their sin, but their duty. But pretend what we will, this is speaking against God, limiting of him, and that which is our keeping off from steadfastness and Comfort. But now there may be a Jealousy in a Gracious heart concerning the love of Christ, which is acceptable unto him, at least which he is tender towards, that may be mistaken for this questioning of the promises by Unbelief, and so help to keep the soul in darkness and disconsolation, this the spouse expresseth in her self, Cant. 8. 6. Love is strong as death, jealousy is hard as the Grave, the Coals thereof are Coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame. Love is the foundation. The root; but yet it bears that fruit which is bitter although it be wholesome; that which fills the soul with great perplexities, and makes it cry out for a nearer and more secure admission into the presence of Christ. Set me, saith the Spouse, as a Seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine Arms, for Jealousy is cruel as the Grave. I cannot bear this distance from thee, these fears of my being disregarded by thee. Set me as a seal on thy heart.

they spake against God; they said, Can he furnish a Table in the wilderness? Unbelief in questioning of the promises is a speaking against God, a limiting of the holy One of Israel, as it is called, vers. 41. An assigning of bounds to his Goodness, Power, Kindness and Grace, according to what we find in our selves, which he abhors. By this Unbelief we make God like our selves; that is our limiting of him, expecting no more from him, than either we can do, or see how it may be done. This you will say was a great sin in the Israelites, because they had no reason to doubt or Question the promises of God. It is well we think so now; But when they were so many thousand families, that had not one bit of bread, nor drop of water aforehand for themselves and their little ones, there is no doubt but they thought themselves to have as good reason to question the promises, as any one of you can think that you have. We are ready to suppose that we have all the reasons in the world; every one supposeth