3 Early in the morning do I cry unto thee: for in thy word is my truft. 4 Mine eyes prevent the night-watches: that I might be occupied in thy words. 5 Hear my voice, O Lord, according unto thy loving kindnefs: quicken me according as thou art wont. 6 They draw nigh that of malice perfecute me: and are far from thy law. Be thou nigh at hand, O Lord: for all thy commandments are true. 8 As concerning thy teftimonies, I have known long fince: that thou haft grounded them for ever. Vide humilitatem. Confider mine adversity, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. 2 Avenge thou my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word. 3 Health is far from the ungodly: for they regard not thy Atatutes. 4 Great is thy mercy, O Lord: quicken me as thou art wont. 5 Many there are that trouble me, and perfecute me: yet do I not fwerve from thy teftimonies. 6 It grieveth me when I fee the tranfgreffors: because they keep not thy law. Confider, O Lord, how I love thy commandments: O quicken me according to thy loving kindness. 8 Thy word is true from everlasting: all the judgments of thy righteousness endure for evermore. Principes perfecuti funt. Rinces have perfecuted me without a caufe: but my heart ftandeth in awe of thy word. 2 I am as glad of thy word: as one that findeth great spoils. 3 As for lies, I hate and abhor them: but thy law do I love. X 4 *Seven times a day do I praise thee: because of thy righteous judgments. 5 Great is the peace that they have who love thy law: and they are not offended at it. -6 Lord, I have looked for thy faving health: and done after thy commandments. 7 My foul hath kept thy teftimonies: and loved them exceedingly. 8 I have kept thy commandments and teftimonies: for all my ways are before thee. Appropinquet deprecatio. ET my complaint come before thee, O Lord: give me underftanding according to thy word. 2 Let my fupplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. 3 My lips fhall fpeak of thy praise: when thou haft taught me thy ftatutes. 4 Yea, my tongue fhall fing of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteous. 5 Let thine hand help me: for I have chofen thy command ments. 6 I have longed for thy faving health, O Lord: and in thy law is my delight. 7 O let my foul live, and it shall praise thee and thy judgments. fhall help me. 8 I have gone a fray like a fheep that is loft; O feek thy fervant, for I do not forget thy commandments. MORNING PRAYER. HEN I was in trouble, WH Seven times a Day do I praise thee because of, &c. That is very often. See Prov. xxiv. 16, because the number even among the Jews is a number of per fection. And whatever fome People may think of David's devotion in this refpe&t certainly did we duly reflect upon the innumerable inestimable blefings I called upon the Lord: and he that our good God is continually beflowing upon us, we should have reafon to fay, as the Pfal...ift did on another occafion, the praises of God fhall be ever in my mouth. The Pfalmift herein complains of the deceitful Foilonous calumnies of fame maliciousPerfons again 2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips: and from a deceit ful tongue. 3 What reward fhall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue: even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals. 4 Wo is me, that I am conftrained to dwell with Mefech: and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar ! 5 My foul hath long dwelt among them: that are enemies unto peace. 6 I labour for peace, but when I fpeak unto them thereof: they make them ready to battel. Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: from whence cometh I 'my help. 2 My help cometh even from the Lord: who hath made heaven and earth. 3 He will not fuffer thy foot to be moved: and he that keepeth thee will not fleep. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Ifrael: fhall neither flumber nor Пleep. 5 The Lord himself is thy keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand; 6 *So that the fun shall not burn thee by day: neither the moon by night. 7 The Lord fhall preferve thee from all evil: yea, it is even he that fhall keep thy foul. him; and of the great hardships he endured in being obliged to live among fuch People: and implores - God's affiftance. This and fourteen Pfalms following have the fame title, viz. the Song of Degrees, or Ajcenfions: b. cause they are fupposed to have been fung by the Jews either upon their return from captivity, or their going up to Jerufalem at their folemn Festivals. Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Me. fech, and to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar. Kedar was the Son of Ifmael whole defcendants were a wild uncivilized race of People, dwelling in Tents, like the Arabs at this Day. This might be therefore a metaphorical expreft on with the Pfalmift fignifying the rudeness and wickedness of the People he was forced to live amongft. A circumftance which must always be matter of concern to pious good Perfons. King David going out to War, first approaches the Ark of God which was fixed in Mount Sion, and here implores the divine help, on which alone he pro. feffeth that he fixeth his dependence. The High Prieft, in return, aflures him from the Tabernacle, that God will be his continual protector by Day and by Night.. * So that the Sun shall not burn thee by Day: ne ther the Moon, &c. It might full as properly have been tranfla ed, "The Sun fhall not injure thee by Day: neither the Moon by Night." For the Antients fup pofed that the Moon had a noxious influence upon the 66 8 The Lord fhall preferve thy going out and thy coming in: from this time forth for evermore. § Pfalm 122. Lætatus fum. WAS glad when they faid unto me: We will go into the houfe of the Lord. 2 Our feet fhall ftand in thy gates: O Jerufalem. 3 Jerufalem is built as a city: that is at unity in itself. 4 For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord: to testify unto Ifrael, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. 5 For there is the feat of judgment: even the feat of the house of David. * 60 pray for the peace of Jerufalem: they fhall profper that love thee. 7 Peace be within thy walls: and plenteoufnefs within thy palaces. 8 For my brethern and companions fakes: I will with thee profperity. Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God: I will feek to do thee good. # Pfalm 123. Ad te levavi oculos. NTO thee lift I up mine eycs: O thou that dwelleft in the heavens. UNT 2 Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their mafters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: even fo our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us. human Body, through the cold, or too great degree of moisture which it is faid to produce. When we confider indeed the numerous dangers we are expofed to through the weakness and infirmity of human nature: we should have reason to be under continual difquie tude, had we not a firm affurance that we are under the protection of a gracious Providence. This Pfalm is thought to have been compofed by David to be publiskly fung when the Ifraelites afembled at Jerufalem apon their folemn Festivals. The People are here reprefented as congratulating each other upon their going up to the Houfe of the Lords and on that occafion celebrating the praifes of the City of Jerufalem, and wifhing its profperity. O pray for the peace of Jerufalem: they shall profper, &c. Hence let every Man learn not only to pray for, but alfo endeavour to promote the tranquility and welfare of the Nation or Society to which he belongs. The Jews being oppreffed and perfecuted by their Enemies here implore the divine affiftaace.. 3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are utterly despised. 4 Our foul is filled with the fcornful reproof of the wealthy: and with the defpitefulness of the proud. Pfalm 124. Nifi quia Dominus. the Lord himself had not been on our fide, now may Ifrael fay: if the Lord himfelf had not been on our fide, when men rose up against us; 2 They had swallowed us up quick: when they were fo wrathfully difpleafed at us. 3+ Yea, the waters had drowned us: and the stream had gone over our foul. 4 The deep waters of the proud: had gone even over our foul. 5 But praised be the Lord who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth. 6 Our foul is escaped even as a bird out of the fnare of the fowler: the fnare is broken, and we are delivered. 7 Our help ftandeth in the Name of the Lord: who hath made heaven and earth. TH * Pfalm 125. Qui confidunt. HEY that put their truft in the Lord, fhall be even as the mount Sion: which may not be removed, but ftandeth fast for ever. 2 The hills ftand about Jerufalem: even fo ftandeth the Lord round about his people, from this time forth for evermore. 3 + For the rod of the ungodly cometh not into the lot of the righteous: left the righteous put their hand unto wickedness. |