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WHY

Pfalm x. Ut quid, Domine ?

HY ftandeft thou fo far off, O Lord and hideft thy face in the needful time of trouble?

2 The ungodly for his own luft doth perfecute the poor: let them be taken in the crafty wiliness that they have imagined.

3 For the ungodly hath made boaft of his own hearts defire and speaketh good of the covetous whom God abhorreth.

4 The ungodly is fo proud, that he careth not for God: neither is God in all his thoughts.

5 His ways are alway grievous: thy judgments are far above out of his fight, and therefore defieth he all his enemies.

6 For he hath faid in his heart, Tufh, I fhall never be caft down there fhall no harm happen unto me.

7 His mouth is full of curfing, deceit, and fraud: under his tongue is ungodliness and vanity.

8 He fitteth lurking in the thievifh.corners of the streets : and privily in his lurking dens doth he murder the innocent; his eyes are fet against the poor.

9 For he lieth waiting fecretly, even as a lion lurketh he in his den that he may ravifh the poor.

10 He doth ravish the poor: when he getteth him into his net.

11 He falleth down, and humbleth himself that the congregation of the poor may fall into the hands of his captains.

12 He hath faid in his heart, Tufh, God hath forgotten: he hideth away his face, and he will never fee it.

13 Arife, O Lord God, and lift up thine hand forget not the poor.

14 Wherefore fhould the wicked blafpheme God: while he doth say in his heart, Tufh, thou, God, careft not for it. 15 Surely thou haft feen it for thou beholdeft ungodlinefs and wrong.

16 That thou mayeft take the matter into thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; for thou art the helper of the friendless.

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17 Break

17 Break thou the power of the ungodly and malicious: take away his ungodlinefs, and thou shalt find none.

18 The Lord is King for ever and ever: and the heathen are perished out of the land.

19 Lord, thou haft heard the defire of the poor: thou prepareft their heart, and thine ear hearkeneth thereto;

20 To help the fatherless and poor unto their right: that the man of the earth be no more exalted against them.

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Pfalm. xi. In Domino confido.

N the Lord put I my truft: how fay ye then to my foul, that she should flee as a bird unto the hill?

2 For lo, the ungodly bend their bow, 'and make ready their arrows within the quiver: that they may privily shoot at them which are true of heart.

3 For the foundations will be caft down: and what hath the righteous done?

4 The Lord is in his holy temple: the Lord's feat is in heaven.

5 His eyes confider the poor: and his eye-lids try the children of men.

6 The Lord alloweth the righteous but the ungodly, and him that delighteth in wickedness doth his foul abhor. 7 Upon the ungodly he fhall rain fnares, fire and brimftone, ftorm and tempeft: this fhall be their portion to drink. 8 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness: his countenance will behold the thing that is juft.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfal. x.] The complaints which the faithful make in this pfalm, teach us not to be furprifed if we fee the righteous fometimes oppreffed, and the wicked fucceed in their unjust and cruel defigns. But this pfalm teaches us likewife, that God does not always fuffer the proud and unjust to prevail, but takes vengeance on their crimes; and as for the meek and humble, that he beholds their afflictions, hears their cries and never forfakes them.

Pfal. xi.] 1. This pfalm furnishes us with an example of the con dence which the righteous have in the Lord their God, who is their fure refuge, even when they are in the moft deplorable condition, and know not what will become of them. 2. King David teaches us, that God has his throne in the heavens; that he fees and knows both the good and the

wicked;

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EVENING

PRAYER.

Pfalm xii. Salvum me fac.

ELP me, Lord, for there is not one godly man left: for the faithful are minifhed from among the children

of men.

2 They talk of vanity every one with his neighbour: they do but flatter with their lips, and diffemble in their double heart.

3 The Lord fhall root out all deceitful lips: and the tongue that speaketh proud things.

4 Which have faid, With our tongue will we prevail : we are they that ought to speak, who is lord over us?

5 Now for the comfortless troubles fake of the needy: and because of the deep fighing of the poor;

6 I will up, faith the Lord: and will help every one from him that fwelleth against him, and will fet him at reft.

7 The words of the Lord are pure words: even as the filver, which from the earth is tried, and purified seven times in the fire.

8 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord: thou fhalt preserve him from this generation for ever.

9 The ungodly walk on every fide: when they are exalted, the children of men are put to rebuke.

Pfalm xiii. Ufque quo, Domine?

W long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for ever: how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

HOW

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

wicked; that his foul hates thofe that love unrighteoufnefs; that he will caufe the fire of his vengeance to fall upon them; and as he is perfectly just himself, he loves juftice above all things, and always favours the upright.

Pfal. xii.] David's complaint of the fmall number of good people in his time, and his prayer to God upon that occafion, teach us, that when we fee iniquity abound, and how little there remains of honesty and fincerity among men, we ought to pray to God, that he would deliver us from the fnares and malice of the wicked, and especially from imitating them.

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2 How long shall I feek counsel in my foul, and be fo vexed in my heart: how long fhall mine enemies triumph over me ?

3. Confider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, that I fleep not in death:

4 Left mine enemy fay, I have prevailed against him: for if I be caft down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it. 5 But my truft is in thy mercy and my heart is joyful in thy falvation.

6 I will fing of the Lord, because he hath dealt so lovingly with me yea, I will praise the Name of the Lord moft Higheft.

Pfalm xiv. Dixit infipiens.

HE fool hath said in his heart: There is no God.

THE

2 They are corrupt, and become abominable in their doings there is none that doeth good, no not one. 3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to fee if there were any that would understand, and feek after God.

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But they are all gone out of the way; they are altogether become abominable: there is none that doeth good, no

not one.

5 Their throat is an open fepulchre; with their tongues have they deceived: the poifon of afps is under their lips. 6 Their mouth is full of curfing and bitterness: their feet are fwift to fhed blood.

7 Destruction and unhappiness is in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfal. xiii.] This pfalm is very proper for perfons in affliction, and efpecially for thofe that labour under their fins, and are deprived of the fenfe of God's love. Such as are in this fad condition, fhould not defpair, but rather have recourfe to God with confidence, implore his compaffion, and befeech him to comfort them, and enlighten them with his grace, left they fink unir the load of their afflictions; and when God has delivered them, it is their duty to celebrate his mercy, and praise him for all his goodness.

PRAC

ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

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8 Have they no knowledge, that they are all fuch workers of mischief: eating up my people as it were bread, and call not upon the Lord?

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There were they brought in great fear, even where no fear was for God is in the generation of the righteous.

10 As for you, ye have made a mock at the counsel of the poor: because he putteth his truft in the Lord.

Who fhall give falvation unto Ifrael out of Sion?. When the Lord turneth the captivity of his people: then fhall Jacob rejoice, and Ifrael fhall be glad.

MORNING

PRAYER.

Pfalm xv. Domine, quis habitabit?

ORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle: or who shall

2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life: and doth the thing which is right, and fpeaketh the truth from his heart. 3 He that hath ufed no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour and hath not flandered his neighbour.

4 He that fetteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.

5 He that fweareth unto his neighbour, and difappointeth him not though it were to his own hindrance.

6 He that hath not given his money upon ufury: nor taken reward against the innocent.

7 Whofo doeth thefe things: fhall never fall.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfal. xiv.] David's defcription of the men of his time, agrees in many respects with what we fee among Chriftians; among whom fo few feck God fincerely, and fo many live as if they believed there where no God. Therefore we ought seriously to meditate upon what is faid in this psalm, that we may be preferved from fuch corruption; to which end we ought to confider, as David here teaches, that if the wickedness and depravation of men is great, God will take vengeance; and that in the worst of times, there are always fome faithful and righteous men that fear God, who partake of his love and protection.

Pfal. xv.] This very inftructive pfalm teaches us, that God will not admit all men into his prefence, nor esteem them true members of hi

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