WH

WHY rage the heathen? and vain things why do the people mind?

2 Kings of the earth do fet themselves, and princes are combin'd,

3

4

To plot against the Lord, and his
Anointed, faying thus,

Let us afunder break their bands,
and calt their cords from us.

He that in heaven fits, fhall laugh: the Lord fliall fcorn them all.

5 Then fhall he fpeak to them in wrath,
in rage he vex them shall.

6 Yet, notwithstanding I have him
to be my King appointed:
And over Sion, my holy hill,
I have him King anointed.

The fure decree I will declare:
the Lord hath faid to me,
Thou art mine only Son, this day
I have begotten thee.

8 Afk of me, and for heritage

the heathen I'll make thine: And for poffeffion I to thee will give earth's utmoft line.

9 Thou fhalt, as with a weighty rod
of iron, break them all:

And as a potter's fherd, thou fhalt
them dafh in pieces fmall.

10 Now therefore, kings, be wife; be taught ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve God in fear, and fee that ye

join trembling with your mirth.

12 Kifs ye the Son, left in his ire
ye perifh from the way,
If once his wrath begin to burn;
blefs'd all that on him flay."

4 Pfalm of David, when be fed from Abfalom bis fon

Having beheld the royal dignity of my Redeemer; let me here behold the joy, the peace, the fafety of the redeemed amidit their diftreffes innumerable. Here David, driven from his holy capital and high throne, by his rebellious.fon Abfalom, (1.) Complains to his God of the number and malice of his enemies, ver. 1, 2. (2.) He encourageth himfelf in his God, as the fource and fubject-matter of his fafety, joy, and honour, ver 3. (3) He recollects how, on former occafions, his troubles had driven him to his prayers; how he had always found God ready to hear and grant his requests; how fafe and eafy he had lived under his protection; and how effectually he had broken the power, and restrained the malice of his enemies, ver. 4, 5.-7 (4) Triumphantly trusting in God, as the falvation and bleffer of his people, he tilenc eth all his fears, and pours forth his prayers for new protec tion and deliverance, ver. 6. 8.. ---- Think, my foul, of Jefus, who, when bulls of Bashan compaffed him about, truled in God, that he would deliver him. In all my diftrefs, let me pour out my heart before him, believing in him, as God, even. MY GOD. Let me always rejoice in the great God my Saviour.. Let me truft in him at all times, that as he hath delivered and doth deliver, fo he will deliver me.

LORD, how are my foes increas'd?
against me many rife.

2 Many day of my foul, For him

in God no fuccour lies.

3 Yet thou my fhield and glory art; th' uplifter of mine head.

4 I cry'd, and from his holy hill the Lord me anfwer made.

5 I laid me down and flept, I wak'd for God fuitained me.

6 I will not fear though thoufands ten fet round against me be.

7 Arife, O Lord: fave me my God: for thou my foes haft ftroke

All on the cheek-bone; and the teeth of wicked men haft broke.

8 Salvation doth appertain unto the Lord alone:

Thy bleffing, Lord, for evermore thy people is upon.

Ꮲ Ꭶ Ꭺ Ꮮ Ꮇ IV..

To the chief Mufician on Neginoth, A Pfalm of David.

This pfalm was perhaps confpofed on the fame occafion as the former, when David fled from Abfalom his fon. Here, (1.) David, encouraged by former experience, cafts his burden on the Lord, and fupplicaies a merciful deliverance, ver. I. (2.) Addrefling him felf to men, particularly to his perfecutors, he reproves their contempt of God and religion, their delight iu, and practice of vanity, fraud and falfhood.-He represents the happiness of the faints in having God their protector, and ready to hear their requefts.-He recommends an holy filial awe of God, a careful abftinence from fin; a composed trial of, and converfe with their own heart, together with a devoting of themselves, and their conduct and fubftance, to the Lord, ver. 2,-5. (3.) To encourage them to the study of practical religion, he remarks what fuperlative fatisfaction and reft himself had found in familiar fellowthip with God, and in a believing dependence on him, ver. 6,-8.- - While I fing, let me have faith in God, as my own God in Chritt. Let me abhor that levity of mind, that deceitfulness, that earthly-mindedness proper to the ungodly, and every remain thereof. Let my foul pant for JEHOVAH, and prefer him to every thing else. Let me, by faith, lay myself down in his arms, his bofom, as all my falvation and comfort.

GIVE God of my fighteousness:

IVE ear unto me when I call,

Have mercy, hear my pray'r, thou hat enlarg'd me in diftrefs.

2 Oye the fons of men, how long will ye love vanities?

How long my glory turn to fhame, and will ye follow lies?

3 But know, that for himself the Lord the godly man doth choose :

The Lord, when I on him do call, to hear will not refuse.

4 Fear, and fin not: talk with your heart on bed, and filent bę.

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5 Off'rings prefent of righteousness
and in the Lord truft ye.

6 O who will fhew us any good?
is that which many fay:
But of thy countenance the light,
Lord, lift on us alway.
7Upon my heart beftow'd by thee
more gladness I have found,

Than they, ev'n then, when corn and wine
did moit with them abound.

8 I will both lay me down in peace,
and quiet fleep will take:
Becaufe thou only me to dwell
in fafety, Lord, doft make.

PSALM

མ.

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Pfalm of David.

Here (1) the man according to God's heart, in the affured faith of God's hearing his prayers and hating his fins, fixeth a daily, an early, an earneft, a fteady, a grace-founded correfpondence with God, in his ordinances of meditation, prayer, praife, &c. ver. 17. (2.) Behold him humbly requesting God's fpecial direction in duties which his enemies had rendered difficult to perform-fupplicating and predicting the ruin of his implacable fees; and, in the affured faith of obtaining it, imploring comfort and profperity to his fellow faints, ver.812.

While I fing, let my heart and flesh cry out, and my foul pant and wait for the Lord. In the firm faith of infinite mercy to forgive all my crimes, and wash out all my finful ftains, let me blufh at, and deteft my own abominations." Let me cultivate the cloffeft familiarity with the Lord my God. Let my prayers correfpond with his promifes, and with the par ticular conditions of myself or others.

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IVE ear unto my words, O Lord:
my meditation weigh,

2 Hear my loud cry, my King, my God!
for I to thee will pray.

3 Lord, thou fhalt early hear my voice: I early will direct

4

My pray'r to thee, and looking up an anfwer will expect.

For thou art not a God that doth

in wickednefs delight:

Neither fhall evil dwell with thee:
5 Nor fools ftand in thy fight.
All that ill-doers are, thou hat'st:
6 Cut'it off that liars be.
The bloody and deceitful man
abhorred is by thee.'

But I into thine houfe will come
in thine abundant grace :
And I will worship, in thy fear,
towards thy holy place.

8 Becaufe of thofe mine enemies,
Lord, in thy righteousness,
Do thou me lead: do thou thy way
make straight before my face.

9

For in their mouth there is no truth,
their inward part is ill:

Their throat's an open fepulchre;
their tongue doth flatter ftill.

TO O God, destroy them, let them be
by their own counfel quell'd:
Them for their many fins caft out,
for they 'gainst thee rebell'd.

11 But let all joy that truft in thee, and ftill make fhouting noise:

For them thou fav'it: let all that love thy name, in thee rejoice.

12 For, Lord, unto the righteous man thou wilt thy bleffing yield:

With favour thou wilt compafs him
about, as with a fhield.