Lo, thou dost know, O Lord, that I
refrained not my speech.

10 I never did within my heart
conceal thy righteousness:
I thy salvation have declar'd,
and shown thy faithfulness;
Thy kindness, which most loving is,
concealed have not 1,

Nor from the congregation great
have hid thy verity.

11 Thy tender mercies, Lord, from me
O do thou not restrain:

Thy loving-kindness, and thy truth,
let them me still maintain.
12 For ills past reck'ning compass me,
and mine inquities

Such hold upon me taken have,
I cannot lift mine eyes:

They more than hairs are on my head,
thence is my heart dismay'd.

13 Be pleased, Lord, to rescue me ; Lord, hasten to mine aid.

14 Sham'd and confounded be they all that seek my soul to kill :

Yea, let them backward driven be,
and sham'd, that wish me ill.
15 For a reward of this their shame,
confounded let them be,

That in this manner scoffing say,
aha, aha, to me.

16 In thee let all be glad, and joy,
who seeking thee abide ;

Who thy salvation love, say still,
the Lord be magnify'd.

K

17 I'm poor and needy, yet the Lord
of me a care doth take:

Thou art my help and Saviour,
my God, no tarrying make.

PSALM XLI.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of DAVID.

This Psalm contains, (1) A representation of the blessedness of him who wisely considereth the case of the poor, and affords them relief; ver. 1-3. (2) David's candid acknowledgments of the justness of his affliction, and earnest supplications for a merciful deliverance; ver. 4. (3) His sad complaints of the malicious, censorious, and spiteful reflections, and of the insolent carriage of his enemies; ver. 5-9. (4) His hearty committing of his case and way to God, in the assured and triumphant faith of his favour; ver. 10-13.

While I sing, let mine eyes be toward the Lord Jesus, who thought on me, in my low estate. Let me consider him, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich— Jesus, who had not where to lay his head-Jesus, whom his own disciple betrayed; and who through manifold enemies and much tribulation, entered into the kingdom of God.

B

LESSED is he that wisely doth the poor man's case consider ; For when the time of trouble is, the Lord will him deliver.

2 God will him keep, yea, save alive; on earth he bless'd shall live; And to his enemies' desire

thou wilt him not up give.

3 God will give strength, when he on bed
of languishing doth mourn :

And, in his sickness sore, O Lord,
Thou all his bed wilt turn.

4 I said, O Lord, do thou extend
thy mercy unto me:

O do thou heal my soul; for why?
I have offended thee.

5 Those that to me are enemies
of me do evil say,

When shall he die, that so his name
may perish quite away?

6 To see me if he comes, he speaks
vain words but then his heart
Heaps mischief to it, which he tells,
when forth he doth depart.

7 My haters, jointly whispering, 'gainst me my hurt devise.

8 Mischief, say they, cleaves fast to him, he lieth, and shall not rise.

9 Yea, ev'n mine own familiar friend,
on whom I did rely,

Who ate my bread, ev'n he his heel
against me lifted high.

10 But, Lord, be merciful to me,
and up again me raise.

That I may justly them requite
according to their ways.

11 By this I know that certainly
I favour'd am by thee:
Because my hateful enemy
triumphs not over me.

12 But as for me, thou me uphold'st
in mine integrity:

And me before thy countenance
thou sett'st continually.

13 The Lord, the God of Israel
be blest for ever then,

From age to age eternally.
Amen, yea, and amen.

PSALM XLII.

To the chief musician, MASCHIL, for the sons of KORAH.

Perhaps this Psalm was composed by David, when the unnatural rebellion of Absalom had forced him from the sanctuary of God, and to take up his lodgings eastward of Jordan; Lam. xv.-19. We have in it, (1) ardent longings after nearness to, and familiar intimacy with God, in his public ordinances and sanctuary; ver. 1, 2. (2) Mournful lamentations and bitter groanings on account of God's withdrawing his comfortable smiles; of the want of the once enjoyed ordinances of God, and fellowship with his saints; of the troublesome impres sions of God's wrath; and of his enemies insolent upbraiding of him, and on account of the departure and distance of his God; ver. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. (3) Believing remembrance of God's former favours; ver. 6, and self-encouraging hopes of future ones; ver. 5, 8, 11.

Have I experimentally understood all these things! My soul, let me charge thee to beware of dissimulation with God, and of compassing him about with lies, under pretence of praising him. Dare not to sing these lines without inward, without ardent longings for the Lord; without earnest claiming of him as thy own God, upon the foundatition of his new covenant grant of himself to me, in the gospel; without assured hopes of his future, his everlssting kindness to me-ward.

L

IKE as the hart for water-brooks, in thirst doth pant and bray, So pants my longing soul, O God, that come to thee I may.

2 My soul for God, the living God, doth thirst; when shall I near Unto thy countenance approach, and in God's sight appear?

3 My tears have unto me been meat,
both in the night and day,
While unto me continually,
where is thy God? they say.
4 My soul is poured out in me,
when this I think upon;
Because that with the multitude
I heretofore had gone:

With them into God's house I went,
with voice of joy and praise;
Yea, with the multitude that kept
the solemn holy days.

5 O why art thou cast down, my soul? why in me so dismay'd?

Trust God, for I shall praise him yet; his count'nance is mine aid.

6 My God, my soul's cast down in me;
thee therefore mind I will
From Jordan's land, the Hermonites,
and ev'n from Mizar-hill.
7. At the noise of thy water-spouts
deep unto deep doth call:

Thy breaking waves pass over me,
yea, and thy billows all.

8 His loving-kindness yet the Lord
command will in the day:
His songs with me by night, to God
by whom I live, I'll pray.

9 And I will say to God, my rock,
why me forgett'st thou so?
Why, for my foes oppression,
thus mourning do I go?

10 'Tis as a sword within my bones, when my foes me upbraid:

K. k