I have hated those who regard superstitious vanities, and my trust hath been in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy; for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast known my soul in adversities. O how plentiful is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and that thou hast prepared for those who put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the place of thine own presence from the insults of men; thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle from the strife of tongues. Thanks be to the Lord; for he hath shown me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. For I had said in my haste, I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes. Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer, when I cried unto thee. O love the Lord, all ye his saints; for the Lord preserveth those who are faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer. Be strong, and he shall establish your heart, all ye who put your trust in the Lord. Now unto the King eternal, &c. Be honour and glory, &c. EVENING PRAYER. PSALM 32. BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. For while I held my tongue, my bones consumed away through my daily complaining. For thy hand was heavy upon me day and night; and my moisture was turned into the drought in time when thou mayest be found; and in the great water floods they shall not come nigh him. Thou art a place to hide me in; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go, and I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding; whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle, lest they fall upon thee. Great plagues remain for the ungodly; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth him on every side. Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; and be joyful all ye who are true of heart. PSALM 33. REJOICE in the Lord, O ye righteous; for it becometh well the just to be thankful. Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing praises unto him skilfully, with an exalted voice. Lord is true, and all his By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon a heap; and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure house. Let all the earth fear the Lord; stand in awe of him, all ye who dwell in the world. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought, and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the counsels of princes. The counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever; and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and blessed are the people that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance. The Lord looketh down For the word of the from heaven, and behold eth all the children of men ; from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth all those who dwell on the earth. He fashioneth all the hearts of them, and understandeth all their works. There is no king who can be saved by the multitude of an host; neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength. A horse is but a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, and upon those who put their trust in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to feed them in the time of famine. Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord; for he is our help and our shield. For our hearts shall rejoice in him; because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we do put our trust in thee. Now unto the King eternal, &c. Be honour and glory, &c. The Seventh Day. MORNING PRAYER. PSALM 34. I WILL alway give thanks unto the Lord; his praise shall ever be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O praise the Lord with me, and let us magnify his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me; yea, he delivered me out of all my fear. They looked unto him, and were enlightened; and their faces were not ashamed. Lo, the poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him; yea, and saveth him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord tarrieth round about those who fear him, and delivereth them. O taste, and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man who trusteth in him, O fear the Lord, ye who are his saints; for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good. Come, ye children, and hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he who desireth to live, and would fain see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips, that they speak no guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayer. The countenance of the Lord is against those who do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto those who are of a contrite heart, and will save such as are of an humble spirit. Great are the troubles of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. so that not one of them is broken. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly; and they who hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants; and all they who put their trust in him shall not be desti tute. PSALM 36. MY heart showeth me the wickedness of the ungodly, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own sight, until his abominable sin be found out. The words of his mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit; he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good. He imagineth mischief upon his bed, and hath set himself in no good way; neither doth he abhor anything that is evil. Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens, and thy faithfulness unto the clouds. Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains; thy judgments are He keepeth all his bones; like the great deep. Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast. How excellent is thy mercy, O God! and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house; and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of a river. For with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy loving kindness unto those who know thee, and thy righteousness unto those who are true of heart. Now unto the King eternal, &c. land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thou in the Lord, and he shall give thee thy heart's desire. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass. He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the noonday. Repose thyself in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him, but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, or against the man who doeth after evil counsels. Cease from wrath, and let go displeasure; fret not Be honour and glory, &c. thyself, else shalt thou be EVENING PRAYER. PSALM 37. FRET not thyself be cause of the ungodly; neither be thou envious against the evil doers. For they shall be soon cut down like the grass; and be withered even as the green herb. Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good; so shalt thou dwell in the moved to do evil. Wicked doers shall be rooted out; and they who patiently wait on the Lord, shall inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be gone; thou shall look after his place, and he shall be away. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall be refreshed in the abundance of peace. The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast |