my

7 O Lord God, thou ftrength of my health: thou haft covered head in the day of battel.

8 Let not the ungodly have his defire, O Lord: let not his mifchievous imagination profper, left they be too proud.

9 Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them that compass me about.

:

10 Let hot burning coals fall upon them: let them be caft into the fire, and into the pit, that they never rife up again.

11 † A man full of words fhall not profper upon the earth: evil fhall hunt the wicked perfon to overthrow him.

12 Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor: and maintain the cause of the helpless.

13 The righteous alfo fhall give thanks unto thy Name: and the juft fhall continue in thy fight.

L

* Pfalm 141. Domine, clamavi.

ORD, I call upon thee, hafte thee unto me: and confider my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be fet forth in thy fight as the incenfe: and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening facrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth and keep the door of my lips.

4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works, with the men that work wickedness, left I eat of fuch things as please them.

5 Let the righteous rather faite me friendly and reprove me. 6 But let not their precious balms break my head: yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.

7 Let their judges be overthrown in ftony places: that they may hear my words for they are fweet.

8 Our bones lie fcattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my truft, O caft not out my foul.

10 Keep me from the fnare that they have laid for me: and from the traps of the wicked doers.

11 Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever escape them.

I

of

the

EVENING PRA Y E R.

+ Pfalm 142.

Voce mea ad Dominum.

Cried unto the Lord with my voice: yea, even unto the Lord did I make my fupplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him: and fhewed him my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heaviness, thou knewest my path: in way wherein I walked have they privily laid a fnare for me.

I looked alfo upon my right hand: and faw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto: and no man cared for my foul. 6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and faid: Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

7 Confider my complaint: for I am brought very low.

8 O deliver me from my perfecutors: for they are too strong for me.

9. Bring my foul out of prifon, that I may give thanks unto thy Name: which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous refort unto my company.

Pfalm 143. EAR my prayer, O Lord, unto me for thy truth and

HEA

David being concealed in the Cave of Adullam, and furrounded by Saul's Army, here ea neftly intreats God to athift him in that eminent danger: vowing to praise him for his deliverance.

Domine, exaudi.

and confider my defire: hearken righteousness fake.

This is the 7th and last of the penitential Pfalms in which the royal Prophet humbly acknowledges his own unworthinefs of God's favour-intreats him to regard his deplorable condition,--graciously to hear

2 And enter not into judgment with thy fervant: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified.

3 For the enemy hath perfecuted my foul, he hath fmitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me: and my heart within me is defolate.

5 Yet do I remember the time paft, I mufe upon all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

6 I ftretch forth my hands unto thee: my foul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7 Hear me, O Lord, and that foon, for my fpirit waxeth faint: hide not thy face from me, left I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my truft: fhew thou me the way that I fhould walk in, for I lift up my foul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God: let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

II Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Names fake: and for thy righteousness fake bring my foul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodness flay mine enemies: and destroy all them that vex my foul, for 1 am thy fervant.

B

MORNING

PRAYER.

+ Pfalm 144. Benedictus Dominus.

Leffed be the Lord my ftrength: who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

2 My hope, and my fortrefs, my castle, and deliverer, my de

his prayer,-to guide him by his fpirit and deliver him from his present distress.

+ This is a Pfalm of Thanksgiving for the victories and deliverances which God had granted to David:

fender in whom I truft: who fubdueth my people that is under me. 3 Lord, what is man, that thou haftsuch respect unto him : or the fon of man, that thou fo regardest him?

4 Man is like a thing of nought: his time paffeth away like a fhadow.

5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down : touch the mountains, and they fhall fmoke.

6 Caft forth thy lightning, and tear them: fhoot out thine arrows, and confume them.

7 Send down thine hand from above: deliver ne, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children;

8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity: and their right hand is a right hand of wickednefs.

9 I will fing a new fong unto thee, O God: and fing praises unto thee upon a ten-ftringed lute.

10 Thou haft given victory unto kings: and haft delivered David thy fervant from the peril of the sword.

11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of ftrange children: whofe mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.

12 That our fons may grow up as the young plants: and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.

13 That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of ftore: that our fheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our ftreets.

14 That our oxen may be ftrong to labour, that there be no decay: no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets. 15 Happy are the people that are in fuch a case: yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.

I

*Pfalm 145. Exaltabo te, Deus.

Will magnify thee, O God, my King: and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.

and a prayer for the profperity of Ifrael

Tho' temporal Bleflings feem here to be chiefly pray'd That our Sons may grow up as the young, &c. for as the Law of Mofes was founded upon. temporal

2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee: and praise thy

Name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous, worthy to be praised: there is no end of his greatness.

4 One generation fhall praise thy works unto another: and declare thy power.

5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship: thy glory, thy praise, and wonderous works;

6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts: and I will alfo tell of thy greatnefs.

7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be fhewed: and men fhall fing of thy righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious, and merciful: long-suffering, and of great goodness.

9 The Lord is loving unto every man: and his mercy is over all

his works.

10 All thy works praise thee, O Lord: and thy faints give thanks unto thee.

11 They fhew the glory of thy kingdom: and talk of thy power; 12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom: might be known unto men.

13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom: and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

14

The Lord upholdeth all fuch as fall: and lifteth up all those that are down.

15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord: and thou givest them their meat in due feafon.

16 Thou openest thine hand: and filleft all things living with plenteousness.

promiles: yet as Chriftians it becomes us principally to pray for spiritual Bledings: because we know that if we seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteoulness, all earthly enjoyments that he fees good for us shall be added unto us

The Pfalmift here first celebrates God's Majefly, his wonderful Works, but efpecially his goodnets to mankind in general: and afterwards his spiritual bene

fits towards them that fear him in particular:

Great is the Lord, and marvellous, &c. &c. Con-cerning this paffage we may justly apply the words of the Son of Syrach. Ecclefiafticus xliii. 30 When you glo. rafy the Lo'd exalt him as much as you can; for even yet will be far exceed: and when you exalt him, put furib, all your frength, and be not weary; for you.can.ne.se/g? far enough..