12 What man is he that lust

eth to live (x) and would fain see good days?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil : and thy lips, that they speak no guile.

14 Eschew evil, and do good: seek peace, and ensue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers.

16 The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil : to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as be of an humble spirit.

19 Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord

delivereth him out of all. 20 He keepeth all his bones : so that not one of them is broken.

21 But misfortune shall slay the ungodly and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants and all

they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.

MORNING PRAYER.

Psalm xxxv. (y)

PLEAD thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: and fight thou against them that fight against me.

2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler and stand up to help me.

3 Bring forth the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me say unto my soul, "I am thy salvation."

4 Let(z) them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul let them be turned back, and brought to confusion, that imagine mischief for me.

5 Let them be as the dust before the wind and the angel of the Lord scattering them.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

7 For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a cause yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul.

8 Let a sudden destruction

"fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but "the years of the wicked shall be short"ened."

(y) A prayer of David's for deliverance whilst he was persecuted by Saul.

(z) "Let," &c. This and the other v.4. verbs in this Psalm which are put optatively, as imprecations, might be put in the future tense, so as only to express a confidence or belief that thus it would be; not that they furnish any reasonable ground of objection, if they are imprecations. David was most unjustly pursued, and he might properly pray that the attempts against him might be defeated, and that in so signal a manner, as

come upon him (a) unawares, and his net that he hath laid privily, catch himself that he may fall into his own mischief.

9 And, my soul, be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoice in his salvation (b).

10 All my bones shall say, "Lord, who is like unto thee, "who deliverest the poor from "him that is too strong for him: 66 yea, the poor, and him that is "in misery, from him that spoil"eth him?"

11 False witnesses did rise up: they laid to my charge things that I knew not (c).

12 They rewarded me evil for good to the great discomfort of my soul (d).

13 Nevertheless (e), when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer shall turn into mine own bosom.

14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother I went heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares, making mouths at me, and ceased not.

16 With the flatterers were busy mockers: who gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this: O deliver my soul from the calamities which: they bring on me, and my darling (f) from the lions.

18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation (g): I will praise thee among much people.

19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly (b) neither let them

to discourage his enemies from going on with their hostilities; he does not pray for punishment upon them in the next life, nor for general calamities upon them in this, but merely for discomfiture upon them in their ungrounded attacks upon him.

(a) For "him," "his," "himself," "he," and "his" read "them,” “ their,” "themselves,"" they," and "their." The connection requires it, and the alteration is supported by many of the antient versions.

(b)

"His salvation," i. e. the preservation he shall vouchsafe me.

"That I knew not," i. e. things (c) of which I had not the least knowledge. Acts that had never entered even into my thoughts.

(d)" Discomfort of my soul," i. e. danger of my life.

"Nevertheless," &c. He con. (e) trasts his behaviour towards them, with theirs towards him.

(ƒ)" My darling" i. e. my life, what is most precious to me. So Ps.

"Deliver my soul from the "sword, my darling from the power "the dog."

(g) "The great congregation," and among much people," i. e. in the great religious meetings of the people. So Ps. xxii. 25. "My praise is of thee "in the great congregation, my vows will "I perform in the sight of them that fear " him ;" and cxvi. 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." And Ps. xl. 11. 13. "I “have declared thy righteousnes in the great congregation," and "I have not kept back thy mercy and truth from "the great congregation."

66

(b) For "enemies triumph over me "ungodly," read "enemies wrongfully triumph over me:" this is the Bible translation; and " they that hate me without a cause," answers to those "who

66

" are mine enemies wrongfully." See

Ps. xxxviii. 10.

v. 20.

23 Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.

V.21.

24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness and let them not triumph

0.27.

over me.

25. Let them not say in their hearts, "There, there, so would || "we have it": neither let them say, "We have devoured him."

26 Let them be put to confusion and shame together, that rejoice at my trouble : let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour, that boast themselves against me.

(i) "Wink with their eyes," i. e. in derision, or exultation.

(k) "Their communing," &c. i. e. if they consult together, it is not for peaceful purposes, but to bring mischief upon them that are quiet, &c.

"

(1) For imagine deceitful words," the reading may be, " fabricate false "stories."

(m) "Saw," &c. imputing not only that he had done what was heinous, but that they had themselves seen it, so as to exclude all doubt upon the matter.

(n) "Blessed," &c. Give them this additional motive for looking up to thee, and glorifying thy name. He often insinuates that God's protection to the good furnishes ground for praising and depending upon him, and that his suffer

27 Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing yea, let them say alway, "Blessed (n) be the Lord, who "hath pleasure in the prosperity "of his servant.

28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Psalm xxxvi. (0)

My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly: that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flattereth himself in his own sight until his abominable sin be found out.

3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous, and full of deceit : he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good.

4 He imagineth mischief upon his bed (p), and hath set himself in no good way : neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.

5 Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth (g) unto the heavens and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.

6 Thy righteousness standeth

ing them to be oppressed and in adversity, gives occasion to the ungodly to question his providence and power.

(0) Supposed to have been written by David during his persecution by Saul. It characterizes the conduct of his enemies, as being unrestrained by any fear of God, &c. notices the certainty and all-sufficiency of God's protection and prays for its continuance, and concludes as if his enemies bad met with some fresh discomfiture during the Psalm.

(p)"Upon his bed." This strongly v. 4. marks its malevolent character: not the transport of sudden indignation, but the result of cool deliberation.

(9)" Reacheth," &c. So that nothing v. 5. is beyond its compass.

like the strong mountains (r): thy judgements are like the great deep (s).

7 Thou, Lord, shalt save (t) both man and beast; How excellent is thy mercy, O God and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow (u) of thy wings.

8 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house : and thou shalt give them drink (x) of thy pleasures as out of the river.

9 For with thee is the well (y) Lessons for the Seventh Day of

Matt. v. (1)

Morn. Exod. xx. Mark vii.(2)

I Sam. xvii.

Luke xviii. (3)

Acts iv.

Even. Gen. xii.

Even. Exod. xxi.

Even.

1 Sam. xviii.

Heb. ix. (4)

EVENING PRAYER.

whose way

Psalm xxxvii. (a) FRET not thyself because of the ungodly neither be thou envious against the evil doers.

2 For they shall soon be cut down (b) like the grass and be withered even as the green herb.

9.2.

3 Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good : dwell (c) in the land, and verily

thou shalt be fed.

v.3.

4 Delight thou in the Lord : and he shall give thee thy heart's desire.

5 Commit (d) thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him and he shall bring it (e) to

7.5.

(a) On the short continuance of the successes of the wicked and of the afflictions of the good; on the great advantages of righteousness, and a strong exhortation to trust in God. In the Hebrew the Psalm is alphabetical.

(b) "Cut down." In Ps. lxxiii. where the occasional prosperity of the wicked is noticed as matter of great surprize, this explanation is given, namely, "how "thou dost set them in slippery places, "and castest them down, and destroyest "them. Oh! how suddenly do they

consume, perish, and come to a fearful "end !"

(c) Read, "so shalt thou dwell," &c. This is the Bible translation: and the dwelling in the land," is one of the rewards for trusting in God, &c.

(d)" Commit," &c. So Prov. xvi. 3. "Commit thy works unto the Lord, "and thy thoughts shall be established."

doth

prosper, against the man that doeth after evil counsels.

8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.

9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit (f) the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone (g): thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.

11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.

12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 (b) The Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for he hath seen that his day (i) is coming.

14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow to cast down the poor