4 *Stand in awe, and fin not: commune with your own heart, in your chamber, and be still. 5 Offer the facrifice of righteousness: and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There be many that fay: Who will fhew us any good? 7 Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 8 Thou haft put gladness in my heart: fince the time that their corn, and wine, and oil increased. 9 I will lay me down in peace, and take my reft: for it is thou, Lord, only that makeft me dwell in safety. Verba mea auribus. § Pfalm 5. PON ONDER my words, O Lord: confider my meditation. 2 O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King, and God: for unto thee will I make my prayer. my 3 My voice fhalt thou hear betimes, O Lord: early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. 4 For thou art the God that haft no pleasure in wickedness : neither fhall any evil dwell with thee. 5 Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy fight: for thou hatest all them that work vanity. : 6 Thou shalt deftroy them that speak leafing the Lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into thine house, even upon the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies: make thy way plain before my face. Stana in awe and Sin not. This in the Septuagint tranflation is be ye Angry and Sin not: which St. Paul quotes, Ephef. iv. 26. but the fenfe is much the fame in both tranflations, as it contains an Exhortation to the Rebels, not fo to give way to their Paffion, as to carry on a Confpiracy against their lawful Sovereign, and it contains in it also an useful inftruction to all Men to beware of indulging their Anger to excefs left it hurry them into words and actions of which they may afterwards have just cause to Repent. The royal Prophet feems to have been in a state of Exile and Affliction at the time of the compofition of this Pfalm, whether from Saul or his own Son is uncertain, but, from the wickedness of his Enemies he is encouraged to hope for deliverance from his Calami ties: because he is fully affured that the Righteous alone are God's favourites; and that to him all Iniquity is an abomination. t 9 For there is no faithfulness in his mouth: their inward parts are very wickedness. 10 *Their throat is an open fepulchre: they flatter with their Longue. 11 Destroy thou them, O God, let them perish through their own imaginations: caft them out in the multitude of their ungodlinefs; for they have rebelled against thee. 12 And let all them that put their truft in thee rejoice: they fhall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendeft them; they that love thy Name, fhall be joyful in thee; 13 For thou, Lord, wilt give thy bleffing unto the righteous: and with thy favourable kindnefs wilt thou defend him as with a fhield. 1 EVENING LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation: neither PRAYER. Ο 2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. 3 My Soul also is fore troubled: but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me? 4 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my foul: O fave me for thy mercies fake. 5 + For in death no man remembereth thee: and who will give thee thanks in the pit ? 6 I am weary of my groaning, every night wash I my bed: and water my couch with my tears. * Their Throat is an open Sepulchre is e. as the Sepulchre is a wide open for the reception of the dead, fo were David's Enemies earnestly set upon his deftruction. ( is, as if he had faid, "Save me from eftruction, "that I may praife thee amongst the living: for if I "die, who, among the prefent degenerate Race of "Mortals, will pay thee the worship and praise which is due to thee"? To with for Life from a defire of pramoting God's glory is certainly laudable: yet it should always be with fubmiffion to his will. Because he needeth not our affiftance, but hath always fufficient power to effect his own purpofes. This is the first among the feven penitential" ↑ For in death no Man remembereth thee, &. Which 8. Away from me, all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. #T 9 The Lord hath heard my petition: the Lord will receive my prayer. to All mine enemies fhall be confounded, and fore vexed: they fhall be turned back, and put to fhame fuddenly. || Pfalm 7. Domine, Deus meus. O LORD my God, in thee have I put my truft: fave me from all them that perfecute me, and deliver me; 2 Left he devour my foul like a lion, and tear it in pieces: while there is none to help. 3 O Lord my God, If I have done any fuch thing: or if there any wickedness in my hands; be 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me: yea, I have delivered him that without any caufe is mine enemy; 5 Then let mine enemy perfecute my foul, and take me: yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the duft. 6 Stand up, O Lord, in thy wrath, and lift up thyfelf, because of the indignation of mine enemies: arife up for me in the judg ment that thou haft commanded. 7 * And fo fhall the congregation of the people come about thee for their fakes therefore lift up thyfelf again. The reproaches of Shimei the Benjamite feem to have given occafion to this Pfalm, 2 Sam. xvi. In which David appeals to the great fearcher of Hearts for the integrity of his conduct, calling for the divine vengeance upon himself if the charge were true that was laid against him. At the fame time warning his Enemies to repent of their Crimes, left they should provoke God to inflict his judgments upon them, 8 The Lord fhall judge the people; give fentence with me, O Lord: according to my righteoufnefs, and according to the innocency that is in me. * And fo fball the Congregation of the People, &e. David here intreats God to affert his caufe, by fubduing his Enemies: becaufe by giving fuch a teftimony to his innocence, the People would be induced to pay a readier obedience to David, and he would be thereby the better enabled to promote the worship of the true God. 2 : 90 let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end: but guide thou the juft. 10 For the righteous God: trieth the very hearts and reins. II My help cometh of God: who preserveth them that are true of heart. 12 God is a righteous judge, ftrong, and patient: and God is provoked every day. 13 If a man will not turn, he will whet his fword: he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 14 He hath prepared for him the inftruments of death: he ordaineth his arrows against the perfecutors. 15 Behold, he travaileth with mischief: he hath conceived forrow, and brought forth ungodlinefs. 16 He hath graven and digged up a pit: and is fallen himself into the deftruction that he made for other. 17 For his travail fhall come upon his own head and his wickedness fhall fall on his own pate. 18 I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousnefs and I will praise the name of the Lord moft high. § Pfalm 8. Domine, Dominus nofter. O 1 LORD our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that haft set thy glory above the heavens! 2 Out of the mouth of very babes and fucklings haft thou ordained ftrength, because of thine enemies: that thou mightest still and the avenger. enemy the 3 For I will confider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers: the moon and the ftars which thou haft ordained. 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him: and the fon of man that thou vifiteft him. and ma David in this Pfalm celebrates the power remarks in the 2d of Hebrews. What is Man, that thou art mindful, &c. The confideration of God's greatness and majefty, which are fo wonderfully fet forth in the Creation, ought (after the example of David) to infpire us with Humility: fo a fenfe of his goodness in forming us rational Beings, -enabling us to know and ferve him,-and making 5 Thou madeft him lower than the angels: to crown him with glory and worship. 6 Thou makeft him to have dominion of the works of thy hands: and thou haft put all things in fubjection under his feet. 7 All sheep and oxen: yea, and the beafts of the field; 8 The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the fea; and whatfoever walketh through the paths of the feas. 19:0 Lord our Governor: how excellent is thy Name in all the world.! § Pfalm 9. Confitebor tibi. Will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will speak of all thy marvellous works. I 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: yea, my fongs will I make of thy Name, Q thou moft Higheft. 3 While mine enemies are driven back: they fhall fall and pe rish at thy prefence. 4 For thou haft maintained my right and my caufe: thou art fet in the throne that judgeft right. 5 Thou haft rebuked the heathen, and deftroyed the ungodly: thou haft put out their name for ever and ever. 6 * O thou enemy, deftructions are come to a perpetual end: even as the cities which thou haft deftroyed; their memorial is perished with them. 7 But the Lord fhall endure for ever: he hath also prepared his feat for judgment. other Creatures fubject unto us, fhould engage us gratefully to improve these advantages to his glory, and continually to praise our Creator and Benefactor. This is a Pfalm of Thanksgiving for fome fignal Victory which David had obtained over fome principal Enemy: in which he equally difcovers his Piety and Gratitude to his mighty Deliverer. *O thou Enemy, deftructions are come, &c. This paffage feems well explained in the New Verfion of the Pfalms by Tate and Brady. Miftaken Foes! your haughty Threats Our City stands, which you defigned |