God, all our pretences, warmth, and transports are no better than the artifices of hypocrify, the impofitions of fanaticifm, or the delufions of the grand enemy of mankind.

On the other hand, we are not to be discouraged at incidental abfences, and dejections of spirits, when we are engaged in sacred duties. Man is a compofition of foul and body; and during their union here, the former will be often interrupted in her religious performances, by the diseases and imperfections of her affociate. Inattention, languors, and dejections many times proceed from a temporary indifpofition of the animal œconomy. A relaxation of the nervous system, an inequality in the circulation of the blood, and more especially a depravity of the juices (as the Phyficians term it) will have a powerful and furprizing influence upon the mental faculties. I fpeak this in pity to multitudes; because I daily fee pious and worthy perfons afflicting themselves beyond measure, thro' their ignorance of this weighty truth.

Befides, they would do well to recollect those gracious allowances, which our compaffionate Saviour hath made upon record for the omiffions, frailties, and defaults of human nature. Even his Difciples, who accompanied him into the garden the night preceding his crucifixion, could not reprefs unfeafonable fumbers. It is also very obfervable, that the mild reprehenfion of

Our

our Lord upon this occafion, suggested at the fame time a tender apology for their misbehaviour.

Prayer and meditation have a direct tendency to keep open the communication between the Supreme Being and the foul of man. But the public worship of God hath the positive promise of his more immediate presence. What then fhall we fay to thofe, who use a thousand little pitiful fubterfuges to juftify their absence from the house of prayer. I had lately an opportunity of introducing the fentiments and example of the royal Pfalmift. With my reader's permiffion, I will recommend to him another of David's compofitions, where he will find this subject remarkably illuftrated. I mean the fortyfecond Pfalm; in the beginning whereof the author appears mightily follicitous to exprefs the vehemence of his defire to approach again the ordinances of the fanctuary. The allufion there mentioned, is of ftronger import than what perhaps is generally imagined. It may be neceffary to notice, that when a deer is closely purfued by the hunters, he takes foil, as it is called; that is, he fpeeds into the water. This is commonly his dernier refort; wherefore he makes the most powerful efforts to accomplish his purpose. During fuch refolution, the natural timidity of his temper yields to a fudden ferocity, which would very much endanger man or horfe, who accidentally obstructed his course. VOL. II.

In

In the next place, the Pfalmift pathetically denotes the severity of his forrows, while the Pagans upbraid him with the inutility of his faith and confidence in the true God. But confcious of the fuperiority of his religión, he inftances to himself that happiness, which resulted from his attendance upon the public worfhip; and takes occafion from those prior comforts, to hold up his foul under present fufferings more particularly under his fore distress of banifhment from the temple of God. He not only expoftulates with his own heart for its diffidence and fears, but he even reproaches his breaft for its inquietude and defpondence; because at that very period, he experienced the fenfe of God's favour. He likewife calls to mind paft mercies, and the fignal deliverances which God had wrought for him at a time, when he had as little encouragement to expect the interpofition of the Deity, as amidst those troubles which induced him to pen this Pfalm. Then he concludes with a ftriking repetition of a former foliloquy, and of his purposed reliance upon God in all future difficulties that might befall him. Thus the ftruggle terminates, and the religious Monarch goes off triumphant.

The paffages which relate to the contumelious invectives of the heathen, are omitted in the subsequent verfion, that the Pfalm may be

more extenfively applicable to every afflicted individual.

PSALM XLII.

WITH fierce defire the hunted Hart

Explores the cooling ftream;

Mine is a paffion ftronger far,

And mine a nobler theme.

Yes, with fuperior fervors, Lord,
I thirst to fee thy face;

My languid foul would fain approach
The fountains of thy grace.

Oh! the great plenty of thy house!
The rich refreshments there!

To live an exile from thy courts
O'erwhelms me with defpair.

In worship when I join'd thy faints,
How sweetly pafs'd my days!
Prayer my divine employment then,
And all my pleasure praife.

But now I'm loft to every joy,
Becaufe detain'd from thee;
Those golden periods ne'er return,
Or ne'er return to me.

Yet, O my foul, why thus depreft,
And whence this anxious fear?
Let former favours fix thy truft,

And check the rifing tear.

When darkness, and when forrows rofe,

And prefs'd on every side,

Did not the Lord sustain thy steps,

And was not God thy guide?

Affliction is a stormy deep,

Where wave refounds to wave;
Tho' o'er my head the billows roll,
I know the Lord can fave.

Perhaps before the morning dawns,
He'll reinftate my peace;
For he, who bad the tempeft roar,
Can bid the tempeft cease.

In the dark watches of the night
I'll count his mercies o'er;
I'll praise him for ten thousand past,
And humbly fue for more.

Then, O my foul, why thus depreft,
And whence this anxious fear?.
Let former favours fix thy truft,

And check the rifing tear.

Here will I reft, and build my hopes,
Nor murmur at his rod;

He's more than all the world to me,

My health, my life, my God!

N.

NUM