FIFTEENTH EVENING.

Evening Prayer.

PSALM LXXVIII.

This Pfalm of Afaph contains a concife account of the Jewish people from their leaving Egypt to the times of David. Its object is an exhortation to perfeverance in obedience to God.

1. GIVE ear, O my people, to my inftruction; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2. I will open my mouth in examples, I will declare the hiftories of ancient times,

3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told unto us.

4. We will not hide them from their children, fhewing the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his ftrength, and the wonderful works which he hath done,

5. When he established a teftimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Ifrael, which he commanded our forefathers, that they fhould make them known to their children:

6. That the generation to come might know, the children which fhould be born might arife and tell their fons :

7. That they might fet their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

8. And might not be as their fathers, a ftubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that fet not their heart aright, and whofe fpirit cleaved not stedfastly unto God;

9. Like the children of Ephraim, who, armed and shooting with bows, turned back in the day of battle:

10. Who kept not the covenant of God, and refufed to walk in his law :

II. But forgat what he had done, and the wonderful works that he had fhewed them.

12. Marvellous things did he in the fight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the plain of Zoan.

13. He divided the fea, and caufed them to pafs through; and he made the waters to ftand as an heap.

14. In the day time alfo he led them with a cloud, and all the night through with a light of fire.

15. He clave the rocks in the wildernefs, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16. He brought streams also out of the ftony rock; and caused waters to gush out like the rivers.

17. Yet they finned still more against him, and provoked the Moft High in the wilderness.

18. They tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their luft.

19. And they fpake against God, and faid, Can God fpread a table in the wilderness?

20. He fmote the ftony rock indeed, that the waters gufhed out, and the ftreams flowed withal; but can he give bread alfo? Can he provide flesh for his people?

21. Then the Lord heard, and was wroth; fo a fire was kindled against Jacob, and there came up heavy displeasure against Israel.

22. Because they believed not in God, and put not their truft in his falvation.

23. So he commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven.

24. And rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them of the food of heaven.

25. Men did eat angels food, he sent them meat to the full.

26. He caufed the east wind to blow in the heaven, he alfo brought the fouth wind by his power.

27. He rained flesh alfo upon them as thick as duft, and winged fowl like as the fand of the fea.

28. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

29. So they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own defire.

30. They were scarcely estranged from their longing, their food yet in their mouths.

31. When the wrath of God came upon them, and flew the chief of them, and fmote down the chofen men of Ifrael.

32. For all this they finned yet more; and believed not for his wondrous works.

33. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

34. When he flew them, then they fought him; and they turned and entreated God.

35. And they remembered that God was their defence, and the Most High God their redeemer.

36. Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth, and they diffembled with him in their tongues.

37. For their heart was not entire with him, neither were they ftedfast in his covenant.

38. But he, full of compaffion, forgave their mifdeeds, and deftroyed them not; yea many a time turned he his anger away, and would not fuffer all his difpleasure to arise.

39. For he confidered that they were but flesh ; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 40. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the defart?

41. Yea, they turned back, and tempted God, and fet bounds to the holy one of Ifrael.

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42. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

43. How he had wrought his figns in Egypt; and his wonders in the field of Zoan:

44. And turned their rivers into blood; and their ftreams, that they could not drink.

45. He fent divers fort of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them. 46. He gave alfo their fruit unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locuft.

47. He destroyed their vines also with hail-ftones; and their fycamore trees with frost.

48. He gave up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to the hot thunderbolts.

49. He caft upon them the fiercenefs of his anger, wrath, indignation and trouble, fending the minifters of evil among them.

50. He made an even way to his anger, he fpared not their foul from death, but gave their life over to the peftilence.

51. And smote all the first born in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength, in the tents of Ham. 52. But as for his own people, he led them forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53. He brought them out fafely, fo that they feared not; but the fea overwhelmed their enemies. 54. And he brought them to the hill of his ho