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unto me and consider my voice when I cry unto thee.

2. Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as (o) the incense: and let the lifting up of my hands be an (0) evening sacrifice.

3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth and keep the door of my lips.

4. O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing: let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work (p) wickedness, lest I eat of (9) such things as please them.

5. Let (r) the righteous rather smite me friendly: and reprove me. 6. But let not their precious balms (s) break my (t) head: yea,

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(o) v. 2. "As the incense," " an evening "sacrifice." David was at a distance from the tabernacle, so that he could not attend where the incense and evening sacrifice were offered; and he devoutly prays that his prayers may be accepted as the one, and the lifting up of his hands as the other.

(p) v. 4. Work wickedness," "practise idolatry."

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(g) "Lest I eat of," or "neither let "me eat of." "Let me not fall into their "habits, nor partake of their idolatrous "festivals." If he was going over to the heathen, what more natural than to pray that he should not be drawn into their sins? In his complaint to Saul, (1 Sam. xxvi. 19.) he considers his persecution as driving him from the inheritance of Jehovah, and saying to him in effect, "Go, "serve other gods.'

(r) v. 5. "Let, &c." The friendly rebukes of the good will be more ac

I will (u) pray yet against their wickedness.

7. Let (a) their judges be overthrown in stony places: that they may hear my words, for they

are sweet.

8. Our bones (y) lie scattered before the pit: like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.

9. But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God: in thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.

10. Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me: and from the traps of the wicked doers.

11. Let (2) the ungodly fall into their own nets together: and let me ever escape them.

ceptable than the warmest commenda tions or greatest indulgencies from the bad.

(s) v. 6. "Their precious balms," i. e. (perhaps) "the ointments used in the "idolatrous worship of the heathen." (t) "Break," or "touch."

(u)" Pray, &c." and so shall I be delivered from their attempts.

(x) v. 7. "Let, &c." or "their leaders were spared in the sides of the rock: "they heard my words that they were "kind." This seems the literal translation. He probably alludes to his conduct towards Saul, either at Engedi, where he might have killed him in the cave but only cut off the skirt of his robe, or at Hachilah, where, upon a similar oppor tunity, he took away his spear, and cruse of water. See 1 Sam. xxiv. and xxvi.Parkh. 748.

(y) v. 8. "Our bones, &c." i. e. (probably) "we are cut down with as much "indifference as a hewer cuts down wood; ❝ our lives as much disregarded as a work"man's chips." This verse is supposed to refer to the sacrifice of the priests and of their city, because they had given David assistance, (See 1 Sam. xxi. 1 to 7. and xxiii. 17 to 19.); and he contrasts his forbearance towards Saul, with Saul's blood-thirstiness against him.

(z) v. 11. "Let, &c." or "the ungodly "shall fall, &c. but I shall ever escape "them."

January 29.

Lessons for the Twenty-ninth Day of the Month throughout the Year.

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Morn. Exod. iv.

Morn. Deut. xiii.

Matt. xxvi.

Matt. vii. (2)

Morn. Ruth iii. John xvi. (4)

April 29. Morn. 1 Kings iv. Acts. xxvi.

Even. Exod. v.

Even. Deut. xiv.

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Philemon.

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1 John v. (5)

August 29.

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my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate.

5. Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works : all thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.

6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee my soul gaspeth (c) unto thee as a thirsty land.

7. Hear me, O Lord, and that soon; for my spirit waxeth faint : hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. (d)

8. O let me hear thy lovingkindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust: shew thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies for I flee unto thee to hide me.

(c) v. 6. "Gaspeth," i. e. " as much as "land in time of drought gaspeth for "water." So Ps. xlii. 2. " My soul is "athirst for God;" and Ps. lxiii. 3. "My "soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth "after thee, in a barren and dry land, "where no water is."

(d) v. 7. “ Pit," i. e. "grave."

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(e) v. 10." The land, &c." or "a "land." "A place of safety," or a land "in which righteousness is regarded." "The" is not in the original.

(g) v. 11." Thy Name's sake," i. e. "that thou mayest be glorified for the "protection thou vouchsafest to those "who trust in thee."

(h) A spirited thanksgiving for deliverance and success, and a prayer for further protection. It was perhaps sung in parts by two sets of singers. David is supposed to have been the author. Dr. Hammond says, "The Jews (Kimchi and "Saadiah Gaon) refer it to the Messiah ;"

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(k) v. 3. "Lord, &c." A burst of rapture upon considering the disparity between God and man, and the abundant kindness of God in making man the object of so much attention. It occurs also in Ps. viii. which is supposed to look forward prophetically to man's deliverance by the Messiah, and it is not improbable this Psalm looked forward to the same event. Job has a similar passage, (Job vii. 17.) "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify "him, and that thou shouldest set thine "heart upon him!"

thou hast such respect unto him: or the son of man, that thou so regardest him!

4. Man is like a thing of nought: his time passeth away like a shadow.

5. (1) Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down : touch (m) the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6. Cast forth thy lightning and tear them : shoot out thine arrows and consume them.

7. Send down thine hand from above deliver me and take me out of the great waters (n), from the hand of strange children;

8. Whose mouth talketh of vanity and their right hand (0) is a right hand of wickedness.

9. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.

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10. Thou hast given victory unto kings and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.

() v. 5. In the magnificent description of God's interposition in Ps. xviii. he is described as having done what in this and the next two verses he is entreated to do. "He bowed the heavens also, and 66 came down, and it was dark under his "feet. There went a smoke out in his presence, and a consuming fire out of "his mouth." "He sent out his arrows, " and scattered them; he cast forth light"nings and destroyed them. He shall "send" (or "he sent")" down from " on high to fetch me, and shall take" (or "took")" me out of many waters." Ps. xviii. 8, 9. 14. 16.

(m) Touch, &c." So Ps. civ. 32. "The earth shall tremble at the look of "him: if he do but touch the hills they shall "smoke."

(n) v. 7. "Waters," figuratively, for "pe"rils ;""what seems likely to overwhelm as a torrent."

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11. Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their right (o) hand is a right hand of iniquity.

12. That our sons may grow up as the young plants: and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.

13. That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets. (p)

14. That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.

15. Happy are the people that are in such a case: yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.

Psalm cxlv. (q) I WILL magnify thee, O God, my King and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.

(o) v. 8. 11. "Right hand, &c." Abp. Tillotson apprehends that this alludes to one of the Jewish modes of swearing, the lifting up the hand to heaven. See note on Ps. cvi. 26. It may mean either, that their oaths are oaths of wickedness, or that their strength (of which the right hand is a symbol) is only to do evil.

(p) v. 13. " Streets," or 1. Lowth's Isaiah, 37.

"fields."

(g) An elevated hymn, pointing out as grounds for praising God, the wisdom of his works, his kindness and mercy, his providence in meeting the wants of whatever he has created, his protection to the afflicted and to the good, and his dereliction of the bad. In the Hebrew it is alphabetical; and it was a saying of the antient Hebrews, that "he could not fail "to be a child of the world to come, who "should repeat this Psalm three times "every day," that is (figuratively)". FF S

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"should constantly have it so strong upon "his mind, as always to act up to the im"pressions it is calculated to make, and "never to act against them." It is one of the proper Psalms for Whitsunday, and perhaps refers throughout to the Messiah, and addresses him in verse 1. by the appellations of "God" and "King." So Cocc. "it doubtless belongs to the "kingdom of Christ." From the changes of person, sometimes speaking of God, or the Messiah, and sometimes to him, it was probably sung by alternate sets of singers.

(r) v. 3. 8, 9, 10. 14. 17, 18. 20, 21. "Lord," Hebr. "Jehovah." Gr. Kúpios.

(s) v. 7. "Memorial," i. e. " marks," "what impresses it upon the memory." (t)" Sing," or "sing heartily:" with all their powers; with a force and impetuosity nothing can oppose.

(u) v. 10. "Praise thee," i. e. "furnish "grounds for praising thee." See note on Ps. cxlviii. 3.

(x) v. 13. "Everlasting, &c." So that it has the same characters as that of the

every man and his mercy is over all his works.

10. All thy works praise thee (u), O Lord: and thy saints give thanks unto thee.

11. They shew the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power;

12. That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom: might be known unto men.

13. Thy kingdom is an everlasting (a) kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. (y)

14. The Lord upholdeth all such as fall and lifteth up all those that are down.

15. The eyes of all (2) wait upon thee, O Lord and thou givest them their meat in due

season.

16. Thou openest thine hand: and fillest all things living with plenteousness.

Messiah, described Dan. vii. 14. " His "dominion is an everlasting dominion, "which shall not pass away, and his king"dom that which shall not be destroyed." See also Ps. lxxii. 8.

(y) The Sept. here adds, "The "Lord is faithful in all his words, and "holy in all his works;" (nearly similar to verse 17.) without which there is no verse beginning with N.

(z) v. 15. “ All." So Ps. civ. 21. " the "lions roaring after their prey, do seek "their meat from God;" and Ps. civ. 27. after speaking of the creatures of the sea, "these wait all upon thee, that "thou mayest give them meat in due season;" and see Psalm cxlvii. 9. So in that magnificent description of God's providence and power, Job xxxviii, the question is put to Job, verse 39, 40. "will

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thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill "the appetites of the young lions, when "they couch in their dens, and abide in "the covert to lie in wait 2" implying the impotence of man in this respect, the power and providence of God.

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