rience, casts his burden on the Lord, and supplicates a merciful deliverance, ver. 1. [2] Addressing himself to men, particularly to his persecutors, he reproves their contempt of God and religion, their delight in, and practice of vanity, fraud and falsehood. He represents the happiness of the saints in having God their protector, and ready to hear their requests. He recommends an holy filial awe of God, a careful abstinence from sin, a composed trial of and converse with their own heart, together with a devoting of themselves, and their conduct and substance to the Lord, ver. 2—5. [3] To en courage them to the study of practical religion, he remarks what superlative satisfaction and rest himself had found in familiar fellowship with God, and in a believing dependance on him, ver. 6-8.

While I sing, let me have faith in God, as my own God in Christ. Let me abhor that levity of mind. that deceitfulness, that earthly mindedness proper to the ungodly, and every remain thereof. Let my soul pant for JEHOVAH, and prefer him to every thing else. Let me, by faith, lay myself down in his arms, his bosom, as all salvation and comfort.

my

IVE ear unto me when I call,
God of my righteousness:

Have mercy, hear my pray'r, thou hast
enlarg'd me in distress.

20 ye the sons of men, how long

will ye love vanities?

How long my glory turn to shame,
and will ye follow lies?

3 But know, that for himself the Lord
the godly man doth choose:

The Lord, when I on him do call,

to bear will not refuse.

4 Fear, and sin not; talk with your heart on bed, and silent be.

5 Off'rings present of righteousness; and in the Lord trust ye.

-6 O who will shew us any good?
is that which many say;

But of thy countenance the light,
Lord, lift on us alway.

Upon my heart, bestow'd by thee,
more gladness I have found,

Than they, ev'n then, when corn and wine
did most with them abound.

I will both lay me down in peace,
and quiet sleep will take :
Because thou only me to dwell
in safety, Lord, dost make.

PSALM V.

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, a Psalm of David.

Here [1] the man according to God's heart, in the assured faith of God's hearing his prayers and hating his sins, fixeth a daily, an early, an earnest, a steady, a grace-founded correspondence with God, in his ordinances of meditation, prayer, praise, &c. verse 1-7. [2] Behold him humbly requesting God's special direction in duties which his enemies had rendered difficult to perform; supplicating and predicting the ruin of his implicable foes; and, in the assured faith of obtaining it, imploring comfort and prosperity to his fellow saints,

ver. 8-12.

While I sing, let my heart and flesh cry out, and my soul pant and wait for the Lord. In the firm faith of infinite mercy to forgive all my crimes, and wash out all my sinful stains, let me blush at, and detest my own abominations. Let me cultivate the closest familiarity with the Lord my God. Let my prayers correspond with his promises, and with the particular condition of myself or others.

G1

IVE ear unto my words, O Lord;
my meditation weigh.
C

2 Hear my loud ery, my King, my God; for I to thee will pray.

3 Lord, thou shalt early hear my voice; I early will direct

My pray'r to thee, and looking up,
an answer will expect.

4 For thou art not a God that doth
in wickedness delight:

5

6

Neither shall evil dwell with thee:
Nor fools stand in thy sight.

All that ill-doers are thou hat'st;
Cutt'st off that liars be:

The bloody and deceitful man
abhorred is by thee.

7 But I into thy house will come
in thine abundant grace:

And I will worship in thy fear
toward thy holy place.

8 Because of those mine enemies,
Lord, in thy righteousness,
Do thou me lead; do thou thy way
make straight before my face.

9 For in their mouth there is no truth,
their inward part is ill;

Their throat's an open sepulchre,
their tongue doth flatter still.

10 O God, destroy them; let them be
by their own council quell'd:
Them, for their many sins, cast out,
for they 'gainst thee rebell'd.

11 But let all joy that trust in thee, and still make shouting noise;

For them thou sav'st: let all that love thy name in thee rejoice.

12 For, Lord, unto the righteous man thou wilt thy blessing yield; With favour thou wilt compass him about as with a shield.

PSALM VI.

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, upon Sheminité, A Psalm of David.

Observe here [1] David, a great saint, under grievous and manifold troubles, sickness of body, conscience-felt charges of guilt, vexation of mind, attended with desertion from God, and contemptuous insults from his ene mics, ver. 2, 3, 5, 9, 7. [2] His supplications with strong cries and tears to God for mitigation of trouble, support under it, and deliverance from it, ver. 1, 4, 6. iumphant separation of himself from the wickhot God had heard and

ed, in the full assurance of fat, would graciously grant his requests, and would either convert or destroy his opposers, ver. 8, 10.

In all my afflictions, let me believe that Jesus was afflicted for me. Let me call my sin to remembiance, spread my case before him, fill my mouth with arguments; implore his abundant, free, and sovereign mer. cy, as my sole and all comprehensive relief. Nor let me ever expect a comfortable answer to my prayers, while I cultivate an intimacy with profane and wicked

men.

Lo

ORD, in thy wrath rebuke me not, nor in thy hot rage chasten me. 2 Lord, pity me, for I am weak : Heal me, for my bones vexed be. 3 My soul is also vexed sore;

But, Lord, how long stay wilt thou make? 4 Return, O Lord, my soul set free: O save me for thy mercy's sake.

5 Because those that deceased are,
Of thee shall no remembrance have:

And who is he that will to thee,
Give praises, lying in the grave?
8 I with my groaning weary am,
I also all the night my bed

Have caused for to swim; and I
With tears my couch have watered.

Mine eye, consum'd with grief, grows old
Because of all mine enemies.

3 Hence from me wicked workers all;
For God hath heard my weeping cries.
9 God hath my supplication heard;
My pray'r received graciously.

10 Sham'd and sore vex'd be all my foes $
Sham'd and back turned suddenly.

SECOND VERSIÓN.

N thy great indignation,

O Lord, rebuke me not,

Nor on me lay thy chast'ning hand in thy displeasure hot.

2 Lord, I am weak, therefore on me have mercy, and me spare:

Heal me, O Lord, because thou know'st my bones much vexed are.

3 My soul is vexed sore: but, Lord, how long stay wilt thou make?

4 Return, Lord, free my soul, and save me for thy mercy's sake.

5 Because of thee in death there shall no more remembrance be:

Of those that in the grave do lie, who shall give thanks to thee?

6 I with my groaning weary am, and all the night my bed