2 Thou haft moved the land and divided it: heal the fores thereof, for it shaketh.

3 Thou haft fhewed thy people heavy things: thou haft given us a drink of deadly wine.

4 Thou haft given a token for fuch as fear thee: that they may triumph because of the truth.

5 Therefore were thy beloved delivered: help me with thy right hand, and hear me.

6 God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice, and divide Sichem and mete out the valley of Succoth.

7 Gilead is mine, and Manaffes is mine; Ephraim alfo is the ftrength of my head: Judah is my law-giver.

8 Moab is my washpot, over Edom will I caft out my shoe: Philiftia, be thou glad of me.

:

9 Who will lead me into the ftrong city who will bring me into Edom?

10 Haft not thou caft us out, O God: wilt not thou, O God, go out with our hofts?

II O be thou our help in trouble for vain is the help of man. 12 Through God will we do great acts: for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.

§ Pfalm 61. Exudi, Deus.

TEAR my crying, O God: give ear unto my prayer.

H

2 From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee: when my heart is in heaviness.

30 fet me upon the rock that is higher than I: for thou haft been my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy.

had been expofed, by their Wars against the Amorites, Id means, and Syrians; 2 Sam. viii. when God for a Time appeared to have deferted his People for their Sins. David therefore earnestly intreats God in their behalf; and, as f he had really obtained his petitions, reckons up the Victories they would affuredly gain over their Enemies: properly afcribing them, not to their own ftrength, but to the divine power and goodneis.

* Moab is my Waskpot, over Edom will I caft, &c.

This is a figurative expreffion fignifying that he would reduce thefe Countries to the lowest degree of flavery and fubjection.

In this Pfalm David recommends himself and his Kingdom to God's protection, by whom, he afferts, Kingdoms are founded and established, and pious Pulers are defended; and vows eternal thanks to the Almighty for his goodness towards him.

Hear my crying, O God, &c. Behold with what earnestness the Pfalmift calls upon God for his help

4 I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever: and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings.

5 For thou, O Lord, haft heard my defires: and hast given an heritage unto those that fear thy name.

6 Thou shalt grant the King a long life: that his years may endure throughout all generations.

7 He fhall dwell before God for ever: O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preferve him.

8 So will I always fing praise unto thy name: that I may daily perform my vows.

Y foul truly waiteth ftill upon God: for of him cometh my falvation.

MY

2 He verily is my ftrength and my salvation: he is my defence fo that I fhall not greatly fall.

3 How long will ye imagine mischief against every man: ye fhall be flain all the fort of you; yea, as a tottering wall fhall ye be, and like a broken hedge.

4 Their device is only how to put him out, whom God will exalt: their delight is in lies, they give good words with their mouth, but curfe with their heart.

5 Nevertheless, my foul, wait thou ftill upon God: for my hope is in him.

6 He truly is my strength and my falvation: he is my defence, fo that I fhall not fall.

7 In God is my health and my glory: the rock of my might, and in God is my

truft.

anc prou &tion! confidering him as his only deliverer and lupport amidft his Afflictions: and in him alone muft we hope to find fure confolation in such circumftances; happy therefore are they that fincerely obey, and trust in him!

David profeffes in this Pfalm that his confidence in God afforded him folid peace and tranquility of Mind: and earneítly advifes not to truft in Men, nor worldly enjoyments, but in God alone, who is the Lord of all Things, and Judge of all Men. K

8 O put your truft in him alway, ye people: pour out your Learts before him, for God is our hope.

9 As for the children of men, they are but vanity: the children of men are deceitful upon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

10 O truft not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity if riches increafe, fet not your heart upon them.

I 1

:

* God fpake once, and twice I have also heard the fame: that power belongeth unto God;

12 And that thou, Lord, art merciful: for thou rewardeft every man according to his work.

|| Pfalm 63. Deus, Deus meus.

GOD, thou art my God; early will I feel thee,

2 My foul thirfteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee: in a barren and dry land where no water is.

3 Thus have I looked for thee in holiness: that I might behold thy power and glory.

4 For thy loving kindness is better than the life itfelf: my lips fhall praise thee.

5 As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner: and lift up my hands in thy Name.

6 + My foul shall be satisfied even as it were with marrow and fatnefs: when my mouth praifeth thee with joyful lips.

7 Have I not remembered thee in my bed: and thought upon thee when I was waking?

8 Because thou haft been my helper: therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

*God Spake once and twice I have, &c. This fignifies that God alone is poffeffed of power effentially, and therefore he only is able to fupport and preferve us. For tho' our Fellow Creatures or the Things of this World are made inftruments through him for our welfare: yet that in themselves they are vain, and Cannot profit us. How ftrongly fhould this confideration inspire us with a religious fear, and truft in the Lord!

The royal Prophet being an Exile from Jerufalem, and forced to conceal himself in the Wilderness of Ju

dah, expreflies a moft ardent defice of returning to the place of God's publick worship: but at the fame time is filled with unspeakable joy from a fenfe of God's goodness towards him, and in the exercite of Religion; humly trulling that he hall obtain a happy reitoration.

My Soul fhall be jatisfied, Ic. Worldly pleatures are tranfient, temporary, and unfubitantial: but the exercifes of Religion to a truly good. Man yield a delight which is latting, folid, and latisfactory: a delight, which even Affliction is not able to deprive him of,

9. My foul hangeth upon thee: thy right hand hath upholden me. 10 Thefe alfo that feek the hurt of my foul: They fhall go un

der the earth.

II Let them fall upon the edge of the fword: that they may be a portion for foxes.

12 But the King fhall rejoice in God; all they also that swear by him, shall be commended: for the mouth of them that speak lies fhall be stopped.

§ Pfalm 64. Exaudi, Deus.

[EAR my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from the fear of the enemy.

HE

2 Hide me from the gathering together of the froward: and from the infurrection of wicked doers.

3 Who have whet their tongue like a fword: and fhoot out their arrows, even bitter words.

4 That they may privily shoot at him that is perfect : fuddenly do they hit him, and fear not.

5 They encourage themselves in mischief: and commune among themselves how they may lay fnares, and say, that no man shall fee them.

6 They imagine wickedness, and practise it: that they keep fecret among themselves every man in the deep of his heart.

7 But God fhall fuddenly fhoot at them with a swift arrow: that they shall be wounded.

8. Yea, their own tongue fhall make them fall: infomuch that whofo feeth them fhall laugh them to fcorn.

9 And all men that fee it fhall fay, This hath God done: for they fhall perceive that it is his work.

The Pfalmift here defcribes the Malice, the Calumnies, and mischievous defigns of his Enemies; and foretels their ruin which he fays will be manifeft to all, and be a caufe of rejoicing to the Righteous. Yea their own Tongues shall make them fall, &c. Tho' it does not pleafe God always to interpole for the punishment of the Wicked, in this World, and the

10. The righteous fhall rejoice in the Lord, and put his truft in him: and all they that are true of heart fhall be glad.

T

EVENING

PRAYER.

§ Pfalm 65. Te decet hymnus.

HOU O God, art praised in Sion: and unto thee fhall the vow be performed in Jerufalem.

2 Thou that heareft the prayer: unto thee fhall all flesh come. 3 My mifdeeds prevail againft mc: O be thou merciful unto cur fins.

4 *Bleffd is the man, whom thou choofeft, and receiveft unto thee: he fhall dwell in thy court, and fhall be fatisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

5 Thou shalt fhew us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our falvation: thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad fea.

6 Who in his strength fetteth faft the mountains: and is girded about with power.

7 Who ftilleth the raging of the fea: and the noife of his waves, and the madness of the people.

8 They also that dwell in the uttermoft parts of the earth, fhall be afraid at thy tokens: thou that makeft the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee.

9 Thou vifiteft the earth, and bleffeft it: thou makeft it very plenteous.

10 The river of God is full of water: thou prepareft their corn, for fo thou provideft for the earth.

II Thou watereft her furrows, thou fendeft rain into the little

There is reafon to believe that this Pfalm was compofed upon a plentiful fall of Rain after an extreme drought. And herein David takes an occafion to commemorate first the spiritual Bleflings which God had bestowed upon every fincere Worshipper; and zdly. the temporal Benefits which he had conferred upon the Ifraelites in general; and particularly with setpect to the fruitfulnels of the Land of Canaan.

Bleed is the Man whom thou chooseft, &c. This.

feems to fignify the Happiness of fuch as became Pr felytes to the Jewish Religion. And if David thought there was reafon to declare fuch bleed: then how much more caufe have Chriftians to elteem themselves fo who enjoy the clear light, the ineftimable pri vileges, of the Gospel; which affords fuch powerful aids, fuch unfpeakable comforts,, and fuch glorious hopes of a bleed Immortality through Jefus Chrift!