ページの画像
PDF
ePub

20

7 I have watched, and am even as it were a fparrow: that fitteth alone upon the houfe-top.

8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long: and they that are mad upon me, are fworn together against me.

9 For I have eaten afhes as it were bread and mingled my drink with weeping;

10 And that becaufe of thine indignation and wrath for thou haft taken me up, and caft me down.

:

11 My days are gone like a fhadow and I am withered like grafs.

12 But thou, O Lord, fhalt endure for ever and thy remembrance throughout all generations.

13 Thou fhalt arife, and have mercy upon Sion: for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come. 14 And why? thy fervants think upon her ftones and it pitieth them to fee her in the duft.

15 The heathen fhall fear thy Name, O Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy Majesty;

16 When the Lord fhall build up Sion: and when his glory fhall appear;

17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor deftitute and defpifeth not their defire.

18 This fhall be written for thofe that come after: and the people which shall be born fhall praise the Lord.

19 For he hath looked down from his fanctuary: out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;

20 That he might hear the mournings of fuch as are in captivity and deliver the children appointed unto death; 21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion: and his worship at Jerufalem;

22 When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms alfo to ferve the Lord.

23 He brought down my ftrength in my journey and fhortened my days.

24 But I faid, O my God, take me not away in the midft of mine age: as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.

25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 Thou

12

3 U

20

26 They fhall perish, but thou shalt endure they all fhall wax old as doth a garment;

27 And as a vefture fhalt thou change them, and they fhall be changed: but thou art the fame, and thy years fhall not fail.

8 The children of thy fervants fhall continue: and their feed fhall ftand fast in thy fight.

Pfalm ciii. Benedic, animamea.

RAISE the Lord, O my foul: and all that is within me praife his holy Name.

PRA

2 Praife the Lord, O my foul: and forget not all his benefits;

3 Who forgiveth all thy fins: and healeth all thine infirmities;

4

:.

Who faveth thy life from deftruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness;

5 Who fatisfieth thy mouth with good things: making thee young and lufty as an eagle.

6 The Lord executeth righteoufnefs and judgment: for all them that are oppreffed with wrong.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm.cii.] There are two things chiefly to be confidered in this pfalm: Firit, The fad condition of the captive Jews, and their extreme affliction; and fecondly, Their hope in God. Therefore the reading of this pfalm furnish us with thefe two inftructions: 1. That the children of God have a tender affection for the church, and that there is nothing which more deeply concerns them than to fee it expofed to fufferings. 2. As the ancient Jews firmly trufted that God would arife and take pity upon Sion, and restore it to its glorious ftate; and that he would, by delivering the Jews from their captivity, manifeft his glory to all the kings and nations of the earth; we ought not to doubt but God will do the fame thing, and even after a more illuftrious manner, in favour of the Chriftian church; and that the time is coming, wherein his glory and his kingdom will appear in fplendor. This happy restoration is what true Chriftians defire above all things, and what they afk of God in most fervent prayers. This too will undoubtedly be brought to pafs by the infinite power of Jefus Chrift, fince he is the Lord of the world, and is over all God blessed for ever. This St Paul teaches us, Heb. 1. where he applies to the Son of God what is faid of the creation of the world at the end of this pfalm.

PRAC

[ocr errors]

7 He fhewed his ways unto Mofes: his works unto the

children of Ifrael.

8 The Lord is full of compaffion and mercy: long-fuffering, and of great goodness.

9 He will not alway be chiding: neither keepeth he his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our fins: nor rewarded us according to our wickedneffes.

11 For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth: fo great is his mercy alfo toward them that ear him.

12 Look how wide alfo the eaft is from the weft: fo far hath he fet our fins from us.

13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children: even fo is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.

14

For he knoweth whereof we are made: he remembereth that we are but duft.

15 The days of man are but as grafs: for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.

16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone : and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteoufnefs upon childrens children;

18 Even upon fuch as keep his covenant: and think upon his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his feat in heaven: and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 O praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that excel in ftrength: ye that fulfil his commandments, and hearken

unto the voice of his words.

21 O praise the Lord, all ye his hofts: ye fervants of his that do his pleasure.

22 O peak good of the Lord, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: praife thou the Lord, O my loul.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfam cii. This is a moft excellent fong of thanksgiving. David here feems infpired with the higheit ftrains of devotion, and the mott lively fenfe of gratitude. He here teaches us by his example to blef

God,

[ocr errors]

PR

20.

EVENING PRAYER.

Pfalm civ. Benedic, anima mea.

RAISE the Lord, O my foul: O Lord my God, thou art become exceeding glorious, thou art clothed with majefty and honour.

2 Thou deckeft thyfelf with light as it were with a garment and fpreadeft out the heavens like a curtain.

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.

4 He maketh his angels fpirits: and his minifters a flaming fire.

5 He laid the foundations of the earth: that it never fhould move at any time.

6 Thou covereft it with the deep like as with a garment: the waters ftand in the hills.

7 At thy rebuke they flee: at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.

8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath even unto the place which thou haft appointed

for them.

9 Thou haft fet them their bounds which they shall not pais neither turn again to cover the earth.

to He fendeth the fprings into the rivers: which run among the hills.

11 All beafts of the field drink thereof: and the wild affes quench their thirst.

12 Befide them fhall the fowls of the air have their habitation and fing among the branches.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

God, not only with our mouth, but with our whole heart, and with all the powers of our foul. He here celebrates particularly the infinite mercy of God; who, knowing that we are but duft, bears with us, and does not render to us what our fins deferve; and entertains the fame compaffion and kindness as a father does for his children. But he teaches us, at the fame time, that the divine goodness is difplayed only in behalf of thofe that fear him and reverence him; and that his mercy extends only to them that "keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them."

20.

13 He watereth the hills from above: the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

14 He bringeth forth grafs for the cattle: and green herb for the fervice of men.

15 That he may bring food out of the earth. and wine that maketh glad the heart of man: and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to ftrengthen mans heart.

16 The trees of the Lord alfo are full of fap: even the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

17 Wherein the birds make their nefts; and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the ftork.

18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats: and fo are the flony rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for certain feafons: and the fun knoweth his going down.

20 Thou makeft darkness that it may be night: wherein all the beafts of the foreft do move.

21 The lions roaring after their prey: do seek their meat from God.

22 The fun arifeth, and they get them away together: and lay them down in their dens.

23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour: until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works: in wisdom haft thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is the great and wide fea alfo: wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beats.

26 There go the fhips, and there is that Leviathan: whom thou haft made to take his pastime therein.

27 These wait all upon thee: that thou mayeft give them meat ir. due feason.

28 When thou giveft it them, they gather it: and when thou openeft thy hand, they are filled with good.

29 When thou hideft thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die, and are turned again to their duft.

30 When thou letteft thy breath go forth, they fhall be made and thou fhalt renew the face of the earth.

[ocr errors]
« 前へ次へ »