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4 All the kings of the earth fhall praise thee, O Lord : for they have heard the words of thy mouth.

5 Yea, they fhall fing in the ways of the Lord: that great is the glory of the Lord.

6 For though the Lord be high, yet hath he refpect unto the lowly as for the proud, he beholdeth them afar off.

7 Though I walk in the midft of trouble, yet fhalt thou refresh me thou shalt stretch forth thy hand upon the furiousness of mine enemies, and thy right hand fhall fave me.

8 The Lord fhall make good his loving kindness towards me yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not then the works of thine own hands.

MORNING

PRAYER.

Pfalm cxxxix, Domine, probafti

Lord thou haft fearched me out, and known me thou knoweft my down-fitting, and mine up-rifing; thou understandeft my thoughts long before.

2 Thou art about my path, and about my bed: and fpieft out all my ways.

3 For lo, there is not a word in my tongue: but thou, O Lord, knoweft it altogether.

4 Thou haft fashioned me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me.

5 Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me: I cannot attain unto it.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxxxviii.] 1. In this hymn, the fervent zeal which animates true believers appears in a strong light; it inclines them to rejoice in God, to worship him, to fing his praifes, and declare his loving-kindness before all men, even before the great men of the earth, that they may learn to fear God, and fhew forth his glory. 2. We fee in this pfalm, that the great God, who dwells in the heavens, knows all that is done here below; that he does not difdain to take care of men; but efpecially, that his eyes are open upon his children; that he is with them in adverfity; fo that all thofe who fear him may fay with an entire confidence, "The Lord fhall make good his loving kindness towards me: yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; defpife not then the works of thine own hands,"

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6 Whither fhall I go then from thy fpirit: or whither fhall I go then from thy prefence?

7 If I climb up into heaven, thou art there: if I go down to hell, thou art there alfo.

8 If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermoft parts of the fea;

9 Even there alfo fhall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand fhall hold me.

10 If I fay, Peradventure the darknefs fhall cover me: then shall my night be turned to day.

11 Yea, the darkness is no darknefs with thee, but the night is as clear as the day: the darkness and light to thee are both alike.

12 For my reins are thine: thou haft covered me in my mothers womb.

13 I will give thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my foul knoweth right well.

14 My bones are not hid from thee: though I be made fecretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth.

15 Thine eyes did fee my fubftance, yet being imperfect: and in thy book were all my members written;

16 Which day by day were fashioned: when as yet there was none of them.

17 How dear are thy counfels unto me, O God: O how great is the fum of them!

18 If I tell them, they are more in number than the fand: when I awake up, I am prefent with thee.

19 Wilt thou not flay the wicked, O God: depart from me ye blood-thirsty men.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.'

Pfalm cxxxix.] We ought to confider this pfalm with great attention. This is one of thofe places of fcripture, which fpeak moft clearly of the divine prefence and knowledge. David teaches us very exprefly, that God is every where; that his knowledge is infinite, as well as his power; that nothing is hid from his all-feeing eye; and that wherever we are, he is witnefs not only of our words and actions, but even of our most fecret thoughts. Thefe truths fhould make a deep impreffion upon us, as they did upon David; and engage us to live always as in God's fight, and

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20 For they speak unrighteously against thee: and thine enemies take thy Name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee: and am not I grieved with those that rife up against thee?

22 Yea, I hate them right fore: even as though they were mine enemies.

23 Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my heart: prove me, and examine my thoughts.

24 Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me: and lead me in the way everlasting.

Pfalm cxl. Eripe me, Domine.

Eliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: and preferve

2 Who imagine mischief in their hearts and stir up all the day long.

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3 They have fharpened their tongues like a ferpent: adders poison is under their lips.

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4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly pre ferve me from the wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have laid a fnare for me, and spread a net abroad with cords: yea, and set traps in my way.

6 I faid unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.

7 O Lord God, thou ftrength of my health: thou haft covered my head in the day of battle.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

to fear that great God, who is prefent every where, and, as nothing can be hid from him, will judge us according to our works. To this general reflection, which is the principal, we may add thefe three particular ones: 1. that the wonderful manner, in which God has given us life, affords us abundant motives to acknowledge his power and goodness, and to employ both our fouls and bodies in his fervice. 2. That the power and goodness of God ought to fill the righteous with great confidence, and fecure them against all fear of men. Laftly, That if we love God, we shall hate every thing that God hates; we should fhun vice, and the company of the wicked, but without hating them perfonally; herein imitating our heavenly father, who hates unrighteoufnels, but bears with finners, doing them good continually, and ufing great patience towards them, to bring them to repentance.

PRAC

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8 Let not the ungodly have his defire, O Lord: let not his mifchievous imagination profper, left they be too proud. 9 Let the mifchief of their own lips fall upon the head of them that compals me about.

10 Let hot burning coals fall upon them: let them be caft into the fire, and into the pit, that they never rife up again. 11 A man full of words fhall not profper upon the earth: evil fhall hunt the wicked perfon to overthrow him.

12 Sure I am, that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the caufe of the helpless.

13 The righteous alfo fhall give thanks unto thy Name: and the juft fhall continue in thy fight.

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Pfalm cxli. Domine, clamavi.

ORD, I call upon thee, hafte thee unto me: and confider my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be fet forth in thy fight as the incense: and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening facrifice. 3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and keep the door of my lips.

4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works, with the men that work wickedness, left I eat of fuch things as please them. Let the righteous rather fmite me friendly and reprove

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me.

6 But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.

7 Let their judges be overthrown in ftony places: that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxl.] We are to obferve, that God defends the righteous from the violence of the wicked; that his vengeance purfues cruel and unjuft men, and those who flander and deceive their neighbours; that how formidable foever their power may appear, he defeats their defigns; and if he fuffers the innocent to be oppreffed for a while, he fhews at laft that he is their protector; and gives them occafion to own and celebrate his power, juftice, and goodness. In this view, and with fuch a fpirit as this, and not with a fpirit of refentment and revenge against them that have offended us, ought we to read and meditate on this pfalm.

PRAC

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2. JE XPLAINED.

ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

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8 Our bones lie fcattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my truft; O caft not out my foul.

10 Keep me from the fnare that they have laid for me : and from the traps of the wicked doers.

11 Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever efcape them.

I

EVENING

PRAYER.

Pfalm cxlii. Voce mea ad Dominum.

Cried unto the Lord with my voice: yea, even unto the
Lord did I make my fupplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him: and fhewed him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heaviness, thou kneweft my path in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a fnare for me.

I looked alfo upon my right hand and faw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto: and no man cared for my foul.

6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and faid: Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxli.] The ufe we are to make of this pfalm is, 1. To join. with king David in the prayers which are here offered up to God, humbly befeeching him favourably to receive our requests, and that our prayers may afcend into his prefence; that he would preferve us from offending him, either by rafh words or evil thoughts; and that he would not fuffer us to be drawn away by the wicked; which is the defign of this excellent prayer : "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; and keep the door of my lips. O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works, with the men that work wickedness, left I eat of fuch things as pleafe them." 2. David teaches us to receive with pleasure and thankfulness the warnings and correction of good men ; faying with David, as all pious men fhould do, "Let the righteous fmite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil,"

PRAC.

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