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7. Confider my complaint: for I am brought 'very low. 8 O deliver me from my perfecutors: for they are too strong 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 shall the righteous refort unto my company.

Pfalm cxliii. Domine, exaudi.

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 fhall no man living be juftified.

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

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

5 Yet do I remember the time past, 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 thirfty land.

7 Hear me, O Lord, and that foon, for my spirit 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 truft: fhew thou me the way that I fhould 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 pleaseth thee, for thou art my God let thy loving fpirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxlii.] This prayer, which David offered up to God when he was in danger of falling immediately into the hands of Saul, teaches us, that to the Lord we must apply for the help we ftand in need of; and the deliverance which God vouchfafed him in this extremity, fhews, that the confidence of the faithful is never in vain; that God never wants means to deliver them from danger, and to change their forrow into joy and thankgiving.

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11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy names fake: and for thy righteoufnefs fake bring my foul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodnefs flay mine enemies and destroy all them that vex my foul, for I am thy fervant.

MORNING PRAYER.

Pfalm cxliv. Benedictus Dominus.

LESSED be the Lord my ftrength: who teacheth my

B hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

2 My hope and my fortrefs, my castle 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 thall 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 strange 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.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxliii. 1. The prayer which king David makes at the beginning of this pfalm, in thefe words, Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified," is of fuch genétal ufe, that there is no man who has not reafon to make it with humility and fervency. 2. When we obferve with what warmth David, in this and many other pfalms, befeeches God to deliver him from those who hated him, we mult confider, we have not the fame reafons to make that prayer as this king had; but if we have not the fame reafon as he had, we ought heartily to implore the divine affiftance against the enemies of our falvation, fince we are always liable to be affaulted by them, and they are infinitely more to be feared than our temporal enemies..

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

11 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 thousands and ten thousands in our streets.

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." Pfalm cxlv. Exultabo te, Deus.

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

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 praifed: there is no end of his greatness.

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

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxliv.] 1. David's thanksgivings to God for the victories he had obtained, teach us to give glory to God for all the good things that befal us; and that it is he who protects pious kings, and, in general, all that fear him, and who delivers them from the greatest dangers. 2. This pfalm teaches us, that plenty, peace, and temporal profperity, are the effects of the goodness of God and his providence; and that we ought to receive these bleffings with thankfulness, and to make a right use of them. But let us remember, that these temporal bleffings which the Jews afked of God, and which were promifed by the covenant made with them, are not the good things which Chriftians should chiefly look after: let us be ftill more fenfible of the fpiritual bleffings which God grants us in the church, and which fecure us the enjoyment of never-cealing hap nefs. A profpect of fuch bleffings as thefe, gives us greater reafon than the Jews to fay, "Happy is that people whofe God is the Lord."

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5 As for me I will be talking of thy worship: thy glory, thy praife, and wonderous 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 kindnefs fhall be shewed and men fhall fing of thy righteousness.

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 praise thee, O Lord: and thy faints give thanks unto thee.

12 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 everlafting kingdom: and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

14 The Lord upholdeth all fuch as fall: and lifteth up all those that are down.

15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord: and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16 Thou openest thine hand: and filleft all things living with plenteousness.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways: and holy in all his works.

18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him: yea, all fuch as call upon him faithfully.

19 He will fulfill the defire of them that fear him: he alfo will hear their cry, and will help them.

20 The Lord preferveth all them that love him; but fcattereth abroad all the ungodly.

21 My mouth fhall speak the praife of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and

ever.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxlv.] This pfalm is very proper to inflame our zeal, and to encourage us to praife God with a fervent devotion. David expreffes in

the

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Pfalm cxlvi. Lauda, anima mea.

Raife the Lord, O my foul; while I live will I praife the Lord yea, as long I have any being I will fing praifes unto my God.

2 O put not your truft in princes, nor in any child of man for there is no help in them.

3 For when the breath of man goeth forth, he fhall turn again to his earth: and then all his thoughts perifh.

4 Bleffed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help and whole hope is in the Lord his God;

5

Who made heaven and earth, the fea, and all that therein is who keepeth his promife for ever.

6 Who helpeth them to right that fuffer wrong: who feedeth the hungry.

7 The Lord loofeth men out of prison: the Lord giveth fight to the blind.

8 The Lord helpeth them that are fallen: the Lord careth for the righteous.

9 The Lord careth for the ftrangers; he defendeth the fatherlefs and widow; as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upfide down.

10 The Lord thy God, O Sion, fhall be King for evermore and throughout all generations.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

the most affecting terms, the ravishing joys and holy zeal with which the faints meditate upon the wonderful works of the Lord, and celebrate his power, majefty, truth, and juftice, and above all his goodness and mercy, which are over all his works. He teaches us in this pfalm, that as by the Lord all things were made, fo by him all things fubfift; that his providence extends even to the beafts: but his fatherly care he reprefents chiefly over thefe that fear him; affuring us, that God is always near them to defend them; that he hears them when they cry unto him; that Ire delivers them in their diftrefs, and grants them their hearts defire. The confideration of all these things ought to fill us with great love for fo good a God, lead us to imitate his goodnefs, infpire us with a fincere attachment to piety, which procures thefe precious advantages and animate us with ardent zeal to bless him, to declare his praifes, and to glorify him for ever.

Pfalm cxlvi. We may learn from this pfalm, 1. That the beft ufe we can make of our lives, is to employ them wholly in praifing and glorifying God's holy name. 2. That it is a great folly to put our trust in

princes,