12 *What man is he that lufteth to live: and would fain fee good days?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil: and thy lips that they speak no guile.

14 Eschew evil, and do good: feek peace, and ensue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous: and his ears are open unto their prayers.

16 The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil: to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them: and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart : and will fave fuch as be of an humble fpirit.

19 Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: fo that not one of them is broken. 21 But misfortune fhall flay the ungodly: and they that hate the righteous, fhall be defolate.

22 The Lord delivereth the fouls of his fervants: and all they that put their trust in him fhall not be deftitute.

MORNING

PRAYER.

Pfalm 35. Judica me, Domine.

PLEA

LEAD thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: and fight thou against them that fight against me. 2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler: and stand up to help

me.

3 Bring forth the fpear, and ftop the way against them that

perfecute me: fay unto my foul, I am thy falvation.

What Man is he that lufteth to live, S. Sc. It may be obferved upon this pailage in the words of Arch Bishop Tillot fon, that "no Man knows in the chance

of things aa the mutability of human affairs, whofe kincnefs or goodwill he may come to ftand in "need of before he dies. So that did a Man only confult his own fafety and quiet, he ought to refrain from evil fpeaking,"

David here earnestly implores God's affiftance, as well against Saul and his Forces; as at the 11th verse against fome falfe Accufers, who though they had received favours from him, yet maliciously mifieprefented him to the King. The imprecations which David here pronounces against his Adverfaries, are chiefly to be confidered as Prophetical. But, as Chrifians, it is our duty to love and pray for our Enemies.

4 Let them be confounded, and put to fhame, that seek after my foul: let them be turned back, and brought to confufion, that imagine mischief for me.

5 Let them be as the dust before the wind: and the Angel of the Lord fcattering them.

6 Let their way be dark and flippery: and let the Angel of the Lord perfecute them.

7 For they have privily laid their net to caufe: yea, even without a cause have they foul.

deftroy me without a made a pit for my

8 Let a fudden deftruction come upon him unawares, and his net that he hath laid privily catch himself: that he may fall into his own mischief.

9 And, my foul, be joyful in the Lord: it fhall rejoice in his falvation.

10 All my bones fhall fay, Lord, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too ftrong for him: yea, the poor, and him that is in mifery, from him that fpoileth him?

11 Falfe witneffes did rife up: they laid to my charge things

that I knew not.

12 *They rewarded me evil for good: to the great discomfort of my foul.

13 Nevertheless, when they were fick, I put on fackcloth, and humbled my foul with fafting: and my prayer fhall turn into mine own bofom.

14 I behaved myself, as though it had been my friend, or my brother: I went heavily as one that mourneth for his mother.

15 But in mine adverfity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares making mouths at me, and ceased not.

*They rewarded me evil for good, &c. Never do the Arrows of Malice pierce fo deeply as when they are pointed with Ingratitude. Yet the nobleft revenge that

we can take upon an ungrateful Enemy is to forgive him, to pray for him, and to do him kind offices according as we have opportunity; because we not only here

16 With the flatterers were bufy mockers: who gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this: O deliver my foul from the calamities which they bring on me, and my darling from the lions.

18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly: neither let them wink with their eyes, that hate me without a cause.

:

20 And why? their communing is not for peace: but they imagine deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.

21 They gaped upon me with their mouths, and faid: Fie on thee, fie on thee, we faw it with our eyes.

22 This thou haft feen, O Lord: hold not thy tongue then, go not far from me, O Lord.

23 Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel: avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.

24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness: and let them not triumph over me.

25 Let them not fay in their hearts, There, there, fo would we have it: neither let them fay, We have devoured him.

26 Let them be put to confufion and fhame together that rejoice at my trouble: let them be clothed with rebuke and difhonour that boaft themselves against me.

27 Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing: yea, let them fay alway, Bleffed be the Lord, who hath pleasure in the profperity of his fervants.

28 And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteoufnefs: and of thy praise all the day long.

by gain the victory over our angry paffions; but take the most effectual means to infpire our Adverfary with

fhame and remorfe; and to melt him down into Re-
pentance.
F

§ Pfalm 36. Dixit injuftus.

Μ'

Y heart fheweth me the wickednefs of the ungodly: that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flattereth himself in his own fight: until his abominable fin be found out.

3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous, and full of deccit: he hath left off to behave himself wifely, and to do good..

4 He imagineth mischief upon his bed, and hath fet himself in no good way: neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.

5 *Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens: and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.

6 Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains: thy judgments are like the great deep.

7 Thou, Lord, fhalt fave both man and beaft: How excellent is thy mercy, O God: and the children of men fhall put their trust under the fhadow of thy wings.

8 They shall be fatisfied with the plenteousness of thy house: and thou fhait give them drink of thy pleasures as out of the river.

9 For with thee is the well of life: and in thy light fhall we fee light.

10 O continue forth thy loving kindness unto them that know thee: and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.

II O let not the foot of pride come against me:, and let not the hand of the ungodly caft me down.

12 There are they fallen, all that work wickedness: they are caft down, and fhall not be able to ftand.

EVENING PRAY E R.
Pfalm 37. Noli æmulari.

RET not thyfelf because of the ungodly: neither be thou
envious against the evil doers.

FR

This Pfalm opens with a defcription of Hypocrites and the Ungodly. From whence the Pfalmift takes occafion to celebrate the goodness and mercy of God towards his Creatures in general not only in preferving the innocent, but also in fparing thofe

that deferve punishment; and in providing such abundant happiness for his People.

Thy Mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the Heavens, &c. As this defcription of God's Mercy is matter of great comfort to the fincere Chriftian, fo is it jult cause of

2 For they shall foon be cut down like the grafs: and be withered even as the green herb.

3 Put thou thy truft in the Lord, and be doing good: dwell in the land, and verily thou fhalt be fed.

4 Delight thou in the Lord: and he shall give thee thy hearts defire.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy truft in him: and he fhall bring it to pafs.

6 He fhall make thy righteousness as clear as the light: and thy juft dealing as the noon-day.

7 Hold thee ftill in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him: but grieve not thyfelf at him whose way doth profper, against the man that doeth after evil counfels.

8 Leave off from wrath, and let go difpleasure: fret not thyfelf, elfe fhalt thou be moved to do evil.

9 Wicked doers fhall be rooted out: and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly fhall be clean gone: thou fhalt look after his place, and he shall be away.

11 ‡ But the meek-spirited shall poffefs the earth: and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.

12 The ungodly feeketh counsel against the just: and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord fhall laugh him to fcorn: for he hath feen that his day is coming.

14 The ungodly have drawn out the fword, and have bent their bow: to caft down the poor and needy, and to flay such as are of a right conversation.

terror to the hardened habitual Sinner: fince they that defpife the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long-fuffering, not confidering hat the goodness of God leadeth themt Repentance-thefe treajure up unto themfelves wrath against the Day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Rom. ii. 4. 5.

The design of this Pfalm is principally.co fhew

that we fhould not be furprized if the Wicked are
fometimes profperous, and the Righteous afflicted:
fince fooner or later God fails not to deliver the Vir
tuous, and reward their Piety; and to make the
Wicked feel the effects of his wrath.

But the meekfpirited shall poffefs the Earth,
Tho' this in its primary fignification might imply

r.