PSALM XLIX.

The fubject of this Pfalm is the confolation of the good against all the evils of this life, deduced from the fecret and little known doctrine of a future ftate, and immortality of the foul; whereas the happiness of the wicked is but of short date, being confined to the limits of this life, for to them the grave is the boufe of everlasting fleep.

1. HEAR all ye people, give ear all ye inhabitants of the world.

2. Both the fons of the high and of the low; the rich man and the poor together.

3. My mouth fhall utter wisdom, and the meditation of my heart fhall be understanding.

4.

I will incline mine ear to a parable, I will open upon the harp my dark faying.

5. Wherefore fhould I fear in the days of evil? when the wickednefs of mine enemies compaffeth me round about?

6. Who put their truft in their wealth, and in the multitude of their riches make their boast.

7. Truely man cannot be redeemed, nor can he give to God his ransom.

8. For the redemption of his foul is too coftly, and it will for ever fail.

9. Yea, though he should live long, fhall he not see the grave?

10. When he feeth that wife men die, that as well as the fool and the brutish man they perish, and leave their wealth to others.

II. Their thoughts are that their houses. may be eternal, their habitations from generation to generation; and countries called after their names. 12. And that man, who dwelleth not in honour, is like the beasts that perish.

13. This their courfe of life is their hope, and their posterity take pleasure in their sayings.

14. Like Sheep they are appointed for the grave; death ruleth over them.

15. They defcend by juft judgments to the tomb, and their strength to destruction; the grave becometh their habitation.

16. But God will redeem my foul from the power of the grave, he fhall alfo receive me.

17. Be not thou afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his houfe is increased.

18. For when he dieth he fhall carry nothing away; his glory fhall not defcend after him.

19. Though while he lived, he blessed his own foul, and oppreffed thee, although thou didst well unto him.

20. He fhall go to the generation of his fathers, and fhall fee the light no more.

21. Man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

TENTH MORNING.

Morning Prayer.

PSALM L.

The defign of this Pfalm is to fhew in what confifts. the true worship of God, and the right use of facrifices. It is opposed to the error of those who made the whole of religious worship to confift in the obfervance of external rites.

1. THE mighty God, even the Lord hath spoken, and called the world from the rifing of the fun unto the going down thereof.

2. Out of Sion, the perfection of beauty, God hath fhined.

3. Our God cometh, and keepeth not filence; a fire devoureth before him, and round about him is a mighty tempeft.

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4. He calleth unto the heavens from above, and unto the earth, that he may judge his people.

5. "Gather yourselves unto me, O ye my faints, ye who have made a covenant with me by facrifice."

6. And the heavens fhall declare his righteouf ness, for God, he is the Judge.

7. Hear, O my people, for I fpeak; O Ifrael, for I testify unto thee, I am God, even thy God.

8. I will not reprove thee for thy facrifices, or thy burnt-offerings, that are always before me.

9. I will take no bullock out of thy houfe, nor goats out of thy folds.

10. For every beaft of the foreft is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11. I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild beafts of the field are mine.

12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.

13.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14. Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most high.

15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou fhalt glorify me.

16. But unto the wicked God faith, what hast thou to do, to declare my laws, or take my covenant in thy mouth?

17. Seeing thou hatest instruction, and hast cast my words behind thee.

18. When thou feeft a robber, thou confentedst with him, and hast been partakers with adulterers. 19. Thou letteft loose thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue forgeth deceit.

20. Thou continually speakest against thy brother; thou flanderest thine own mother's fon.

21. These things haft thou done, and I kept filence: thou thoughteft that I was, altogether, fuch a one as thyself; but I will reprove thee, and lay thee open to thine own eyes.

22. Oh! confider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. 23. Whofo offereth praife, glorifieth me, and to him that is upright in the way, will I fhew the falvation of God.

PSALM LI.

Doctor Kennicott thinks, that from the fourth verfe of this Pfalm," against thee only have I finned,” it is plain, that the occafion of the author's complaint was neither adultery nor murder. Now fince the fin which relates to God alone feems to be idolatry, it is probable, that this Pfalm is the penitential confeffion of a few, who during the captivity at Babylon, had