Praise the Lord, O my soul; and O praise the Lord, ye Angels of forget not all his benefits; Who forgiveth all thy sin, and healeth all thine infirmities; his, ye that excel in strength; ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his words. Who saveth thy life from deO praise the Lord, all ye his struction, and crowneth thee with hosts; ye servants of his, that do mercy and loving kindness; his pleasure. Who satisfieth thy mouth with O speak good of the Lord, all good things, making thee young ye works of his, in all places of his and lusty as an eagle. dominion: Praise thou the Lord, The Lord executeth righteous- O my soul. ness and judgment, for all them that are oppressed with wrong. SELECTION II. Heshowed his ways unto Moses, From Psalm 139. Domine, probasti. his works unto the children of Israel. The Lord the children me out, and known me; thou and mercy, long-suffering, and of knowest my down-sitting, and great goodness. mine up-rising; thou understand He will not alwaybechiding; nei- est my thoughts long before. ther keepeth he his anger for ever. Thou art about my path, and He hath not dealt with us after about my bed, and spiest out all our sins; nor rewarded us accord- my ways. ing to our wickednesses. For lo, there is not a word in my For look how high the heaven tongue, but thou, O Lord, knowest is in comparison of the earth; so it altogether. great is his mercy also toward those who fear him! Look how wide also the east is from the west; so far hath he set our sins from us! Thou hast fashioned me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me; I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go then from Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children; even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him. thy Spirit? or whither shall I go then from thy presence? For he knoweth whereof we are made; he remembereth that If I climb up into heaven, thou we are but dust. art there; If I go down to hell. The days of man are but as thou art there also. grass; for he flourisheth as a flower If I take the wings of the mornof the field. For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. ing, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall But the merciful goodness of the hold me. Lord endureth forever and ever up- If I say, Peradventure the darkon those who fear him; and his righ-ness shall cover me; then shall my teousness upon children's children; night be turned to day. Even upon such as keep his Yea, the darkness is no darkcovenant, and think upon his com-ness with thee, but the night is as mandments to do them. clear as the day; the darkness and light to thee are both alike. The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven, and his kingdom ruleth over all. For my reins are thine; thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks unto thee, for I man, and his mercy is over all his am fearfully and wonderfully made: works. Marvellous are thy works, and that All thy works praise thee, O my soul knoweth right well. My bones are not hid from thee, though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth. Lord; and thy saints give thanks unto thee. They show the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom, might Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book were all my members be known unto men. written. Thy kingdom is an everlasting Which day by day were fashion-kingdom, and thy dominion ened, when as yet there was none of dureth throughout all ages. them. The Lord upholdeth all such as How dear are thy counsels unto fall, and lifteth up all those who me, O God; O how great is the are down. sum of them! The eyes of all wait upon thee, If I tell them, they are more in O Lord, and thou givest them number than the sand: when I their meat in due season. wake up, I am present with thee. Thou openest thine hand, and Try me, O God, and seek the fillest all things living with plenteground of my heart; prove me, and ousness. examine my thoughts. Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me; and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 145. Exaltabo te, Deus. I WILL magnify thee, O God, my King, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I give thanks unto thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him; yea, all such as call upon him faithfully. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear him; he also will hear their cry, and will help them. The Lord preserveth all those who love him; but scattereth abroad all the ungodly. Great is the Lord, and marvelMy mouth shall speak the praise lous, worthy to be praised; there of the Lord: and let all flesh give is no end of his greatness. thanks unto his holy name for ever One generation shall praise thy and ever. works unto another, and declare thy power. SELECTION III. As for me, I will be talking of From Psal. 51. Miserere mei, Deus. thy worship, thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works; H AVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; ac So that men shall speak of the cording to the multitude of thy might of thy marvellous acts; and mercies, do away mine offences. I will also tell of thy greatness. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin: The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be showed, and men shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful; long-suffering, and of great goodness. The Lord is loving unto every For I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged. pour out my heart by myself; for I Behold, I was shapen in wicked-went with the multitude, and ness, and in sin hath my mother brought them forth into the house conceived me. of God, But lo, thou requirest truth in In the voice of praise and thanksthe inward parts, and shalt make giving, among such as keep holyme to understand wisdom secretly. day. Thou shalt purge me with hys- Why art thou so full of heavi sop, and I shall be clean; thou ness, O my soul? and why art thou shalt wash me, and I shall be so disquieted within me ? whiter than snow. Put thy trust in God; for I will Thou shalt make me hear of joy yet give him thanks for the help of and gladness, that the bones which his countenance. thou hast broken may rejoice. The Lord hath granted his lovin the night-season did I sing of Turn thy face from my sins, and ing-kindness in the day time; and put out all my misdeeds. Make me a clean heart, O God, him, and made my prayer unto the and renew a right spirit within me. God of my life. Cast me not away from thy I will say unto the God of my presence, and take not thy Holy strength, Why hast thou forgotten Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of thy help again, and stablish me with thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. me? why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me? Namely, while they say daily unto me, Where is now thy God? Why art thou so vexed, O my soul? and why art thou so disquieted within me ? Deliver me from blood-guilti- O put thy trust in God; for I will ness, O God, thou that art the yet thank him, who is the help of God of my health; and my tongue my countenance and my God. shall sing of thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show thy praise. For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. SELECTION IV. envious against the evil doers: The sacrifice of God is a troubled like the grass, and be withered spirit: a broken and contrite heart, IKE even as the green herb. Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good; dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy heart's desire. Commit thy way unto the Lord, My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: When and put thy trust in him, and he shall I come to appear before the presence of God? shall bring it to pass. My tears have been my meat as clear as the light and thy just day and night; while they daily say dealing as the noon-day. unto me, Where is now thy God? Hold thee still in the Lord, and Now when I think thereupon, I abide patiently upon him; but grieve not thyself at him whose that are cursed of him, shall be way doth prosper, against the man rooted out. that doeth after evil counsels. The Lord ordereth a good Leave off from wrath, and let go man's going, and maketh his ways displeasure; fret not thyself, else acceptable to himself. shalt thou be moved to do evil. Though he fall, he shall not be Wicked doers shall be rooted cast away; for the Lord upholdout; and they that patiently abide eth him with his hand. the Lord, those shall inherit the land. I have been young, and now Yet a little while, and the un-am old, and yet saw I never the godly shall be clean gone; thou righteous forsaken, nor his seed shalt look after his place, and he begging their bread. shall be away. The righteous is ever merci But the meek-spirited shall pos- ful, and lendeth; and his seed is sess the earth, and shall be refresh- blessed. ed in the multitude of peace. Flee from evil, and do the thing The ungodly seeketh counsel that is good, and dwell for everagainst the just, and gnasheth upon more. him with his teeth. For the Lord loveth the thing The Lord shall laugh him to that is right; he forsaketh not his scorn; for he hath seen that his day is coming. The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation. Their sword shall go through their own heart, and their bow shall be broken. A small thing that the righteous hath, is better than great riches of the ungodly; For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, and the Lord upholdeth the righteous. that be godly, but they are preserved for ever. The unrighteous shall be punished; as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, and his tongue will be talking of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart, and his goings shall not slide. The ungodly seeth the righteous, and seeketh occasion to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. The Lord knoweth the days of the godly; and their inheritance Hope thou in the Lord, and shall endure for ever. keep his way, and he shall pro They shall not be confounded in mote thee, that thou shalt possess the perilous time; and in the days the land: when the ungodly shall of dearth they shall have enough. perish, thou shalt see it. As for the ungodly, they shall I myself have seen the ungodly perish, and the enemies of the Lord in great power, and flourishing shall consume as the fat of lambs; like a green bay-tree. yea, even as the smoke shall they I went by, and lo, he was gone: consume away. I sought him, but his place could The ungodly borroweth, and no where be found. payeth not again; but the righteous is merciful and liberal. Such as are blessed of God, shall possess the land; and they Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right; for that shall bring a man peace at the last. As for the transgressors, they shall perish together: and the end He that setteth not by himself, of the ungodly is, they shall be but is lowly in his own eyes, and rooted out at the last. maketh much of them that fear But the salvation of the right- the Lord: eous cometh of the Lord, who is He that sweareth unto his neighalso their strength in the time of bour, and disappointeth him not, trouble. though it were to his own hin And the Lord shall stand by drance: them, and save them; he shall He that hath not given his deliver them from the ungodly, money upon usury, nor taken reand shall save them, because they ward against the innocent: put their trust in him. SELECTION V. Psalm 1. Beatus vir, qui non abiit. B Whoso doeth these things, shall never fall. Psalm 91. Qui habitat. W HOSO dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, hath not walked in the coun- shall abide under the shadow of sel of the ungodly, nor stood in the Almighty. the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful: I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold; my God, in him will I trust. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pestilence. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he exercise himself day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side, that will He shall defend thee under his bring forth his fruit in due season. wings, and thou shalt be safe under His leaf also shall not wither; his feathers; his faithfulness and and look, whatsoever he doeth, it truthshall be thy shield and buckler. shall prosper. As for the ungodly, it is not so with them, but they are like the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth. Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment, neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous. Thou shalt not be afraid of any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day; For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day. A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. But the Lord knoweth the way Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou of the righteous; and the way of behold, and see the reward of the the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 15. Domine, quis habitabit? For thou, Lord, art my hope; ungodly. LORD, who shall dwell in thy thou hast set thine house of de ? or who shall rest fence very high. upon thy holy hill? There shall no evil happen unto Even he that leadeth an uncor-thee, neither shall any plague rupt life, and doeth the thing come nigh thy dwelling. which is right, and speaketh the For he shall give his Angels truth from his heart : charge over thee, to keep thee in He that hath used no deceit in all thy ways. his tongue, nor done evil to his They shall bear thee in their neighbour, and hath not slandered hands; that thou hurt not thy foot his neighbour: against a stone. |