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Pfalm xxvi. Judica me, Domine.

E thou my judge, O Lord, for I have walked innocently: my truft hath been alfo in the Lord, there-fore fhall I not fall.

2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me: try out my reins, and my heart.

3 For thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes: and I will walk in thy truth.

4 I have not dwelt with vain perfons: neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.

5 I have hated the congregation of the wicked: and will not fit among the ungodly.

6 I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord: and fo will I go to thine altar;

7 That I may fhew the voice of thanksgiving: and tell of all thy wonderous works.

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy houfe: and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

9 O fhut not up my foul with the finners: nor my life with the blood-thirsty

;

10 In whofe hands is wickedness: and their right hand is full of gifts.

11 But as for me, I will walk innocently: O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.

12 My foot ftandeth right: I will praife the Lord in the congregations.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfal. xxvi.] 1. The firft inftruction this pfalm furnishes us with, is, that God chiefly regards our integrity and fincerity; that he searches and tries the heart; and therefore, that the only means of obtaining God's favour is to approve ourselves in his fight, to live in innocency, to walk. in truth, and to hate vice. 2. David's earneft defire to ferve God in the tabernacle, fhould ftir us up to difcharge the duties of religion with the fame fervency, and to take the greatest delight in going to the houfe of God, there to praife him, and to meditate on the wonders of his love. But the care this pious king took to purify himself before he went unto the aitar of God, fhould convince us, that in order to appear in the prefence of God, we should be pure and live a holy life.

EVENING PRAYER.

Pfalm xxvii. Dominus illuminatio.

Lord is my light, and my falvation; whom then

Thall I fear: the Lord is the strength of my life; of

whom then fhall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies, and my foes came upon me to eat up my fiefh: they ftumbled, and fell. 3 Though an hoft of men were laid against me, yet fhall not my heart be afraid: and though there rofe up war against me, yet will I put my trust in him.

4 One thing have I defired of the Lord, which I will require even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to vifit his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he fhall hide me in his tabernacle yea, in the fecret place of his dwelling fhall he hide me, and fet me up upon a rock of stone.

6 And now fhall he lift up mine head: above mine enemies round about me..

7 Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladnefs: I will fing, and fpeak praises unto the Lord. 8 Hearken unto my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto thee have mercy upon me, and hear me.

9 My heart hath talked of thee, Seek ye my face: thy face, Lord, will I feek.

10 O hide not thou thy face from me: nor caft thy fervant away in difpleasure.

II Thou haft been my fuccour leave me not, neither forfake me, O God of my falvation.

12 When my father and my mother forfake me: the Lord taketh me up.

13 Teach me thy way, O Lord and lead me in the right way, because of mine enemies.

14 Deliver me not over into the will of mine adversaries : for there are false witneffes rifen up against me, and fuch as fpeak wrong.

15

I should utterly have fainted: but that I believe verily to fee the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

16 O tarry

16 O tarry thou the Lords leifure: be ftrong, and he hall comfort thine heart, and put thou thy truft in the Lord.

UNT

Pfalm xxviii. Ad te, Domine.

NTO thee will I cry, O Lord my strength: think no fcorn of me, left if thou make as though thou heareft not, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my humble petitions, when I cry unto thee when I hold up my hands towards the mercyfeat of thy holy temple.

3 O pluck me not away, neither deftroy me with the ungodly and wicked doers: which fpeak friendly to their neighbours, but imagine mifchief in their hearts.

4 Reward them according to their deeds: and according to the wickednefs of their own inventions.

5 Recompenfe them after the work of their hands: pay them that they have deferved.

6 For they regard not in their mind the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands: therefore fhall he break them down, and not build them up.

7 Praised be the Lord: for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions.

8 The Lord is my ftrength and my fhield, my heart hath trufted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart danceth for joy, and in my fong will I praise him.

9 The Lord is my strength: and he is the wholfome defence of his Anointed.

10 O fave thy people, and give thy bleffing unto thine inheritance feed them, and fet them up for ever.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfal. xxvii.] 1. Obferve, That the most inestimable advantage and the greatest confolation we can enjoy in this world is, to meet often in the houfe of God, there to praife and adore him, and to receive the teftimonies of his favour. 2. David's affurance fhews, that fhould we be forfaken by all the world, yet God will never forfake us, if we fear him and depend upon him; that nothing but our trust in him, and hope in his promifes, can fupport us in the midlt of the troubles of this life; and that the expectation of thofe who feek their happiness in God alone, fhall never be in vain.

PRAC

BRING

Pfalm xxix. Afferte Domino.

RING unto the Lord, O ye mighty, bring young ranis unto the Lord: afcribe unto the Lord worship and ttrength.

2 Give the Lord the honour due unto his name: worship the Lord with holy worship.

3 It is the Lord that commandeth the waters: it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder.

4 It is the Lord that ruleth the fea; the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation: the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedar-trees: yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Libanus.

6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf: Libanus also, and Sirion like a young unicorn.

7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire, the voice of the Lord fhaketh the wilderness: yea, the Lord flaketh the wilderness of Cades.

8 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to bring forth young, and discovereth the thick bushes: in his temple doth every man fpeak of his honour.

9 The Lord fitteth above the water-flood: and the Lord remaineth a King for ever.

10 The Lord fhall give ftrength unto his people: the Lord fhall give his people the bleffing of peace.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfal. xxviii.] What we gather from this pfalm is, 1. In all our wants to call upon the Lord, lifting up our hands and hearts to him, to implore his affiftance, befeeching him not co fuffer us to be expofed to the miferies of the ungodly. 2. That God deftroys the double-minded and deceitful men, who fpeak peace to their neighbours, whilst their hearts are full of rancour and hatred. 3. That what brings men to mifery and destruction is, their not taking heed to the works of the Lord, that they may learn from thence to fear him.

Pfal. xxix. The reading of this pfalm leads us to adore with reverence and fear the majefty of God, which he gives fo many proofs of in his works. In him we fhould put our whole truft; remembering that he is the Lord and judge of the world, and exerts his power to punish thofe who offend him, as he employs it at other times for the good of his people and all his children. PRAC

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6th

MORNING

Pfalm xxx.

PRAYER.

Exaltabo te, Domine.

Will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou haft fet me up : and not made my foes to triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee: and thou haft healed me.

3 Thou, Lord, Haft brought my foul out of hell: thou haft kept my life from them that go down to the pit.

4 Sing praifes unto the Lord, O ye faints of his and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness.

For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye, and in his pleasure is life: heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

6 And in my profperity I faid, I fhall never be removed : thou, Lord, of thy goodness hadft made my hill so strong. 7 Thou didft turn thy face from me: and I was troubled. 8 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord: and gat me to my Lord right humbly.

9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit ?

to Shall the duft give thanks unto thee or fhall it declare thy truth?

11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.

off

12 Thou hast turned my heavinefs into joy: thou haft put my fackcloth, and girded me with gladness.

13 Therefore fhall every good man fing of thy praise without ceafing; O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm xxx.] This religious fong of thanksgiving is particularly adapted to perfons that have efcaped fome great danger. Such ought to cele brate his goodness, and invite all men to celebrate it with them; acknowledging, that his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye, and in his ple fure is life." But above all, we ought to take notice of the inftructions here given us concerning the usefulness of affliction. David obferves, That when he was in profperity, he faid, he fhould never be removed; but as foon as God had hid his face, he was troubled;"

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