15 Their sword shall go through their own heart: and their bow fhall be broken.

16 A fmall thing that the righteous hath: is better than great riches of the ungodly.

17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken: and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the godly: and their inheritance fhall endure for ever.

19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time: and in the days of dearth they fhall have enough.

20 As for the ungodly, they fhall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs: yea, even as the fmoke shall they confume away.

21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.

22 Such as are bleffed of God, fhall poffefs the land: and they that are cursed of him, shall be rooted out.

23 The Lord ordereth a good mans going: and maketh his way acceptable to himself.

24 Though he fall, he fhall not be caft away: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old: and yet faw I never the righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging their bread.

26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth: and his feed is bleffed.

27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good: and dwell for evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right: he forfaketh not his, that be godly, but they are preferved for ever.

only that fuch fhould inherit the promised Land: yet in a more general fenfe it fignifies that the meek Man fhall enjoy what he has, be it little, or much, with comfort and fatisfaction of mind; because he is refigned to every difpenfation on Providence, and con ines his wants to his prefent circumstances. Refides.

meeknefs fecures a Man against many injuries, which he might otherwife be expofed to; a foft answer being powerful to turn away wrath: or at least enables him to bear the injuries with tranquility, and strengthens him to overcome them with good..

29 The unrighteous fhall be punished: as for the feed of the ungodly, it fhall be rooted out.

}

:30 The righteous fhall inherit the land: and dwell therein for

ever.

131 The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wifdom: and his tongue will be talking of judgment.

32 The law of his God is in his heart: and his goings fhall not flide.

33 The ungodly feeth the righteous: and feeketh occafion to flay him.

34 The Lord will not leave him in his hand: nor condemn him when he is judged..

35 Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he fhall promote thee, that thou fhalt poffefs the land: when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.

36 I myself have feen the ungodly in great power: and flourshing like a green bay-tree.

37 I went by, and lo, he was gone: I fought him, but his place could no where be found.

38. Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right: for that fhall bring a man peace at the last.

39 As for the tranfgreffors, they fhall perish together: and the end of the ungodly is, They fhall be rooted out at the last.

40 But the falvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord: who is also their ftrength in the time of trouble.

41 And the Lord fhall stand by them, and fave them: he fhall deliver them from the ungodly, and fhall fave them, because they put their trust in him.

MORNING

PRAYER.

§ Pfalm 38. Domine, ne in furore.

Pun

T me not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine anger: neither chaf ten me in thy heavy displeasure.

This is the third of the penitential Pfalms: in which David under a deep conviction of the heinouf

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 reft in my bones by reafon of my fin.

4 For my wickednesses 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 so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.

7 For my loins are filled with a fore difeafe: 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 kinsmen stood afar off

12 They also 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 trust: thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God.

nefs of his Crimes expreffes the utmost forrow and concern for them; reprefents himself as utterly depreffe d under the load of his iniquities, forfaken by Ai 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 feafe, &c. Tho' this and fome other paffages in this Pfalm may make

it seem 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 so much pain! yet happy

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

17 And I, truly, am fet 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 Hafte 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 refpect 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 fri refolution not to murmur at the profperity of the Wicked nor his own fufferings that he had overcome

thefe Temptations by confidering the fhortncis 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.

***

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

11 Take thy plague away from me: I am even confumed 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 ftrength: before I go hence, and be no more feen.

§ Pfalm 40. Expectans expectavi.

Waited patiently for the Lord: and he inclined unto me, and heard my calling.

I

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 fhall put their truft 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 partakers of his

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 good. ness-devotes himself to his fervice and acknowled·