ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

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7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow : that fitteth alone upon the house-top.

8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long and they that are mad upon me, are sworn together against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread: and mingled my drink with weeping;

10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath: for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.

11 My days are gone like a shadow: and I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever: and thy remembrance throughout all generations.

13 Thou shalt arife, and have mercy upon Sion: for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come. 14 And why? thy fervants think upon her stones : and it pitieth them to fee her in the dust.

15 The heathen shall fear thy Name, O Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy Majesty;

16 When the Lord shall build up Sion: and when his glory shall appear;

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17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor deftitute: and despiseth not their defire.

18 This shall be written for those that come after: and the people which shall be born shall praise the Lord..

19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary: out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;

20 That he might hear the mournings of fuch as are in captivity: and deliver the children appointed unto death; 21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion : and his worship at Jerufalem;

22 When the people are gathered together: and the kingdoms also to ferve the Lord.

23 He brought down my strength in my journey: and shortened my days.

24 But I faid, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age: as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.

25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 Thou

12

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1

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THE COMMON PRAYER, &c.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the fame, and thy years shall not fail.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue: and their feed shall stand fast in thy fight.

Pfalm cüi. Benedic, animamea.

RAISE the Lord, O my foul: and all that is within me praise his holy Name.

PRAIS

2 Praife the Lord, O my foul: and forget not all his benefits;

3 Who forgiveth all thy fins: and healeth all thine infirmities;

4 Who faveth thy life from destruction: and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: making thee young and lusty as an eagle.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment: for all them that are oppressed with wrong.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cii.] There are two things chiefly to be considered in this pfalm : First, The fad condition of the captive Jews, and their extreme affliction; and fecondly, Their hope in God. Therefore the reading of this pfalm furnishes us with these two instructions: 1. That the children of God have a tender affection for the church, and that there is nothing which more deeply concerns them than to fee it exposed to sufferings. 2. As the ancient Jews firmly trusted that God would arise and take pity upon Sion, and restore it to its glorious state; and that he would, by delivering the Jews from their captivity, manifest his glory to all the kings and nations of the earth; we ought not to doubt but God will do the fame thing, and even after a more illustrious manner, in favour of the Chriftian church; and that the time is coming, wherein his glory and his kingdom will appear in splendor. This happy restoration is what true Chriftians defire above all things, and what they ask of God in most fervent prayers. This too will undoubtedly be brought to pass by the infinite power of Jesus Chrift, fince he is the Lord of the world, and is over all God blessed for ever. This St Paul teaches us, Heb. 1. where he applies to the Son of God what is faid of the creation of the world at the end of this ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

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7 He shewed his ways unto Moses: his works unto the children of Ifrael.

8 The Lord is full of compaffion and mercy: long-fuffering, and of great goodness.

9 He will not alway be chiding: neither keepeth he his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our fins: nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.

For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth: so great is his mercy also toward them that ar him. 12 Look how wide also the east is from the west: fo far hath he fet our fins from us.

13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children: even fo is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth whereof we are made: he remembereth that we are but dust.

15 The days of man are but as grass: for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.

16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone : and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him: and his righteoufness upon childrens children;

18 Even upon such as keep his covenant: and think upon his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his feat in heaven: and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 O praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength: ye that fulfil his commandments, and hearken unto the voice of his words.

21 O praise the Lord, all ye his hosts: ye fervants of his that do his pleasure. 22 O fpeak good of the Lord, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: praise thou the Lord, O my toul.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cini.] This is a most excellent fong of thankigiving. David here seems inspired with the highest ftrains of devotion, and the mott lively sense of gratitude. He here teaches us by his example to blefs

God,

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THE COMMON PRAYER, &c.

EVENING PRAYER.

Psalm civ. Benedic, anima mea.

RAISE the Lord, O my foul : O Lord my God, thou art become exceeding glorious, thou art clothed with

PRAISE

majesty and honour.

2 Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment: and spreadeft out the heavens like a curtain.

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters : and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.

4 He maketh his angels spirits: and his minifters a flaming fire.

5 He laid the foundations of the earth: that it never should move at any time.

6 Thou coverest it with the deep like as with a garment: the waters stand in the hills.

7 At thy rebuke they flee: at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.

8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath: even unto the place which thou haft appointed

for them.

9 Thou hast set them their bounds which they shall not pass: neither turn again to cover the earth.

ro He sendeth the springs into the rivers: which run among the hills.

11 All beasts of the field drink thereof: and the wild asses quench their thirst.

12 Befide them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation: and fing among the branches.

1.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

God, not only with our mouth, but with our whole heart, and with all the powers of our soul. He here celebrates particularly the infinite mercy of God; who, knowing that we are but dust, bears with us, and does not render to us what our fins deserve; and entertains the same compaffion and kindness as a father does for his children. But he teaches us, at the fame time, that the divine goodness is displayed only in behalf of those that fear him and reverence him; and that his mercy extends only to them that" keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them."

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ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

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13 He watereth the hills from above: the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

14 He bringeth forth grafs for the cattle: and green herb for the service of men.

15 That he may bring food out of the earth. and wine that maketh glad the heart of man: and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen mans heart.

16 The trees of the Lord also are full of fap: even the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

17 Wherein the birds make their nefts; and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.

18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats: and so are the ftony rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for certain seasons: and the fun knoweth his going down.

20 Thou makest darkness that it may be night: wherein all the beafts of the forest do move.

21 The lions roaring after their prey: do seek their meat from God.

22 The fun arifeth, and they get them away together: and lay them down in their dens.

23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour: un- til the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works: in wisdom haft thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is the great and wide fea also: wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beafts.

26 There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan: whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.

27 These wait all upon thee: that thou mayest give them meat ir. due season.

28 When thou givest it them, they gather it: and when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.

29 When thou hidest thy face they are troubled: when thou takest away their breath they die, and are turned again to their duft.

30 When thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall be made: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.