A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

¹1. The Remembrance of past and buried miscarriages and sins, lies in the bosom of many Afflictions: It was so with Job; Thou makest me, saith he, to possess the sins of my youth. See his plea to that purpose, chap. 13. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. In the midst of his troubles and distresses, God revived upon his spirit a sense of former sins, even the sins of his youth, and made him to possess them; he filled his soul and mind with thoughts of them, and anxiety about them. This made him fear lest God was his enemy, and would continue to deal with him in all severity. So was it with Josephs Brethren in their distresses, Gen. 42. 21. They said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he sought us, and we would not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us. And vers. 22. Behold his blood is required. Their distress revives a deep perplexing sense of the guilt of sin many years past before, and that under all its aggravating circumstances which spoiled them of all their reliefs and comforts, filling them with Confusion and Trouble, though absolutely innocent as to what was come on them. And the like appeared in the Widow of Zareptha, with whom Elijah sojourned during the famine. Upon the death of her Son, which it seems was some what extraordinary, she cried out unto the Prophet, What have I to do with thee thou Man of God? Art thou come to ⟨p. 323⟩call my sins to remembrance and to slay my Son? 1 King. 17, 18. It seems some great sin she had formerly contracted the guilt of, and now upon her sore Affliction in the death of her only child, the Remembrance of it was recalled and revived upon her soul. Thus deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Gods water spouts, and then all his waves and billows go over a person, Psal. 42. 7. The deep of Afflictions calleth up the deep of the guilt of sin, and both in conjunction become as billows and waves passing over the soul. We see only the outside of mens afflictions, they usually complain only of what doth appear. And an easy thing it is supposed to be, to apply relief and comfort unto those that are distressed. The Rule in this matter is so clear, so often repeated and inculcated, the promises annexed unto this condition so many and precious, that every one hath in readiness what to apply unto them who are so exercised.