been betrayed into fome of their idolatrous practices. For that it was written during the captivity, is evident from the two laft verfes.

1. HAVE mercy upon me O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences.

2. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my fin.

3. For I acknowledge my faults, and my fin is ever before me.

4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight; wherefore thou art juftified when thou givest fentence, and clear when thou judgeft.

.

did

5. Behold I was fhapen in wickedness, and in fin mother conceive me,

my

6. Behold thou defirest truth; O instruct me in the hidden and secret things of thy wisdom.

7. Purge me with hyffop that I may be clean; wash me, that I may be whiter than fnow.

8. Make me to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice.

9. Hide thy face from my fins, and blot out all my mifdeeds.

10. Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a calm fpirit within me.

11. Caft me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12. Reftore unto me the joy of thy countenance, and let a willing spirit support me.

13. Then will I teach tranfgreffors thy ways, and finners fhall be converted unto thee.

14. Deliver me from blood-guiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation, and my tongue shall fing of thy righteousness.

15. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16. For thou defireft not facrifice, elfe would I give it, thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

17. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the walls of Jerufalem.

19. Thou shalt then be pleased with the facrifice of righteousness, with burnt-offerings; then fhall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

PSALM LII.

David denounces the judgments of God against Doeg the Edomite, who, by his flanders, had exafperated Saul against him, and had occafioned the death of a great number of priests, who were cruelly flain by Saul.

1. WHY boafteft thou thyself in mifchief, O thou mighty in wickedness!

2. All day long thy tongue imagineth iniquity, and with lies thou cutteft as with a sharp razor.

3. Thou loveft evil more than good, and lies more than to speak the truth.

4. Thou loveft all words of deftruction, and the tongue that uttereth deceit.

5. Therefore in return fhall God destroy thee for ever; he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and fhall root thee out of the land of the living.

6. And the righteous fhall fee it, and be glad; and they shall laugh him to scorn.

7.

"Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the multitude of his riches; and made himself strong in his wickedness.

8. But I fhall be like a green olive tree in the houfe of God; my truft is in the mercy of God for ever.

9. I will always praife thee for thy doings; and I will hope in thy name, for thou art good, in the presence of thy faints.

TENTH EVENING.

Evening Prayer.

PSALM LIII.

This Pfalm is the fame with the fourteenth, except in. the fifth verfe; and notwithstanding the great difference in thefe passages, yet there is fuch an agreement in the words, and in the letters of the fame organ, that learned men have attributed all the diverfity to the errors of the Scribes.

I. THE fool hath faid in his heart, there is no God; they are corrupt, they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good.

2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men; to fee if there were any that did understand, and feek after God.

3. They are all gone afide, they are altogether be

come abominable; there is none that doeth good,

no not one.

4. Shall not the workers of iniquity be punished, who eat up my people, as they eat bread; nor do they invoke the Lord.

5. Therefore they shall be in great fear, who feared· nothing; for God fhall scatter the bones of the profane; they shall be put to fhame, becaufe God hath despised them.

6. O that the falvation of Ifrael were come out of Sion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Ifrael shall be right glad.

PSALM LIV.

David implores the protection of God, with hope and confidence derived from his former experience of the divine favour. This Pfalm was written when the Ziphims came and faid to Saul, "Doth not David hide himself with us."

1. SAVE me, O God, for thy name's fake, and according to thy power judge me.

2. Hear my prayer, O God, give ear to the words of my mouth.