III.

The Lord thee keeps, he thy defence
on thy right hand doth stay,
The moon by night thee fhall not fmite
nor yet the fun by day.

IV.

The Lord fhall keep thy foul, he fhall
preferve thee from all ill,
Henceforth thy going out and in
God keep for ever will.

PSALM CXXII.

The prophet here rejoices in heart at the people's willingness to ferve God in his appointed place and means. He commends Jerufalem for its privileges in this refpect, and prays for its peace and profperity. The church at that time was the congregation of believers profeffing the fame faith in the fame Jefus, as we do now. Of this church, whether on earth, or the Jerufalem that is above, our one Lord Immanuel is the head, and his Spirit is in all the members. He keeps them in unity with their Lord and with one another. Thus they are taught to pray for the profperity of the catholic church, and they never confult their own intereft more, than by praying for it: Because he has promifed, "they fhall profper that "love thee." May we find his promife made good to day: It will, if we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. May we fing with one faith and one heart to the praife of our one Lord. Glory be to him in the higheft: May he keep peace upon earth, and good will towards men.

I.

I JOY'D when to the house of God:
We will go up they faid to me:
Jerufalem within thy gates
Our happy feet shall standing be..

Jerufalem as a city

II.

Is compactly built together,
Unto that place the tribes go up,.
Ev'n the tribes of God go thither,

III.

To Ifr'el's teftimony, there

Unto God's name their thanks to pay :-
For thrones of judgment ev'n the thrones
Of David's house are there to stay.

AFTER

O

AFTERNOON.

PSALM CXXII.

I.

PRAY Jerufalem may have Peace from God and felicity, They that love thee and wish thee Shall have certain profperity.

II.

I pray that peace may still abide
And safe within thy walls remain,
And ever may thy palaces
Their fweet profperity retain.

peace

Now for my friends and brethrens fake,
That peace fhall be in thee I'll fay,
And for the houfe of God our Lord
I'll feek to do thee good alway.

IV.

To Father, Son and Holy Ghoft,
The God whom heav'n and earth adore,
Be glory as it was of old,

Is now, and fhall be evermore..

Sixteenth

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

PSALM CXXIII.

The prophet here being in great diftrefs teaches us by his example, to whom we are to look for support under, and for deliverance from, fuffering. He puts his perfect truft in the God of heaven, looking to him for every fpiritual bleffing; as a good fervant does to his lord for every temporal bleffing: And then he prays earnestly-give us grace, give us grace-repeating it through the fervency of his devotion, and the heavinefs of his crofs, for he was greatly troubled with the reproaches of proud worldlings. Here is a pattern for us under all our fufferings; and fuffer we muft. If we belong to Chrift this pfalm will become familiar to us. We have often met with this very cafe, and trying it has been, and will be ftill more fo: Because it is a cross we cannot escape. May we never meet with it, but as the cross of Christ. Then if we be reproached for his name, happy are we. He will give us grace fufficient for us under the trial, and he will make it bring forth its proper fruits. In this faith may we all fing the pfalm to his praife, who giveth grace and glory.

O

I.

THOU that in the heav'ns doft dwell
I lift mine eyes to thee,

Behold, as fervants eyes do look

their masters hand to fee:

II.

As maidens eyes her mistress' hand,

fo do our eyes attend

Upon the Lord our God, until to us he mercy fend.

III.

O grant to us thy mercy, Lord,
grant mercy in thy fight,
For we are fill'd and overcome
with contempt and defpite.

IV.

Our foul is fill'd with fcorn of those
who at their ease abide,
And with the infolent contempt
of those who swell in pride.

PSALM CXXIV.

This is a sweet hymn of praife to the keeper of Ifrael. His redeemed in all ages have his fame love towards them, and his fame power over them: And they here acknowlege it. They afcribe their fafety from enemies entirely to the Lord their God. They give him all the glory of paft deliverances, and profefs their fixt hope in his help for the time to come. The whole Ifrael of God has ftill the fame almighty keeper. May we remember what he has done for us, and thank him-what he has promifed, and truft him: Then we fhall be in tune to fing the pfalm aright. If he has indeed faved us from all our fpiritual enemies, and has engaged to fave us for ever, O what a hymn of thanks fhould we offer to him this day! The Lord make us more fenfible of his mercies, and more thankful for them.

I.

HAD not the Lord been on our side, may Ifrael now fay;

Had not the Lord been on our fide when men rofe us to flay.

II. They