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THE COMMON PRAYER, &c.

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard: even unto Aarons beard, and went down to the fkirts of his clothing.

3 Like as the dew of Hermon: which fell upon the hill of Sion.

4 For there the Lord promifed his bleffing: and life for

evermore.

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Pfalm cxxxiv. Ecce nunc.

Ehold now, praise the Lord: all ye fervants of the
Lord;

2 Ye that by night ftand in the house of the Lord: even in the courts of the house of our God.

up your hands in the fanctuary: and praise the

3 Lift up

Lord.

4 The Lord that made heaven and earth: give thee bleffing out of Sion,

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Praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord: praife it, O ye fervants of the Lord;

2 Ye that fland in the house of the Lord; in the courts of the houfe of our God.

3 O praife the Lord, for the Lord is gracious: O fing praifes unto his Name, for it is lovely.

4 For why? the Lord hath chofen Jacob unto himself: and Ifrael for his own poffeffion.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxxxiii.] The inftruction which we receive from this pfalm is, that nothing is more agreeable to God than peace and unity; and that his most valuable bleffings are bestowed on those who live in good harmony with each other; which fhould be of great weight to incline us to live together in Chriftian and brotherly love.

Pfalm cxxxiv.] The minifters of God fhould learn from this pfalm, that as the priests and Levites were by their office called to praife God day and night in his temple, and to pray for the people of Ifrael; fo are the minifters of the Chriftian church, by their office, in a particular manner, called to blefs and praife continually God's holy name, and to pray witheut ceafing for the profperity of the church.

PRAC

ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

567 5 For I know that the Lord is great: and that our God is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the Lord pleafed, that did he in heaven, and in earth in the fea, and in all deep places.

7 He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world and fendeth forth lightnings with the rain, bringing the winds out of his treafures.

8 He fmote the first-born of Egypt: both of man and beast.

9 He hath fent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O thou land of Egypt: upon Pharaoh and all his fervants. 10 He fmote divers nations: and flew mighty kings; II Schon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bafhan: and all the kingdoms of Canaan;

12 And gave their land to be an heritage: even an heritage unto Ifrael his people.

13 Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever: fo doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another. 14 For the Lord will avenge his people: and be gracious unto his fervants.

15 As for the images of the heathen, they are but filver and gold the work of mens hands.

16 They have mouths, and fpeak not: eyes have they, but they fee not.

17 They have ears, and yet they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 They that make them are like unto them and fo are all they that put their truft in them.

19 Praife the Lord, ye houfe of Ifrael: praife the Lord, ye house of Aaron.

20 Praise the Lord, ye houfe of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.

21 Praised be the Lord out of Sion: who dwelleth at Jerufalem.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxxxv. This pfalm engages us, no less than the Ifraelites, to blefs God, and to celebrate his power, wifdom, and goodness, which appear in the creation and governinent of the world; and chiefly to ac

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Pfalm cxxxvi. Confitemini.

Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: and his mercy endureth for ever.

2 O give thanks unto the God of all gods: for his mercy

endureth for ever.

3 O thank the Lord of all lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Who only doeth great wonders for his mercy endureth for ever.

5 Who by his excellent wifdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

6 Who laid out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

7 Who hath made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

8 The fun to rule the day: for his mercy endureth for

ever;

9 The moon and the stars to govern the night for his mercy endureth for ever.

10 Who fmote Egypt with their firft-born: for his mercy endureth for ever;

11 And brought out Ifrael from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.

12 With a mighty hand and ftretched-out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 Who divided the Red fea in two parts: for his mercy

endureth for ever.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

knowledge his mercy in chufing us to be his people. If he delivered the children of Ifrael from Egyptian bondage, and deftroyed the kings of Canaan to fettle them in that country, Jetus Chrift has done for us much greater wonders of power and love: he has deftroyed the idolatry which reigned in the world; he has delivered us from condemnation and death, and admitted us into his church. It is therefore meet and right that this all-mighty and all-gracious God fhould be for ever praised; and that all thole who fear him, efpecially his minifters and fervants, fhould join together in praising him, and faying, "Bleffed be the Lord who dwelleth in Sion. Praife the Lord."

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14 And made Ifrael to go through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever.

15 But as for Pharaoh and his hoft, he overthrew them in the Red fea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 Who led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 Who fmote great kings: for his mercy endureth for

ever.

18 Yea, and flew mighty kings: for his mercy endureth for ever;

19 Sehon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever

20 And Og the king of Bafan for his mercy endureth for ever.

21 And gave away their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever;

22 Even for an heritage unto Ifrael his fervant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23 Who remembered us when we were in trouble: for his mercy endureth for ever;

24 And hath delivered us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever.

24 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

27 O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm cxxxvi.] Obferve, 1. That we have as great reafon to blefs God as the Jews had, when we contemplate the wonders of creation and providence, the miracles which God formerly wrought in behalf of his people; but above all we are to praise the infinite mercy and divine power manifefted in the work of our redemption. 2. The next reflection relates to these words, repeated in every verfe of this pfalm, "For his mercy endureth for ever," which was a form confecrated by cuftom to the use of divine worship. These words teach us that the goodness of God appears in all his works, and is the fource of all the bleffings we enjoy and therefore that we ought likewife to celebrate it with continual praises, with great gratitude, and with all the zeal and fervency we are able.

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20

Pfalm cxxxvii. Super flumina.

Y the waters of Babylon we fat down and wept: when we remembered thee, O Sion.

BY

2 As for our harps, we hanged them up: upon the trees that are therein.

3 For they that led us away captive, required of us then a fong, and melody in our heavinefs: Sing us one of the fongs of Sion.

4 How fhall we fing the Lords fong: in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerufalem: let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: yea, if I prefer not Jerufalem in my mirth.

7 Remember the children of Edom, O Lord, in the day of Jerufalem: how they faid, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground.

8 O daughter of Babylon, wafted with mifery: yea, happy fhall he be that rewardeth thee as thou haft ferved us. 9 Bleffed fhall he be that taketh thy children: and throweth them against the stones.

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Pfalm cxxxviii. Confitebor tibi.

Will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart even before the gods will I fing praife unto thee. 2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name, because of thy loving kindness and truth: for thou haft magnified thy Name, and thy word above all things.

3 When I called upon thee, thou heardest me: and enduedft my foul with much strength.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm cxxxvii.] The fentiments of the captive Jews in this pfalm. are the fame with thofe of all true believers. 1. They have a great zeal for the church; they cannot rejoice when they fee it expofed to fufferings; and would rather forget themfelves, and their own concerns, than forget the interek of God's glory. 2. The deftruction of the Edomites and Babylonians, foretold in this pfalm, which happened a few years after the deftruction of Jerufalem, teaches us, that God revenges the evils done to his church; and that he feverely punishes perfecutors and thofe who join with them, as well as thofe who infult the miferable, and rejoice at the evil which befals them.

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