41 Their enemies oppreffed them: and had them in fubjection. 42 Many a time did he deliver them: but they rebelled against him with their own inventions, and were brought down in their wickedness.

43 Nevertheless, when he saw their adverfity: he heard their complaint.

44 He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them, according unto the multitude of his mercies: yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.

45 Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen: that we may give thanks unto thy holy Name, and make our boaft of thy praise.

46 Bleffed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end: and let all the people fay, Amen.

MORNING

PRAYER. + Pfalm 107. Confitemini Domino.

GIVE thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: and his mercy endureth for ever.

O

2 Let them give thanks whom the Lord hath redeemed: and delivered from the hand of the enemy;

3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the weft: from the north, and from the fouth.

4 They went aftray in the wilderness out of the way: and found no city to dwell in;

5 Hungry and thirsty: their foul fainted in them.

6 * So they cried unto the Lord in their trouble: and he delivered them from their diftrefs.

He led them forth by the right way: that they might go to the city where they dwelt.

7

8 O that men would therefore praife he Lord for his goodness: and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!

This may juftiy be reckoned amongst the moit elegant of the Pfalms; and its principal elegancy S

arifes, in part, from the difpofition of its materials, and the form of the whole poem. The Author here

9 For he fatisfieth the empty foul: and filleth the hungry foul with goodness;

10 Such as fit in darkness, and in the fhadow of death: being faft bound in mifery and iron.

11 Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord: and lightly regarded the counfel of the most Highest ;

12 He alfo brought down their heart through heaviness: they fell down, and there was none to help them.

13 So when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble: he delivered them out of their diftrefs.

14 For he brought them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death and brake their bonds in funder.

15 O that men would therefore praife the Lord for his goodnefs: and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!

16 For he hath broken the gates of brass: and smitten the bars of iron in funder.

17 Foolish men are plagued for their offence: and becaufe of their wickedness.

18 Their foul abhorred all manner of meat: and they were. even hard at deaths door.

19 So when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble: he delivered them out of their diftrefs.

20 He fent his word, and healed them: and they were faved from their deftruction.

21 O that men would therefore praife the Lord for his goodness: and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!

22 That they would offer unto him the facrifice of thanksgiving: and tell out his works with gladness }

in celebrates the goodnefs and mercy of God towards all Men in their greateft calamities, in his lending a ready Ear to their requests.

*So when they cried unto the Lord, &c. Such is the happy tendency of affliction where it falls upon a mind which is difpoled for its reception-It naturally leads

us to think upon God, and to cry unto him-because we then more particularly difcover the vanity and infuff ciency of all worldly help without him. How kind is. it then in. Providence to fuffer Men to feel the effects of their own follies, or to inflict upon them needful. chaftifemeats, in order to bring them back to Duty!

23 They that go down to the fea in fhips: and occupy their business in great waters,

24 Thefe men fee the works of the Lord: and his wonders in the deep.

25 For at his word the ftormy wind arifeth: which lifteth up the waves thereof.

again to the

26 They are carried up to the heaven, and down deep: their foul melteth away because of the trouble.

27 They reel to and fro, and ftagger like a drunken man: and are at their wits end.

28 So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble: he delivereth them out of their diftrefs.

29 For he maketh the ftorm to cease: so that the waves thereof are still.

30 Then are they glad, because they are at reft: and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.

31 O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnefs: and declare the wonders that he doeth the for children of men!

32 That they would exalt him alfo in the congregation of the people: and praise him in the feat of the elders!

33 Who turneth the floods into a wilderness: and drieth up the water-fprings.

34 A fruitful land maketh he barren: for the wickedness of

them that dwell therein.

35 Again, he maketh the wilderness a standing water: and water-fprings of a dry ground.

36 And there he fetteth the hungry: that they may build them a city to dwell in.

37 That they may fow their land, and plant vineyards: to yield them fruits of increase.

38 He bleffeth them fo that they multiply exceedingly and fuffereth not their cattle to decrease.

39 And again, when they are minished and brought low: through oppreffion, through any plague or trouble;

40 Though he fuffer them to be evil intreated through tyrants: and let them wander out of the way in the wilderness;

41 Yet helpeth he the poor out of mifery: and maketh him houfholds like a flock of fheep.

42 The righteous will confider this and rejoice: and the mouth of all wickednefs fhall be flopped.

43 Whofo is wife will ponder thefe things: and they fhall underftand the loving kindness of the Lord.

EVENING

PRAYER. *Pfalm 108. Paratum cor meum.

God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready: +I will fing and give praife with the best member that I have.

O

2 Awake, thou lute and harp: I myself will awake right early. 3 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people: I will fing praifes unto thee among the nations.

4 For thy mercy is greater than the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

5 Set up thyfelf, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

6 That thy beloved may be delivered: let thy right hand fave them, and hear thou me.

7 God hath fpoken in his holiness: I will rejoice therefore and divide Sichem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine, and Manaffes is mine: Ephraim alfo is the ftrength of my head.

9 Judah is my law-giver, Moab is my wafh pot: over Edom will I caft out my fhoe; upon Philiftia will I triumph.

David here extols God's Mercy and Truth; and implores his aftance; expreffing at the fame time his affurance that he fhould reign over the whole Land of Ifracl, and be victorious over the Moabites, Edomites, and all who opposed him.

I will fing and give praise with the best Member,
By this the Pfalmift probably meant his Tongue:

because by it he was enabled to utter publickly the praises of God, and make known to mankind the devout fentiments of his Heart. What pity it is that that which is here reckoned the best of our Members frould be fo oftea rendered the worit, yea an unruly Evil, full of deadly Poison and how much have its perverters to answer for!

10 Who will lead me into the ftrong city: and who will bring me into Edom?

11 Haft not thou forfaken us, O God: and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hofts?

12 O help us against the enemy: for vain is the help of man. 13 Through God we fhall do great acts: and it is he that fhall tread down our enemies.

H Pfalm 109. Deus laudum.

O'd not thy tongue, O God of my praife: for the mouth of the ungodly, yca, the mouth of the deceitful is opened up

on me.

2 And they have spoken against me with falfe tongues: they compaffed me about allo with words of hatred, and fought against me without a caufe.

3 For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part: but I give myself unto prayer.

:

4 Thus have they rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my good will.

5 Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him: and let Satan ftand at his right hand.

6 When fentence is given upon him, let him be condemned: and let his prayer be turned into fin.

Let his days be few: and let another take his office.

8 Let his children be fatherlefs: and his wife a widow.

9 Let his children be vagabonds: and beg their bread: let them feck it alfo out of defolate places.

10 Let the extortioner confume all that he hath: and let the ftranger spoil his labour.

11 Let there be no man to pity him: nor to have compaffion upon his fatherless children.

In this Pfam David defcribes the Malice and In. juilice of his Enemies, and relates particularly their Imprecations against him. He then befeecheth God to deal kindly with him, and to difappoint the Malice.

of his Accufers, and promifes that he will joyful celebrate him as the Deliverer of the helpless from mercilefs Oppreffors.

Set thou an ungodly Man to be Ruler over him, Ba