8 O put your truft in him alway, ye people: pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.

9 As for the children of men, they are but vanity: the children of men are deceitful upon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

10 O truft not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity if riches increase, fet not your heart

:

upon them.

I1 * God spake once, and twice I have also heard the fame : that power belongeth unto God;

12 And that thou, Lord, art merciful: for thou rewardeft every man according to his work.

Pfalm 63.

Deus, Deus meus.

GOD, thou art my God: early will I feek thee.

2 My foul thirfteth for thee, my flefl alfo longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is.

3 Thus have I looked for thee in holiness: that I might behold thy power and glory.

4 For thy loving kindness is better than the life itfelf: my lips fhall praise thee.

5 As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner: and list up my hands in thy Name.

6 My foul shall be satisfied even as it were with marrow and fatnefs: when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.

7 Have I not remembered thee in my bed: and thought upon thee when I was waking?

8 Because thou haft been my helper: therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

dab,, expreffes a moft ardent defice of returning to the place of God's publick worship: but at the fame time is filled with unípeakable joy from a fenfe of God's goodness towards him, and in the exercite of Religion; tumly trulling that he hall obtain a happy rentoration.

My Soul jhall be fatisfied, c. Worldly pleatu.es are tranfient, temporary, and unfubitantial: but the exercifes of Religion to a truly good Man yield a delight which is latting, folid, and satisfactory: a delight, which even Affliction is not able to deprive him. of,

9. My foul hangeth upon thee: thy right hand hath upholden me. 10 Thefe alfo that feek the hurt of my foul: They fhall go un

der the earth.

II Let them fall upon the edge of the fword: that they may be a portion for foxes.

12 But the King fhall rejoice in God; all they also that swear by him, fhall be commended: for the mouth of them that speak lies fhall be stopped.

§ Pfalm 64.

Exaudi, Deus.

[EAR my voice, O God, in my prayer: preferve my life from the fear of the enemy.

HE

2 Hide me from the gathering together of the froward: and from the infurrection of wicked doers.

3 Who have whet their tongue like a fword: and fhoot out their arrows, even bitter words.

4 That they may privily shoot at him that is perfect : fuddenly do they hit him, and fear not.

5 They encourage themselves in mischief: and commune among themselves how they may lay fnares, and fay, that no man shall fee them.

6 They imagine wickedness, and practise it: that they keep fecret among themselves every man in the deep of his heart.

7 But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow: that they shall be wounded.

+

8. Yea, their own tongue fhall make them fall: infomuch that whofo feeth them fhall laugh them to fcorn.

9 And all men that fee it fhall fay, This hath God done: for they shall perceive that it is his work.

The Pfalmift here delcribes the Malice, the Calumnies, and mischievous defigns of his Enemies; and foretels their ruin which he fays will be manifeft to all. and be a caufe of rejoicing to the Righteous. Yea their own Tongues shall make them fall, &c. Tho' it does not pleafe God always to interpole for the punishment of the Wicked, in this World, and the

difcovery of their iniquitous defigns: yet fome very remarkable inftances of his Providence are upon record, in this refpect; in which we may, as it were, plainly behold the Finger of God. The In entors of mitchief being made the revealers of their own villanies; and brought to deftruction through their

own accufations.

10.The righteous fhall rejoice in the Lord, and put his truft in him: and all they that are true of heart shall be glad. EVENING PRAYER. § Pfalm 65. Te decet hymnus.

T'

HOU O God, art praised in Sion: and unto thee fhall the vow be performed in Jerufalem:

2 Thou that heareft the prayer: unto thee fhall all flesh come. 3 My mifdeeds prevail againft mc: O be thou merciful unto cur fins.

4

*Bleff d is the man, whom thou choofeft, and receivest unto thee: he fhall dwell in thy court, and fhall be fatisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

5 Thou shalt fhew us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our falvation: thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad fea.

6 Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains: and is girded about with power.

7 Who filleth the raging of the fea: and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the people.

8 They also that dwell in the uttermoft parts of the earth, shall be afraid at thy tokens: thou that makeft the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee.

9 Thou vifiteft the earth, and bleffeft it: thou makest it very plenteous.

10 The river of God is full of water: thou prepareft their corn, for fo thou provideft for the earth.

II Thou watereft her furrows, thou fendeft rain into the little

There is reafon to believe that this Pfalm was compofed upon a plentiful fall of Rain after an extreme drought. And herein David takes an occafion to commemorate firft the fpiritual Bleflings which God had bestowed upon every fincere Worshipper; and adly. the temporal Benefits which he had conferred upon the Ifraelites in general; and particularly with zespect to the fruitfulnels of the Land of Canaan.

Bleed is the Man whom thou chooseft, &c. This.

feems to fignify the Happiness of fuch as became Profelytes to the Jewish Religion. And if David thought there was reafon to declare fuch blefed: then how much more caufe have Chriftians to elteem themselves fo who enjoy the clear light, the ineftimable pri vileges, of the Gospel;, which affords fuch powerful aids, fuch unfpeakable comforts,, and fuch glorious hopes of a blessed Immortality through Jesus Chrift!

valleys thereof thou makeft it foft with the drops of rain, and bleffeft the increase of it.

12 Thou crowneft the ear with thy goodness: and thy clouds drop fatnefs.

13 They fhall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness: and the little hills fhall rejoice on every fide.

14 The folds fhall be full of sheep: the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they fhall laugh and fing.

Pfalm 66. Jubilate Deo.

BE joyful in God, all ye lands: fing praises unto the honour of his Name, make his praise to be glorious.

O

2 Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works: through the greatnefs of thy power fhall thine enemies be found liars unto thee.

3 For all the world shall worship thee: fing of thee, and praise thy Name.

4 O come hither, and behold the works of God: how wonderful he is in his doing toward the children of men.

5 He turned the fea into dry land: fo that they went through the water on foot; there did we rejoice thereof.

6 He ruleth with his power for ever, his eyes behold the people: and fuch as will not believe, shall not be able to exalt themselves.

7 O praise our God, ye people: and make the voice of his praife to be heard ;

8 Who holdeth our foul in life: and fuffereth not our feet to

flip.

9. For thou, O God, haft proved us: thou also. haft tried us, like as filver is tried.

10 Thou broughteft us into the fhare: and laidft trouble upon. our loins.

This is a Pfalm of Thanksgiving, probably occafioned by fome remarkable deliverance of the Jews from captivity in which the Prophet exhorts all Man.

kind to celebrate God's praifes, and to confider the wonderful works which he had wrought for the welfare of Irael.

: 11. Thou fufferedft men to ride over our heads: we went through fire and water, and thou broughteft us out into a wealthy place.

12 I will go into thine houfe with burnt offerings: and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips, and fpake with my mouth when I was in trouble.

13 I will offer unto thee fat burnt-facrifices, with the incenfe of rams: I will offer bullocks and goats.

14 O come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God: and I will tell you what he hath done for my foul.

:

15 I called unto him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue.

16 If I incline unto wickednefs with mine heart: the Lord will not hear me.

17 But God hath heard me: and confidered the voice of my prayer.

18 Praised be God, who hath not caft out my prayer: nor turned his mercy from me.

|| Pfalm 67. Deus mifereatur.

Go

NOD be merciful unto us, and bless us: and fhew us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us;

2 *That thy way may be known upon earth: thy faving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise thee, O God: yea, let all the people praife thee.

4 O let the nations rejoice and be glad: for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

+ If I incline unto wickedness with my Heart, &c. It appears to have been the opinion of fome of the Jews that God was not difpleafed with wil Thoughts, fo long as they were not brought into action: which opinion is the very Sink of Pharifaifm, and which both Christ and St. Paul often attempted to cleanfe. And, indeed, if we confider that God is a Eeing of irfinite Purity, that he knoweth the fecrets of our Hearts, -ard requires to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth; we cannot but fuppcie that all iniquity must be an abomination to him, and render all religicus

fervices unacceptable.

This is an earnest Petition to Ged that he would fupport and protect his Church, and bring all Nations to the knowledge and practice of pure Religion and is thought to be prophetical concerning the revelation of the Gospel, and the calling of the Gentiles.

* That thy way may be known upon Earth, &c. This is a Petition which, as Chriflians, it becomes us to fer up with fervency. And that this petition may be efectual, we ought to join our fincere endeavours to promote the pregrefs of the Gospel, and the know