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9 They that dwell in the wilderness fhall kneel before him his enemies fhall lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tharfis and of the ifles fhall give prefents the kings of Arabia and Saba fhall bring gifts.

11 All kings fhall fall down before him: all nations fhall do him service.

12 For he fhall deliver the poor when he crieth: the needy alfo, and him that hath no helper.

13 He fhall be favourable to the fimple and needy: and fhall preferve the fouls of the poor.

14 He shall deliver their fouls from falfhood and wrong: and dear fhall their blood be in his fight.

15 He fhall live, and unto him fhall be given of the gold of Arabia: prayer shall be made ever unto him; and daily fhall he be praised.

16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills his fruit fhall shake like Libanus, and shall be green in the city like grafs upon the earth.

17 His Name fhall endure for ever; his Name shall remain under the fun among the pofterities which fhall be bleffed through him and all the heathen fhall praise him. 18 Bleffed be the Lord God, even the God of Ifrael: which only doeth wondrous things;

19 And blessed be the Name of his Majefty for ever: and all the earth fhall be filled with his Majetty. Amen, Amen.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm Ixxii. There are two things to be confidered on this pfalm: 1. The prayers that David made for the profperity of Solomon, teach us, that kings and people ought to defire of God, as a thing of the greatest confequence, that he would grant to thofe that rule over kingdoms, justice, wisdom, clemency, and all other virtues that are neceffary for them: And that in order to fecure the happiness and good government of the people, it is not fufficient that they have a powerful prince, and live in plenty but juftice fhould be administered among them, the wicked fhould be punished, and the righteous and innocent protected. 2. It is to be obferved, that moft of the things mentioned in this pfalm, agree more perfectly to the kingdom of our Lord than to that of Solomon; fince Jefus Chrift was to be that glorious King, who was to bring the moft diftant people into fubjection, whofe kingdom was to last to the end of the world, and under whofe government men were to enjoy a compleat

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EVENING

PRAYER.

Pialm. Ixxii. Quam bonus Ifrael!

RULY God is loving unto Ifrael: even unto fuch as are of a clean heart.

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2 Nevertheless, my feet were almoft gone: my treadings had well-night flipped.

3 And why? I was grieved at the wicked: I do alfo fee the ungodly in fuch prosperity.

4 For they are in no peril of death: but are lufty and ftrong.

5 They come in no misfortune like other folk: neither are they plagued like other men.

6 And this is the cause that they are fo holden with pride: and overwhelmed with cruelty.

7 Their eyes fwell with fatnefs and they do even what they luft.

8 They corrupt other, and speak of wicked blafphemy: their talking is against the moft High.

9 For they stretch forth their mouth unto the heaven: and their tongue goeth through the world.

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10 Therefore fall the people unto them and thereout fuck they no fmall advantage.

11 Tush, fay they, how fhould God perceive it: is their knowledge in the most High?

12 Lo, thefe are the ungodly, thefe profper in the world, and thefe have riches in poffeffion: and I faid, Then have I cleanfed my heart in vain, and washed mine hands in innocency.

13 All the day long have I been punished: and chaftened every morning.

14 Yea,and I had almoft faid even as they but lo, then I should have condemned the generation of thy children.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS. happiness, and be filled with the choiceft bleffings of heaven. We have therefore in this pfalm the defcription of our own happiness; which fhould put into our mouths the praises with which David concludes this fong: Bleffed be the Lord God, even the God of Ifrael, which only doeth wondrous things and bleffed be the Name of his Majefty for ever: and all the carth fhall be filled with his Majesty. Amen, Amen.

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PRAC

15 Then thought I to understand this: but it was too hard for me.

16 Until I went into the fanctuary of God: then underftood I the end of these men.

17 Namely, how thou doft fet them in flippery places: and cafteft them down, and destroyeft them.

18 Oh, how fuddenly do they confume: perifh, and come to a fearful end!

19 Yea, even like as a dream when one awaketh: fo fhalt thou make their image to vanifh out of the city.

20 Thus my heart was grieved: and it went even through my reins.

21 So foolish was I, and ignorant: even as it were a beaft before thee.

22 Nevertheless, I am alway by thee: for thou haft holden me by my right hand.

23 Thou shalt guide me with thy council: and after that receive me with glory.

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24 Whom have I in heaven but thee; and there is none upon earth that I defire in comparison of thee.

25 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

26 For lo, they that forfake thee fhall perish: thou hast deftroyed all them that commit fornication against thee.

27 But it is good for me to hold me raft by God, to put my truft in the Lord God: and to fpeak of all thy works in the gates of the daughter of Sion.

PRACTICAL

OBSERVATIONS.

Pfalm lxxiii.] This pfalm teaches us how we ought to judge of the profperity of the wicked, and afflictions of the righteous. We ou ht never to believe that wicked men, who live in mirth and plenty in this world, and who enjoy all their wifhes, are truly happy; or that the righteous, because they are afflicted, ferve God in vain. Afaph has taught us, that to refift this tempt.tion, which is a very dangerous one, we muft meditate upon the word of God, and the ways of providence; that then we fhall find, that the felicity of worldly men is vain and of fhort duration; and that they are fet in flippery places, from wheuce they fall fuddenly If we add to thefe confiderations what the gof el his revealed concerning the condition of good and bad men after this lite, we all never be ftaggered, either at the profperous flourishing late of the

ungouly,

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Pfalm lxxiv. Ut quid, Deus?

GOD, wherefore art thou abfent from us fo long: why is thy wrath fo hot against the fheep of thy paf

2 O think upon thy congregation: whom thou haft purchased, and redeemed of old.

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Think

upon

the tribe of thine inheritance: and mount Sion, wherein thou haft dwelt.

4 Lift up thy feet, that thou mayeft utterly destroy every enemy which hath done evil in thy fanctuary.

5 Thine adverfaries roar in the midft of thy congrega. tions and fet up their banners for tokens.

6 He that hewed thick timber afore out of the thick trees was known to bring it to an excellent work.

7 But now they break down all the carved work thereof: with axes and hammers.

8 They have fet fire upon thy holy places: and have defiled the dwelling-place of thy Name, even unto the ground.

9 Yea, they faid in their hearts, Let us make havock of them altogether: thus have they burnt up all the houses of God in the land.

10 We see not our tokens, there is not one prophet more: no, not one is there among us, that understandeth any

more.

11 O God, how long fhall the adverfary do this dif honour how long fhall the enemy blafpheme thy Name, for ever?

12 Why withdraweft thou thy hand: why pluckest thou not thy right hand out of thy bolom to confume the enemy?

PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. ungodly, or the fufferings of the righteous; and instead of being tempted to forfake the fear of the Lord, we fhall cleave to him more and more, by a lively faith, and by fach fentiments of love and confidence as Afaph expreffes when he fays, "I am alway by thee; for thou haft holden me by my right hand; thou fhalt guide me with thy counsel, and after that receive me with glory. Whom have in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire in comparison of thee. It is good for me to hold me faft by God."

PRAC

13 For God is my King of old: the help that is done upon earth, he doeth it himself.

14 Thou didst divide the fea through thy power: thou breakeft the heads of the dragons in the waters.

15 Thou fmoteft the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gaveft him to be meat for the people in the wilderness.

16 Thou broughteft out fountains, and waters out of the hard rocks: thou driedft up mighty waters.

17 The day is thine, and the night is thine: thou haft prepared the light and the fun.

18 Thou haft fet all the borders of the earth: thou haft made fummer and winter.

19 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy hath rebuked: and how the foolish people hath blafphemed thy Name.

20 O deliver not the foul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the enemies: and forget not the congregation of the poor for ever.

21 Look upon the covenant: for all the earth is full of darkness, and cruel habitations.

22 O let not the fimple go away ashamed: but let the poor and needy give praile unto thy Name.

23 Arife, O God, maintain thine own caufe: remember how the foolish man blafphemeth thee daily.

24 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the prefumption of them that hate thee, increafeth ever more and

more.

PRACTICAL OBSERVATION S.

Pfalm lxxiv.] Obferve, 1. That as God, to punish the Jews for the abufe of his fervice, had suffered their temple to be burnt, and them to be led into captivity, by idolaters; for the fame reafons he has often delivered his church into the hands of perfecutors, and deprived nations of the benefit of his word, and removed their candlestick; but when he thus afflicts his church, his defign is to chaftife it, to try it, and to purify it. 2. That when God appears the most provoked with his people, he does not quite forfake them; but always remembers his covenant, and delivers them at last by his power and goodness. Thus it has always happened, as the Jews particularly experienced, when God delivered them from the Babylonish captivity, and they rebuilt the temple of Jerusalem, the deftruction of which is lamented in this pfalm. Laftly, As the pro

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