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3 Thou haft proved and vifited mine heart in the night-season; thou haft tried me, and fhalt find no wickednefs in me: for I am utterly purpofed that my mouth fhall not offend.

4 Because of mens works that are done against the words of thy lips: I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.

5 O hold thou up my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps flip not.

6 I have called upon thee, O God, for thou fhalt hear me: incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.

7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their truft in thee: from fuch as resist thy right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple of an eye: hide me under the fhadow of thy wings.

9 From the ungodly that trouble me: mine enemies compass me round about to take away my foul.

10 They are inclosed in their own fat: and their mouth speaketh proud things.

11 They lie waiting in our way on every fide: turning their eyes down to the ground.

12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey: and as it were a lions whelp, lurking in fecret places.

13 Up, Lord, disappoint him, and caft him down: deliver my foul from the ungodly, which is a fword of thine.

14 From the men of thy hand, O Lord, from the men, I say, and from the evil world: which have their portion in this life, whofe bellies thou filleft with thy hid treasure.

15 They have children at their defire: and leave the rest of their fubftance for their babes.

16 *But as for me, I will behold thy prefence in righteousness:

to deliver him from his Enemies, efpecially from Saul, whofe temporary felicity and fleeting pleasures he derides, and comforts himself amidst his afflictions with the hopes of eternal Life.

But as for me, I will behold thy prefence, Thefe words contain a fummary account of the qualifi cation for future Happiness, viz. Righteousness-an wherein that happiness confifts, viz. in a Likeness to God.

and when I awake up after thy likeness, I fhall be fatisfied with it. EVENING PRAYER.

|| Pfalm 18. Diligam te, Domine.

Will love thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my ftony

I rock, and my defence: my Saviour, my God, and my might,

in whom I will truft, my buckler, the horn also of my falvation, and my refuge.

2 I will call upon the Lord, which is worthy to be praised: so fhall I be fafe from mine enemies.

3 The forrows of death compaffed me: and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.

4 The pains of hell came about me: the fnares of death overtook me.

5 In my trouble I will call upon the Lord: and complain unto my God.

6 So fhall he hear my voice out of his holy temple: and my complaint fhall come before him, it shall enter even into his ears.

7 The earth trembled and quaked: the very foundations alfo of the hills fhook, and were removed, because he was wroth.

8 There went a smoke out in his prefence: and a confuming fire out of his mouth, fo that coals were kindled at it.

9 He bowed the heavens alfo, and came down: and it was dark under his feet.

10 He rode upon the Cherubins, and did fly: he came flying upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his fecret place: his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him.

Let us therefore fo learn to imitate God in all Holinefs here, that we may be like him hereafter in eternal Felicity.

This is a Hymn of Thanksgiving for David' deliverance from Saul, and from all his Enemies : which as it is truly fublime in its language; fo the fentiments it contains are just and admirable. In which he defcribes the great Dangers he had been

expofed to, his wonderful deliverances, and the Victories he had gained by the divine aftance 3 extolling the power, juftice, and goodness, which God had fhewn in his prefervation.

The Earth trembled and quaked, &c. &c. This truly fublime and rhetorical defcription of God's interpofition in David's behalf, feems strongly to allude to the reprefentation of God's appearance upon Mount C

12 At the brightness of his prefence his clouds removed: hailftones, and coals of fire.

13 The Lord alfo thundered out of heaven,, and the highest gave his thunder: hail-ftones, and coals of fire.,

you a 14 He fent out his arrows, and scattered them, the caft forth lightnings, and deftroyed them. d! too va to 15 The fprings of waters were feen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered at thy chiding, O Lord: at the blafting of the breath of thy displeasure.

16 He fhall fend down from on high to fetch me: and shall take

me out of many waters.

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17 He fhall deliver me from my strongest enemy, and from them

which hate me: for they are too mighty for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my upholder.

19 He brought me forth alfo into a place of liberty: he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.

20 The Lord fhall reward me after my righteous dealing: according to the cleannefs of my hands fhall he recompenfe me.

21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord: and have not forfaken my God, as the wicked doth.

22 For I have an eye unto all his laws: and will not caft out his commandments from me.

23 I was also uncorrupt before him: and efchewed mine own wickedness.

24 Therefore fhall the Lord reward me after my righteous dealing and according unto the cleannefs of my hands in his eye-fight. 25 With the holy thou fhalt be holy and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.

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26 With the clean thou fhalt be clean and with the froward thou fhalt learn frowardness.

Sinai at the delivery of the Law: and under the fgusative expreffions of Clouds, Hail, Thunders, Lightnings and Earthquakes is represented God's difpleafare

against David's Enemies, his readinefs to deliver him and the dreadful exercife of his power in taking ven geance upon them. That we may in like manner en

27 For thou fhalt fave the people that are in adverfity: and fhalt bring down the high looks of the proud.

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28 Thou also fhalt light my candle: the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light.

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29 For in thee I fhall discomfit an hoft of men? and with the help of my God I fhall leap over the wall.

30 The way of God is an undefiled way: the word of the Lord alfo is tried in the fire; he is the defender of all them that put' their truft in him.

31 For who is God, but the Lord: or who hath any strength, except our God?

32 It is God that girdeth me with ftrength of war: and maketh my way perfect.

33 He maketh my feet like harts feet: and fetteth me up on high.

134 He teacheth mine hands to fight: and mine arms fhall break even a bow of steel.

35 Thou haft given me the defence of thy falvation: thy right hand alfo fhall hold me up, and thy loving correction fhall make me great.

36 Thou fhalt make room enough under me for to go: that my footsteps fhall not flide.

37

will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them: neither will I turn again till I have deftroyed then.

38 I will fmite them, that they fhall not be able to ftand: but fall under my feet.

39 Thou haft girded me with ftrength unto the battel: thou fhalt throw down mine enemies under me.

40 Thou haft made mine enemies alfo to turn their backs upon me: and I shall destroy them that hate me.

gage God's affistance and protection let us be careful the Lord, and having an Eye unit all bis Laws. Verfes folkw David's example, viz. by keeping the ways of 21. 22. C 2

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41 They fhall cry, but there fhall be none to help them: yea, even unto the Lord fhall they cry, but he fhall not hear them.

42 I will beat them as fmall as the duft before the wind: I will caft them out as the clay in the streets.

43. Thou fhalt deliver me from the strivings of the people: and thou fhalt make me the head of the heathen. Lo

44 A people whom I have not known: fhall ferve me.. Te 45 As foon as they hear of me, they fhall obey me: but the ftrange children fhall diffemble with me.

46 The ftrange children fhall fail: and be afraid out of their prifons.

47 The Lord liveth, and bleffed be my ftrong helper: and praised be the God of my falvation.

48 Even the God that feeth that I be avenged: and fubdueth the people unto me.

49. It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and fetteth me up above mine adversaries: thou fhalt rid me from the wicked man.

50. For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles: and fing praifes unto thy Name.

51 Great profperity giveth he unto his King: and fheweth loying kindnefs unto David his anointed, and unto his feed for evermore.

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HE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament fheweth his handy-work.

2 One day telleth another: and one night certifieth another. 3. There is neither speech, nor language: but their voices are heard among them.

The Pfalmift here celebrates the glory of God dif played in his Works of Nature and Grace-intreats him to pardon his Sins, to keep him from offending

him, and to fanctify his Thoughts, his Words, and his whole behaviour.

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