4 For the word of the Lord is true: and all his works are faithful. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hofts of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the fea together as it were upon an heap and layeth up the deep as in a treasure-house. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: ftand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world; 9 For he fpake, and it was done: he commanded, and it ftood faft. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and cafteth out the counfels of princes. II The counfel of the Lord fhall endure for ever: and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation. 12 Bleffed are the people whofe God is the Lord Jehovah: and bleffed are the folk that he hath chofen to him to be his inheritance. 13 The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men : from the habitation of his dwelling he confidereth all them that dwell on the earth. 14 He fashioneth all the hearts of them: and understandeth all their works. 15 There is no king that can be faved by the multitude of an hoft: neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength. 16 A horfe is counted but a vain thing to fave a man: neither fhall he deliver any man. by his great ftrength. 17 *Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him: and upon them that put their truft in his mercy. • Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them, &c. From hence it may be obferv'd, that the true way to make God our Friend is to have fuch a reverential fear of him as will engage us to obey his commands; and to repofe fuch a pious truft in him, as will make us refign'd to his will under all his difpenfations 18 To deliver their foul from death: and to feed them in the time of dearth. 19 Our foul hath patiently tarried for the Lord: for he is our help, and our fhield. 20 For our heart shall rejoice in him: because we have hoped in his holy Name. 21 Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us: like as we do put our trust in thee. § Pfalm 34. Benedicam Domino. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord: his praise fhall ever be in my mouth. 2 My foul fhall make her boast in the Lord: the humble fhall hear there of, and be glad. 3 O praise the Lord with me: and let us magnify his Name together. 4 I fought the Lord, and he heard me: yea, he delivered me out of all my fear. 5 They had an eye unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not afhamed. 6 Lo, the poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him: yea, and faveth him out of all his troubles. 7 The Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him: and delivereth them. 8 O tafte, and fee, how gracious the Lord is: bleffed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye that are his faints: for they that fear him, lack nothing. 10 The lions do lack, and fuffer hunger: but they who feek the Lord, fhall want no manner of thing that is good. II Come, ye children, and hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. This is a Pfalm of Thanksgiving for David's deliverance, when he was difcovered by the Philistines in Gath, 1 Sam. xxi. 10, &c. In which also he repre fents God's care and protection of his People-the advantages which a regard to Religion procures thes and the fatal lot of the wicked. 12 *What man is he that lufteth to live: and would fain fee good days? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil: and thy lips that they speak no guile. 14 Eschew evil, and do good: seek peace, and ensue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous: and his ears are open unto their prayers. 16 The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil: to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them: and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart : and will fave fuch as be of an humble spirit. 19 Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of all. 20 He keepeth all his bones: fo that not one of them is broken. 21 But misfortune fhall flay the ungodly: and they that hate the righteous, fhall be defolate. 22 The Lord delivereth the fouls of his fervants: and all they put their trust in him fhall not be deftitute. that MORNING PRAYER. || Pfalm 35. Judica me, Domine. PLEAD LEAD thou my caufe, O Lord, with them that strive with me: and fight thou against them that fight against me. 2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler: and stand up to help me. 3 Bring forth the fpear, and ftop the way against them that perfecute me: fay unto my foul, I am thy falvation. What Man is be that lufteth to live, &c. &c. It may be obferved upon this pailage in the words of Arch Bishop Tillotson, that "no Man knows in the chance "of things and the mutability of human affairs, "whofe kineness or goodwill he may come to ftand in "need of before he dies. So that did a Man only "confult his own fafety and quiet, he ought to "refrain from evil fpeaking." David here earneftly implores God's affiftance, as well against Saul and his Forces; as at the 11th verft against fome falfe Accufers, who though they had received favours from him, yet maliciously mifreprefented him to the King. The imprecations which David here pronounces against his Adverfarics, are chiefly to be confidered as Prophetical. But, as Chriftians, it is our duty to love and pray for our Enemies. 4 Let them be confounded, and put to fhame, that seek after my foul: let them be turned back, and brought to confusion, that imagine mischief for me. 5 Let them be as the duft before the wind: and the Angel of the Lord scattering them. 6 Let their way be dark and flippery: and let the Angel of the Lord perfecute them. 7 For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a caufe: yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my foul. 8 Let a fudden deftruction come upon him unawares, and his net that he hath laid privily catch himself: that he may fall into his own mifchief. 9 And, my foul, be joyful in the Lord: it fhall rejoice in his falvation. 10 All my bones fhall fay, Lord, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him: yea, the poor, and him that is in mifery, from him that fpoileth him? 11 False witnesses did rife up: they laid to my charge things that I knew not. 12 *They rewarded me evil for good: to the great discomfort of my foul. 13 Nevertheless, when they were fick, I put on fackcloth, and bumbled my foul with fafting: and my prayer fhall turn into mine own bofom. 14 I behaved myself, as though it had been my friend, or my brother: I went heavily as one that mourneth for his mother. 15 But in mine adverfity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares making mouths at me, and ceased not. * They rewarded me evil for good, &c. Never do the Arrows of Malice pierce fo deeply as when they are pointed with Ingratitude. Yet the nobleft revenge that we can take upon an ungrateful Enemy is to forgive him, to pray for him, and to do him kind offices accord ing as we have opportunity; because we not only here. 16 With the flatterers were bufy mockers: who gnashed upon me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this: O deliver my foul from the calamities which they bring on me, and my darling from the lions. 18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. 19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly: neither let them wink with their eyes, that hate me without a cause. 20 And why? their communing is not for peace: but they imagine deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land. 21 They gaped upon me with their mouths, and faid: Fie on thee, fie on thee, we faw it with our eyes. 22 This thou haft feen, O Lord: hold not thy tongue then, go not far from me, O Lord. 23 Awake, and ftand up to judge my quarrel: avenge thou my caufe, my God, and my Lord. 24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness: and let them not triumph over me. 25 Let them not fay in their hearts, There, there, fo would we have it: neither let them fay, We have devoured him. 26 Let them be put to confufion and fhame together that rejoice at my trouble: let them be clothed with rebuke and difhonour that boaft themselves against me. 27 Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing: yea, let them fay alway, Bleffed be the Lord, who hath pleasure in the profperity of his fervants. 28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteoufnefs: and of thy praise all the day long. by gain the victory over our angry paffions; but take the most efectual means to infpire our Adversary with fhame and remorfe; and to melt him down into Re- |
