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16 I have required that they, even mine enemies, fhould not triumph over me: for when my foot flipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.

17 And I, truly, am fet in the plague: and my heaviness is ever in my fight.

18 For I will confefs my wickednefs: and be forry for my fin. 19 But mine enemies live, and are mighty: and they that hate me wrongfully, are many in number.

20 They alfo that reward evil for good, are against me: because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forfake me not, O Lord my God: be not thou far from me. 22 Hafte thee to help me: O Lord God of my falvation.

|| Pfalm 39. Dixi, Cuftodiam.

I Said, I will take heed to my ways; that I offend not in my

tongue.

2 I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the ungodly is in my fight.

3 I held my tongue, and spake nothing I kept filence, yea, even From good words; but it was pain and grief to me.

My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus mufing, the fire kindled:. and at the laft I fpake with my tongue.

5 Lord, let me know my end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live.

6 Behold, thou haft made my days as it were a fpan long and mine age is even as nothing in refpect of thee, and yerily every man living is altogether vanity.

7 For man walketh in a vain shadow, and difquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who fhall gather them.

are they who, after imitating David in their crimes refemble him equally in their Repentance'

David declares in this Pfalm that he had made a Arm refolution not to murmur at the profperity of the Wicked nor his own fufferings that he had overcome

thefe Temptations by confidering the fhortnefs of this life and the vanity of all worldly enjoyments befeeches God to pardon his Sins, and deliver him from his afflictions; and humbly fubmits to the cha tifements inflicted upon him.

8 And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thec.

9 Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

*

IO I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing.

11 Take thy plague away from me: I am even confumed by the means of thy heavy hand.

12 When thou with rebukes doft chaften man for fin, thou makest his beauty to confume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears confider my calling: hold not thy peace at my tears.

14 For I am a stranger with thee, and a fojourner: as all my fathers were.

15 O fpare me a little, that I may recover my strength: before I go hence, and be no more feen.

I

§ Pfalm 40. Expectans expectavi.

Waited patiently for the Lord: and he inclined unto me, and heard my calling.

2 He brought me alfo out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay: and fet my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth: even a thankfgiving unto our God.

4 Many fhall fee it, and fear: and shall put their truft in the Lord. 5 Bleffed is the man that hath fet his hope in the Lord: and turned not unto the proud, and to fuch as go about with lies.

1

6 O Lord my God, great are the wonderous works which thou haft done, like as be alfo thy thoughts which are to us-ward: and yet there no man that ordereth them unto thee.

• I became dumb and opened not my Mouth, &c. When we confider that all our afflictions come upon us, not by chance, but by the permiffion and direction of an infinitely wife and good God, who always defigns them for our profit, that we may be tartakers of his

Holiness-This ought to be a continual motive to pa tience and refignation.

The royal Prophet here praifes God for the deliverances and favours he had received through his goodnefs-devotes himfelf to his fervice and acknowled

7 If I should declare them, and speak of them: they should be more than I am able to express.

8 * Sacrifice, and meat-offering thou wouldest not: but mine ears haft thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings, and facrifice for fin haft thou not required: then faid I, Lo, I come.

10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it, yea, thy law is within my heart.

11 I have declared thy righteousness in the congregation: lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, and that thou knowest.

12 I have not hid thy righteoufnefs within my heart: my talk hath been of thy truth, and of thy falvation.

13 I have not kept back thy loving mercy and truth: from the great congregation.

14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindnefs, and thy truth alway preferve me.

15 For innumerable troubles are come about me; my fins have taken fuch hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

16 O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me: make hafte, Ở Lord, to help me.

17 Let them be ashamed, and confounded together, that seek after my foul to deftroy it: let them be driven backward, and put to rebuke, that wish me evil.

18 Let them be defolate, and rewarded with fhame: that fay unto me, Fie upon thee, fie

upon

ges that by fubmiffion to the will of God. rather than by Sacrifices he hoped to be accepted-He vows to praife God in the moft publick manner, befeeches him to affft him in his afflictions and dangers, and above all to deliver him from his Sins.

• Sacrifice, and Meat-Offering thon wouldeft not, &'c.

thee.

This and the two following verfes are applied in prophetical fenfe to Chrift, by St. Paul in Heb. x. and are defigned to prove that the rites and ceremonies of the Law of Mofes, are abolished by the coming, and facrifice of Jefus Chrift upon the Crofs, once for all.

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Day viii. 19 Let all those that feek thee be joyful and glad in thee: and let fuch as love thy falvation fay alway, The Lord be praifed.

20 As for me, I am poor and needy: but the Lord careth for me.

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21 Thou art my helper and redeemer: make no long tarrying, O my God.

EVENING

PRA Y E R.

|| Pfalm 41. Beatus qui intelligit.

Leffed is he that confidereth the poor and needy: the Lord fhall deliver him in the time of trouble.

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2 The Lord preserve him, and keep him alive, that he may be bleffed upon earth: and deliver not thou him into the will of his

enemies.

3 The Lord comfort him when he lieth fick upon his bed: make thou all his bed in his ficknefs.

4-I faid, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my foul, for I have finned against thee.

5 Mine enemies fpeak evil of me: When fhall he die, and his name perish?

6 And if he come to fee me, he fpeaketh vanity: and his heart conceiveth falfhood within himself, and when he cometh forth, he telleth it.

7 All mine enemies whisper together against me: even against me do they imagine this evil.

8. Let the fentence of guiltinefs proceed against him: and now that he lieth, let him rife up no more.

*Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trufted: who did alfo eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me.

The Pfalmift here pronounces particular bleffings on those that behave themfelves charitably towards the afflicted; and complains of the cruelty of his Enemies, and even of thofe who had been his pretended Friends; who instead of compaffionating his miferies, wished for his death, and reprefented his calamities as the punishment of his crimes.

Yea, even mine own familiar Friend, &c. This

paffage our Saviour himself quotes as a prophecy concerning the treachery of Judas, John xiii. 18. Let us take heed that the bafe ingratitude of that Traytor be not chargeable upon us through forfaking our allegiance to the Lord that bought us; and giving up ourfelves to the dominion of our finful Lufts and Appetites,

10 But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord: raife thou me up again, and I fhall reward them.

11 By this I know thou favoureft me: that mine enemy doth not triumph against me.

12 And when I am in my health, thou upholdeft me: and shalt fet me before thy face for ever.

13 Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael: world without end. Amen.

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| Pfalm 42. Quemadmodum.

IKE as the hart defireth the water-brooks: to longeth my foul after thee, O God.

2 My foul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

3 My tears have been my meat day and night: while they daily fay unto me, Where is now thy God?

4 Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself: for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the houfe of God;

In the voice of praise and thanksgiving: among such as keep holy-day.

6 Why art thou fo full of heaviness, O my foul: and why art thou fo difquieted within me?

7 Put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.

8 My God, my foul is vexed within me: therefore will I re

This Pfalm affords a moft elegant fpecimen of the Hebrew Elegy. The royal Prophet banified far from the Temple, and publick worship of God to the utmoft confines of Judea, oppreffed by his Enemies and vexed by their taunts pours out his complaint and his prayers to God. Here is wonderfully expreffed the molt fervent defires of a pious Soul, forrow frequently breaking forth upon the remembrance of abient good things; an extreme dejection of mind, yielding to its grief, yet bearing it impatiently; overcome with diareffes, yet in fome degree rugling against them, and even in the

thickeft darkness of adverfity admitting, at intervals, fome rays of hope; he loves and mourns; complains and expoftulates; defpairs and hopes; faints and takes comfort; and by turns almost expreffes all the various pailions together.

When all I come to appear before the prefence, &c. The complaints of the Prophet Lecause he could not attend the Houfe of God fould engage thofe who have the liberty to ferve God in the religious affemblies, gratefully to improve fo inestimable a blefing.

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