314 rORGIVENESS OF SEN. poorest in the earth 1 And see what conclusions he in- fers from such thoughts as these, " Thou numberest my steps, dost thou not watch over my sin 1 my transgres- sion is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine ini- quity." chap. 14 : 15-17. He chargeth God as his enemy, one who watcheth for all opportunities and ad- vantages against hint, who seemeth to be glad at his halting, and taketh care that none of his sins should be missing when he intended to deal with him. Had this indeed been the case with him, he had perished unto eternity, as elsewhere he acknowledged. Of the other we have an instance in the church, " I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord." Lam. 3 : 18. Present grace in spiritual strength, and future expectation of mercy, are all gone. And what is got by this 1 Secret hard thoughts of God himself : " When I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer." ver. 8. " Thou hast covered thyself With a cloud, that our prayers should not pass through." ver. 44. These things are grievous to God to bear, and no way useful to the soul in its condition. Yea, they more and more unfit it Tor every duty that may tend to its relief and deliverance. So it was with Jonah : " I said, I am cast out of thy sight." chap. 2 : 4. All is lost and gone with me : as good give over as contend : I do but labor in vain, pe- rish I must, as one cast out of the sight of God. Similar complaints fell also from the Psalmist in his distress. Psalm 88. The general, who heard one of his soldiers cry out upon a fresh onset of the enemy, " Nov we are undone ! Nowwe are ruined !" called him a traitor, and told him
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