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. N - 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. & I have kept thy commandments and teftimonies: for all my ways are before thee. L Appropinquet deprecatio. ET my complaint come before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. 2 Let my fupplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. 3 My lips fhall fpeak of thy praife: 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. 70 let my foul live, and it fhall praife thee and thy judgments hall 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 PRAY E R. WE 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 innumeratie inestimable biefings I called upon the Lord: and he 2 Deliver my foul, O Lord, from lying lips: and from a deceitful tongue. 3 What reward fhall be given or done unto thee, thou falfe 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 speak unto them thereof: they make them ready to battel. I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh even from the Lord: who hath made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: and he that keepeth thee will not fleep. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Ifrael: fhall neither flumber nor fleep. 5 The Lord himself is thy keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand; 6 *So that the sun shall not burn thee by day: neither the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve 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. I Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Me. fech, and 10 have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar. Kidar was the Son of Ifmael whofe defcendants were a wild uncivilized race of People, dwelling in Tents, like the Arabs at this Day. This might be therefore a metaphorical exprelt on with the Palmitt fignifying the rudeness and wickedncfs 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, aftures him from the Tabernacle, that God will be his continual protector by Day and by Night.. * So that the Sun fhall 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 Mcoa by Night." For the Antients fup-. pofed that the Moon had a noxious influence upon the 8 The Lord fhall preferve thy going out and thy coming in: from this time forth for evermore. I § Pfalm 122. Lætatus fum. WAS glad when they faid unto me: We will go into the house of the Lord. 2 Our feet shall stand 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 love thee. pray for the peace of Jerufalem: they shall prosper that 7 Peace be within thy walls: and plenteousness within thy palaces. 8 For my brethern and companions fakes: I will with thee profperity. 9 Yea, because of the houfe of the Lord our God: I will feek to do thee good. NTO thee lift I up mine eycs: O thou that dwelleft in the heavens. UNTO 2 Behold, even as the eyes of fervants look unto the hand of their mafters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: even so 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 reafon 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 Lord; and on that occafion celebrating the praises of the City of Ferufalem, and withing its profperity. O pray for the peace of Ferufalem: they shall prof per, &e. Hence let every Mn 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 affistance.. 3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are utterly defpifed. 4 Our foul is filled with the fcornful reproof of the wealthy: and with the defpitefulness of the proud. IF $ Pfalm 124. Nifi quia Dominus. F the Lord himself had not been on our fide, now may Ifrael say: if the Lord himself had not been on our fide, when men rofe up against us; 2 They had fwallowed us up quick: when they were so wrathfully displeased at us. 3+ Yea, the waters had drowned us: and the ftream 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. T * 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 faft 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 wickednefs. Our Soul is filled with the cornful reproof of the wealthy, &c. Rich's and profperity are too apt to make Men forget themfelves, and to treat their inferiors with haughty, overbearing infolence. So true is the obfervation of the Pet, that Want is the Sern of every wealthy Fool: This feems to be a Pfalm of Thanksgiving after obtaining fome fignal Victory in which David acknowledges, and exhorts the raelites to acknowledge that their deliverance was owing to God's help alone: and that without his protection they had been liable to be destroyed long before. Yea the Waters bad drowned us, &c. This is a metaphorical expreffion fignifying the violent impetecfity with which they were attacked by their Enemies. This Pfalm is confolatory for it contains moft 4 Do well, O Lord: unto those that are good and true of heart. 5 As for fuch as turn back unto their own wickednefs: the Lord fhall lead them forth with the evil-doers, but peace fhall be upon Ifrael. WH EVENING PRAYER. Pfalm 126. HEN the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion: then 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter: and our tongue with joy. 3 Then faid they among the heathen: The Lord hath done great things for them. 4 Yea, the Lord hath done great things for us already: whereof we rejoice. 5 Turn our captivity, O Lord: as the rivers in the fouth. 6 They that fow in tears: fhall reap in joy. 7 He that now goeth on his way weeping, and beareth forth good feed: fhall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his heaves with him. E * Pfalm 127. Nifi Dominus. Xcept the Lord build the houfe: their labour is but loft that build it. 2 Except the Lord keep the city: the watchman waketh but in vain. 3 It is but loft labour that ye hafte to rife up early, and fo late take reft, and eat the bread of carefulness: for fo he giveth his beloved fleep. precious promifes concerning the fecure eftablishment of the Church and the continual defence of the Righ teous. For the Rod of the Ungodly cometh nct, e. This paffage feems to be well explained by St. Paul, 1 But God is faithful, who will not Juffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the Tempt tion alfo make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The Jews here joyfully celebrate the wonderful deliverance which God had granted, in bringing them out of the Babylonis captivity: befeeching him to com pleat their restoration. *This Pfalm tends to fhew that all care for the profperity of Cities and Families is unprofitable with out the protection of Providence: and that a fruitful offfpring are the effects of his Bleffing. |