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What a difference is there between the judgment of God, and the judgment of men! We have a very striking instance of this in the passage before us.

I. A MOURNFUL COMPLAINT. "Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me," He exercises no care over me; "and my Lord hath forgotten me," He feels towards me no affection. Let us look into this. The wicked think too much of the goodness of God; they mistake the evidences of His general bounty for the evidences of His peculiar friendship. While they live regardless of His praise, they yet hope in His mercy, and persuade themselves that He will not be rigorous to mark what they have done. The very reverse of this is the disposition of all the subjects of Divine grace. They know that self-deception is tremendous; and therefore they are afraid of self-deception; and they often carry their solicitudes here beyond the point of duty, and in reading and in hearing they will apply to themselves what was intended only for others; for, as an old divine says, "There is no beating the dogs out without making the children cry." Let us try to trace up this complaint to its source; and to see the wretchedness that conclusion must produce in the minds of all God's people. There is a philosophical notion, which is of a semi-infidel character, which supposes that the providence of God is general, and not particular. He regards the whole, and therefore must regard the parts; for the whole is always made up of parts; and He does regard the most minute parts. It is a religious despondency that affects Christians. It is not the influence of infidelity, but it is the influence, first, of unbelief, or weakness of faith. It arises also from ignorance. It springs sometimes from the suspension of Divine manifestation We may also mention conflicting with the troubles of life. We remark once more, the delay of God in the accomplishment of prayer. But who can find language properly to describe the wretchedness that such a conclusion as this, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me," must ever produce in the minds of the godly? The misery that the child of God feels from such a conclusion, may be accounted for by three things.

1. That he loves God.

2. He entirely relies upon Him.

3. He has enjoyed Him already. He has tasted that the Lord is gracious, and therefore prays, Evermore give us this bread.

II. THE SATISFACTORY ANSWER.

1. The improbability of the fear. This is metaphorically expressed: "Can a woman forget her sucking child," &c. There are two supposable cases here. She may be bereft of reason, or not survive, and so not be able to remember it. She may be criminally, unnaturally, led to hide herself from her own flesh.

2. The certainty of the assurance, "Yet will I not forget thee."

3. The all-sufficiency of the truth established, i.e. the perpetual regard of God towards us.Conclusion —

1. Distresses and discouragements are not incompatible with religion.

2. How concerned God is, not only for His people's safety, but for their comfort also.

3. Let His people fall in with His designs. Let them be humbled, and mourn over their ignorance, perverseness, impatience, and unbelief; that they have entertained such hard thoughts of God; that they have so often charged Him foolishly, and unrighteously, and unkindly.

4. Do not take the comfort belonging to a gracious state, unless you are the subjects of a gracious character.

(W. Jay.)

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KJV: But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

WEB: But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me."