19. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he faveth them out of their distress.

20. He sendeth his word and healeth them, and refcueth them from destruction.

21. Oh that men would praife the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

22. That they would offer unto him the facrifices of thanksgiving, and tell out his works with gladness.

23. They that go down to the fea in fhips, that occupy their business in the great waters :

24. These fee the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

25. For he commandeth and raiseth the ftormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths, their foul is melted because of trouble.

27. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and all their skill is swallowed up.

28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distress. 29. He stilleth the storm to filence and the waves of the fea are still.

30. Then do they rejoice because they are at rest, and he bringeth them unto the haven of their defire.

31. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his

goodnefs, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

32. That they would exalt him in the affembly of the people, and praife him in the council of the elders.

33. He turneth rivers into a wildernefs, and water fprings into a dry ground:

34. A fruitful land into barrennefs, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

35. He turneth the wilderness into a standing pool, and dry ground into springs of water.

36. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, and they build a city for their habitation:

37. And fow the fields, and plant vineyards, and make a fruitful increase.

38. He bleffeth them alfo, fo that they are greatly multiplied, and fuffereth not their cattle to decreafe:

39. While others are diminished and brought low, with oppreffion, affliction and sorrow.

40. He poureth contempt upon the great ones, and maketh them wander through a pathless defert. 41. While he raiseth the diftreffed from affliction, and maketh their families like a flock.

42. The righteous fee this and rejoice, and áll iniquity stops its mouth.

53. Whofo is wife will ponder these things; and he fhall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.

TWENTY-SECOND EVENING.

Evening Prayer.

PSALM CVIII.

This Pfalm is compofed of the 8th and following verfes of the 57th Pfalm, and of the 7th and following verfes of the 60th Pfalm. The complaints of those Pfalms are omitted, and their triumphal parts are bere united into one Pfalm of thanksgiving.

1. MY heart is fixed, O God, I will fing and give praife.

2. Awake up my glory, I will awaken the pfaltery and harp betimes in the morning.

3.

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people, I will fing unto thee among the nations.

reacheth unto

4. For the greatnefs of thy mercy the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.

1

6. That thy beloved people may be delivered; fave with thy right hand and hear me.

7.

God hath spoken in his fanctuary: therefore
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I will rejoice, I will divide Sichem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8. Gilead is mine, and Manaffes is mine; Ephraim alfo is my defender, Judah is my law-giver.

9. Moab is the pot of my ablution; to Edom I will caft my fhoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 10. Who will lead me to the fenced city? who has brought me into Edom?

II. Who but thou, O God, who has caft us off, and didft not go out with our armies.

12. Oh! give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.

13. Through God we fhall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

PSALM CIX.

David here implores the divine affiftance against his enemies, who perfecuted him with unmerited calumny and rancour. He then gives (v. 6–19) a dreadful picture of the curfes which they called down upon him, in return for his kindness to them: But inftead of fuch evils he prays that God may deal with him according to his innocency, and that his enemies may be ashamed of their cruelty and injustice. “ Take this Pfalm, fays Dr. Sykes, as containing a recital of curfes and imprecations of very flanderous men

against the Pfalmift himself, from v. 5. to 20. and all is clear. David fays, v. David fays, v. 3. that they compaffed him about with words of hatred, and v. 2. that the mouth of the wicked and deceitful is opened against him; and when he had urged his love and his good actions to thofe enemies of his, v. 4, 5. then follow the evil wishes they expreffed against him to v. 20. and at length, v. 27. he says, Let them curfe, but bless thou." To this we may add, that David fpeaks of his enemies throughout the Pfalm in the plural number, whereas the object of the imprecations is but one perfon. It is not improbable that David compofed this Pfalm, (which bears fome fimilitude to the 36th,) when he fled from Abfalom, and that he chiefly complained of the perfidy of Ahitophel, once his highly favoured friend.

1. HOLD not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2. For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3. They have compaffed me about alfo with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. 4. For my love they are mine adverfaries; but I give myfelf up unto prayer.

5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my good will, faying,

6. Let an unjuft judge be appointed over him, and a false accuser stand at his right hand.