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9 Thou madeft room for it: and when it had taken root, it filled the land.

10 The hills were covered with the fhadow of it: and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar-trees.

11 She stretched out her branches unto the fea: and her boughs unto the river.

12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedge: that all they that go by, pluck off her grapes?

13 The wild boar out of the wood doth root it up: and the wild beafts of the field devour it.

14 Turn thee again, thou God of hosts, look down from heaven: behold, and vifit this vine.

15 And the place of the vineyard that thy right hand hath planted: and the branch that thou madeft fo ftrong for thyself. 116 It is burnt with fire and cut down: and they fhall perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand: and upon the fon of man, whom thou madeft so strong for thine own felf. 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 hosts: shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.

SIN

§ Pfalm 81. Exultate Deo.

ING we merrily unto God our ftrength: make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.

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 feast-day.

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

This Pfalm was compofed to be fung upon the Feast of Trumpets, or of the first new Moon of the civil year. See Levit. xxiii. 24. and Num. xxix. 1. and

the general argument and end of it is an exhortation of the Ifraelites to obedience, from the confideration of the paternal affection, benefits, and promifes of God.

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

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

7 Thou called upon me in troubles, and I delivered thee: and heard thee what time as the ftorm fell upon thee.

8 I proved thee alfo: at the waters of ftrife.

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 fhalt thou worship any other god.

II 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 fhould have endured for ever.

17 He fhould have fed them alfo with the fineft wheat-flour: and with hony out of the ftony rock should I have satisfied thee. EVENING PRAYE R.

Pfalm 82. Deus ftetit.

OD ftandeth in the congregation of princes: he is a judge among gods.

Gamong

↑ This he ordained in Jofeph for a teftimony when be same, &c. If the Ifraelites were thus engaged to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian Slavery; then how much stronger an obligation lies upon Chriftians to

keep up in their minds a thankful remembrance of their Redemption from the bondage of Sin and Death by Jefus Chrift! That was temporal--this is eternal,

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

per

accept the 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: 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.

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 most Highest.

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 shalt take all heathen to thine inheritance.

+ Pfalm 83. Deus, quis fimilis?

OLD not thy tongue, O God, keep not still silence: refrain not thyself, O God.

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 counsel 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 cast their heads together with one consent: and are confederate against thee;

6 *The tabernacles of the Edomites and the Ifmaelites: the Moabites and Hagarens;

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

:

This is a grave remonftrance to Judges and Magiftrates in which the Prophet Exhorts them to a faithful administration of Juftice from the confideration that they are under God's infpection that they are mortal and muft one Day be accountable for their conduct. But ye hail die like Men. &c. How fhould it humble all human pride, and bring down the high

looks of the haughty, to confider that the King and the Beggar must be put upon a level in the Grave; and that in another ftate Mankind will be arranged, not according to the titles or diftinctions which they bore in this World, but according as they have excelled one another in Virtue."

Several of the neighbouring Nations having affem

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

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

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 perifh.

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

§ Pfalm 84. Quam dilecta!

HOW amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts!
2 My foul hath a defire and longing to enter into the

Ο OH

bled them felves to make War against the Ifraelites, the Prophet intreats God to fubdue them as he had for merly done to the Kings who made War against Ifrael in the times of the Judges. This Pfalm is thought to refer to the affair related in z Chron. XX.

The Tabernacles of the Edomites and the Ifmaelites, &c. There is great propriety in the expreffion Taberacles. For the wild Arabs who are the defcendents of Ifmael live in Tents continually, as well in Peace as War. And in them is fulfilled at this very Day that remarkable Prophecy Genefis xvi. 12. He will be

a wild Man; his hand will be against every Man, and every Man's hand against him: and he shall dwell in the prefence of all is Brethren.

The royal Prophet being excluded from the public worship of God in the Tabernacle, by his Son Abjalom's Rebellion, expreffes a moft ardent defire of being restored to it,-celebrates the happiness of thofe who could attend it at all times-and declares he fhould prefer that happinefs before every other worldly advantage without it.

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 nest, where she may lay her young: even thy altars, O Lo:d of hofts, my King and my God.

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

5 Bieffed is the man whofe ftrength is in thee: in whose heart are thy ways.

ó Who going through the vale of misery, use it for a well: and the poo's 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.

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.

I For one day in thy courts: is better than a thousand.

11 I had rather be a door-keeper in the house 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.

L

|| Pfalm 85. Benedixifti, Domine.

ORD, though art become gracious unto thy land: though haft turned away the captivity of Jacob.

2 Thou haft forgiven the offence of thy people: and covered

all their fins.

O Lord God of hofls: bleffed is the Man that putteth his truft, &c. Which is as if David had faid "Though we are at prefent diftreffed, and forced to "wander far diftant from thy Tabernacle; yet, this "comfort ftill remains; we can ftill firmly rely on thy goodness, that thou wilt deliver us, and reftore us to

"profperity when thou feeft it beft for us." Such a'fo may be the Confolation of ev ry fincere Christian un der affi &tion.

This Pfalm is fupposed to have been occafioned by the return of the fraelites from their Babylonian Captivity; when, the Temple being rebuilt &c. the people

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