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quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among

them.

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17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord fhall fave me. 18 In the evening and morning, and at noon-day will I pray, and that inftantly: and he fhall hear my voice.

19 It is he that hath delivered my foul in peace, from the battel that was against me: for there were many with me.

20 Yea, even God that endureth for ever, fhall hear me, and bring them down: for they will not turn, nor fear God.

21 He laid his hands upon such as be at peace with him: and he brake his covenant.

22 The words of his mouth were fofter than butter, having war in his heart: his words were fmoother than oil, and yet be they very fwords.

23 O caft thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee: and fhall not fuffer the righteous to fall for ever.

24 And as for them: thou, O God, fhalt bring them into the pit of deftruction.

25 The blood-thirfty and deceitful men fhall not live out half their days: nevertheless my trust shall be in thee, O Lord. MORNING PRAYER.

BE merciful

§ Pfalm 56. Miferere mei, Deus.

E merciful unto me, O God, for man goeth about to devour me: he is daily fighting and troubling me.

2 Mine enemies are daily in hand to fwallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most Higheft.

3 Nevertheless, though I am fometime afraid: yet put I my truft in thee.

ing imprecation is rather to be confidered as a Prophecy of what should befall David's Enemies; and is not to be applied by Chriftians to those who for whom they have received injuries. On the contrary it is our duty to pray for our Perfecutors; herein conforming to the Laws of the Gospel, and to that pattern of patience and

meekness which our Lord in his Life and Death hath fet before us.

David having been difcovered, and in danger of being apprehended by the Philiftine's in Gath, 1 Sam. xxi. entreats God to preferve him; and praises him for his deliverance.

4 I will praise God, because of his word: I have put my trut in God, and will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5 They daily mistake my words: all that they imagine is to do

me evil.

6 They hold altogether, and keep themselves clofe: and mark my fteps when they lay wait for my foul.

7 Shall they efcape for their wickedness: thou, O God, in thy displeasure shalt caft them down.

8 Thou telleft my flittings, put my tears into thy bottle: *are not these things noted in thy book?

9 Whenfoever I call upon thee, then fhall mine enemies be put to flight: this I know; for God is on my fide..

10 In Gods word will I rejoice: in the Lords word will I comfort me.

11 Yea, in God have I put my truft; I will not be afraid, what man can do unto me.

12 Unto thee, O God, will I pay my vows: unto thee will I give thanks.

13 For thou haft delivered my foul from death, and my feet from falling: that I may walk before God in the light of the living. Pfalm 57. Miferere mei, Deus:

BE

merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my foul trufteth in thee: and under the fhadow of thy wings fhall be my refuge until this tyranny be over-past.

2 I will call unto the most high God: even unto the God that fhall perform the caufe which I have in hand.

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He shall send from heaven : and fave me from the reproof of him that would eat me up.

Are not thefe Things noted in thy Book. The meaning of this and fuch-like expreffions is, that every action of every Man, is more certainly known to God, and remembered unto judgment; than things are made certain to be remembered among Men, by being written down in Books, Dr. Clarke. From a fenfe of God's

infinite knowledge, may we learn to live conftantly under its Conviction, in all holy and godly Converfation!

David flying before Saul, and being hid in a Cave, where he was furprized by the King, 1 Sam. 24. here offers up his Prayers to God for aftance, and expreffes his firm Confidence in the divine Protection..

4 God fhall fend forth his mercy and truth: my foul is among lions.

5 And I lie even among the children of men, that are fet on fire: whofe teeth are fpears and arrows, and their tongue a fharp fword. 6 Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

my

7 They have laid a net for my feet, and preffed down foul: they have digged a pit before me, and are fallen into the midst of it themselves.

8 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed : I will fing and give praife.

୨ * Awake up, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I myself will awake right early.

10 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people: and. I will fing unto thee among the nations.

II For the greatness of thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens :: and thy truth unto the clouds.

12 Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

A

| Pfalm 58. Si vere utique.

RE your minds fet upon righteoufnefs, O ye congregation: and do ye judge the thing that is right, O ye fons of men? 2 Yea, ye imagine mischief in your heart upon the earth: and your hands deal with wickednefs..

3 The ungodly are froward, even from their mothers womb: as foon as they are born, they go aftray, and speak lies.

4 They are as venemous as the poison of a ferpent: even like, the deaf adder that ftoppeth. her ears ;

Awake up my Glory. By this is meant the Tongue which is that peculiar Excellency, wherein chiefly, except reafon, Man furpaffes all other Creatures.How reafonable then is it that that which is such a ditinguishing part of our nature fhould be employed the fervice of our Creator! And how very blameable

muft they be who abuse it to the Purposes of Phrophanenefs, Impurity and Injustice!

This is a Complaint of David against Saul's wicked Counfellors, whofe Impiety and Obftinacy he strongly defcribes and foretells that the divine Vengeance would shortly overtake and destroy them..

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5 Which refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer: charm he never fo wifely.

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths, fmite the jawbones of the lions, O Lord: let them fall away like water that runneth apace, and when they shoot their arrows, let them be rooted out.

7 Let them confume away like a fnail, and be like the untimely fruit of a woman: and let them not fee the fun.

8 Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns: fo let indignation vex him, even as a thing that is raw.

9 The righteous fhall rejoice when he feeth the vengeance: he fhall wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly.

IO * So that a man shall fay, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: doubtlefs there is a God that judgeth the earth.

*DE

EVENING

PRAYER.

|| Pfalm 59. Eripe me de inimicis

Eliver me from mine enemies, O God: defend me from them that rife up against me.

2 O deliver me from the wicked doers: and fave me from the blood thirsty men.

3 For lo, they lie waiting for my foul: the mighty men are gathered against me without any offence or fault of me, O Lord. 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: arife thou therefore to help me, and behold.

5 Stand up, O Lord God of hofts, thou God of Ifrael, to vifit all the heathen: and be not merciful unto them that offend of malicious wickedness.

So that a Man fhall fay, Verily there is &c. Though God does not always interpofe in this life for the punishment of the Wicked: yet this is by no means to be confidered as an impeachment of his Juftice: but rather as an additional argument for the truth of the Scriptures in which we are told that he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteoufnels by that Man whom he hath ordained.

David, in danger of being apprehended by fome

perfons whom Saul had fent to his house for that par pofe, 1 Sam. 19. reprefents to the Lord the danger he is in; not doubting but God would deliver him from his enemies, reftrain their malice, and make them an example to all the World.

Deliver me from mine Enemies, &c. From the History to which this relates we are informed that David's Prayers were heard, and that Providence furnished him with the means of escaping the fury of

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6 They go to and fro in the evening: they grin like a dog, and run about through the city.

7 Behold, they fpeak with their mouth, and fwords are in their lips: for who doth hear?

8 But thou, O Lord, fhalt have them in derifion: and thou fhalt laugh all the heathen to fcorn.

9 My ftrength will I afcribe unto thee: for thou art the God of my refuge.

10 God fheweth me his goodness plenteously: and God shall let me fee my defire upon mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, left my people forget it: but scatter them abroad among the people, and put them down, O Lord, our defence.

12 For the fin of their mouth, and for the words of their lips they shall be taken in their pride: and why? their preaching is of curfing and lies.

13 Confume them in thy wrath, confume them, that they may perish: and know that it is God that ruleth in Jacob, and unto the ends of the world.

14 And in the evening they will return: grin like a dog, and will go about the city.

15 They will run here and there for meat: and grudge if they be not fatisfied.

16 As for me, I will fing of thy power, and will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 Unto thee, O my ftrength, will I fing: for thou, O God, art my refuge, and my merciful God.

O

Pfalm 60. Deus, repulifti nos.

GOD, thou hast cast us out, and scattered us abroad: thou haft also been displeased, O turn thee unto us again

Saul: from whence we learn, that the Prayers of the faithful, and their confidence in God is never in vain.

This Pfalm feems to have been occafioned by the calamities and public distresses to which the Ifraelites

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