Morning Prayer. PSALM 116. Dilexi, quoniam. [This Psalm recalls both the words of David, and the thankfulness of one who had been on the brink I AM well pleased: that the LORD hath heard 2 That He hath inclined His ear unto me: therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The snares of death compassed me round about and the pains of hell gat hold upon me. 4 I shall find trouble and heaviness, and I will call upon the Name of the LORD: 0 LORD, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous: yea, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was in misery, and He helped me. 7 Turn again then unto thy rest, O my soul for the LORD hath rewarded thee. 8 And why? Thou hast delivered my soul from death: mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 10 I believed, and therefore will I speak; but I was sore troubled : I said in my haste, All men are liars. 11 What reward shall I give unto the LORD for all the benefits He hath done unto me? me, I was deeply afflicted; as for me, I said in my haste, 'All that is man, deceives.' 12 I will receive the cup of salvation : and call the Name of the LORD. upon 13 I will pay my vows now in the presence of all His people right dear in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. 14 Behold, O LORD, how that I am Thy servant : I am Thy servant, and the son of Thine handmaid; Thou hast broken bonds in sunder. my 15 I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the LORD. 16 I will pay my vows unto the LORD, in the sight of all His people in the courts of the LORD's house, even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. PSALM 117. Laudate Dominum. [This short Psalm has been supposed to be a Dox- O PRAISE the LORD, all ye heathen praise 2 For His merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise the LORD. PSALM 118. Confitemini Domino. [This Psalm was composed for the festival celebrat- Temple, when He cleansed it of the traders who O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for He is gra- of the Temple by Zerubbabel and Joshua.-Ezra iii. 12. The cup of salvation. This seems the to be a figure of speech for deliverance, which afterwards received a special significance in the Passover, and a cup of blessing at still deeper significance at the Lord's Supper. 13. Right dear · i. e., precious, rare, not lightly permitted. 14. I am Thy servant. This recalls the language of Nehemiah, who in his spoke of himself to prayers continually God as "Thy servant."-Nehem. i. 6, 2 Let Israel now confess, that He is gracious and that His mercy endureth for ever. 3 Let the house of Aaron now confess : that His mercy endureth for ever. : 4 Yea, let them now that fear the LORD confess that His mercy endureth for ever. 5 I called upon the LORD in trouble: and the LORD heard me at large. 6 The LORD is on my side: I will not fear what man doeth unto me. as in 5. In trouble; lit. from straitness, from captivity Babylon. At large; lit. in the large space 7 The LORD taketh my part with them.e., set me free. that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon mine enemies. 6. "We may boldly say, 'The LORD is my helper, and I will not 8 It is better to trust in the LORD: than fear what man shall to put any confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD: than to put any confidence in princes. 10 All nations compassed me round about but in the Name of the LORD will I destroy them. : 11 They kept me in on every side, they kept me in, I say, on every side but in the Name of the LORD will I destroy them. 12 They came about me like bees, and are extinct even as the fire among the thorns for in the Name of the LORD I will destroy them. do unto me," Heb. xiii. 6. 13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I nations," who appeal might fall but the LORD was my help. 14 The LORD is my strength, and my song and is become my salvation. ed to Artaxerxes to stop the building.Ezra iv. 9, 10. 12. Are extinct, &c.; Heb. as a fire of thorns-i.e., quickly blazing, soon burnt out. 15 The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD bringeth mighty things to pass. 16 The right hand of the LORD hath 14. This commences the song of Moses after the passage through the Red Sea.-Ex. xv. 2. 13. Thou-i.e., the enemy of Israel. 15. "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them," Ex. xv. 6, 12. ... the pre-eminence the right hand of the LORD bringeth mighty things to pass. : 17 I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the LORD. 18 The LORD hath chastened and corrected me but He hath not given me over unto death. 19 Open me the gates of righteousness : that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the LORD. 19. The gates of i.e., righteousness the gates of the Temple. The choir and 20 This is the gate of the LORD: the procession are righteous shall enter it. 21 I will thank Thee, for Thou hast heard me and art become my salvation. 22 The same stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone in the corner. : : 23 This is the LORD's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made : we will rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Help me now, O LORD: O LORD, send us now prosperity. 26 Blessed be He that cometh in the Name of the LORD: we have wished you good luck, ye that are of the house of the LORD. 27 God is the LORD who hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with cords, yea, even unto the horns of the altar. before them. now 22. It is suggested that a stone, part of the old building, passed over by the builders, was adopted, on the pressure of the priests, as the cor ner stone. Our Lord applied, as is well known, this verse to Himself. The original incident must have had a striking history, as indicated by the 23d verse. 25. Help me now; the Hebrew word is represented by Hosanna, save now!-S. Matt. xxi. 9. 26. We have wished you, &c.; rather, "We have blessed you from of the 28 Thou art my God, and I will thank Thee Thou art my God, and I will praise the house : Thee. 29 O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is gracious and His mercy endureth for ever. LORD." The reply from the priests. 27. Sacrifice; lit. festival sacrifice, victim, as in Ex. xxiii. 18, the fat of my sacrifice, lit. festival, as here. At the corners of the altar there were projections called horns [Ex. xxvii. 2] on which the blood of the sin-offering was smeared, Ex. xxix. 12. Evening Prayer. PSALM 119. Beati immaculati. [This Psalm contains twenty-two stanzas, after the Hebrew alphabet, in consecutive order. Each stanza has eight verses, and each verse has two members. Each verse begins with the same letter as that of the stanza. A name referring to God's Word occurs in every verse, except the 122d. The names are, WORD, SAYING, TESTIMONIES, WAY, JUDGMENT, PRECEPT, COMMANDMENT, LAW, STATUTE, FAITHFULNESS.] BLESSED are those that are undefiled in the way and walk in the law of the LORD. "It is strange that of all the pieces of the Bible which my mother taught me, that which cost me most to learn, and which was to my child's mind most repulsive-the 119th Psalm-has now become of all the most precious to me in its overflowing and glorious passion of love for the law of God." RUSKIN. A stanza is a staff succession of verses. 2 Blessed are they that keep His testi-i.e., a set, series, monies and seek Him with their whole heart. 3 For they who do no wickedness: walk in His ways. .א OBEDIENCE. 1st stanza, Aleph, 3. Walk in His 4 Thou hast charged that we shall dili- ways; Zacharias and gently keep Thy commandments. 5 0 that my ways were made so direct : that I might keep Thy statutes! 6 So shall I not be confounded : while I have respect unto all Thy commandments. 7 I will thank Thee with an unfeigned heart when I shall have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness. 8 I will keep Thy ceremonies : O forsake me not utterly. ii. In quo corriget? WHEREWITHAL shall a young man cleanse Elisabeth walked "in less," S. Luke i. 6. 8. Ceremonies = statutes, as in the Bible version. PROTECTION. 2d stanza, Beth, . 9. "I have written his way even by ruling himself after Thy unto you, young men, Word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought Thee O let me not go wrong out of Thy commandments. : 11 Thy words have I hid within my heart: that I should not sin against Thee. because ye are strong, and THE WORD OF GOD abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one," 1 S. John ii. 14. |