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12 Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the caufe of the helpless.

13 The righteous alfo fhall give thanks unto thy Name: and the juft hall continue in thy fight.

Pfalm cxli. Domine, clamavi.

LORD, I call upon thee, hafte thee unto me: and

confider my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be fet forth in thy fight as the incense: and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening facrifice. 3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and keep the door of my lips.

4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work wickednefs, left I eat of fuch things as please them.

5 Let the righteous rather fmite me friendly and

reprove me.

6 But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.

7 Let their judges be overthrown in ftony places: that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.

Pfalm exli.] David prays earnestly for deliverance from his enemies, and efpecially for patience, that he may not by their oppofition, or the incitement of others, be moved out of his courfe of meeknefs, piety, and other duties incumbent on him. It feems to have been compofed on the occafion of Saul's perfecuting him to the cave of Engeddi.

4 Eat] The Syriac-has, "I will not eat falt with them." I will not have any focial intercourfe with them.

6] "Let not the oil of the wicked bedew my head;" according to the Seventy and Syriac. As in the preceding verfe, to eat of fuch things as please them, or "of their dainties," (Bib. tranf.) feems to have a literal fignification, and we know that the anointing of the head was a cuftom ufed at feafts; it is perhaps therefore moft natural to fuppofe that the pfalmift fpeaks of real unguents;

"but give not these to shed

"The wafteful fragrance o'er my head."

MERRICK.

7] This paffage will receive its explanation from the ftory, 1 Sam. xxiv; where Saul, feeking David upon the rocks of the wild goats, left his captains and followers on the fides of the rock, whilft he went into the cave to cover his feet. Saul himself "lift up his voice and wept, faying, My fon David, thou art more righteous than I. The Lord reward thee good for that thou haft done unto me this day." 1 Sam. xxiv. 16.

8 Our bones lie fcattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust; O caft not out my foul.

10 Keep me from the fnare that they have laid for me and from the traps of the wicked doers.

II Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever escape them.

EVENING PRAYER.

Pfalm cxlii. Voce mea ad Dominum.

Cried unto the Lord with my voice: yea, even unto the Lord did I make my fupplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him: and fhewed him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heavinefs, thou knewest my path in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a fnare for me.

4 I looked alfo upon my right hand: and saw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto: and no man cared for my foul.

6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and faid: Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

7 Confider my complaint: for I am brought very low. 8 O deliver me from my perfecutors; for they are too ftrong for me.

9 Bring my foul out of prifon, that I may give thanks unto thy Name: which thing if thou wilt grant me, then hall the righteous refort unto my company.

Pfalm cxlii.] David prays for affiftance in his helpless state, when having escaped the treachery of the Keilites, he was now in the cave of Engeddi.

4 Right hand This phrafe is taken from the courts of judicature, where the advocate ftood upon the right hand of the perfon accused, as well as the accufer himself; for in pfalm cix. 5, the accufer has this place affigned him.

9 Righteous] On occafion of me the righteous fhall be multiplied, when they fee thy merciful returns or dealings towards me.

HEA

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EAR my prayer, O Lord, and confider my defire: hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' fake. 2 And enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath perfecuted my foul, he hath fmitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my fpirit vexed within me and my heart within me is defolate.

5 Yet do I remember the time paft; I mufe upon all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands. 6 I ftretch forth my hands unto thee: my foul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7 Hear me, O Lord, and that foon, for my fpirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me, left I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust: fhew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my foul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do the thing that pleafeth thee, for thou art my God: let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name's fake: and for thy righteoufnefs' fake bring my foul out of trouble. 12 And of thy goodness flay mine enemies : and destroy all them that vex my foul: for I am thy fervant.

Pfalm cxliii.] This pfalm was compofed by David at the time of his being perfecuted by Saul in the cave of Engeddi. This is the feventh penitential pfalm.

11, 12] The verbs in the two laft verfes fhould be rendered in the future," thou fhalt quicken, &c." and then the pfalm will end as ufual, with an act of faith and affurance that all thofe mercies which have been afked fhall be obtained; that God, for the fake of his name and his right coufhefs, of his glory and his faithfulness in the performance of his pro mifes, will not fail to be favourable and gracious to his fervants.

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LESSED be the Lord my ftrength: who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

2 My hope and my fortrefs, my caftle and deliverer, my defender in whom I truft: who fubdueth my people that is under me.

3 Lord, what is man, that thou haft fuch respect unto him or the fon of man, that thou fo regardeft him?

4 Man is like a thing of nought: his time paffeth away like a fhadow.

5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they fhall fmoke.

6 Caft forth thy lightning, and tear them: fhoot out thine arrows, and confume them.

7 Send down thine hand from above: deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of ftrange

children;

8 Whofe mouth talketh of vanity and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.

9 I will fing a new fong unto thee, O God: and fing praifes unto thee upon a ten-ftringed lute.

10 Thou baft given victory unto kings: and haft delivered David thy fervant from the peril of the fword.

II Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children whofe mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

12 That our fons may grow up as the young plants: and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.

13 That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store: that our fheep may bring forth thoufands, and ten thoufands in our streets.

Pfalm exliv.] It appears from ver. 2 and 10, that this pfalm was compofed by David after his acceffion to the throne. He prays for deliverance from his enemies, and for the profperity of his people, founded on his former experience of God's interpofition.

13 Streets] Folds or paftures without doors, or in the open air. This is the full import of the original word.

14 That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay: no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.

15 Happy are the people that are in fuch a cafe: yea, bleffed are the people who have the Lord for their God.

I

Pfalm cxlv. Exaltabo te, Deus.

Will magnify thee, O God, my King
praise thy Name for ever and ever.

and I will

2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee: and praise thy Name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous, worthy to be praised there is no end of his greatness.

4 One generation fhall praife thy works unto another: and declare thy power.

5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship: thy glory, thy praife, and wondrous works;

6 So that men fhall fpeak of the might of thy marvellous acts and I will alfo tell of thy greatnefs.

7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be fhewed and men fhall fing of thy righteoufnefs.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful: long-fuffering, and of great goodness.

9 The Lord is loving unto every man and his mercy is over all his works.

10 All thy works praife thee, O Lord: and thy faints give thanks unto thee.

11 They fhew the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power;

12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom: might be known unto men.

13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

Pfalm cxlv.] Hitherto in this divine book we have been presented with checkered scenes of danger and deliverance, diftrefs and mercy. The voice of complaint has fometimes been fucceeded by that of thanksgiving; and praife at other times has terminated in prayer. But now, as if the days of mourning in Zion were ended, henceforth we feem not to be upon earth, but in heaven, mingling with celeftial fpirits around the throne, and finging as in the following hymn.

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