THE BOOK OF PSALMS
The Book of Psalms is the Hebrew hymn book. The Psalms were gathered to sing at the services in the temple at Jerusalem. Here there was no sermon, as there is in our churches, and as there often was in the synagogues which were scattered all over the land, but there was a large choir which sung these Psalms of praise, while the people stood below and listened. Some of the Psalms were written for this choir. Others, written for other purposes, were put into this hymn book, sometimes with more or less change from their first form, as is the case with many hymns in our own hymn books. Praise to God is the most common thought of these poems, but many other thoughts are found in them--sorrow for sin and trust in God's goodness and hope for the future and thanksgiving for God's care in the past. Hardly a thought about God's relation to man but finds its expression in these songs. They were the work of many men through many years. They express the joy and the sorrow of many minds in many different situations. That is why they still fit so many different lives in all parts of the world. They are very simple and very beautiful, and they have always been, and doubtless always will be, dear to the hearts of all those who try to find God. Mr. Gilmour, the missionary to the Mongols, once wrote: "When I find I cannot make headway in [{18}] devotion, I open in the Psalms, and push out in my canoe, and let myself be carried along in the stream of devotion which flows through the whole book. The current always sets toward God, and in most places is strong and deep." So many men have found that the broad river of the Psalms bore them toward God.
| THE RIGHTEOUS MAN |
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The wicked are not so; But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the wicked shall perish. |
| --Psalm 1. |
| A MORNING PRAYER |
Lord, how are mine adversaries increased! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield about me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cry unto the Lord with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustaineth me. |
| --Psalm 3:1-5. |
| AN EVENING PRAYER |
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress: Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonour? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: The Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord. Many there be that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than they have when their corn and their wine are increased. In peace will I both lay me down and sleep: For thou, Lord, alone makest me dwell in safety. |
| --Psalm 4. |
| A LITTLE LOWER THAN GOD |
O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! |
| --Psalm 8. |
| THE UPRIGHT MAN. |
Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart. He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a reprobate is despised; But he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. |
| --Psalm 15. |
| TRUST IN THE LORD |
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. I have said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: I have no good beyond thee. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: Yea, my heart instructeth me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; My flesh also shall dwell in safety. For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. |
| --Psalm 16. |
| A PLEA FOR HELP. |
Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry; Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; Let thine eyes look upon equity. Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress, As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to thy paths, My feet have not slipped. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest them which put their trust in thee From those that rise up against them, by thy right hand. Keep me as the apple of the eye, Hide me under the shadow of thy wings. As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. |
| --Psalm 17. |
| A SONG OF DELIVERANCE. |
In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled, The foundations also of the mountains moved And were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: Yea, he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion round about him; Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice; Hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. [{27}] Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me. I love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strong rock, in him will I trust; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were round about me: The snares of death came upon me. They came upon me in the day of my calamity: But the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, [{28}] And I put not away his statutes from me. I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt shew thyself perfect; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down. For thou wilt light my lamp: The Lord my God will lighten my darkness. For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield unto all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the Lord? And who is a rock, beside our God? The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation: Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, [{29}] And subdueth peoples under me. He rescueth me from mine enemies: Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore. |
| --Psalm 18:1-33,46-50. |
| SONG OF THE EARTH AND SKY. |
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; Their voice cannot be heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, And his circuit unto the ends of it: And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: [{31}] Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: In keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be perfect, And I shall be clear from great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. |
| --Psalm 19. |
| OUR TRUST IS IN GOD |
The Lord answer thee in the day of trouble: The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high; Send thee help from the sanctuary, And strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, And accept thy burnt sacrifice; Grant thee thy heart's desire, And fulfil all thy counsel. We will triumph in thy salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners: The Lord fulfil all thy petitions. Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven With the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will make mention of the name of the Lord our God. They are bowed down and fallen: But we are risen, and stand upright. |
| --Psalm 20:1-8. |
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures,
He leadeth me beside the still waters"
| THE GOOD SHEPHERD |
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me: Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. |
| --Psalm 23. |
| THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S |
The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas. And established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity. And hath not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, O God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. |
| --Psalm 24. |
| SHOW ME THY WAYS, TEACH ME THY PATHS |
Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, in thee have I trusted, Let me not be ashamed; Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, none that wait on thee shall be ashamed: They shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; Teach me thy paths. Guide me in thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation; On thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; For they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: According to thy lovingkindness remember thou me, For thy goodness' sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord: Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: And the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth [{38}] Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O Lord, Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he instruct in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; And his seed shall inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; For he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Consider mine affliction and my travail; And forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles. |
| --Psalm 25. |
| I HAVE WALKED IN THY TRUTH |
Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes; And I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with men of falsehood; Neither will I go in with dissemblers. I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocency: So will I compass thine altar, O Lord; That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, And tell of all thy wondrous works. Lord, I love the habitation of thy house, And the place where thy glory dwelleth. Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood; In whose hands is wickedness, And their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place: In the congregations will I bless the Lord. |
| --Psalm 26. |
| THE LORD IS MY SALVATION |
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the day of trouble he shall keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall lift me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; And I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, [{41}] Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face from me; Put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord; And lead me in a plain path, Because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries: For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord: In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: Be strong, and let thine heart take courage; Yea, wait thou on the Lord. |
| --Psalm 27. |
| THE GLORY OF THE LORD. |
Give unto the Lord, O ye sons of the mighty, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: The God of glory thundereth, Even the Lord upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; Yea, the Lord breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild-ox. The voice of the Lord cleaveth the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; The Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, And strippeth the forests bare: And in his temple everything saith, Glory! The Lord sat as king at the Flood; Yea, the Lord sitteth as king for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace. |
| --Psalm 29. |
A VILLAGE IN THE LEBANON.
From an old engraving.
"The voice of the Lord is full of majesty,
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars,
Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon"
|
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING. |
I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast raised me up, And hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, And give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a lifetime: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. Thou, Lord, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide thy face; I was troubled. I cried to thee, O Lord; And unto the Lord I made supplication: What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? [{46}] Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. |
| --Psalm 30. |
| MY TIMES ARE IN THY HANDS |
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: Deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear unto me; deliver me speedily: Be thou to me a strong rock, an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for thy name's sake lead me and guide me. Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; For thou art my strong hold. Into thine hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. I hate them that regard lying vanities: But I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: For thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known my soul in adversities: And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large place. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in distress: Mine eye wasteth away with grief, yea, my soul and my body. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing: [{48}] My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted away. Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, Yea, unto my neighbours exceedingly, and a fear to mine acquaintance: They that did see me without fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: Let the wicked be ashamed, let them be silent in Sheol. Let the lying lips be dumb; Which speak against the righteous insolently, With pride and contempt. Oh how great is thy goodness, Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, Before the sons of men! [{49}] In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man: Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord; For he hath showed me his marvellous lovingkindness in a strong city. As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications When I cried unto thee. O love the Lord, all ye his saints: The Lord preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth him that dealeth proudly. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All ye that hope in the Lord. |
| --Psalm 31. |
| REJOICE |
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: Praise is comely for the upright. Give thanks unto the Lord with harp: Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; Play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; And all his work is done in faithfulness. He loveth righteousness and judgment: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought: He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth fast for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; [{51}] The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men; From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth; He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: Neither shall he deliver any by his great power. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul hath waited for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, Because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, According as we have hoped in thee. |
| --Psalm 33. |
| I WILL BLESS THE LORD |
I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: And their faces shall never be confounded. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: For there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [{53}] What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord heard, And delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: And they that hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: And none of them that trust in him shall be condemned. |
| --Psalm 34. |
| UNDER THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS |
Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is in the heavens; Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains, Thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; And thy righteousness to the upright in heart. |
| --Psalm 36:5-10. |
| WAIT PATIENTLY |
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, Neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and follow after faithfulness. Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy judgment as the noonday. A man's goings are established of the Lord; And he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging their bread. All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; And his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell for evermore. [{56}] I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil. But one passed by, and, lo, he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the latter end of that man is peace. As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together: The latter end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strong hold in the time of trouble. And the Lord helpeth them, and rescueth them: He rescueth them from the wicked, and saveth them, Because they have taken refuge in him. |
| --Psalm 37:1-6, 23-27, 35-40. |
| A NEW SONG |
I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, And thy thoughts which are to us-ward: They cannot be set in order unto thee; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou hast no delight in; Mine ears hast thou opened: Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, "Lo, I am come; In the roll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart." [{58}] I have published righteousness in the great congregation; Lo, I will not refrain my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. |
| --Psalm 40:1-11. |
MOUNT HERMON
From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., and used by special permission.
"Therefore do I remember thee from the land of Jordan, And the Hermons, from the hill Mizar."
| A SONG IN TIME OF TROUBLE |
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, While they continually say unto me, "Where is thy God?" These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, How I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holy-day. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the health of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: Therefore do I remember thee from the land of Jordan, And the Hermons, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night his song shall be with me, Even a prayer unto the God of my life. [{62}] I will say unto God my rock, "Why hast thou forgotten me?" Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine adversaries reproach me; While they continually say unto me, "Where is thy God?" Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me: Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy: And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. |
| --Psalms 42, 43. |
| IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY |
We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, In the days of old. Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them. Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our adversaries: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us. In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. [{64}] But now thou hast cast us off, and brought us to dishonour; And goest not forth with our hosts. Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary: And they which hate us spoil for themselves. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; And hast scattered us among the nations. Thou sellest thy people for nought, And hast not increased thy wealth by their price. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples. All the day long is my dishonour before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; By reason of the enemy and the avenger. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, Neither have our steps declined from thy way; That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or spread forth our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. [{65}] Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Rise up for our help, And redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake. |
| --Psalm 44. |
| A MARRIAGE SONG FOR THE WEDDING OF A KING |
My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter: I speak the things which I have made touching the king: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men; Grace is poured into thy lips: Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, Thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride on prosperously, Because of truth and meekness and righteousness: And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under thee; They are in the heart of the king's enemies. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad. [{67}] Kings' daughters are among thy honourable women: Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house: So will the king desire thy beauty; For he is thy lord; and reverence thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; The rich among the people shall entreat thy favor. The king's daughter within the palace is all glorious: Her clothing is inwrought with gold. She shall be led unto the king in broidered work: The virgins her companions that follow her Shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be led: They shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: Therefore shall the peoples give thee thanks for ever and ever. |
| --Psalm 45. |
| GOD IS OUR REFUGE |
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change, And though the mountains be moved in the heart of the seas; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord, What desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariots in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. |
| --Psalm 46. |
| A SONG OF VICTORY |
O clap your hands, all ye peoples; Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, The excellency of Jacob whom he loved. God is gone up with a shout, The Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: Sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the nations: God sitteth upon his holy throne. The princes of the peoples are gathered together To be the people of the God of Abraham: For the shields of the earth belong unto God; He is greatly exalted. |
| --Psalm 47. |
| A SONG OF MOUNT ZION |
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, in his holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. We have thought on thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of thy temple. As is thy name, O God, So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: Tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, Consider her palaces; That ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death. |
| --Psalm 48:1, 2, 9-14. |
SHEPHERD WITH HIS FLOCK.
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
This beautiful picture is typical of the Oriental country. The view is the Scamander made famous by Homer, and the country is in the vicinity of old Troy, mentioned in the New Testament and again brought to notice by the conflicts of the great European war (1916).
| THE CATTLE UPON A THOUSAND HILLS ARE HIS |
God, even God, the Lord, hath spoken, And called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: A fire shall devour before him, And it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens above, And to the earth, that he may judge his people: Gather my saints together unto me; Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; For God is judge himself. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. [{74}] I know all the fowls of the mountains: And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. |
| --Psalm 50:1-15. |
| A PRAYER OF REPENTANCE |
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight: That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: And uphold me with a free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee. [{76}] O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. |
| --Psalm 51:1-17. |
| BE THOU EXALTED, O GOD, ABOVE THE HEAVENS |
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; For my soul taketh refuge in thee: Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, Until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God Most High; Unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me, When he that would swallow me up reproacheth; God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early. [{78}] I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And thy truth unto the skies. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth. |
| --Psalm 57. |
| THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I |
Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a refuge for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever: I will take refuge in the covert of thy wings. My soul waiteth only upon God: From him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved. With God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. |
| --Psalms 61:1-4; 62:1, 2, 5-7. |
| A SONG OF THANKSGIVING |
Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion: And unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, Unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, That he may dwell in thy courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, The holy place of thy temple. By terrible things thou wilt answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation; Thou that art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of them that are afar off upon the sea: Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; Being girded about with might: Which stilleth the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. [{81}] Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it, Thou greatly enrichest it; The river of God is full of water: Thou providest them corn, when thou hast so prepared the earth. Thou waterest her furrows abundantly; Thou settlest the ridges thereof: Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; And thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: And the hills are girded with joy. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered over with corn; They shout for joy, they also sing. |
| --Psalm 65. |
| MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD |
Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth: Sing forth the glory of his name: Make his praise glorious. All the earth shall worship thee, And shall sing unto thee; They shall sing to thy name. O bless our God, ye peoples, And make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, And suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Come, and hear, all ye that fear God, And I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, And he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear: But verily God hath heard; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. |
| --Psalm 66:1, 2, 4, 8-10, 16-20. |
"The river of God is full of water."
| LET THE PEOPLES PRAISE THEE |
God be merciful unto us, and bless us, And cause his face to shine upon us; That thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations. Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: For thou shalt judge the peoples righteously, And govern the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise thee, O God; Let all the peoples praise thee. The earth hath yielded her increase: God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; And all the ends of the earth shall fear him. |
| --Psalm 67. |
| A BATTLE HYMN FOR THE HOSTS OF THE LORD |
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; Let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God: Yea, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts; His name is the Lord; and exult ye before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, Is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a parched land. O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; The earth trembled, The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: Yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. Kings of armies flee, they flee; And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil. |
| --Psalm 68:1-12. |
| O LORD, MAKE NO TARRYING! |
Make haste, O God, to deliver me; Make haste to help me, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and confounded That seek after my soul: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonour That delight in my hurt. Let them be turned back by reason of their shame That say, "Aha! Aha!" Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee; And let such as love thy salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." But I am poor and needy; Make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying! |
| --Psalm 70. |
| THE RIGHTEOUS KING |
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, And shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee while the sun endureth, And so long as the moon, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: As showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; And his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: All nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; And the poor, that hath no helper. He shall have pity on the poor and needy, [{89}] And the souls of the needy he shall save. He shall redeem their soul from oppression and violence; And precious shall their blood be in his sight: And they shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: And men shall pray for him continually; They shall bless him all the day long. There shall be abundance of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him; All nations shall call him blessed. Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king's son. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things: And blessed be his glorious name for ever; And let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen. |
| --Psalm 72:2-19. |
| THY WAY WAS IN THE SEA |
I will make mention of the deeds of the Lord; For I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also upon all thy work, And muse on thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is a great god like unto God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw thee, O God; The waters saw thee, they were afraid: The depths also trembled. The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound: Thine arrows also went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. Thy way was in the sea, And thy paths in the great waters, And thy footsteps were not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock, By the hand of Moses and Aaron. |
| --Psalm 77:11-20. |
| GIVE EAR, O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL |
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy might, And come to save us. Turn us again, O God; And cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. O Lord God of hosts, How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in large measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: And our enemies laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts; And cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt: Thou didst drive out the nations, and plantedst it. Thou preparedst room before it, And it took deep root, and filled the land. The mountains were covered with the shadow of it, [{92}] And the boughs thereof were like cedars of God. She sent out her branches unto the sea, And her shoots unto the River. Why hast thou broken down her fences, So that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth ravage it, And the wild beasts of the field feed on it. Turn again, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine, And the stock which thy right hand hath planted, And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So shall we not go back from thee: Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. |
| --Psalm 80. |
BEDOUINS WITH CAMELS IN THE PLAIN NEAR MOUNT SINAI.
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
"We arrived at a certain place where the mountains betwixt which we were traveling opened out into a huge, wide, and very fair valley, and beyond this valley appeared the Mount of God, Sinai. This is a very extensive valley, lying under the side of the Mount of God. This is the huge and wide valley in which the children of Israel sojourned in those days, when Saint Moses ascended into the Mount of God and was there forty days and forty nights. This is the valley in which the calf was made; the place is shown to this day, for a great stone stands fixed to the very spot. As you go round about the mountain it appears to be one, though when you get within it there are many; but the whole is called the Mount of God, especially the one on whose summit is the place where the glory of God descended, as it is written; and it is in the middle of them all; and while all these mountains that are in the group are more glorious than I had ever expected to see, yet this one in the middle is so much higher than all the others, that when we approached it, straightway all these mountains which had appeared to us so glorious seemed but as little hills."--From the very interesting Diary of Saint Sylvia of Aquitaine, who about the year 385 made a pilgrimage to the East. This diary, which is one of the earliest "travel books" ever written, has only recently been discovered.
| THE HOUSE OF THE LORD |
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out unto the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, My King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: They will be still praising thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; In whose heart are the high ways to Zion. Passing through the valley of Weeping they make it a place of springs; Yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Everyone of them appeareth before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: Give ear, O God of Jacob. Behold, O God our shield, And look upon the face of thine anointed. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. [{96}] I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and a shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. |
| --Psalm 84. |
| A PLEA FOR MERCY |
Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, Thou hast covered all their sin. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, And cause thine indignation toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not quicken us again: That thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, And grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; That glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springeth out of the earth; And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; And our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; And shall make his footsteps a way to walk in. |
| --Psalm 85. |
| THE CRY OF THE NEEDY |
Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul; for I am godly: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord; For unto thee do I cry all the day long. Rejoice the soul of thy servant; For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; And hearken unto the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; For thou wilt answer me. There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord; Neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; [{99}] And I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me; And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest pit. O God, the proud are risen up against me, And the congregation of violent men have sought after my soul, And have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thine handmaid. Shew me a token for good; That they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed, Because thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me. |
| --Psalm 86. |
| THE PRAISE OF ZION |
His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. The Lord will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee. |
| --Psalm 87. |
MOUNT TABOR
From a photograph in the possession of Rev. Louis F. Giroux of the American International College, Springfield, Mass., and used by his kind permission.
"Esdraelon's plain still boasts its myrtle bowers,
Golden with corn, or carpeted with flowers:
How like a sainted mind that seeks the skies,
Crowned with a glory, Tabor's tops arise.
Jasmine's white bells and henna's yellow bloom,
Breathe out their sweets till rocks e'en drink perfume;
In viewless clouds those odors mount the air,
And Tabor stands like some rich altar there."
--Nicolas Michell
| THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH ARE THINE |
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like unto the Lord? Thou rulest the pride of the sea: When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: The world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. The north and the south, thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arm: Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of thy throne: Mercy and truth go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: They walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name do they rejoice all the day: And in thy righteousness are they exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: And in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For our shield belongeth unto the Lord; And our king to the Holy One of Israel. |
| --Psalm 89:1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11-18. |
| AS A WATCH IN THE NIGHT |
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place In all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; And sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: In the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. For we are consumed in thine anger, And in thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring our years to an end as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labour and sorrow; [{105}] For it is soon gone, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? So teach us to number our days, That we may get us an heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord; how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us in the morning with thy mercy; That we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, And the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory upon their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. |
| --Psalm 90. |
| THE LORD IS OUR REFUGE |
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. For thou, O Lord, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. [{107}] They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, And shew him my salvation. |
| --Psalm 91. |
| THE SONG OF THE FLOODS |
The Lord reigneth; he is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength wherewith he hath girded himself: The world also is established, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. Above the voices of many waters, The mighty breakers of the sea, The Lord on high is mighty. Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for evermore. |
| --Psalm 93. |
ON THE COAST OF PALESTINE AT SUNSET.
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her kind permission.
"The sea is his and he made it,
And his hands formed the dry land."
| THE SEA AND THE LAND ARE HIS |
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, and he made it; And his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker: For he is our God, And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. |
| --Psalm 95:1-7. |
| O SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG |
O sing unto the Lord a new song: Sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; Shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols: But the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the peoples, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, The Lord reigneth: The world also is established that it cannot be moved: He shall judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy Before the Lord, for he cometh; For he cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with his truth. |
| --Psalm 96. |
| THE LORD REIGNETH |
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him: Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, And burneth up his adversaries round about. His lightnings lightened the world: The earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, And all the peoples have seen his glory. Ashamed be all they that serve graven images, That boast themselves of idols: Worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard and was glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoiced; Because of thy judgments, O Lord. For thou, Lord, art most high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods. O ye that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord, ye righteous; And give thanks to his holy name. |
| --Psalm 97. |
| LET THE SEA ROAR |
O sing unto the Lord a new song; For he hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation for him. The Lord hath made known his salvation: His righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the nations. He hath remembered his mercy and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: Break forth and sing for joy, yea, sing praises. Sing praises unto the Lord with the harp; With the harp and the voice of melody. With trumpets and sound of cornet Make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein; Let the floods clap their hands; Let the hills sing for joy together Before the Lord, for he cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity. |
| --Psalm 98. |
| HOLY IS THE LORD |
The Lord reigneth; let the peoples tremble: He sitteth above the cherubim; let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion; And he is high above all the peoples. Let them praise thy great and terrible name: Holy is he. The king's strength also loveth justice; Thou dost establish equity; Thou executest justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool: Holy is he. Moses and Aaron among his priests, And Samuel among them that call upon his name; They called upon the Lord, and he answereth them. He spake unto them in the pillar of cloud: They kept his testimonies, And the statute that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, Though thou tookest vengeance of their doings. Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy. |
| --Psalm 99. |
| THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE |
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy endureth for ever; And his faithfulness unto all generations. |
| --Psalm 100. |
| GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE |
I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end. |
| --Psalm 102:24-27. |
| OUR FATHER |
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, [{119}] So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them. The Lord hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye angels of his: Ye mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless the Lord, O my soul. |
| --Psalm 108. |
| GOD THE CREATOR |
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; Who maketh the clouds his chariot; Who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh winds his messengers; His ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be moved for ever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away; They went up by the mountains, they went down by the valleys, Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth. He sendeth forth springs into the valleys; They run among the mountains: They give drink to every beast of the field; [{121}] The wild asses quench their thirst. By them the birds of the heaven have their habitation, They sing among the branches. He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; That he may bring forth food out of the earth: And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengtheneth man's heart. The trees of the Lord are satisfied; The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: As for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the conies. He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night; Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their meat from God. The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labour until the evening. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: [{122}] The earth is full of thy riches. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts. There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to take his pastime therein. These wait all upon thee, That thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest unto them they gather; Thou openest thine hand, they are satisfied with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground. Let the glory of the Lord endure for ever; Let the Lord rejoice in his works: Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. Let my meditation be sweet unto him: I will rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, And let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. |
| --Psalm 104. |
| HE HATH NOT DEALT SO WITH ANY NATION |
Oh give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name; Make known among the peoples his doings. Sing unto him, sing praises unto him; Talk ye of all his marvellous works. Glory ye in his holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord and his strength; Seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth, O ye children of Abraham his servant, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the Lord our God: His judgments are in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac, And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance," When they were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it. [{124}] And they went about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people. He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, "Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm." And he called for a famine upon the land; He brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant: His feet they hurt with fetters; He was laid in chains of iron, Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tried him. The king sent and loosed him; Even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his substance; To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly, And made them stronger than their adversaries. He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtilly with his servants. He sent Moses his servant, And Aaron whom he had chosen. They set among them his signs, [{125}] And wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words. He turned their waters into blood, And slew their fish. Their land swarmed with frogs, In the chambers of their kings. He spake, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their borders. He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also and their fig trees; And brake the trees of their borders. He spake, and the locust came, And the cankerworm, and that without number, And did eat up every herb in their land, And did eat up the fruit of their ground. He smote also all the firstborn in their land, The chief of all their strength. And he brought them forth with silver and gold: And there was not one feeble person among his tribes, Egypt was glad when they departed; For the fear of them had fallen upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering; And fire to give light in the night. They asked, and he brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and waters gushed out; They ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy word. [{126}] And Abraham his servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, And his chosen with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations; And they took the labour of the peoples in possession: That they might keep his statutes, And observe his laws. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord, Or shew forth all his praise? Blessed are they that keep judgment, And he that doeth righteousness at all times. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people; O visit me with thy salvation: That I may see the prosperity of thy chosen, That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, That I may glory with thine inheritance. We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, That he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: [{127}] So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries: There was not one of them left. Then believed they his words; They sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; They waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; But sent leanness into their soul. They envied Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked. They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image. Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. They forgot God their saviour, Which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, And terrible things by the Red Sea. Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. [{128}] Yea, they despised the pleasant land, They believed not his word; But murmured in their tents, And hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. Therefore he lifted up his hand unto them, That he would overthrow them in the wilderness: And that he would overthrow them among the nations, And scatter them in the lands. They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings; And the plague broke in upon them. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: And so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness, Unto all generations for evermore. They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips. They did not destroy the peoples, As the Lord commanded them; But mingled themselves with the nations, And learned their works: And they served their idols; Which became a snare unto them: Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, [{129}] Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their works, And did very evil in their doings. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people, And he abhorred his inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the nations; And they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. Many times did he deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry: And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive. Save us, O Lord our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. |
| --Psalms 105, 106. |
| HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER |
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary; And gathered them out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; They found no city of habitation. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distresses. He led them also by a straight way, That they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, And the hungry soul he filleth with good. Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; [{131}] They fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, And cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; And they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, And he saveth them out of their distresses. He sendeth his word, and healeth them, And delivereth them from their destructions. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare his works with singing. They that go down to the sea in ships, That do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, And his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, Which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: [{132}] Their soul melteth away because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; So he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, And praise him in the seat of the elders. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, And watersprings into a thirsty ground; A fruitful land into a salt desert, For the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, And a dry land into watersprings. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, That they may prepare a city of habitation; And sow fields, and plant vineyards, And get them fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease. Again, they are diminished and bowed down Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow. He poureth contempt upon princes, [{133}] And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way. Yet setteth he the needy on high from affliction, And maketh him families like a flock. The upright shall see it, and be glad; And all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise shall give heed to these things, And they shall consider the mercies of the Lord. |
| --Psalm 107. |
| HIS GLORY IS ABOVE THE HEAVENS |
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same The Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who hath his seat on high, Who humbleth himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, Even with the princes of his people. When Israel went forth out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled; [{135}] Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like young sheep. What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleest? Thou Jordan, that thou turnest back? Ye mountains, that ye skip like rams; Ye little hills, like young sheep? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob; Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters. |
| --Psalms 113:1-8; 114. |
| IDOLS OF SILVER AND GOLD |
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But unto thy name give glory, For thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the nations say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; Noses have they, but they smell not; They have hands, but they handle not; Feet have they, but they walk not; Neither speak they through their throat. They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, everyone that trusteth in them. |
| --Psalm 115:1-8. |
| I WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD |
I love the Lord, because he hath heard My voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, And the pains of Sheol seized me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he saved me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, Mine eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. I believe, for I will speak: I was greatly afflicted: [{138}] I said in my haste, All men are a lie. What shall I render unto the Lord For all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord, Yea, in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints. O Lord, truly I am thy servant: I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord. |
| --Psalm 116:1-18. |
| PRAISE THE LORD, YE NATIONS |
O praise the Lord, all ye nations; Laud him, all ye peoples. For his mercy is great toward us; And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. |
| --Psalm 117. |
| THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND SONG |
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. Let Israel now say, That his mercy endureth for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, That his mercy endureth for ever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, That his mercy endureth for ever. Out of my distress I called upon the Lord: The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me? The Lord is on my side among them that help me: Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. All nations compassed me about: In the name of the Lord I will cut them off. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: In the name of the Lord I will cut them off. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: [{141}] In the name of the Lord I will cut them off. Thou didst thrust sore at me that I might fall: But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song; And he is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted: The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: But he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous shall enter into it. I will give thanks unto thee, for thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, we beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: [{142}] We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and he hath given us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; For his mercy endureth for ever. |
| --Psalm 118. |
| THE SONGS OF THE PURE IN HEART |
Blessed are they that are perfect in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart. Yea, they do no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us thy precepts, That we should observe them diligently. Oh that my ways were established To observe thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, When I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart, When I learn thy righteous judgments. I will observe thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I laid up in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: Teach me thy statutes. [{144}] With my lips have I declared All the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, And have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live; So will I observe thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold Wondrous things out of thy law. I am a sojourner in the earth: Hide not thy commandments from me. My soul breaketh for the longing That it hath unto thy judgments at all times. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, Who wander from thy commandments. Take away from me reproach and contempt; For I have kept thy testimonies. Princes also sat and talked against me: But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. Thy testimonies also are my delight And my counsellors. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: Quicken thou me according to thy word. I declared my ways, and thou answeredst me: Teach me thy statutes. [{145}] Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: So shall I meditate of thy wondrous works. My soul melteth for heaviness: Strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Remove from me the way of falsehood: And grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of faithfulness: Thy judgments have I set before me. I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of thy commandments, When thou shalt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep the law; Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, And not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, And quicken me in thy ways. Confirm thy word unto thy servant, Which belongeth unto the fear of thee. Turn away my reproach whereof I am afraid; For thy judgments are good. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: Quicken me in thy righteousness. Let thy mercies also come unto me, O Lord, [{146}] Even thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I have an answer for him that reproacheth me; For I trust in thy word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; For I have hoped in thy judgments. So shall I observe thy law continually For ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty; For I have sought thy precepts. I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings, And will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in thy commandments, Which I have loved. I will lift up my hands also unto thy commandments, which I have loved; And I will meditate in thy statutes. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. They that fear thee shall see me and be glad; Because I have hoped in thy word. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort, According to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: For thy law is my delight. Let the proud be ashamed; for they have overthrown me wrongfully: [{147}] But I will meditate in thy precepts. Let those that fear thee turn unto me, And they shall know thy testimonies. Let my heart be perfect in thy statutes; That I be not ashamed. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: But I hope in thy word. Mine eyes fail for thy word, While I say, "When wilt thou comfort me?" For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; Yet do I not forget thy statutes. How many are the days of thy servant? When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? The proud have digged pits for me, Who are not after thy law. All thy commandments are faithful: They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me. They had almost consumed me upon earth; But I forsook not thy precepts. Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; So shall I observe the testimony of thy mouth. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They abide this day according to thine ordinances; For all things are thy servants. [{148}] Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts; For with them thou hast quickened me. I am thine, save me; For I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me; But I will consider thy testimonies. I have seen an end of all perfection; But thy commandment is exceeding broad. Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies; For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers; For thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have kept thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, That I might observe thy word. I have not turned aside from thy judgments; For thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I have sworn, and have confirmed it, That I will observe thy righteous judgments. [{149}] I am afflicted very much: Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, And teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my hand; Yet do I not forget thy law. The wicked have laid a snare for me; Yet went I not astray from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; For they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes, For ever, even unto the end. I hate them that are of a double mind; But thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evil-doers; That I may keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live; And let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe, And shall have respect unto thy statutes continually. Thou hast set at nought all them that err from thy statutes; For their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: Therefore I love thy commandments. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; [{150}] And I am afraid of thy judgments. I have done judgment and justice: Leave me not to mine oppressors. Be surety for thy servant for good: Let not the proud oppress me. Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, And for thy righteous word. Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, And teach me thy statutes. I am thy servant, give me understanding; That I may know thy testimonies. It is time for the Lord to work; For they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments Above gold, yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; And I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful: Therefore doth my soul keep them. The opening of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened wide my mouth, and panted; For I longed for thy commandments. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. Order my footsteps in thy word; And let not any iniquity have dominion over me. [{151}] Redeem me from the oppression of man: So will I observe thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; And teach me thy statutes. Mine eyes run down with rivers of water, Because they observe not thy law. Righteous art thou, O Lord, And upright are thy judgments. Thou hast commanded thy testimonies in righteousness and very faithfulness. My zeal hath consumed me, Because mine adversaries have forgotten thy words. Thy word is very pure; Therefore thy servant loveth it. I am small and despised: Yet do not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is everlasting righteousness, And thy law is truth. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: Yet thy commandments are my delight. Thy testimonies are righteous for ever: Give me understanding, and I shall live. I have called with my whole heart; answer me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes. I have called unto thee; save me, And I shall observe thy testimonies. I rose before the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy words. [{152}] Mine eyes outwatched the night watches, That I might meditate in thy word. Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy judgments. They draw nigh that follow after wickedness; They are far from thy law. Thou art nigh, O Lord, And all thy commandments are truth. Of old have I known from thy testimonies, That thou hast founded them for ever. Consider mine affliction, and deliver me; For I do not forget thy law. Plead thou my cause, and redeem me: Quicken me according to thy word. Salvation is far from the wicked; For they seek not thy statutes. Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: Quicken me according to thy judgments. Many are my persecutors and mine adversaries; Yet have I not swerved from thy testimonies. I beheld the treacherous dealers, and was grieved; Because they observe not thy word. Consider how I love thy precepts: Quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness. The sum of thy word is truth; And everyone of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. |
| --Psalm 119:1-48, 73-160. |
MOUNT CARMEL
"I will lift my eyes unto the mountains."
| I WILL LIFT MINE EYES UNTO THE MOUNTAINS |
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: From whence shall my help come? My help cometh from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in, From this time forth and for evermore. |
| --Psalm 121. |
| A PILGRIM SONG |
I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go unto the house of the Lord." Our feet are standing Within thy gates, O Jerusalem; Jerusalem, that art builded As a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, For a testimony unto Israel, To give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, And prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, "Peace be within thee." For the sake of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good. |
| --Psalm 122. |
| A SONG OF THE EXILES |
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, We were like unto them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing: Then said they among the nations, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; Whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Though he goeth on his way weeping, bearing forth the seed; He shall come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him. |
| --Psalm 126. |
| "DE PROFUNDIS." |
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: Let thine ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, That thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, And in his word do I hope. My soul looketh for the Lord, More than watchmen look for the morning; Yea, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. |
| --Psalm 130. |
| BROTHERHOOD |
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard; That came down upon the skirt of his garments; Like the dew of Hermon, That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore. |
| --Psalm 133. |
| BLESS YE THE LORD |
Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, And bless ye the Lord. The Lord bless thee out of Zion; Even he that made heaven and earth. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; Praise him, O ye servants of the Lord: Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God. Praise ye the Lord; for the Lord is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, And Israel for his peculiar treasure. For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the rain; He bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries. [{161}] Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, Both of man and beast. He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants. Who smote many nations, And slew mighty kings; Sihon king of the Amorites, And Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan: And gave their land for an heritage, An heritage unto Israel his people. Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; Thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations. For the Lord shall judge his people, And repent himself concerning his servants. The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, everyone that trusteth in them. O house of Israel, bless ye the Lord: O house of Aaron, bless ye the Lord: O house of Levi, bless ye the Lord: Ye that fear the Lord, bless ye the Lord. Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, [{162}] Who dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: For his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the Lord of lords: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who by understanding made the heavens: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who spread forth the earth above the waters: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who made great lights: For his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: For his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who smote Egypt in their firstborn: For his mercy endureth for ever: And brought out Israel from among them: For his mercy endureth for ever: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who divided the Red Sea in sunder: For his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: [{163}] For his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who led his people through the wilderness: For his mercy endureth for ever. To him who smote great kings: For his mercy endureth for ever: And slew famous kings: For his mercy endureth for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites: For his mercy endureth for ever: And Og king of Bashan: For his mercy endureth for ever: And gave their land for an heritage: For his mercy endureth for ever: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: For his mercy endureth for ever. Who remembered us in our low estate: For his mercy endureth for ever: And hath delivered us from our adversaries: For his mercy endureth for ever. He giveth food to all flesh: For his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: For his mercy endureth for ever. |
| --Psalms 134-136. |
| THE EYE OF THE LORD |
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night; Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. [{165}] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any way of wickedness in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. |
| --Psalm 139:1-12, 17, 18, 23, 24. |
| HAPPY IS THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD |
Blessed be the Lord my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight: My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I trust; Who subdueth my people under me. Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; Send out thine arrows, and discomfit them. Stretch forth thy hand from above; Rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens; Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood, I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. [{167}] Thou art he that giveth salvation unto kings; Who rescueth David his servant from the hurtful sword. Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth, And our daughters as corner stones hewn after the fashion of a palace; When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; When our oxen are well laden; When there is no breaking in, and no going forth, And no outcry in our streets: Happy is the people that is in such a case; Yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord. |
| --Psalm 144 |
| SLOW TO ANGER AND PLENTEOUS IN MERCY |
I will extol thee, my God, O King; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; And I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud thy works to another, And shall declare thy mighty acts. Of the glorious majesty of thine honour, And of thy wondrous works, will I meditate. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; And I will declare thy greatness. They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness, And shall sing of thy righteousness The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; Slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, O Lord; And thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, And talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of his kingdom. [{169}] Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; And thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, And gracious in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; He also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. |
| --Psalm 145. |
| SONGS OF PRAISE |
Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that in them is; Which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed; Which giveth food to the hungry: The Lord looseth the prisoners; The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down; The Lord loveth the righteous; The Lord preserveth the strangers; He upholdeth the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The Lord shall reign for ever, [{171}] Thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord; For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The Lord upholdeth the meek: He bringeth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his mercy. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; Praise thy God, O Zion. [{172}] For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders; He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth out his commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: And as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: Praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: Praise ye him, all his host. Praise ye him, sun and moon: Praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, And ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: For he commanded, and they were created. [{173}] He hath also established them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth. Ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire and hail, snow and vapour; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word: Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars: Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl: Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth: Both young men and maidens; Old men and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord; For his name alone is exalted: His glory is above the earth and heaven. And he hath lifted up the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. [{174}] Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. |
| --Psalms 146-148, 150. |
TWO WOMEN GRINDING AT THE MILL
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
The hand mill for grinding grain shown in the picture is exactly the same as those in use in Palestine from the earliest times. It consists of two circular stones, one of which is placed on top of the other, the upper and lower surfaces being flat. The underside of the upper stone is slightly concave, fitting into the convex surface of the lower stone. From the center of the lower stone a strong pin of wood passes through a funnel-shaped hole in the upper stone. Into this hole the grain is thrown, and as it is ground escapes as meal to a smooth sheepskin placed beneath. On the surface of the upper stone near the circumference, a handle is fixed by which the stone is turned. The meal is ground every day. The work, which is very laborious, is performed by the women of the household. In the picture this mill is rather more elaborate than usual, the lower stone being elongated and used as a trough for the meal as it falls over the edges of the mill. There are two baskets of grain and one of meal. One of the women is about to put a handful of grain in the mill. Both are helping to turn the upper stone by the handle
