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23.

Pfalm cxiii. Laudate, pueri.

Raise the Lord, ye fervants: O praise the Name of the
Lord.

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2 Bleffed be the Name of the Lord: from this time forth

for evermore.

3 The Lords Name is praifed; from the rifing up of the fun, unto the going down of the fame.

4 The Lord is high above all heathen: and his glory above the heavens.

-5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling fo high and yet humbleth himfelf to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6 He taketh up the fimple out of the duft; and lifteth the poor out of the mire,

7 That he may fet him with the princes: even with the princes of his people.

8 He maketh the barren woman to keep houfe: and to be a joyful mother of children.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS,

Pfalm exii.] This pfalm teaches us, what are the diftinguishing charafters of true piety, and how great the happiness of thofe is who are poffeffed with it. 1. The character which the pfalmift gives of good men is, that they fear the Lord; that they take great delight in his commandments; that they are just and fincere; that they conduct all their affairs. with uprightness; that they are kind and full of companion, and love to give alms to the poor. 2. The prophet teaches us next, that thofe who live thus are perfectly happy; that God bleffes them in their perfons, in their pofterity, and in their poffeffions; that they enjoy peace of confcience; that they fear no evil, always trufting in the Lord; and that These are their righteoufnefs and their memory fhall remain for ever. very important inftructions, which hould powerfully encourage us to the Audy and practice of piety,

Pfalm exiii.] This pfalm fhould excite us to praife the name of the Lord, and continue to publish his glory, which appears every where with fo much luftre; and to celebrate that adorable providence with which he governs all things here below, and by which he exalteth and humbieth men as he pleafes. Thefe confiderations. are powerful motives to engage as to fear God, to depend entirely upon him, and to put our whole truft in his mercy.

PRAC.

23.

EVENING PRAYER.
Pfalm cxiv. In exitu Ifrael.

WHEN Ifrael came out of Egypt: and the house of

W Jacob from among the strange people,

2 Judah was his fanctuary and Ifrael his dominion. 3 The fea faw that, and fled: Jordan was driven back. 4 The mountains fkipped like rams: and the little hills like young sheep.

5 What aileth thee, O thou fea, that thou fleddest: and thou Jordan, that thou waft driven back?

6 Ye mountains, that ye kipped 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 ftanding water and the flint-stone into a fpringing-well.

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Pfalm cxv. Non nobis, Dominė.

OT unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give the praife: for thy loving mercy, and for thy truths fake.

2 Wherefore fhall the heathen fay: Where is now their God?

3 As for our God, he is in heaven: he hath done whatfoever pleafed him.

4 Their idols are filver and gold: even the work of mens hands.

5 They have mouths, and fpeak not: eyes have they, and fee not.

6 They have ears, and hear nothofes have they, and fmell not.

7 They have hands, and handle not; feet have they, and walk not neither fpeak they through their throat.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxiv.] The principal reflection fuggefted by this pfalm is, that fince the wonders mentioned in this pfalm are not fo confiderable as thofe which God has wrought for us in the work of our redemption, we hare more reafon than the Jews to exalt the power and goodness of our God, and to bless him for ever.

PRAC

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8 They that make them are like unto them and fo are all fuch as put their truft in them.

9 But thou, house of Ifrael, trust thou in the Lord: he istheir fuccour and defence.

10 Ye house of Aaron, put your trust in the Lord: he is their helper and defender.

11 Ye that fear the Lord, put your truft in the Lord : he is their helper and defender.

12 The Lord hath been mindful of us, and he fhall blefs us: even he shall blefs the house of Ifrael, he fhall bless. the house of Aaron.

13 He shall blefs them that fear the Lord: both small and great.

14 The Lord fhall increafe you more and more: you and your children.

15 Ye are the bleffed of the Lord: who made heaven and earth.

16 All the whole heavens are the Lords: the earth hath he given to the children of men.

17 The dead praife not thee, O Lord: neither all they that go down into filence.

18 But we will praife the Lord: from this time forth. for evermore. Praise the Lord.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxv.] This pfalm teaches us three things: 1. That when God does good to men, he is led to do it, not by any merit in them, but by his own pure mercy; which ought to be the foundation of our truft, when we direct our prayers to him. 2. What is here faid of the folly and ftu-. pidity of idolaters, who worship dead idols and the works of mens hands, tended to diffuade the Ifraelites from the worship of falfe gods, and the more effectually to prevent their forfaking the worship of the true God. This too fhould engage us to blefs the Lord for delivering us from idolatry, by making himself known to us; and fhould teach us to ferve him with purity, zeal, and fidelity. 3. We here fee how happy thofe are who worthip God, and fear him; fince the pfalmift affures us, that God is the help and buckler of all those that truft in him; that they are bleffed of the Lord, who has made the heavens and the earth; and that his favours are extended to them and their pofterity. Thefe glorious promifes fhould prevail on us more effectually to fear God, and to expect all our happiness, from his bleffing alone.

MORN

I

247.

MORNING PRAYER.
Pfalm cxvi. Dilexi, quoniam.

Am well pleased: that the Lord hath heard the voice
of my prayer.

2 That he hath inclined his ear unto me: therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

3 The foares of death compaffed me round about: and the pains of hell gat hold upon me.

4 I fhall find trouble and heaviness, and I will call upon the Name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my foul.

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous: yea, our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preferveth the fimple: I was in mifery, and ye helped me.

7 Turn again then unto thy reft, O my foul: for the Lord hath rewarded thee.

8 And why? thou haft delivered my foul from death: mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

g 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 faid in my hafte, All men are liars.

11 What reward fhall 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 laints.

14 Behold, O Lord, how that I am thy fervant: I am thy fervant, and the fon of thine handmaid, thou haft broken my bonds in funder.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxvi.] In this pfalm the devotion and zeal of king David ap pear with most extraordinary luftre. We fhould particularly here obferve. with what fentiments of joy and gratitude he celebrates the wonderful deliverances which God had vouchfafed him in the great dangers he had been expofed to; with what zeal he praises him, and vows to love and obey

24.

16 I will offer to thee the facrifice of thankfgiving 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 Lords houfe, even in the midst of thee, O Jerufalem. Praise the Lord.

Pfalm cxvii. Laudate Dominum.

Praife 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.

Pfal cxviii. Confitemini Domino.

Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: be cause 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.

15 I called upon the Lord in trouble: and the Lord heard me at large.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

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him. From this pious prince we learn, that when God has bestowed any particular bleffing on us, and especially when he has delivered us from any great danger, it is our duty to love him, to blefs his holy name, to perform our vows, and praife him in the prefence of all his people; and above all, to walk before him all the days of our life; and to teftify our gratitude to him, not only by our words, but by our actions. This is what we are in an especial manner to do for the fpiritual favours he bestows upon us, when he pardons our fins, and delivers us from condemnation and death, and receives us into the number of his children and fervants. The fight and fenfe of fuch inestimable bleffings fhould fill all thofe who partake of them with joy and confolation, and make them fay with the pfalmift: "Turn again then unto thy rest, O my foul, for the Lord hath rewarded thee. What reward fhall give unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? I will receive the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the prefence of all his people. Praife the Lord." 3 I

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