Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 88
Overview:
The psalmist pours out his soul to
God in
Lamentation.
(1-9)
He wrestles
By Faith, in his
Prayer to
God for comfort.
(10-18)
1-9 The first words of the psalmist are the only words of
comfort and support in this psalm. Thus greatly may good men be
afflicted, and such dismal thoughts may they have about their
Afflictions, and such dark conclusions may they make about their
End, through the power of melancholy and the weakness of
Faith.
He complained most of
God's displeasure. Even the children of
God's
Love may sometimes think themselves children of wrath and
No outward trouble can be
So hard upon them as that. Probably
the psalmist described his own case, yet he leads to
Christ.
Thus are we called to look unto
Jesus, wounded and bruised for
our iniquities. But the wrath of
God poured the greatest
bitterness into his
Cup. This weighed him down into
Darkness and
the
Deep.
10-18 Departed souls may declare
God's faithfulness,
Justice,
and lovingkindness; but deceased bodies can neither receive
God's favours in comfort, nor return them in praise. The
psalmist resolved to continue in
Prayer, and the more
So,
because deliverance did not come speedily. Though our prayers
are not soon answered, yet we must not give over praying. The
greater our troubles, the more
Earnest and serious we should be
in
Prayer. Nothing grieves a
Child of
God So much as losing
sight of him; nor is there any thing he
So much dreads as
God's
casting off his soul. If the
Sun be clouded, that darkens the
Earth; but if the
Sun should leave the
Earth, what a
Dungeon
would it be! Even those designed for
God's favours, may for a
time suffer his terrors. See how
Deep those terrors wounded the
psalmist. If friends are
Put far from us
By providences, or
Death, we have reason to look upon it as affliction. Such was
the calamitous state of a good
Man. But the pleas here used were
peculiarly suited to
Christ. And we are not to think that the
holy
Jesus suffered for us only at
Gethsemane and
On Calvary.
His whole
Life was labour and sorrow; he was afflicted as never
Man was, from his youth up. He was prepared for that
Death of
which he tasted through
Life.
No Man could share in the
sufferings
By which other men were to be redeemed. All forsook
him, and fled. Oftentimes, blessed
Jesus, do we forsake thee;
but do not forsake us, O take not thy Holy
Spirit from us.