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Pfalm xl. Expectans expectavi.

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

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 shall put their trust 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 wondrous works which thou haft done, like as be alfo thy thoughts, which are to us-ward: and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee.

7 If I fhould declare them, and speak of them: they should be more than I am able to exprefs.

8 Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldst not: but mine ears haft thou opened.

9 Burnt-offerings and facrifice for fin haft thou not required: then faid I, Lo, I come.

10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O my God: I am content to do it, yea, thy law is within my heart.

11 I have declared thy righteoufnefs in the great congregation lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, and that thou knoweft.

12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart my talk hath been of thy truth, and of thy falvation.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. profperity of the wicked, is to reprefent to ourselves the fhortness of our lives, and the infignificancy of the good things of this world. 2. David teaches us, that God can put an end to our lives when he pleafes, and deprive us of all our advantages; that we are only ftrangers and fojourn ers here below; and that the only remedy for the miferies and vanity of human life is, to put all our hope in the Lord, to afk his affiftance, and pardon of our fins, and to fubmit with refignation to his holy will.

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13 I have not kept back thy loving mercy and truth! from the great congregation.

14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord: let thy loving kindness and thy truth alway preferve me..

15 For innumerable troubles are come about me, my fins have taken fuch hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: yea, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

16 O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me: make hafte, O Lord, to help me.

17 Let them be ashamed and confounded together, that feek after my foul to deftroy it : let them be driven backward, and put to rebuke, that wish me evil.

18 Let them be defolate and rewarded with fhame: that fay unto me, Fie upon thee, fie upon thee.

19 Let all thofe that feek thee, be joyful and glad in thee: and let fuch as love thy falvation fay alway, The Lord be praised.

20 As for me, I am poor and needy: but the Lord careth for me.

21 Thou art my helper and redeemer : make no long tarrying, O my God.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm xl. This pfalm contains extraordinary ftrains of piety and gratitude. We here obferve the fentiments of a heart full of confidence, and affected with a lively fenfe of God's mercies, with profound humility, and an ardent defire to be entirely devoted to him. Therefore the inftructions we here meet with are these. 1. That in our afflictions, we ought to wait patiently for the Lord; who, though he delay for a time, will come at laft to the affiftance of thofe that hope in him. 2. That the true happiness of man confills in chufing the Lord for his refuge, without feeking for it in men, or in the things of the world. 3. That the mercies of God towards us are fo many in number, that we cannot reckon them, nor celebrate them as they deferve. 4. That what God chiefly requires of us is, that we should fubmit ourselves to him without referve; fa ing, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God, thy law is within my heart" and that we should publish his praifes and his truth before all the 'world. We fee in this pfalm, that this is the only fervice that is pleasing to God; and that when we are in this condition, we may call upon him with a full affurance of his affiftance. Lastly, We muit confider, that David fpeaks in this pfalin, as the type of Jefus Chrift, when he says,

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EVENING PRAYER.

Pfalm xli. Beatus qui intelligit.

Leffed is he that confidereth the poor and needy the
Lord fhall deliver him in the time of trouble.

2 The Lord preferve him, and keep him alive, that he may be bleffed upon earth; and deliver not thou him into the will of his enemies.

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The Lord comfort him when he lieth fick bed: make thou all his bed in his fickness.

upon his 4 I faid, Lord be merciful unto me heal my foul, for I have finned against thee.

5 Mine enemies fpeak evil of me: When fhall he die, and his name perish?

6 And if he come to fee me, he fpeaketh vanity: and his heart conceiveth falfhood within himself, and when he cometh forth he telleth it.

7 All mine enemies whisper together against me: even against me do they imagine this evil.

8 Let the fentence of guiltinefs proceed against him: and now that he lieth, let him rife up no more.

9 Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted: who did alfo eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me.

10 But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord: raife thou me up again, and I fhall reward them.

11 By this I know thou favoureft me: that mine enemy doth not triumph against me.

12 And when I am in my health, thou upholdeft me: and fhalt fet me before thy face for ever.

13 Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael: world without end. Amen.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Sacrifice and meat offering thou wouldeft not, but mine ears haft thou opened. Then faid I, Lo, I come to do the will, O my God." St. Paul applies thefe words to our Lord in the epiftle to the Hebrews; and remarks, that by Jefus Chrift's oblation and facrifice of himfelf, we are fanctified and dedicated to God. This affords us a powerful motive to celebrate the infinite love of our Redeemer, to devote ourselves to the Lord, and conform in all things to his will,

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Pfalm xlii. Quemadmodum.

Ike as the hart defireth the water-brooks: fo longeth my foul after thee, O God,

2 My foul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: When fhall I come to appear before the presence of God?

3 My tears have been my meat day and night: while they daily fay unto me, Where is now thy God?

4 Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myfelf: for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;

5 In the voice of praise and thanksgiving: among such as keep holy-day.

6 Why art thou fo full of heavineis, O my foul: and why art thou fo difquieted within me ?

7 Put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.

8 My God, my foul is vexed within me: therefore will I remember thee concerning the land of Jordan, and the little hill of Hermon.

9 One deep calleth another, because of the noise of the water-pipes: all thy waves and ftorms are gone over me.

10 The Lord hath granted his loving kindness in the daytime; and in the night-feafon did I fing of him, and made my prayer unto the God of my life.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS,

Pfalm xli.] In this pfalm, the bleffing of God is promifed to those who have compaffion on the afflicted, who judge charitably of them, and comfort them in their fufferings. David affures the kind and charitable, that God will deliver them in their calamities; that he will heal them when they are fick and languishing; and that he will preferve them, and make them happy in this life. Thefe promises ought to inspire us with fentiments of charity, and compaffion for the unfortunate; and engage us to comfort them, and contribute to their eafe as far as we are able, On the other hand, what David fays of the proceedings of his enemies, fhews us, that it is a great fin to infult the miferable, to wish evil to or defire the death of any one, and to judge that all thofe whom God afflicts are punished because of their fins. This fhould teach us to avoid hardheartedness and rafh judgments, and to think always favourably of people in affliction, and especially of those who are remarkable for piety and the fear of the Lord.

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III will fay unto the God of my strength, Why haft thou forgotten me: why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppreffeth me?

12 My bones are fmitten afunder as with a fword: while mine enemies that trouble me caft me in the teeth;

13 Namely, while they fay daily unto me: Where is now thy God?

14 Why art thou fo vexed, O my foul: and why art thou fo difquieted within me?

15 O put thy truft in God: for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.

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Pfalm xliii. Judica me, Deus.

Ive fentence with me, O God, and defend my cause a gainst the ungodly people: O deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.

2 For thou art the God of my strength, why haft thou put me from thee: and why go I fo heavily, while the enemy oppreffeth me?

3 O fend out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me: and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling,

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm xlii.] In the earnest defire of the prophetic author of this pfalm, who was probably David, to com: again to the house of God, which he was kept from, we fee what fentiments true devotion and fincere piety infpire men with. The faithful defire nothing more fincerely, than to appear before God, and particularly to worship in the affemblies of the faints, and to be edified by the company and good examples of godly men. In like manner, there is nothing grieves them more than to be deprived of that comfort, and to fee the wicked impiously infult God, and fcoff at the just man's trust in him. Obferve next, that the author of this pfalm had been in exceeding great diftrefs, and as it were finking under the afflicting hand of God; in which condition his foul was diftracted, and almost deftitute of comfort; but that, nevertheless, his faith had raised and fupported him. This example ought to ftrengthen the righteous in their afflictions, comfort them in their greatest bitterness of foul, and make them fay with the pfalmift, "Why art thou fo vexed, O my foul: and why art thou fo difquieted within me? O put thy truft in God: for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God."

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