EVENING PRAYER. Psalm cxiv. In exitu Ifrael. WHEN Ifrael came out of Egypt: and the house of from among the strange people, 2 Judah was his fanctuary: and Israel his dominion. 3 The fea faw that, and fled: Jordan was driven back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams: and the little hills like young sheep. 5 What aileth thee, O thou fea, that thou fleddeft : and thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? 6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams: and ye little hills, like young sheep? 7 Tremble, thou earth, at the prefence of the Lord: at the prefence of the God of Jacob; 8 Who turned the hard rock into a standing water: and the flint-stone into a springing well. N Pfalm cxv. Non nobis, Domine. OT unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy thy truth's fake.. 2 Wherefore shall the heathen say: Where is now their God? 3 As for our God, he is in heaven: he hath done whatsoever pleased him. 4 Their idols are filver and gold: even the work of men's hands. Pfalm cxiv.] This is a brief recital of the miraculous works of God to his people the Jews, in their redemption out of Egypt, and journey to Canaan; an emblem of his greater mercy in the redemption of mankind by the death of his Son. 4] Mount Sinai; all the greater and lesser branches of it did greatly move and shake. Exod xxvii. 8; Numb. xx. Pfalm cxv.] In this pfalm the true and only God is glorified in oppolition to all idol deities, and all persons are called upon to place their whole trust in Him. 2] Should the insulting adversary ask the above question, "Where is now their God?" the faithful are ready with their reply, "Our God is in the heavens;" He is, where He ever was, upon his glorious throne, high over all the kingdoms of the world, and the powers of created nature. R. 5 They have mouths, and speak not: eyes have they, and fee not. 6 They have ears, and hear not: noses have they, and smell not. 7 They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them: and fo are all fuch as put their trust in them. 9 But thou, house of Ifrael, trust thou in the Lord: he is their fuccour and defence. Jo Ye house of Aaron, put your trust in the Lord : he is their helper and defender. 11 Ye that fear the Lord, put your trust in the Lord: he is their helper and defender. 12 The Lord hath been mindful of us, and he shall bless us: even he shall bless the house of Ifrael, he shall bless the house of Aaron. 13 He shall bless them that fear the Lord: both small and great. 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more: you and your children. 15 Ye are the blessed of the Lord: who made heaven and earth. 16 All the whole heavens are the Lord's: the earth hath he given to the children of men. 17 The dead praise not thee, O Lord: neither all they that go down into filence. 18 But we will praise the Lord: from this time forth for evermore. Praise the Lord. MORNING PRAYER. Pfalm cxvi. Dilexi, quoniam. I AM well pleased: that the Lord hath heard the voice of my prayer; Pfalm cxvi.] This is a grateful acknowledgment of God's seasonable deliverances, and gracious returns unto the prayers of his afflicted distressed servant. It is thought to have been composed by David upon his delivery from the rebellion of Abfalom; after which he immediately had the power of returning to the fanctuary and public affembly at Jerufalem. 2 That he hath inclined his ear unto me: therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 3 The snares of death compaffed me round about: and the pains of hell gat hold upon me. 4 I shall find trouble and heaviness; and I will call upon the Name of the Lord: O Lord, I befeech thee, deliver my foul. 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous: yea, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was in mifery, and he helped me. 7 Turn again then unto thy rest, O my foul: for the Lord hath rewarded thee. 8 And why? thou hast delivered my foul from death: mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord: in the land of the living. 10 I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was fore troubled: I said in my haste, All men are liars. II What reward shall I give unto the Lord: for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? 12 I will receive the cup of falvation: and call upon the Name of the Lord. 13 I will pay my vows now in the prefence of all his people: right dear in the fight of the Lord is the death of his faints. 14 Behold, O Lord, how that I am thy fervant: I am thy fervant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast broken my bonds in sunder. 15 I will offer to thee the facrifice of thanksgiving: and will call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the fight of all his people: in the courts of the Lord's house, even in the midst of thee, O Jerufalem. Praise the Lord. 12] The commemoration of the passover, or poftcanium, advanced by Chrift into the facrament of his blood, was concluded, after the Jewish custom, with a hymn. The modern Jews, when they annually celebrate the deliverance of their forefathers in Egypt, take a cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord, finging a portion of the book of pfalms. They drink the wine, and do not pour it upon the ground. 0 Praise the Lord, all ye heathen : praise him, all ye nations. 2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise the Lord. 0 Pfalm cxviii. Confitemini Domino. Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: because his mercy endureth for ever. 2 Let Ifrael now confefs, that he is gracious; and that his mercy endureth for ever. 3 Let the house of Aaron now confefs: that his mercy endureth for ever. 4 Yea, let them now that fear the Lord confefs: that his mercy endureth for ever. 5 I called upon the Lord in trouble: and the Lord heard me at large. 6 The Lord is on my fide: I will not fear what man doeth unto me. 7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me : therefore shall I see my defire upon mine enemies. Plalm cxvii.] This feems to be altogether prophetical of the joy that all the world should experience at the coming of the Meffiah, to give falvation, first to the Jews, and then to all other nations, according to his faithful promise. 1) It is remarkable that of fo short a psalm one verse is quoted in the New Testament by St. Paul; the secoud verse is explained, although not quoted, Rom. xv. 8, 9. "All the nations," (Bib. tranf.) by which expresfion, all the people of the Gentile world, and the whole creation, are signified. was Pfalm cxviii.] This seems to be a gratulatory hymn to David upon his full and undisturbed poffeffion of the kingdom, after the ark brought to Jerufalem; and was probably appointed to be sung at the Feaft of Tabernacles, (fome parts of it in the perfon of the people, and others in the person of the king himself) the most joyful folemnity in the whole year, as about this time the armies returned home from the field, and Hosanna was the acclamation then used of course, although no extraordinary accident had happened. It is applied both by our Saviour, Matth. xxi. 42; and by St. Peter, 1 Pet. ii. 4, to Chrift the Son of David. It confifts of praises to God for all his mercies. 1-18] The whole nation is invited to join with the king on this joyful occafion. He defcribes at large his danger, and his deliverance he afcribes to the power and goodness of Jehovah. Mm 8 It is better to trust in the Lord: than to put any confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord: than to put any confidence in princes. 10 All nations compassed me round about: but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them. 11 They kept me in on every fide, they kept me in, I fay, on every fide: but in the Name of the Lord will I detroy them. 12 They came about me like bees, and are extinct even as the fire among the thorns: for in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them. 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: but the Lord was my help. 14 The Lord is my strength, and my fong: and is become my falvation. 15 The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. 16 The right hand of the Lord hath the pre-eminence: the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. 17 I shall not die, but live: and declare the works of B the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened and corrected me: but he hath not given me over unto death. 19 Open me the gates of righteousness: that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord: the righteous shall enter into it. 21 I will thank thee, for thou hast heard me: and art become my falvation. 22 The same stone which the builders refused: is become the head-stone in the corner. 23 This is the Lord's doing: and it is marvellous in Tour eyes. 19] Here ensues a kind of facred dialogue. Being arrived at the temple, the victorious monarch speaks this verse; they that open the gate, the aoth; he again, as he enters, the 21st; they with him feem to speak the four next verfes to the 25th; the priests of the temple, the 26th, the firft part to the king, the other to the people; the people, the 27th; he, the th the 29th is the choral verse, concluding as it began. |