age: as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations. 25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 They fhall perish, but thou shalt endure: they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

27 And as a vefture fhalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years fhall not fail. 28 The children of thy fervants fhall continue: and their feed shall stand faft in thy fight.

+ Pfalm 103. Benedic, anima, mea.

RAISE the Lord, O my foul: and all that is within me praise his holy Name.

PR

2 Praise the Lord, O my foul: and forget not all his benefits; 3 Who forgiveth all thy fin: and healeth all thine infirmities; 4 Who faveth thy life from deftruction: and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness;

5 Who fatisfieth thy mouth with good things: making thee young and lufty as an eagle.

6 The Lord executeth righteousnefs and judgment: for all them that are oppreffed with wrong.

7 He fhewed his ways unto Mofes: his works unto the children of Ifrael.

8 The Lord is full of compaffion and mercy: * long-fuffering and of great goodness.

9 He will not alway be chiding: neither keepeth he is anger

for ever.

But thou art the fame, and thy years shall not fail. whole facred collection. The Poet herein celebrates All other things are changeable and perishable; even the numerous benefits of God to Mankind, both temthe frame of the Heavens above, and the foundations of poral and fpiritual: and earnestly exhorts others to the Earth beneath: but God is the fame, the Same imitate his example. But particularly he difplays the unchangeable through all Eternity: and therefore his infinite goodness and mercy of God: whereby he, tho' love of Virtue, and his hatred of Vice, his promifes eternal, condefcends to take care of the frail, fleeting, to the godly, and his threatnings against the Wicked fhort lived human fpecies, and laftly invites Angels will be always fure, fixed, and fully determined. and all created Beings to join with him in praifing the Lord.

This is an Hymn of Thanksgiving: and is perhaps one of the most beautiful and elegant in the

Long-fuffering. Let Sinners however take heed

10 He hath not dealt with us after our fins: nor rewarded us according to our wickedneffes.

11 For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth: fo great is his mercy alfo toward them that fear him.

12 Look how wide alfo the east is from the weft: fo far hath he fet our fins from us.

13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children: even fo is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth whereof we are made: he remembereth that we are but duft.

15 The days of man are but as grafs: for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.

16 For as foon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone: and the place thereof fhall know it no more.

17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him: and his righteousness upon childrens children;

18 Even upon fuch as keep his covenant: and think upon his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his seat in heaven: and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 O praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that excel in ftrength: ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his words.

21 O praise the Lord, all ye his hofts: ye fervants of his that do his pleasure.

22 O fpeak good of the Lord, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: praife thou the Lord, O my foul.

EVENING PRAYER.

* Pfalm 104. Benedic, anima mea.

how they abuse his patience: for God recompenfeth to the impenitent for the flowness of his punishment by the weight of it. For as St. Paul well obferves in the 2d of Romans, they that defpife the riches of Goa's

goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering (not confider ing that his goodness leadeth them to Repentance) treasure up unto themfelves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

PRAL

RAISE the Lord, O my foul: O Lord my God, thou art become exceeding glorious, thou art clothed with majesty and

honour.

2 Thou deckest thyfelf with light as it were with a garment: and fpreadeft out the heavens like a curtain.

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.

4 He maketh his angels fpirits: and his ministers a flaming fire.

5

He laid the foundations of the earth: that it never should move at any time.

6 Thou coveredft it with the deep like as with a garment: the waters ftand in the hills.

7 At thy rebuke they flee: at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid.

8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath: even unto the place which thou haft appointed for them. 9 Thou haft fet them their bounds which they shall not pass: neither turn again to cover the earth.

10 He fendeth the springs into the rivers: the hills.

which run among

All beasts of the field drink thereof: and the wild affes quench their thirst.

12 Befide them fhall the fowls of the air have their habitation: and fing among the branches.

13 He watereth the hills from above: the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

14 He bringeth forth grafs for the cattle: and green herb for the fervice of men.

The Pfalmift here celebrates the power, wifdom and goodness of God by a furvey of his Works of Creation and Providence. The language and fenti

ments of this Pfalm are incomparably beautiful and poetical.

R.

15 That he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man: and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen mans heart.

16. The trees of the Lord alfo are full of fap: even the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted.

17 Wherein the birds make their nefts: and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.

18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats: and so are the ftony rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for certain feafons: and the fun knoweth his going down.

20 Thou makeft darkness that it may be night: wherein all the beafts of the foreft do move.

21 The lions roaring after their prey: do feek their meat from God.

22 The fun ariseth, and they get them away together: and lay them down in their dens.

23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour: until the evening.

24 *O Lord, how manifold are thy works: in wisdom haft thou made them all, the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is the great and wide fea alfo: wherein are things creeping innumerable, both fmall and great beasts.

26 There go the fhips, and there is that Leviathan: whom thou haft made to take his paftime therein.

27 Thefe wait all upon thee: that thou mayeft give them meat in due feafon.

28. When thou giveft it them, they gathered it: and when thou openeft thy hand, they are filled with good.

29 When thou hideft thy face, they are troubled: when thou

O Lord how manifold are thy Works: in Wisdom, c. As the visible things of the Creation naturally lead to the knowledge of God; fo fhould they induce us alfo to worship him as God-cheerfully to obey his commands-humbly to adore his difpenfations

and, where our fhort-fighted Understandings are not able to comprehend his counfels, ftill to acknowledge that he is wife and just and good in all his dealings to wards the Children of Men.

takest away their breath, they die, and are turned again to their duft.

30 When thou letteft thy breath go forth, they shall be made: and thou fhalt renew the face of the earth.

31 The glorious Majefty of the Lord fhall endure for ever: the Lord fhall rejoice in his works.

32 The earth fhall tremble at the look of him: if he do but touch the hills, they fhall fmoke.

33 I will fing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will praise my God while I have my being.

34 And so shall my words please him: my joy shall be in the Lord.

35 As for finners, they shall be confumed out of the earth, and the ungodly fhall come to an end: praise thou the Lord, O my foul, praise the Lord.

O

MORNING

PRAYE R.

§ Pfalm 105. Confitemini Domino.

GIVE thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his Name: tell the people what things he hath done.

2 O let your fongs be of him, and praise him: and let your talking be of all his wondrous works.

3 Rejoice in his holy Name: let the heart of them rejoice

that feek the Lord.

4

5.

Seek the Lord and his ftrength: feek his face evermore,

* Remember the marvellous works that he hath done: his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth ;

60 ye feed of Abraham his fervant: ye children of Jacob

his chofen.

7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the world.

This is an hiftorical Pfalm and contains the affairs of the Ifraelites from Abrakam to their going out of Egypt. Herein the Author principally celebrates God's goodness in adopting the Jews for his People, and de

livering them from flavery.

* Remember the marvellous works that he hath done, r. Tho' the following events which are recorded in this Pfalm do not direly regard Chriftians: yet they