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D. 2.

0.2.

v. 5.

0.7.

v. 8.

trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.

2 Oye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme (y) mine honour and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after leasing (z)?

3 Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.

5 Offer the sacrifice (a) of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There be many that say: "Who will shew us any good?" 7 Lord (b), lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 8 Thou hast put gladness in heart since (c) the time that my their corn, and wine, and oil increased.

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9 I will lay me down (d) in peace, and take my rest for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.

(y)" Blaspheme," i. e. traduce, speak evil of.

(z) "Seek after leasing," i. e. search after and invent falsehoods.

(4) "Sacrifice of righteousness." The tribute of the heart. See Ps. 1. 13, 14, &c. where the inefficacy of ceremonial sacrifice alone, and the necessity of inward devotion, adoration, &c. from the beart, is strongly pointed out.

(b)" Lord," &c. This address to God follows naturally as an answer to the despondency of those who had said, "Who will shew us any good?"

(c) For "since," &c. The reading should perhaps be "more than in the time "of the corn and wine and oil's increas"ing," that is, more than "the joy of "harvest," which is used proverbially to express great joy. Thus Isaiah ix. 3. "They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when "they divide the spoil."

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Psalm v. (e)

PONDER my words, O Lord : consider my meditation.

2 O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King, and my God for unto thee will I make my prayer.

3 My voice shalt thou hear betimes (f), O Lord early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness: neither shall any evil dwell with thee.

5 Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that work vanity.

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6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing (g): 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.

(d)" Lay me down," &c. See note v.9. on Ps. iii. 5.

(e) A prayer of David's; declaring God's aversion to the wicked, imploring his protection against their attempts, and expressing his conviction that God would effectually defend whoever trusted in him.

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(f) "Betimes," and " early in the v.3. "morning." So Ps. lvii. 9. "Awake up my glory; awake lute and harp : "I myself will awake right early." And Ps. cxxx. 6. "My soul feeth unto the Lord, before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch." So Isaiah XXVI. 9. "With my soul have I desired "thee in the night; yea, with my spirit "within me will I seek thee early: for "when thy judgments are in the earth, "the inhabitants of the world will learn "righteousness." See also Ps. lxxxviii, 13.-Ps. xcii. 2.

(g) "Leasing," i. e. falsehood.

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8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies make thy way plain before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in his mouth (h) : their inward parts are very wickedness.

10 Their throat is an open sepulchre (i) they flatter with their tongue.

11 Destroy thou them, O God; let them perish through their own imaginations cast

them out in the multitude of their ungodliness; for they have rebelled against thee.

12 And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoice they shall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendest them; they that love thy Name shall be joyful in thee.

13 For thou, Lord, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him as with a shield.

Lessons for the First Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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heal me, vexed.

for my bones are

3 My soul also is sore troubled: but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?

4 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercies' sake.

5 For in death (m) no man remembereth thee: and who will give thee thanks in the pit?

6 I am weary (n) of my groaning; every night wash I my bed; and water my couch with my tears. 7 My beauty is for gone very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies.

8 Away () from me, all ye that work vanity (p) for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receive my prayer.

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10 All mine enemies shall be confounded (q), and vexed they shall be turned

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out thy fury upon the heathen that "know thee not," &c. See Ps.xxxviii. 1. .5. (m) In death," &c. So Ps. xxx. 10. "Shall the dust give thanks unto thee,

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back, and put to shame suddenly.

Psalm vii. (r)

O LORD my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;

2 Lest he devour my soul like a lion, and tear it in pieces: while there is none to help.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing (s) or if there be any wickedness in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me : yea, I have delivered (t) him that without any cause (u) is mine

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ness.

(q) "Confounded," because of his v.10. deliverance; because it put an end to their hopes for his destruction.

(r) This Psalm is supposed to have been written by David upon some false report made against him to Saul, or in his flight from Absalom, when he was reviled by Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi. 7, 8. He applies with great feeling to God for protection, protests his own innocence, calls upon God to judge between him and his enemies, and foretells from God's justice their discomfiture.

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of the indignation of mine enemies arise up for me in the judgement that thou hast commanded.

7 And so (y) shall the congregation of the people come about thee for their sakes (z) therefore lift up thyself again.

8 The Lord shall judge the people; give sentence with me, O Lord according to my righteousness, and according to the innocency that is in me.

9 O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end : but guide thou the just.

10 For the righteous God: trieth the very hearts (a) and reins. 11 My help cometh of God: who preserveth them that are true of heart.

12 God is a righteous judge,

(y) "So," &c. i. e. when it is seen .7 how thou protectest thy servants, the people shall turn more zealously to thee. Its influence upon others is often pressed as an argument to induce God to shew some token for good upon those who trust in him. See Ps. xxxii. 71.-Ps. lviii. 10.-Ps. lxiv. 9, 10.

2.7.

บ. 10,

9. 12.

v. 12,

(2) "For their sakes," i. e. to convince them; to bring them to thee.

(a) "The very hearts," &c. When God directed Samuel to select David, he said, "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; "for man looketh on the outward ap66 pearance, but the Lord loketh on the "heart." 1 Sam. xvi. 7. And in Jer. xvii. 10. God says, "I the Lord search "the heart; I try the reins, even to give "every man according to his ways, and "according to the fruit of his doings." Well therefore did the wise man say, Prov. iv. 23" Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues

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"of life."

(b)" Provoked," i. e. by the conduct of the wicked: though he does not immediately punish, their misdeeds provoke him.

(c) "Provoked every day," i. e. is constantly receiving provocation.

strong and patient and God is provoked (b) every day (c).

13 If a man will not turn (d), he (e) will whet his sword (ƒ): he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

14 He (g) hath prepared for him (g) the instruments of death : he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

15 Behold, he (b) travaileth with mischief: he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth ungodliness.

16 He hath graven and digged up a pit and is fallen (i) himself into the destruction that he made for other.

17 For his travail shall come upon his own head and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate.

v. 15. 0.13.

(d)"Turn,"i e. reform, depart from evil. 13. (e) "He," i. e. God. "Whet his sword," i e. prepare himself to take vengeance. In the song

of Moses, Deut. xxxii. 41. (about 1490° years before our Saviour's birth), God is represented as saying, "If I whet my "glittering sword, and mine hand take "hold on judgment, I will render ven

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geance to mine enemies, and will re"ward them that hate me." And to this passage David might here allude.

(g) "He," i. e. God." Him," i. e. 14 the man that will not turn.

(b)" He," i. e. mine enemy; the per- 15 son whose calumny induced David to write this Psalm. After noticing God's conduct towards the wicked in general, he turns particularly to this individual, to shew his malignity, and to intimate the certainty of his ultimate disappointment and punishment.

(i)" Is fallen," &c. The idea of a 16 man's suffering himself, by the means he employed to annoy others, frequently Occurs. See Ps. ix. 15.-Ps. x. 2.Ps. lvii. 7. So Ovid:

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V.2.

18 I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousness and I will praise the Name of the Lord most High.

Psalm viii. (k)

O LORD our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth (1) of very babes (m) and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained.

(2) A spirited song of triumph, written by David after he had overcome Goliath, the giant of Gath; about 1063 years before our Saviour's birth. It ascribes to God the honour of his victory, calls to notice the glory of the heavenly system, and then turns to the privileges and preeminence conferred on man. The 2d verse is referred to, Matt. xxi. 16. upon our Saviour's triumphant entry into Jerusalem; and the 4th, 5th, and 6th are alluded to by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Heb. ii. 6, 7, 8. with reference to our Saviour's ascension. It is (probably on this latter account) one of the Psalms for Ascension Day.

(1) "Out of the mouth," &c. When the chief priests and scribes were displeased, because the multitudes who met Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem, and the children in the temple, cried out unto him, "Hosanna to the Son of David," hailing him as the Messiah, our Saviour answered them, in allusion to this verse, "Have ye never read, out of the mouths " of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise." See Matt. xxi. I to 16. See also I Cor. i. 27. where it is said, "God hath chosen the foolish

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things of the world to confound the "wise; and God hath chosen the weak "things of the world to confound the things that are mighty."

4 What is man (n), that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 Thou madest him lower (0) than the angels to crown him with glory and worship.

6 Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet (p);

7 All sheep and oxen: yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord our Governor : how excellent is thy Name in all the world!

(m) "Babes," &c. perhaps alluding v.2. to his own bodily weakness, in comparison with Goliath's strength.

(n)" What is man," &c. After look. v.4. ing, though but for a moment, to the wonderful works of God in the heavens, (which is a common subject of his praise, see Ps. xix. 1.), he naturally turns to the comparative insignificance of man.

(o) "Lower," &c. The author of the v.5. Epistle to the Hebrews introduces this and the next verse; and, after intimating that he had not yet arrived at the summit of his power, because all things were not yet put under him, adds, "but we see

Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering "of death, crowned with glory and

"honour."

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