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2 For thine arrows ftick faft in me: and thy hand preffeth me fore.

3 There is no health in my flesh, because of thy difpleasure: neither is there any rest in my bones by reafon of my fin.

4 For my wickedneffes are gone over my head: and are like a fore burden, too heavy for me to bear.

5 My wounds ftink, and are corrupt: through my foolishness. 6 I am brought into fo great trouble and mifery: that I go mourning all the day long.

*

7 For my loins are filled with a fore disease: and there is no whole part in my body.

8 I am feeble, and fore fmitten: I have roared for the very difquietness of my heart,

9 Lord, thou knoweft all my defire: and my groaning is not hid from thee.

10 My heart panteth, my strength hath failed me: and the fight of mine eyes is gone from me.

11 My lovers and my neighbours did stand looking upon my trouble: and my kinfmen stood afar off

12 They alfo that fought after my life, laid fnares for me: and they that went about to do me evil, talked of wickedness, and imagined deceit all the day long.

13 As for me, I was like a deaf man, and heard not: and as one that is dumb, who doth not open his mouth.

14 I became even as a man that heareth not: and in whofe mouth are no reproofs.

15 For in thee, O Lord, have I put my truft: thou fhalt answer for me, O Lord my God.

nefs of his Crimes expreffes the utmost forrow and concern for them; reprefents himself as utterly depreffd under the load of his iniquities, forfaken by Ki Frinds, and perfecuted by his Enemies. He therefore humbly applies to God for pardon and deliver

ance.

* For my loins are filled with a fore d fease, &c. Tho' his and fome other paffages in this Pfalm may make

it feem as if David was afflicted with fome bodily dif temper: yet, according to the genius of the Hebrew Language (which frequently defcribes inward perceptions by bodily fenfations) it only implies, that he was deeply affected with grief from a fenfe of his Sins: infomuch that the burden of them was mo`e than he was able to bear.-Surely that pleasure is dear bought that is attended with fo much pain! yet happy

16 I have required that they, even mine enemies, should not triumph over me: for when my foot flipped, they rejoiced greatly against me.

17 And I, truly, am set in the plague: and my heaviness is ever in my fight.

18 For I will confefs my wickednefs: and be forry for my fin. 19 But mine enemies live, and are mighty: and they that hate me wrongfully, are many in number.

20 They alfo that reward evil for good, are against me: because I follow the thing that good is.

21 Forfake me not, O Lord my God: be not thou far from me. 22 Haste thee to help me: O Lord God of my falvation.

|| Pfalm 39. Dixi, Cuftodiam.

I Said, I will take heed to my ways: that I offend not in my

tongue.

2 I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the ungodly is in my fight.

3 I held my tongue, and spake nothing I kept filence, yea, even From good words; but it was pain and grief to me.

4 My heart was hot within ine, and while I was thus mufing, the fire kindled:. and at the laft I fpake with my tongue.

5 Lord, let me know my end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live.

6 Behold, thou haft made my days as it were a fpan long: and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee, and yerily every man living is altogether vanity.

7 For man walketh in a vain fhadow, and difquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who fhall gather

them.

are they who, after imitating David in their crimes refemble him equally in their Repentance'

David declares in this Pfalm that he had made a frm refolution not to murmur at the profperity of the Wicked nor his own fufferings that he had overcome

thefe Temptations by confidering the fhortnefs of this life and the vanity of all worldly enjoyments-befeeches God to pardon his Sins, and deliver him from his afflictions; and humbly fubmits to the ch tifements inflicted upon him.

8 And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thee.

9 Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

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*

I became dumb, and opened not my mouth; for it was thy doing.

11 Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand.

12 When thou with rebukes doft chaften man for fin, thou makeft his beauty to confume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.

13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears confider my calling: hold not thy peace at my tears.

14 For I am a ftranger with thee, and a fojourner: as all my fathers were.

15 O fpare me a little, that I may recover my strength; before I go hence, and be no more feen.

I

§ Pfalm 40. Expectans expectavi. Waited patiently for the Lord: and he inclined unto me, and heard my calling.

2 He brought me alfo out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay: and fet my feet upon the rock, and ordered my goings. 3 And he hath put a new fong in my mouth: even a thanksgiving unto our God.

4 Many fhall fee it, and fear: and shall put their trust in the Lord. 5 Bleffed is the man that hath fet his hope in the Lord: and turned not unto the proud, and to fuch as go about with lies.

6 O Lord my God, great are the wonderous works which thou haft done, like as be alfo thy thoughts which are to us-ward: and yet there no man that ordereth them unto thee.

I became dumb and opened not my Mouth, &c. When we confider that all our afflictions come upon us, not by chance, but by the permiffion and direction of an infinitely wife and good God, who always defigns them for our profit, that we may be tartakers of bis

Holiness-This ought to be a continual motive to pa tience and refignation.

The royal Prophet here praifes God for the deliverances and favours he had received through his goodnefs-devotes himself to his fervice--and acknowled ·

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7 If I should declare them, and speak of them: they should be more than I am able to express...

8 * Sacrifice, and meat-offering thou wouldest not: but mine ears haft thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings, and facrifice for fin haft thou not required: then faid I, Lo, I come.

10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it, yea, thy law is within my heart,

11 I have declared thy righteousness in the congregation: lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, and that thou knoweft.

12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: hath been of thy truth, and of thy falvation.

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13 I have not kept back thy loving mercy and truth: from the great congregation.

14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindnefs, and thy truth alway preserve me.

15 For innumerable troubles are come about me; my fins have taken fuch hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

16 O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me: make haste, Ò Lord, to help me.

17 Let them be afhamed, and confounded together, that seek after my foul to deftroy it: let them be driven backward, and put to rebuke, that wish me evil.

18 Let them be defolate, and rewarded with shame: that fay unto me, Fie upon thee, fie

upon

ges that by fubmiffion to the will of God. rather than by Sacrifices he hoped to be accepted-He vows to praife God in the moft publick manner, befeeches him to affft him in his afflictions and dangers, and above all to deliver him from his Sins.

Sacrifice, and Meat-Offering thon weuldeft not, &c.

thee.

This and the two following verfes are applied in a prophetical fenfe to Chrift, by St. Paul in Heb. x. and are defighed to prove that the rites and ceremonies of the Law of Mofes, are abolished by the coming, and facrifice of Jefus Chriß upon the Crofs, once for all.

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Day viii. 19 Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee: and let fuch as love thy falvation fay alway, The Lord be praifed.

20 As for me, I am poor and needy: but the Lord careth for me.

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21 Thou art my helper and redeemer: make no long tarrying, O my God.

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EVENING

PRAY E R.

|| Pfalm 41. Beatus qui intelligit.

Leffed is he that confidereth the poor and needy: the Lord fhall deliver him in the time of trouble.

2 The Lord preferve him, and keep him alive, that he may be bleffed upon earth: and deliver not thou him into the will of his

enemies.

3 The Lord comfort him when he lieth fick upon his bed: make thou all his bed in his fickness.

4-I faid, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my foul, for I have finned against thee.

5 Mine enemies fpeak evil of me: When shall he die, and his name perish?

6 And if he come to fee me, he fpeaketh vanity: and his heart conceiveth falfhood within himself, and when he cometh forth, 'he telleth it.

7 All mine enemies whisper together against me: even against me do they imagine this evil.

8. Let the fentence of guiltinefs proceed against him: and now that he lieth, let him rife up no more.

9 *Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trufted: who did alfo eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me..

The Pfalmift here pronounces particular bleflings on thofe that behave themfelves charitably towards the afflicted; and complains of the cruelty of his Enemies, and even of thofe who had been his pretended Friends; who instead of compaffionating his miferies, wished for his death, and reprefented his calamities as the punishment of his crimes.

* Yea, even mine own familiar Friend, &c. This

paffage our Saviour himself quotes as a prophecy concerning the treachery of Judas, John xiii. 18. Let us take heed that the bafe ingratitude of that Traytor be not chargeable upon us through forfaking our allegiance to the Lord that bought us; and giving up ourfelves to the dominion of our finful Lufts and Appetites.

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