PSALM XXXIX-THE BREVITY OF LIFE

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20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my

salvation.

Psalm 39

1 David's care of his thoughts. 4 The consideration of the brevity and vanity of life, 7 the reverence of God's judg ments, 10 and prayer, are his bridles of impatiency. To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun,1 A Psalm o. David.

SAID, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee; verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.

9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

Psalm 40

1 The benefit of confidence in God. 6 Obedience is the best sacrifice. 11 The sense of David's evils inflameth his To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

prayer.

WAITED patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

1Jeduthun was the chief of one of the three choirs of the temple. His descendants formed one of the musical guilds in the temple. Therefore the name means here and elsewhere "after the manner of the choir of Jeduthun."

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PSALM XL- -GOD REQUIRES OBEDIENCE

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written

of me,

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth

me.

me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help

14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha!

16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalm 41

1 God's care of the poor. 4 David complaineth of his enemies' treachery. 10 He fleeth to God for succour. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

LESSED is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

The Maidens Chosen

BY FILIPPINO LIPPI, THE FLORENTINE MASTER, DIED 1504. FROM THE MUSEUM OF CHANTILLY.

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"Many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai.”—Esther, 2, 8.

ASHTI having been thus degraded, it seems proba

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ble that there was an interval during which the emperor went on his Grecian expedition, to chastise those other rebels against his royal will. Having seen his huge armament completely defeated by the Greeks, he returned home, perhaps in chastened mood, and bethought himself once more of his domestic affairs. It may be that he grieved for Vashti; at least we are told that he "remembered" her, and his high officials bestirred themselves to bring him forgetfulness. It was arranged that all the most beautiful maidens should be gathered from the "hundred and twenty-seven" provinces of the empire. One of them was then to be sent on each successive day to the king's apartments, until among them all he found one who sufficiently pleased him to be made queen in Vashti's place.

As a preliminary, all the damsels who appeared, passed in procession before Hegai, the "keeper of the women," who selected such as he thought worthy to appear before the king. In this procession appeared the Jewish maiden, Hadassah. She was among those chosen by Hegai, and was thereupon given the Persian name of Esther.