5 I have hated the congregation of the wicked: and will not fit among the ungodly. 6 *I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord: and fo will I go to thine altar; 7 That I may fhew the voice of thanksgiving: and tell of all thy wondrous works. 8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy houfe: and the place where thine honour dwelleth. 9 O fhut not up my foul with the finners: nor my life with the blood-thirfty; 10 In whofe hands is wickedness: and their right hand is full of gifts. 11 But as for me, I will walk innocently: O deliver me, and be merciful unto me. i 12 My foot standeth right: I will praise the Lord in the congregations. EVENING А. § Pfalm 27. Dominus illuminatio. TH HE Lord is my light, and my falvation; whom then fhall I fear: the Lord is the ftrength of my life; of whom then fhall I be afraid?.. PRAYER. 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies, and my foes came upon me to eat up my flefh: they ftumbled and fell. 3 Though an hoft of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid: and though there rose up war against me, yet will I put my trust in him. 4 One thing have I defired of the Lord, which I will require: God in his Tabernacle and therefore humbly hopes that he shall not fhare in the lot of the wicked. • I will wat my Hands in innocency, &c. As it was a ceremony of the Law for the Priests to wash their hands before they offered facrifice: fo in allufion to this Rite, David refolves to pay a ftrict regard to purity of behaviour, in order that his religious fervices may be acceptable to God. The neceffity of this is evident from the declaration of Solomon that the Prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. In this Pfalm David teftifies his entire confidence in God in the greatest dangers; and his zeal and firm adherence to the true worship of him. He befeeches God alfo to grant him tokens of his favour, and. feems fully periuaded that he will never forfake him. In this Pfalm there are many noble ftrains of Faith, Piety, and Devotion. even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to vifit his temple. For in the time of trouble he fhall hide me in his tabernacle: yea, in the fecret place of his dwelling fhall he hide me, and set me up upon a rock of ftone. 6 And now fhall he lift up mine head: above mine enemies round about me. 7 Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladnefs: I will fing, and fpeak praifes unto the Lord. 8 Hearken unto my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto thee: have mercy upon me, and hear me. 9 My heart hath talked of thee, Seek ye my face: Thy face, Lord, will I feek. 10 O hide not thou thy face from me: nor caft thy fervant away in displeasure. 11 Thou hast been my fuccour: leave me not, neither forfake me, O God of my falvation. 112 When my father and my mother forfake me: the Lord taketh me up, 13 Teach me thy way, O Lord: and lead me in the right way, because of mine enemies. ..... 14 Deliver me not over into the will of mine adverfaries: for there are falfe witneffes rifen up against me, and fuch as fpeak ⚫wrong. 15 I fhould utterly have fainted: but that I believe verily to fee the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 9 16 O tarry thou the Lords leisure: be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and put thou thy truft in the Lord... I fhould utterly have fainted; but, &c. As it appears from this paffage that David was fupported under his Afflictions by a firm truft in the divine goodnefs--a humble confidence that God would in his good time grant him a deliverance; and restore him * to fociety and the free exercife of Religion. So it may be a comfortable reflection to every good Chrif tian under his greateft diftreffes, that this light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work out- för bim a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. a || Pfalm 28. Ad te, Domine. UNT NTO thee will I cry, O Lord my ftrength: think no fcorn of me, left if thou make as though thou hearest not, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my humble petitions, when I cry unto thee: when I hold up my hands towards the mercy-feat of thy: holy temple. 3 O pluck me not away, neither deftroy me with the ungodly. and wicked doers: which fpeak friendly to their neighbours, but imagine mischief in their hearts. 4 Reward them according to their deeds: and according to the wickednefs of their own inventions. 5 Recompenfe them after the works of their hands: pay them that they have deserved. 6 For they regard not in their mind the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands: therefore fhall he break them down, and not build them up. 7 Praised be the Lord: for he hath heard the voice of my hum ble petitions. 8 The Lord is my ftrength, and my fhield, my heart hath trufted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart danceth for joy, and in my fong will I praife him. 9. The Lord is my ftrength: and he is the wholfome defence of his Anointed. The Pfalmift here intreats God to defend him from the malice and artifices of his Enemies, and from the judgments that should fall upon them. He praifes him likewife for his providential care and protectionexpreffes a firm reliance upon him, and prays for the profperity of Ifrael. 10 O fave thy people, and give thy bleffing unto thine inhe-ritance: feed them, and fet them up for ever. § Pfalm 29. Afferte Domino BR RING unto the Lord, O ye mighty, bring young rams unto the Lord: afcribe unto the Lord worship and ftrength. 2. For they regard not in their Mind the works, It may be juftly obferved here that inconfideration is the root of irreligion and all iniquity. For did mankind duly reflect upon God's wonderful works of Creation, Providence and Redemption; they would be almoit ́ neceffarily induced to love, worship, and obey him. 2 Give the Lord the honour due unto his name: worship the Lord with holy worship. 3. It is the Lord that commandeth the waters: it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder. 4 It is the Lord that ruleth the fea; the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation: the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice. 5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedar-trees: yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Libanus. '6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf: Libanus also, and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire, the voice of the Lord fhaketh the wilderness: yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Cades. 8 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to bring forth young, and discoverth the thick bushes: in his temple doth every man fpeak of his honour. 9 The Lord fitteth above the water-flood: and the Lord remaineth a King for ever. 10 The Lord fhall give ftrength unto his people: the Lord fhall give his people the bleffing of peace. MORNING PRAYER. || Pfalm 30. I Will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou haft fet me up: and not made my foes to triumph over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee: and thou haft healed me. 3 Thou, Lord, haft brought my foul out of hell: thou haft kept my life from them that go down to the pit. This Pfalm is fupposed to have been occafioned by a violent form. From the terrible noife and wonderful force of the Thunder David proves the fupreme dominion and infinite power of God. The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to bring forth, &c. This might have been full as properly tranflated, the voice of the Lord, i. e. the Thunder Battereth the Oaks. See Dr. Lowth on the Hebrew Poetry. Præl 27. p. 363. Defervedly was a Thunder ftorm made here a fubject of facred Poetry. For either he must be more than Man, or less than Brute who can be entirely unaffected on fuch an occafion. But we are affected to fmall purpose if it do not infpire us with an awful fenfe of God's power and majesty. 纂 This Pfalm is fuppofed to have been fung upon the dedication of David's House which had been pol 4 Sing praifes unto the Lord, O ye faints of his: and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye, and in his pleasure is life: heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed: thou, Lord, of thy goodness hadit made my hill so strong. 7 Thou didst turn thy face from me: and I was troubled. 8 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord: and gat me to my Lord right humbly. 9 What profit is there in my blood: when I go down to the pit? 10 Shall the dust give thanks unto thee: or shall it declare thy truth? 11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper. 12 Thou haft turned my heaviness into joy: thou hast put off my sackloth, and girded me with gladness. 13 Therefore fhall every good man fing of thy praise without ceafing: O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. § Pfalm 31. In te, Domine, fperavi. IN N thee, O Lord, have I put my trust: let me never be put to confufion, deliver me in thy righteousness. 2 Bow down thine ear to me: make hafte to deliver me. 3 And be thou my strong rock, mayeft fave me. Jited by the crimes of Aljalom, 2 Sam. xvi. 21, 22. and xvii. 1. &c. and xx. 3. And he therefore returns folcmn Thanks to God that he had delivered him and in Wrath remembered Mercy. He acknowledges that he had in profperity forgot himself, and therefore God had chaftened him to bring him to a fenfe of his duty, and to remind him of his dependence upon him; and he vows he will praise God for ever, because he had heard him. and house of defence: that thou And in my profperity I faid, I fall never, &e What was David's cafe here is too common in fome degree even to the best of Men. Profperity being too apt to put them off their guard, and make them forget themfelves. How kind therefore is it in God when by Afflictions he endeavours to bring us to a proper fenfe of ourselves, and our duty! and how much reafon have we even amiatt his chutilmente to pusife him. E |
