Imatges de pàgina
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18 And fo will not we go back from thee: O let us live, and we shall call upon thy Name.

19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hofts: fhew the light of thy countenance, and we fhall be whole.

Pfalm. lxxxi. Exultate Deo.

ING we merrily unto God our frength: make a chearful noife unto the God of Jacob.

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2 Take the pfalm, bring hither the tabret: the merry harp with the lute.

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new-moon: even in the time appointed, and upon our folemn feaft-day.

4 For this was made a ftatute for Ifrael: and a law of the God of Jacob.

5 This he ordained in Jofeph for a teftimony: when he came out of the land of Egypt, and had heard a strange language.

6 I eafed his fhoulder from the burden: and his hands were delivered from making the pots..

7 Thou calledft upon me in troubles, and I delivered thee and heard thee what time as the storm fell upon 8 I proved thee alfo: at the waters of strife.

thee.

9 Hear, O my people, and I will affure thee: O Ifrael: if thou wilt hearken unto me.

10 There fhall no ftrange god be in thee: neither shalt thou worship any other God.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm lxxix. Ixxx.] Obferve, 1. That if the Ifraelites, who were the people of God, the fheep of his pasture, and the vineyard which he himfelf had planted, and cultivated with particular care, was expofed to fo terrible a defolation as is here defcribed; the sufferings of the Chriftian church should not furprise us, especially fince Jefus Christ has foretold it fhould be perfecuted. 2. That in a time of calamity and fuffering we must apply to God to be restored to his favour; and that the true way to pat a flop to his wrath is, to be converted, and never more to depart from him. Laftly, What is faid in this laft pfalm, may be applied to the havock which wickednefs and impiety ufually make in the church, when it enjoys peace and temporal profperity; and believers have not lefs reafon to befeech God to fanctify and defend it against it fpiritual enemies, than to pray that he would fecure it against perfecutors, who feek to destroy it.

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ri I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I fhall fill it. 12 But my people would not hear my voice: and Ifrael would not obey me

13 So I gave them up unto their own hearts lufts: and let them follow their own imaginations:

14 O that my people would have hearkened unto me: for if Ifrael had walked in my ways,

15 I fhould foon have put down their enemies: and turned my hand against their adverfaries.

16 The haters of the Lord fhould have been found liars: but their time should have endured for ever.

17 He fhould have fed them alfo with the fineft wheatflour and with honey out of the ftony rock fhould I have fatisfied thee.

EVENING PRAYER.
Pfalm. lxxxii. Deus ftetit.

YOD ftandeth in the congregation of princes: he is a
Judge among Gods.

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2 How long will ye give wrong judgment: and accept the perfons of the ungodly?

3 Defend the poor and fatherlefs: fee that fuch as are in need and neceffity have right.

4 Deliver the out-caft and poor : fave them from the hand of the ungodly.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm lxxxi.] 1. This pfalm fhould excite us to praise God, and to pay him our homage in a moft zealous and folemn manner. This duty does not lefs concern Chriftians than the Jews; and if God bestowed confiderable favours on the Jews, by bringing them out of Egypt, and giving them his law, he has done incomparably greater things for fs, in redeeming us by Jefus Chrift his Son, and giving us the knowledge of his gofpel. 2. God here declares, in the most clear and exprefs manner, that he is always difpofed to load men with his favours; that he offers them his grace; that he defires nothing but their welfare and falvation; and that if men are miferable, it is only because they will not hear his voice, but wilfully harden their hearts. 3 R

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5 They will not be learned nor understand, but walk on ftill in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

6 I have faid, Ye are Gods: and ye are all the children of the moft Higheft.

7 But ye fhall die like men: and fall like one of the princes.

8 Arife, O God, and judge thou the earth: for thou fhalt take all heathen to thine inheritance.

Pfalm. lxxxiii. Deus, quis fimilis?

TOLD not thy tongue, O God, keep not ftill filence : refrain not thyself, O God.

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2 For lo, thine enemies make a murmuring: and they that hate thee have lift up their head.

3 They have imagined craftily against thy people: and taken council against thy fecret ones.

4 They have faid, Come, and let us root them out, that they be no more a people: and that the name of Ifrael may be no more in remembrance.

5 For they have caft their heads together with one confent: and are confederate against thee;

6 The tabernacles of the Edomites and the Ishmaelites : the Moabites and Hagarens ;

7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalech: the Philistines, with them that dwell at Tyre,

8 Affur alfo is joined with them: and have holpen the children of Lot.

9 But do thou to them as unto the Madianites: unt Sifera, and unto Jabin at the brook of Kifon;

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS. Pfalm lxxxii.] Judges, magistrates, and all that are in authority, ought to improve by the fubject of this pfalm; and remember, that God having established them for the adminiftration of juftice, is prefent at their judgments; that it is therefore their duty to do right to every one, without refpect of perfons; and above all, to protect the weak and innocent when oppreffed. For which reason, they ought to remember, that although they are fet above others. yet they muit die one day like all the rest of mankind; and that then they fhall appear before the fupreme Judge, to give an account of their actions. PRAC.

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10 Who perished at Endor: and became as the dung of the earth.

11 Make them and their princes like Oreb and Zeb: yea, make all their princes like as Zeba and Salmana ;

12 Who fay, Let us take to ourselves: the houses of God in poffeffion.

13 O my God, make them like unto a wheel and as the ftubble before the wind;

14 Like as the fire that burneth up the wood: and as the flame that confumeth the mountains.

15 Perfecute them even fo with thy tempeft: and make them afraid with thy ftorm.

16 Make their faces afhamed, O Lord: that they may feek thy Name.

17 Let them be confounded and vexed ever more and more: let them be put to fhame and perish.

18 And they fhall know that thou, whofe Name is Jehovah: art only the most Highest over all the earth.

Pfalm lxxxiv. Quam diletta!

How amiable are thy dwellings: thou Lord of hofts! 2 My foul hath a defire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

3 Yea, the fparrow hath found her an houfe, and the fwallow a neft, where the may lay her young: even thy altars, O Lord of hofts, my King and my God.

4 Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe: they will be alway praifing thee.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm lxxxiii.] The contents of this pfalm engage us to confider, 1. That as God formerly permitted the people bordering upon the Ifraelites to unite themselves against them, he fuffers alfo, for wife and just reasons, that his church at fome times fhould be expofed to the affaults of a great number of powerful and formidable enemies; and that the juft fhould be expofed to the contradiction and malice of the world. 2. That God, by his infinite power, has always defeated the contrivances of those who feck the ruin of his church; and that all the united ftrength of men can prevail nothing against it, nor against those whom he loves and favours with his protection. PRAC.

5 Bleffed is the man whofe ftrength is in thee: in whole

heart are thy ways.

6 Who going through the vale of mifery, ufe it for a well and the pools are filled with water.

7 They will go from ftrength to ftrength and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion:

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8 O Lord God of hofts, hear my prayer: hearken, O: God of Jacob.

9 Behold, O God our defender and look upon the face: of thine anointed.

10 For one day in thy courts: is better than a thousand. 11 I had rather be a door-keeper in the houfe of my God:" than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness.

12 For the Lord God is a light and defence: the Lord will give grace and worship, and no good thing fhall he withhold from them that live a godly life.

13 O Lord God of hofts: bleffed is the man that putteth his truft in thee.

Pfalm lxxxv. Benedixifti, Domine.

ORD, thou art become gracious unto thy and thou haft turned away the captivity of Jacob.

2 Thou haft forgiven the offence of thy people: and covered all their fins.

3 Thou haft taken away all thy difpleafure: and turned thyfelf from thy wrathful indignation.

4 Turn us then, O God our Saviour: and let thine anger cease from us.

5 Wilt thou be difpleafed at us for ever and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm lxxxiv.] What is chiefly to be confidered here is, the tender and fincere regard which the faithful bear to the fervice of God. The fervent regard that David here expreffes for the tabernacle, and for the altar of God, teaches us, that there is nothing we ought to wish with fo much earnestnefs, as to ferve God, and to praife him; that this is the greatest happiness and comfort we can enjoy in this life; that it is an advantage preferable to all the riches and glories of the world, fince the Lord will give grace and worship, and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life."

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