linefs, to this mountain which his right hand obtained.

55. He caft out the nations alfo from before them, and divided them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Ifrael to dwell in their tents.

56. Yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God, and kept not his teftimonies :

57. But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they started aside like a deceitful bow.

58. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

59. God heard and was wroth, and took fore displeasure at Ifrael.

60. So that he forfook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent in which he dwelt amongst men.

61. And he delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies hands.

62. He gave his people over alfo unto the fword, and was wroth with his inheritance.

63. The fire confumed their young men, and their virgins were not celebrated with songs.

64. Their priests fell by the fword, and their widows made no lamentation.

65. Then the Lord awaked as one out of fleep, like a man that fhouteth by reafon of wine.

66. And he fmote the enemies in the hinder parts, he put them to a perpetual fhame.

67. He rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim.

68. But chose the tribe of Judah, the mountain of Sion which he loveth.

69. And he built his fanctuary like the mountains, like the earth that he hath established for

ever.

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70. He chose David also his fervant, and took him from the sheepfolds.

71. He brought him from following the fucklings, to feed Jacob his people, and Ifrael his in

heritance.

72. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfullness of his hands.

SIXTEENTH MORNING.

Morning Prayer.

PSALM LXXIX.

The fubject of this Pfalm feems to be the fame with that of the feventy-fourth, the deftruction of the city

and temple of Jerufalem by Nebuchadnezzar. It appears from the eleventh verfe to have been compofed after the facking of the city, and before the princes had been presented to the king at Riblath, where they were, by his orders, put to death. See 2. Kings xxv. 18, 20. As the prophet Jeremiah lived at this period, and the fixth and seventh verfes are found in his prophecy, ch. x. 25, it is fuppofed that he was the author of this Pfalm.

1. O GOD the heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy temple have they defiled, and have laid Jerufalem on heaps.

2. The dead bodies of thy fervants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, the flesh of thy faints unto the wild beasts of the land.

3. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerufalem, and there was no man to bury them.

4. We are become an open fhame to our neighbours, a very scorn and derifion to thofe that are round about us.

5. How long, O Lord, wilt thou be angry? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?

6. Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

7. For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

8. O remember not against us our former fins; hafte, let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low.

9. Help us, O God of our falvation, for the glory of thy name; deliver us, and purge away our fins for thy name's fake.

10. Wherefore fhould the heathen fay, "where is their God?" Oh! let the vengeance of thy fervants blood that is fhed, be openly fhewed upon the heathen in our fight.

11. Let the fighing of the prisoners come before thee; according to the greatnefs of thy power, preferve thou thofe that are appointed to die.

12. And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bofom, the reproach of them who have reproached thee, O Lord.

13. So we thy people and fheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever; and will fhew forth thy praise to all generations.

PSALM LXXX.

During the reign of Ahaz, which continued fixteen years, the inhabitants of the land of Judah had fuffered from the invafions of the Syrians, Edomites and Philistines; but after Hezekiah began his reign with fo much piety and care of his people, things began to

profper: At this period, when the Affyrians had juft invaded Judah, the Pfalm feems to have been

written.

1. GIVE ear, O Shepherd of Ifrael, thou that leadeft Jofeph like a flock; thou that dwelleft between the Cherubims, fhine forth!

2. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manaffeh, ftir up thy ftrength, and come to fave us!

3. Reftore, O God, and cause thy face to fhine, and we fhall be whole.

4. O Lord God of hofts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

5. Thou feedeft them with the bread of tears, and giveft them tears to drink in great measure.

6. Thou makeft us a ftrife unto our neighbours, and our enemies laugh us to fcorn.

7. Restore us, O God of hofts, and cause thy face to fhine, and we fhall be whole.

8. Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt, thou didft caft out the heathen, and plant it.

9. Thou preparedft room before it, and didft caufe it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

10. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the goodly cedars with the boughs thereof. II. It fent out its branches unto the fea, and its tender fhoots unto the river.

12. Why haft thou broken down its fences, fo fo that all they who pafs by the way do pluck it?