CHAPTER IV.

PSALMS, xxxix., xc. ISAIAH, xxxviii

THREE ELEGIES.

Let Me Know Mine End-Frailty of Man-Hezekiah's Deliver

ance.

LET ME KNOW MINE END.

(An Elegy.)

I SAID, Let me guard my ways, that I sin not with my tongue;

Let me put a bridle on my mouth, while the wicked is before me.

I was altogether dumb; I held my peace uncomforted, and my pain was sore.

My heart was hot within me; as I muse fire kindleth; I spake with my tongue :

Jehovah, let me know mine end,

And what is the number of my days;

Let me know how frail I am.

Behold, Thou hast made my days an handbreadth;

My lifetime is as nought before Thee;

Verily every man at his best is altogether vanity:

Verily man walketh in a shadow;

Verily they struggle after vanity;

He heapeth up, knowing not who shall gather it.

And now, Lord, what is my hope?
My trust-it is in Thee.

Deliver me from all mine offences;

Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

I have been dumb, not opening my mouth,
Because it was Thy doing.

Remove from me Thy plague;

By the blows of Thy hand I perish.

When Thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin,
Thou consumest like the moth his precious treasures.
Verily every man is vanity.

Hear my prayer, Jehovah, and give ear to my cry,

Hold not Thy peace at my tears;

For I am a guest with Thee, a sojourner, like all my

fathers.

Look away from me, that I may have joy,
Before I go hence-and be no more!

FRAILTY OF MAN.

(An Elegy.)

Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from age to age.
Before the mountains were brought forth,

Or ever the earth and the world were born,

From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

Thou turnest man to dust,

And sayest, Return, ye children of men.

For in Thy sight a thousand years

Are like yesterday as it passeth,

Or a watch in the night.

Thou destroyest them; they fall asleep.
In the morning he groweth like grass;

HEZEKIAH's deliverance.

In the morning it is green and groweth,
At evening it is cut down and withered.
For we are consumed in Thy wrath,
And in Thine anger we perish.

Thou hast set our misdeeds before Thee,
Our secret sins in the light of Thy face.

For all our days pass away like a sigh,

We bring our years to an end through Thy wrath.
The years of our age are threescore and ten,
Or if through strength they be fourscore,
Their pride is but labor and sorrow,

So soon it passeth, and we are flown.
Who knoweth the power of Thine anger,
Whose wrath is according to Thy majesty?
So teach us to number our days,

That we get us an heart of wisdom.

Turn, Jehovah !—How long?—
And pity Thy servants.

Fill us each morning with Thy love,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Give us joy for the days Thou hast afflicted us,
The years we have known adversity.

Let Thy work be seen of Thy servants,

And Thy glory of their children.

And the graciousness of our God be upon us;
And establish Thou our handiwork upon us;
Our handiwork-establish it.

HEZEKIAH'S DELIVERANCE.

(An Elegy.)

397

I said, In the noon of my days must I enter the gates of

hell;

I am deprived of the residue of my years.

I said, I may not see Jah-Jah in the land of the living; I shall behold men no more with the dwellers of the

grave.

My life is plucked up and removed, like the tent of a

shepherd;

I roll up my life, as a weaver his web; He cutteth me off

from the loom.

From day unto night Thou makest an end of me ;
From night unto morning cried I for help.

All my bones like a lion He breaketh.

From day unto night Thou makest an end of me.
Like swallows I chatter; I mourn like the doves.
Mine eyes languish heavenward;

I am oppressed; Jehovah, be Thou my surety.

What shall I say? He who promised hath performed it

unto me.

For the bitterness I had, shall I prosper all my days;
(Lord, by these do men live, and through them all my
spirit liveth.)

As Thou makest me dream, so dost Thou quicken me.
Behold, for my good came bitterness upon bitterness.
But Thou hast drawn me from the pit of ruin ;
Yea, Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.

For hell doth not thank Thee, neither death praise Thee; Who go down to the pit hope not in Thy faithfulness. The living-the living thank Thee, as I do this day. Father telleth children of Thy truth:

It is Jehovah that saveth me.

Let us play the instrument all the days of our life in the house of Jehovah.

CHAPTER V.

PSALMS, xliv.-xlvii., xlix.

PSALTER OF THE SONS OF KORAH.

A Royal Marriage Hymn—God is Our Refuge—God is King-The Riddle of Life-Israel's Complaint.

A ROYAL MARRIAGE HYMN.

(To the Tune of "The Lilies.")

(Dedication.)-My heart bubbles with good words; I address my words to a king;

Be my tongue a ready writer's pen!

(To the Bridegroom.)-Fairest art thou of the sons of

men;

Grace is shed upon thy lips;

Therefore God hath blessed thee forever.

(Warrior.)-Gird thy sword upon thy thigh;
Be strong in thy praise and thy glory.
In thy glory ride and prosper,

Because of truth and for the sake of right,

And thy right hand achieve dread deeds!

Sharp be thine arrows-people fall before thee-
In the heart of the king's foes.

(Judge.) Thy throne, O king, is everlasting ;

A sceptre of equity the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Thou lovedst right and hatedst wrong;