Lamentations 1:19-22

I called for my lovers, but they deceived me.

Deceitful helpers

1. It is an increase of sorrow to be disappointed of their help by whom we looked to be delivered out of our troubles.

2. God often maketh our friends, that love us unfeignedly, utterly unable to do us any good in our distress.

3. The misery of that people must needs be great, whose rulers can neither hold themselves nor others.

4. God’s plagues do often overtake the great ones, as well as others.

5. God’s people may come to the extremest beggary that can be in this life.

(1) Outward things are no part of their felicity, which is purchased for them by Christ Jesus.

(2) God will now and then show Himself the preserver of His people, when all means do fail. (J. Udall.)

Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress.--

Prayer in distress

1. We must not give over, but continue in prayer, though we be not heard in that we entreat for. God hath commanded us to pray without ceasing, and set no time when we shall be heard.

2. God seeth all things; but we must with lamentation lay open our miseries before Him.

(1) Mercy is denied to them that hide their sins.

(2) Forgiveness is granted upon a free confession.

3. We then pray most earnestly when we feet most sensibly the burden of that we would be rid of, and the want of that we would have.

4. There is no rest or quietness within us, when God presseth us with the weight of our own sins.

5. The godly do always, in the due consideration of their sins, aggravate them against themselves in greatest measure.

(1) They see best into their own offences.

(2) They measure them by the heavy anger of God, deserved by the same (Luke 18:13).

6. The things that are ordained for our greatest good in this life, do turn to our greatest harm when our sins provoke God’s anger to break forth against us. (J. Udall.)

There is none to comfort me.

Comfortless

1. It is the duty of all men to comfort the afflicted, and not to add to their miseries (Matthew 25:40; Jam 1:27; 1 Corinthians 12:26; Hebrews 13:3).

(1) We owe this duty one to another.

(2) No misery can befall another, but when God will it may light upon ourselves.

2. It is the property of the wicked to rejoice at the miseries of the godly, with whom they should mourn (Psalms 69:12; Psalms 137:3; Judges 16:25).

(1) They are affected as their father the devil, who rejoiceth in nothing but the calamity of mankind.

(2) Their hatred maketh them glad when any evil lighteth on the righteous.

3. We are the fittest scholars to learn God’s Word and make right use of it, when afflictions are upon us.

(1) In prosperity we forget God and ourselves also.

(2) We are in our corrupt nature as naughty children that will not learn except they be well whipped.

(3) In afflictions we can more easily consider of our estate, both present, past, and to come.

4. Every tittle of God’s Word shall be accomplished in due season (Matthew 5:18).

5. Though the troubles of the righteous be many, yet arc not the elect to be discerned from the reprobate by affliction.

6. It greatly easeth the godly in their afflictions to consider that their foes shall be destroyed (Revelation 18:20).

7. The punishments that God’s people sustain in this life are sure tokens that the wicked shall be plagued, howsoever they escape for a time. (J. Udall.)

Thou wilt bring the day that Thou hast called.--

The day that right all wrongs

In that day--

1. God shall no longer be shut out of His own world.

2. Christ shall no longer be denied and blasphemed.

3. Evil shall no longer prevail.

4. Error shall give place to truth.

5. The saints shall no longer be maligned. (H. Bonar, D. D.).