The saddest psalm in the Psalter.
For in well nigh all others, though there may be darkness of soul, a very night of darkness, yet we see the light arise; though we see "weeping endure for the night," yet we see also that "joy cometh in the morning." But in this psalm we do not see such coming of joy. The believer who wrote it was one who was called to "walk in darkness, and bad no light." But he is holding on; he prays, and perseveres in prayer; he recognizes the hand of God in his trouble. "Thou hast laid me," etc. (Psalms 88:6-8). He confesses that God is the Lord God of his salvation (Psalms 88:1); he attributes to God loving kindness, faithfulness, power, and righteousness (Psalms 88:11, Psalms 88:12); and he declares his purpose (Psalms 88:13) to continue in prayer. No doubt the light did come, though the psalm ends first. "The believer in his worst time still continues to pray; God's rod flogs his child not from him, but to him. Our griefs are waves which wash us on to the rock. But nevertheless, the best child of God may be the greatest sufferer, and his sufferings may be, as those told of here, utterly crushing, killing, and overwhelming." Now let us inquire—
I. WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUCH SUFFERING TO COME TO HIS PEOPLE? We may reply:
1. Suffering is the lot of an. The men of this world do not escape it more than the servant of God, and, all things considered, probably they suffer more, because the alleviations and consolations which belong to the child of God they know nothing of. But if suffering, which is the lot of all, did not come to the child of God; if faith were the passport to immunity from those varied ills which flesh is heir to, what a crowd of mere loaves and fishes seekers we should have!
2. For spiritual discipline. The soul needs training, exercise, and development as much as the body, and how but by trial can this be secured? There is not one fruit of the Spirit that can be fully perfected save in this way.
3. In self-revelation. Many men live continually in a perfect mist of mistake about themselves. How strong Peter thought himself! But his trial and his sad fall revealed him to himself as nothing else could.
4. For driving us nearer God. We do not wrench ourselves away from God, but we are perpetually in peril of drifting, and this unconsciously. Hence we need to be from time to time roused to this fact—that we have got away from God, and that we must come back.
5. That we may give testimony. The world marks how the Christian bears trial; if meekly, patiently, both towards God and towards men, the world notes it, and confesses the grace of God.
6. And that we may learn to sympathize. How could we if we knew nothing of suffering?
II. HOW ARE SUCH CONDITIONS BROUGHT ABOUT? Through:
1. Circumstances. The troubles of life, personal or relative—losses, bereavements, sickness, etc.
2. Wrong thoughts of God. How many such there are in this psalm! A great deal that the psalmist has said is exaggerated and untrue. What he says existed not in reality, but in his own bewildered imagination.
3. Failure of hope for the future. What terrible things he says about death I To him the grave is all dark and dreadful. It is "the pit," a mere charnel house, blow, the Old Testament writers, though they had not our fulness of hope, yet had hope. But in this psalm the writer seems to have lost it. Perhaps there had been:
4. Neglect of communion with God. If we fail here, farewell to all joy in God, and when trouble comes it finds us all unprepared, and we go down before it into the depths.
5. Love. For that which touches the beloved touches the heart that loves. Christ loved us intensely, and became of necessity "the Man of sorrows;" for he saw and pitied our misery so much that it led him straight to Gethsemane and the cross. And all love links itself to pain.
III. WHAT TO DO UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS.
1. Inquire of God as to the, cause of your trouble, if you do not know what it is.
2. Humble yourself beneath his hand. Say over and over again, until your heart assents, "Thy will be done."
3. Get nearer God than ever. This is what he desires to see you do.
4. Be careful to obey his every command.
5. Go and try to comfort other troubled ones.
6. Meditate much upon Christ's Sufferings. Along such channels as these help, peace, rest, relict, will come.—S.C.