12 And at the brightness of that light,
Which was before his eye,

His thick clouds pass'd away, hailstones,
And coals of firè did fly.

13 The Lord God also in the heav'ns
Did thunder in his ire;

And there the Highest gave his voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he his arrows sent abroad,
And them he scattered;
His lightnings also he shot out,
And them discomfited.

15 The waters' channels then were seen,
The world's foundations vast
At thy rebuke discover'd were,
And at thy nostrils' blast.

16 And from above the Lord sent down,
And took me from below;
From many waters he me drew,
Which would me overflow.

17 He me reliev'd from my strong foes,
And such as did me hate;

Because he saw that they for me
Too strong were, and too great.

18 They me prevented in the day
Of my calamity;

But even then the Lord himself
A stay was unto me.

19 He to a place where liberty

And room was hath me brought;
Because he took delight in me,
He my deliv'rance wrought."

20 According to my righteousness
He did me recompense,

He me repaid according to
My hands' pure innocence.

M

21 For I God's ways kept, from my God Did not turn wickedly.

22 His judgments were before me, I
His laws put not from me.

23 Sincere before him was my heart,
With him upright was I;
And watchfully I kept myself
From mine iniquity.

24 After my righteousness the Lord
Hath recompensed me,

After the cleanness of my hands
Appearing in his eye.

25 Thou gracious to the gracious art,
To upright men upright;

26 Pure to the pure, froward thou kyth'st Unto the froward wight.

27 For thou wilt the afflicted save
In grief that low do lie:

But wilt bring down the countenance
Of them whose looks are high.

28 The Lord will light my candle so,
That it shall shine full bright;
The Lord my God will also make
My darkness to be light.

29 By thee through troops of men I break, And them discomfit all;

And, by my God assisting me,
I overleap a wall.

30 As for God, perfect is his way
The Lord his word is try'd;

He is a buckler to all those

Who do in him confide.

31 Who but the Lord is God? but he Who is a rock and stay?

32 'Tis God that girdeth me with strength, And perfect makes my way.

33 He made my feet swift as the hind's, Set me on my high places.

34 Mine hands to war he taught, mine arms Brake bows of steel in pieces.

35 The shield of thy salvation

Thou didst on me bestow:

Thy right hand held me up, and great
Thy kindness made me grow.

36 And in my way my steps thou hast
Enlarged under me,

That I go safely, and my feet.
Are kept from sliding free.
37 Mine en'mies I pursued have,
And did them overtake;

Nor did I turn again till I
An end of them did make.

38 I wounded them, they could not rise ;
They at my feet did fall.

39 Thou girdest me with strength for war; My foes thou brought'st down all ;

40 And thou hast giv'n to me the necks
Of all mine enemies;

That I might them destroy and slay,
Who did against me rise.

41 They cried out, but there was none
That would or could them save ;
Yea, they did cry unto the Lord,
But he no answer gave.

42 Then did I beat them small as dust,
Before the wind that flies;

And I did cast them out like dirt
Upon the street that lies.

43 Thou mad'st me free from people's strife, And heathen's head to be:

A people whom I have not known
Shall service do to me.

44 At hearing they shall me obey, To me they shall submit.

45 Strangers for fear shall fade away, Who in close places sit.

46 God lives, bless'd be my Rock; the God Of my health praised be.

47 God doth avenge me, and subdues The people under me.

48 He saves me from mine enemies ;
Yea, thou hast lifted me

Above my foes; and from the man
Of vi'lence set me free.

49 Therefore to thee will I give thanks
The heathen folk among;

And to thy name, O Lord, I will
Sing praises in a song.

50 He great deliv'rance gives his king;
He mercy doth extend

To David, his anointed one,
And his seed without end.

*

PSALM XIX.

To a person entering into the New-Testament view of the Psalms, this one will appear perfectly plain, according to what is attempted in the paraphrase, as exactly parallel to Psalm xcvii. with all those of the same spirit and expression, wherein the Godhead and glory of the Son of God, the universal Lord and King over all, are described by the Holy Ghost as declared from heaven; and filling the whole earth, not with regard to creation and providence ; which operations of his also are abundantly described elsewhere); but, with regard to the manifestation of the everlasting gospel, and of the character and glory of God, shining in the face of Jesus, as held forth in

See Note, page 94.

the light of the apostolic testimony. As the apostle Paul has actually interpreted this Psalm, Rom. x. 18. -So that the matter is for ever decided with those, who will be determined by the account given by the Holy Spirit of inspiration himself. As to the strong poetical colourings used in this Psalm, drawn from the grandest objects in the world, the heavens, the sun, and the glory of warriors, &c. according to those times and places, they are the very mother-tongue. so to speak, of all the prophets.From the 11th verse, and downward to the end, the form of the discourse begins naturally to slide into the first person. -And that Messiah is the person, will appear manifest to him who considers the meaning of the parallels quoted in the margin; as the same shall be demonstrated in the proper places.

*

Like fire descending down from heav'n,
And rushing like a mighty wind,
The Holy Ghost, the Saviour giv'n,
Announc'd his glory to mankind :
From day to day, from night to night,
Th' apostles all his glory tell;
His glory shines o'er all, like light,
And all his saints in glory dwell.

1 THE

HE heav'ns God's glory do declare,
The skies his hand-works preach:

2 Day utters speech to day, and night
To night doth knowledge teach.

3 There is no speech nor tongue to which Their voice doth not extend:

4 Their line is gone thro' all the earth, Their words to the world's end.

5

In them he set the sun a tent;

Who, bridegroom-like, forth goes
From's chamber, as a strong man doth
To run his race rejoice.

*Prose Psalms of the Bible.