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16 Which day by day were fashioned: when as yet there was none of them.

17 How dear are thy counfels unto me, O God: O how great is the fum of them!

18 If I tell them, they are more in number than the fand: when I wake up, I am prefent with thee.

19 Wilt thou not flay the wicked, O God; depart from me, ye blood-thirsty men.

20 For they fpeak unrighteously against thee: and thine enemies take thy Name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee: and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22 Yea, I hate them right fore: even as though they were

mine enemies.

23 Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my heart: prove me, and examine my thoughts.

24 Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me: and lead me in the way everlafting.

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§ Pfalm 140. Eripe me, Domine.

ELIVER me, O Lord, from the evil man: and preferve me from the wicked man;

2 Who imagine mifchief in their hearts and ftir up ftrife all the day long.

3 They have fharpened their tongues like a ferpent: adders poifon is under their lips.

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly: preserve me from the wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have laid a fnare for me, and spread a net abroad with cords: yea, and fet traps in my way.

6 I faid unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.

This Pfalm was compofed againft the Flatterers Monarch.

of Saul who had mifieprefented David to that

7 O Lord God, thou ftrength of my health: thou haft covered my head in the day of battel.

8 Let not the ungodly have his defire, O Lord: let not his mifchievous imagination prosper, left they be too proud.

9 Let the mifchief of their own lips fall upon the head of them: that compass me about.

10 Let hot burning coals fall upon them: let them be caft into the fire, and into the pit, that they never rise up again.

II + A man full of words fhall not profper upon the earth: evil fhall hunt the wicked perfon to overthrow him.

12 Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the cause of the helpless.

13 The righteous alfo fhall give thanks unto thy Name: and the juft fhall continue in thy fight.

* Pfalm 141. Domine, clamavi.

LORD, I call upon thee, haftet.

ORD, I call upon thee, hafte thee unto me: and confider my voice,

cry unto

2 Let my prayer be fet forth in thy fight as the incense: and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening facrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: and keep the door of my lips.

4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works, with the men that work wickedness, left I eat of fuch things as please them.

5 Let the righteous rather famite me friendly and reprove me. 6 But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.

may

Let their judges be overthrown in ftony places: that they hear my words for they are sweet.

† A Man full of Words shall not projper, c. By this is meant one who is an Evilfpeaker, Backbiter, or Sycophant. And indeed it is generally obferved that to' fuch fort of People may flourish for a time: yet fooner or later they meet with just punishment.

* This Pfalm was probably compofed the Evening

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before David led to Gath from Saul's pe ficutio › Sam. xxi. 10. When being apprehenfive ov among Idolators he might be tempted to fix or do fomething inconfitert with his duly, he earnefty im plores God's help and protection.

& Our bones lie fcattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my truft, O caft not out my foul.

10 Keep me from the fnare that they have laid for me: and from the traps of the wicked doers.

11 Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever efcape them.

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‡ Pfalm 142. Voce mea ad Dominum.

Cried unto the Lord with my voice: yea, even unto the Lord did I make my fupplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him: and fhewed him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heaviness, thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a fnare for me. 4 I looked also upon my right hand: and faw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto: and no man cared for my soul. 6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said: Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

7 Confider my complaint: for I am brought very low.

8 O deliver me from my perfecutors: for they are too strong for me.

9. Bring my foul out of prifon, that I may give thanks unto thy Name: which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous refort unto my company.

Pfalm 143. EAR my prayer, O Lord, unto me for thy truth and

HEA

David being concealed in the Cave of Adullam, and furrounded by Saul's Army, here ea neftly intreats God to athift him in that eminent danger: vowing to praise him for his deliverance.

Domine, exaudi.

and confider my defire: hearken righteousness fake.

This is the 7th and laft of the penitential Pfalms. in which the royal Prophet humbly acknowledges his own unworthiness of God's favour-intreats him to regard his deplorable condition,-graciously to hear

2 And enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified.

3 For the enemy hath perfecuted my foul, he hath fmitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me: and my heart within me is defolate.

5 Yet do I remember the time paft, I mufe upon all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

6 I ftretch forth my hands unto thee: my foul gafpeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7 Hear me, O Lord, and that foon, for my spirit waxeth faint: hide not thy face from me, left I be like unto them that into the pit.

go down 8 O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my truft: fhew thou me the way that I fhould walk in, for I lift up my foul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God: let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

II Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Names fake: and for thy righteoufncfs fake bring my foul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodness flay mine enemies: and destroy all them that vex my foul, for 1 am thy fervant.

B

MORNING

+ Pfalm 144.

PRAY E R.
Benedictus Dominus.

Leffed be the Lord my ftrength: who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

2 My hope, and my fortrefs, my castle, and deliverer, my de

his prayer,-to guide him by his fpirit-and deliver him from his present distress.

This is a Pfalm of Thanksgiving for the victories and deliverances which God had granted to David:

fender in whom I truft: who fubdueth my people that is under me. 3 Lord, what is man, that thou haftsuch respect unto him: or the fon of man, that thou fo regardest him?·

4 Man is like a thing of nought: his time paffeth away like a fhadow.

5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down : touch the mountains, and they fhall fmoke.

6 Caft forth thy lightning, and tear them: fhoot out thine arrows, and confume them.

7 Send down thine hand from above: deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children; 8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity: and their right hand is a right hand of wickednefs.

9 I will fing a new fong unto thee, O God: and fing praises unto thee upon a ten-ftringed lute.

10 Thou haft given victory unto kings: and haft delivered David thy fervant from the peril of the fword.

11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of frange children: whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

12 That our fons may grow up as the young plants: and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.

13 That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of ftore: that our fheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets.

14 That our oxen may be ftrong to labour, that there be no decay: no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets. 15 Happy are the people that are in fuch a cafe: yea, bleffed are the people who have the Lord for their God.

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Deus.

* Pfalm 145. Exaltabo te, Will magnify thee, O God, my King: and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.

and a prayer for the profperity of Ifrael

Tho' temporal Bleffings feem here to be chiefly pray'd That our Sons may grow up as the young, &c. for as the Law of Mofes was founded upon. temporal

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