THE

PSALMS AT WORK

BE ING THE ENGLISH CHURCH PSALTER

W’ITH NOTES ON THE USE OF THE PSALMS

CHARLES L . MARSONA u thor of

The Fol lowing of CIzrz'

st

NE W, ENLARGED , AND

R E VI_S E D E D I TI O N

L O N D O N

ELLIOT STOCK , 6 2 PATERNOSTER ROW

s. J. P.

WITH AN OLD FRIEND’S GRATEFUL LOVE

PREFA CE

IN presenting a fourth ed ition of The Psa lms at Work,

l ike the form er ed itions som ewhat enlarged , the

col lector m ust own to som e d elay . Another authorh as stepped into the breach

,and by a daring piece of

free trade, has incorporated a lmost the whole of th e

second ed ition into a work of h is own and cried itfreely before the public . He was not aware of th e

th ird edition or he cou ld have enjoyed m ore freely stillhi s powers of d igestion and assim i lat ion. So far fromrepin ing at this treatm ent, th e col lector of ThePsalmsat Work begs to thank h im for diffusing the idea so

widely,and in the nam e of Bishop Alexander and Dr.

Ker,who being dead cannot express their gratitude

fora sim ilar treatm ent, to assure h im that both he andany other m an is welcom e to our labours

,provided

that he wi l l so use them as to deepen m en’s awe

and wonder at these m arvel s of Da v id and theirva st effect upon the hum an l ife. Perhaps it wou ldnot be extra vagant to ask tha t h e too should put intothe comm on pot as freely as he h as tak en from it ?The Psa lms at Work was intended to sta rt folk huntingfor them selves and not m erely to set them feast ingor vendi ng the venison which others have found .

Nor i s i t quite enough to add no m ore than watervn

Preface

and a l ittle th ick ening to the savoury m eat alreadycooked . But these notes are not profound . They are

in the nature of the case not original,and the collector

,

as h e sa id at the first,has only gathered them

in the highways, and tried to give them shortly,accurately and without hom ily or exclam ation

,in

th e hope that the text wil l gain to the user what itcontinues to gain to the annotator—a feel ing thatsom e great words are al i v e and cannot grow old or

d i e ; but bui ld or level, qu ick en or destroy,spur or

restrain,as w ith a l i v ing w il l and m a ster th e ch ildren

of m en . Such are the Psalm s of David .

C. L. M .

HAMBRIDGE , TAUNTON .

THE F IRST DA!

MORN ING PRA! ER

Psalm i .Beatus vir, qui non abu t , etc.

I B lessed is the man thathath not walked in the counselof the ungodly , nor stood in theway of sinners : and hath not

sat in the seat of the scornful .2 But h is del igh t is in the

law of the Lord : and in h islaw w i l l he exercise h imself dayand night .3 And he shal l be l ike a tree

planted by the waterside : thatw i l l bring forth h is frui t in dueseason.

4 His leaf shal l notalso

w i ther : and look , whatsoeverhe doeth , i t shal l prosper .5 As for the ungodly, it is

not so w i th them but they arel ike the chaff, wh ich the w indscat tereth away from the faceof the earth .

6 Therefore the ungod ly shal lnot be ab le to stand in the judgment nei ther the sinners in thecongregat ion of the righteous .7 But the Lord knoweth the

way of the righteous : and the

way of the ungodly shal l perish .

Liturgica l use.- Introit to Mass

,first Sunday in

Advent (e). 1Latins . Sunday Matins Ea ster Day Ma tins

Martyrs and Al l Sa ints Matins .Greeks— Saturday Vespers .This p sa lm i s ca lled by St. Basil th e Great a short

introduction to the whole book , an opinion adoptedby th e whole Church as shewn by the liturgical u sesto which it has been put .

1(e) means in the fi rst Prayer Book of Edward VI. , 1549 .

A

Day 1 ] Psalm 1 [Morning Prayer

Am ong those who ha ve written comm ents, m ed itations, and explanations of the Psalter, th e followingare am ong the m ost celebra ted Origen (third century),Eusebius Pam ph ilius, St . Athana sius, Apollinarius

Laod icensis, St . Jerom e, St . Augustine, St . Hilary of

Poictiers, St. Ch rysostom in fourth century, Theodore,Arnobius j unior, and Ca ssiodorus (fifth century), St .Gregory Turonensis (sixth century), Bede (seventhcentury), to Albertus Magnus, Hugo of St. Victor, St .Bonaventura (th irteenth century), Luther, Melanch

thon, Zuinglius, and Card Bellarm ine in later tim es.Th e poet Ph ineas Fletcher, author of the Purp le

Island and Vicar of Hilgay, wrote a com m entary uponthi s p salm called Tbe Way to Blessedness, 1632.

Rusk in thought that th i s and seven other psalm s(viii . , xii. , xiv . ,

xv . ,xix. ,

xxi ii . , and xxi v .) sufficed forpersonal guidance.

Verse 1 . Erasm us, m 1 5 16,dedicated h is com

m entary upon this psalm to Beatus Rh enanus, thecorrector of Froben

’

s press, a learned Alsatian criticand h istorian, whose character was described by th etext .Verse 2. Thi s is one of St. Jerom e

’s favourite texts .He m ay alm ost be said to have m oulded his l ife uponit, so m uch i s it woven into hi s w ritings . RobertBurton ( 15 76—1639) quotes it as one of the cures ofm elancholy in h i s Anatomy , “ that m aze of rem ediesfor a labyrinth of diseasem ents, as Lam b calls it . I ti s probably th is verse wh ich set th e custom of nightprayers in th e m onastic l ife, for St . Ba sil cites it in h isShorter Rules, as pointing to th is practice. Th e

learned and pious Bishop Beveridge (1636—1 708)who refused to succeed the non-j uror Ken publ isheda serm on upon the sam e verse. He defended th e

old version of the p salm s— the Prayer Book vers ionwith such success that no serious attem pt has beenm ade since to change it for any other translation .

2

Morning Prayer] Psalm i . [Day 1

Verse 4 . Archbishop Seeker’s rem ark s upon th i sverse, w ith an explanation from Kim ch i the Jew ishdoctor

, and from rabbins older than h im self,

“ tha teven th e idle ta lk of a good m an ought to be re

garded,inspired Jam es Boswel l to his ta sk of record

ing so m any reports of Dr. Johnson’s conversation.

Th e verse is thus the seed from which the greatestof all biographies grew.

The Prayer Book vers ion of the psalm s i s tak enfrom St. Jcrom e

's translation (fourth century) wh ichwas u sed by the Church in France , introduced thereby St . Gregory of Tours in the sixth century. I tpassed in to England before St . Augustine, and was

frequently Engl ished both in Anglo Saxon and

m ed iaeva l tim es . Tyndale and Coverdale’

s vers ionbased on these

,was a lm ost imm ediately revi sed by

John Rogers (th e first m an bur nt under Queen Mary),and again corrected by Archbishop Cranm er, and

publ ished by authority in 1 5 41 . Since that tim e itwas revised by Bishop Guest, and its m elodious rol l hasso endeared it to the Church that all attem pts torevise th e version have fa i led . In substance therefore, and often in detail

,the version has been used for

over a thousand years .The Psa lter is chanted through week ly by the

Greek and Rom an Churches, and m onthly with us.But m any pious peop le, such as St . Margaret of

Scotland (tenth century), Nicholas Ferrar (1 5 92—1and George Herbert ( 15 9 3 recited th e wholePsalter daily . The great im portance of the Psalterhas been acknowledged in England from the firstplanting of the Fa ith . St . Gregory the Great (60 1)instructed St . Augustine that all under Church ruleshou ld sing p salm s early and late . The Council ofCloves HOO (747) classed psalmody w ith prayer andfasting. St . Dunstan

’

s Canons (tenth century)ordered that sick m en m ight use the Psalter instead

3

Psalm 11 [Morning PrayerDay I ]

of fasting. Two hundred psalm s, or th e fine of a

penny (a workm an’s day’s pay), were equiva lent for

each fast day. In th e earl ier Church the work ingpeople knew the p salm s so wel l that they were usedto chant and h um them in field, house, and street,j ust as they now use the far inferior hymns .

Psa lm 11.

Quare fremuerunt gentes ?I Why do the heathen so

furiously rage together : and

why do the people imagine a

vain th ing ?2 The k ings of the earth stand

up, and the rulers take counsel

together : against the Lord , andaga inst h is Anointed .

3 Let us break thei r bondsasunder : and cast away thei rcords from us .4 He that dwel leth in heaven

shal l laugh them to scorn : the

Lord shal l have them in

derision.

5 Then shal l he speak untothem in h is wra th : and vex

them in h is sore d ispleasure.

6 ! et have I set my King :upon my holy h il l of S ion.

7“ I w i l l preach the law,

whereof the Lord hath said unto

10 Be w ise now therefore, Oye k ings : be lea rned , ye thatare judges of the earth .

I I Serve the Lord in fear : andrejoice unto him w i th reverence.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he beangry, and so ye perish from the

right way : if h is wrath be

k indled (yea , but a l it tle)blessed are all they that puttheir trust in him .

Liturgica l use.—Proper Psalm for Easter Morning.

Latina— SundayMatins ; Ch ristmas ; Circum cisionGood Friday ; Easter ; Martyrs .Greeks— Saturday Vespers .This has been from the earliest tim es a psalm of

4

m e Thou art my Son, th is dayhave I begotten thee.

8 Desi re of m e,and I shal l

g ive thee the hea then for th ineinheri tance and the utmostparts of the earth for thypossession.

9“ Thou shal t bruise them

w i th a rod of i ron : and breakthem in p ieces l ike a potter’svessel

Morning Prayer] Psalm i i . [Day 1

good heart in hard tim es . When the ApostlesSt . Peter and St . John had drawn upon them selvesthe threats of Jewish persecution by their use of thatm iracle done on the lam e m an at th e Beautiful Gate,they heartened th e little Church (Acts v. 23—3 1) bychanting thi s p salm . I t was sung by th e Jews at

th e siege of Jerusalem . I t inspired m any m artyrs .St. Athanasius in th e fourth century used it as a

trumpet ca l l aga inst th e enem ies of the Faith . I tsumm oned th e nations to the First Crusade in 109 5 .

It was said in 1 1 8 8, by Papa l Order, for the l iberationof Jerusa lem . I t was a fa vourite psalm of Savonarolain th e fifteenth century, wh o used it on two greatoccasions when the fear of the French invasion wasupon Florence ; and aga in in 1496 , to ral ly th e

Republ ic when the plague,the Pi san War

, th e

death of Piero Capponi, and the Imperia l Leagueseem ed to ov erwhelm everything, when th e peop lewere “ furiously raging in streets, houses, shop s, andm ark ets against the prea cher and his fol lowers .With in one genera tion Luther found consolation in

th e bel ief that th e gathering of hostile princes and“ rage of our enem ies is not aim ed a t u s but at theLord and His Christ . Erasm us wrote a m editationupon it . I t was a constant source of com fort to piouspersons in the d istractions of the seventeenth century,and inspired th e op ponents of the trium phant Deismof the eighteenth century .

Verse 1 . A favourite royal i st text. The m otto forone of Van Mild ert

’

s Boyle Lectures . Thi s learnedBishop of Durham (1765—1836) was one of th e

founders of Durham University, and , whi le rectorof St . Mary-le-Bow

,traced th e opposition of th e

heathen to th e gospel from Pentecost to Constantine’ stim e .

Verse 4. With these words Sir Thomas Browne(1605—1682) confutes the vulgar error that our Lord

5

Day I] Psalm i i . [Morn ing Prayer

never laughed, nor need we be afraid to ascribe thatunto the incarnate Son wh ich som etim es is a scribedto the incarnate Father.”

Verse 6. I t was th e thought expressed in his serm on

upon th i s text—th e d iv ine order of k ings— thatcaused the good John Lak e (1624—1689 ) to becom e a

non-juror.Verse 7 . St . Pau l uses th i s verse in h is serm on at

Antioch to il lustrate his teach ing that th e Godhead of

Christ was part of h istori ca l Jewish teach ing. I t isused on th e sam e lines in the Ep istle to the Hebrews,and consequently was a Catholic m otto in the Arian,Socinian, and Deist Controvers ies . A lthough th e

words are usual ly applied to the birth of our Lord,

yet they are also reported in an early Christian trad ition to have been heard am id bright light at Hisbapti sm .

Verse 8 . A fam ous verse in m issionary annal s .Bishop Sm albrok e ( 1672 th e opponent of

Whiston and Wool ston, pleaded for th e Society forPropagating th e Gospel , from th is verse. So d id m anyothers (e.g. Bishop Barrington of Durham

,Wil liam

Jack son of Oxford). Consequently m any m issionstations owe their l ife to th is verse.

Verse 9 . Not only used in th e Revelation of St.John to the Church at Thyatira ; of th e ch ild of the

wom an clothed with th e sun ; and of h im who rode on

th e white horse ; but a constant answer of Churchm en

to those wh o a sserted that the Fa ith had no pol iticalside to it, and of Puritans to those who doubted theirright to govern th e nat ions .Verses 10—12. Baxter, preaching at Worcester

Cathedral before th e judges in 165 4, wished “ thateach m an present could

,when he forgot Christ

, see

written On th e wal l, Kiss th e Son, lest He be angry,and thou perish,

’

and on th e tester of his bed,as often

as he lay down in an unregenerate sta te.

6

Morning Prayer] Psalm i i i . [Day 1

Verse 1 1 . In 17 5 0 Thom a s Seeker(1693 thenBishop of Oxford and afterward s Archbishop of

Canterbury, preached h is celebrated earthquak eserm on

,wh ich a llayed th e very serious pan ic caused

by the earthquake in the March of that year, whenthousands encam ped in the park s. Th is was al so th em otto of Dr. Rennell

’

s thank sgiving for the v ictory of

the Nile,1 79 8 .

Psa lm iii.

A Psa lm ofDav id when he fled from Absalom h is son.

Dom ine, quid mul tiplica ti?

I Lord , how are they in

creased that trouble m e : m anyare they that rise against me.

2 Many one there be that sayof my soul : “ There is no hel pforh im in h is God .

3 But thou, O Lord , art my

defender : thou art my wor

sh ip,and the l ifter up of my

head .

4 I d id ca l l upon the Lordw i th my vo ice : and he heardm e out of h is holy h i l l .5 I la id me down and slept

,

and rose up again for the Lordsusta ined m e.

6 I w i l l not be afra id for tenthousands of the people : thathave set them selves aga inst me

round about .7 Up, Lord, and help me, O

my God : for thou sm i test allm ine enem ies upon th e cheekbone thou hast broken the teethof the ungodly .

8 Salvat ion belongeth untothe Lord : and thy blessing isupon thy people.

Liturgica l ase.—Second Mass , Easter Day

Latina— Sunday Matins Martyrs ; Daily Morn ingHymn in Mona steries .Greeks— Saturday Vespers .By reason of th e fury of th e Norsem en, Archbishop

Elph ege and th e Counc i l of Haba (eleventh century)ord ered that in al l churches , every day and a t each of

the hours of prayer, the whole congregation shouldprostrate them sel ves and s ing, Domine quid m allip licali

s'mzl .

Day 1 ] Psalm iv . [Morning Prayer

This was a lso one of th e psa lm s appointed to be sungafter th e defeat of the Spanish Arm ada beforethe extent of th e victory was ful ly real ised , and whenEngland was stil l nervous about those who had setthem selves against h er round abou t. I t was one of

th e psalm s of faith and com fort dwelt upon by Churchm en in the trying and tyrannical tim e between thefa l l of the Rum p Parl iam ent and the restoration of

the k ing.

So far from poetry tiring m e, because religious, Ican read, and I can say it seriously, th e hom ely versionof th e psalm s in our Prayer Book s, for an hour or twotogether som etim es, without sense ofweariness (CharlesLam b to Bernard Barton).Verse 1 . In 1 106 the unfortunate Emperor Henry

V I. h ad been forced to abd icate, to resign a ll hisposses sions, and to withdraw from the Mass Th e

Holy Child was born for al l sinners, but form e alone itseem s as if He had not been born . His very son

revol ted against h im ; and h e d id w inter penance forthe Pope, barefoot, in Aachen . He wrote a patheticletter to Hugh of Clugny

,hi s friend and godfather,

say ing how Dav id ’s words had been real ised in h im

Lord, how are they increased that trouble m e.

Verse 6. Bishop Bedel l (1 5 7 1 who d ied fromthe hardships h e endured in Ireland in the rebel lionof 1641, com forted his fel low-prisoners with th is verse .

Verse 8 . Th e Gael ic incantation cal led St . Patrick ’sbrea stplate ends with th e words of th is verse.

Psalm iv .

To the ch iefMus ician on Neg inoth , A Psalm ofDav id .

Cum invocarem .

I Hear me when I cal l , 0 hast set m e at liberty when IGod of my righteousness : thou was in t rouble ; have m ercy

Morning Prayer]

upon m e and hearken unto myprayer.2 O ye sons of men, how

long w i l l ye blaspheme m inehonour : and have such pleasurein vani ty, and seek afterleas ing ?3 Know th is also, tha t the

Lord hath chosen to h imselfthe m an that is godly : whenI cal l upon the Lo rd

,he w i l l

hear me.

Psalm iv . [Day I

5 Offer the sacrifice of righteousness : and put your t rust inthe Lord.

6 There be many that sayWho w i l l shew us any good ?7 Lord , l ift thou up : the

l ight of thy countenance uponus.8 Thou hast put gladness in

my hear t : s ince the t ime thatthei r corn

,and w ine, and oil

increased .

4 S tand in awe, and sin not

commune w i th your own hear t ,and in your chamber, and be

sti l l .

9 I w i l l lay me down in

peace, and take my rest : fori t is thou

,Lord

, only tha tm akest m e dwel l in safety.

Liturgical use.- Introit forth ird Sunday in Advent (e).

Latins.— Com pl ine and Easter Eve.

Greeks— Saturday Vespers,and late E vensong.

This is th e evening psalm of Christendom . A greatbody of devou t and hom i letic literature has gatheredround this psa lm

,particu larly am ong our people on

the fourth and s ixth verses. The Vulgate version of

th e form er is,Irascimini et uolite peccare qure dicitis in

cordibus vestris, cl in cubilibus vestris compuugimini. Thi swas expla ined comm only as, Be wroth (with yourselves)and sin not (further) ; say in your hearts Whateveryou say ; repent in your beds. The seventh verse i s,Signatum est super uos lumen vultus tui Domiue.

—Therei s stam ped on us th e l ight of Thy countenance, OLord . Th is verse was a text for Charlem agne in h i sstruggle against im ages in churches . His Capitulareon th e subj ect is a lm ost a series of serm ons, plead ingaga inst things which d im instead of reveal th e lightof God ’s countenance.

Verse 8 . St . Augustine,m ade glad by h is conversion

to the Catholic Faith,wi shed th e Manichaeans could9

Day I] Psalm V . [Morning Prayer

witness h is delight as h e read this psalm , and was

glad at com ,wine, oil, and a l l such th ings, as they

falsely thought to be Satan in solution, the work s notof God , but of the devil .Verse 9 . St . Gregory Naz ianz en tel ls a story of hi s

sister,St. Gorgonia, when she was dying : Her

father, m ark ing h er li p s a l ittle to m ove, put his earnear to (forhis v irtue and com passion m ade h im boldand hardy), and, listening, he heard it was a verse of

a psa lm which sh e m uttered , and such a verse as was

m ost agreeable to su ch as were departing,and in her

a testim ony wherewith she left th is l ife. And blessedbe that person wh o yieldeth up his life w ith thoseword s of hers, wh ich were these I wil l lay m e downin peace and tak e my rest for it is Thou , Lord , onlythat m ak est m e dwel l in safety. Thi s psalm

,u sed

by Christians every evening of their l ives, is natura llyand beautifu lly used la st in the evening of l ife .

Psa lm v .

To the chiefMus ician upon Neh i loth , A Psalm of David .

Verba mea auribus.

x Ponder my words, O Lordconsider my med i tat ion.

2 O hearken thou unto the

vo ice of my ca l l ing , my King,and my God : forunto thee wi l lI m ake my prayer .3 My voice shal t thou hearbet imes, O Lord : early in the

morning w i l l I d i rect my prayerunto thee, and w i l l look up.

4 For thou art the God thathast no pleasure in w ickedness : nei ther shal l any ev i ldwel l w i th thee.

5 Such as be fool ish sh a l lnot stand in thy sight : for thouhatest all them that workvani ty.

6 Thou shal t destroy themtha t speak leas ing : the Lordw i l l abhor bo th the bloodth i rstyand decei tful man.

7 But as for m e,I w i l l

come into th ine house, even

upon the mul t i tude of thymercy : and in thy fear w i l l Iworsh ip toward thy holy temple.

8 Lead m e, O Lord , in thy

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Day I ] Psalm v i, [Evening Prayer

the two fol low ing psalm s is Asterius, the fourth-centuryArian philosopher ; a Cappadocian whose learningSt. Jerom e so approved that he a l lowed h im a p laceam ong Church writers . Unfortunately Asteri ussacrificed to Caesar in th e Maxim ian pers ecution,

and

presum ed very insolently upon th e generous acknowledgm ent of h i s services .Verse 7 . St . Louis ix. ,

th e Saint-cru sader, wh o d ied25 th August 1270, sang in the night the French hymn,

Nous irons en Jerusa lem, and when he wok e at noon

repeated this verse, the last words h e ever spok e,dying shortly after on a bed of ashes .Th e practice of singing th e psalm s antiphonal ly

and adding th e Gloria at th e end of each one was

introduced by St . Sylvester, Bishop of Rom e (3 14—3 36)at th e tim e of Constantine . A century later Cassian,

a Bethlehem m onk , records thi s habit with som e

disl ik e, and says that it i s not to be found anywherein th e East . At first th e Greek and Eastern Churcheswere content w ith one Gloria at th e end of the la stpsalm , but gradua lly the newer d istinctive Chri stiansense of the Psa lter was fel t to need som e outwardexpres sion. Gloria declares th e u se of the p salm to be

m ore than m erely h i storica l or l iterary, and rules outentirely any unchristian m eanings of th e letter.

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psa lm vi .

To the ch iefMus ician, on Neginoth upon Shem inith , A Psalm

of Dav id .

Dom ine, ne in furore.

I O Lord, rebuke m e not Lord,for I am weak : 0 Lord ,

in th ine ind ignat ion nei ther heal me, for my bones are

chasten me in thy d ispleasure. vexed .

2 Have m ercy upon me, O 3 My soul also is sore

Evening Prayer]

t roub led : but , Lord , how longw i l t thou punish me ?

4 Turn thee, O Lord , and

del iver my soul : 0 save me forthy m ercy’s sake.

5 For in death no man

remembereth thee : and who

w i l l give thee thanks in the p i t ?6 I am weary ofmy groaning

every night wash I my bed

and water my couch w i th my

tears .

Psalm v i. [Day I

very t rouble : and worn awaybecause of all m ine enem ies.8 Away from m e

,all ye that

work vani ty : for the Lordha th heard the voice of my

weeping.

9 The Lord hath heard m y

pet it ion : the Lord w i l l receivemy p rayer .10 A l l m ine enem ies shal l beconfounded , and sore vexedthey shal l be turned back , and

7 My beauty is gone for put to shame suddenly.

Liturgical use.— First penitent ial psa lm and there

fore proper p salm for Ash Wednesday. Introit forAsh Wednesday Mass (e).Latina — Sunday Matins, and Vis itation of the

sick .

Greeks — Saturday Vespers .Th e penitential p salm s are v i . xxxn . , xxxv iii . , li . ,

c11. , cxxx.,and cxl iii.

The beautiful petition in our Litany, “ Rem em bernot , Lord, our offences for ever,

”was sung as an

antiphon before and after these psa lm s .By these seven p sa lm s has been expressed m ost of

th e lam entat ion,m ourning, woe, and hum iliation of

the Church . Fa st days and tim es of hum il iationhave always been the fitting season for their use.

Each one was considered to be an antidote to one

of th e seven deadly s ins, th is being Contra Iram , a

rem edy for wrath , and it was recited by m anybearded li p s in th e ages of wrath , and is stil l used bypious m odern m en against our tam er angers . St .Am brose, who loved sim p lic ity, severity, and restra in tin poetry

,had an especial love for th is psalm . Henry

11. sang it at h is penance for the wrathfu l m urder ofSt . Thom as of Canterbury, walk ing barefoot in the

I3

Day 1 ] Psalm v i. [Evening Prayer

rain from St . Dunstan’

s Church to the scene of th e

m artyrdom . Bishop Fisher, who had m uch delightedin th e seven p salm s and preached u pon them , at

length, before Princess Margaret, Henry vu .

’

s m other,was fortified and prepared for death by the sam epsalm s . Wil liam Hunnis

,Queen Eliz abeth ’ s chapel~

m aster, turned them into m etre under the title of“ Seven Sobs of a Sorrowful Soul forSin.

Th is was the favourite psa lm of Catharine deMed ici

,wife of Henry 11. of France, the authoress of

St. Bartholom ew,wh o in Eliz abeth ’s tim e tried to

hold the balance of power in France, playing eachparty against the rest in th e interests of law and

m oderation, and being in turn detested by each .

St . Gregory of Nyssa (fourth century), brother to St.Bas il the Great, div ided th e p sa lm s into five book s . Histheory was that these fi v e book s represent d ifferents tages of spiritua l learning. The whole treati se isconcluded by a m ed itation upon th is psalm ,

wh ichseem s to have been h is favourite .

Am ong the other comm entators upon th is psa lmare Anastas ius of Sinai, a recluse of th e seventhcentury and th e poet, sold ier, and d ivine, John Donne(1 5 73 - 163 1)Verse 1 . Domiue ue in furore tuo arguas me is the

m otto King Edward 111. chose for the florins of 1344.

He was then in great comm ercial d ifficu lties .Verses 2 and 3 are inserted in the pathetic journa l of

Jane Wel sh Carlyle at a tim e when sh e was

so il l and unhappy that “ sleep h as com e to look tom e th e h ighest virtue and the greatest happiness .Verse 4. Ca lvin’s usual expression when he was in

any trouble of m ind .

Verse 5 . A verse often used to deepen m en’s horror

of hell : but St . Cyprian gave it a plea santer turnwhen he m ade it a basi s for re-adm itting the la p sedto Communion against protests of the Novatian

I4

Evening Prayer] Psalm V l l Day I

Puritans . St . Boniface, Wilfrid of Cred iton (680a lso uses it in h is c i rcular letter to the Engli sha sk ing for help in the work of evangelising Germ any

,

rem ind ing them that help should be sent wh i le it isday . The letter was wel l responded to, and th isverse can thus claim to have effected m uch of our

eighth-century m issionary work .

Psa lm vn.

Sh igga ion ofDav id , wh ich he sang unto the Lord , concerningthe words ofCush the Benjam i te.

Dom ine , Deus m eus.

I O Lord my God , in theehave I put my trust : save m e

from all them tha t persecuteme, and del iver m e

2 Lest he devour my soul ,l ike a l ion, and tear i t in p ieceswh i le there is none to hel p.

3 O Lord my God , if I havedone any such th ing or if therebe any w ickedness in my hands4 If I have rewarded ev i l

unto him that dea l t friendlyw i th me : yea, I have del iveredh im that w i thout any cause ism ine enemy5 Then let m ine enemy per

secute my soul , and take m e

yea , let him t read my l ife downupon the ea rth , and lay m inehonour in the dust .6 S tand up, 0 Lord , in thy

wrath,

and l ift up thyself,because of the ind igna t ion of

m ine enem ies arise up for me

in the judgment that thou hastcommanded .

7 And so shal l the congregat ion of the people come aboutthee : for thei r sakes thereforel ift up thyself again.

8 The Lord shal l judge the

people g ive sentence w i th me,

O Lord accord ing to my righteousness, and accord ing to the

innocency tha t is in me.

9 0 let the w ickedness of

the ungodly come to an end

but guide thou the just .10 For the righteous God

t rieth the very hear ts and reins.I I My help cometh of God

who p reserveth them that aretrue of heart .1 2 God is a righteous Judge,

strong, and pat ient : and God

is provoked every day.

13 If a m an w i l l not turn, hew i l l whet h is sword : he hath

rs

Day I ]

bent h is bow,

and made i tready.14 He ha th prepa red forh im

the inst ruments of death : he

o rda ineth h is arrows against the

Psalm V i i . [Evening Prayer

d igged up a p i t : and is fa l lenh im self into the destruct ionthat he m ade foro ther .1 7 For h is t rava i l sha l l come

upon h is own head : and h ispersecutors . w ickedness shal l fal l on h is own

1 5 Behold , he travai leth pa te.

w i th m isch ief : he hath con 18 I w i l l g ive thanks untoceived sorrow, and brough t the Lord , accord ing to h isforth ungodl iness. righteousness and I w i l l pra ise

16 He hath graven and theName ofthe Lo rd mostHigh .

Liturgica l use.—No special use other than in th e

m onthly order.Latina— Matins on Sunday.

Greeks— Saturday at Vespers .Except for St . Basil the Great’ s comm entary, th i s

psalm has m et w ith com paratively little attentionamong the greatest Christian writers . Even celebrated serm ons upon it are rare, except perhapsupon the ninth verse, which was a text used byHa l l Bishop of Chester in h is fasting serm on on

the plague, 1666, and by Dr. Cooper's on theAm erican rebell ion,

1 776. Jewel and Beveridge havealso serm ons on th e eleventh verse. But it was a

favourite psa lm am ong th e Fifth Monarchy m en .

Sir Harry Vane (1613—1662) uses it in hi s Va lley ofJebosopliat, to support th e belief in an imm ed iatead vent of Christ and His Monarchy.

Verses 3 and 4 . St . Am brose com m ents on these versesas the chief Old Testam ent exam ple of the sp irit ofpatience, expressed in a way that both foresees and

antici pa tes the New Testam ent teach ing . He a lsosays that any one wi th h is five wits ought to blush ifhe does not end h is day with psalm ody

,for even the

tiniest birds m ark th e com ing both of night and daywith holy devoutness and sweet song.

Verse 12. Deus iudea: iustusfortis patiens i s the motto1 6

Evening Prayer] Psalm v i i i . [Day 1

chosen by Edward the B lack Prince for the coinsof 1 362.

Verse 16 . Th is i s Capgrave'

s comm entary upon th efate of King Richard 11.

Psa lm viii.

To the ch iefMus ician upon G i tt i th , A Psalm ofDav id .

Dom ine, Dom inus noster.1 O Lord our Governor, how

excel lent is thy Name in all the

world : thou that hast set thyglory above the heavens2 Out of the mouth of verybabes and suckl ings hast thouorda ined strength , because of

th ine enem ies that thou m ightest st il l the enemy, and the

avenger .3 For I w i l l consider thy

heavens,even the works of thy

fingers the m oon and the stars,wh ich thou hast ordained .

4 What is man, that thou art

m indful of h im and the son of

m an,tha t thouv is i test him ?

5 Thou madest him lowerthan the angel s : to crown himw i th glory and worsh ip.

6 Thou makest him to havedom inion of the works of thyhands : and thou hast put all

th ings in subject ion under h isfeet7 Al l sheep and oxen : yea ,

and the beasts of the field8 The fowls of the air, and

the fishes of the sea : and whatsoever walketh th rough the

paths of the seas .9 O Lord our Governor

how excel lent is thy Name in

al l the world I

Liturgica l use.—First p sa lm for Ascension Day at

Matins . Introit for

m orning (e).second Mas s on Christm as

Latina— Ascension Day ; Adul t Baptism ; Martyrs ;Our Lady ; Al l Sa ints and Trinity- tide.

Greeks — Saturday evening.

St. Paul uses thi s whole psalm in h is great resurrection pa ssage ( 1 Cor. the lesson which has beenread at th e buria l of our fathers since 1 5 49 , and befo rethen in the Dirges, and wh ich w il l probably be read

B 1 7

Day 1] Psalm v i i i . [Evening Prayer

over ourselves . Thi s passage was such a favourite of

Bishop Ken’s (163 7—17 1 1) that h is Greek Testam entopens to th is day at th is p lace ; and Bishop Berk eley(1685—17 5 3) was d iscoursing upon it to hi s fam ily,in Oxford, when h e d ied . Thom as Fuller (1608—166 1)cal ls this psalm a nocturnal , and says of it : “When Icannot sleep, m ay I w ith th is psa lm i st entertain m ywak ing with good thoughts ! Not to use them as

o p ium , to inv ite my corrup t nature to slum ber, butto bolt out bad thoughts, wh ich otherwi se wou ldpossess my sou l .

”

Verse 2. Quoted by Christ against th e Phariseesin defence of th e l ittle ch ildren . This verse a l sosecured to St . Martin of Tours th e election to thatbishopri c . Bishop Defensor despised th e sa int for hi sm ean and unk em pt appearance. At th e Mass th esub~deacon cam e in late, and could not find theEpi stle book , and so opened a Psalter and readthe psalm . At th e words, “ Stil l the enem y and

a venger ” the people all shouted to

gether and regarded th e words as an augury fromhea ven, and forthwith they elected Martin to th e

vacant see. Thi s verse al so a ccounts for tha t form of

exorc ism which endured for m any ages, and wh ichcast out devils by th e cries of l ittle ch i ldren. Marcion

,

th e heretic , explains that new—born infants utter theseven Greek vowels, a , e, e, i, o, u , 6 , wh ich signifythe seven heavens and consequently put dem ons toflight .Verse 5 is quoted by th e writer of th e Hebrews in

defence of our Lord ’s superio rity to th e angels (Heb .

i i . 6 G loria et lionore cum corcmastiDomine. Ph ilipHoward, Lord Arundel inscribed these words on the

m antelpiece in h is dungeon, June 1 5 8 7 . He addedIn memoria celerua erit iustus. He d ied in 1 5 9 7 , hav ingbeen kept a prisoner in the Tower for h is z ea l in the

Rom an Ca thol ic cause .

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Day 2]

1 5 The heathen are sunkdown in the p i t tha t they madein the same net wh ich they h idprivi ly

,is thei r foo t taken.

16 The Lord is known to

execute judgm ent : the ungodlyis trapped in the work of h isown hands.

1 7 The wicked shal l be tum ed

into hel l : and all the peoplethat forget God .

Psalm ix . [Morning Prayer

18 For the poor shall not

alway be forgotten : the pa t ientabid ing of the m eek shall not

perish for ever.19 Up , Lord , and let not

man have the upper hand : letthe heathen be judged in thys ight .20 Put them in fear, O Lord

tha t the heathen m ay knowthem selves to be but m en.

Latins — Sunday Matins .Greeks.

—Sunday m orning.

This and the next psalm are united in the Septuagint and Vulgate, wh ich causes th e confusion of two

num berings . This is th e first of the alphabeticalp salm s (though very im perfect). The others are

xxv. , xxxi v . , xxxv 111 . , cx1 . , cx11 . , cx1x . , and cxlv .

The proper psalm s, for King Charles th e Martyr a tMatins

,are ix. ,

x. ,and xi. on 3oth January.

Verse 5 . In one of St . Anthony’s serm ons there is a

ta le of h ow a huge phantom cam e and com p la inedthat h e, th e devil, was abused overm uch by monk s

,

and unj ustly, for that Christ had m ade h im weak,

rebuk ed and destroyed h im,that “ h is nam e was put

out, for th e whole world was being fil led w ithgospel . St. Anthony agreed that th e dev il hadspok en th e truth for once, and told h i s hearers thatunless we co-operate with th e devil , h e has no rea lpower over us, and that m any so- ca lled struggles withthe devil are but our own d isorders .Verse 10 . Dante quotes th i s verse to St . Jam es in

Paradise, and it i s al so th e foundation of m anyanc ient Col lects .Verse De Bérul le ( 15 7 5—1629) was stirred up

by th i s verse to found th e Oratorian Order . He was

a native of Champagne, alm oner to Henry IV. of

Psalm X. [Day 2Morning Prayer]

France,

and a cardinal . He brought HenriettaMaria to England for her ma rriage with KingCharles 1 .

Verse 12. Bishop Laud quoted this verse upon thescaffold on Tower H il l, l oth Janua ry 1644 . He readh is speech with unfaltering voice, clear eye, and faceso ruddy that h is enem ies fal sely declared that hehad pa inted it, so as to shew no fear. “ He pluck tdown Puritans and Property,

” says Fu l ler,

“ to buildup Pau l’ s and Pri vi lege.

” He was a m artyr to h isgrand sense of th e equal ity of m en before th e law.

Psalm x .

Ut quid , Dom ine ?

1 Why standest thou so far

off, 0 Lord : and h idest thyface in the needfu l t ime of

trouble ?2 The ungodly for h is own

lust doth persecute the poor :let them be taken in the craftyw i l iness that they have im agined .

3 For the ungod ly hath madeboast of h is own heart’s desi re :and speaketh good of the covetous, whom God abhorreth .

4 The ungodly is so proud ,that he careth not for God :

neither is God in all h isthough ts.5 His ways are always griev

ous : thy judgm ents are far

above out of h is sight, and

therefore defieth he all his

enemies

6 For he hath said in h isheart, Tush , I shal l never becast down : there sha l l no harmhappen unto me.

”

7 His m outh is full of cursing ,decei t, and fraud : under histongue is ungodl iness and vani ty .

8 He si tteth lurk ing in the

thiev ish corners of the st reetsand priv i ly in h is lurk ing densdoth he murder the innocent ;h is eyes are set against the

poor .9 Forhe l ieth wai t ing secretly,

even as a l ion lurketh he in hisden : that he may rav ish the

poor.1 0 He doth ravish the poor

when he getteth h im into h isnet.

1 1 He fal leth down, and

Day 2]

hum bleth h im self : that the

congregat ion of the poor may

fal l into the hands of h iscaptains.12 He ha th sa id in his heart ,Tush

, God hath forgot ten he

h ideth away h is face, and he

w i l l never see i t .”13 Arise, O Lord God , and

l ift up th ine hand : forget notthe poor .14 “therefore should the

w icked blaspheme God : wh i lehe doth say in h is heart , Tush

,

thou God carest not for i t.”1 5 Surely thou has t seen i t

for thou beholdest ungodl inessand wrong.

16 That

Psalm x.

thou mayest take

[Morning Prayer

the matter into th ine handthe poor comm i tteth h im selfunto thee ; for thou art the

hel per of the friendless .1 7 Break thou the power of

the ungodly and m al icioustake away h is ungodl iness

, and

thou shal t find none.

18 The Lord is King for everand ever : and the heathen are

perished out of the land .

19 Lord , thou hast heard thedesi re of the poor : thou pre

parest thei r hear t, and th ine ear

hearkeneth thereto20 To help the fatherless

and poor unto thei r r ight : thatthe m an of the earth be no moreexal ted aga inst them .

Latins —Part of Psa lm ix. Matins on Sunday.

Greeks— Sunday m orning.

The Medieva l Psalters were of two k inds, th e

l iturgica l arranged as service book s, w ith anti phons,prayers, canticles, calendar

,Creed

,Litany

,and

other passages , and the non- l iturgica l or privatePsalter. The form er contained these extra canticles—Confi tebor tibi (Isa . xii. 1 Ego diri (Isa . xxxv iii .10 Exa ltavit ( 1 Sam . i i . 1 Cantemus Domino

(Ex. xv. 1 Domine audivi (Hab . iii . 2

Audile cceli (Deut . xxxii . 1 and som etim es al sohymn s were added . Thus th e Psalter was a com p letebook of private devotion. It was d iv ided into eightsections or nocturns, that being th e num ber of

blessedness Ps. i.—xxvi . ; (2) xxvii .—xxxv iii . ; (3 )xxxix.

—lii . (4) l iii .—lxv iii . (5 ) lxix.—lxxx. (6) lxxxi .

xcvi i . ; (7) xcviii .—cix. ; (8) cx.—cl . This was one

noc tum for each d ay of the week and one section2 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm XI. [Day 2

spread over th e week . The initia l letter is larger inth e il lum inated MSS . of th e opening psalm of eachpart. The oldest English Psal ter is of the seventhcentury (B . Mus . MS . Ves p . A .

When the Reformation denied to th e people the

use of La tin, th e Psalter was a great m i ss . I t hadbeen rendered easy by the interlinear Engl ish

,and

was not by any m eans a sealed book to the laity.

The loss of th e Psalter m eant th e loss of all privatedevotion, and the people becam e secu larised . To

rem edy th is, and to counteract the popular ballads,th e dance songs of the people, m etrical psalm s wereput forth on all sides . Coverdale

’

s ghostly p salm sSterndale

’

s nineteen psa lm s in the m etre of“ Chevy Chase Sir Ph il ip Sidney, QueenEl izabeth , and others a ll tried their hands at whatwere cal led Bez a ’ s bal lets or Geneva gigs .Verse 20 . Th is verse inspired the great St. Hugh ,

Bishop of Lincoln, to defy Jordan of the Tower,who

had wronged two young orphans, and w ith m anyretainers threatened violence to al l who opposedh im .

Psa lm x i.

To the ch ief Mus ician, A Psalm ofDav id .

In Dom ino confido.

I In the Lord put I my t rust :how say ye then to my soul ,that she should flee as a birdunto the h i l l ?2 For 10 , the ungodly bend

thei r bow,and make ready thei r

arrows w i th in the quiver : thatthey may privi ly shoo t at themwh ich are true of heart .

3 Forthe foundat ions w i l l becast down : and wha t hath the

righteous done4 The Lord is in h is holy

tem ple : the Lord’s seat is inheaven.

5 His eyes cons ider the poorand h is eyel ids try the ch i ldrenofmen.

Day 2] Psalm x i i . [Evening Prayer

6 The Lord al loweth the storm and tem pest : th is shal lrighteous but the ungodly , and be thei r por t ion to d rink .

him that del ighteth in w icked ~ 8 For the r ighteous Lordness doth h is soul abhor. loveth righteousness h is count7 Upon the ungodly he shal l enance w i l l behold the th ingra in snares , fire, and brim stone, that is just .

Liturgica l use.— Introit to Mass of St. John th e

E vangelist (e) . Matins of King Charles w ith ix. and x.

Latins — Sunday Matins Matins of Martyrs .Greeks — Sunday m orning.

Thi s was regarded as a psalm to be sung againstheretics . Thi s i s probably why Mary Queen of Scotsrecited it at h er execution .

Verse 8 . Charles the Bad , King ofNavarre, preacheda lay

- serm on to th e Parisians from th is text in 13 5 7,after Poictiers. He stood on a k ind of platformouts ide St . Germ ain’ s Abbey, and spok e eloquentlyof th e woes and wrongs of France and of h i s desireto right them . The audience wept . He thus crep tinto the hearts of th e m en of Paris, who, underMarcel, favoured h im in the Civ ilWarwhich fol lowed .

Th e sam e verse a p pears in one of President Lincoln’santi- sla very m anifestos . Indeed this psa lm and thenext helped forward not a l ittle the anti- slaverym ovem ent in Am erica .

EVENING PRAYER

Psa lm xu .

To the ch iefMus ician upon Shem ini th , A Psalm of Dav id .

Salvum m e fac.

I Hel p m e, Lord , for there is 2 They talk of vani ty everynot one godly man left for the one w i th h is neighbour : they dofa ithful arem inished from am ong but flatter w i th thei r l ips

,and

the ch i ldren of men. d issemble in thei r double heart .24

Evening Prayer] Psalm x11 [Day 2

3 The Lord shal l root out alldecei tful l ips : and the tonguethat speaketh proud th ings ;4 Wh ich have said, “ W i th

our tongue w i l l we p revai l : weare they that ough t to speak ,who is lord over us ?”

5 Now for the com fort lesstroub les’ sake of the needy and

because of the deep s igh ing of

the poor,6 I w i l l up

,sai th the Lord

and w i l l help every one from

La tina— Sunday Matins.Greeks— Sunday m orning.

This i s th e psalm used by th e m odern Jews at

c ircum ci sion.

There i s an interesting old picture of this psa lm to

be found in the Utrecht Eadwine and Harley Psa lters .A num ber of m a im ed and ragged m en are singing it,and th e angel s with them . Christ is com ing out of

hea ven with a long crossed sp ear, wh ich h e presentsto ‘

st. Michael . He falls upon a j eering and arm edcrowd of knights, who are standing idle

,wh ile som e

labourers grind a m ill . At a forge th e words of theLord are being tried, and the ungodly are a lso goinground and round in a profitless circle (in circuita) .St . Thom as a Kem p is was so fond of th e Choir

Offices that h e was a lways the first to com e to th e

choir and th e last to leave it. Wh ile th e psalm s werebeing chaunted, h e m ade a specia l practice of standingvery upright, often on ti p toe, with h is eyes toward shea ven. He never leant against th e pillars orwal lsor supported h im self in any way. He hated to see

any one inattentive at thi s tim e. His own prayer isexpressiv e of h is actions in the m atter. When I amdull and laz y, during th e recita l of the Divine Office,

2 5

h im that swelleth against him,

and w i l l set h im at rest.”7 The words of the Lord are

pure words : even as the s i lver,

wh ich from the earth is t ried,

and purified seven t imes in the

fire.

8 Thou shal t keep them , 0

Lord : thou shal t preserve h imfrom th is generat ion forever .9 The ungodly walk on every

side when they are exal ted,the

ch i ld renofmenare put to rebuke.

Day 2] Psalm xl 1] [Evening Prayer

rouse m e by David’ s words ins pired by the HolyGhost, sung to the m usic of psa ltery and harp, and

disclose to m e the m anna wh ich underl ies the dryletter of the word s and the precious spices wh ich are

stored in a ca sk et of sm al l account. Many secretth ings, rightly hidden from th e laz y and ina ttenti ve,are plainly to be seen by h im who prays devoutlyand m editates thoughtfully. If at Matins I am laz y

,

pluck ine sm artly by the ear, that I m ay lose no

tim e in wak ing to hear what th e Lord would say to

m e in the Holy Scripture which is being read,and in

the hymn s and canticles wh ich are being sung ; thatso my heart m ay be l ifted up to m y God in heaven

,

and I m ay forget those things wh ich are being doneon earth .

Psa lm x iii.

TO the ch iefMusician, A Psalm ofDav id .

Usque quo, Dom ine?1 How long w i l t thou forget

me, O Lord , forever how longw i l t thou h ide thy face from me ?

2 How long shal l I seekcounsel in my soul , and be so

vexed in my hear t : how longshal l m ine enem ies triumphover m e

3 Consider, and hear me, OLord , my God : l ighten m ineeyes , that I sleep not in death .

4 Lest m ine enemy say, I

have preva i led against himfor if I be cast down, theythat trouble m e w i l l rejoiceat i t .5 But my t rust is in thy

mercy : and my hear t is joyfulin thy salvat ion.

6 I w i l l s ing of the Lord ,because he hath dea l t so

lov ingly w i th me : yea , I w i l lpra ise the Name of the Lordmost Highest .

Liturgica l use— Introit for first Sunday after Epiphany (e).Latins — Sunday at Mat in s.Greeks—Late evensong in Lent.

26

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Day 2] Psalm xiv . [Evening Prayer

Psalm x iv.

To the ch iefMus ician, A Psalm ofDav id .

1 D ixit insipiens.

1 The fool hath said in h isheart There is no God .

”

2 They are corrupt , and be

come abom inable in thei rdoings : there is none thatdoeth good , no not one.

3 The Lord looked downfrom heaven upon the ch i ldrenof men : to see if there wereany that would understand , andseek after God .

4 But they are all gone out

of the way, they are al togetherbecome abom inable : there isnone that doeth good , no not

one.

5 Thei r th roat is an Opensepulch re, w i th thei r tongueshave they deceived : the po isonof asps is under thei r l ips.6 Thei r mouth is full of

cursing and bitterness : thei rfeet are sw ift to shed b lood .

Latins— Sunday Matins .

7 Destruct ion and unhapp iness is in thei r ways, and the

way of peace have they not

known there is no fear of Godbefore thei r eyes.8 Have they no knowledge,

tha t they are all such workersof m isch ief : eat ing up my

people as i t were bread , and

cal l not upon the Lord ?9 There were they brough t in

great fear , even where no fea rwas for God is in the generat ion of the righteous.10 As for you, ye have m ade

a mock at the counsel of the

poor : because he putteth h ist rust in the Lord .

1 1 Who shal l give sa lvat ionunto Israel out of S ion ? Whenthe Lord turneth the capt iv i tyof h is people : then shal l Jacobrejoice, and Israel shal l be glad .

Greeks — Sunday m orning.

A psalm wh ich has greatly exercised th e critics.i s th e Jehov ist form of Eloh ist

,Psa lm liii .

I tBy som e

St . Pau l is said to have com posed it (in Rom . iii . 10,

but yet it is found in som e MSS . ofLXX. ,Vulgate,

Arabian, Syrian, and Coptic Psa lters . The word forfool here is nabal

,which m eans outworn, or decayed .

It is one of the four Hebrew words so translated ;28

Evening Prayer] Psalm xiv . [Day 2

the others m ean one eas ily persuaded , one languidthrough fat, and one twisted out of al l sense bypanic .

This psalm was one of Queen El izabeth ’s del ights,

probably it expressed h er view of the storm y and un

godly age in wh ich she l i ved, with prom ise of betterthings to com e. She turned it into verses, beginn ing,Fooles, that true fayth yet never had

,

”and end ing

w ith Prayse to God .

” As this was printed in 15 7 8

it i s easy to see that she m eant, by h er version of thesixth verse, h er Rom ish enem ies .

How can that cruel l sor t be good ,

Of God’s dere folcke whych suck e the blood ?”

Bacon quotes thi s psa lm in h is es say Of Atheism,

in the sense that th e fool “ rather sa ith it by roteto h im selfe as he that wou ld have, then that h e can

thoroughly beleeve it, or be persuaded of it.”—So th e

Meditationes Sac/re on th e sam e subject .There has probably never been in England so fierce

and widespread an outburst of a theism as that wh ichwas bred in th e anti-Puritan reaction of the Restorationtim e, and wh ich was the natura l outcom e of the d istracted state of religion . Many of the greatest scholarsof th e tim e chose th is psalm as the m otto for theira ssaults u pon thi s position . Am ong these was bra veThom a s Tenison ( 1636 who served thepeop le in th e p lague, attended Monm outh on thescaffold, confuted Hobbes, was one of the SevenBishops in th e Tower, who as Archbishop d id justice

,

and wh o was one of th e founders of th e S.P.G .

Others wereRobert South (1634—17 16),the public oratorof Oxford , a w ise and m odest wit ; Charles Lesl ie( 165 0 th e non-j uror op ponent of th e Wh igbishops and ofDefoe, and th e chap lain ofJam es StuartRichard Bentley ( 1662 the great classical scholar

29

Day 2] Psalm xiv . [ Evening Prayer

and critic, afterwards th e Master of Trinity Col lege,Cam bridge, wh o in 1692 del i vered th e Boyle Lectureson this psa lm on the confutation of atheism . Sam uelScattergood (1646—1696) and William Ta lbot (ob .

Bishop of Durham ,wrote from th e sam e. So d id

Thom a s Brett ( 1667 th e non-j uring bishop S .

Chandler (169 3 the Presbyterian writer ; LewisAtterbury (ob . father of Pope’ s Jacobite friendBishop Atterbury ; and a host of lesser m en of the

sam e period pleaded the sam e cau se .

Verse 1 1 . The captivity of Sion was the phraseused by the persecuted English Churchm en duringthe outlawry of th e Liturgy by Cromwell . JohnEvelyn went to church on Christm as Day 165 2, and

wrote : No m ore notice tak en of Christm as Day in

churches . I w ent to London,where Dr. Wild preach

’

d

the funeral serm on of Preach ing, this being th e la stday, after wh ich Crom wel l

’ s Proclam ation was to takeplace, that none of the Church of England should dareeither to preach or adm inister Sa cram ents, teacheschoole, etc .

,on paine of im prisonm ent or exile . So

th is was the m ournful lest d ay tha t in my l ife I had

scene, or the Church of England herselfe since the

Reform ation ; to the greate rejoicing both of Papis tand Presbyter. So pathetic was his d iscourse, tha t itdrew m any teares from th e aud itory. Myself

,w ife,

and som e of our fam ily receiv’

d th e Comm union ; God

m ak e m e thank fu l], who hath h itherto provided for us

the food of our soules a s wel l as bod ies ! Th e LordJesus pity our d istress

’

d Church , and bring back the

Capti v ity of Sion

Mo rning Prayer] Psalm xv . [Day 3

THE TH IRD DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm xv .

A Psa lm ofDav id .

Dom ine, quis habitabit ?1 Lord , who shal l dwel l in

thy tabernacle : or who shal lrest upon thy holy h i l l ?2 Even h e, that leadeth an nucorrupt l ife and doeth the th ingwh ich is righ t , and speaketh thet ruth from h is hea rt .3 He that hath used no

decei t in h is tongue, nor doneev i l to h is neighbour : and hathnot slandered h is neighbour.4 He that set teth not by him

self, but is lowly in h is own

eyes and maketh much of

them that fear the Lord .

5 He that sweareth unto h isneighbour, and d isappointeth

h im not : though i t were to h isown h indrance.

6 He that hath not g iven h ismoney upon usury : nor takenreward aga inst the innocent .7 Whoso doeth these th ings

shal l never fal l .Liturgica l use. Introit to third Sunday after

Epi phany (e) ; Ascension-day m orning.

Latins — Sunday Matins ; Easter Eve ; Matin s of

Martyrs Michaelm as ; Al l Sa ints, etc .

Greeks.—Sunday m orning.

Cal led th e gentlem an’s psalm ,

as describing thatcharacter. St . Basil th e Great wrote a graphic treatiseupon it, a hom ily against usurers wh ich gives a

l ively picture of the soc ial l ife of the fourth century,and th e vigorous way in wh ich the Church interferedin that l ife. From this can be seen the im portance ofthis psalm in th e long battle of th e Church againstu sury. Th e Counc i l of Cealchyth e, 7 8 5 A .D . ,

wh ich inKing O tfa ’

s reign forbade interest in England,cites

th is psalm and St . Augustine 's comm ent u pon it .The sam e pa ssage i s referred to by e very wri ter uponthe subject down to th e tim e of Jeremy Bentham ,

when th e protest against usury practica lly ceased , and3 1

Day 3] Psalm XV l. [Morning Prayer

th e im peria l civil isation begins again wh ich Renana ccused the Church of putting ba ck for a thousandyears . The whole question i s treated in th e lecturesof George Downam e (ob. the Cam bridgeProfessor of Logic, Chapla in to Jam es 1. and Bishopof Derry. One of th e la st book s wh ich Erasm uswrote was a Comm entary upon this psalmThi s was written a t Basie after th e m urder of h isfriends Fisher and More, and was cal led of the Purityof the Christian Church, and is m ore allegorical andmystic than m ost of th e work s of that writer. Threeyears before he had written an exposition of th e twentyth ird psalm a t th e request of the good Thom as Bulleyn(father of Anne), to whom th e work was dedicated .

Th e great w it and scholar thus returned at the lastto draw com fort and counsel from the Psalter.

Psa lm x vi.

Mich tam ofDav id (ora Golden Psalm ofDav id ).

Consen a m e,Dom ine.

6 The Lord h im self is theI Preserve m e, O God : for

in thee have I put my trust .2 O my soul , thou ha st said

unto the Lord : “ Thou art my

God , my goods are noth ingunto thee.

3 Al l my del ight is upon thesaints , that are in the earth and

upon such as excel in v i rtue.

”

4 But they that run afteranother god : shal l have greatt rouble.

5 Thei r drink -offerings of

blood Wl l l I not offer : nei thermake ment ion of thei r namesw i th in my l ips.

po rt ion of m ine inheri tance,and of my cup : thou shal tm a intain my lot.

7 The lot is fal len unto m e

in a fa i r ground : yea, I havea goodly heritage.

8 I w i l l thank the Lord forg iv ing m e wa rning : my reinsa lso chasten m e in the nightseason.

9 I have set God a lways before m e : for he is on my righthand , therefore I sha l l not fal l .

1 0 Wherefore my hear t wasglad, and my glory rejo iced

3 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm xv i. [Day 3

my flesh also shal l rest in 1 2 Thou shal t shew me the

hope. path of l ife ; in thy presence isI I For why ? thou shal t not the fulness of joy : and at thy

leave my soul in hel l : nei ther right hand there is pleasure forshal t thou suffer thy Holy One evermore.

to see corrupt ion.

Litw'

giea l use.- Introit forfirst Mas s

,Easter Day (e).

Latins — Sunday Matins Many Martyrs Visitationof s ick .

Greeks — Sunday m orning.

Pico della Mirandola (1463 one of the

brightest of the scholars of the Reviva l of Letters inIta ly, who was held in great reverence by th e OxfordReformers of 149 8 , wrote a comm entary on th is p salm

,

which is fu l l of the h Ope, unworldliness, and joy of thatnew young tim e . Sir Thom a s More transla ted it intoEngl i sh . This was th e p sa lm chaunted by HughM‘Kail

,a Genevan rebel m inister who endured th e

torture of the boot in th e tim e of Claverhouse.

Thoma s Da le ( 179 7 Dean of Rochester and

translator of Sophocles , wrote of thi s as the GoldenPsalm .

Verse. 7 . The Beaucham p fam ily have for theirm otto, Fortuna mea in bello campo, wh ich seem s to be

connected w ith thi s verse. But the Vulga te versioni sf zmes ceciderunt m ihi in prceclaris .

In 1464 poor King Henry V I . was comm ittedto th e Tower by th e York ists and shewn in h isdesolation and m enta l weakness to v isitors . Whenasked to j ustify h is “ usurpation,

h e would stillanswer with dignity that h is grandfather and h i sfather h ad worn the crown in peace, and h im self forforty years , receiving th e hom age of a ll England : so

I m ay say th e lot is fa llen unto m e in a fair ground ,yea, I have a goodly heritage and my hel p com ethof God who preserveth them that are true of heart.Verses 9 and 10 . When St . Oswa ld , Archbishop of

33

Day 3] Psalm xv i i . [Morning Prayer

York (ob . was a boy at a Benedict ine school h isstudies were m uch interrupted by a vision of a gloriou sform ,

who was in rea lity but th e Prince of Darkness ,and whose hatred of learning and sc ience is so oftenm anifested under th e m antle of rel igion . Th e boy at

last m ade th e holy sign, chaunted these two verses,overcam e th e tem ptation to false vision and idleness,and grew up learned, saintly, and an ornam ent to h isChurch and nation,

the second saint of h is nam e.

Verses 10 and 1 1 . St. Pau l (Acts preaching at

Antioch in Pisid ia, cites th is verse as part of th e

testimony of Dav id to the Resurrection.

Th e Septuagint, Vulgate, and English versions d ifferso radical ly w ith the Hebrew (which contains here no

thought of any future l ife) that not a few scholarshave accused the Jews of w ilfully corrupting theHebrewtext. Dr. Benjam in Kennicott (17 18the Radcl iffe Librarian of Oxford and expert uponHebrew m anuscripts

,held strongly that th is was th e

ca se. Dr. Prideaux ( 1648 the Orientalist,hel d

the sam e. But these opinions are not endorsed bym odern scholars ; the controversies are hushed, and

the boundles s hopes of the p salm as it stand s are

a llowed to be those of the Christian and not of th e

Jewish Church .

Psa lm xvii .

A Prayer of Dav id .

Exaud i,Dom ine.

I Hear the right , 0 Lord,eyes look upon the th ing that is

consider my com plaint and equal .hearken unto my prayer, that 3 Thou hast proved and v isi tedgoeth not out of feigned l ips. m ine heart in the night-season2 Let my sentence com e forth thou hast t ried m e

, and"shal t

from my presence and let th ine find no w ickedness in me forI

34

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Day 3] Psalm xv i i . [Morning Prayer

never be able to behold at all, unless sh e were first

m ade graciously righteous .Verse 5 .

Th i s verse cam e as a m essage to Will iamEwart G ladstone when h e introduced h is Hom e Ru leBil l to Parl iam ent .Verse 7 . Ca ptain Allen Gard iner left England in

1 8 5 0 on a m ission to Patagonia . After a year’ s

gallant effort h e and h is five com pan ions were starvedto death at Spanish Harbour , and th is verse was in h ism ind as he m ade h is last entry in h is d iary. Greatand m arvel lous are th e loving—k indnesses of m ygracious God unto m e. He h as preserved m e hitherto,and for four days, a lthough without any bodily food ,without any feel ing of hunger and th irst .Verse 8 . Custodi me ut pup illum oculi, the m otto

of Pope Anasta siu s iv. He was one of th e

opponents of Frederick Barbarossa, and was electedat th e death of St. Bernard, whose last entreaties forreform he inherited, bu t d id not surv i ve to execu te

,

even if h e h ad been m ade of th e stern stuff that wasrequired for that purpose. Th e m otto points ratherto a devou t and retiring char xacte1

Verse. 16 . A favourite quotation of_S

_

t. Bonaventu1a

( 1221 the Seraph ic doctor, and m ost learned of

the early Franc iscans . As a boy when s ick he wascured by S t. Franci s h im self. In h im Adam seem ednot to have s inn ed . He m ight ha ve been -Pope afterClem ent IV. but refused . St . Thom as Aquinas wasprofoundly influenced by thi s verse. He .

was onceask ed for a sight of th e book s whence his deep learning was derived , and shewed a cruc ifix ; hence h e,not inap prop r iately, i s known to u s ch iefly in h is hymn,

In th e Lord ’ s Atoning Grief.Th e verse h as been a great favourite w ith m any

m odern writers , am ong whom m ay be m entionedHenry More the Platonist and John Howe, Cromwel l ’s chaplain, Joseph Milner

,Charles Sim eon,

36

EVening Prayer] Psalm xv i ii. [Day 3

Archbishop Tait,and Ju l ius Hare. O f the last

,who

died on 6th May 18 5 5 , Dr. Whewell writes that he hadsuch a s pecia l del ight, that h e thank ed warm ly thosewh o read it to h im on h is death-bed .

“With thesesounds of glory ringing in hi s ears, he fel l into tha tsleep from which he was to awak e in th e l ikenessof Christ . So Tennyson ’ s shepherd at Freshwater ,when a sk ed if he knew anything of the good Shepherd

,

rep l ied : “ Fourscore years He has known m e, and itis wel l I shou ld know som eth ing of Him . Here 1

behold His face in righteousness,and when I wak e

up after His l ikeness,I shal l be satisfied .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm xviii .

To the ch iefMusician,A Psalm ofDav id , the servant of the Lord ,

who spake unto the Lord the words of th is song in the daythat the Lord del ivered h im from the hand of all h is enem ies ,and from the hand of Saul And he said ,

Diligam te, Dom ine.

I I w i l l love thee, O Lord ,my strength ; the Lord is mystony rock , and my defence :my Sav iour , my God , and my

m ight , in whom I w i l l t rust , mybuckler, the horn also of my

sa lvat ion, and my refuge.

2 I w i l l ca l l upon the Lord,

wh ich is worthy to be pra ised :

so shal l I be safe from m ineenem ies.3 The sorrows of death com

passed m e and the overflowings

ofungodl iness made m e afra id .

4 The pa ins of hel l cameabou t me : the snares of deathovertook m e.

5 In my t rouble I w i l l ca l lupon the Lord : and complainunto my God .

6 So shal l he hear my voiceout of h is holy tem ple : and mycom pla int shal l com e before h im ,

i t shal l enter even into h is ears.7 The earth trembled and

quaked : the very foundat ionsalso of the h i l ls shook , and wereremoved , because he was wroth .

3 7

Day 3]

8 There went a smoke out in

h is presence : and a consum ingfire out of h is mouth , so thatcoals were k indled at i t .9 He bowed the heavens also,

and came down : and i t wasdark under h is feet .

IO He rode upon the cherubim s

,and d id fly : h e cam e

fly ing upon the w ings of the

w ind .

1 1 He made darkness h issecret place : h is pav i l ion roundabout h im w i th dark water, andth ick clouds to cover h im .

1 2 A t the brightness of h ispresence h is c louds removed :ha i l -stones, and coal s of fire.

13 The Lord also thunderedout of heaven, and the Highestgave h is thunder : hai l -stones,and coals of fire.

14 He sent out h is arrows,and scattered them : he castforth l ightnings

,and destroyed

them .

15 The springs ofwaters wereseen

,and the foundat ions of the

round world were d iscovered , atthy ch id ing, O Lord : a t the

blasting of the breath of thy d ispleasure.

16 He shal l send down fromon h igh to fetch m e : and shal ltake m e out ofm any waters.17 He sha l l del iver m e from

my strongest enemy , and fromthem wh ich hate m e : for theyare too m ighty forme.

Psalm xv iii . [Evening Prayer

18 They prevented me in the

day ofmy t roub le but the Lordwas my upholder.

1 9 He brought me for th al sointo a place of l iberty he

brough t me for th , even becausehe had a favour unto m e.

20 The Lord shal l rewa rd me

after my r ighteous deal ing : accord ing to the cleanness of my

hands sha l l he recom pense m e.

2 1 Because I have kept theways of the Lo rd and have notforsaken my God , as the w ickeddoth .

22 For I have an eye unto all

h is laws : and w i l l not cast outh is comm andments from m e.

23 I was a lso uncor rupt beforeh im : and eschewed m ine own

w ickedness.24 Therefore shal l the Lordreward m e after my righteousdeal ing : and accord ing unto thecleanness of my hands in h is eyesigh t .25 VVith the holy thou shal t

be holy : and w i th a perfect m an

thou shal t be perfect .26 W i th the clean thou sha l t

be clean and w i th the frowardthou shal t learn frowardness .27 For thou sha l t save the

people tha t are in adversi ty and

shal t bring down the h igh looksof th e proud .

28 Thou also shal t l igh t mycandle the Lord my God shal lm ake my darkness to be l ight .

Evening Prayer]

29 For in thee I shal l d iscomfi t an host ofmen and w i th thehel p ofmy God I shal l leap overthe wal l .30 The way of God is an

undefiled way : the word of

the Lord also is tried in the

fire ; he is the defender of a ll

them tha t put thei r t rust inh im .

3 1 For who is God , but th eLord orwho hath any strength ,except ourGod P32 I t is God , tha t g i rdeth

m e w i th strength of war: and

maketh my way perfec t.33 He m aketh my feet l ike

harts' feet : and set teth m e upon h igh .

34 He teacheth m ine hands tofight and m ine arms shal l breakeven a bow of steel .35 Thou hast g iven me the

defence of thy sa lvat ion : thyr igh t band al so sha l l ho ld me

up , and thy lov ing correctionshal l make me great.3 6 Thou shal t make room

enough under me for to go :

that my footsteps shal l not

sl ide.

37 I w i l l fol low upon m ineenem ies

,and overtake them :

nei ther w i l l I turn aga in t i l l Ihave destroyed them .

38 I w i l l sm i te them , thatthey shal l not be able to stand :but fal l under my feet .39 Thou hast g i rded me w i th

Psalm xv i i i . [Day 3

42 I w i l l beat them as smal las the dust before the w ind : Iwi l l cast them out as the clay inthe streets.43 Thou shal t del iver me from

the stnvmgs of the people and

thou shal t make m e the head of

the heathen.

44 A people whom I have notknown shal l serve me.

45 As soon as they hear ofm e

,they sha l l obey me : but

the strange ch i ldren shal l dissemble w i th m e.

46 The strange ch i ld ren shal lfai l : and be afraid out of thei rprisons.47 The Lord l iveth , and

blessed be my st rong hel per :

and pra ised be the God of mysalvat ion.

48 Even the God tha t seeththa t I be avenged and subdueththe people unto me.

49 I t is he that del ivereth mefrom my cruel enem ies, and

setteth me up above m ine adver

strength unto the ba ttle : thoushal t throw down m ine enem iesunder me.

40 Thou has t made m ineenem ies a lso to turn thei r backsupon m e : and I sha l l destroythem that ha te me.

4 1 They shal l cry, but thereshal l be none to help themyea, even unto the Lord shal lthey cry, but he sha l l not hearthem

Day 3] Psalm xv i i i . [Evening Prayer

saries : thou sha l t r id me from 5 1 G rea t prosperi ty giveth hethe w icked m an. unto h is King : and sheweth50 For th is cause w i l l I g ive lov ing-k indness unto David h is

thanks unto thee,O Lord, Ano inted , and unto h is seed for

among the Gent i les : and s ing evermore.

praises unto thy Name.

Latins— Sunday Ma tins .Greeks— Sunday m orning .

This p salm h as been largely used in England in

public fasts and thank sgi v ings for del i verance aftergreat peril s . John Dolben , the ca valier soldier, whorose to be Archbishop of York , used it in thank sgiving in 1666 at th e end of the great plague. It

was used for th e phantom Popish p lot of 167 8 ; for

the great storm of 1 704 ; th e plague of 1 721 whichfollowed the South Sea trouble ; for the earthquak eyear when Lisbon was destroyed ( 17 5 6) forth e battlesof Blenheim Ram il lies the Am ericanWar and on m any other occasions of a l ik ena ture.

I t has been a favourite psa lm with poets and

m ystics .Verse 10 . Kirke Wh ite (178 5—1806) challenged any

other translator to excel Sternhold and Hopk ins ’

spirited rendering of these words

On ch erubs and On cherubim sFul l royal ly he rode,

And on the w ings of m ighty w indsCame flying al l abroad.

Shak espeare was think ing of thi s pa ssage in

MacbethPi ty, l ike a new~bom naked babeS trid ing the blast , or heaven’s cherubin,

horsedUpon the s ightless couriers of the air,

Shal l blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shal l d rown the w ind .

”

40

Evening Prayer] Psalm xv i i i . [Day 3

He h as several other al lusions to th is psalm and

often recurs to it, e.g.

0 war! thou son of hel l ,Whom angry heavens do m ake thei r m inister,Th row in the froz en bosom s of our par tHot coal s of vengeance.

”

Verse 1 1 . A stronghold of the m ystics, who all

agree in finding God in th e Di v ine darkness, whetherl ik e Clem ent of Alexandria they expla in it as the

h idden and dark wisdom of His intim ates,or w ith

St. Augustine as th e darkness of sacram ents and thehope h idden in the hearts of the fa ithful . EvenTheodore ofMopsuestia, the leader of l itera l interpretations

, is a m ystic here “ See now,says Mol inos

“ if darkness be not to be esteem ed and em braced .

John Norris (165 7—17 1 1) wrote thu s

Tho’ L igh t and Glory be th

’ A lm ighty’s th rone,Da rkness is His Pav i l ion.

Verses 13 and 14. Bede relates that St. Chad usedto rem ain prostrate in church in prayer during grea tga les and storm s

,gi v ing these verses as his reason .

He was a Northum brian, trained in Ireland , and firstbishop and founder of Lichfield . He died of theplague in 672.

Verse 29 . By the help of God and your hol iness,wrote Mary Queen of Scots to the Pope, I shal l leapover th e wal l

,

”— m eaning English opposition to the

autocracy of the Rom an pont iff ; but th e gallant ladylost h er l ife in th e leap.

Verse 39 . In 5 07 A .O . ,Clovis, King of th e Frank s,

sent to the tom b of St . Martin at Tours to inquireof God concerning his confl ict w ith Alaric . As them essengers entered th e holy p la ce they heard the

m onk s chaun ting th is verse, and they took th e word sas an om en of a v ictory wh ich indeed cam e to pass .

4 1

Psalm xix , [Morning PrayerDay 4]

Verse 49 .Am ong th e m any noble figures of th e

Restoration i s Gilbert Sheldon ( 15 9 8 the

devoted chap lain of King Charles 1. After m anysufferings h e saw his old m aster’s son restored , and

first wel com ed h im w ith a serm on from thi s text . He

was m ade Bishop of London and Master of th e Savoy,and in h is lodgings th e Savoy Conference took p lace.

He protected the Separatists, rem a ined at h is postthrough th e p lague, and largely helped to rebuild St .Paul ’s after th e fire . When Chancellor of Oxford h ebuilt th e Sheldonian Theatre, and d ied Archbishop of

Canterbury .

THE FOURTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm x ix .

To the chiefMusician, A Psa lm ofDav id .

Cael i enarrant.1 The heavens declare the and runneth about unto the end

glory of God : and the firma

ment sheweth h is handy-work .

2 One day tel leth another :and one night certifieth another.3 There is nei ther speech nor

language : but thei r vo ices are

heard among them .

4 Thei r sound is gone out intoall lands : and thei r words intothe ends of the world .

5 In them hath he set a tabernaele for the sun wh ich comethforth as a bridegroom out of

h is chamber,

and rejoiceth as

a g iant to run h is course.

6 I t goeth forth from the

uttermost part of the heaven,

of i t again and there is noth ingh id from the hea t thereof.7 The law of the Lord is an

undefiled law, conver ting the

soul : the testimony of the Lordis sure

,and g iveth w isdom unto

the s imple.

8 The statutes of the Lordare right, and rejo ice the hear tthe comm andment of the Lordis pure, and g iveth l ight untothe eyes.9 The fear of th e Lord isclean, and endureth for everthe judgem ents of the Lord are

true, and righteous a l together.10 More to be des i red are

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Psalm xix . [Morning Prayer

Engli sh schoolm aster to teach science,saw in it

a union of science and religion. I t h as been a

favourite p salm with th e poets Milton, Addi son,

Thom son, Wordsworth and many others have cited itin their poem s . Spenser al ludes to it

Phoebus fresh as bridegroom to h is m ateCame dancing forth , shak ing h is dewy hai r.

Shak espeare so loved it,that h e re-echoes it in

m any pa ssages“See how the morning opens her go lden gates,And takes her farewel l of the glorious sun !How wel l resembles i t the pride of youth

,

Trimmed l ike a younker, prancing to h is love.

AndThe glorious sun

S tays in h is course and plays the alchem ist ;Turning w i th splendour of h is precious eye

The m eagre cloddy earth to gl i ttering gold .

And th is with an echo of th e third verseLook , how the floor of heaven

I s th ick inlaid w i th pat ines of brigh t gold ;There’s not the sma l lest orb wh ich thou behold ’

st

But in h is m ot ion l ike an angel s ings,

S t i l l qui ring to the young-ey’d cherubinsSuch harmony is in immortal soulsBut , wh i lst th is muddy vesture of decayDoth grossly close us in

,we cannot hear i t .”

Verse 1 . Th is i s a comm on d ia l m otto, Cre li

enarrant gloriam Dei et operationem manuum ejusanmmciat

Qfirmamentum .

Verse 2 is a lso a d ial m otto, D ies D iem doeet—D iscee.g. at Barniston Church

,York s . No.1: noeli ind ica l

scientiam is the sub-title of th e best poem of WilliamHabington (1605 “When I survey the bright

44

Morning Prayer] Psalm xix . [Day 4

celestial sphere . Castara, th e lady of h is poem s,was h is w ife, Lucy Herbert, daughter of Wil liamfirst baron Powis .Verse 3 . The Belgian Bel l Founder, Hem ony, of

th e sixteenth century, used to inscribe this legendu pon hi s bel ls

,Non szm t loquela

’

,neque sermones quorum

non a udim zl zu' w ees com m .

Archbisho p Tillotson and S . T . Coleridge del ightedin the teaching (ver. 1 1) that greatness and goodnessare not m eans but end s . Stevenson i s thought toha ve an echo of the psalm in h i s lines

To make th is earth our heri tageA cheerful and a changeful page ;God’s bright and intr icate dev iceOf days and seasons doth suffice.

Verse 4 . Justinianus of Genoa, in his polyglotPsalter of 1 5 62

,cannot resist enlarging u pon thi s

verse, In fi nes orbis Ierrce verba eorum,in prai se of h i s

fel low-coun trym an,Christopher Co lum bus, who, though

born of the m eanest of th e peop le, had d iscovered theends of th e world in Am erica . His digression is them ost interesting part of hi s book .

Verse 1 3 . From presum ptuous sins . Th i s doubtfu ltranslation of the Hebrew is one of the constantwitnesses to th e im perial influence of St . Augustine .

The LXX. and Vulgate ha ve foreign oral ien thingsbut the saint comm enting upon so shal l I be innocentfrom th e great offence,

” writes What offence are weto consider ? I m ay be quite wrong in what I say,but I w il l not h ide m y opinion. The great offence Ith ink is pride . Th is is what it m eans here and el sewhere by these words .” From thi s glos s th e wholeofWestern thought h as a bias in th is d irection.

Day 4] Psalm xx. [Morning Prayer

Psalm xx .

To the ch iefMusician, A Psa lm of Dav id .

Exaudiat te Dom inus.

1 The Lord hear thee in th e

day of trouble the Nam e of the

God ofJacob defend thee2 Send thee hel p from the

sanctuary : and strengthen theeout of Sion3 Remember all thy offerings

and accept thy burnt sacrifice4 G rant thee thy hea rt’s de

si re and fulfi l all thy m ind.5 We w i l l rejo ice in thy salva

t ion,and triumph in the Nam e

of the Lord ourGod the Lordperform all thy pet it ions.6 Now know I , that the Lord

Liturgical use— Introit

helpeth h is Anointed,and w i l l

hear h im from h is holy heaveneven w i th the wholesome

strength of h is right hand .

7 Som e put thei r t rust in

chariots, and some in horsesbut we w i l l remember the Nameof the Lord ourGod .

8 They are brought down,

and fa l len : but we are risen,and stand upright .9 Save, Lord , and hea r us,

0 King of heaven : when we

cal l upon thee.

for fifth Sunday afterEpi phany (e) ; King

’ s Access ion.

Latins— Sunday Matins ; Visitation of s ick .

Greeks— Sunday m orning ; Dawn in Lent .Because of th e sixth and ninth verses— the latter

of which would be better translated O Lord savethe King, as in LXX. and Vulgate— th is psalm has

s uppl ied the form in which th e Church a lways praysfor the chief ruler of th e State. I t is the bas is ofp rayers for the King, gives th e versicle and respondin the da ily office, and insp ired th e Na tiona l Anthem .

I t has constantly voiced th e feelings of nations loya lto their leaders, part icu larly in great crises in h istory.

I t was used in 1 5 94 and again in 15 9 8 as a publ icthank sgiv ing for Queen Elizabeth 's escape fromtwenty-six attem pts m ade upon h er l ife . I t was u sedin thank sgi v ing after the battle of Blenheim in 1704,on the accession of all our k ings since Charles for

46

Morning Prayer] Psalm xx . [Day 4

the volunteer m ovem ent of 1 79 8 . I t was sung a t

the thank sgi v ing for “Waterloo, when the Frencheagles were deposited in the Chapel Roya l , Wh iteha ll,and Bishop Howley ( 1766 afterward s archbishop

,preached upon the fifth and sixth verses .

Th is patriotic use of the psalm is not of coursepecu l iar to our people or to m odern tim es . WhenConstantinople was the bulwark of Christendomagainst the Mah omedans, and Charlem agne was

grappl ing w ith th e Moors in the n inth century,

thi s psalm s tirred up the enthusiasm for the defence.

Michael Balbus gave the peop le of Constantinoplethe seventh verse as their m otto, and successful lydefended them . From that tim e until the dreadfu ld i sa ster of 29 th May 145 3 , when th e infidels ga inedthe capita l

,the psalm was as prom inent in the

Eastern Empire as it i s in our own h istory.

The sam e verse has done duty in m any sp iritua land l itera l battles . Hilarion (29 1 founder of

the m onastic l ife in Pa lestine, whose bones lie buriedin Cyprus

,was m u ch assa iled by th e m al ice and m is

trust of Satan, and repel led h im with this weapon.

He taught the use of it to h is contem porary and

pup il St. Anthony of the desert (25 1 who onlytwice left h is desert retreat, where h is austere l ife borew itness for a century against the luxury of c iv ilisation.

St . Patrick with the sam e words defied th e k ingsof th e old religions, when, at the sacrifice of Tara, hel it a fire for the Lord of lord s for the glory of the

Resurrection, before any of the pagan fires werek indled . A ldhelm th e Abbot (eleventh century)chaunted the sam e as he rode through the floodwaters of th e Tagus and sham ed the army of

Alphonso the Val iant into cross ing for the assaultupon the Moors . St. Woolos of Newport in Mon

m outh , when won from being a robber to becom e

a herm it, began h is new l ife with th i s sam e psalm .

4 7

Day 41 Psalm xx i . [Morning Prayer

Psa lm xx i.

To the ch iefMusician, A Psalm ofDav id .

Dom ine, in v irtute tun.

1 The King shal l rejoice in

thy strength , 0 Lord : exceeding glad shal l he be of thysa lvat ion.

2 Thou hast g iven him h isheart ’s des i re : and hast not

denied h im the request of h isl ips .3 For thou shal t prevent h imw i th the blessings of goodness :and shal t set a crown of puregold upon h is head .

4 He asked l ife of thee, and

thou gavest h im a long l ife :

even for ever and ever .5 His honour is great in thy

sa lvat ion glory and great worsh ip shal t thou lay upon him .

6 For thou shal t give him

everlast ing fel ici ty : and m akeh im glad w ith the joy of thycountenance.

7 And why ? because the

King putteth h is trust in the

Lord : and in the mercy of

Liturgica l u se — Ascension Day Matins ;Accession .

La tins — Sunday Matins

the m ost Highest he shal l notm iscarry.

8 A l l th ine enem ies sha l l feelthy hand : thy righ t hand shal lfind out them that hate thee.

9 Thou shal t make them l ikea fiery oven in t im e of thyw rath : the Lord shal l dest roythem in h is d ispleasure, and

the fire shal l consum e them .

10 Thei r frui t shal t thou roo tout of the earth : and thei rseed from among the ch i ld renofm en.

I I For they intended m is

ch iefaga inst thee : and im aginedsuch a dev ice as they are not

ab le to perform .

1 2 Therefore shal t thou putthem to fl igh t : and the str ingsof thy bow sha l t thou makeready aga inst the face of them .

13 Be thou exal ted , Lord , inth ine own strength : so w i l l wesing

,and pra ise thy power.

King’ s

Martyrs Ascension.

Greeks — Sunday m orn ing ; Dawn in Lent .This , l ike the last, is in use another psa lm of loya lty

and co-operation around a chosen leader. To the

pre-Reform at ion Churchm en th is use wou ld ha ve

appeared a lm ost profane, for to them the rejoicing48

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxi. [Day 4

was in the Incarnation ; th e heart’s desire was to eat

this Pa s sover ” ; the request, the peace “not as the

world giveth the crown, th e Apostles ; the l ife,that of th e Resu rrection and the joy and glory those atGo d’s right hand . But in 1 5 86

, when the Armada wasbeing prepared , it seem ed only natural to Englishm en

to have this psalm sung throughout the country “ for

the preservation of Her Majesty and the realm fromthe tra itorous and bloody practices of th e Pope and

hi s adherents . This angry language was provokedby the fact that even “ Catholike gentlewom en wereurged to im itate Jud ith and destroy Holofernes th eMaster Heretike— to wit, Queen Elizabeth . Sucha use, though less sublim e, perhaps, com es nearer tothe firs t intention of the poem .

“ David ’s l ife and

h istory, says Carlyle, “as written for u s in those

psalm s of h is, I consider to be the truest em blemever given of a m an

’s m oral progress and warfare herebelow. Al l earnes t soul s wi ll ever d iscern in it th estruggle of an earnest hum an sou l towards what i sgood and best. Struggle often baffled, sore baffled ,down as into entire wreck ; yet a struggle neverended ever w ith tears, repentance, true unconquerablepurpose, begun anew. Poor human nature I s not am an

’ s walk ing always that—a succession of fal ls P Man

can do no other. In th is w ild elem ent of a l ife hehas to struggle onwards ; now fa llen, deep-abased ;and ever w ith tears, repentance, with bleed ing hea rthe has to rise aga in, struggle again stil l onwards.Th is extract gi ves m uch of that poetry of litera linterpretation wh ich caused ourEnglish divines to useth e psalm for nationa l purposes.Verses 6 and 7 . Land

’

s text for the accession serm on

of King Jam es 1.Laud ( 1 5 7 3 then a young fel low of St . John’s

,

and Proctor, preached from these for th e acces sionof King Jam es 1. Th i s serm on was one of his first

D 49

Day 4] Psalm Xx i i . [Evening Prayer

prom inent actions wh ich brought h im into confl ictw ith the Vice-chancellor, George Abbot, on the

question of the Visible Church and Apostol ic Su ccess ion. Launcelot Andrews ( 15 5 5—1626) used th e sam epsalm for thank sgiv ing at the defeat of the GowrieCons p iracy in 1600. He was then prebendary of

St. Paul ’ s Ca thedral . So d id Archbishop Wil liamWak e ( 165 7—1 7 3 7) at the accession of George I .

when a restoration of th e Stuart Dynastyseem ed not im probable . Wak e was then Bishop of

Lincoln and was zealous for inter-comm union withthe Gal l ican Church , which h e had learnt to knowand love wh ile h e was chapla in to the em bassy inParis .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm x xn.

To the chiefMusician, upon A ijeleth Shahar, A Psalm ofDav id.

Deus, Deus meus.

I My God , my God , lookUpon me ; why hast thou forsaken me : and art so far frommy heal th , and from the wordsofmy complaint ?2 O my God , I cry in the

dayt ime, but thou hearest not :and in the nigh t -season al so Itake no rest .3 And thou continuest holy :

O thou worship of Israel .4 Our fathers hoped in thee :they trusted in thee, and thoud idst del iver them .

5 They cal led upon thee,

and were holpen : they put

thei r t rust in thee, and werenot confounded .

6 But as for me, I am a

worm , and no man : a veryscorn of m en

,and th e outcast

of the people.

7 A l l they that see m e laughm e to scorn : they shoot out

thei r l ips, and shake thei r heads,say ing ,8 “ He t rusted in God , that

he would del iver h im : let him

del iver h im , if he w i l l haveh im .

”

9 But thou art he tha t tookm e out of my m other’s womb

5 0

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Day 4] Psalm xxii . [Evening Prayer

ear th : have ea ten, and wor they shal l be counted unto the

sh ipped. Lord fora generat ion.

30 Al l they that go down 32 They shal l come, and

into the dust shal l kneel be the heavens shal l declare h isfore him : and no man hath righteousness unto a peoplequickened h is own soul . tha t shal l be born, whom the

3 1 My seed shal l serve h im : Lord hath made.

Liturgica l use—Good Friday Matins ; Introit forGood Friday Mass (e).Latins — Friday at Prim e Good Friday Ma tins .Greeks— Sunday m orning.

The great association of this psalm wh ich overpowersall others is that it was quoted by Christ upon the

cross . I t h as been suggested that our Lord repeatedthe Psalter from th is point to Psalm xxxi . 6, whenHe gav e up th e ghost. But thi s v iew is not heldby the Church

,because several of the intervening

psalm s have no l iturgical Passion use. The m inuteparticulars and exact a p p l icability of th e p sa lm to

the grea t Pa ssion have had two effects, to strengthenthe fa ith of bel ievers and to cause unbel ievers toquestion the h istoric narrat ives of the Pa ssion. Thispsalm h as therefore been from th e first a great sourceof strength to the Church in h er controvers y w ith theJews . Justin Martyr

. (second century), St. Cyprian(third century), and countless other writers u se it toprove that a crucified Messiah is pointed to in the

Old Testam ent tradi tions . On th e other hand, Marc ion,

the heretic (second century), expunged the d i v is ion of

th e garm ents from his v ersion of the Gospels, and m adeother a lterations because of th i s psalm . In th is h eh as had m any favourers in m odern tim es . The fact

that the p salm ends in trium ph caused i t to be usedfor the Easter Com m union in the African Church and

al so am ong th e Scottish Presbyterians, both hav ingregard to the explanation of St . Augustine . Som e of

h is comm ents areexceed ingly beautiful . ‘My vesture.

’

5 2

Evening Prayer] Psalm xx i i . [Day 4

There was there,says the evangelist, “

a coa t wovenfrom above

,that is from heaven woven by the Father,

that is by the Holy Ghost . What i s that coat bu tcharity, wh ich none m ay d iv ide ? \Vhat i s that coatbut unity. The garm ents are th e Sacram ents, theunicorns are the proud . Th e great congregation i sthe Church Trium phant. The psalm should be

Written on our foreheads to teach Donatu s, with hisparticular Redem ption, that all the ends of the worldshare in the ransom .

Richard Coeur de Lion h ad thi s psalm in h i s m indwhen he ordered out the crusaders to battle and

scarcely one-fifth a p peared . He knew h is crusadehad fa iled

,and cried out : “ My God , why ha st Thou

forsaken m e ? Oh,how unwil ling should I be to

forsake Thee in so forlorn and dreadful a positionwere I Thy Lord and Ad vocate

,as Thou art

urine.

Verses 2 and 3 . These were the dying m edi tationof Dr. Thom as Newton ( 1704 the art-lovingBishop of Bristol , wh o was the m outhpiece of Reynolds ,West, and other artists in their fruitless request tobe al lowed to decorate the interior of St. Paul ’s .Newton cam e under the lash of Dr. Johnson for hi speev ish censure upon the Lives of t/re Poe/s.

Verse 12. I t i s an instance of how long use of thepsalm s has m ade them unconsciously part of our

m enta l furniture that Shak espeare shou ld see noth ingstrange in m ak ing Anthony say

Oh that I wereUpon the h i l l of Basan, to out roarThe horned herd !”

A . and C. 111. xi.

Verse 21 . Th is verse evidently gave the Lion and

Unicorn to be the su pporters of the Royal Arm s . The

same verse was the subj ect of a serm on by Gilbert5 3

Day 4] Psalm xx i i i . [Evening Prayer

Burnet ( 1643 who p layed a great part in the

history of his t im e. He had been an opponent of

severe m easures in Scotland , was an interm ed iarybetween th e Court and the Presbyterians as k ing’scha p lain, rebuk ed Charles 11. for profligacy, rid icu ledTitus Oates , attended Lord Russel l on th e scaffold , andwas ej ected from h i s Rol ls Chaplaincy by Charles fora serm on on th is psalm . He was outlawed by Jam es,m ade Bishop of Sa lisbury under Wi ll iam

,was cha p lain

to Peter the Great, and wrote th e history of h i s ownt im es in Clerk enwel l at th e end of his l ife .

Verse 26. Edent pauperes et saturabz mtur et laudal mnt

Dominum qui requirunt eam . Gloria . This was a

m ediaeval grace upon fast days, th e object of a

fa st being not only to subdue th e flesh to th e s pirit,but to extend sym pathy and to show m ercy to thehungry poor.Verses 27 and 28 . Such a constant text for m i ss ion

ary serm ons that m uch of th e work of our greatsocieties m ay be said to ha v e begun here .

Psa lm xx ii i .A Psalm ofDav id .

Dom inus regit me.

1 The Lord is my shepherd : thou art w i th me ; thy rod and

therefore can I lack noth ing .

2 He shal l feed m e in a

green pasture : and lead me forthbeside the waters of comfort .3 He shal l conver t my soul :

and bring m e forth in the pathsof righteousness, for h is Nam e

’ssake.

4 ! ea, though I wa lk th roughthe val ley of the shadow of

death , I w i l l fear no ev i l : for

thy staff com fort m e.

5 Thou shal t prepare a tablebefore m e aga inst them thattrouble m e : thou hast anointedmy head w i th oil, and my cupshal l be ful l .6 But thy lov ing-k indness

and mercy shal l fol low m e all

the days of my l ife and I w i l ldwel l in the house of th e Lordforever .54

Evening Prayer] Psalm xx i i i . may 4

Liturgica l use.- Introit for Septuagesim a (e).

Latins—Thursday,Prim e.

Greeks—Sunday m orning ; Visitation of s ick ;Burial of priests .Th i s is a poet ’ s psalm . I t suggested to Da v id ’s

Son and Lord His m ost tender m etaphor,

and so

to the re st of th e New Testam ent writers m uch of th e

im agery of their pages for exam p le,the writer to th e

Hebrews on the grea t Shepherd of the sheep , and St .John th e Di v ine w ith the Lam b that “ shal l lead u sto l i ving waters.” From these it passed into Christianart from th e young s trong shepherds of th e Catacom bs ,to the sym bols of the Agnus Dei on th e latest a ltars

,

to the newest of bishop’ s crook s, and into Christianl iterature from the early Shepherd down to the

ch ildren’ s hym ns . Mos t peop le learn it, with theLord ’s prayer, at their m other’ s knees

,as Rusk in d id .

I t i s the first of th e seven Consolitorie psalm s, as SirRichard Baker ( 1 5 68- 1645 ) cal ls them (xxiii . , xxvii .,xxx. , xxxiv.

,lxxxi v .

,c iii . , and cxvi .) He had been

h igh sheriff of Oxford and Sir Henry Wotton’

s Oxfordfriend , yet h e wrote h is chronicle in the Fleet prisonfor debtors , where h e spent the last ten years of h isl ife

,and found th e consolation he Speak s about . I t

was the last utterance of Edward Irv ing who

repeated it in Hebrew.

Four wel l-known versions of th e p salm stand ou t

pre-em inent from the rest . George Herbert ’ s ( 1 5 9 3

163 3) version, “ The God of Love m y Shepherd is,was read by King Charles in prison

,and com es

in h is book The Temple. John Byrom (1692Jacobite, physician

,shorthand teacher, poet, and

m ystic , wrote th e version, “ The Lord i s my Shepherd ,His goodness my song.

” Joseph Add ison (1672th e Oxford scholar and prince of Engl ish essayists,p ubl ished in h is Spectator h is statel ier version,

“Th e

Lord my pa sture sha l l prepare.

” Sir Henry Will iam5 5

Day 51 Psalm xx iv . [Morning Prayer

Bak er ( 1821—18 7 of Trin ity Col lege, Cam bridge,and Vicar of Monk lands , th e prom oter and editorof Hymns Ancient and Modern, wrote “ Th e Kingof Love my Shepherd is,

”and d ied repeating th e

verse beginning Perverse and fool ish oft I strayed .

Two other m em orable versions are that of SirPhil ip Sidney and h is sister th e Countess of Pem

broke, and th e still m ore bold and poetic version byFrancis Davidson beginning, God , wh o the

universe doth hold in His fold . The a l lus ions toth e psa lm are too countless am ong th e poets evento summ arise .

The fourth verse, w ith its teach ing about death,

only th e umbra mortis, or shadow of death,”as Laud

said on the scaffold,has of course a h istory of its own

but it has never been used m ore nobly than by St .Francis of Assisi , wh o went alone, barefooted and

bareheaded, into th e cam p of th e Saracens,chaunting

it, although he knew that a price was set upon everyChri stian head . He w ished to con vert rather thancrusade against the Mahom edans. To the honour ofthe Moslem knights he was courteously received ,l istened to w ith patience, and sent hom e safely .

This inc ident has often been celebrated by th e

Italian painters .

THE F IFTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm xx iv.

A Psa lm of Dav id.

Dom ini est terra.

1 The earth is the Lord ’s,

2 For he ha th founded i tand all that therein is : the upon the seas : and p repared i tcom pass of the world , and they upon the floods .that dwel l therein. 3 Who shal l ascend into the

Morning Prayer] Psalm xx iv . may 5

h i l l of the Lord : or who shal lr ise up in h is holy place ?4 Even he tha t ha th clean

hands , and a pure hea rt : and

tha t hath not l ift up h is m indunto vani ty , nor sworn to de

ceive h is neighbour.5 He shal l receive the bless

ing. from the Lord : and

righteousness from the God of

h is salvat ion.

6 Th is is the generat ion of

them tha t seek him : even of

them that seek thy face, 0

Iacob.

Liturgica l use—Ascension Day, Evensong ; Introit

for Sexages ima (e).Latins — Monday

,Prim e Matins ofMartyrs Second

Matins,Easter E ve ; Trinity Sunday ; Ded ication of

a church ; Our Lady ; St . Michael ; A l l Sa ints ;Burial of ch ildren, at the church ; Church ing of

wom en.

Grecian- Sunday m orn ing Burial of pri ests.Th is psa lm i s the foundation of the old Chri stian

dram a of the Harrowing of Hell, wh ich is to be foundin the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Parliament of Devils,and in m any other anc ient and m ed izeval book s . Th e

story is, that on Good Friday, when th e spirits and

souls of the departed were keep ing watch in th e landof Darkness

,they saw a purple light in th e sky and

look ed at one another in surprise . David said, Did I

not say that th e Lord wasm y light ? And I sa iah, “Did1 not say, Arise, sh ine, for thy light is com e ?

”And

each great prophet who h ad foreseen that day joyful lyrem em bered h is old inspiration. But Satan in fearordered hi s com pany to m ak e fast the braz en gatesand to bar them with th e iron bars of cruelty . But

5 7

7 L ift up your heads, 0 ye

gates , and be ye l ift up, yeeverlast ing doors and the Kingof glory shal l come in.

8 “Who is the King of

glory : ” i t is the Lord st rongand m ighty, even the Lordm ighty in bat tle.

9 L ift up your heads, 0 ye

gates, and be ye l ift up, ye

ever last ing doors and the

King of glory shal l come in.

10“ Who is the King of

glory even the Lord of hosts ,he is the King of glory.

Day 51 Psalm xx iv . [Morning Prayer

th e ligh t grew stronger and Christ was seen with a

great com pany advancing to the rescue . And a ll th iswhite host shouted to l ift up the gates and let in the

King of glory. At th i s Satan and hi s m en repl ied inscorn Wh o i s the King of glory Then at th e lastthe bars were burst and th e bra z en gates brok en,

and

our Lord took poor sinfu l Adam by th e hand and

gave h im to th e tender care of the angels . In

a l lusion to this parable and poem th is psalm i s sungoutside th e Rood Screen on Palm Sunday

,before the

gates open for th e Mas s . There are al lus ions to th esam e in Handel ’ s Messiah and elsewhere. D ionysiu sth e Areopagite and others say that as Christ a scendedinto heaven each choi r and rank of th e angel schaunted to those above them in joyful wond er,Who i s th e King of glory ? Hence the AscensionDay use and the a llusion s to th e p salm in th e l iteratureof thi s sea son

, e.g. in the Venerable Bede’s hym n .

Bishop John Hack et ( 1 5 92 th e m unificent

benefactor to Trinity Col lege, Cam bridge, and restorerof Lichfield Cathedral

,used th is psalm and som e others

(xxiv. ,cii . , cxxii . , and cxxxii .) to reconsecrate th e

cathedra l after th e im pieties of the Comm onwealth ,and reconciled it from m uch bloodshed and confusion ,

according to piety and best antiquity.

Verses 3—5 . Th e m ystics ha ve one thing in com m on,

they had observed th e cond itions laid down once fora ll for the m ystic in Psa lm xxi v . (Inge).Verse 9 . On l oth Dec . 1 8 5 4, Archdeacon Hare

preached for th e la st tim e in h is l ife in th e cha pelof Lincoln ’ s Inn,

and “ left on those wh o heard th e

im p ression that they were l i stening to one whosevoice they were not likely to hear again .

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Day 51 Psalm xxv . [Morning Prayer

founded , for I have put my me : for my hope hath been int rust in thee. thee.

20 Let perfectness and 2 1 Del iver Israel , 0 God

righteous deal ing wa i t upon ~out of all h is t roubles .

Latins — Prim e, Tuesday .

Greeks—Monday m orning, th ird hour ; Late evensong in Lent.From the fifth verse of th is psalm th e second Sunday

in Lent i s cal led Reminiscere, the opening word of th e

Introit to the Ma ss,and from the fourteenth verse the

third Sunday in Lent i s cal led Oculi from a sim ilaru se .

Th i s gives the psalm a penitentia l association, and isprobably why Theodulf in the Capitula, and ArchbishopJElfric (ob. recomm ended it (w ith xxvi . and li . )to th e clergy for their pri vate prayers . The seventhverse— Dulcis ct rectus Dominus— in particular, and thewhole psa lm , seem to ha ve suggested the celebratedhymn

, Jesu, dulcz'

s memoria (Jesu, th e very thought ofThee), wh ich i s often attributed to St. Bernard .

Joinv ille notices that St . Louis of France (1226) wascrowned on Advent Sunday when th e Mass beganwith Ad te, levavi animam meam

,and wha t follows is

th is : Fair Sire God , I wi ll l ift up my sou l unto Thee,I put m y trust in Thee ; word s wh ich seem ed to

strik e the k eynote of the reign of that noble prince,pious Crusader and Defender of the poor : for he hadperfect trust in God

,e ven to h is death, for at th e

m om ent of h is dying, in h is last words, he invokedGod and h is saints , especially Monseigneur St . Jam esand Madam e Ste. Genev ieve.

On 1 1th May 1641,that noble gentlem an Thom a s

VVentworth , Lord Strafl‘

ord , was beheaded under a

cruel Act of Atta inder, to wh ich King Charles 1. con

sented in a forlorn hope of preventing further bloodshed . Strafford , the best and m ost m erciful governourof Ireland, wh o suppressed d isorder and piracy,

60

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxv i . [Day 5

established the l inen industry, and caused the Puritanland-grabbers to d isgorge their plunder, was accusedof proposing to bring Irish tr0 0 p s to quel l Englishrebel s . Had th e k ing acted upon h is advice he

wou ld have behaved both m ore m oderately in h i sdem ands and m ore resolutely in his defence of thosedem ands .This psalm was th e cordia l of Robert Mossom , one

of th e brave priests wh o carried on th e publ icserv ice of the Church even in London itself afterCromwel l had forbidden entirely the use of the

Prayer Book . Mossom was Vicar of St . Peter and

St. Pau l, London Warfe. He d ied Bishop of Derryin

Psalm xxvi .

A Psa lm ofDav id .

Jud ica me,Dom ine.

1 Be thou my judge, O Lo rd , 7 That I may shew the vo icefor I have wal ked innocent ly : of thanksg iv ing : and tel l of a llmy trust ha th been a lso in the

Lord , therefore shal l I not fal l .2 Exam ine m e, O Lord, and

prove m e : t ry out my reins andmy heart .3 For thy lov ing-k indness is

ever before m ine eyes : and Iw i l l walk in thy truth .

4 I have not dwel t w i th va inpersons : nei ther w i l l I havefel lowsh ip w ith the deceitful .5 I have hated the congrega

t ion of the w icked : and w i l lnot si t among the ungodly .

6 I w il l wash my hands ininnocency, O Lo rd and so w i l lI go to th ine altar

thy wondrous works.8 Lord, I have loved the

habi tat ion of thy house : and

the place where th ine honourdwel leth .

9 O shut not up my soul w i ththe s inners : nor my l ife w i ththe b loodth i rsty.

10 In whose hands is w ickedness : and thei r righ t hand isful l of gifts.

1 1 But as for me, I w i l l walkinnocent ly : O del iver me, and

be m erciful unto m e.

1 2 My foot standeth rightI

'

w i l l pra ise the Lord in the

congregat ions.6 1

Day 5] Psalm Xxv i . [Morning Prayer

Liturgical use— Introit forQuinquagesim a (e).Latins —Wednesday, Prim e.

Grecian— Monday m orning.

The cerem onial wa shing of th e priest’s fingers,after h e m akes th e oblations at th e Mass, is alwaysaccom panied by the latter half of th i s psa lm ,

and i scal led th e L avabo.

Our hands are washed with th e unseen water whenwe think holy thoughts about th e work s of God

,

and then a lone do we approach the heavenly a lta r,wh ich so far as we are unworthy we do not get near,a lthough God suffers us to do tem poral injury to hissacram ents .”

There has been a constant appeal to thi s p salmby those wh o love to see churches honourably and

worth ily cared for and decorated. Domine dilexi

decorem domus tuaz h as been a favourite m otto withm any great Ch ristians, am ong others Charlem agne,who took grea t interest in publ ic worship. Al thoughh e was a m aster at reading and psalm ing yet hewould not read a loud in Church

,nor sing in h i s

resonant voice, save w ith all the rest,

and in

obedience to th e precentor .” He was carefu l toexplain that decor-em d id not include statues . The

Abbot Turk etul (tenth century), who so largely bui ltCroyland, was another who was “ stim ulated by th isholy desire to undertak e this work at th e instiga tionof the Psalm ist and innum erable other builders whobeheld th e houses not m ade with hands ha ve writtentheir love in stone and m arble, without those giftswh ich St . Augustine expla ins to be alm s to purchaseth e pra ise of m en . Th e sects have used this p salmlargely to su p port their theories that the Church con

sists only of th e good and earnest, those who loveChrist and beha ve lik e Him . I t was th e sam e w iththe anc ient Montanists

,

“ that unpitying Phrygiansect,

”and th e Donatists

,wh o also appealed to th i s

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxv i i . [Day s

p sa lm, especial ly to th e fou rth verse

,for their ex

elusivenes s .Verse 1 1 . In imzoceutid med ingressas sum was the

m otto of tal l sta lwart Pope Innocent vm .

whose innocence was nom inal . He was th e ally of

Lo renzo dei Med ic i, and though h im self fleshly and

incom petent was used as an instrum ent of I tal ianpeace . Th e sam e m otto was a l so a favourite of h iscontem porary the platonis t Pico del la Mirandola, wh otried to reconcile w isdom and p iety against thegrowing m aterialism of th e Aristotel ians .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm xx vn.

A Psa lm ofDav id .

D om inus illum ina tio.

I The Lo rd is my l ight , and Lord all the days of my

my salvat ion ; whom then shal lI fear : the Lord is the strengthof my l ife ; of whom then shal lI be afra id ?2 When the w icked, even

m ine enem ies, and my foes,came upon m e to eat up my

flesh : they stumbled and fel l .3 Though an host of m en

were la id aga inst me, yet shal lnot my heart be afraid : and

though there rose up waraga instme, yet w i l l I put my t rust inhim .

4 One th ing have I desi redof the Lord , wh ich I w i l lrequi re even tha t I m ay

dwel l in the house of the

l ife, to behold the fa i r beautyof the Lord, and to v isi t h istemple.

5 For in the t ime of troubleh e shall h ide m e in his tabernacle : yea , in the secret placeof h is dwel l ing shal l he h ide m e,

and set me up upon a rock of

stone.

6 And now shal l h c l ift upm ine head : abovem ine enem iesround about me.

7 Therefore wi l l I offer in h isdwel l ing an oblat ion w i th greatgladness : I w il l s ing, and speakpraises unto the Lord .

8 Hearken unto my voice, 0Lord , when I cry unto thee :

Day 5] Psalm xxv i i . [Evening Prayer

have m ercy upon me, and hearm e.

9 My heart hath talked of

thee, Seek ye my face : Thyface

,Lord, w i l l I seek .

10 O h ide not thou thy facefrom me : nor cast thy servantaway in d ispleasure.

1 1 Thou hast been my

succour : leave m e not, nei therforsake m e

,O God of my

sa lvat ion.

1 2 When my father and my

mother forsake m e : the Lordtaketh me up .

13 Teach m e thy way, O

Liturgica l use.— Dirge (see Ps.

L atins — Monday Matins ; Good Friday Mat ins ;Easter Ev e .

Greeks— Monday m orn ing ; Visitation of th e s ick .

This psalm , Dav id ’s wonder song of “ th e strangeness of h i s sal vation, so far beyond al l that h i s enem ieslooked for, has caught the im agination of m en in

darkness and d ifiiculty and l ifted them to the des ireof w isdom that bringeth to a k ingdom . Espec ial lythe first, fourth , fifth , ninth , and fifteenth verses ha vebeen celebrated in use as texts for great serm ons bym en of al l schools . I t was a p salm wh ich fortifiedm any of th e saints against death (Peter Ba lsam ,

Magloire of Brittany, cheered St . Anselm(1033—1 109 ) in h is investiture exile . I t was a

fa vourite with Richard Pococke (1704 theOrienta l scholar and intrepid travel ler, who d iedBishop of Mea th . The verse (4) Uuam petiz a D omino

com forted the dying Bishop Hannington (1847wh o was speared by order of the King of Uganda .

Verse 1 . Th is is th e Restoration Motto of Oxford64

Lord : and lead me in the rightway, because ofm ine enem ies.14 Del iver me not over into

the w i l l of m ine adversariesfor there are false w itnessesrisen up against m e, and suchas speak w rong.

1 5 I should utterly havefainted : but tha t I bel ieveveri ly to see the goodness of

the Lord in the land of the

l iv ing.

16 O tarry thou the Lo rd’sleisure : be strong

,and he shal l

com for t th ine hear t ; and putthou thy trust in the Lord .

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxv i i i . [Day 5

University, no doubt a m otto that presents the wholepsalm of victory, joy, and pa tience.

Verse 12. This com forted Ma

'

ry Bosanquet, when at

th e age of twenty-two sh e was cast out of her father’ shouse forMethodism . She afterwards m arried JohnWil liam Fletcher of Madeley (1729Verse 1 5 . Credo videre bona Domini in ter mviventium

i s the antiphon for Dirges for the Dead, and conse

quently has been often used by those who are undersentence of death . Richard Reynolds, a m artyr forthe politica l autocracy of th e Pope, was executed a t

Tyburn (where now Connaught Square stands). He

repeated these word s for his last speech . Th e sam e

are not uncomm only to be found on old tom bs, e.g.

upon th e m arble tom b in Rochester of the wh item onk Bishop Lowe (ob . who kep t the lam p of

learning al ight in a dark and d isturbed tim e.

Verse 16. When poor King George 111. recovered in1789 from th e m adness wh ich was so cruelly treatedat that tim e, his dom estic chapla in, Bishop Porteous ,chose this text to com fort the unhappy k ing. He was

then Bishop of London and a low church leader, andan early patron of th e Church Missionary Society.

Psa lm xx viii .

A Psalm ofDav id .

Ad te, Dom ine.

1 Unto thee w i l l I cry, O'

my hands towards the mercyLord my strength : th ink no seat of thy holy temple.

scorn of me ; lest , if thou makeas though thou hea rest not, Ibecome l ike them that go downinto the p i t .2 Hear the voice of my

humble pet i t ions, when I cryunto thee : when I hold up

E

3 O pluck m e not away,

nei ther destroy me w i th the

ungodly and w icked doerswh ich speak friendly to thei rneighbours

,but imag ine m is

ch ief in thei r hearts.4 Reward them accord ing to

65

Day 51 Psalm xxv i i i . [Evening Prayer

thei r deeds : and accord ing to

the w ickedness of thei r own

invent ions .5 Recom pense them after the

work of thei r hands : pay themthat they have deserved .

6 Forthey regard not in thei rm ind the works of the Lord,nor the operat ion of h is hands :therefore shal l he break themdown, and not build them up.

7 Pra ised be the Lord : forh e hath heard the voice of my

humble pet i t ions.

Latins, —Monday Matins .Greeks. Monday m orning.

This psa lm ,though it has

,as a whole, less extended

use,has contributed two verses to th e Te Deum

laudamus, that great hymnsa id to have been com posedby St . Am brose and St . Augustine at the bap ti sm of

the latter in Milan, 3 86 A .D . The d ifference between“ Govern them and l ift them u p for ever ” and thi stenth verse feed them (due to th e LXX. shepherdthem ) i s less than ap pears at first

,for right rul ing

im plies food for the people and i s not narrowed intom ere pol ice work . Th e p salm verses in th e Te Deum

are 1 1,12, 14, 22, 23 , 27, 28 , and 29 , m ore than a

quarter of the whole hymn.

Verses 1 and 2 were regarded by A lbertus Magnus(1205—1280) as the type and m odel of al l prayer. He

was a Suabian by birth and ch ief of the Dom inicans,

and was so learned that it was said,

“ God had

never d ivulged so m any of His secrets to one of

His creatures, and consequently h e h ad practisedm agic .

Verse 8 . Edward th e Black Prince ( 13 30—1 3 76)chose for the silver coins h e struck in Guienne, to

66

8 The Lo rd is my strength ,and my sh iel d ; my heart hathtrusted in him , and I am helpedtherefore my hear t danceth forjoy, and in my song w i l l Ipra ise h im .

9 The Lord is my strengthand he is the wholesome defenceof h is Anointed .

10 O save thy people, and

give thy blessing unto th ineinher itance : feed them , and set

them up forever.

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Day 5] Psalm xx ix . [Evening Prayer

Th is psalm of rejoicing and reverence in storm and

thunder, because of its imm ense sim pl icity, has givengreat delight to those wh o lik e to find mysticalm eanings in every sincere poem . St. Basil vies withSt

.Augustin e in explanation of what is m eant by the

cedars, flam es, winds, and water—flood upon th e m ethodof worship taught, and th e sacram enta l sym bol ismim pl ied . The “ Lord inhabiting the water-flood of

baptism was an explanation which caused this psalmto be sung at the m ediaeval baptism s . I t was sung at

the chri stening of Clovi s and of JEthel (5 9 7) and at

al l the great baptism s in th e warfare of the Churchwith northern barbarism . The eighth verse gave thenam e and title to George Herbert’ s Sacred Poem sand Private Ejaculations, ca lled The Temple

He is referring to th is when he writes in the ChurchPorch

“ Though pr ivate prayer be a brave design! et publ ic hath more prom ises, more love.

Even Keble in h is Psal ter, although h e says in thepreface that “ a com bination of reserve with opennessis of the essence of poetry,

”in h is vers ion of th is

psalm ,does not seem to adm it the al legorical inter

pretations of earlier writers at all ; so far had th e

England of the earlier nineteenth century left th emystical m ethod of Christendom .

“We believe,

says Bishop Wi lliam Stubbs,

“ that the sam e Spiritwho taught the Hebrews to sing psa lm s, the wonderfull ife and app lication of whose truth two thousandyears of sin and repentance, hope, fa ith , and lovehave not exhau sted, has taught the Church of the

Redeem ed to interpret them .

”

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxx . [Day 6

THE S IXTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm xxx .

A Psa lm and Song at the Ded icat ion of the house ofDavid .

Exaltabo te , Dom ine.

1 I w il l magnify thee, O Lord ,forthou hast set meup and not

mademy foes to trium ph over me.

2 O Lord my God , I cried nuto thee : and thou hast healed me.

3 Thou, Lord , hast broughtmy soul out of hel l : thou hastkept my l ife from them that godown to the pi t.4 S ing praises unto the Lord ,

0 ye saints of h is and g ivethanks unto him for a remembrance of h is holiness.5 Forh is wrath endureth but

the twinkl ing of an eye, and in

h is pleasure is l ife : heav inessmay endure for a night , but joycometh in the morning .

6 And in my prosperi ty Isa id , I shal l never be removed :thou, Lord , of thy goodness hastmade my h i l l so st rong.

7 Thou d idst turn thy facefrom me : and I was troub led .

8 Then cried I unto thee, OLord : and gat me to my Lordright humbly.

9 Wha t profi t is there in my

blood : when I go down to the

p i t ?10 Shal l the dust g ive thanks

unto thee : or sha l l i t declarethy truth ?1 1 Hear, O Lo rd , and have

mercy upon m e : Lord , be thoumy hel per .12 Thou hast turned my

heav iness into joy : thou hastput off my sackcloth, and gi rdedme w ith gladness .13 Therefore shal l every good

man sing of thy praise w i thoutceasing : O my God , I w i l l g ivethanks unto thee forever.

Liturgical use—Dirge (see Ps.

Latins—Monday Matins ; Easter Eve.

Greeks—Monday m orning ; Mesorion of third hour.The m usica l psa lm s

,so cal led from their t itles

,are

xxx. ,xlviii . , lxvii . , lxv iii . , lxxxv., and xci i. I t was a

piou s and m odest use of thi s psalm to express Englishthank sgi ving after th e Crim ean War

, 18 5 6 ; and weprobably owe the choice to Archbishop Sumner

69

Psalm xxx i . [Morning Prayer

( 17 80 that m oderate Wh ig Archbishop. Thefifth verse ga ve to th e older comm entators th e thoughtof Easter and th e Resurrection, often a l luded to in

Latin Easter hymns .Francis Atterbury (1662 the Jacobite Bishop

of Rochester, who d ied in banishm ent in the serv iceof Charles Jam es Stuart, Dr. Thom as Arnold (179 5184 Charles Sim eon (1 7 5 9 and m any othershave publ ished noteworthy serm ons on th e s ixth and

seventh verses .Psalm xxx i .

To the ch iefMusician, A Psalm ofDav id .

In te, Dom ine, speravi.1 In thee, O Lord , have I

put my t rust : let m e never beput to confusion, del iver me in

thy righteousness.2 Bow down th ine ear to me :

make haste to del iver me.

3 And be thou my strongrock , and house of defence :

that thou mayest save me.

4 For thou art my strongrock , and my castle : be thoualso my guide, and lead me for

thy Nam e’s sake.

5 D raw me out of the net,

that they have laid priv i ly forme for thou art my strength .

6 Into thy hands I comm endmy spi ri t : for thou hast te

deemed me, O Lord , thou Godof truth .

7 I have hated them that hol dof superst i t ious vani t ies : and

my t rust hath been in the Lord .

8 I w i l l be glad,and rejo ice

in thy mercy : for thou hastcons idered my t rouble, and hastknown my soul in advers i ties.9 Thou hast not shut m e upinto the hand of the enemy : buthast

.

set my feet . in a large room .

10 Have mercy upon m e, OLord , for I am in trouble : and

m ine eye is consumed for veryheav iness yea , my soul and mybody .

1 1 For my l ife is waxen old

w i th heav iness : and my yearsw i th m ourning.

1 2 My strength fai leth me,

because of m ine iniqui ty : and

my bones are consumed .

1 3 I became a reproof amongall m ine enem ies, but especial lyam ong my neighbours and theyof m ine acquaintance wereafraid of m e ; and they thatd id see m e w i thout conveyedthem sel ves from me.

70

Morning Prayer]

14 I am clean forgotten, as adead man out of m ind : I am

becom e l ike a broken vessel .1 5 For I have heard the

blasphemy of the mul t i tude :

and fear is on every side, wh i lethey conspi re together againstm e, and take thei r counsel totake away my l ife.

16 But my hope hath beenin thee, O Lo rd : I have said ,Thou art my God .

1 7 My t im e is in thy hand ;del iver m e from the hand of

m ine enem ies : and from themtha t persecute me.

18 Shew thy servant the l ightof thy countenance : and savem e for thy m ercy’s sake.

19 Let me not be confounded ,O Lord , for I have cal led uponthee : let the ungodly be put toconfusion

,and be put to si lence

in the grave.

20 Let the ly ing l ips be putto si lence : wh ich cruel ly, d isdainfully ,

and desp itefully,speak

aga inst the righteous.2 1 0 how plent iful is thy

Psalm xxx i . [Day 6

goodness, wh ich thou hast laidup for them that fear thee and

that thou hast prepared for themthat put thei r trust in thee, evenbefore the sons ofmen22 Thou shal t h ide them

priv ily by th ine own presencefrom the provok ing of al l m en

thou shal t keep them sec ret lyin thy tabernacle from the strifeof tongues.23 Thanks be to the Lord

forhe ha th shewed me marvellous great k indness in a strongci ty.

24 And when I made haste, Isaid I am cast out of the sigh tof th ine eyes.25 Nevertheless, thouheardest

the voice of my prayer : when Icried unto thee.

26 0 love the Lord , all ye

h is saints : for the Lord pre

serveth them that are fai thful ,and plenteously rewardeth the

proud doer .2 7 Be strong , and he sha l l

establ ish your heart : all ye tha tput your trust in the Lord .

Latins—Monday Matins ; Daily Com pl ine (vers .

Greeks—Monday m orning ; Late evensong in Lent,Th e fact tha t this p salm contains our Lord ’s la st

words gi ves it the greatest prom inence in the m inds ofdying Christians . Th i s wou ld ha ve been stil l m oreuni versal , excep t that He inserted th e word Fa therbefore “ into thy hands I comm end my spirit, thusnot only enlarging th e thought of the pas sage, but

7 1

Day 6] Psalm xxx i . [Morning Prayer

reasserting th e point at issue between Him self and

His accusers . For centuries it was regarded as partof a holy death to m ak e th is act of comm endation,and the list of those who d id so passes the lim it evenof a summ ary . SS . Polycarp th e Martyr, Basil,Epiphanius, Nicholas, Martial

,and Va leria ; th e martyrs

at Limoges, Bernard and Catharine of Siena . Of

k ings,Arthur

,Charlem agne, St . Louis, our Henry v . ,

and Mary Queen of Scots ; Conradine, Northum berland

,Suffolk , and Essex on the scaffold ; Huss, Luther,

Melanchthon, Ridley, Knox, Bishop Jewel, Thom asCromwel l Colum bus, Ta sso, Silvio Pel lico, and GeorgeHerbert . The Rom anists

,John Houghton, Robert

Lawrence, Austin Webster, Cuthbert Ma ine, JohnNelson

,and Edm und Cam pion ; Eleanore d e Roye,

Princesse d e Condé , and countless others who wered i vided in t im e and life and aim

,but united in th i s

practical piety.

Th e whole p salm has suppl ied m any with food form ed itation in their last tim e. Savonarola wrote one

of his comm entaries u pon it,between hi s torture

and execution, 149 8 . S t . Francis Xa vier, th e heroicJesuit m issionary

,taken from the height of h is fam e

as an advocate and sent penni less to th e heathen,

d ied with the opening word s on h is l i ps,In te

,Dom ine,

syieravi non corgfundar in (sternum . He was bent on

reaching China,but only got as far a s th e i sland of

Sancian, where h e died on th e sand , leaning on h is

crucifix The m otto of th e House of S trathm ore is In te

,Domine, speravi, wh ich a lso is th e herald ic

m otto of the Lyons of Strathm ore ; and Esperance en

D ieu of th e Percies of Northum berland . Th e TeDeum

ends w ith the sam e cry. W ith som e it has been only acry of desire

,as with Sir John Harrington (1 5 61

the court ier of Elizabeth and friend of Essex.

“ Ihave spent my tim e, my fortune, and almost m yhonesty, to buy fal se hopes, fa l se friends, and shallow

7 2

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxx i i . [Day 6

praise. Oh that I could boa st with Chaunter Da v id,

In te, Domine, speravi

Verse 7 . Th is was th e text of Dr. Peter Smart(27th July 1628) in his a ssau lt upon Cosin’ s ritua l inDurham . He was deprived, fined, and im prisonedfor hi s offence, and th is was cal led in Parliam ent the“ Counter-Reform ation . He was restored by th e

Long Parl iam ent, took th e Covenant,and obta ined

m uch plundered preferm ent.Verse 22. Dean Stanley had a particular affection

for Charles Wesley’ s finest hymn on Cathol ic lovewhich was inspired by th is verse . I t begin s

Weary of all this wordy strife. I t is not in the

ord inary hym n book s .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm xxx h .

A Psalm ofDav id , Masch il (orA Psalm ofDav id givinginst ruct ion).Bea ti, quorum .

1 B lessed is he whose un

righteousness is forgiven : and

whose sin is covered .

2 B lessed is the man untowhom the Lord im puteth no

sin : and in whose spi ri t thereis no gu i le.

3 For while I held my

tongue : my bones consumedaway th rough my dai ly com

pla ining .

4 For thy hand is heavy uponme day and night : and my

moisture is l ike the drought insummer .

5 I w i l l acknowledge my sin

unto thee : and m ine unrighteousnesghave I not h id .

6 I said , I w i l l confess my sinsunto the Lord : and so thouforgavest the w ickedness of my

sin.

7 For th is shal l every one

that is g ‘ d ly make h is prayerunto thee, in a time when thoumayest be found : but in the

great water-floods they shal l notcome nigh him .

8 Thou art a place to h ide mein thou shal t preserve me from

Day 6 ] Psalm

trouble thou shal t com pass me

about w ith songs of del iverance.

9 I w i l l inform thee,

and

teach thee in the way whereinthou shal t go and I w i l l guidethee w i th m ine eye.

10 Be ye not l ike to horse and

mule, wh ich haveno understanding : whose mouths must be

xxxfi.

held w i th bit and bridle, lestthey fal l upon thee.

1 1 G rea t plagues rema in forthe ungodly but whoso puttethh is trust in the Lord , m ercyembraceth him on every s ide.

1 2 Be glad , O ye righteous,and rejoice in the Lord and be

joyful , all ye that are true of

heart .

[Evening Prayer

Liturgica l use—Ash Wednesday Matins ; Introit onfirst Sunday in Lent (e) Second penitential psalm .

Latins—Monday Matins ; All Saints’

Day ; Visitat ion of the sick .

Greeks— Monday m orning ; Mesorion of th ird hour ;After bapti sm .

The penitentia l psalm s are v i . , xxxii . , xxxv iii . , l i . ,c ii . , cxxx.

,cxliii . Th is one is the antidote to th e

d eadly sin of pride. St . Augustine ofHippo (3 5 4to whom m uch was forgiven

,used to repeat thi s p salm

weeping. He wrote it over hi s bed tha t h e m ight seei t first when he awok e . At th e end of h is l ife, duringthe siege of Hippo, h e h ad al l th e seven psalm s inscribed in four colum ns over h i s bed , and u sed to gaz eon them and weep as h e lay dying. I t i s comm onlyused as a preparatiofi for confession and for death, forwhich purposes St. Louis ix. (1270) rec ited it, and SirThom as More read it with h i s daughter (1 5 3 5 ) beforeh i s execut ion, for denying the Act of Suprem acy .

That i s also why Piers Ploughm an heard Hope blowh is born w ith it

,wh ich set all the sa ints in hea ven

a-sm ging.

Luther declared that th e best p salm s were the lastfour of th e penitentia l psalm s

,wh ich h e used to ca l l

th e Pau l ine psalm s .I saak Wa lton (1 5 9 3—168 3 ) hoped that h e should

attain to this guileles s spirit before h e d ied, a s p irit74

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Day 6] Psalm

song : sing pra ises lust i ly untoh im w i th a good courage.

4 For the word of the Lordis true : and all h is works are

fa ithful .5 He loveth righteousness and

judgement : the earth is ful l ofthe goodness of the Lord .

6 By the word of the Lordwere the heavens made : and

all the hosts of them by the

breath of h is mouth .

7 He gathereth the waters ofthe sea together, as i t wereupon an heap : and layeth upthe deep, as in a treasure-house.

8 Let al l.

the earth fear theLord : stand in awe of h im

,all

ye that dwel l in the wor ld .

9 For he spake, and i t wasdone : he commanded , and i tstood fast .10 The Lord bringeth the

counsel of the heathen to

nought and m aketh the

dev ices of the people to be of

none effect , and casteth out the

counsels of princes.1 1 The counsel of the Lord

shal l endure for ever : and the

thoughts of h is heart fromgenerat ion to generat ion.

1 2 B lessed are the people,whose God is the Lord jehovahand blessed are the folk

,that

Xxx i i i . [ Evening Prayer

he ha th chosen to h im to be h isinheri tance.

13 The Lord looked downfrom heaven, and beheld all thech i ldren of men : from the

habitat ion of h is dwel l ing he

considereth all them that dwel lon the earth .

14 He fash ioned all the heartsof them : and understandeth all

thei r works.15 There is no k ing that can

be saved by the mult i tude of

an host : nei ther is any m ightyman del ivered by much st rength.

16 A horse is counted but ava in th ing to save a man

nei ther shal l he del iver anyman

by h is great strength .

17 Beho ld , the eye of the

Lord is upon them tha t fearhim : and upon them tha t putthei r trust in h is mercy1 8 To del iver thei r soul from

death : and to feed them in the

t ime of dear th .

19 Our soul hath pat ient lytarried for the Lord : for he isourhelp , and our sh ield.

20 Forourheart sha l l rejo icein h im becausewe have hopedin h is holy Name.

2 1 Let thy merciful k indness ,O Lord, be upon us : l ike as

we do put our t rust in thee.

Liturgica l use— Introit ofWh it Sunday (e).

Latins—Monday Matins forMany Martyrs .Greeks—Monday m orning.

76

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxx iv . [Day 6

The Am ericans use th is for Trin ity Sunday. Themystic interpreters urged their hearers not to turntheir hearts to organa theatrica— stage tools— in readingth i s psa lm

,but to unders tand by th e cithara , Psaltery,

and decachord,th ings whol ly a llegorical . St . Augus

tine wi ll not even a llow the horse, of verse sixteen,to be other than worldly largeness ; and the waters of

the sea which are gathered into a bottle are the floodswhich threatened to overwhelm the m artyrs . In sp iteof this St . Gregory maintained the lawfulness of organs

,

and al lowed them to the west on the authority of thi sp sa lm

,and St. Thom as Aquinas refused to condem n

them . The mysterious decachord or instrum ent of tenstrings

,being unl ik e any earthly instrum ent and com

posed of the Div ine num ber three and the perfectnum ber seven,

kept th e im agination perpetual ly on thea lert

, and poss ibly resu lted in that series ofk eyed instrum ents of which th e pianoforte is the surviving type.

The v iols had six strings only, and th e lute with elev enhad fi ve dup l icates, so that it only had six pitches .The archlute h ad as m any as twenty-four, with elevendoubles, so that experim ents in that way did not

prove satisfactory. Th e decachor d is m entioned in

Psalm xcii. 3 and Psalm cxl iv. 9 .

Psa lm xxx iv.

A Psalm of David , when he changed his behav iour beforeAbimelech who drove h im away, and he departed .

Benedicam Dom ino.

1 I w i l l a lways g ive thanksunto the Lord : h is pra ise shal lever be in my m outh .

2 My soul sha l l make her

boast in the Lo rd : the humbleshal l bear thereof, and be

glad.

3 O pra ise the Lord w i th

me : and let us magnify h isName together.4 I sought the Lord and he

heard me : yea, he del iveredme out of all my fear .5 They had an eye unto him

and were l ightened : and thei rfaces were not ashamed .

7 7

Day 6] Psalm

6 Lo, the poor crieth , and :

the Lord heareth him yea , and

saveth h im out of all h istroubles.7 The angel of the Lord

ta rrieth round about them thatfear him : and del ivereth them .

8 O taste, and see, how

gracious the Lord is : b lessed isthe man that trusteth in h im .

9 0 fear the Lord , ye thatare h is sa ints for they that fearhim lack noth ing .

10 The lions do lack and

suffer hunger : but they whoseek the Lord shal l want no

manner of th ing that is good .

1 1 Come, ye ch i ldren, and

hearken unto m e : I w i l l teachyou the fear of the Lord.

12 Wha t man is he thatlusteth to l ive : and would fa insee good days ?13 Keep thy tongue from

ev i l : and thy l ips, that theyspeak no gui le.

14 Eschew ev il , and do

good : seek peace, and ensuei t .Latins— Monday Matins ;

Sa ints .

XXxiv . [Evening Prayer

1 5 The eyes of the Lord are

over the righteous and h is earsare open unto thei r prayers .

16 The countenance of the

Lord is aga inst them tha t doev i l : to root out the rem em

brance of them from the earth .

1 7 The righteous cry, and

the Lord heareth them : and

del ivereth them out of all thei rt roubles.

18 The Lord is nigh untothem that are of a cont riteheart : and w i l l save such as beof an humble sp i ri t .

19 Great are the t roubles of

the righteous : but the Lorddelivereth h im out of all .

20 He keepeth all his bonesso tha t not one of them isbroken.

2 1 But m isfortune shal l slaythe ungodly : and they thathate the righteous shal l be

desolate.

22 The Lord del ivereth the

souls of h is servants : and a ll

they that put thei r t rust in h imshal l not be dest i tute.

Many Martyrs Al l

Greels —Monday m orning.

Th i s h as been cal led th e inv ita tion p salm ,and since

the tim e of th e Apostol ical constitutions used as an

inv itation to th e Blessed Sacram ent . I t i s so recom

m ended by St . Cyril , St . Jerom e, and m any others,principal ly of course for th e eighth v erse.

Am ong th e Egyptian m artyrs,in th e wors t persecu

78

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxx iv [Day 6

tion,that of Diocletian,

was St. Theodore a bishop ,wh o wa s brought into Alexandria to be exam ined , andwas ordered to be scourged as a prel im inary . He

chaun ted th is p salm as th e blows fel l u pon h im Lo,th e poor crieth ,

”But before th e d isci p l ine was over

h e was sa ved out of al l h is troubles by dying under therods .Am ong the Christian m issionaries in the warfare with

th e Norsem en is St . Evrou l t, founder of th e Abbeyof Ouche (s ixth century), who with three m onk s penetrated into that forest to settle, and serve God . One of

the inhabitants, a robber, cam e and warned h im thatno one l i ved on that barren place excep t by p lunder.St . Evroult rep l ied with dignity that Alm ighty God

had brought them th ither not to usurp the place, but

to bewa il thei r sins, and that He wou ld prepare thema table, to wh ich th e robber m ight com e if he wouldeschew ev il else

,h e added

,th e sam e passage contains

a terrible threat . The robber,touched to the heart,

cam e next day w ith three cak es and a honeycom b,and

flung h im self a t St. Evroult ’s feet and prom ised to

am end hi s l ife. In th is h e was the fi rst of m anys im ilar brethren (see PS. xli.

Thi s psa lm i s as sociated w ith John,first Bishop of

Holar, in Iceland , who in a dream heard Dav id sing,

and reproduced the m usic on a harp to King Swegen .

He was th e friend of Saem und,the poet and co l

lector of th e Edda, and h e died 23rd April 1 121, s inging this p salm . As he had th is p salm in his m outh

,

and was u ttering these blessed words, h is saintly spiritleft his body and was borne by angel s to that joywh ich i s prepared by Alm ighty God , where he m aya lways giv e thank s unto Him ,

with other saints .Verse 3 . Magnificale Dominum mecum is a church

bel l m otto,e.g. on a 1709 bel l at Peterborough .

Verse 5 . When Bishop Fisher ascended th e scaffold( 15 3 5 ) the south-east sun sh ined very brightly upon

79

Day 6] Psalm xxx iv . [Evening Prayer

h im and h e was heard to say, Accedite ad eum et

illuminamini etfacies vestraanon confundentur.

Verse 10 . In 5 13 Caesarius, Bishop ofArles, had spenta ll h is revenues ransom ing cap tives and m a intain ingthose who could not find ransom . His steward pointedout one day that if th e cap ti ves were fed his barnwould be bare . Caesarius quoted this verse and orderedthe last gra in to be got ready for th e poor. Next daythree corn vessels cam e in from the King of Burgundyfor Caesarius

’

benefice.

St . Colum ba had a presentim ent of h is approaching end . On Sa turday, 8 th June 5 9 7 A .D . ,

he walkedout with som e of h is brethren at Iona and thank edGod

,as h e look ed in at th e granary, for th e corn

he h ad been able to lay up for th e winter. On

h is return he began to transcribe this psalm,but

com ing to the tenth verse, h e rem ark ed that h e m ightas wel l stop here .

“ Th e next words belong ratherto my successor than to m yself.” At the m idnightMatins h e was found on the a ltar step , dying indeed,but sm iling and blessing the brethren , and doubtles sseeing th e holy angels com ing to m eet h im . He wasthe son ofan Ulster ch ief, and had been a great bu ilderof churches .Nicholas Brady’s vers ion of th is psalm ,

“ Throughall the changing scenes of l ife, was written in 1696 .

Th e author ( 165 9—1726) was edu cated at Westm insterand Christchurch

,and was chap lain to Orm onde

’

s

Horse. He held l ivings at Richm ond,Stratford

,and

Clapham , and was a strong sup porter of th e House of

Orange. A contem porary of h is, Increase Mather of

Harvard, p ublished in 1696 a volum e cal led Angelographia (serm ons on ver. 7 . He was em p loyed to

gi ve the thank s of the colony to James 11. for h i sdeclaration of l iberty of conscience .

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxxv . [Day 7

THE SEVENTH DA!

MORNING PRAYER

Psalm xxxv.

A Psa lm ofDav id.

Jud ica, Dom ine.

r Plead thou my cause, 0Lo rd , w i th them that st rivew i th me and fight thou againstthem that fight against me.

2 Lay hand upon the sh ieldand buckler : and stand up to

help me.

3 Bring forth the spear, and

stop the way aga inst them thatpersecute me say unto my soul ,I am thy salvat ion.

4 Let them be confounded ,and put to shame, tha t seekafter my soul : let them be

turned back , and brought to

confusion, that imagine m isch iefforme.

5 Let them be as the dustbefore the w ind and the angelof the Lord sca ttering them .

6 Let thei r way be dark andsl ippery : and let the angel ofthe Lord persecute them .

7 For they have priv i ly laidthei r net to destroy me w i thouta cause : yea, even w ithout a

cause have they m ade a pi t formy soul .8 Let a sudden dest ruct ioncome upon h im unawares

,and

h is net, tha t he hath la id

priv i ly, catch h imself : that hemay fa l l into h is own m isch ief.9 And , my soul , be joyful in

the Lord : i t shal l rejoice in h issa l vat ion.

10 A l l my bones shal l say,

Lord, who is l ike unto,thee,

who deliverest the poor fromh im that is too strong for h imyea, the poor , and him that isinm isery, from h im that spoi lethhim P

1 1 Fa lse w i tnesses d id riseup : they laid to my chargeth ings that I knew not.

1 2 They rewarded m e evil forgood : to the grea t d iscomfor tof my soul .13 Nevertheless, when they

were s ick , I put on sackcloth ,and humbled my soul w i thfasting : and my prayer sha l lturn into m ine own bosom .

14 I behaved myselfas thoughi t had been my friend, or mybrother I went heav i ly

,as one

that mourneth forh is mother .1 5 But in m ine advers i ty theyrejoiced , and gathered themselves together : yea, the veryabjects cam e together against

F 8 1

Day 7] Psalm

m e unawares, mak ing month s

at me, and ceased not.16 W i th the flatterers werebusy mockers who gnashedupon me w i th thei r teeth .

1 7 Lord , how long w i l t thoulook upon th is : 0 del iver mysoul from the calam i t ies wh ichthey bring on me, and my

darl ing from the l ions.18 So w i l l I give thee thanks

in the great congregat ion : Iw i l l praise thee among muchpeople.

1 9 0 let not them that are

m ine enem ies t riumph over m e

ungodly : nei ther let them w inkw i th thei r eyes that hate m e

w i thout a cause.

20 And why ? thei r communing is not for peace : but theyimag ine decei tful words aga instthem that are quiet in the

land .

2 1 They gaped upon m e w i ththei r mouths, and said : Fie

on thee, fie on thee, we saw i tw ith oureyes.”22 This thou hast seen

,0

Lord : hold not thy tongue

Latins —Monday Ma tins .

xxxv . [Morning Prayer

then, go not far from m e, O

Lord .

23 Awake, and stand up to

judge my qua rrel avenge thoumy cause, my God

,and my

Lord .

24 judge m e, O Lord my

God , accord ing to thy righteousness and let them not trium phover me.

25 Let them not say in thei rhearts, There there

, so wouldwe have i t ” nei ther let themsay, We have devoured him .

”

26 Let them be put to con

fus ion and sham e together,tha t

rejoice at my troub le : let

them be clo thed w i th rebukeand d ishonour, that boast themsel ves aga inst m e.

27 Let them be glad and

rejoice, tha t favour my righteousdeal ing : yea , let them say

a lway,

“ B lessed be the Lord ,who ha th pleasure in the

prosperi ty of h is servant .”28 And as for my tongue, i t

shal l be ta lk ing of thy righteousness : and of thy praise all the

day long.

Greeks — Monday m orning .

This p salm i s a cry of a persecuted and insurgentpeop le. Hence i t was th e m otto of Jam es Graham

,

first Marquis of Montrose ( 16 12 in hi s ga llantattem pt to del i ver th e k ingdom from th e m il itarytyranny of the Comm onwealth . His declaration wasthat he h ad com e to a s si st good subjects and to

8 2

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Day 7] Psalm xxxv i’

, [Morning Prayer

done or had , this one celestia l fountain yieldeth .

Let there be any grief or disea se incident unto the

sou l of m an,any wound or sickness nam ed, forwh ich

there i s not in th i s treasure-house a present comfortable rem edy at all t im es ready to be found . Hereofit is that we covet to m ak e th e Psalm s espec ial lyfam iliar unto u s al l.

This psalm is called in Scotland th e psalm of Jam esStewart of th e G lens, wh o was hanged wrongfully forthe m urder of Col in Cam pbel l of Glenure, th e Red

Fox, in 17 5 2. He repeated th is psa lm at the

ga l lows .

Psalm xx xv i .

To the chiefMus ician, A Psalm ofDavid the servant of the Lord.D ixit injustus.

I My heart sheweth me the

w ickedness of th e ungodly :that there is no fear of God

before h is eyes.2 For he flattereth h im self in

h is own sight unt i l h is abom inable sin be found out.3 The words of h is m outh

are unrighteous , and ful l of

decei t he hath left off to behaveh im self w isely, and to do good .

4 He imag ineth m isch iefuponh is bed , and hath set. himself

in no good way : nei ther dothhe abhor any th ing tha t is ev i l .5 Thy m ercy, O Lo rd ,reacheth unto the heavens : and

thy fa i thfulness unto the clouds.6 Thy righteousness standeth

l ike the strong m ounta ins : thy

judgements are l ike the greatdeep.

7 Thou, Lord , sha l t save bo thman and beast ; How excel lentis thy m ercy , O God : and the

ch i ldren of men shal l put thei rtrust under the shadow of thyw ings.8 They shal l be satisfied w i th

the plenteousness of thy house :

and thou shal t g ive them d rinkof thy pleasures, as out of the

river.9 For w i th thee is the wel l

of l ife : and in thy l ight shal lwe see l ight .

10 0 cont inue forth thylov ing-k indness unto them thatknow thee and thy righteousnessunto them that are t rue of hear t .

84

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxxv i . [Day 7

I I 0 let not the foo t of pride 12 There are they fal len, all

come aga inst me : and let not that work w ickedness : they arethe hand of the ungodly cast rne cast down, and shal l not be

down. able to stand .

Latina—Monday Matins .Greeks—Monday m orning.

This psalm,perhap s m ore than any other, seem s to

be an epitom e and anticipation of the teaching of

St. John the Di v ine. I t m ight a lm ost be ca lled S t .John ’ s p salm . The very appl ication of th e word s isin S t . John’s style. The ninth verse, for i nstance, inlumine tuo videbimus lumen, is directly glanced at in

the Lumen dc Lumine (Light of Light) used of Christby th e Nicene Creed . Piers Ploughm an heard al l

the sa ints in heaven s ing th e seventh verse for joyover the sinner that repents .Verse 8 i s associated with St . Cuthbert (ob .

who when h is m onk s were m u ch d iscouraged at the

barrennes s of Fam e I sland, prom ised them ,on th e

s trength of these words, a su pply of sweet water .

This was shortly d iscovered . St . Cuthbert died on

thi s island and h is bones were rem oved to Durham in

the reign of Henry 1.

Verse 9 has done m uch to fortify th e opinionof those who

,l ike Bishop Butler, held that eterna l life

is pos sible to anim als ; and from th e sam e source havebeen drawn m any noble pleas for m ercy to these our

fel low-creatures . Am ong the latter i s the serm on byJos ia s Shute

, (1 5 88—1643) to the Ea st India Com pany,where h e says : Dav id w il l rather venture on a lionthan lose a lam b : Jacob wil l endure hea t by day and

cold by night rather than neglect hi s flock s : Moseswil l fight with odds ra ther than the cattle shal lperish with thirst . Th is m ercifu l m an d ied Archdeacon of Colchester.From a very early date thi s psalm has suppl ied

m ateria ls for som e of the great hym ns of the Church .

8 5

Day 7] Psalm xxxv i i . [Evening Prayer

The second—century hym n, which Keble translates

Hail Gladden ing Light,” St . Am brose’ s Splendor

Paternae glorice, St . Bernard’ s Jew ,

dulcedo cord ium

and m any m ore conta in echoes of it .

EVENING PRAYER

Psalm xxxv u.

A Psalm ofDav id .

Noli mmulari.

1 Fret not thyself because of

the ungodly : nei ther be thouenv ious aga inst the ev i l doers.2 For they shal l soon be cutdown l ike th e grass : and be

w i thered even as the greenherb .

3 Put thou thy trust in the

Lo rd, and be doing gooddwell in the land, and veri lythou sha l t be fed .

4 Del igh t thou in the Lord :and he shal l give thee thyheart’s desire.

5 Comm i t thy way unto the

Lord , and put thy t rust in h imand he shal l bring i t to pass .6 He shal lmake thyrighteous

ness as clea r as the light : and

thy just dea l ing as the noon

day.

7 Hold thee st i l l in the Lord ,and abide pat iently upon h im :

but grieve not thyself at h im,

whoseway doth prosper, againstthe man that doeth after ev i lcounsels.

8 Leave off from w rath , and

let go d ispleasure fret not thyself, else shal t thou be moved todo ev i l .9 W icked doers shal l be

roo ted out : and they tha tpat iently abide the Lord, thoseshal l inheri t the land .

IO ! et a l i tt le wh i le, and theungodly sha l l be clean gonethou sha l t look after h is place,and he shal l be away .

I ! But the m eek -sp i ri tedshal l possess the earth : and

shal l be refreshed in the

mul t i tude of peace.

1 2 The ungodly seekethcounsel aga inst the just : and

gnasheth upon him w i th h isteeth .

13 The Lord sha l l laugh h imto scorn : for he hath seen thath is day is com ing .

14 The ungodly have d rawnout the sword , and have bentthei r bow : to cast down the

poor and needy, and to slay86

Evening Prayer] Psalm

such as are of a righ t con

versat ion.

1 5 Thei r sword shal l go

through thei r own hear t : and

thei r bow shal l be broken.

16 A sm a l l th ing that the

r ighteous hath : is better thangreat riches of the ungodly.

1 7 For the arm s of the um

godly shal l be broken : and the

Lord upho ldeth the righteous.18 The Lord knoweth the

days of the godly : and thei r inheri tance shal l endure forever .

1 9 They shal l not be con

founded in the peri lous t ime :

and in the days of dearth theysha l l have enough .

20 As for the ungodly, theyshal l perish ; and the enem iesof the Lord shal l consume as

the fat of lambs : yea , even as

the smoke, shal l they consumeaway.

2 1 The ungodly borroweth ,and payeth not aga in : but therighteous is merciful , and l iberal .22 Such as are blessed of

God shal l possess the land :and they that are cursed of

h im shal l be rooted out.

23 The Lord ordereth a goodman

’s going : and maketh h isway acceptable to h imself.24 Though he fal l , he shal l

not be cast away : for the Lordupholdeth h im w ith h is hand .

25 I have been young , and

now am old : and yet saw I

xxxv i i . [Day 7

never the righteous forsaken,

nor h is seed begg ing thei rbread .

26 The righteous is evermerciful , and lendeth : and h isseed is blessed .

27 Flee from ev i l , and do theth ing tha t is good : and dwel lforevermore.

28 For the Lord loveth the

th ing that is right he forsakethnot h is that be godly

,but they

are preserved forever.29 The unrighteous shal l be

punished : as for the seed of

the ungodly,i t shal l be rooted

out.

30 The righteous sha l l in

heri t the land : and dwel ltherein for ever .3 1 Themouth of the righteousis exercised in w isdom : and

h is tongue w i l l be talk ing of

judgement .32 The law of h is God is in

h is hear t : and h is goings shal lnot sl ide.

33 The ungodly seeth the

righteous and seeketh occas ionto slay him .

34 The Lord w i l l not leavehim in h is hand : norcondemnh im when he is judged .

35 Hope thou in the Lord,

and keep h is way, and he shal lpromote thee, that thou shal tpossess the land : when the un

godly shal l perish , thou sha l tsee i t .

Day 71

36 I myself have seen the

ungod ly in g reat power : and

flourish ing l ike a green bay-t ree.

37 I went by , and 10 , he wasgone I sought h im , but h isplace could nowhere be found.

38 Keep innocency , and takeheed unto the th ing that is rightfor that shal l bring a man peaceat the last .39 As for the t ransgressors,

they shal l perish together : and

Psalm xxxv i i . [Evening Prayer

the end of the ungodly is,they

shal l be rooted out a t the last .40 But the salva t ion of the

righteous cometh of the Lordwho is also thei r strength in thet ime of t rouble.

41 And the Lord shal l standby them , and save them : he

shal l del iver them from the

ungodly,and shal l save them ,

because they put their t rust inhim .

La tina—Monday Matins.Greeks.

—Monday m orning .

This psalm has been cal led “a draught aga ins t

grum bling, and also th e m irror of Prov idence I tis alphabetical, a pa ir of verses going to a letter. I tsm ora l epigram s ha ve m ade it, in use and work , m ore

to be tak en as aflo id ing texts and m ottoes than as

expressing one great a spiration. For th is rea son ithas had an imm ense popularity am ong m odern serm on

writers in our swifter and less continuou s tim es .Emm anuel the Fortunate ( 149 5 King of

Portuga l,took for his m otto verse three, Spe w in

Domino, and by a play upon the fi rst word took thesphere for h is device. The churches of h is reign are

surm ounted by a sphere instead of the cross .Verse 5 was a favourite m otto with th e great

African explorer David Li v ingstone ( 18 13 who

did so m uch to d iscover Centra l Africa . He was forseventeen years a m is sionary

,and for s ixteen a pro

fessional explorer.Verse 1 1 being incorporated in the Beatitud es

has necessarily had less of the attention of Christendom than if it had no New Testam ent version.

But Ful ler ( 1608 that great royal is t parson,com forted m any distres sed soul s in th e decline

88

Evening Prayer] Psalm xxxv i i . [Day 7

of the Comm onweal th by h is “Mixed Contemplations“ I was m uch a ffected w ith read ing that d istich in

O v id,as having som eth ing extraord ina ry therein

Tarpez'

a quondam pre dz'

x z'

t ab z'

lz'

ce cornix ,

Est Ilene, non pol u z'

t d z'

rere,d z

'

x z'

t 6 7 17.

The crow somet imes d id si t and spel l on top of Tarpie Hal l ,She coul d not say, A l l ’s wel l ! al l ’s wel l ! but sa id , I t sha l li t shal l

But wha t do I l isten to the language of th e crowwhose black co lour ha th a ca st of hel l therein, insuperst itious soo th saying ? Let us hea rk en to whatth e dove of the Holy Sp irit sa ith

,prom ising God ’s

servants that, though th e present tim es be bad , th efuture w il l be better. ‘ Th e m eek sha l l inherit theearth and sha l l delight them selves in the abundanceof peace

’

(Ps. xxxvii .Verse 23 . One cannot but th ink of the d escrip

tion in The Newcomes of the old colonel in th e

Grey Friars ’ A lm shouse,in the black gown of

the pensioners with the Order of th e Bath on h isbrea st, stand ing am ong the Poor Brethren and re

peating the responses of the Founder’s psalm .

Verse 24 was St . Gregory Naz ianz en’

s comm enton the death of his si ster Gorgonia (fourth century).I t was also appl ied by Henry of Bloi s

, Bishop of

Winchester, to St . Thomas of Canterbury when he

heard of the ma rtyrdomVerse 25 . Langland (fourteenth century) m ak es Piers

th e Ploughm an conclude from th is that “ the Bookbanneth beggary.

Verse 27 . A fa vourite verse of S t. Benedic t of Aniane(ninth century), a contem porary and friend ofAlcuin ’

s.

He was Charlem agne’ s cup -bearer, who, being sa vedfrom drowning, becam e a m onk of such austerity as

to court derision . His house was of wood, th e vest

m ents coarse, and th e chal ice of wood and glass . He

89

Day 8] Psalm xxxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

reform ed th e m ona steries of Acquitaine, m ak ing them onk s labour a t farm ing. He was used to say th isverse If you th ink you cannot k eep m any comm andm ents, k eep only thi s one l ittle one.

”

Wil liam of Newburgh sum s u p the h istory of

William Rufus ( 1 199 ) in verses 36—3 7 when h e heardof th e death of this m ost ferociou s ofm en. The thirtyeighth verse is a favourite one for th e preachers of

funeral serm ons, part icularly in th e seventeenth and

eighteenth centuries, from Fu ller to Wesley. SirWa lter Scott ( 17 7 1 when h e lay dying, whileth e Tweed m urm ured through the woods and a

Septem ber sun l it up the towers, ca lled his son- in

law and sa id to ‘

h im : Be a good m an : only that cancom fort you when you com e to lie here !” ev identlyparaphrasing this celebrated verse.

THE EIGHTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm x xxviii.

A Psa lm ofDav id , to bring to remembrance.

Dom ine, me in furore.

1 Put me not to rebuke, OLord, in th ine anger : neitherchasten me in thy heavy d ispleasure.

2 For th ine a rrows st ick fastin m e : and thy hand pressethme sore.

3 There is no heal th in my

flesh , because of thy d ispleasurenei ther is there any rest in my

bones, by reason of my sin.

4 For my w ickednesses are

gone over my head : and are

l ike a sore burden, too heavyforme to bear.5 My wounds stink , and are

corrupt : th rough my fool ishness .6 I am brought into so great

t rouble and m isery : that I gomourning all the day long.

7 Formy lo ins are fi l led w i tha sore d isease ; and there is nowhole par t in my body.

8 I am feeble,

and sore

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Day 8] Psalm xxxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

m e sore My foot sl i p ped Mak’

e haste to hel pm e, and so on . The Vulgate in th e tenth verse h as,Lumen oculorum— the l ight of m ine eyes i s not w ith m e

— which seem s to be the origina l of that fam ous phrase .

This is a poet’ s p salm , as wel l as a pop ular one.

Sir Thom a s Wyatt ( 1 5 03—1 5 40) turned it in to verseof ten-syllable lines . He first introduced the sonnetinto England , had been a su itor of Anne Boleyn’s

, and ,though h e passed through m any peri l s

,esca ped death

by violence. He had a love for th e seven psalm s andforPsalm xxxvii . , part ofwh ich a lso h e turned into verse.

In hi s letter to h i s son,wh ich he desires h im to

read,he tel ls h im that he h as “ been in a thousand

dangers and hazard s,enm ities

,hatred s, prisonm ents,

des p ites, and indignations, but tha t God ha th of Hisgoodness chastised m e and not cas t m e clean out of

His fa vour ; wh ich thing I can im pute to nothing butto th e goodness of my good father (Sir Henry Wyatt).Edm und Spenser ( 15 5 2—1 5 99 ) also wrote a v ers ion

of the peniten tial psa lm s, wh ich i s lost.Verse 1 5 gives the refrain to George

‘

Herbert ’ sbeautiful poem ,

“The Quip .

”The World

,Beauty

,

Money,Glory

, and Wit in turn j eer at the poet,

who replies to all,

“ Thou shal t answer, Lord, for

m e.

! et when the houre of Thy designeTo answer these fine th ings shal l come,Speak not at large, say, I am th ine,And then they have thei r answer home.

The sam e text is am ong the last recorded sayings ofJohn Wesley (1703The opening word s

,Domine ne in f urore tuo argnas

me, neque in ird Ind corrip ias me, are not uncomm on as

a m ediaeva l inscription, particularly in bequests andm em orials, e.g. on th e paten left to Yeovil Church bythe v icar, John Glanvil l, 1407 . The words are a prayer

9 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm xxx ix . [Day 8

to be spared from torm ent and from hell-fire, both of

which are now supposed to be too hea vy for the belittled white-washed souls of m odern m en to endure.

Psa lm xxx ix .

To the chiefMusician, even to Jeduthun, A Psa lm ofDav id.

Dixi custod ian.

1 I sa id , I w i l l take heed tomy ways : that I offend not in

my tongue.

2“ I w i l l keep my mouth

as i t were w ith a bridle : wh i lethe ungodly is in my sight .”

3 I held my tongue, and

spake noth ing : I kept si lence,yea, even from good words buti t was pain and grief to me.

4 My heart was hot w i th inme, and wh i le I was thusmus ing the fire k indled : and

at the last I spake w i th my

tongue5

“ Lord , let me know m ineend , and the number of my

days : that I may be cert ifiedhow long I have to l ive.

6 Beho ld, thou hast made mydays as i t were a span long :and m ine age is even as noth ingin respect of thee ; and veri lyevery man l iving is al togethervani ty.

7 Forman walketh in a vainshadow,

and d isquieteth h im

self in va in : he heapeth up

r iches, and cannot tel l whosha l l gather them .

8 And now, Lord , what ismy hope : truly my hope iseven in thee.

9 Del iver me from all m ineoffences : and make m e not a

rebuke unto the fool ish .

10 I became dumb, and

opened not my mouth : for i twas thy doing.

1 1 Take thy plague awayfrom me : I am even consumedby the means of thy heavyhand .

12 When thou w i th rebukesdost chasten m an for sin, thoumakest h is beauty to consume

away, l ike as i t were a mothfret t ing a garment : every man

therefore is but vani ty .

13 Hear my prayer , O Lord ,and w i th th ine ears considermy ca l l ing : hol d not thy peaceat my tears.

14 For I am a stranger w i ththee : and a Sojourner, as all

my fathers were.

1 5 O spa re me a l i tt le,that

I may recover my strengthbefore I go hence, and be no

more seen.

”

9 3

Day 8] Psalm xxx ix . [Morning Prayer

Liturgica l use—Buria l of the dead .

Latina—Tuesday m orn ing.

Greeks.— Monday evening.

The ancient buria l psalm s of the English were cxiv. ,

xxv. ,cxviii .

,xli i . , cxxxii . , cxxxix. , cxlviii . , cx1ix., cl . ,

and th e seven of p enitence . In 15 49 th e buria l p sa lm swere cxv i . , cxxxix .

,and cxlv i . , of wh ich only th e second

followed the ancient use xl ii . was u sed at th e requiema lso. Forone hundred and nine years the psa lm s werethen ban ished from funerals ( 1 5 5 2 when thetwo now in use were inserted , because Laud, feel ingthe need of psalm s, h ad used these for burials .St . Am brose (fourth century) was stirred up by thi s

psalm to write h is book of the Oflices, being m uchm oved by its holy tone, patience, apt speech , and bythat contem pt of ri ches wh ich is the foundation of all

v irtue. I t was also a fa vou rite of Robert Leighton( 16 1 1 Archbishop of Glasgow,

and a fam ou spreacher.There is a story related by Socrates Scholasticu s

(and referred to by Robert Browning in h i s Jocoseriatha t St . I s idore ga v e the first verse of th i s psalm as

a lesson to a pup i l of h is,Pam bo by nam e . The

scholar never cam e for a second lesson for nineteenyears, and when ask ed the reason said that he h ad notyet learnt h is first les son .

Verse 4. John Keble ( 179 2—1866) used to say thatth i s v erse conta ined the secret of all poetry, strongfeel ing, m ed itative rea son,

and,lastly

,expression.

Verse 7 . G . Ca vendish (15 5 7) sum s up th e l ife of

Ca rdina l Wol sey with a passage of great eloquenceappl icable to a ll h istory :

“Wh o l ist to read and

consider, with an ind ifferent eye, th i s h istory, m aybehold th e wondrou s m utabil ity of vain honours, thebrittle assurance of abundance

,the uncertainty of

dignities , th e flattering of feigned friends,and th e

tick le tru st to worldly princes, whereof th is Lord94

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Day 8]

8 Sacrifice, and meat-offer ing ,thou wouldest not : but m ineears hast thou Opened .

9 Burnt-offerings, and sacrifice for sin, hast thou not re

qui red then said I , Lo,I come.

10 In the volume of the

book i t is wri t ten of m e, tha t Ishould fulfi l thy w i l l , O my God :I am content to do i t yea, thylaw is w i th in my heart .

1 1 I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregat ion : 10 , I w i l l not refrain m y

l ips, O Lord,and that thou

knowest .12 I have not h id thyr ighteousness w i th in my heart :my talk ha th been of thy truth ,and of thy salvat ion.

13 I have not kept back thylov ing m ercy and t ru th : fromth e great congregat ion.

14 W i thdraw not thou thy

mercy from m e, O Lord : letthy lov ing-k indness and thy t ruthalway preserve me.

1 5 For innum erab le t roublesare come about me ; my sins

Psalm xl. [Morning Prayer

have taken such hold upon me

that I am not able to look upyea , they are m ore in numberthan the ha i rs of my head , andmy hear t hath fai led m e.

16 O Lord , let i t be thypleasure to del iver m e : makehaste, O Lord , to help m e.

17 Let them be asham ed, andconfounded together , tha t seekafter my soul to dest roy i t : letthem be d riven backward , and

put to rebuke, that w ish m e

evi l .18 Let them be desolate, andrewarded w i th shame : tha tsay unto m e,

“ Fie upon thee,fie upon thee.

1 9 Let all those tha t seekthee be joyful and glad in theeand let such as love thy sal

vat ion say alway,

“ The Lordbe pra ised .

20 As for me, I am poorand needy : but the Lordcareth forme.

2 1 Thou art my helper and

redeemer : make no long tarrying, 0 my God .

Liturgica l use— Good Friday Matins .

Latina—Tuesday Matins ; Good Friday .

Greeks—Monday evening .

The use of thi s psalm i s explained by th e comm entsupon it in th e Epistle to th e Hebrews . The openingword s were the last s pok en by St. Franci s d e Sa les,wh o added : Advesperascz

'

l el z’

nellnala estjam dies. He

was born in th e d ioces e of Geneva in 1 5 67 , and

9 6

Evening Prayer ] Psalm Xll

laboured to counteract the power of Ca lvin and

Zuinglius, with great success . He was m ade firstcoadj utor and then bishop, and d ied in Lyons in 1622.

Am ongst th e sm a llest book s in the British Museumare two th e size of a postage stam p (64m o). Theywere printed in Birm ingham in 18 5 5 . One is thisp sa lm and one Psalm cxlv . (I w ill m agnify Thee

,O

God my King). They have no note nor comm ent, andare chosen a p parently one for so rrow and one forhapp ines s

,as express ing the gam ut of hum an life .

There i s a beautiful rabbinic legend quoted by theo ld Guardian (No. 188) that Adam saw the spirits ofa ll his sons pass before h im . The m os t beautiful ofa l l , h e was told, was bu t to l iv e one year. He prayed ,and obtained h is prayer, that three score and ten of

h is own years should be given to th is spirit, and thu sAdam fel l short of a thousand years by Dav id ’ sseventy. Th is story not only show s th e high o pinionthat th e rabbins entertained of th e sweet Psalm i st ofI srael

,but also tha t th e com pleteness of hum an l ife

is th e m easure of the psalm s .Th is was a psalm wh ich k ept th e sculptor

Benvenuto Cel lini from despa ir when h e was in the

prison a t Nonor in 1 5 3 8 . He was im pri soned in a

cel l where a m an had lately been starved to dea th,

and h e narrowly escaped a l ike ev i l death in thesam e place .

EVEN ING PRAYERPsa lm x li.

To the ch iefMusician, A Psalm ofDavid .

Beatus qui intelligit.1 B lessed is he that consider keep him al ive, that he may be

eth the poor and needy : the blessed upon earth and del iverLord shal l del iver h im in the not thou him into the w i l l of h ist ime of t rouble. enem ies .2 The Lord preserve h im ,

and 3 The Lord com fort h im ,

G 9 7

Day 8]

when he l ieth s ick upon h isbed : m ake thou all h is bed inh is s ickness .4 I sa id, “ Lord, be m erciful

unto m e : heal my soul for Ihaxe sinned against thee.

5 Mine enem ies speak ev i l ofme

“ When sha l l he die, and

h is name perish P”6 And if he com e to see m e,

he speaketh vani ty : and h isheart conceiveth falsehood w i thin h imself, and when he com ethforth he tel leth i t .7 Al l m ine enem ies wh isper

together aga inst m e evenaga inst me do they imag ineth is ev i l.

Psalm xli. [Evening Prayer

1 1 By th is I know thoufavourest m e : that m ine enemydoth not t rium ph aga inst m e.

12 And when I am in my

heal th , thou upholdest m e : and

shal t set m e before thy face forever .

1 3 B lessed be the Lord Godof Israel : world w i thout end .

Amen.

8 Let the sentence of guilti

ness p roceed aga inst him : and

Liturgica l use—D irge (see Ps.

Latina—Tuesday Matins .Greeks—Monday even ing.

This i s Judas I scariot’s p salm , because of th e app l icat ion by our Lord (St . John xiii . 1 8) to that Apostle.

For th i s reason it was chosen by St . Am brose in

Milan,for Wednesday use, the day of th e betrayal .

St. Augustine comm ents u pon it, as prophetic of th e

resurrection, as appears m ore particularly in h is Latinversion, e.g. vivi/z

'

cet— m ak e h im al i ve,for k eep h im

al ive— in verse two, and so on. Hence it pas sed intothe Dirge for th e Dead .

Because of the Judas appl ication, it has figured in

m any conspiracies th e n inth verse in particu lar.The c itiz ens of Utrecht tried to warn Florence Coun tof Holland, in 1296, of a nobles’ conspiracy aga in sth im ,

by presenting h im w ith a paper,whereon th is

9 8

now that he l ieth , let him riseup no m ore.

9 ! ea , even m ine own fam i l ia rfriend , whom I t rusted : who

d id al so eat of my bread , hathla id great wai t for m e.

1 0 But be thou m erciful untom e, O Lord : raise thou m e

up again, and I shal l rewardthem .

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Day 8] Psalm x l i i . [ Evening Prayer

Psalm ‘

x lii .

To the ch iefMus ician, Maschil , for th e sons'

of Korah .

Quemadmodum .

1 Like as the har t desi reththe wa ter -brooks : so longethmy soul after thee, O God .

2 My soul is a th i rst forGod ,yea, even for the l iv ing Godwhen shal l I come to appearbefore the p resence of God ?

3 My tears have been my

m eat day and night wh i le theydai ly say unto me, Where isnow thy God ?4 Now when I th ink there

upon, I pour out my heart bymyself : for I went w i th the

mult i tude, and brought themforth into the house of God ;

5 In the voice of praise and

thanksgiv ing : among such as

keep holy-day.

6 Why art thou so ful l of

heav iness, O my soul : and whyart thou so disquieted w i th inme7 Put thy t rust in God for I

w i l l yet g ive h im thanks for thehel p of h is countenance.

8 My God , my soul i s vexedw i th in m e : therefore w i l l Iremember thee concerning the

land of Jordan, and the l i tt leh i l l of Herm on.

9 One deep cal leth another,

because of the no ise of the waterpipes all thy waves and storm sare gone over m e.

1 0 The Lord hath granted h islov ing-k indness in the dayt im e

and in the nigh t~season d id I

sing of h im , and m ade my

prayer unto the God of myl ife.

1 1 I w i l l say unto the God

of my st rength , Why hast thouforgotten m e : why go I thusheavi ly, wh i le the enemy oppresseth me ?

1 2 My bones are sm i ttenasunder as w i th a sword whi lem ine enem ies that t roub le me

cast m e in the teeth ;13 Namely

,wh i le they say

dai ly unto m e : Where is nowthy God ?14 Why art thou so vexed , O

my soul : and why art thou so

d isquieted w i th in m e ?

1 5 0 put thy trust in Godfor I w i l l yet thank him ,

wh ichis th e hel p of my countenance,and my God .

Liturgical use— Requiem Introit (e) Dirge (seePs.

Latins .— Tuesday Matins ; Baptism of adults ,

Greeks—Monday evening .

I 0 0

Evening Prayer] Psalm xl i i . [Day 3

This p sa lm gave the hart to early Christian pictoria ldesign, on the wal ls of the catacom bs and elsewhere.

I t i s a l so th e source of th e buck or hart in m orem odern heraldry ; and in Tate and Brady ’ s version, Aspants th e hart for cool ing stream s,

” is known to a ll

lovers of hymns . I t was form erly used in th e Engli shBurial Service, of the dead th irsting for the betterportion which is to be theirs after the Grea t Day, of

th e dead singing through the night, vexed and d isquieted bu t yet com forted by their fa ith . The mysticcharacter of the Psalm has m ade it a fa vourite of

m any deep and poetic writers, e.g. St. Jerom e, and

the Venerable Bede wh o turned it into verse. Th e

deep wh ich cal l s to d eep has been interpreted in

m any ways . I s it the inner m eaning of the OldTestam ent, cal ling in the cataract voices of proph etsto the New ? or the deep of m an

’ s m isery to God ’sm ercy ? or j udgem ent to m ercy ? or m an preach ingfa ith and truth to m an ? or i s it pang cal ling to pang

,

and horror to horror of hel l-flam es, as St. Augustinesuggests in his second interpretation ? The Jordanland

, too, did it m ean th e baptism a l waters,

and

Herm on, the curse of sin now rem oved ? St . Maur(s ixth century), following the La tin Fathers in hisinterpreta tion, nam ed hi s l ittle cel l Herm on, and usedto retire there from the cares of h is bishopric, and

final ly was buried there. He was a young Ital iannoble when he joined St. Benedict, but, on the deathof his m aster, left Italy for th e Loi re country, whereh e founded that congregation, whose nam e soundsdear to scholars . His shrine now stands where hisHerm on cel l once was p laced .

Wil liam Lord Russel l, from th e tim e of his im prisonm ent for com p l icity in th e Rye Hou se Plot look edupon h im self as a dead m an , and read particularly inthe Psalm s and in Baxter’s Dying Thoughts. Be not

cast down, 0 departing soul,nor by unbel ief di s

1 0 1

Psalm xl11i. [Evening Prayer

qu ieted w ith in m e Trust in God , for thou sha ltquick ly by experience h e taught to give Him thank sand pra ise, who is th e hea lth of my countenance and

m y God . On h i s way to the scaffold Lord Russellwas s inging psa lm s a great part of the way, and sa idhe hoped to s ing better soon.

Psa lm x liii.

Jud ica me, Deus.

1 G ive sentence w i th m e, OGod , and defend my causeagainst the ungodly people : Odel iver me from the decei tfuland w icked man.

2 For thou art the God of

my strength , why hast thou putm e from thee : and why go Iso heav i ly

,wh i le the enemy

oppresseth m e ?

3 0 send out thy l ight andthy truth , that they may leadm e : and bring me unto thyho ly h i l l , and to thy dwel l ing.

Liturgica l use. Introitin Lent (e).

4 And that I m ay go untothe a ltar of God , even unto the

God of my joy and gladnessand upon the harp w i l l I g ivethanks unto thee, O God , my

God .

5 Why art thou so heavy , Omy sou l : and why art thou so

d isquieted w i th in m e P

6 0 put thy trust in God

for I w i l l yet g ive him thanks,wh ich is the help of my countenance, and my God .

to Mass of th ird Sunday

Latina—Tuesday at Lauds .Greeks — Monday evening.

Pope Caelestine 1. (422—432) l i ved in the dreadfuldays of th e Vandal Alem an

,Goth ic

,and Hunnish

invas ions, when the whole Rom an Em pire seem edshaken to pieces

,when Actins refused to defend

Brita in aga ins t the Picts,and every prov ince in turn

was harried and wasted . Th e Church was d istractedby Arian, Nestorian, and Pelagian heresies, and

e v ery w ild m isbel ief flourished . This Pope then1 0 2

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Day 91 Psalm x l iv . [Morning Prayer

and fantastical person, but all a cknowledged th e

audacity of h is d iscipl ine in exam ining the l i ves andconversation of the la ity.

THE N INTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYERPsa lm x liv .

To the ch ief Musician for the sons of Korah , Maschil .

Deus, auribus.

1 We have heard w i th our

ears , O God , our fathers havetold us : what thou hast donein thei r t ime of old

2 How thou hast driven out

the heathen w i th thy hand, andplanted them in how thou hastdestroyed the na t ions

,and cast

them out.

3 For they gat not the landin possession th rough thei r ownsword : nei ther was i t thei rown arm that hel ped them4 But thy r ight hand, and

th ine arm,

and the l ight of

thy countenance : because thouhadst a favour unto them .

5 Thou art my King, O Godsend help unto Jacob .

6 Th rough thee w i l l we overthrow our enem ies and in ThyName w i l l we tread them under,that rise up aga inst us.

7 For I w i l l not trust in mybow : i t is not my sword thatshal l hel p me8 But i t is thou that savest

us from our enem ies and

puttest them to confus ion thathate us.9 We make our boast ofGod

all day long : and w i l l praisethy Nam e for evei'.

10 But now thou art far off,

and puttest us to confus ion : and

goest not for th w i th ourarm ies.1 1 Thou m akest us to tu rn

our backs upon our enem iesso that they wh ich hate us spoi lourgoods.1 2 Thou let test us be eaten

up l ike sheep : and hastsca t tered us am ong the hea then.

1 3 Thou sel lest thy peoplefor nought : and takest no

money for them .

14 Thou m akest us to be

rebuked of our neighbours : tobe laughed to scorn, and had inderision of them tha t are roundabout us.

1 5 Thou m akest us to be a

byword among the heathenand that the people shake thei rheads at 115 .

16 My confusion is dai ly be

Morning Prayer] Psalm x l iv . [Day 9

fore m e : and the shame of my god : shal l not God search i tface hath covered me ;

1 7 For the voice of the

slanderer and blasphem er : forthe enemy and avenger.18 And though all th is becom e upon us

, yet do we not

forget thee ; nor behave our

selves frowardly in thy covenant .19 Our heart is not turnedback : nei ther our steps goneout of thy way ;20 No, not when thou hast

sm i t ten us into the place of

dragons : and covered us w i ththe shadow of death .

2 1 If we have forgo tten the

Nam e of our God , and holdenup our hands to any strange

Latins—Tuesday Matins .

out ? for he knoweth the verysecrets of the heart .22 For thy sake also are we

k i l led all the day long and are

counted as sheep appointed to beslain.

23 Up, Lord , why sleepestthou awake, and be not absentfrom us for ever.24 Wherefore h idest thou thy

face : and forgettest our m iseryand trouble ?25 For our soul is brough t

low,

even unto the dust : our

bel ly cleaveth unto the ground .

26 Arise, and help us : and

del iver us for thy m ercy’s sake.

Grecian— Monday evening.

The passage in the add itional prayers of the Litanywh ich begins, O God

,we have heard w ith our ears ,

tak en from th is psalm and represents the psa lm odyby wh ich ancient Litanies were fol lowed . Thewords were inserted by Cranm er in 1 5 44, from the

lesser Li tany of Sarum . Th e prayer and respond are

a condensed form of the whole psalm ,being th e

first and la st verses, and contain the fam ous phrase,Opus operatum .

The last l iterary work of the great St. Am brosewas a comm entary on this p salm . His secretary,Pa ul inus

,saw a flam e l ik e a little shield envelop h i s

head and pass into hi s m outh . His face becam e

white l ike snow, but h e regained h i s colour ; but th eterrified scribe could write no m ore that d ay, and

the saint shortly after pas sed away (39 71 0 5

Psaln] xlv , [Morning PrayerDay 9 ]

Thi s was th e psa lm chosen for the da ily use of th e

English troops in France in 1 5 89 , wh o were helpingHenry of Navarre aga inst the Leaguers in tha tcam paign wh ich was decided by the battles of Arquesand Ivry.

Am ong th e other roya li st clergy in th e Civil War

was John Bram ha l l (1 5 94 wh o h ad beenchapla in to Wentworth and was impeached by the

Irish Comm ons for h is vigorou s oppos ition to th e

Covenant . He preached a publ ic thank sgi v ingserm on in York Cathedral for the v ictory of

Adwalton Moor, when the Earl of Newca stle defeatedthe Fairfaxes, 3oth June 1643 , and took for h i s textverses se ven and eight of th is psa lm . When MatthewWren (15 85 th e learned bishop of Ely and

friend of Laud,was l iberated from h is eighteen years

’

im prisonm ent in th e Tower, h e preached a serm on

contrasting th e Covenant of verse eighteen with th eScottish Covenant. Pepys calls h im “ poor Bisho pWren,

”and h is hard case excited m uch sym pathy from

h is contem poraries .

Psalm x lv.

To the ch ief Musician, upon Shoshannim , for the sons of Korah ,Masch il, A Song of loves.

Eructavit cormeum .

1 My heart is ind it ing of a'

good m atter : I speak of the

th ings wh ich I have m ade untothe King.

2 My tongue is the pen of a

ready wri ter .3 Thou art fai rer than the

ch i ld ren of m en : full of graceare thy l ips, because God hathblessed thee for ever .

4 G i rd thee w i th thy swordupon thy th igh

,O thou m ost

Mighty : accord ing to thy worsh ip and renown.

5 Good luck have thou w i thth ine honour : ride on, becauseof the word of tru th

, of m eekness, and righteousness ; and

thy righ t hand shal l teach theeterrible th ings .

1 0 6

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Day 91 Psalm xlv [Mo rning Prayer

by these m ore ancient rites of sword, sceptre, and

unction. This psalm has been a great stronghold of

m ystica l interpretation, a m ethod to wh ich m odernChristians are assuredly pledged by the recita l of

Gloria at the end of each p salm (see in the Westm ore than in th e Ea s t. But from St . Basi l until Paschasius Rhadbertus, in th e ninth century and onwards

,

the m ystica l force of th is psalm has been universallyadm itted and , by its proper use, is authoritati v e . Th e

Good Word (orGood Matter) of the v erse was a greatstronghold of St. Athanas ius and the Ca tholics aga instthe Arian heretics . In Chaucer’s tim e (vide Som pnour

'

s

Ta le,” the psalm was said “ for soules

,i.e. for the

dead .

St . Colum ba , th e sixth- century m issionary fromDonegal to Scotland

,was at h i s evening prayers near

th e m outh of the Ness, when h e was interrupted bya body of hostile Picts . With h is trem endous voi ceh e ra ised thi s psalm and they fled in am az em ent .Verse 8 .

“ I have loved righteousness and hatediniquity, and therefore I d ie in exi le, were th e lastwords of Pope Gregory vrr. (Hildebrand), the sternestand m ost logica l of al l the Ultram ontanes, whosem asterfu l insistence upon th e tem pora l power causednot only d is p utes w ith Henry IV. of Germ any and

Will iam the Conqueror of England, Spa in, France, andth e Eastern Churches

,but laid the foundat ion of al l

the great quarrel s between Church and State to th isday.

Verse John Capgrave (139 3 th e Augustinian friar and chronicler

, quotes th i s verse upon th e

baptism of l ittle Henry V I . Those wh o are regeneratein baptism are to forget the house of wrath .

Morning Prayer] Psalm x lv i . [Day 9

Psa lm x lvi .

To the ch ief Musician for the sons of Korah , A Song uponAlamoth .

Deus noster refugium .

1 God is our hope and

strength : a very present hel p int rouble.

2 Therefore w i l l we not fear ,though the ear th be moved :and though the h i l ls be carr iedinto the m idst of the sea .

3 Though the waters thereofrage and swel l and though themounta ins shake at the tem pestof the sam e.

4 The r ivers of the floodthereof shal l m ake glad the ci tyof God : the holy place of the

tabernacle of the most Highest .5 God is in the m idst of her,

therefore sha l l she not be re

moved : God shal l help her,

and that right ear ly.

6 The heathen make muchado , and the k ingdom s are

moved : but God hath shewed

h is voice, and the earth shal lmel t away .

7 The Lord of hosts is withus : the God of Jacob is our

refuge.

8 0 come h i ther , and beholdthe works of the Lord : whatdestruct ion he hath brought uponthe earth .

9 He maketh wars to cease inall the world : he breaketh the

bow, and knappeth the spear insunder, and bum eth the chariotsin the fire.

10“ Be sti l l then, and know

tha t I am God : I w i l l beexal ted am ong the hea then,

and I w i l l be exal ted in the

ear th .

”

1 1 The Lord of hosts is w i thus : th e God of Jacob is our

refuge.

Latins — Matin s on Tuesday ; Epiphany ; Ded icationfestival s Fea sts of Our Lady.

Greeks. Monday evening ;houn

Mesorion of first

Th is i s,natura l ly

,a psalm for stormy weather, and

has com e to m en’ s m outh s m ost in the worst tim es of

stres s and d isturbance, of persecution and revolution.

I t is th e foundation of Luther’s hym n,Ein

’

j'

este B urgist unser Gott, wh ich played so large a part in German

1 0 9

Day 9 ] Psalm x lv i . [Morning Prayer

h istory, and has been called the Marseil laise of theReform ation, a com pari son wh ich suggests a greatcontrast . Th e psa lm was sung in thank sgiving by thetwo Houses of Parl iam ent on 19 th June 1645 . Theyattended a service of thank sgiv ing for the v ictory at

Naseby, and hav ing heard m uch Presbyterian preaching in th e Grey Friars

’ Church , d ined together in th e

Grocers ’ Ha ll,Pou lt 1y ,

and there sang th is psalm .

The epitaph on the tom b of B lanche Lady Arundel isGod was our refuge and strength the Lord of arm ies

was with u s ; the God of Jacob was ourProtector.”

With a handful of m en sh e defended W'

ardour Castleagainst Hungerford and the rebel arm y

,and held it

for the k ing . She obtained honourable term s, not

honourably k ept . Her husband was k il led fightingfor the k ing at Oxford . Her portrait survives inArundel Cas tle, and shews h er as a large-eyed lady,w ith a flexible, hum orous m outh .

Th e psalm was used for th e earthquak es of 1692, andfor th e great storm of 1704 Such as of late o

’

er pa leBritann ia and for Marlborough ’ s victory of

Oudenarde, 1 1th Ju ly 1708 . I t has also been sung inEngl ish churches as a thank sgiv ing for peace, e.g. for

the Treaty of Ryswick , 169 7 , Utrecht, 17 13 , at the

close of the Seven Years ’ War,1763 , and the peace of

Am iens, 1802.

Verse 10 . Vincent of Lerins (ob. 45 0 A .D .) chosethe quiet abbey in the i sland off Cannes, as h is lot inl ife

,that he m ight w ithout d istraction practise th e

p salm, Vacate cl uidete quoniam ego sum Deus ; and so,

after d i vers and sad storm s in the wars of the world hesheltered him self “ in the m ost certain port of th e

rel igious l ife. He had been a sold ier,like m any

others of the Church ’ s saints . Th is verse m ay alm ostbe said to be the recruiting v erse of the m onastic l ife.

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Day 91 Psalm x lv i i i . [Evening Prayer

Psa lm x lviii .

A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah .

Magnus Dom inus.

I G rea t is the Lord , and

h ighly to be pra ised in the ci tyof ourGod, even upon h is holyh i l l .2 The h i l l of S ion is a fai r

place, and the joy of the wholeear th : upon the north -s ide l ieththe ci ty of the great King God

is wel l known in her palaces asa sure refuge.

3 For, 10 , the k ings of the

earth : are gathered , and goneby together .4 They marvel led to see such

th ings : they were astonished ,and suddenly cast down.

5 Fear came there upon them ,

and sorrow : as upon a woman

in her t rava i l .6 Thou shal t break the sh ips of

the sea th rough the east-w ind.

7 L ike as we have heard, sohave we seen in the ci ty of the

Liturgica l use —Wh it Sunday m orning.

Latina—Matins on Tuesday ; Christm as Day ; Wh i tSunday ; Trinity Sunday Dedication fea s t.Occasion—Thank sgiving for th e deli verance from

Sennacherib .

This i s th e psa lm in which th e Church celebratesh er victories o ver th e world , that i s to say, o ver th eunchristian order of soc iety. I t was used to com

mem orate th e v ictories of St . Athanas ius (fourth1 1 2

Lord of hosts, in the ci ty of ourGod : God upholdeth the same

forever .8 We wa i t for thy lov ing

k indness, O God : in the m idstof thy tem ple.

9 O God, accord ing to thy

Name, so is thy pra ise unto the

wor ld 's end : thy r ight hand isful l of r ighteousness .

1 0 Let the Mount Sion t e

jo ice, and the daughter of Judahbe glad : because of thy judgements.I I Walk about Sion

,and go

round about her : and tell the

towers thereof.1 2 Mark wel l her bulwarks,

set up her houses : that ye maytel l them tha t come after.

13 For th is God is our God

for ever and ever : he shal l beourguide unto death .

Evening Prayer] Psalm x l ix . [Day 9

century), Constantine (d itto), St . Bernard ( 109 1and St . Thom a s of Canterbury (1 1 18Verse 7 . When this verse was applied to Christ

,

“ itm ade the Arians frenzied with rage, that He shou ldbe regard ed as the God , who upholds the world .

Verses 10- 13 . These are th e verses which expla inth e l iturgical uses of th e psalm . Th e Church

,born

on Wh it Sunday, is the Christian Sion, and th e abid ingCom forter then given to Her is rem em bered in thesewords .

Psalm x lix .

To the chiefMusician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah .

Aud ite haze, omnes.

1 O hea r ye th is, all ye people :ponder i t w ith your ears, all yethat dwel l in the world2 High and low, r ich and

poor : one w i th another.3 My mouth shal l speak of

w isdom : and my heart shal lmuse ofunderstand ing.

4 I w i l l incl ine m ine ear to

the parable and shew my darkspeech upon the harp.

5 Wherefore should I fear inthe days of w ickedness : and

when the w ickedness ofmy heelscompasseth me round abou t ?6 There be some that put

thei r trust in their goods : and

boast them selves in themul t i tudeof thei r riches.7 But no man may del iver

h is brother : nor make agreem ent unto God forhim ;

8 For i t cost more to redeemH

thei r souls : so tha t he must letthat alone forever9 ! ea, though he l ive long :

and see not the grave.

10 Forhe seeth that wisemenalso die, and perish together as

wel l as the ignorant and fool ish ,and leave thei r r iches forother.

1 1 And yet they th ink tha tthei r houses shal l continue forever : and tha t thei r dwel l ing »

places shal l endure from one

generat ion to another ; and ca llthe lands after thei r own names.

1 2 Nevertheless, manw i l l notabide in honour seeing he may

be compared unto the beaststhat perish ; th is is the Way of

them .

13 Th is is theirfoolishness :and thei r posteri ty praise thei rsay ing.

14 They lie in the hel l l ike1 1 3

Day 9 ] Psalm x l ix . [Evening Prayer

sheep , death gnaweth uponthem ,

and the righteous shal lhave dom inat ion over them in

the morning : thei r beauty shal lconsume in the sepulch re out of

thei r dwel l ing.

1 5 But God hath del ivered mysoul from the place of hel l : forhe shal l receive me.

16 Be not thou afra id , thoughone be made r ich : or if th e

glory of h is house be increased1 7 Forhe sha l l carry noth ing

away w i th h im when he d ieth :

Latina — Matins on Tuesday.

Greeks—Tuesday m orning.

Th i s i s th e psalm wh ich conta ined for MatthewArnold’ s Oberm ann once m ore the whole m essageof Dav id 's land .

“ Wh i le we bel ieved, on earth He wentAnd open stood H is grave ;Men call

’

d from cham ber, church , and tent,And Christ was by to save.

“ Now He is dead ! Far hence He l iesIn the lorn Syrian town

,

And on H is grave, w ith sh ining eyes,The Syr ian sta rs look down.

In va in m en st i l l , w i th h0 ping new,

Regard His death -place dum b,

And say the stone is not yet to ,

And wai t for words to come.

Ah , from that si lent sacred landOf sun and a rid stone,

And crum bl ing wa l l , and sul t ry sand,

Comes now one word alone !1 14

nei ther sha l l h is pom p fol lowh im .

18 For wh i le he l ived,he

counted h im self an happy man

and so long as thou doest wel lunto thyself, m en w i l l speakgood of thee.

19 He shal l fol low the generat ion of h is fathers : and shal lnever see l ight .20 Man being in honour hath

no understand ing : but is com

pared unto the beasts thatperish .

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Day 10 ]

ing fire, and a m ighty tempestshal l be st i rred up round abouth im .

4 He shal l ca l l the heavenfrom above and the earth , thathe m ay judge h is people.

5 Gather my saints togetherunto me those that have m adea covenant w i th me w i th sacrifice.

6 And the heaven shal l declare h is righteousness : forGodis Judge h im self.7 Hear, O my people, and I

w i l l speak : I myself w i l l test ifyaga inst thee, O Israel ; for I amGod , even thy God .

8 I w i l l not reprove thee because of thy sacrifices, or for thyburnt-offerings : because theywere not alway before me.

9 I w i l l take no bul lock out

of th ine house : nor he-goat outof thy folds.10 For all the beasts of the

forest are m ine : and so are the

ca ttle upon a thousand h i l ls.1 1 I know all the fowls upon

the mounta ins : and the w i ldbeas ts of the field are in my

sight.1 2 If I be hungry , I w i l l

not tel l thee : for the wholeworld is m ine, and all that istherein.

13 Th inkest thou tha t I wi l leat bul ls’ flesh : and d rink the

blood of goats ?14 Offer unto God thanks

Psalm 1. [Morning Prayer

giving : and pay thy vows untothe m ost Highest .1 5 And cal l upon m e in the

t ime of t roub le : so w i l l I hea rthee, and thou shal t praise me.

16 But unto the ungodly sa idGod Why dost thou preach mylaws, and takest my covenant inthy mouth17 Whereas thou hatest to bereformed : and has cast my

words beh ind thee ?1 8 When thou sawest a th ief,

thou consentedst unto h im

and hast been partaker w i th the

adul terers.19 Thou hast let thy mouth

speak w ickedness : and w i th thytongue thou has t set for th decei t.20 Thou satest , and spakest

against thy brother : yea, and

hast slandered th ineownmother’sson.

2 1 These th ings hast thoudone, and I held my tongue,and thou thoughtest w ickedly ,tha t I am even such a one as

thyself : but I w i l l reprove thee,

and set before thee the th ingsthat thou hast done.

22 O consider th is, ye tha tforget God : lest I pluck you

away , and there be none to de

l iver you.

23 Whoso ofl’

ereth m e thanksand pra ise, he honoureth m e

and to h im that ordereth h isconversat ion r ight w i l l I shewthe salvat ion ofGod .

1 1 6

Psalm l i . [Day 10Vforning Prayer]

La tins.— Matins of Tuesday.

Greeks .—Tuesday m orning .

Thi s i s a p sa lm m uch used in necrom ancy,its open

ing word s, Deus deorum,being regarded as a sign of the

Di vine power over ev il spirits and devil s.Verse 18 was used in th ief-find ing. A num ber of

nam es were p laced in a k ey, wh ich was turned overth e verse, Si videbas f urem mirrebas cum ea

,and the

gu i l ty nam e would leap out ; so with adul tery and

slander.Verse 14 has been a favourite one for thank s

giv ing serm ons . Pope’s friend, Bishop Atterbury, th eJacobite, forexam ple, prea ched on 29 th May, Restora

tion day, a serm on on thi s text .

Psalm li .

To the ch ief Musician, A Psa lm of Dav id, when Nathan the

prophet cam e unto h im,after he had gone in to Bath -Sheba.

M iserere mei, Deus.

w ickedness and in sin hath my1 Have mercy upon m e, OGod , after thy great goodness :accord ing to the mul titude of thymercies do away m ine offences.2 Wash me th roughly from

my w ickedness : and cleanse m e

from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my

faults and my sin is ever beforeme.

4 Aga inst thee only have Isinned , and done th is ev i l in thysight : that thou m ightest bejust ified in thy saying, and clearwhen thou art judged .

5 Behold , I was shapen in

mo ther conceived me.

6 But 10 , thou requi rest t ruthin the inward pa rts : and shal tmake me to understand w isdomsecretly.

7 Thou shal t purge me w i thhyssop, and I shal l be cleanthou sha l t wash me, and I sha l lbe wh i ter than snow .

8 Thou shal t m ake me hearof joy and gladness : that thebones wh ich thou hast brokenmay rejoice.

9 Turn thy face from my s insand put out all my misdeeds.

1 1 7

Day 1 0 ]

10 Make me a clean heart , OGod , and renew a right sp ir i tw i thin m e.

1 1 Cast m e not away fromthy presence and take not thyholy Spi ri t from m e.

1 2 0 give me the com for t ofthy hel p aga in and stabl ish me

w i th thy free Spi ri t.13 Then shal l I teach thy

ways unto the w icked : and

s inners shal l be converted untothee.

14 Del iver me from b loodgui l t iness, O God , thou tha t artthe God of my hea l th : and my

tongue shal l s ing of thy righteousness.

1 5 Thou shal t open my l ips,

Psalm l i . [Mo rning Prayer

0 Lord : and my month shal lshew thy pra ise.

16 For thou desi rest no sacrifice, else would I g ive i t theebut thou del ightest not in burntofferings .

1 7 The sacrifice of God is a

troubled sp i ri t : a broken and

contrite hear t, 0 God , shal t thounot despi

18 O be favourable and

gracious unto Sion : bui ld thouthe wal l s ofJerusa lem .

19 Then shal t thou be pleasedw i th the sacrifice of righteousness , w i th th e burnt - offer ingsand oblat ions : then sha l l theyoffer young bul locks upon th ineal tar.

Liturgica l uses.— Comm ination serv ice ; the Fourth

penitential psalm (contra Izm iriam), the others beingv i . , xxxi i . , xxxviii ., cii . , cxxx.

,and cxli ii .

Latina— A l l week -days at Laud s ; Comm union of

sick ; Burial processions Preces, etc. etc .

Greeks.—Tuesday m orn ing ; Daily nocturns ; Satur

d ay ; Third hour ; La te evensong ; Visita tion of sick ;Confess ion ; For dying ; Burial of laym en

,m onk s,

infants,and priests .

There i s hardly any serv ice in any part of theCatholic Church wh ich does not contain verses of th i sp salm . Even if our Lord h ad not a lluded to it in thep ubl ican’ s prayer, its own power and beauty wouldhave seized upon the Christian conscience and im agination . I t i s th e su prem e type of sp iritua l repentance,not only of Dav id after h is trea son

,adultery, and

m urder, but of all the sons of penitence . I t is th efavourite psalm not of ind ividual Christians but of

1 18

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Day 10 ] Psalm] 11 [Morning Prayer

began the AIiserere, and so swooned away . He was

buried a t Grenoble. Not only hum an l ife but hum an

work h as been nam ed from th is poem— th e seats incathedra l choir w ith their carvings, th e daggerswh ich hurried m en to death, the m onastic buttery

, al l

bore thi s nam e. Miserere began the rel igious life of

th e novice, the Kyrie E leison of the priest’ s Ma ss,

the profession of arm s for the knight, the scholar’ s

entrance to h is uni versity . I t was the chaunt of

hum il iation in plague, defeat, and fam ine. The m en

of action and of contem p lation equal ly u sed it .Card ina l Sadoleto the poet ( 147 7 the PuritanHildersham (15 63—1632) wrote at length upon it, thelatter m ak ing 1 5 2 lectures upon th e them e . Donne,

Bunyan, Paley, Sim eon,Pusey

,Kingsley

,and innum er

able others preached arid lectured upon it, includingPope Urban IV. the Corpus Christ i Pope, who m ade a

m etaphrase of it . In fact,volum es cou ld be m ade of

its use a lone .

Verse 7 . This is the verse wh ich nam es the Asperges,or use of holy water before the Mass or on greatoccasions, as when the Doges of Venice wedded th esea w ith rings . Dr. Ker says that in the m ost northerngrave in th e world, near Cape Beechy, i s buried an

Engl ish sailor. Above the grave is a copper tabletconta ining thi s verse .

Verse 17 gi ves a nam e to the thorough k ind of

repentance— contrition.

Bernabo Viscont i ( 13 8 5 ) was dying, fi lthy and

neglected , in Trezz o prison,where so m any of his

v ict im s had died before. He used to drag him self tothe grating and repeat w ithout ceasing

, Cor contrilum

et lzumiliatum D eus non despicies.

Verse 18 . When Henry v. was dying in 14 16 and

heard th is psa lm,h e raised him self from h i s bed and

said that th e great h 0pe of h is l ife had been to leada crusade to restore Jerusalem .

“ The soul s of the

1 20

Psalm l i i . [Day 10Morning Prayer]

fa ithfu l pilgrim s plead ever to God for us in theseword s

,says Capgrave . In th e seventeenth century,

Allegri, m as ter of th e papa l choir, com posed a m usicalsetting for th e fifiserere, which was long jealously and

exclu s ively k ept there. Mozart, when a boy of

fourteen, wrote it down entirely at Tenebrae, and

thus th e m usic got known outside . So fam ous a

p salm was, of course, u sed in necrom ancy ; it was a

cure for the thrush , and would “ stent blood ”to

repeat it.

Psalm l ii .To the ch ief Mus ician, Masch il , A Psalm of Dav id , when Doeg

the Edom i te came and told Saul , and said unto him , Dav idis come to the house ofAh im elech .

Quid gloriaris ?1 Why boastest thou thyself,

thou tyrant : that thou canst dom isch ief ;2 Whereas the goodness of

God endureth yet da i ly ?3 Thy tongue imagineth

w ickedness : and w i th l ies thoucuttest l ike a sharp razor.4 Thou hast loved unright

eousness m ore than goodness :and to talk of l ies more thanrighteousness.5 Thou hast loved to speak

all words tha t may do hur t : Othou fal se tongue.

6 Therefore shal l God dest roythee for ever : he shal l takethee, and pluck thee out of thy

dwel l ing, and root thee out of

the land of the l iv ing .

7 The righ teous also shal l seethis, and fear : and shal l laughh im to scorn8 “ Lo

, th is is the man tha ttook not God for h is strengthbut t rusted unto the mult i tudeof h is riches, and strengthenedh im self in h is w ickedness.”

9 As for m e, I am l ike a

green ol ive-tree in the house of

God : my t rust is in the tendermercy ofGod forever and ever .

10 I w i l l always give thanksunto thee for that thou hastdone : and I w i l l hOpe in thyName, for thy saints l ike i t wel l .

Liturgical use.— Introit for St . Stephen’s Ma ss (e).

Latins —Tuesday Matins .Greeks—Tuesday m orning.

1 2 I

Day 10 ] Psalm [ 11 [Morning Prayer

When Charles 1. cam e to th e S cotch cam p a t

Newark , though th e generals a ffected to treat h imres pectfully, the m in isters knew no check

,and often

insulted th e unhap py k ing to hi s fa ce . One of themafter a railing serm on

,ordered Psa lm l ii . to be sung

Why doest thou, tyrant , boast abroad ,Thy w icked works to pra ise ?

Dost thou not know there is a God

Whose mercies last always ?”

Then the k ing stood u p , and , with a m eekness and

dignity that touched even those rigid enthusiasts,cal led for Psalm l vi . instead

Have m ercy , Lord , on m e, I pray ,For man would me devour ;

He figh teth w i th m e day by day,And troubleth me each hour .”

This version is Sternhold and Hopk ins ’,of whom

Ful ler says “ that they had drunk m ore of Jordanthan of Hel icon

,

”and who have in m any verses such

poor rhym e that two hamm ers on a sm ith ’ s anv i lwould m ak e better m usic . I t i s said (fa lsely sa id ,Fuller declares) tha t Queen El izabeth called theseversions Geneva Gigs . Som e have m ade l ibellousverses in abu se of them ; and no wonder if songswere m ade on th e translators of th e Psa lm s, seeingdrunkards m ade them on Dav id, the author thereof.Such as s ing them m ust endea vour to am end them ,

by singing them with understanding heads and

grac ious hearts, whereby that wh ich i s bu t bad

matter on earth will be m ade good music in

heavenf’

In the l ife of St . Porphyrius, Bi shop of Gaza,it is

told tha t th e great idol tem ple there took fire, and

burnt form any days . The Christians gathered round1 2 2

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Day IOJ Psalm l i i i . [Evening Prayer

Latina — Ou Wednesday a t Matins .Greeks.

—~ On Tuesday m orning.

Thi s p salm,wh ich i s th e Elohist version of Psalm

xiv. ,i s one of the bones of contention among m odern

critics .Verse 1 . The discourses u pon th is verse op ened the

wide field of controversy upon th e ontologica l argum ent for th e existence of God ; St. Anselm ,

DunsScotus

,and Descartes being am ong the defenders of

tha t argument. St . Thom a s Aquinas and Kant rejectedit, and m any m odern philosophers have practically

abandoned i t. The argum ent i s briefly this, Can wesup pose that the m ind fashioned and invented a

thought so great that it fi lls all thought ? ProfessorCaird sum s up and approves the m eaning wh ichunderl ies this “ proof “ As spi ritual beings, our

whole conscious life i s based on a uni versal selfconsciousness

,an absolute spiritua l life, which is not

a m ere subj ecti ve notion or conception,but wh ich

carries with it the proof of its necessary existence or

real ity.

Verse 3 . The Venerable Bede (673 -73 5 ) has a wel lknown serm on on Dominus de ccelo prosp exit.

Verses 7 and 8 . Henry Burton, an Independent sed itious m inister, was sentenced by the Star Cham ber todeprivat ion,

fine, pil lory, loss of ears, and im prisonm entin 1636. He was confined in Guernsey and l iberatedby th e Long Parl iam ent . He m ade a trium phantprogres s to London

,and preached on these verses

about England ’ s bondage and hope of deliverance .

Evening Prayer] Psalm] ll V [Day 10

Psa lm liv.

To the ch ief Musician on Neginoth , Maschil , A Psa lm of Dav id ,when the Ziphims came and sa id to Saul , Doth not Davidh ide h im self w ith us ?

Deus, in Nom ine.

1 Save me, O God , for thyName

’s sake : and avenge m e

in thy strength .

2 Hear my prayer , O God :

and hearken unto the words of

my mouth .

3 For strangers are risen upaga inst me : and tyrants , wh ichhave not God before thei r eyes,seek after my soul .4 Behold , God is my hel per :

the Lord is w i th them that upho l d my soul .

Liturgica l use.—Good Friday m orning.

Latins — Da ily at prim e Easter Eve.

Greeks — Tuesday m orning Sixth hour.Th is psa lm is as sociated with th e unfortunate Anne

Ask ew,who at th e age of twenty-five was burnt for

heresy in 1 5 46, although Bishop Bonner h ad tried tosave h er. She turned this psalm into verse, which isgiven by Bishop Bale w ith a woodcut and Amor vincitomnia . She had been turned out of doors by h erhusband Thom a s Kym e.

Salmasius (Claud), professor of h istory at Leydenand th e Op ponent of th e too abus i ve Mil ton, d ied in165 3 saying : If I had one year m ore I wou ld spendi t in reading Da v id ’ s p sa lm s and Pau l ’ s epi stles .Verse 6 . These word s decided both popes and

councils to m ake it il legal to devote ch i ldren of a

tender age to the m onk ish life, until they could give1 2 5

5 He shal l reward ev i l untom ine enem ies : destroy thouthem in thy t ruth .

6 An offering of a free heartw i l l I g ive thee, and praise thyName

,0 Lord : because i t is

so comfortab le.

7 For he hath del ivered m e

out of all my t rouble : and

m ine eye hath seen h is desi reupon m ine enem ies.

Day 10 ]

a free heart .

Psalm lv . [Evening Prayer

Unfortunately, they could not con

trol the inside of the m onasteries, and hence m any a

Fi lippo Li ppi was forced to tak e vows for wh ich h ehad no cal l .

Psa lm lv .

To the ch iefMusician on Neginoth , Maschil, A PsalmofDav id.

Exaud i, Deus.

1 Hear my prayer, O God

and h ide not thyself from my

pet it ion.

2 Take heed unto me, and

hear me : how I m ourn in my

prayer , and am vexed.

3 The enem y crieth so , and

the ungodly cometh on so fastfor they are m inded to do me

some m isch ief ; so mal iciouslyare they set against m e.

4 My hear t is d isquietedw i th in me : and the fear of

death is fal len upon m e.

5 Fearfulness and trembl ingare com e upon me : and an

horrible d read hath overwhelm ed m e.

6 And I sa id , O that I hadw ings l ike a dove : for thenwould I flee away

,and be at

rest .7 Lo , then would I get me

away faroff : and rem a in in the

w ilderness .

8 I would make haste to

escape : because of the sto rm yw ind and tempest .

9 Destroy thei r tongues,O

Lord , and d iv ide them : for Ihave spied unrighteousness and

strife in the ci ty .

10 Day and nigh t they goabout w i th in the wal ls thereofm isch ief also and sorrow are in

the m idst of i t .1 1 W ickedness is therein

decei t and gui le go not out of

thei r streets.1 2 For i t is not an Open

enemy,that hath done me th is

d ishonour : for then I couldhave borne i t .13 Nei ther was i t m ine

adversary , that d id magnifyh im self ag a inst me : for thenperadventure I would have h idmyself from h im .

14 But i t was even thou, mycom panion my guide, and

m ine own fam i l iar friend .

1 5 \Ve took sweet counseltogether ; and walked in the

house of God as friends.16 Let death come hast i ly

upon them , and let them go

1 26

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Day 10 ] Psalm lv . [Evening Prayer

h is clea r wife Tetty, and deposited am ong h erm em oria ls,

are headed : 8th May 17 5 2— Deus, Exaud i, Heu

Verse 1,

first part, is th e m otto carved on th e

Jacobaean reading-pew in Newport Church, I sle of

Wight.Verse 6. St . Jerom e says that th is m otto was com

stantly in th e mouths of the peacefu l and piou sEgypt ian Caenobites wh ile they l istened to th e word sof their “ Father, whose pra ise as a speak er was inth e weep ing of his hearers . Their holy

,obedient,

and d isc i p l ined l ife was th e lovel iest contra st to th e

fierce anarchy and lust about them . Th e verse was,at any rate, one which St . Jerom e him self repeatsaga in and again . I t has a l so p layed no sma l l partin l iterature and art, e.g. Mendelssohn’ s well-knownm usica l setting ; Brown ing

’ s Pom p il ia,

” iii . 9 9 1—9 9 7 ,and othersVerse 1 5 . Hook er dedu ced from th i s that it i s

reasonable to think , that if walk ing as friend s in th ehouse of God m ade the bond of m en

’s love insoluble,that all p iety wil l be w itnessed to and k indled by th euse of psalm s between clergy, and those “ betweenwhom there daily and interchangeably pas s in th e

hearing of God him self and in the presence of Hisholy angel s, so m any hea venly a cclam ations

,exulta

tions, provocations, petitions, songs of com fort, psa lm sof p ra ise and thank sgiv ing.

”

Verses 21 and 22. Th e thank sgiving serm ons on the

defeat of poor Prince Charles Edward were general lyfrom these verses .Verse 25 . Giraldus Cam brensis

’ comm ent upon th e

death of King John, and a very ap posite one too .

Th e sam e words form ed th e fierce retort of old Cecil ,Lord Burleigh , to th e Earl of Essex, when th e la ttervehem ently op posed the policy of- p eace with Spain .

Morning Prayer] Psalm lv i. [Day I I

THE ELEVENTH DA!

MORNING PRAYER

Psalm lvi .

To the chief Mus ician uponJonath -elem -rechokim , Mich tamof Dav id

,when the Ph i l ist ines took h im in Gath .

M iserere mei,Deus.

I Be m erciful unto m e, OGod , for man goeth about todevour me he is da i ly fight ing

,

and t roubl ing me.

2 Mine enem ies are dai ly inhand to swal low me up : for

they be many tha t fight aga instme, O thou most Highest.3 Nevertheless, though I am

somet ime afra id : yet put I myt rust in thee.

4 I w i l l pra ise God , becauseof h is word : I have put mytrust in God , and w i l l not fearwhat flesh can do unto m e.

5 They dai ly m istake my

words : all that they imagine isto do m e ev i l .6 They hold all together and

keep them selves close and

m ark my steps, when they laywa i t formy soul .7 Shal l they escape for thei r

w ickedness : thou, O God , in

thy d ispleasure shal t cast themdown.

8 Thou tel lest my flittings ;put my tears into thy bottleare not these th ings noted inthy book9 Whensoever I cal l upon

thee, then shal l m ine enem iesbe put to fl ight : th is I know ;forGod is on my side.

10 In God’s word w i l l Irejoice : in the Lord’s word w i l lI com for t m e.

I I ! ea, in God have I putmy trust : I w i l l not be afraidwhat man can do unto me.

12 Unto thee, O God , w i l l Ipay my vows : unto thee w i l l Ig ive thanks.

13 For thou hast del iveredmy soul from death , and my

feet from fal l ing : that I maywalk before God in the l ight ofthe l iving .

Latins—Wednesday m orning.

Greeks. Tuesday m orninghour .

Mesorion of s ixth

Ca l led the m edicine psalm , because it was often1 1 29

Psalm lv 11. [Morning PrayerDay 1 1 ]

recited devoutly in the Middle Ages by those whotook physio.

In the slaughter- shed at Cawnpore was pick ed up a

Bible, with “read Psa lm lv i .” written in penci l on

the flyleaf, a pathet ic m essage from one v ictim to

another.Th e psalm was Charles L

’

s choice, when insu ltedby the Genevan m ini sters (vide PS. There wasa picture of th is k ing at S t. John’ s College

,Oxford

,

noticed by th e Spectator. I t had the whole Book of

Psalm s written in the lines of th e face ; no doubtbecause of the k ing’s love of them . Charles 11.

begged it of the col lege, and it was given to h im w ithso strong a hint of the loss to the society

,that he fel t

obliged to restore it .Verse 8 . A favourite verse of Jam es Ussher ( 15 8 1

th e Archbishop of Arm agh , the m ost learnedpatri stic scholar and critic of h is tim e.

Psa lm l vii .

To the ch ief Musician, Al -taschith , Mich tam ofDav id,when

he fled from Saul in the cave.

M iserere mei,Deus.

I Be m erciful unto m e, O

God , be m erciful unto m e, for

my soul t rusteth in thee : and

under the shadow of thy w ingsshal l be m y refuge, unt i l th istyranny be over-past .2 I w i l l cal l unto the most

h igh God : even unto the God

that shal l perform the causewh ich I have in hand.

3 He shal l send from heavenand save m e from the reproofof h im tha t would eat m e up .

4 God shal l send forth h ismercy and t ruth : my soul isamong l ions .5 And I lie even among thech i ldren of m en, that are set on

fire whose teeth are spears andarrows, and thei r tongue a sharpsword .

6 Set up thyself, O God ,

above the heavens : and thyglory above all the earth .

7 They have la id a net for

my feet , and pressed down my1 30

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Day 1 1 ] Psalm lv i i i . [Morning Prayer

in th e m ercy, power, and prov idence of the Creator ;and to cause a resignation of ourselves to His w illand then

,and not til l then, to bel ieve ourselves

happy

Psa lm lviii .To the ch iefMusician, A l -taschith , Mich tam ofDav id .

Si vere ut ique.

1 Are your m inds set uponr ighteousness, O ye congregat ion and do ye judge the th ingthat is right , 0 ye sons of

men ?

2 ! ea, ye imagine m isch iefin your heart upon the earth :

and your hands deal w i thw ickedness.3 The ungodly are froward ,

even from thei r mother’s wombas soon as they are born, theygo astray , and speak l ies.4 They are as venom ous as

th e poison of a serpent : evenl ike the deafadder that stoppethherears5 Wh ich refuseth to hear the

voice of the charmer charm he

never so w isely.

6 Break thei r teeth , 0 God ,

in thei r mouths sm ite the jaw

bones of the l ions, O Lordlet them fal l away l ike waterthat runneth apace ; and whenthey shoot thei r arrows let thembe rooted out.7 Let them consum e away

l ike a sna i l , and be l ike the

unt im ely frui t of a wom an and

let them not see the sun.

8 O r ever your po ts be m adehot wi th thorns : so let ln

d ignat ion vex h im , even as a

th ing that is raw.

9 The righteous sha l l rejoicewhen he seeth the vengeancehe shal l wash h is footsteps inthe b lood of the ungod ly.

10 So that a man shal l say,Verily there is a reward fortherighteous : doub tless there is a

God that judgeth the earth .

”

Latins—Wednesday m orning.

Greeks—On Tuesday m orning.

Thi s psalm was m uch used by St. Bernard in h isCrusade sermons.Verse 7 . A queer piece of natural history cam e from

the Jews with this verse, that the snai l (the waster)1 32

Evening Prayer] Psalm lix . [Day 1 1

was born big, and crawled until it h ad worn itselfaway into slini e. By Albertus Magnu s ’ tim e, however,sna il s had been observed m ore carefully, for he saysth e verse refers to snail s when sa lted .

Verse 9 . St . Hugh of Lincoln, one of the bravest,wisest, and m ost lovable of al l English sa ints and

bishops, u sed to j u stify him self by this verse for hi strem endous severity of rebuk e and fierce indignationagainst the proud ev il-doers of h i s day. Though hewas th e great idol of children, the gentlest nurse of

lepers, th e friend of birds and beasts,

and one so

careful of th e dead that to bury a dead tram p h ewou ld keep th e k ing waiting for d inner, yet hisrebuk es were so severe they seem ed alm ost um

m easured .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm lix .

To the ch iefMusician, Al-taschith , Michtam ofDavid whenSaul sent , and they watched the house to k i l l him .

Eripe me dc inim icis.

arise thou therefore to help me,and beho ld .

1 Del iver me from m ineenem ies, O God : defend me

from them that rise up againstm e.

2 O del iver me from the

wicked doers and save me fromthe b lood -th i rsty men.

3 For 10 , they lie wai t ingfor my soul : the m ighty men

are ga thered against me, w ithout any oflence or faul t of me,

O Lord .

4 They run and preparethemselves w i thout my fault :

5 S tand up , 0 Lord God

of hosts, thou God of Israel ,to v isi t all the heathen : and

be not merciful unto them tha toffend ofmal icious w ickedness .6 They go to and fro in

the evening : they grin l ikea dog , and run about th roughthe ci ty .

7 Behold, they speak w iththei r mouth , and swords are inthei r l ips forwho doth hear ?

I33

Day 1 1 ] Psalm lix . [Evening Prayer

8 But thou, O Lord , shal thave them in derision : and

thou shal t laugh all the heathento scorn.

9 My strength w i l l I ascribeunto thee : for thou art the

God ofmy refuge.

10 God sheweth me h is goodness plenteously : and God shall

let me see my desi re upon m ineenem ies.

1 1 S lay them not, lest my

people forget it : but scatterthem abroad among the people,and put them down, 0 Lord ,ourdefence.

1 2 Forthe sin of thei r mouth ,and for the words of thei r l ips

,

they shal l be taken in thei rp ride : and why ? thei r preaching is of curs ing and l ies.

Latins — Matins on Wednesday.

Greeks—Tuesday m orning .

In the tim e of Henry vrn . this psalm was used as

a Passion p salm .

This i s one of the vindictive psalm s,as they are

cal led, th e others being lxix. ,lxxix. , and cix. ,

and

they have caused no l ittle controversy in every age,especia l ly am ong us since th e English Church h asfam il iarised peop le with them ,

by using them on

Sundays. Th e word “v indictive has onl y lately

acquired th e m eaning of studied m al ice.

“ Vindication ” i s a sp ecia l virtue in th e eyes of St. ThomasAquinas, Op posed to savagery and cruelty on th e one

hand , and carelessnes s about evi l on the other. Heinsists

,of course, that it m ust not spring from hate

,

bu t from a good m otive, charity to the evil-doer (h is1 34

13 Consum e them in thywra th

,consum e them ,

tha tthey m ay per ish : and knowtha t i t is God tha t ruleth in

Jacob, and unto the ends of

the world .

14 And in the evening theyw i l l return : grin l ike a dog,and w i l l go about the ci ty .

1 5 They w i l l run here and

there for mea t : and grudge ifthey be not sat isfied.

16 As for m e, I w i l l s ing of

thy power,and w i l l pra ise thy

m ercy bet imes in the m orningfor thou hast been my defenceand refuge in the day of my

troub le.

1 7 Unto thee, O my strength ,w i l l I sing : for thou, O God ,

art

my refuge, and mym erciful God .

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Day 1 1 ] Psalm lx . [Evening Prayer

the strength of my head Judah 1 0 Hast not thou cast us out,is my law-

giver O God : w i l t not thou, O God ,

8 Moab is my wash -pot ; go out w i th ourhosts ?over Edom w i l l I cast out my 1 1 0 be thou our hel p inshoe : Ph i l ist ia, be thou glad troub le : for va in is the hel pof me. ofman.

9 \Vho w i l l lead m e into the 1 2 Th rough God w i l l we dostrong ci ty who w i l l bring me great acts for i t is he that shal linto Edom tread down ourenem ies.

La tins — Wednesday Matins .Greeks — Tuesday m orning.

When St. Cuthbert (687) drew near h is end h e was

in h is cel l off Lindisfarne,a lone with h is eider duck s .

Herefrid and certain m onk s landed to gi v e h im thelast Sacram ent . A t m idnight h e rai sed his handsand s ped forth h i s sp irit. When Herefrid told thebrethren outs ide, they were j ust beginning the m idnight psalm

, Deus quare repulisti nos, and a brotherwent to th e higher ground and raised two torches,as a signa l to Lind isfarne . The brethren there werechaunting th e sam e psalm when th e signa l was spied,and they knew that their ch i ef was gone. So thispsalm has been cal led the Dirge of St. Cuthbert, andwas the dirge a lso of Celtic Christianity, which d iedwith h im . Two years later th e p salm was sung by theBritons, in a m ournful and wai l ing voice, when theywere driven across th e sea , w ith Cadwallader theirleader, by fam ine, pestilence, and the inva sion of th e

Saxons .Th is was one of th e psalm s sung in England in

thank sgi v ing for the v ictory of Cam perdown ( 1 1thOct. when Duncan cap tured the Dutch adm ira land twel ve of h is shi p s . Duncan, although sorelyh indered by th e m utiny in the fleet, m anaged to

k eep up a blockade and prevent the invasion of

England .

Verse 1 . When the Suprem acy Act was passed,1 36

Evening Prayer] Psalm 1x1 [Day 1 1

Houghton, prior of the Charterhouse, cal led hisbreth ren together and preached to them upon thisverse

,and bade them each confess their s ins and

prepare for death , and h im self a sked pardon severa llyof each Carthusian. He was executed with two of

his brethren (4th May explaining to th e peoplethat he was no obstinate rebel, but cou ld not offendth e m aj esty of God and disobey His Church .

Verse 2. The text of a m agnificent and brave pleafor peace

,preached by Joseph Hal l (1 5 74

then Bishop of Exeter, before Charles L,in Lent

,

1641,“ On the Misch iefe of Fa ction and the Rem edie

of it He was translated to Norwich,whence h e

was shortly expel led and imprisoned by the Parl iam ent.Verse 1 1 . Vana sa lus hominis, the m otto chosen by

Stephen Gardiner,Bishop of Winchester and Lord

Chancel lor of England under Queen Mary. He was

a dark -haired, spiritua l-faced m an,who tried to steer

a m iddle course in the turbu lent tim es,renouncing

Rom an obed ience and trying to sa ve Prote stantsfrom the stak e on the one hand , and on the otherres isting doctrina l changes and at last re-enact ingth e statute de heretico comburendo. He d ied in 1 5 5 5 .

The m otto expresses his all but despair at the con

fu sions wh ich h e had to face .

Th e sam e words are Dr. Johnson’s comm ent on thedeath of h is wife .

Psa lm lx i.

To the ch ief Mus ician upon Neginah , A Psalm of Dav id .

Exaud i , Deus.

1 Hear my cry ing , O God : w i l l I cal l upon thee : when myg ive earunto my prayer. heart is in heaviness.2 From the ends of the ea rth 3 0 set me up upon the rock

Day 1 1]

that is higher than I : for thouhast been my hope, and a strongtower forme aga inst the enemy .

4 I w i l l dwel l in thy tabernaele for ever : and my trustshal l be under the covering of

thy w ings.5 For thou, O Lord , hast

heard my des i res : and hastg iven an heritage unto thosethat fear thy Name.

Psalm lx i . [Evening Prayer

6 Thou shal t grant the Kinga long l ife : tha t h is years may

endure th roughout all generat ions.7 He shal l dwel l before God

for ever : 0 prepare thy lov ingm ercy and fa i thfulness , that theymay preserve him .

8 So w i l l I a lway sing praiseunto thy Name : that I m ay

daily perform my vows .

Latins —W'

ednesday m orning ; Apostles and evangelists ; Al l Saints .Greeks—Tuesday m orning ; Visita tion of the sick .

Thiswas a favourite p salm with Ca l vinist divinesof the seventeenth and eighteenth century, wh o haveleft serm ons and m ed itations upon it, particu larly on

the second verse, e.g. R . Taylor, Owen, Sim eon,Evans

,

and Elwin. Hence Toplady com posed h is celebratedhymn, “ Rock of Ages , from the sam e p sa lm . He

was then a young m an of about twenty-five ( 1765 ) andheld the l iving of Blagdon in Som erset, where h eused to wander about the hills in his surpl ice. Hewrote six other hym ns .Verse 5 . St . Chrysostom set th e Christian comm ent

upon th i s verse, by explaining that th e heritage isChrist Him self. A thousand hells are noth ing to the

evil of being shu t out from this heavenly heritage, ofbeing eternal ly repel led from Christ and hearing fromHis m outh, I never knew you .

Comm ents of this k ind are apt to provoke resentm ent am ong som e, wh o argue that th e author neverm eant it so. But the practice of singing Gloria aftereach p salm was intended not only to a llow, but tocom pel a Chri stian sense to each psa lm .

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Psalm lx i i i . [Morning PrayerDay 12]

ca l led The Rich Man’s Warning-Piece, and another

in defence of Bruton Organ, ca l led The Wel l-TunedCym bal) were wonderful ly cried up by people of understanding. They are l ik e som e other too elaborateform s of art in that elaborate t im e .

St . Athanasius’ favourite psa lm . Aga inst all

attem pts u pon thy body,thy sta te

,thy soul, thy fam e,

tem ptations, tribulations, m ach inations,defam ations

,

say this psalm . Probably h e learnt h is great love foritin the desert with St . Anthony. There he had t im e

to m ed itate upon the corruptions of th e world, and

particu larly of Alexandria, where h e was born and

where h e diedVerse 1 . Alan Gardiner ( 1794 the m issionary

to Terra d el Fuego, painted these words in red overth e cave when he was starved to death (vide xvii .)Verse 1 1 . Both Jewish and Christian m ystics have

appealed largely to this verse,for the outward and

inward m eaning of God ’s speech and the doublehearing needed for all rel igious utterance .

Psa lm lx iii.A Psalm ofDav id, when he was in the wilderness of Judah .

Deus, Deus meus.

1 O God,thou art my God :

early w i l l I seek thee.

2 My soul th i rsteth for thee,my flesh a lso longeth after theein a barren and d ry land whereno water is.3 Thus have I looked for thee

in hol iness tha t I m ight beholdthy power and glory .

4 For thy lov ing-k indness isbet ter than the l ife i tself : myl ips shal l praise thee.

5 As long as I l ive w i l l Im agnify thee on th is m annerand l ift up my hands in thyNam e.

6 My soul shal l be sat isfied ,even as i t were w i th marrow and

fatness whenmymouth pra iseththee w i th joyful lips.7 Have I not remembered

thee in my bed : and though tupon thee when I was wak ing ?8 Because thou hast been my

[Day 1 2Morning Prayer] Psalm l v .

hel per : therefore under the 1 1 Let them fal l upon the

shadow of thy w ings w i l l I edge of the sword : tha t theyrejo ice. m ay be a port ion forfoxes.9 My soul hangeth upon theethy r igh t hand hath upholdenme.

10 These tha t seek the hurtofmy soul they shal l go underthe earth .

Latins—Lands daily.

Greeks—Tuesday m orning.

Th is has been ca l led th e m orning hym n of the EarlyChurch

,and the African Church used it as such, as the

Apostol ical constitutions suggest, and as Cassian recomm ended . It was St . Chrysostom

’

s favourite psalm ,and

he claim ed that th e whole spirit of the Psa lter wascondensed into it . Theodore Bez a

,after whom the

rhym ed p salm s were cal led Beza’s bal lets, u sed to

repeat th is psalm again and aga in to him self on h issleep less nights .Verse 8 . Th e last words of John Forrest, the Rom an

Ca tholic m artyr wh o was burnt at Sm ithfield,w ith

the approval of Bishop Latim er, on 22nd May 1 5 3 8 .

He was a Franciscan, who was confessor to Catharineof Aragon

,and had written a book against the royal

suprem acy.

1 2 But the King shal l rejoicein God all they that swearby him shal l be commendedfor the mouth of them that speakl ies shal l be stopped .

Psalm lx iv.

To the chief Mus ician, A Psalm ofDav id .

Exaud i, Deus.

1 Hear my voice, 0 God , in

my prayer : preserve my l ifefrom fear of the enemy .

2 Hide me from the gather ingtogether of the froward : and

from the insurrect ion of w ickeddoers ;

3 Who have whet thei r tonguel ike a sword : and shoo t out

thei r arrows, even bi tter words4 That they may priv i lyshoot at h im tha t is perfectsuddenly do they h i t him, and

fear not.1 41

Day 12]

5 They encourage them selvesin m isch ief : and communeamong them selves how they m ay

lay snares, and say, that no man

shal l see them .

6 They imag ine w ickedness,and pract ise i t : tha t they keepsecret among them selves, everyman in the deep of h is hea rt .7 But God shal l suddenly

shoot at them w i th a swift arrowtha t they sha l l be wounded.

Psalm lx iv . [Morning Prayer

8 ! ea, thei r own tongues sha l lm ake them fa l l : insomuch tha twhoso seeth them shal l laughthem to scorn.

9 And all m en that see i tshal l say, Th is hath God

done” : for they shal l perceivethat i t is h is work .

10 The righ teous shal l rejo icein th e Lord, and put h is t rust inhim : and all they that are trueof hear t sha l l be glad .

Latins —Wednesdaye vangelists .Greeks — Tuesday m orning.

The proper psa lm s once appointed to be sa id on

Gunpowder Treason Day were lxiv. ,cxxiv ., and

cxxv.

Hence th is psalm ga ve the text of m any celebratedserm ons on Gunpowder Treason, e.g. by Dr. I saacBarrow and Bishop Hom e. Th e form er (1630—1677)was Newton ’ s m a ster and predecessor in the LucasianChair of Mathem atics . He was a lean, sm al l

,strong

m an with grey eyes and auburn hair,wh o m ade

great use of fruit and toba cco. Bishop Horne( 1730 a friend to Wesley and an op ponent ofLaw,

Newton, Adam Sm ith , Hum e,Swedenborg

, and

Kennicott, publ ished in 17 76 the devoutest of Englishcomm entaries upon th e Psa lm s, wh ich wil l be a com

panion (as hi s epitaph at Norwich says) “ till theDevotion of Earth shal l end in th e Hal lelujahs of

Heaven.

”

Am ong the m uch ‘ wronged m inor authors, who out

of love for the Psa lter publ ished m etrical ed itions,were

Vicars the Presbyterian , lam pooned in “ Hud ibras,

”

and Blackm ore, Will iam 111.’

s physician,whom Pope

cal led “ the godless author, who burlesqued a p sa lm .

at Matins andApostles

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Day 1 2 ]

soft w i th the d rops of ra in, andblessest the increase of i t.

12 Thou crownest the yearw i th thy goodness : and thyclouds drop fa tness .1 3 They shal l drop upon the

Psalm lxv . [Evening Prayer

the l i t tle h i l ls shal l rejoice on

every s ide.

14 The folds shal l be ful l ofsheep : the va l leys also shal lstand so th ick w i th corn, thatthey shal l laugh and sing.

dwel l ings of the w i lderness and

Latins—Wednesday at Lauds .Greeks— Tuesday evening ; Saturday evening.

This is th e basis of Origen’s prayer for the Alexandrine Church .

This (with psalm s c iv. and cxxi .) was a favouritewith Henry Vaughan, the Wordsworth of th e seventeenth century, whose intense del ight in nature givesh is sacred poem s som e of the freshness of th e psalm sthem selves .

Thou waterest every ridge of land,

And sett lest w i th Thy secret handThe furrows of i t then Thy warmAnd opening showers, restrain’

d from harm ,

Soften the mould,wh i le all unseen

The b lade grows up al ive and green.

Verse 2. In Erasm us’ col loquy of th e shi pwreck , whenall were cal ling upon St. Nicholas and other saints

,one

m an thought it th e safest and surest course to go

d irectly to God Him self by Jesu s Christ, according toth is verse, th ink ing perhaps that h is own effectua lfervent prayer was that of a sufficiently righteous m an .

Verse 1 1 . In stillicidiis eius Icetabitur germinans bene

dices corome. Out of these words a prophecy of thebirth of Charles vnr. was extracted by form ing th

date m ccclllxvv . , t.e. 1470. It was a curious instanceof ingenuity, and celebrated because it succeeded .

John Holland, in his Psa lm ists of Britain,

num bers 1 7 3 authors of m etrical translations from th e

sixteenth century. Up to the year 1720, Le LongI44

Evening Prayer] Psalm lxv i . [Day 12

num bers 1 120 editions of the Old Testam ent m adesince the year 147 5 , and counts 5 00 comm entators onth e Psalm s ; but Ca lm et, not l ong afterwards

,as serted

that there were close upon a thousand known .

Psa lm lx vi.

To the ch iefMusician, A Song orPsa lm .

Jub ilate Dec .

1 0 be joyful in God , all yelands : sing praises unto the

honour of h is Name, m ake h ispraise to be glorious .2 Say unto God , O how

wonderfu l art thou in thy worksthrough the greatness of thypower shal l th ine enem ies befound l iars unto thee.

3 For all the wor ld shal lworsh ip thee sing of thee, andpra ise thy Nam e.

4 0 com e h i ther, and beholdthe works ofGod how wonderful he is in h is doing toward thech i ld ren ofmen.

5 He turned the sea into d ryland so that they went th roughthe wa ter on foot there d id werejo ice thereof.6 He ruleth w i th h is power

for ever ; h is eyes behol d the

people : and such as w i l l notbel ieve shal l not be ab le to

exal t them selves.7 O p raise our God

, ye

people : and make the voice of

h is praise to be heardK

8 Who holdeth our soul inl ife : and suffereth not our feetto sl ip.

9 For thou, O God , hastproved us : thou also hast triedus, l ike as si l ver is t ried .

10 Thou broughtest us intothe snare : and laidest troub leupon our loins.

1 1 Thou sufferedst men to

ride over our heads : we wentthrough fire and water

,and thou

broughtest us out into a weal thyplace.

1 2 I w i l l go into th ine housew i th burnt -offerings : and w i l lpay thee my vows, wh ich Iprom ised w i th my l ips, and

spake w i th my mouth , when Iwas in t rouble.

~ 13 I w i l l offer unto thee fatburn t-sacrifices, w i th the incenseof ram s : I w i l l offer bul locksand goats .

14 0 come h ither, and

hearken, al l ye that fear Godand I w il l tel l you what he hathdone formy soul .

145

Day 1 2] Psalm lxv i . [Evening Prayer

1 5 I cal led unto h im w i th my 1 7 But God ha th hea rd m e

mouth : and gave him pra ises and considered the voice of myw i th my tongue. prayer.16 If I incl ine unto w icked 18 Praised be God who hath

ness w i th m ine hear t : the Lord not cast out my prayer : nor

wi l l not hear m e. turned h is mercy from m e.

Liturgica l use— Thank sgiv ing after a storm at sea .

Latins—Wednesday evening ; Epiphany.

Greeks—Tuesday night Saturday night.Th is psalm has been one m uch u sed in national

thank sgiv ings, e.g. when we were del ivered byTrafalgar from th e paralysing fear of Napoleon’ sinvas ion in 1805 , and from the cholera in 1849 .

Verse 1 1 . Transivimus per igzzem cl aquam cl eduxisti

nos in refrigerium . This i s th e m otto Sa vonarola ’sVenetian editors chose for his serm ons (1 5 43 , etc .)I t was a lso St . Basil ’s text for the forty m artyrs

,who

were exposed to the cold and froz en to death .

Verse 14 . Th e opening words for th e com pos itepsalm of thank sgiving after th e defeat of the GreatArm ada in 1 5 8 8 .

Verses 16, 17 , and 18 . This syllogism,w ithout a

conclusion in logica l form , caused no little debateam ong th e schoolm en, and no less comm ent. Fuller’ snote upon it perhaps settled th e question of its “ bad

logic .”

Lord,I find Da v id m ak ing a syllogi sm

,in m ood

and figure, two propos itions h e perfected .

‘ If I regard w ick edness in my heart, the Lord wil lnot hear m e .

‘ But verily God hath heard m e, He hath attendedto the voice of m y prayer.

’

Now,I expected tha t Da v id should ha ve concluded

thus : ‘ Therefore I regard no t wick edness in myheart . ’ But

,far otherw ise, h e concludes : ‘ B lessed

be God , wh o hath not turned away m y prayer, norHism ercy from m e.

’ Thu s David hath decei ved,but not

146

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Day 131 Psalmlxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

recited by the,

Speak er and hi s chaplain with prayersand col lects

,a custom wh ich dates from th e Restora

tion . From th e beginn ing of Elizabeth ’ s reign untilthe t im e of Charles 1. it was usua l for th e whole Hou seto say th e Litany kneel ing . This gave way to ram b

l ing,loose, or odd expressions in affected varieties or

ted ious tautologies as Gauden described the extem poredevotions that were next used . To the genera l rel iefa m ore seem ly and dignified s erv ice was set forth , andh as continued ever s ince.

Verse 3 . These words decided Pope John vur.,in

the ninth century, to al low Method ius to evangel isethe Bulgarians, who knew neither Latin ,

Greek , nor

Hebrew,

and he thus opened the door to foreignm issions . Th i s Pope carried th e papal cla im s to theirgreatest height, antici pating Gregory vrr. by two

centuries, and even going beyond h im in c la im s, forh e declared that the election of the emperor restedwith h im . Th is m ission is al l the m ore im portant fromth e fact that Method iu s and h i s brother Cyrillus werethe first to invent an a lphabet and reduce theS lavonian language to writing.

THE TH IRTEENTH DA! ~

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm lx viii .

To the ch iefMusician, A Psa lm orSong ofDav id .

Exurgat Deus.

1 Let God arise, and let h is so shal t thou d rive them awayenem ies be scat tered : let them and l ike as wax m el teth at the

also that hate h im flee before fire, so let the ungodly perish ath im . the presence ofGod .

2 Likea s the smokevanisheth ,

83 But let the righteous be

7 4

Morning Prayer] Psalm

glad and rejoice before God let

them also bemerry and joyful .4

.

O s ing unto God , and singpra ises unto h is Name magnifyhim tha t rideth upon the

heavens, as i t were upon an

horse ; pra ise him in h is Name

JAH ,and rejoice before him .

5 He is a Father of the

fatherless , and defendeth the

cause of the w idows : even Godin h is holy habi tat ion.

6'

He is the God that makethm en to be of one m ind in

an house, and bringeth the

prisoners out of capt iv i ty : butlet teth the runagates cont inue inscarceness.7 O God , when thou wentest

forth before th e people : whenthou wentest through the w i lderness ,8 The earth shook , and the

heavens d ropped at the presenceof God : even as Sinai al so wasmoved at the presence of God ,

who is the God of Israel .9 Thou , O God , sentest a

gracious ra in upon th ine in

her i tance and refreshedst i twhen it was weary.

10 Thy congregat ion shal ldwel l therein forthou , O God ,hast of

.

thy goodness p reparedfor the poo r .

1 1 The Lord gave the wordgreat was the company of the

preachers .12 _Kings , ,

w i th _ thei r arm ies

lxv i i i : [Day 13

d id flee, and were discomfitedand they of the househol dd iv ided the spoi l .13 Though ye have l ien

among the po ts , yet shal l ye beas the w ings of a dove : that iscovered w i th si l ver w ings, and

her feathers l ike gold.

14 When the A lm ightyscattered k ings for thei r sakethen were they as wh i te as snowin Salmon.

1 5 As the h i l l of Basan, so isGod’s h i l l even an h igh h i l l

, as

the h i l l of Basan.

16 Why hop ye so, ye h igh

h i l ls ? th is is God’s h i l l , in

the wh ich i t pleaseth h im to

dwel l yea, the Lord w i l l abidein i t forever.17 The chariots of God are

twenty thousand, even thousandsof angel s : and the Lord isamong them , as in the holyplace of S ina i .

18 Thou art gone up on h igh ,thou hast led capt iv ity capt ive,and received gifts form en yea ,

even for th ine enem ies,tha t

the Lord God m ight dwel lamong them .

1 9 Pra ised be the Lord dai lyeven the God who hel peth us

,

and poureth h is benefi ts upon

20 He is our God , even the

God of whom cometh sal vat ionGod is the Lord

,by whom we

escape death .

4 49

Day 13] Psalm

2 1 God shal l wound the headof h is enem ies : and the ha i rysca l p of such a one as goeth onst i l l in h is w ickedness.22 The Lord hath sa id , “ I

w i l l bring my people aga in, as

I d id from Basan : m ine own

w i l l I bring again, as I d idsom et ime from the deep of the

23 That thy foo t m ay be

d ipped in the b lood of th ineenem ies and that the tongue of

thy dogs m ay be red th roughthe same.

”

24 I t is wel l seen, 0 God ,

how thou goest : how thou, myGod and King , goest in the

sanctuary .

25 The singers go before, them instrels fol low after : in the

m idst are th e dam sel s playingw i th the t imbrels.26 G ive thanks, 0 Israel

,

unto God the Lord in the con

gregations : from the ground of

the heart .27 There is l i tt le Benjam inthei r ruler, and the p rinces of

Judah thei r counsel the princesof Zabulon,

and the p rinces ofNeph thali.

28 Thy God hath sent forth

lxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

strength for thee : stabl ish the

th ing , 0 God , that thou hastwrought in us,

29 For thy temple’s sake at

Jerusalem : so sha l l k ings bringpresents unto thee.

30 When the com pany of the

spear-m en and mult i tude of the

m ighty are scat tered abroadamong the beasts of the people,so that they humbly bring p iecesof s i lver : and when he hathscattered the people that del igh t in war3 1 Then shal l the pr incescom e out of Egypt the

Morians’ land shal l soon stretch

out herhands unto God .

32 S ing unto God , 0 ye

k ingdom s of the earth : 0 s ingpraises unto the Lord33 Wh o s i tteth in the heavens

over all from the beginning10 , he doth send out h is voice,yea , and that a m ighty voice.

34 Ascribe ye the power to

God over Israel : h is worsh ip ,and strength is in the clouds.35 O God , wonderful art

thou in thy holy places : eventhe God of Israel ; he w i l l g ivestrength and power unto h ispeople blessed be God .

Liturgical use.—Whit Sunday Matins .

Latins — Wednesday Matins Wh it Sunday .

Greeks—Tuesday night Saturday nocturns .This warrior p salm

,as Adhelm nam es it (psa linum

sacri certaminis), has ch iefly been used at tim es of

1 5 0

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Day 1 3] Psalm lxv i i i . [Morning Prayer:

Savonarola , on h is way to th e ordeal by fire in thePiaz z a in 149 7, chaunted th is psalm . Th e enem y werein th is case the Franc iscan m onk s, who disputed hism ission,

and were th e all ies of the Pope, the Med ici,and th e Compagnacci,

"for the destruction of the

great leader.In 1 5 89 Henry rv. of France and the Huguenots

joined battle with the Leaguers at Arques, near Dieppe.

Th e form er chaunted this psalm in Marot’

s vers ion toan austere tune, and tim ed their singing to the rol l ofthe guns . Que Dieu se monstre settlement

,et l

’

on verra

dans le moment, abandonner la p lace.

On 3rd Sep tem ber 165 0, Oliver Crom wel l and h isarm y raised this psalm as .th ey . fell upon th e Scotchat the battle of Dunbar.An old west- country recipe for charm ing a snak e

is to draw a circle round th e reptile,sign the cross,

and repeat the first two verses of th is psalm .

Verse 1 . When Jam es 1 . cam e to the throne, h ewas ask ed to choose a m otto for the coins of th e

realm . He chose Exurgat D eus cl d issipeutur inimici.

He placed it, for instance, on th e fifteen-sh il l ingpiece .

Verse 14. Andronicus, the Eastern Em perour, at th etim e of our, Norm an Conquest, when hardly beset bythe Mahom edans took (the Sortes B iblicce) the Psa lterto inquire of God , and ligli ting

i upon th is pas sagewas heartened and directed by it .Verse 20. Dr. Donne preached from th is ve rse h is

last serrrion,h is o wn funera l serm on

th e im age of death, and speak ing in a faint sepul chral

vo1ce.

Verse 3 5 . A v0 1ce from heaven chaunted th is to St .Hugh , th e valorous Bishop of Lincoln

,and cheered

h im when h e was in low spirits at th e d i sturbed stateof England .

Evening Prayer] Psalm lx ix . [Day I3

EVENING PRAYER

Psa lm Ix ix .

To the chief Musician uponShoshannim ,A Psalm of Dav id .

Sa lvum me fac.

1 Save me, O God : for the

waters are com e in, even untomy soul .2 I st ick fas t in the deep

nnre, where no ground is I amcome into deep waters , so thatthe floods run over m e.

3 I am weary of cry ing ; myth roat is d ry : my sigh t fa i lethme for wa i t ing so long uponmy God .

4 They tha t hate me w i thouta cause are more than the hai rsofmy head they that are m ineenem ies, and would dest roy m e

gui l tless, are m ighty .

5 I paid them the th ings thatI never took God , thou knowestmy simpleness, and my faultsare not h id from thee.

6 Let not them that trust inthee, O Lord God of hosts

,be

ashamed for my cause : let not

those tha t seek thee be con

founded th rough m e, O LordGod of Israel .7 And why ? for thy sake

have I suffered reproof shamehath covered my face.

8 I am becom e a strangerunto my breth ren even an

al ien unto my mother’s ch i ld ren.

9 For the z eal of th ine househath even eaten me : and the

rebukes of them that rebukedthee are fal len upon me.

10 I wept, and chastenedmyself w i th fast ing : and tha twas turned to my reproof.1 1 I put on sackcloth a lso

and they jested upon me.

12 They that si t in the gatespeak aga inst m e and the

drunkards m ake songs upon me.

13 But, Lord, I m ake myprayer unto thee in an acceptable t im e.

14 Hear m e, O God

,in the

mult i tude of thy mercy : evenin the truth of thy salvat ion.

1 5 Take me out of the m i re,

that I s ink not : 0 let me be

del ivered from them that -hatem e

, and out of the deep waters .16 Let not the water - flood

drown me, nei ther let the deepswal low m e up : and let not

the p i t shut hermouth upon m e.

1 7 Hear m e,O Lord

, for thylov ing-k indness is com fortableturn thee unto me accord ing tothe mult i tude of thy mercies.18 And h ide no t thy face

from thy servant , for I am in

I SS

Day I3]

trouble : O haste thee, and hearme.

19 D raw nigh unto my soul ,and save i t : 0 del iver m e

,

because ofm ine enem ies.20 Thou hast known my

reproof, my shame, and my

d ishonour m ine adversaries areall in thy sight .2 1 Thy rebuke hath broken

my heart ; I am ful l of beav iness : I looked for some to havep i ty on m e, but there was no

m an,neither found I any to

com fort me.

22 They gave m e gal l to eat

and when I was th i rsty theygave me v inegar to d rink .

23 Let thei r table be madea snare to take them sel vesw i thal : and let the th ings thatshould have been for thei rweal th be unto them an occasionof fa l l ing .

24 Let thei r eyes be b l inded,that they see not and ever bowthou down thei r backs.25 Pour out th ine ind ignat ion

upon them : and let thy wrathful d ispleasure take hold of

them .

26 Let thei r habitat ion be

vo id : and no man to dwel l inthei r tents.27 For they persecute h im

Psalm lx ix . [Evening Prayer

whom thou hast sm i tten : and

they talk how they may vex

them whom thou hast wounded.

28 Let them fal l from one

w ickedness to another : and not

com e into thy righteousness.29 Let them be w iped out of

the book of the l iv ing : and not

be w ri tten among the righteous .30 As for me, when I am

poor and in heav iness thy help,

0 God , shal l l ift me up .

3 1 I w i l l pra ise the Name of

God w i th a song : and magnifyi t w i th thanksgiv ing .

32 Th is also shal l please theLord bet ter than a bul lockthat hath horns and hoofs.33 Th e hum ble sha l l consider

th is, and be glad seek ye after

God , and your soul shal l l ive.

34 For the Lord heareth thepoor and despiseth not h isprisoners.35 Let heaven and earth

praise h im : the sea, and all

that m oveth therein.

36 For God w i l l save Sion,and bui ld the ci t ies of Judahthat men may dwel l there, and

have i t in possession.

37 The posteri ty also of h isservants shal l inheri t i t : and

they that love h is Name shal ldwel l therein.

Liturgica l use.—Good Friday evening ; Even song

of King Charles .Latins—Thursday Matins ; Maundy Thursday.

IS4

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Day I3] Psalm lxx . [Evening Prayer

tel l h it forthere : Deleantur rle libro vivenciam ich soldenat dele with h em .

Psa lm lxx .

To the ch iefMusician, A Psalm ofDav id , to bring to remembrance.

Deus in adjutorium .

1 Has te thee, O God , to

del iver m e : make haste to helpme, O Lord .

2 Let them be asham ed and

confounded that seek after m ysoul : let them be turned backward and put to confu s ion thatw ish m e ev i l .3 Let them for thei r reward

be soon brought to sham e : thatcry over m e, There, there.

4 But let all those that seekthee be joyful and glad in theeand let all such as del ight in thysa l vat ion say alway

, The Lordbe pra ised.

”

5 As for me,I am poor and

in m isery : haste thee unto me,

O God .

6 Thou art my helper, and

my redeemer O Lord,make no

long tarrying.

Liturgica l use.— Introit for Mass second Sunday

after Easter (e).Latins — Thursday Matins ; Maundy Thursday.

Greeks. TuesdayMesorion of s ixth hour ;Office for dying.

night Saturday nocturns ;Late evensong in Lent ;

The greater use m ade by the Ea stern Church of

th is psalm wou ld suggest the Ea stern origin of theversicles in m orn ing and evening prayer : “ O God ,m ak e speed to save us

,etc . , wh ich i s the fact . They

cam e to the West in about 5 40 A .D ., and were first

used for nocturns, then for all the hours .Am ong the once fam ous writers on th e Psa lm s

was Will iam Nichol son, author of David’

s Harp strungand tuned He was a Magdalen choir-boy,Croydon schoolm aster

,Archdeacon of Brecknock , a

refugee, a friend of Clarendon’ s,and at last Bishop of

Gloucester. He was“a person of great ; erudition,1 5 6

Morning Prayer] Psalm lxx i . [Day 14

prudence, m odesty,and of a moderate m ind

,says

Wood,m eaning by the la st term that he was j ust and

fa ir. He m a inta ined that the older a m an gets them ore h e loves th e Psa lm s. “ Th e best of expositorshave presented their thoughts on th e Psa lm s in theirriper years, and m ade them one of their last work s .”

Verse 4 . Haydn (17 32 th e m usician,was so

convinced of th e truth of th is verse, that h e said, whenrebuk ed by som e sour persons for th e joyfu l characterof hi s p ieces, that all religious things ought to becheerfu l, and that for h is part h e would set the

Miserere to an a llegro. Bishop Hack et (1 5 92—1670)perhaps h ad the sam e p salm in his m ind when h e

com posed h is m otto of Serve God and be cheerful .To go farther back stil l, perhaps the sam e thoughtinspired St . Patrick of I reland, who had a habit of

saying Deo gratias— Thank God— whatever ha ppened

of pleasant or sad event . And th e oldest part of theMass

,which is found wherever the Church exi sts

,and

da tes without doubt from Apostolic tim es,perhaps

even from th e forty days of the first Ea ster, rem indsus that we should at a ll tim es and in a l l places givethank s : Vere dignum et iustum est cequum et sa lutare, nos

tibi semper et ubique gratias agere, Domine Sancte, Pater

Omnipotens, ceterue Deus.

THE FOURTEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm lxx i.In te, Dom ine, speravi.

1 In thee, O Lord , have I ness ; incl ine th ine earunto m e,

put my trust , let me never be and save me.

put to confus ion : but rid me, 2 Be thou my stronghold ,and del iver me, . in thy r ighteous whereunto I m ay a lway resor t

1 5 7

Day 14]

thou hast prom ised to hel p m e,

for thou art my house of defence,and my castle.

3 Del iver m e, O my God ,

out of the hand of the ungodlyout of the hand of th e un

r ighteous and cruel m an.

4 For thou, O Lord God , art

the th ing that I long for : thouart my hope, even from my

youth .

5 Th rough thee have I beenholden up ever since I was bornthou art he that took m e out of

my mother ’s womb ; my pra iseshal l be always of thee.

6 I am become as i t werea m onster unto m any : but mysure trust is in thee.

7 0 let my mouth be fi l ledw i th thy pra ise : tha t I may singof thy glory and honour all theday long.

8 Cast m e not away in the

t ime of age : forsake me not

when my strength fa i leth me.

9 For m ine enem ies speakagainst me, and they that laywa i t for my sou l take thei rcounsel together, say ing : Godhath forsaken h im ; persecuteh im , and take h im ,

for there isnone to del iver h im .

1 0 Go not far from m e, OGod : my God , haste thee to

hel p me.

1 1 Let them be confoundedand perish that are aga inst mysoul : let them be covered wi th

Psalm lxx i . [Morning Prayer

shame and d ishonour that seekto do m e ev i l .

12 As form e, I w i l l pat ient lyabide a lway : and w i l l pra isethee more and more.

‘

13 My mouth shal l dai lyspeak of thy r ighteousness andsa l vat ion : for I know no end

thereof.14 I w i l l go for th in the

strength of the Lord God : and

w i l l make m ent ion of thy right ~eousness only .

1 5 Thou , O God , hast taughtm e from my youth up unt i l nowtherefore w i l l I tel l of thywondrous works.

16 Forsake m e not, 0 God ,

in m ine old age, when I am

gray - headed : unt i l I haveshewed thy strength unto th isgenerat ion, and thy power to all

them that are yet for to com e.

1 7 Thy righteousness, O God ,is very h igh : and great th ingsare they that thou has t done ;0 God , who is l ike unto thee ?18 O what great t roub les and

adversi t ies hast thou shewedme ! and yet d idst thou turnand refresh m e : yea, and

broughtest me from the deepof the earth again.

1 9 Thou hast brought m e to

great honour : and com fortedme on every side.

20 Therefore w i l l I pra isethee and thy fai thfulness

,O God ,

play ing upon an inst rum ent of1 58

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Day 14] Psalm' lxx i . [Morning Prayer

m ade, and h e exterm inated the banditti . He died in1 5 90 .

Verse 7 . Th is was u sed in th e Anglo-Saxon officeof Prim e

,very early translated into th e English

tongue.

Verse 8 . When George Herbert was dying be

quoted these words Lord , forsake m e not when mystrength faileth ; but grant m e m ercy for th e m eritsof m y Jesus . And now, Lord—Lord, now receive m ysou l .Between our thirteenth and fourteenth verse th e

Vu lgate and one version of th e LXX. in sert the words,because I knew not learning— quoniam non cognovi

literaturam ; another version of LXX. , the Vatican,reads wpayaaret

'

as, busines s . For this reason som e

m onastic comm unities del iberately eschewed learning,e.g. St . I sidore of Sev ille (seventh century), a learn edm an h im self

,an historian and ed itor, w ished his

m onk s to know noth ing but their fa ith ; and perhapsSt. Francis

,too

,d iscouraged letters in h is friari es from

th e sam e text . In both cases th e followers weredrawn by the logic of l ife into grea t learning. Th e

Franc iscans fil led nearly all the principal chairs of

Europe.

“ The 7 l st Psalm was pen’d for old age was a

saying of LadyWandesford,whose husband succeeded

h is friend Strafford in I reland, and lost hi s reputa tionand l ife in Dubl in . The gal lant lady, who oftenrecited the psalm , would add grim ly that th e way toheaven lay past th e gates of hel l .

Morning Prayer] Psalm lxx i i . [Day 14

Psalm lxxu.

A Psalm for Solomon.

Deus, jud icium .

1 G ive the King thy.

judgments , 0 God : and thy r ighteousness unto the King’s son.

2 Then sha ll he judge thypeople according unto right :and defend the poo r.3 The mountains also shal lbring peace and the l i ttle h i l lsrighteousness unto the people.

4 He shall keep the simplefolk by thei r right : defend thech i ld ren of the poor, and punishthe w rong-doer .5 They shall fear thee, as

long as the sun and moon

endureth : from one generat ionto another.6 He shall come down l ike

the rain into a fleece of wool :even as the drops tha t water theearth .

7 In h is t ime shal l the

righteous flourish : yea, and

abundance of peace, so longas the moon endureth .

8 His dom inion shal l be alsofrom the one sea to the other :and from the flood unto the

world’s end .

9 They tha t dwel l in the

w i lderness shal l kneel beforehim : h is enem ies shal l l ick thedust .10 The k ings of Tharsis and

of the isles shal l g ive presentsL

the k ings of Arabia and Sabashal l bring gifts.1 1 A l l k ings sha l l fal l downbefore him all nat ions shal l dohim serv ice.

1 2 For'

he sha l l del iver thepoor when he crieth the needyal so, and him that hath no

helper.13 He shal l be favourab le to

the simple and needy : and

shal l preserve the,souls of the

poor .14 He sha l l del iver thei r souls

from fal sehood and wrong : and

dear shal l thei r blood be in h issight .15 He shal l l ive, and unto

him sha l l be given of the gol dofArabia prayer shal l be madeever unto him , and dai ly shal lhe be praised .

16 There shal l be an heap ofcorn in the earth , h igh upon theh i l ls : h is frui t shal l shake l ikeLibanus, and shal l be green inthe ci ty l ike grass upon the

earth .

1 7 His Name shal l endurefor ever ; h is Name shal l rema in under the sun among theposterit ies wh ich shal l be

b lessed th rough h im ; and all

the heathen shal l praise h im .

18 B lessed be the Lord God ,

Day 14] Psalm lxx i i . [Morning Prayer

even the God of Israel : wh ich of h is Majesty forever : and all

only doeth wondrous th ings the earth shal l be fi l led w i th h is19 And blessed

'

be the Name Majesty. Amen, Amen.

Latina— Thursday Matins ; Christm as ; Epiphany ;Maundy Thursday ; Trinity Sunday.

Greeks.— Wednesday m orning.

This noble idea l of k ingshi p has m oulded the l i vesof m any devout sovereigns, am ong them King Alfred

,

and Edm und of Thetford, the m artyr and S t. Sebastianof England . Of th e latter Carlyle says, How then

,

m ay it be ask ed, d id th i s Edm und rise into favour ?Real ly, except it were by doing j ustly and lov ingm ercy to an unprecedented extent, we do not know .

Th e m an,it wou ld seem ,

‘ had walked,’

as they say,‘ hum bly w ith God

’ hum bly and va liantly withGod , struggl ing to m ak e the earth heavenly, as hecould, instead of walk ing sum ptuou sly and pridefullyw ith Mammon,

leav ing the earth to grow hellish as itl iked

,seen and felt by all m en to have done a m an

’ spart in th is life-pilgrim age of hi s ; and bened ictionsand overflowing love and adm iration from the uni

versa l heart were his m eed .

‘Wel l done ! wel ldone !’ cried the hearts of all m en.

”

Verse 4 . Over the court-house recently erected on

th e s ite of old unhappy Newgate is carved : “ Thoushalt protect th e ch ildren of th e poor

,and punish the

wrong-deer, wh ich an Am erican writer th ink s is a

strik ing instance of the attitude towards crim e of th e

Governm ent of England .

Verses 10 and 1 1 . These verses have caused thew ise m en from the East to be represented in Art asthree k ings .Verse 10 . When Sydney Sm ith ’s eldest daughter was

born in Edinburgh in 1802, h e selected from th e psalmfor the day the nam e of Saba, think ing that as th e

parents were constrained to give thei r ch ild so in

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Day 14]

14 ! ea , and I h ad almostsaid “

even as they ” : but 10 ,

then I should have condem nedthe generat ion of thy ch i ldren.

I 5 Then though t I to understand th is : but i t was too hardforme,

16 Unt i l I went into the

sanctuary of God : then understood I the end of these m en

1 7 Namely, how thou dostset them in sl ippery places :and castest them down, and

destroyest them .

18 Oh , how suddenly do theyconsume : perish , and come to

a fearful end 11 9 ! ea, even l ike as a dream

when one awaketh : so shal tthou m ake thei r image to vanishout of the ci ty.20 Thus my heart

grieved : and i t wentth rough my reins.2 1 So fool ish was I , and

was

even

Psalm lxx i i i . [Evening Prayer

ignorant : even as i t were a

beast before thee.

22 Never theless, I am a lwayby thee : for thou hast holdenm e by my right hand .

23 Thou sha l t guide m e w i ththy counsel : and after thatreceive m e w i th glory.

24 Wh om have I in heavenbut thee : and there is none

upon'earth that I desi re in

comparison of thee.

25 My flesh and my hear tfai leth but God is the strengthof my heart , and my port ion forever .26 For 10 , they that forsake

thee shal l perish : thou hastdestroyed all them that comm i tfornicat ion against thee.

7 But i t is good for m e to

hol d me fast by God , to put mytrust in the Lord God : and to

speak of all thy works in th e

gates of the daughter of Sion.

Latina — Thursday Matins ; Maundy Thursday.

Greeks.—Wednesday m orning.

St . August ine's proof that the old saints werej ustified by the fa ith and m ystery of Christ . In h isCity (f God (x . 25 ) h e h as a chapter upon th is psalm ,

shewing that th e Christian desires such goods as thewick ed cannot share, wh o only have the bless ings ofth e left hand, i.e. tem pora l and ' temporary blessingsbu t the citiz ens of Sion sacrifice

,with the angels

,

them selves to the Holy Trinity.

Verse 17 . St . Gregory the Great pathetically appl iesthese words to h i s own great busy l ife, am id th e

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Evening Prayer] Psalm lxx iv . [Day 14

earthly cares of wh ich h e was prevented fromthinking, m uch m ore from preaching publicly, of

the m iraculous work s of th e Lord . Overwhelm ed bythe tum ult of secu lar affa irs, I am one of those, hesays, of whom it i s written,

‘ Thou dost set them in

sl ip pery places : and castest them down .

’

Verse 17 . Stratford ’s successor, Lord Leicester, thuscomm ents upon th e executions of the Duk e of

Ham ilton, Lord Cape],

and Lord Holland “on

a cold March m orning, 165 0 .

“ So the gloryof the world passes away, and those that thinkthem sel ves to be great and happy and safe are settein s lippery places

,perish, and com e to a fearful]

end .

”

Verse 25 . Charles Wesley, when dying, wrote a

hym n from these words .

Psalm lxx iv .

Maschil ofAsaph .

Ut quid , Deus ?

1 O God , wherefore art thouabsent from us so long : why isthy wrath so hot against thesheep of thy pasture ?2 O th ink upon thy con

gregation whom thou has tpurchased , and redeem ed of

old .

3 Th ink upon the tribe of

th ine inheri tance : and mountSion, wherein thou hast dwel t.4 Lift up thy feet, that thou

m ayest utterly destroy everyenemy : wh ich hath done ev i lin thy sanctua ry.

5 Th ine adversa ries roar in

the m idst of thy congregat ionsand set up thei r banners fortokens.6 He that hewed t imber afore

out of the th ick trees : wasknown to bring i t to an ex

cellent work .

7 But now they brake downall the carved work thereofw i th axes and hammers.8 They have set fire upon thy

holy places : and have defiledthe dwel l ing-place of thy Name,

even unto the ground.

9 ! ea , they sa id in thei rhearts, Let us make havock of

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Day 14]

them al together thus have theyburnt up all the houses of Godin the land .

10 We see not our tokens,

there is not one prophet more :no, not one is there among us

,

that understandeth any more.

1 1 O God , how long shal lthe adversa ry do th is d ishonourhow long shal l the enemyb laspheme thy Name, for ever ?12 Why w i thdrawest thou

thy hand : why pluckest thounot thy r igh t hand out of thybosom to consum e the enemy ?

1 3 For God is my K ing of

old the help that is done uponearth he doeth i t h im self.14 Thou d idst d iv ide th e sea

th rough thy power thou brakestthe heads of the dragons in thewaters .1 5 Thou smotest the heads of

Lev iathan in p ieces and gavesth im to be meat for the people inthe w i l derness.16 Thou brough test out

founta ins and waters out of

the hard rocks : thou d riedstup m ighty waters.

Psalm lxx iv . [Evening Prayer

1 } The day is th ine, and the

night is th ine : thou hast prepared the l igh t and the sun.

18 Thou hast set all the

borders of the earth : thouhast m ade summer and w inter.19 Remem ber th is

, 0 Lord,

how the enemy hath rebukedand how the fool ish people hathblasphemed thy Nam e.

20 O del iver not the soul ofthy turtle-dove unto the mul t itude of the enem ies and forgetnot the congrega t ion of the poorforever .2 1 Look upon the covenant

forall th e earth is ful l of darkness , and cruel habi ta tions.22 0 let not the s im ple go

away ashamed but let the poorand needy g ive praise unto thyName.

23 Arise, O God , maintainth ine own cause : rem emberhow the fool ish man blasphem eth thee dai ly.

24 Forget not the voice of

thine enem ies : the p resum pt ionof them that hate thee increasethever more and more.

Latina— Thursday Matins ; Maundy Thursday ; Eveof th e Pas sion.

Greeks.-Wednesday m orning.

Th is psalm was m uch used in the great northernrebell ion, the Pilgrim age of Grace, 15 3 7, whichfollowed the suppression of th e abbeys . RobertAsk e, th e leader, accounts for the revolt, saying thatin th e North “ th e abbeys gave great a lm s to poor

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Day IS] Psalm lxxv . [Morning Prayer

THE FIFTEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm lxxv .

To the ch ief Mus ician, Al -taschith , A Psalm orSong ofAsaph .

Confitebimurtib i.

1 Unto thee, O God , do we

g ive thanks : yea, unto thee dowe g ive thanks.2 Thy Name also is so nigh

and that do thy wond rous worksdeclare.

3 When I receive the con

gregation I shal l judge according unto right.4 The earth is weak , and all

the inhabi ters thereof : I bearup the p i l lars of i t .5 I said unto the foo ls, Deal

not so madly ” and to the un

godly , Set not up your born.

”

6 Set not up your horn on

h igh : and speak not w i th a

st iff neck .

7 For promotion comethnei ther from the east , nor from

Liturgical use— Introit for the Mass th ird Sundayafter Easter (e).Latins—Thursday Matins ; Maundy Thursday ;

Apostles and evangel ists .Greeks—Wednesday m orning.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1 5 5 2 in h is History ofthe World (a book wh ich Cromwell loved and

studied), h as an interesting note on th e Psalter.1 68

the west : nor yet from the

south .

8 And why ? God is the

Judge : he putteth down one,

and setteth up another.9 For in the hand of the

Lord there is a cup , and the

wine is red : i t is ful l m ixed ,and he poureth out of the same.

10 As for the d regs thereofall the ungodly of the earth shal ld rink them , and suck them out.

1 1 But I w i l l talk of the GodofJacob : and praise h im for

ever .1 2 Al l the horns of the un

godly.

a lso w il l I break : and

the horns of the righteous shal lbe exal ted .

Morning Prayer] [Day 15Psalm lxxv i .

For his interna l gifts and graces David so far

exceeded all other m en, as, putting his human frailtyapa rt, he was said by God Him self to be a m an

according to His own heart. The psa lm s wh ich hewrote instance h is piety and his excellent learning, of

whom Jerom e to Paulinus : ‘ David,’ saith he

,

‘our

Sirnonides, Pindarus , and Alczeus, Horatius,Ca tullus

and Serenus, playeth Christ on h is harp, and on a

ten-stringed lute ra iseth Him up ri sing from the dead .

And being both a k ing and prophet, he foretellethChrist m ore l ightsom ely and l ively than all the rest .’

Psalm lxxvi .

To the ch ief Musician, on Neginoth , A Psa lm or Song ofAsaph .

Notus inJudma .

1 In Jewry is God known :

his Name is great in Israel .2 A t Salem is h is tabernacle

and h is dwel l ing in S ion.

3 There brake he the arrowsof the bow : the sh ield , the

sword , and the bat tle.

4 Thou art of more honourand m ight than the h i l ls of therobbers.5 The proud are robbed,

they have slept thei r sleep :and all the men whose handswere m ighty have foundnoth ing.

6 At thy rebuke, O God of

Jacob : bo th the chariot and

horse are fal len.

7 Thou, even thou art to be

feared : and who may stand

in thy sight when thou art

angry ?8 Thou d idst cause thy judge

m ent to be heard from heaventhe earth trembled, and was st i l l ,9 When God arose to judge

ment and to help all the meekupon earth .

10 The fierceness ofman shal lturn to thy praise : and the

fierceness of them shal t thourefra in.

1 1 Promise unto the Lordyour God , and keep i t , all ye

tha t are round about him bringpresents unto h im that ought tobe feared .

1 2 He sha l l refra in the Sp i ritof p rinces : and is wonderfulamong the k ings of the earth .

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Day rs] Psalm lxxv i i . [Morning Prayer

Latins —Thursday m orn ing ; Maundy Thursday ;Ea ster Eve.

Greeks.— Wednesday m orning.

Thi s psalm was Charles Kingsley’ s (1 8 19—7 5 )favourite h e cal led it m y psalm .

The rebel Covenanters at Drum clog (in so

v ividly described by Scott in Old Mortality, sangthis psalm . I t had been sung in Ed inburgh a t the

defeat of the Arm ada,and in m any of th e London

churches at th e sam e news .This psalm has a lways been a fa vourite in occu lt

circles, and it figures largely in exorcism s, preventi vesaga inst witchcraft and the like. Thi s was partlyowing to its t itle, Canticmn ad Assyrios , and al sobecause of the Vu lgate

,fourth verse : Illuminans tu

m irabiliter a montibus celernis— Thou gi vest wonderfu ll ight from th e eternal m ounta ins . In Dr. Dee

’

sl D iarythat cabbalist dream t “

a vis ion and shew of

many bok es, and am ong the rest was one greatvolum e thik in large quarto, new printed

,on the

first page whereof as a title in grea t letters wasprinted Notus in Judcea Deus.

Verse 1 1 . When St . Bonaventura (the Seraph icdoctor) was twenty-two years old , he was m editatingu pon this verse h e rem em bered that when h e was a

ch i ld, and near death w ith sickness, h is m other had

prom i sed h im to St. Francis . He then joined thatorder.

Psa lm lxxvii .To the ch iefMusician, to Jeduthun, A Psa lm of Asaph .

Voce mea ad Dom inum .

1 I w i l l cry unto God w i th I sought the Lord : my soremy voice : even unto God w i l l ran

,and ceased not in the

I cry w i th my voice, and he night -season ; my soul refusedshal l hearken unto me. comfort .2 In the t ime of my trouble 3 When I am in heaviness ,

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Day IS] Psalm lxxv i i i . [Evening Prayer

Verse 3 . Dr. Pusey rem ark ed upon this verse thatth e com plaint is not of, but to God .

Verse 5 . Not pathetic only, but profound also, and

of th e m ost sol id substance, was that reply made byth e old Ca rthusian m onk to th e trifler who ask edh im how h e m anaged to get through h is life : Cogitavidies antiguos et annos (eternos in mente ltabai (M . Arnoldon the Study of History).

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm lxxviii.Maschil ofAsaph .

Attendite, popule.

1 Hear my law,0 my people

incl ine your ears unto the wordsof my mouth .

2 I w i l l open my mouth in a

pa rable : I w i l l declare hardsentences of old3 Wh ich we have heard and

known and such as our fathershave told us4 That we should not hidethem from the ch i ldren of the

generat ions to come : but to

shew the honour of the Lord,h is m ighty and wonderful worksthat h e hath done.

5 He made a covenant withJacob , and gave Israel a law :

which he commanded our forefa thers to teach thei r ch i ldren ;6 That thei r poster ity m igh t

know i t : and the ch i ldren wh ichwere yet unborn

7 To the intent that whenthey came up they m ight shewthei r ch i ldren the sam e

8 Tha t they might put thei rtrust in God : and not to forgetthe works of God , but to keeph is commandments9 And not to be as thei r fore

fathers, a faithless and stubborngenerat ion : a generat ion tha tset not thei r hear t aright , and

whose sp i r it cleaveth not stedfastly unto God ;

10 L ike as the ch i l dren of

Eph raim who being harnessed ,and car ry ing bows, turnedthemsel ves back in the day of

battle.

1 1 They kept not the covenant of God : and would not

walk in h is law1 2 But forgat wha t he had

Evening Prayer]

done : and the wonderful worksthat he had shewed for them .

1 3 Ma rvel lous th ings d id hein the s ight of our forefathers ,in the land of Egypt : even in

the field of Zoan.

14 He d ivided the sea , and

let them go th rough : he madethe waters to stand on an heap .

1 5 In the dayt im e a lso he

led them w i th a cloud : and all

the night th rough w i th a l ightof fire.

16 He clave the hard rocksin the wi lderness : and gavethem d rink thereof, as i t hadbeen out of the great depth .

1 7 He brough t waters out of

the stony rock so tha t i t gushedout l ike the rivers .1 8 ! et forall th is they s inned

more aga inst h im and provokedthe most Highest in the w i lderness .19 They tem pted God in thei r

hearts : and requi red mea t forthei r lust .20 They spake aga inst God

al so ,saying : Sha l l God prepare

a tab le in the w i lderness ?2 1 He smote th e stony rockindeed , tha t the water gushedout , and the st ream s flowedwithal : but can he g ive breada lso, or p rov ide flesh for h ispeople ?22 When the Lord heard th is,

he was w roth : so the fire was

k indled in Jacob, and there

Psalm lxxv i i i‘

. [Day IS

came up heavy d ispleasureaga inst Israel23 Because they bel ieved not

in God : and put not their trustin h is help .

24 So he commanded the

clouds above : and opened the

doo rs of heaven.

25 He ra ined down manna

also upon them for to eat : and

gave them food from heaven.

26 So m an did eat angel s’food : for he sent them meatenough .

27 He caused the east-w indto b low under heaven : and

through h is power he broughtin the south -west-w ind.

28 He ra ined flesh upon themas th ick as dust ; and featheredfowls l ike as the sand of the

sea .

29 He let i t fa l l among thei rtents : even round about thei rhabi tat ion.

30 So they d id eat, and werewel l fi l led ; for he gave themthei r own desi re they were not

d isappo inted of thei r lust .3 1 But wh i le the meat was

yet in thei r mouths,the heavy

wrath of God came upon them,

and slew the wea l th iest of themyea, and smote down the chosenmen that were in Israel .32 But forall th is they sinned

yet more : and bel ieved not h iswond rous works.33 Therefore thei r days d id

Day 1 5]

he consume in vanity and thei ryears in t roub le.

34 When he slew them , theysought him : and turned themearly, and enqui red after God .

35 And they remembered thatGod was thei r st rength : and

tha t the h igh God was thei rredeemer .36 Nevertheless , they d id but

flatter- h im w i th thei r mouth :and d issembled w i th h im in

thei r tongue.

37 For thei r heart '

was not

whole w i th h im : nei ther continued they stedfast in h iscovenant .38 But he was so merciful ,

that he forgave thei r m isdeeds :and destroyed them not.

39 ! ea, m any a t im e turnedhe h is wrath away : and wouldnot suffer h is whole d ispleasureto arise.

40 For he considered tha tthey were but flesh : and thatthey were even a w ind thatpasseth away , and cometh not

aga in.

41 Many a t ime d id theyprovoke h im in the w i lderness :and grieved him in the desert.42 They turned back and

tempted God : and m oved the

Holy One in Israel .43 They thought not of h is

hand : and of the day when hedel ivered them from the hand ofthe enem y

Psalm lxxv i i i . [Evening Prayer

44 How he had wrought h ism i racles in Egypt : and h iswonders in the field of Zoan.

45 He turned thei r watersinto b lood : so that they m ightnot d rink of the rivers.46 He sent l ice among them ,

and devoured them up : and

frogs to destroy them .

47 He gave thei r frui t untothe caterpi l lar and thei r labourunto th e grasshopper.48 He destroyed thei r v ineswi th hai l -stones and thei rmulberry -trees w i th the frost.49 He smote thei r cat t le also

w i th ha i l-stones and thei r flocksw i th hot thunder-bol ts.50 He cast upon them the

fur iousness of h is wrath , anger,displeasure, and troub le : and

sent ev i l angels among them .

5 1 He made a way to h isind ignat ion, and spared not

thei r soul from death : butgave thei r l ife over to the pest ilence52 And smote all the first

born in Egypt : the mostprincipal and m ight iest in the

dwel l ings of Ham .

53 But as forh is own people,he led them forth l ike sheepand ca rried them in the w i lderness l ike a flock .

54 He brought them out

safely, that they should not fearand overwhelmed thei r enem iesw i th the sea .

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Dar1 51 Psalm lxxv i i i . [Evening Prayer

upon the study of the inspired writings . He was notonly the father of m uch in poetry and ph ilosophy

,but

h e a lso inspired the Christian Socialists of FrederickDenison Maurice’s ( 1805—72) generation, and so thoseof our own day, to review pol itica l action and theoryin the l ight of th e Incarnation. Thus the source of

Christian Socia l ism in its m odern form m ay be tracedto this national ba l lad of th e Jewi sh people.

Upp ingham boys w il l lik e to know that th is wasth e last psalm read in the school by Edward Th ring( 1821 their great headmaster, before he died,weary

,ill

,and battered .

” Many of those who knewh im felt that the last verse was one that exactlysumm ed up h is own headma stersh ip .

“ Of the other Scriptures, says Theodore, in the

fifth century, “ the general ity of m en know next tonoth ing. But the Psa lm s you wi ll find again and

again repeated in pri vate houses,in m ark et places

,

in streets,by those wh o have learned them by ' heart,

and who soothe them selves by their div ine m elod y.

”

“When other parts of Scripture are used ,” says St.

Am brose, “ there is such a noise of ta lk ing in thechurch that you cannot hear what is sa id . But whenth e Psalter is read, all are silent .” The Psa lm s weresung by the ploughm en of Pa lestine in the tim e

of Jerom e : by th e boatm en of Gau l in th e t im e

of Sidoniu s Apollinaris . In the m ost barbarous of

churches— the Abyssinian —the Psalter is treateda lm ost as an idol, is th e only book allowed to be readby the children of th e laity, and i s sung through fromend to end at every funeral . In the m ost Protestantof churches— th e Presbyterians of Scotland

,th e Non

conform ists of England—“ psalm - s inging has a lm ostpa ssed into a fam iliar descript ion of their ritua l . In

the churches of Rom e and of England they are dailyrecited

,in proportions such as farexceed th e reverence

shewn to any other portion of th e Scriptures (Stanley).1 76

Morning Prayer]

St. MatthewVerse 2 .

pa rables .

Psalm lxx ix . [Day 16

quotes thi s of Christ’ s

Verse 34. St . Porphyry, Bisho p of Gaza,used often

to point out this verse to h is p eop le, to rem ind themthat God ’s service is purified by a persecut ion even toth e death .

Verse 7 1 . Bishop Lightfoot’s m otto forSt . Colum ba ’swindow a t Bishop Auck land is Sustnlit eam de

ovium .

THE S IXTEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm lxx ix .

A Psa lm ofAsaph .

Deus, venerunt .

1 O God , the heathen are

come into th ine inheri tance :

thy ho ly temple have they defl led

, and made Jerusa lem an

heap of stones .2 The dead bod ies of thy

servants have they g iven to be

m ea t unto the fowls of the air :

and the flesh of thy sa ints untothe beasts of the land .

3 Thei r blood have they shedl ike water on every side of

Jerusa lem : and there was no

man to bury them .

‘

4 We are becom e an opensham e to our enem ies : a veryscorn and derision unto themthat are round about us.5 Lord , how long w i l t thouM

be angry : shal l thy jealousyburn l ike fire forever ?6 Pour out th ine ind ignat ion

upon the hea then tha t have not

known thee and upon the

k ingdom s that have not ca l ledupon thy Name.

7 For they have devouredJacob and laid waste h is dwel ling

-place.

8 O remember not our old

sins, but have m ercy upon us ,and that soon forwe are come

to grea t m isery.9 Hel p us, O God of our

sa lvat ion, for the glory of thyName : 0 del iver us

,and be

m erciful unto our sins, for thyName’s sake.

I 7 7

Day 16]

1 0 Wherefore do the hea thensay Where is now thei r God ?1 1 0 let the vengeance of thy

servants’ blood that is shed : beopenly shewed upon the heathenin our sight .

1 2 0 let the sorrowful sigh ingof the prisoners come beforethee accord ing to the greatnessof thy power, preserve thou

Psalm lxx ix . [Morning Prayer

13 And for the blasphemywherew i th our neighbours haveblasphemed thee : reward thouthem , 0 Lord, seven-fold intothei r bosom .

14 So we, tha t are thy people,and sheep of thy pasture, shal lg ive thee thanks for ever : and

w i l l alway be shew ing forth thypraise from generat ion to genera

those that are appo inted to die. t ion.

Liturgica l use— Introit for Childerm a s (e).

Latins — Thursday Matins (Sarmn, All Sa ints).Greeks — Wednesday m orning.

Th is has been a psa lm of th e beaten peoples . I t wasperhaps written at the Capti v ity . I t was St . Jerom e

’ scry o ver th e sack of Rom e (fourth century) . G ilda s ’

lam ent over th e horrors of the Saxon (s ixth century)invas ion, and th e wai l of Christendom over, first

,the

m urder of pilgrim s and then over the failureof the Crusades and th e fa l l of Jerusalem ,

when (1 1 8 8)“ there was not such joy in hel l since it h ad beenharrowed . I t was the lam entation of th e Greek s overth e fa l l of Constantinople (29 th May 145 3 ) when theTurk i sh reign of terror settled upon Europe.

It was form erly used in the Evensong of KingCharles the m artyr

,th e proper psa lm s then being

lxxix. , xciv. , and lxxxv . It was applied as freely to

the Puritan excesses as it afterwards was to the pro

fanity of th e French Revolutionists ; and who can

wonder,when pious Bishop Hal l saw Norwich

Cathedral fi l led with “ m uskatiers drink ing and

tobacconing freely ” ? “ Lord,what work was here

,

what clattering of glasses,what beating down of

Walls,what tearing u p of Monum ents, what pul ling

down of Seates, what wrestl ing out of Irons and

Brass from th e Windowes and Graves ! What d e1 78

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Day 16] Psalm lxxx . [Morning Prayer

m urm ur abou t the saying of it,and so it was left ;

and shortly after the Abbey was secu larised and gi vento the Russel ls.Every Friday the Jews use th is great lam ent ov er

the ruins of Jeru sa lem .

Verse 2. This is th e m otto which Parsons (1 5 46the Jesuit, chose for h is celebrated book , D e persecu

tione Anglicana, l 5 8 1

Verses 5 and 8 . These are th e words of S t.Augustine’s great agony under the fig tree in th e

garden,when he was tortured by the grea t struggle

whi ch ended in his conversion.

Psalm lxxx .

To the ch iefMusician, upon Shoshannim -Eduth , APsalm ofAsaph .

Qui regis I srael .1 Hea r , O thou Shepherd of

Israel, thou tha t leadest Josephl ike a sheep : shew thyself also

,

thou that s i ttest upon the cherubim s.2 Before Ephraim , Benjam in,

and Manasses : st i r up thystrength , and come, and help

3 Turn us again, 0 God

shew the l ight of thy counten

ance, and we shal l be whole.

4 O Lord God of hosts how

long w i l t thou be angry w i ththy people that prayeth5 Thou feedest them w ith thebread of tears and givest themplenteousness of tears to drink .

6 Thou hast made us a very

strife unto our neighbours and

ourenem ies laugh us to scorn.

7 Turn us again, thou God of

hosts : shew the l ight of thycountenance, and we shal l bewhole.

8 Thou hast brought a v ineout of Egypt : thou hast castout the heathen, and planted it.9 Thou madest room for i t

and when i t had taken root i tfi l led the land .

10 The bills were coveredw i th the shadow of i t : and the

boughs thereof were l ike the

goodly cedar-trees.1 1 She stretched out her

branches unto th e sea and her

boughs unto the river.1 80

Morning Prayer]

1 2 Why hast thou thenbroken down her hedge : thatall they tha t go by pluck off her

grapes ?13 The w i ld boar out of the

wood doth roo t i t up : and the

w i ld beasts of the field devouri t.14 Turn thee again, thou God

of hosts,look down from

heaven : behold , and v isi t th isv ine ;1 5 And the place of the v ine

yard that thy right hand hathplanted : and the branch thatthou madest so strong for thyself.

Psalm l xxx . [Day 16

16 I t is burnt w i th fire, and

cut down and they shal l perishat the rebuke of thy counten

ance.

1 7 Let thy hand be upon the

man of thy righ t hand : and

upon the son of man, whomthou madest so strong for thineown self.

18 And so w i l l not we go

back from thee : 0 let us l ive,

and we shal l cal l upon thyName.

1 9 Turn us again, 0 LordGod of hosts shew the l igh t ofthy countenance, and we shal lbe whole.

Latins —Matins on Thursday.

Greeks—Wednesday m orning.

Verse 3 . On a sundia l in Abbeyfield i s written,

Shew m e the l ight of Thy countenance .

”

Verses 8 , 9 , and 10 . Am ong the num berless versifiersof the psalm s was Walton’s friend

,Dr. Henry King,

Bishop of Chichester, who appeared at the SavoyConference. He was once d isgusted at the wretchedexpres s ion of a m etrical psalm “ which quite m arredthe penm an

’s m atter and his own devotion in th e

current m etrical vers ion,and , th ink ing George Sandys

’

v ers ion “ too eloquent for the vulgar use,” composed

a vers ion of h is own,and ded icated it to Archbishop

Ussher in 165 1

Thou d idst a Vine from E gypt bring ,Thy hand wh ich planted made i t spring ,And that i t m ight have room to spred,The Hea then were discomfitedI ts root Thou caused

’st fast to stand ,

And w i th fai re branches fi l led the land ;1 8 1

Day 16] Psalm lxxx i . [Morning Prayer

The Hi l ls were cover’d w ith I-l ir shade

Hir boughes l ike good ly Ceda r’s made.

Here i s Sandys ’ vers ion of the sam e verses ( 163 5 )Th is v ine from Egypt brought (the foeExpeld ) was planted by thy hand ,Thou gav ’

st it roome and st rength to growUnt i l her branches fill’d the Land .

The Mounta ins tooke a shade from these,Wh ich l ike a grove of Cedars stood ,Extend ing to the Tyrian seasAnd to Euphrates rowl ing F lood .

These were the dying prayers for the Church of

Gundulph , Bishop of Rochester, 7th March 1 107 . He

was one of the w is e and learned m onk s of Lanfranc’

s

choice . He rebuilt Rochester Cathedra l and th e

tower of Rochester.‘

Anselm , newly returned,was

with h im at his death .

Verse 14. Archbishop Thom as d e Rotherham re

founded Lincoln College, Oxford, owing to a stirringserm on preached from this text by Tristoppe, th erector, in 1478 . Bishop Flemmyng h ad founded it in1426, but it languished . By th e l icence of Edward rv.

five new fellowships were added . Th e v ines in th e

college are in a l lusion to this .Verse 19 . This is used in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular

office of Prim e, and occurs frequently in a detachedform in m any services .

Psa lm lxxx i .

To the ch ief Musician upon G i tt i th, A Psa lm of Asaph .

Exulta te Deo.

I S ing we merr i ly unto God 2 Take the psalm ,bring

our strength : make a cheerful h i ther the tabret : the merrynoise unto the God of Jacob. harp w i th th e lute.

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Day I6] Psalm lxxx i i . [Evening Prayer

particu larly Origen and the Afr icans, would banish all

organs, but those of th e body. Th e elaborate and

devout m usic of th e early Stuarts was a ssaul ted as

m uch as their polity. With the Restoration cam e

back the organs wh ich h ad been destroyed in the

Revolution , and Father Bernard Sm ith cam e overfrom Hal le and bui lt organs forWestm inster Abbey,the Sheldonian Theatre, St . Pau l

’s Cathedraland Trinity, Cam bridge . The m en of 1688 were halflrearted successors to th e Long Parliam ent, and by an

appea l to thi s psalm William Sherlock,the Dean of

St. Pau l ’ s, was able to vind icate in 1699 what to u srequires perhaps too l ittle excuse— the instrum enta lm usic

,which som etim es stifles the congregational and

even the hum an elem ent in worsh ip, and wh ich hasentirely stifled th e old Church bands—a practica ldeduction no m an could m ake from the psalm .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psa lm lx xxu .

A Psalm ofAsaph .

Deus stetit.

1 God standeth in the con

gregation of princes : he is a

judge among gods.2 How long wil l ye g ive

wrong judgment : and acceptthe persons of the ungodly ?3 Defend the poor and father

less see that such as are in needand necessi ty have right .4 Del iver the outcast and

poor : save them from the handof the ungodly.5 They wil l not be learned

nor understand, but walk on

st i l l in darkness all the founda

t ions of the earth are out of

course.

6 I havesa id, ! e are godsand ye are all the ch i ldren of

the most Highest .7 But ye shal l die l ike m en

and fal l l ike one of the princes.8 Arise

,O God , and judge

thou th e earth : for thou shal ttake all heathen to th ine inhero

itance.

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Psalm lxxx i i i . [Day 16Evening Prayer]

Latins— Friday Matins .Greeks — Wednesday m orning.

Verse 1 . This is the thought wh ich dec ided Con

stantine not to act as um pire between contend ingbishops at Nicaea ; for h e regarded the “ gods as

m eaning the clergy. Th is use of the term ,of course,

was prom inent in th e struggles between popes and

em perors in after ages .Bishop Andrewes preached before the House of

Lords inWestm inster Abbey (30th Jan. 1621) from th istext, and by m ak ing no a l lusion to the critica l sta teof public affa irs

,made “

a tacit protest aga inst thegrowing tendency of Churchm en to engage in politicsand serve in secular affairs .Verse 6 . Our Lord quoted these words to j ustify His

language when He sa id, I and My Father are one,”

after wh ich they were about to stone Him , in

Solom on’ s Porch .

Verses 6 and 7 . When Prince Henry, eldes t son of

Jam es died, m any of th e Puritan hopes were buriedwith h im . Archbishop Abbott preached his funera lserm on from these words .

Psa lm lxxx iii.A Song orPsa lm ofAsaph .

Deus, quis sim ilis ?1 Hold not thy tongue, O let us root them out, that they

God , keep not st i l l si lence :

refra in not thyself,O God .

2 For 10,th ine enem ies make

a murmuring : and they thatha te thee have l ift up thei rhead .

3 They have imag ined crafti lyaga inst thy people : and takencounsel aga inst thy secret ones .4 They have said, Come, and

be no more a people : and thatthe name of Israel may be no

more in remembrance.

5 For they have cast thei rheads together w i th one con

sent and are confederateaga inst thee ;6 The tabernacles of the

Edom i tes, and the Ismael ite5 °

the Moabi tes, and Hagarens ;

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Day 16]

7 Gebal , and Ammon, and

Amalek : the Ph i l ist ines, w i ththem that dwel l at Tyre.

8 Assur a lso is joined w i ththem : and have holpen the

ch i ld ren of Lot.

9 But do thou to them as

unto the Madianites untoSisera, and unto Jabin at the

brook of Kison.

IO Who perished at Endor :and became as the dung of the

earth .

1 ! Make them and theirprinces l ike O reb and Zeb : yea,

m ake all thei r p rinces l ike as

Zeba and Salmana12 Who say, Let us take to

ourselves : the houses of God inpossession.

Psalm lxxx i i i . [Evening Prayer

13 O my God , make theml ike unto a wheel : and as the

stubble before the w indI4 L ike as the fire tha t burn

eth up thewood : and as the flam e

tha t consumeth the mounta ins .I 5 Persecute them even so

w i th thy tempest and m akethem afra id w ith thy storm .

16 Make thei r faces ashamed ,O Lord : that they may seekthy Name.

1 7 Let them be confot mded

and vexed ever more and m orelet them be put to shame, and

perish.

18 And they shal l know thatthou, whose Name is Jehovahart only the most Highest overall the earth .

Liturgica l use— Introit for Mass on fourth Sundayafter Easter (e).Latins—Matins on Friday.

Greeks — Wednesday m orning.

The m onk s at Jarrow were chaunting this psalmwh i le St . Benedict Biscop (690) died, and they tookit as an om en that th e powers of evi l cou ld not pre

vai l against hi s parting soul .Jam es 1. translated the Psalter into m etre fa irly

wel l . Charles 1. published his “ dear father’s ” work ,and hoped with it to oust Sternhold , but in va in.

Here is h is version of the close of this psalm . It wasp rinted at the side of our v ersion :

So

.

w i th Thy tempest them pursue,and w ith Thy storm them fright ;Thei r faces fi l l w i th shame, that theymay seek Thy Name aright.

1 86

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Day I6] Psalm lxxxiv . [Evening Prayer

than to dwel l in the tents of no good th ing shal l he w i thholdungodl iness. from them that l ive a godly l ife.

1 2 For the Lord God is a I3 0 Lord God of hostsl ight and defence : the Lord b lessed is the m an that puttethw i l l g ive grace and worsh ip , and h is t rust in thee.

Liturgica l use.— Introit to the Mass for th e fifth

Sunday after Easter.Latins—Friday Matins ; Dedication of a church .

Greeks—Wednesday m orning ; Ninth hour ; Buria lof priests.This is u sed as a psalm of preparation for the Holy

Comm union by devout people ofa ll shades of bel ief. I tis recomm ended not only by the Pope, but by our own

great d ivines for this use, and even by devout Non

comform ists and Separatists .I t is a preparation for Holy Dying as well as for

Holy Living. When th e aged Paula drew near herend sh e repeated aga in and again the opening verses

,

th e tenth verse, and (PS. xxvi . Lord,I have loved th e

habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thinehonour dwelleth .

” St . Jerom e had inspired her withthis enthusiasm forthe Church, and what it represented .

This psalm was a favourite with Rev F . H . Lyte,the editor of Henry Vaughan’ s Silex Scintillans, and

the author of Abide with m e.

” I t is the basis of h ishymm ,

“ Pleasant are thy courts above.

” He translated m any of th e p sa lm s into verse.

Verse 1 . The m otto of the duk es of Buck inghamand Chandos i s, Temp la quam dilecta .

Verse 2. The m onk Jocelyn, in his l ife of England ’sSt. Augustine, tells us h ow pa ss ionate was th e

sa int ’s longing to depart and be with Christ . Wh ow il l give m e wings as of a dove ? My soul hatha desire and longing to enter into the courts of

the Lord . The saint was “a ta ll, straight m an, k ind

and d ignified in face, with his ha ir fa lling on either sideof h is open countenance. He m ostly went barefoot .

1 88

Evening Prayer] Psalm lxxxv . [Day 16

Verse 7 . St . Colum ba’s m otto, when he joined in con

ference with Kentigern (5 84 near where Glasgowstands .Verse 7 . St . Guthlac was a herm it of Croyland at

the beginning of the eighth century, and haunted them arshes between Cam bridge and th e sea,m ak ing friendsw ith m ischievous crows , sparrows, and th e very fishes,wh o cam e to h is cal l as sheep to their shepherds. Onceafter a severe confl ict w ith th e powers of ev il, whereinhe was hurried to the very gates of hel l itself, th e saintobta ined th e v ictory, thank s to St. Bartholom ew

,and

was carried back to h is cel l,wh ile the angel s sang

,

They shal l go from strength to strength . St .Guth lac t ried to introduce into England the m ethod sof the Egyptian Fathers, such as l iving on water andbarley bread, and wearing sk ins. This angel ic promi sewas fulfil led by the birth of Croyland Abbey

,wh ich

thu s sprang from a psalm .

Verse 1 1 . St. Thom as Aquinas’ verse, wh ich resolved

h im to join the Dom inican order. He was but thirteen years old when h e recei ved th is vocation, and hadto com bat all th e wishes of hi s fam ily to obey th e call .Verse 12.

“ This, as it was the ancient Psa lm ist ’sfa ith , let it l ikewise be ours . I t i s the Alpha and

Om ega , I reck on, of all possessions that belong toman (Carlyle to his brother, 27th June

Psa lm lxxxv.

To the ch iefMusician, A Psa lm for the sons of Korah .

Benedixisti, Domine.

I Lord , thou art become 3 Thou hast taken away all

gracious unto thy land : thou thy d ispleasure and turnedhast turned away the capt iv i ty of thyself from thy wrathful inJacob. d ignat ion.

2 Thou hast forg iven the 4 Turn us then, 0 God our

ofl‘

ence of thy people : ann aviour : and let th ine angercovered all thei r s ins . lcease from us.

1 89

Day 16 ] Psalm lxxxv . [ Evening Prayer

5 W i l t thou be d ispleased at

us for ever and w i l t thoustretch out thy wrath from one

genera t ion to another.6 W i l t thou not turn aga in,

and quicken us that thy peoplemay rejoice in thee7 Shew us thy m ercy , O

Lord : and grant us thy sa lvat ion.

8 I w i l l hearken what the

Lord God w i l l say concerningm e : for h e sha l l speak peaceunto h is people, and to h is sa ints,that they turn not aga in.

Liturgical use— Christmas m orning ; Evensong of

King Charles .Latins — Friday Matins ; Chri stm as Day.

Greeks—Wednesday m orning ; Ninth hour .Another prepa ration psalm ,

with Psalm s lxxxi v . ,

lxxxvi . , and cxxx.

Verse 4 . This was in the Anglo-Saxon vernacularPrim e office, said at six o

’clock .

Verse 8 . Asser, in his Life of K ing Alfred, attributesth e inspiration of that splendid k ing to h is habit of

heark ening to what God sa id to h im .

Verse 8 . This is the thought wh ich grew into thethird book of St . Thom as a Kem pi s ’ De Imitatimze

Christi, on Internal Consolation, perhaps th e bestpart of one of the best of book s . “ Th e sm a ll oldfash ioned book , for which you need only pay six

pence on a book stal l,work s m iracles to thi s d ay,

turning bitter waters into sweetness wh ile expensiveserm ons and treati ses, newly issued, leave a ll thingsas they were before. It was written down by a handthat wa ited for the heart ’s prom pting ; it i s th echronicle of a solitary h idden anguish, trust and

1 9 0

9 For h is sa lvat ion is nighthem that fea r him : tha t glorymay dwel l in our land.

10 Mercy and t ruth are m et

together righteousness and

peace have k issed each other .1 1 Truth shal l flourish out of

the ea rth :‘and righteousness

hath looked down from heaven.

1 2 ! ea, the Lo rd shal l shewloving-k indness : and our landshal l g ive h er increase.

13 R ighteousness shal l go

before him and he shal l d i recth is going in the way.

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Day I7] Psalm lxxxv i . [Morning Prayer

THE SEVENTEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm lxxxvi .

A Prayer ofDav id .

Incl ina , Dom ine.

1 Bow down th ine ear, 0

Lord , and hear m e : for I am

poor, and in m isery.2 Preserve thou my soul , forI am holy : my God , save thyservant tha t putteth h is t rustin thee.

3 Be m erciful unto me, OLord : for I w i l l cal l da i lyupon thee.

4 Com fort the soul of thyservant forunto thee

,O Lord ,

do I l ift up my soul .5 For thou, Lord , art good

and gracious : and of greatmercy unto all them that ca l lupon thee.

6 G ive ear,Lord , unto my

prayer : and ponder the voiceofmy humble desi res.7 In the t ime of my trouble

I w i l l cal l upon thee : for thouh'earest m e.

8 Among the gods there isnone l ike unto thee, O Lord :there is not one tha t can do as

thou doest .9 A l l nat ions whom thou

hast made sha l l come and wor

sh ip thee, O Lord : and shal lglorify thy Nam e.

10 For thou art grea t and

doest wond rous th ings : thouart God a lone.

1 1 Teach m e thy way, 0

Lord , and I w i l l walk in thytruth : O kni t my hear t untothee, that I may fear thy Nam e.

1 2 I w i l l thank thee, O Lordmy God , w i th all my hear tand w i l l pra ise thy Name forevermore.

13 For grea t is thy m ercytoward m e and thou hastdel ivered my soul from the

nethermost hel l .14 O God , the proud are

r isen aga inst m e : and the con

gregations of naughty m en havesought after my soul , and havenot set thee before thei r eyes.

15 But thou, O Lord God ,art ful l of compassion and

mercy long suffering, plen

teous in goodness and t ruth .

16 O turn thee then unto me,

1 9 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm lxxxv i . [Day 17

and have m ercy upon m e give me forgood , that they who hatethy strength unto thy servant , and me may see i t

,and be ashamed

hel p the son of th ine handma id . because thou , Lord , hast hol pen1 7 Shew some token ,

upon me, and com forted m e.

Latins — Friday Matins ; Epiphany ; Vis itation of

the s ick .

Greeks .—\Vednesday evening Ninth hour.

This psalm is a l so a devout prepa ration for the HolyComm union (of . PS.

“Men seem ingly the m ost unl ik ely to expressenthu sia sm abou t any such m atter

,

” says Trench,

s peak ing of the Psalter, “ have been forward as the

forwardest to set their seal to this book,have left

their confess ion that it was the voice of their innerm ost heart, that th e sp irit of it pa ssed into theirspirits, as d id th e spirit of no other book ; that itfound them m ore often and at greater dep ths of theirbeing, l ifted them to higher heights than d id anyother—or, as one greatly suffering m an

,telling of the

solace wh ich h e found from th is Book of Psalm s inthe hours of a long im prisonm ent

, has expressed it,

that it bore h im up into th e everla sting sunlight,til l

he saw the world and all its troubles for ever underneath h im .

Verse 1 . Th e Oxford Movem ent supp l ied a m etrica lversion

,of a brighter faith, and in a m ore m elod ious

fa sh ion than th e doggerel of th e “ New Version .

”

Keble undertook it anonym ously, but even thenunm i stak ably

O Lord , bow down Th ine earand hear,Poo r am I

,low and lone.

Preserve my soul , for I am dearAnd holy, all Th ine own.

Verses 10 and 1 1 . When Diocletian was beginn ingto draw m en’ s attention to the Church by persecutingh er, a young m an

,Luxorius of Sard inia

, ran throughN 1 9 3

Day 1 7] Psalm lxxxv i i . [Morning Prayer

th e Psal ter out of curios ity, w ish ing to know som eth ingof Christian l iterature . He got as far as these verses

,

and could contain h im self no longer, but rushed to a

Christian Church and entered h im self as a catechum en .

On h is way back h e heard th e words Retribue servo tuovivam et custodiam vias tua s (Ps. wh ich com fortedh im in the fa ith , so that he bo ldly endured mar

tyrdom w ith the sword .

Verse 1 5 . Th is i s ev idently th e verse to wh ichTennyson’ s poor old Ri zpah appeal s

,aga inst the

cal lous v isiting lady

Sin ? 0 yes—we are sinners, I know—let all that be,

And read me a Bible verse of the Lord ’s goodw i l l towardsmen.

‘ Ful l of compass ion and mercy, the Lord, ’ let me hear it

Fullfof compass ion and m ercy—long suffering.

’! es, 0 yes !

For the lawyer is born but to murder, the Saviour l ives butto bless .

He’ l l never put on the b lack cap, except for the worst of theworst ,

And the fi rst may be last—I have heard it in church—and the

last may be fi rst.

Verse 16. William Ewart Gladstone says h e was

supported by th is verse when h e introduced his firstbudget in 18 5 3 in Lord Aberdeen’s coalition m ini stry(see Ps.

Psalm lxxxv u.

A Psalm or Song for the sons ofKorah .

Fundamenta ejus.

1 Her foundat ions are upon 2 Very excel lent th ings are

the holy h i l ls : the Lord loveth spoken of thee : thou city of

the gates of S ion m ore than all God .

the dwel lings of Jacob. 3 I w i l l th ink upon Rahab

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Day 17]

4 Free among the dead , l ikeunto them that are wounded , andlie in the grave who are out of

remembrance, and are cut awayfrom thy hand .

5 Thou hast la id m e in the

lowest p i t : in a place of darkness, and in the deep.

6 Th ine ind ignat ion l ieth hardupon m e : and thou hast vexedme w ith all thy storm s .7 Thou hast put away m ine

acquaintance far from m e : and

made m e to be abhorred of them .

8 I am so fast in p rison thatI cannot get forth .

9 My sigh t fa i leth for veryt rouble : Lord , I have cal ledda ily upon thee, I have stretchedforth my hands unto thee.

10 Dost thou shew wondersamong thedead orshal l thedeadrise up again and pra ise thee ?1 1 Shal l thy loving-k indness

be shewed in the grave : or thyfaithfulness in destruct ion ?

Psalm lxxxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

12 Shal l thy wondrous worksbe known in the dark : and thyrighteousness in the land whereall th ings are forgot ten ?

13 Unto thee have I cried , OLord and early sha l l my prayercome before thee.

14 Lord , why abhorrest thoumy soul : and h idest thou thyface from meP

1 5 I am in m isery , and l ikeunto h im that is at the point tod ie even from my youth up thyterrors have I suffered w i th a

troub led m ind .

16 Thy wrathful d ispleasuregoeth over me : and the fea r ofthee hath undone me.

1 7 They came round aboutm e dai ly l ike water : and com

passed m e together on everys ide.

18 My lovers and friends hastthou put away from m e : and

h id m ine acquaintance out ofmysight .

Liturgical use— Good Friday ; Introit to Easter Ev e

Mass (e).Latina— Friday Matins

a church .

Easter Eve ; Ded ication of

Greeks—Wednesday evening Dawn .

Bishop Hooper (the austere Puritan Bishop of

Gloucester, who was burnt before h i s people, beatingupon his breast til l h is hand fel l off) recomm endedh is w ife to study th is psalm in h erm i sery. He suggested a lso Psalm s v i. , xxii . , xxx.,

xxxi . , xxxviii . , andlxix.

Verse 8 . In an early comm ent on this verse, written1 96

Evening Prayer] Psalm lxxx lX.

by Didym us,is a trad itiona l saying of our Lo rd ’s :

Th e nearer to m e, th e nearer th e fire.

”

Verses 10 , 1 1 , and 12. I t is part of the bold Chri stianadapta tion of the psa lm s that whereas the authorundoubtedly m eant all these questions to have the

answer no, the users tak e the sam e words and replyunhesitatingly yes. Hence the l iturgical u se forGoodFriday.

Verse 1 1 . The dirge of th e “ Sol itary ” in Wordsworth ’s Excursion

And now d ist inctly could I recogniseThese words 5 1m]! in t/zegrave [ by love be know/t ,

In (teat/z t/zy faithfu lness 9

Verse 13 . Th is was used in the Anglo-Saxon versionof Prim e .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm lxxx ix .

Masch il of Ethan the Ez rah ite.

M isericordias Dom ini .1 My song shal l be a lway of 5 O Lord , the very heavens

the lov ing-k indness of the Lord shal l praise thy wondrous worksw i th my mouth w i l l I ever be ’

and thy t ruth in the congregashew ing thy t r uth from one t ion of the saints.generat ion to another. 6 For who is he among the

2 For I have sa id , Mercy clouds : that shal l be com paredshal l be set up for ever : thy

'

unto the Lordtruth shal t thou stabl ish in the 1 7 And what is he among theheavens. gods : tha t shal l be l ike unto3 I h ave made a covenant the Lord ?

w i th my chosen : I have sworn 8 God is very greatly to be

unto Dav id my servant ; feared in the counci l of the

4 Thy seed w i l l I stabl ish for sa ints : and to be had in reverever : and set up thy th rone ence of all them that are roundfrom one generat ion to another. about h im .

I 9 7

Psalm lxxxix .

9 O Lord God of hosts, whois l ike unto thee : thy t ruth ,most m ighty Lord , is on everys ide.

10 Thou rulest the rag ing of

the sea : thou st i l lest the wavesthereof when they ar ise.

1 1 Thou hast subdued Egypt ,and dest royed i t : thou hastscattered th ine enem ies abroadw i th thy m ighty arm .

1 2 The heavens are th ine, theearth also is th ine : thou hastla id the foundat ion of the roundwor ld, and al l that therein is.

13 Thou hast m ade the northand the south : Tabor and

Hermon shal l rejoice in thyName.

14 Thou hast a m ighty armstrong is thy hand , and h igh isthy right hand .

15 R ighteousness and equi tyare the habi tat ion of thy seat :m ercy and truth shal l go beforethy face.

16 B lessed is th e people, OLord , tha t can rejoice in thee :they sha l l walk in the l ight ofthy countenance.

17 Thei r del ight shal l be dai lyin thy Nam e : and in thyrighteousness shal l they m akethei r boast.

18 For thou art the glory of

thei r strength and in thy lov ingk indness thou shal t l ift up our

horns.19 For the Lord is our de

[Evening Prayer

fence : the Holy One of Israelis ourKing.

20 Thou spakest somet ime in

v is ions unto thy saints, and

sa idst : I have la id help uponone that is m ighty ; I haveexal ted one chosen out of the

people.

2 1 I have found Dav id my

servant : w i th my ho ly oil haveI anointed h im .

22 My hand shal l hold himfast : and my arm shal l strengthenh im .

23 The enemy sha l l not beable to do h im v iolence : the

son of w ickedness sha l l not hur thim .

24 I w i l l sm i te down h is foesbefore h is face and plaguethem that hate h im .

25 My truth also and my

mercy sha l l be w ith h im : and

in my Name shal l h is horn beexal ted .

26 I w i l l set h is dom inionalso in the sea : and h is righ thand in the floods.27 He shal l cal l m e

, Thouart my Father : m y God , and

my st rong salvat ion.

28 And I w i l l m ake him

my first-born : h igher than the

k ings of the ea rth .

29 My mercy w i l l I keepforhim for evermore : and my

covenant shal l stand fast w i thh im .

30 His seed al so wil l I make

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Day 171 Psalm lxxxix . [Evening Prayer

Greeks.—VV

ednesday evening.

St. Athanas ius (in th e reign of Constantius) wasabout to preach at a church near Cons tantinople one

day, when a cry was raised by the crowded congregat ion that the Arians had surrounded the build ingwith 5 00 sold iers

, and m eant to slay their greatopponent in a trap . The saint was hardly di ssuadedfrom preach ing

,but bade th e deacon strik e up th is

psalm—one m uch used by the Cathol ics in th is controversy

—and wh i le it was being sung he escaped as

by a m iracle, pa ssing through the sold iers w ithou trecognition.

Abraham,in th e Spirit of prophecy, the Talm ud ists

say, wrote th is psalm .

This is the psalm wh ich St . Colum ba, when quite a

sm a l l chi ld,was found to know perfectly by heart .

Verse 1 . Am ong th e sa intly figures of the pastCaesarius (470—5 42) is one with whom a m odern worldcan m ost eas ily sym pathise. He had a spirit of deeppract ical piety and k indness . He sold hi s chasuble toransom a captiv e

,and the watchword of h i s l ife was

Form e to l ive is Christ and to d ie is gain.

“ So

when he felt the approach of death h e sang calm lyand cheerfully Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo,and thus left the world chanting the pra ises of God .

”

An interesting account of th is sa in t and m any othersi s found in Neander’s NIemorials of Christian Life.

Verse 46. A sund ia l m otto, and one often engravedon old clock s

,is,O rem em ber h ow short my tim e is

e.g. St . Patrick ’s,I sle of Man .

Verse 47 . I s not th is the verse which Shak espeare’sJustice Shal low has in m ind when he assures Silencethat death , as the Psalm ist saith , is certa in to al l

”

Morning Prayer] Psalm xc. [Day 18

THE EIGHTEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm xc .

A Prayer ofMoses the man ofGod.

Dom ine, refugium .

1 Lord , thou hast been our

refuge : from one generat ion to

another .2 Before the mountains werebrought forth , or ever the earthand the world were made thouart God from everlast ing, and

world w ithout end .

3 Thou turnest man to destruc

t ion again thou sayest , Com e

again, ye ch i ldren ofmen.

4 Fora thousand years in thysigh t are but as yesterday : seeing that is past as a watch inthe night.5 As soon as thou scatterest

them they are even as a sleep :and fade away suddenly l ike thegrass.6 In the m orning i t is green,

and groweth up : but in the

evening i t is cut down,d ried up,

and w i thered .

7 For we consume away inthy d ispleasure : and are afra idat thy wrathful ind ignat ion.

8 Thou hast set ourm isdeedsbefore thee : and our secret s insin the l igh t of thy countenance.

9 For when thou art angryall ourdays are gone we bring

our years to an end , as i t werea tale that is told.

10 The days of our age are

th reescore years and ten ; and

though m en be so strong thatthey come to fourscore yearsyet is thei r strength then butlabour and sorrow ; so soonpasseth i t away, and we are

gone.

1 1 But who regardeth the

power of thy wrath : for eventhereafter as a man feareth , so

is thy d ispleasure.

1 2 So teach us to number ourdays : that we may apply our

hearts unto w isdom .

13 Turn thee aga in, 0 Lord ,at the last and be gracious untothy servants.14 O sat isfy us w i th thy

m ercy , and tha t soon : so shal lwe rejoice and be glad all the

days of our l ife.

15 Comfor t us again now afterthe t im e that thou hast plaguedus : and for the years whereinwe have suffered advers ity.

16 Shew thy servants thywork : and their ch i ldren thyglory.

2O I

Day 1 8] Psalm XC. [Morning Prayer

1 7 And the glorious Majesty hands upon us, 0 prosper thouof th e Lo rd our God be upon ourhandy-work .

us prosper thou the work ofourLiturgical use—Buria l serv ice.

Latina— Thursday at Lauds .Greehs.

-Wednesday night ; First hour.This psalm has a double interest for Engl ish folk ,

apart from all its m erits . I t has been sung or readsince 1662 over th e graves of our fathers, and it willbe sung or read over our own . But before Edwardvi .

’

s tim e our funera l psa lm s were cxvi. , cxxxix. ,

and cxlvi . ; and with th e Mass, Psalm xlii. The

reason al l these burial psalm s were abol ished by theReform ers of 1 5 5 2 wil l be ev ident to any one who

glances at them . In this connection these taughtMa ss for th e dead and Purgatory. But they gave u snone instead . Bishop Cosin suppl ied th is “ song of

Moses and xxxix. ; the form er to prop itiate the

Puritans the latter because Laud used it for burials .Dr. Watts’ m ost successfu l hymn

,

“ O God ,our

hel p in ages past,” i s a rhym ed version of th is psa lm ,

and one m uch delighted in by John Wesley. Con

tra st h is vers ion w ith th e weak er one of th e far

greater poet Burns,wh o also del ighted in th is psalm .

Thou g ivest the word, Thy crea ture man

Is to existence broughtAga in thou say’st , ‘ ! e sons of men,

Return ye into nought . ’

Thou layest them w i th all thei r caresIn ever last ing sleep,As w i th a flood thou tak’st them off

W i th overwhelm ing sweep .

Charles v., the m ost powerful emperor since Charle~

m agne’ s tim e,who left hi s throne for the cloister at

St . Juste, used to declare that h e preferred Domine,refi lgiumfactus es nobis to a l l other psa lm s .

2 0 2

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Psalm xc1. [Morning Prayer

Psa lm xci.

Qui hab ita t.1 Whoso dwel leth under the

defence of the most High shal labide under the shadow of the

A lm ighty .

2 I w i l l say unto the Lord ,Thou art my hope, and my

stronghold : my God, in him

w i l l I t rust .3 For he shal l del iver thee

from the snare of the hunterand from the no isome pest i lence.

4 He sha l l defend thee underh is wings, and thou shal t be safeunder h is feathers : h is fai thfulness and truth shal l be thy sh ieldand buckler.5 Thou shal t not be afra id for

any terror by night norfor the

arrow tha t flieth by day6 For the pest ilence that

walketh in darkness : nor for

the s ickness that destroyeth inthe noon-day.

7 A thousand shal l fal l besidethee, and ten thousand at thyright hand : but i t shal l not

com e nigh thee.

8 ! ea , w i th th ine eyes shal tthou behol d and see the rewardof the ungodly.

9 For thou, Lord, art my

hope thou hast set th ine houseof defence very h igh .

10 There sha l l no ev i l happenunto thee : nei ther sha l l any

plague com e nigh thy dwel l ing.

1 1 Forhe shal l give h is angelscharge over thee : to keep theein all thy ways.12 They sha l l bear thee in

thei r hands that t hou hurt notthy foot aga inst a stone.

13 Thou shal t go upon the

l ion and adder : the young l ionand the dragon shal t thou treadunder thy feet.

14 Because he hath set h islove upon m e, therefore w i l l Idel iver him : I w i l l set h im up ,because he hath known my

Nam e.

1 5 He shal l cal l upon me,

and I w i l l hear h im yea, I amw i th h im in troub le ; I w i l ldel iver h im , and bring h im to

honoun

16 W i th long l ife w i l l I sat isfyh im : and shew him my salvat ion.

Latina—Da ily at Com pl ine (i.e. 9 Vis itation of

the sick (Sarum forA l l Saints) Ded ication of a church .

Greeks.—Last psalm forWednesday evening ; Sixth

hour ; Late ev ensong in

m onk s, and infants.Lent ; Burial of laym en,

Morning Prayer] Psalm xcj. [Day 18

In the year 1 160, when Christendom was convulsedby a great sch ism in th e papa cy— Alexander 111. aga instthe im peria list Victor l v.

— St . Bernard chose th is p salmfor th e Lenten m ed ita tion of h is m onk s

,and preached

seventeen serm ons u pon it, wh ich , tak en with the

dark background of the tim e, present th e true attraetion of the m ona stic l ife, as exquisitely perhaps as

anything in l iterature. The sam e psalm a lso powerful ly attracted Ca rdina l Bellarrnine ( 1 5 42 the

weightiest and m ost lear ned of Jesuit‘writers againstthe Protestants . He was l ibrarian of th e Vat ican ,

and so eas ily protagonist of the Counter-Reform ationthat there is hardly a Protestant writer who does notatta ck h im . He published twelv e Conciones upon thi spsalm .

My excel lent holy m other-in- law,Mary

,widow to

m y dear father, says Richard Baxter, “ was one of

the m ost hum ble, m ortified holy persons that ever Iknew,

and l i ved in longing to be with Christ til l sh ewas a hundred years old (wanting three or four), inful l understand ing , and at last rejoicing in the frequenthearing and repeating of Psalm xci.

Verse 7 . Thi s was th e v erse by which th e Bishop of

Marseill es encouraged hi s clergy to stick to thei r dutyduring th e great plague of 1720 .

Verse 7 . Edward 1 . gave thi s as a reason for exposing h im self at the s iege of Stirling in 1304. Hishorse was shot under h im .

Verse 1 1 . The devi l can quote thi s Scripture for h i spurpose. But h ow m uch of Christian teach ing abou tthe angels begins here Spenser thus writes :

How oft do they thei r s i lver bowers leave,To come to succour us, that succour want 'How oft do they w i th golden pinions cleaveThe fl i tt ing sk ies

,l ike fly ing pursuivant ,

Against fowle fiends to aid us m i l i tant !20 5

Day 18] Psalm xci. [Morning Prayer

They for us fight , they watch and duly ward ,And thei r brigh t squad rons round about us plant ;And all for love and noth ing for rewardOh ! why should h eav’

nly God to m an have such regard ? ”

Sim ilarly Milton and others ; and not lea st thatancient Engl ish prayer stil l taught by s im p le folk totheir ch ildren wh ich quiets them by the prom i se of

four angel s round my bed !Verse 13 . In th e sixth room of the National Gal lery

is a picture of St. Michael and the dragon,by Fra

Carnovale, wh ich gives th e Christian comm ent uponth is verse. The spirit of th e Church Mil itant istread ing the dragon of sensua lity and inj ustice underh is feet .In Salisbury Cathedra l a “ boy

-bishop, who d iedduring h is brief term of office, i s carved tram p lingupon a m onster in al lusion to the words Conculcabisleonem cl draconem . The boy-bishop reigned fromSt . Nicholas Day til l Ch ilderrnas, and preached in th ecathedra l of h is see . Dean Colet ordered all h isscholars to attend th is serm on without fa il .In 1266 N iccola Pisano began his pulp it at Siena

with Christ tread ing on m onsters .Verse 1 5 . These were the words at which St. Hugh

of Lincoln d ied, 16th Novem ber 1200, during Compl ine

,and it was tak en as an om en of h is acceptance

with God .

In th e second part of the hom ily forWhit Sundaythes e words occur" “What shall we say of h im

that proudly and contem ptuously trod Frederic theem peror under his feet, app lying the verse of thepsalm unto him self, ‘ Thou shal t go upon the l ion and

th e adder, the young l ion and the dragon thou shalttread under thy foot ’

? (Ps. Sha l l we say thathe had God ’s Holy Spirit with in h im

, and not ratherth e spirit of the devi l ? Such a tyrant was PopeAlexander 111.

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Day 18] Psalm Xc i i . [Morning Praver

lust of m ine enem ies : and m ineear shal l hear h is desi re of the

w icked that arise up against

1 1 The r ighteous shal l flourishl ikea palm -tree : and shal l spreadabroad l ike a cedar in Libanus.

1 2 Such as are planted in thehouse of the Lord shal l flourish

Latina— Saturday, Lands.

Greeks — Thursday m orning ; Mesorion of first hour .The Talm ud ic tradition says that th is psa lm was

written in the m orning of th e world by Adam, th e

father of m ank ind .

Dr.George Matheson uses this psalm (with Psalm s n .

and lxxii .) to show that the princi p le of survival i sas com pletely taught by natura l religion as it is bymodern science.

Verse 1 . Sir Christopher Hatton (1 5 40chancel lor, th e poet and friend of poets, took this asth e m otto for h is Psal ter.Verse 4. Dante heard Matilda, h is gu ide, singing in

th e terrestria l parad ise the psa lm Delecasti ( me Domine

infacturri tud, ci in operibus mannum tuaram exultaba) ,vide Purg. ,

xxv iii . 80. Thi s Matilda , supposed to

be the great countess of the eleventh century,“ notable equal ly for h er cea seless activ ity

,h er

bril l iant pol itical genius, her perfect piety, and h er

deep reverence for the See of Rom e, i s stand ingon the other s ide of Lethe, passing th e flowersthrough her hands . She represents the noblestform of “ th e active l ife wh ich form s the felicity ‘

of earth, and the spirit of Beatrice the contemplative life

,wh ich form s th e felicity of Hea ven .

Verse 5 . Our h istorian, Matthew Paris, a lways quotesthis verse when he relates som e m iracle of the sa ints

(of Robert of Lincoln, Thomas of Hertford, h p

20 8

in the courts of the house of our

God .

1 3 They also shal l bring fo r thm ore frui t in thei r age and

sha l l be fat and wel l - l ik ing .

14 Tha t they m ay shew how

t rue the Lord my strength isand that there is no unrighteousness in h im .

Evening Prayer] Psalm xc i i i . [Day 18

deed, it sum s up the m ed ia‘ val View of God ’s work ingin th e world .

Verse 7 . Isaac Casaubon (1 5 5 9 the classica ls cholar

,m et with a severe accident on the Seine,

where h is boat was run into by a barge, and h e losth i s Psa l ter, wh ich he had used for twenty-two years .He and h is wife were singing psa lm s at the tim e and

had j ust reached this verse. He says : “ I could notbut rem em ber that place of St . Am brose where he saysthat th is i s the pecul iarity of th e Book of Psalm s, thatevery one can use its words as if they were pecul iarlyand ind iv idua lly his own .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psa lm xciii.

Dom inus regnavit.I The Lord is King

,and

ha th put on glorious apparel :the Lord ha th put on h is apparel , and gi rded himself w i thstrength .

2 He hath m ade the roundworld so sure : that i t cannotbe moved .

3 Ever s ince the worl d beganha th thy seat been prepared :thou art from everlasting .

4 The floods are risen, OLord , the floods have l ift upthei r voice : the floods l ift upthei r waves.5 The waves of the sea are

m ighty, and rage horribly : butyet the Lo rd, who dwel leth on

h igh , is m ight ier.6 Thy test imonies, O Lord ,

are very sure hol iness becomethth ine house forever .

Liturgical use— Introit to the Mass on first Stinday

after th e Ascension .

Latins— Sunday at Laud s .Greeks—Thursday m orn ing ; Mesorion of first hour.

Edward Irving (1 792—18 34) wrote of the Psalterin a way that seem s an echo of a t im e when the worldwas yet undrowned by flood s of watery criticism .

0 2 0 9

Day 18] Psalm xciv . [Evening Prayer

These Psalm s, h e says, “are to a Christian what

the love of parents and th e sweet affections of hom e,

and the cl inging m em ories of infant scenes and

the generous love of country, are to m en of everyrank and order and employm ent, of ev ery k indredand tongue and nation .

”

Shakespeare has the val iant spirit of th e psa lm ,

if not a l iteral echo, in Queen Margaret’s speech

We w i l l not from the helm , to s i t and weepBut keep ourcourse, though the rough w ind say noF rom shelves and rocks that th reaten us w i th w rack .

1 O Lord God , towhom vengeance belongeth : thou God , to

whom vengeance belongeth ,shew thyself.2 Arise, thou Judge of the

worl d : and reward the proudafter theirdeserv ing .

3 Lord, how long shal l theungodly : how long shal l thetm god ly trium ph ?4 How long shal l all wicked

doers speak so disda infu l ly and

make such proud boast ing ?5 They sm i te down thy people,

0 Lord : and t rouble th ineheri tage.

6 They murder the w idow ,

and the st ranger : and put thefatherless to death .

7 And yet they say, Tush , theLord shal l not see neither shal lthe God of Jacob regard i t .

8 Take heed, ye unw iseamong the people : 0 ye fools ,when w i l l ye understand ?9 He that planted the ear,

sha l l he not hear : or he thatmade the eye, shal l he not

see?

10 O r he that nurtureth the

heathen : i t is he that teachethman knowledge, shal l not he

punish ?1 1 The Lord knoweth the

though ts of man : that they arebut va in.

12 B lessed is the man whomthou chastenest, O Lord : and

teachest him in thy law1 3 That thou mayest g ive h im

pat ience in t ime of adversi tyunt i l the pi t be d igged up for

the ungodly.

14 For the Lord wi l l not fa i l

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Day x9 l Psalm xcv. [Morning Prayer

THE N INETEENTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm xcv.

Venite, exultemus.

1 0 com e,let us sing unto

th e Lord : let us heart i ly re

joice in the strength of our

salva t ion.

2 Let us come before h ispresence w i th thanksgiving and

shew ourselves glad in h im w i thpsalm s.3 For the Lord is a g reat

God : and a grea t K ing aboveall gods.4 In h is hand are all the

corners of the ear th : and the

st rength of the h i l ls is h is also.

5 The sea is h is, and he

made i t : and h is hands prepared the dry land.

6 0 come, let us worsh ipand fa l l down and kneelbefore the Lord ourMaker.

7 For he is the Lord our

God and we are the people of

h is pasture, and the sheep of

h is hand.8 To-day if ye w i l l hear h is

voice, harden not your heartsas in the provocat ion, and as in

the day of tem ptat ion in the

w i lderness ;9 When your fathers tem pted

me : proved me, and saw my

works.10 For ty years long was I

grieved w i th th is generat ion,and sa id : I t is a people thatdo err in thei r hear ts, for theyhave not known my ways1 1 Unto whom I sware in

my wrath : tha t they shouldnot enter my rest .”

Liturgica l use—Daily at Matins .

Latina—Ep iphany Daily at Matins .Greeks.

—Thursday m orning .

Thi s was th e battle-song of th e Knights Tem plars ,for whom warwas an act of worship. They h ad th e

privilege of a sserting and proclaim ing that th e hotlydebated Holy Land was in His hand .

I t was the first hym n which in summ er rose fromthe religious houses of the West .Th is psa lm has a lways been am ong the preludes to

2 1 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm xcv i . [Day 19

worsh i p both in th e Eas t and West . In the MiddleAges it used to be farsed ,

”as it was cal led— inter

s persed , as we say— w ith fragm ents of other p sa lm s

,

called “ inv itatories . In 1 5 49 it was ordered to be

sung sim p ly . The Greek s, who seem to l ike cuttingand carving the Psalm s, begin their worship withverses 1 , 3 , and 6 .

Verse 1 . Vem te adoremm ci procidamus is the bel lm otto for St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral in Dubl in. Thegreat hym n Adeste fideles for Christm as takes itschoru s from thi s psalm . I t is said to date no fartherback than the sixteenth century. I t is som etim escal led the Portuguese Chapel hym nIn the Court of Love, Chau cer has fitted certa in

psa lm s to th e notes of bii d s. Th e nightingale beginswith Labia uostra (li . th e eagle with h is longlife has Vwrite ; th e Fa lcon being keen of v isionDomine Dom inus the brave popinjay Ca 'lz

'

enarrant th e fresh goldfinch Domini est term

the wren, robin,and turtle-dove say, Jube, Ave,

and Sa lve the th 1ostle says Te Deum ; the splend idpeacock Dom inus regnavil decorem th e linnetch irps Sa lve, and th e owl says B enedicite ; th e sky]ark ’ s psalm is Laudale de caelis the k itesays 0 admirabile, th e pie leads the Amen, and th e

cuckoo says B enediclus at the end .

Psalm x cvi .

Cantate Dom ino.

1 O sing unto the Lord a the heathen : and h is wondersnew song : s ing unto the Lord , unto all people.

all the whole earth . 4 For the Lord is great , and

2 Sing unto the Lord , and cannot worth i ly be praised : hepra ise h is Name : be tel l ing of is more to be feared than all gods.h is sa lvat ion from day to day. 5 As for all the gods of the3 Declare h is honour unto hea then, they are but idols

Day I9 ] Psalm xcv i . [Morning Prayer

but i t is the Lord that made theheavens.6 Glory and worsh ip are

before him power and honourare in h is sanc tuary .

7 Ascribe unto the Lord, 0ye k indreds of the people :ascribe unto the Lord worsh ipand power.8 Ascribe unto the Lord the

honour due unto h is Name :

bring presents, and come intoh is courts.9 O worsh ip the Lord in

the beauty of hol iness : let thewho le earth stand in awe of him .

10 Tel l i t out among the

heathen that the Lord is King :

Liturgical lira— Introit to the Epiphany Mass

Latina— Friday Ma tins ; Christm as ; Circum c i sion ;Epi phany ; Trinity Sunday ; Ded ication of a church ;Feasts of Our Lady ; St . Michael .Greeks.

— Thursday m orning.

Th is psalm and the next were the songs of trium phand defiance used by the Christians, when in Jul ian’ sreign they bore away the body of the martyr Babylasfrom the Orontes .Th e bel l m otto ofP eterborough Cathedra l (1679 )

is Cantate Domino canticum novum .

Vefse 10 . St. Justin Martyr accu ses the Jews of

purpdsely leav ing out the word s (in?) fukov (from th e

tree) from their m anuscripts of th e LXX. Bible. Thesewords, or their Latin equivalent (a lig no), thereforebecam e a k ind of banner m otto against Jews, Arians,and other oppugners of our Lord ’ s roya lty. Th is i sthe m eaning of the th ird verse of that hym n of

Fortunatus, Vexilla Regis procleunt, which Dr. Neale2 14

and that i t is he who hath m adethe round wor ld so fast that i tcannot be m oved ; and how

tha t he shal l judge the peoplerighteously .

1 1 Let the heavens rejo ice,

and let the earth be glad : let

the sea m ake a noise,and all

tha t therein is.1 2 Let the field be joyful ,

and all that is in i t then shal lall the trees of the wood rejoicebefore the Lord .

13 For he cometh , for he

cometh to judge the earth and

w i th righteousness to judge theworld

, and the people w i th h istruth .

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Day 191 Psalm xcvn. [Mow ing Prayer

This psa lm h as been a great fa vourite with th e

Ca lvini st writers, who use it to teach their ch ief tenets,

the Sovereignty of God , th e danger of idolatry,

Election and Reprobation, and th e right of the saintsto rule the world . I t i s 110 less of a favourite withtheir greatest opponents, who never suppose that itteaches things incons istent with the tradition of th e

Church Cathol ic .

Verse 3 . Perhaps th is verse (with Ps. xi. 6 and

Ps. xcv i . 13) helped to m ak e u p the witness of Davidin th e D ies Ira: (see Ps. ci i . Q5 and

Verse 7 . This was the shout of the provocativeChristians at Antioch

,when the oracle of Daphne

was dum b to Julian . Perhaps it stil l breathes thatm issionary s p irit, wh ich delays Chri stian Missions

,

and i s stil l a stronghold of the ungospel rancour of

hot gospel lers .

Verse 8 . When poor George 111. r'

ecovel ed from hi slunacy, foi wh ich he was cruelly whipped, Londonwas i lluminated (28th April and Sion Co l legewas l it up with coloured lam ps m ak ing th is m ottoSion heard of it and rejoiced .

Verse 1 1 . Th is i s the ep itaph at Laleham overMat thew Arnold the poet ( 1822 whose effortsafter sweetness and light are thus happily spok en of

as stil l better atta ined, and whose truth of hearta ccounted to have m et w ith m ore gladness than itreached here.

Evening Prayer] Psalm xcv i i i . [Day I9

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psa lm x cvi ii .

A Psa lm .

Cantate Dom ino.

1 O s ing unto the Lord a new

song : forhe ha th done marvellous th ings.2 W i th h is own right hand ,

and w i th h is holy arm : hath hegotten h im self the v ictory.

3 The Lord declared h issa l va t ion h is righteousness hathhe openly shewed in the sight ofthe heathen.

4 He hath remembered h ism ercy and truth toward the

house of Israel and all the endsof the wor ld have seen the sal

vat ion of ourGod .

5 Shew yourselves joyful untothe Lord , all ye lands s ing ,rejoice, and g ive thanks.

6 Pra ise the Lord upon the

harp : sing to the harp w i th a

psa lm of thanksg iving.

7 W i th trum pets also, and

shawm s : O shew yoursel vesjoyful before the Lord the King.

8 Let the sea make a noise,

and all tha t therein is : the

round world , and they that dwel ltherein.

9 Let the floods clap thei rhands , and let the h i l ls be

joyful together before the Lordfor he is come to judge the

earth .

1 0 W i th righteousness shal lhe judge the world : and the

people w i th equi ty.

Liturgica l use— Introit for th e Christ-Mass (e)a lternative to the Magnificat in th e daily Evensong.

Latina— Saturday Matins Chri stm as Circum cisionTrin ity Sunday ; Feasts of Our Lady.

Greeks.— Thursday m orning.

Th i s psalm was a l lowed at Evensong as an a lternati veto the Magnificat in 1 5 5 2, in order that the extrem e

Protestants should no t be forced to use th e trium phsong of th e Blessed Virgin Mary. Th is was a k indly act

of inclusion . I t i s indeed ch iefly an echo of Psa lm xcvi . ,but the word used for trum pets describes those straighttrum pet s shewn on th e Arch of Titus

,and i s a word

2 1 7

Day I9 ]“

Psalm xc ix . [Evening Prayer

u sed here alone in the Psalter. Th e sight of thatm onum ent m ust a lways h ave reca lled thi s psalm to the

m ind of the Jews in Rom e.

The p salm s have dwel t in th e Christian heart and

in the centre of that heart : and wherever th e pursu itsof th e inner life hav e been m ost largely concei ved and

cu lt ivated , there, and in the sam e proportion,the

Psalm s hav e towered ov er every other veh icle of

general devotion . We ha ve a conspicuous illu stration of their office in the fact that, of two hundredand forty-three citations from th e Old Testam entfound in the pages of the New,

no less than one

hundred and s ixteen are from th e single Book of

Psa lm s, and that a s im ilar proportion holds with m ostof the early Fathers (Mr. Gladstone).

Psalm xcix .

Dom inus regnavit.

1 The Lord is King, be the

people never so impat ient : hesi t teth between the cherubims ,be the earth never so unquiet .2 The Lord is great in Sion :

and h igh above all people.

3 They shal l g ive thanks untothy Name wh ich is great,wonderful , and holy.

4 The King’s power lovethjudgem ent ; thou hast preparedequi ty : thou hast executedjudgement and righteousness inJacob.5 O magnify the Lo1d our

God : and fa l l down before h isfootstool , forhe is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron amonghis pr iests, and Samuel amongsuch as cal l upon his Namethese ca l led upon the Lord , andhe heard them .

7 He spake unto them out of

the cloudy p i l lar : for they kepth is test imonies, and the law thathe gave them .

8 Thou heardest them , 0

Lord our God : thou forgavestthem , 0 God , and punishedst

thei r own invent ions.9 O magnify the Lord our

God , and worsh ip him upon h isholy h i l l : for the Lord ourGod

is holy.

2 1 8

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Day 19 ] Psalm C . [Evening Prayer

Liturgica l use—At the daily Matins,if Benediclus

com es in th e Gospe l or Les son ; Introit to Mass 0 11

Whit MondayLatins.

— Sunday, Lauds .Greeks.

—Thursday m orn ing .

This psalm was placed in our da ily m orning officeto satisfy obj ection s in 1 5 5 2, and to avoid repetition .

I t i s not, of course, used unless the Benedictus com esin other parts of th e service .

The hym n Al l people that on earth do dwell,

was by W il l iam Kethe, a Puritan friend of Knox’ s,and

the “ Old Hundredth tune i s from th e Psalter of

15 80 A .D .— a traditiona l chorale, som e say, by Luther.

I t i s probably th is version Mrs . Ford (in MerryWives) has in m ind when she says th e hundredthpsalm w il l not k eep place together w ith th e tune of

Green sleeves and Longfellow a lludes to the sam evers ion in hi s hexam eter :

Sing ing the hund redth psalm , tha t grand old Puri tan anthem .

The Ta lm ud say s that Psalm s xc . to c . ,except

Psalm xcii . , were com posed by Moses .Verse 2. Wil l iam of Malm esbury tells a story of

Cologne about th is v erse . A certa in em peror wh owas hunt ing on Quinquages im a Sunday cam e where a

deform ed priest, “a lm ost a m onster,

”had a church .

He hum bly begged for a Mass, and wh ile it was beingsa id

, he wondered that God , from whom all beautifu lth ings proceed, shou ld suffer so deform ed a m an to

celebrate His sa cram ents . Just then the priest turnedto ch ide th e a ltar boy, and sa id th e tract loudly, “ I ti s He, He that hath m ade u s .” The em peror, thinking h im to be a prophet, got h im elected to an archbishopric , where h e k indly encouraged all wh o d idwel l, and branded with th e stigm a of excomm unicationthose who did evil

,withou t any respect of persons .

The sam e verse was th e reply m ade by Matilda,

2 20

Evening Prayer] Psalm ci. [Day I9

wife of Henry when h er brother Dav id rebukedh er forwash ing the feet of lepers . I t is He tha t hathm ade us and not we ourselves

,He who sa id in His

Gos p el : I was sick and ye v isited Me .

Psalm ci.M isericordiam et jud icium.

A Psa lm ofDav id.1 My song shal l be of mercy

and judgem ent : unto thee, OLord , w i l l I sing.

2 0 let m e have understanding : in the way of godl iness.3 When w il t thou come unto

me : I w i l l walk in my housew i th a perfect heart .4 I w i l l take no w icked th ing

in hand ; I ha te the sins of

unfa i thfulness : there shal l no

such cleave unto m e.

5 A froward hea rt shal l departfrom me : I w i l l not know a

w icked person.

6 Whoso priv i ly slanderethh is neighbour : h im w i l l Idestroy.

7 Whoso hath a lso a proudlook and h igh stomach : I w i l lnot suffer h im .

8 Mine eyes look upon suchas are fai thfu l in the land : thatthey may dwel l w i th m e.

9 Whoso leadeth a god lyl ife he shal l be my servant .10 There shal l no decei tful

person dwel l in my house : he

that tel leth l ies shal l not tarryin my sigh t .

I t I shal l soon destroy all

the ungodly that are in the

land : tha t I may root out a ll

w icked doers from the ci ty of theLord.

Liturgica l use— Introit for Mass on Wh it Tuesday(e) King’s Acces sion .

Latina — Saturday MatiGreeks.

—Thursday m orning ; First hour.This p sa lm and the next were sung at the death of

Monica by St . August ine and hi s son Adeodatus , withEuodia s

,and the household .

“The l o15 t Psalm was one beloved by the noblest.of Russian princes

,Vladim ir Monachos

,by the

gentlest of Engl ish Reform ers, Nicholas Ridley.

2 2 I

Day I9 ] Psalm ci. [Evening PrayeI

Many have been the holy associations withwh ich th e nam e of Jerusa lem h as been invested inapocalypti c vi sions and Christian hym ns

,bu t they

have their first h istorical ground in th e subl im e

aspirations of its first roya l Founder (Stanley).“ I t was not til l the convers ion of the great Prince

Vlad im ir, in 992, that Rus s ia was i llum inated , and

then its reception of the gospel was a lm ostinstantaneous .”

An interesting writer upon th is psalm is FrancisJunius (15 89 l ibrarian to Thom as Howard,second Earl of Arundel . He was th e fi rst greatAnglo-Saxon scholar of m odern tim es

,and enriched

the Bodleian Library w ith h is treasures . Dr. Johnsonwas m uch indebted to h im for h is Engl ish etym ology.

The sim pl icity of character set forth in the psalm wel laccords w ith h is l ife.

Bacon recomm ended George Vill iers to m ak e a

study of this psalm ,and to be ru led by it when h e

prom oted the courtiers .Verse 1 . Th e opening words of th is psalm were the

expression of poor Cowper’s joy, on h is recovery from

the deep m elancholy which cau sed h im to be pu tunder th e care of Dr. Cotton (1773 When at lastthe l ight brok e in upon h im , h e

“ fel t it alm ost wa steof tim e to sleep, h e was so happy. Then he wrotethe song of Mercy and Judgm ent wh ich begins,Lord, I love th e habitation .

Me th rough waves of deep affl ict ion,Dearest Sav iour , Thou hast brought ;Fiery deeps of sharp conv ict ion,Hard to bear and passing thought .Sweet the sound of grace D iv ine,Sweet the grace wh ich makes m e Th ine.

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Day 20 ]

1 7 When he turneth h im untothe prayer of the poor dest i tuteand desp iseth not their desi re.

18 Th is shal l be wr i tten forthose that come after : and the

people wh ich shal l be born shal lpraise the Lord .

1 9 For he hath looked downfrom h is sanctuary : out of the

heaven d id the Lord behold theearth20 That he m ight hear the

mournings of such as are in

capt iv i ty : and del iver the

ch i ldren appointed unto death2 1 Tha t they may declare theName of the Lord in Sion and

h is worsh ip at Jerusalem ;

2 2 When the people are

gathered together and the

k ingdom s also, to serve the

Lord .

Psalm cii. [Morning Prayer

23 He brought down mystrength in my journey : and

shortened my days .24 But I sa id , O my God ,

take m e not away in the m idstof m ine age : as for thy years,they endure throughout all

generat ions.2 5 Thou, Lord , in the beg in

ning hast la id the foundat ion of

the earth : and the heavens arethe work of thy hands.26 They sha l l perish , but thou

shal t endure they all shal l waxold as doth a garm ent2 7 And as a vesture shal t thouchange them , and they shal l bechanged but thou art the sam e,

and thy years shal l not fa i l .28 The ch i ld renofthyservants

shal l cont inue : and thei r seedshal l stand fast in thy sight.

Liturgica l use— Ash Wednesday evening.

Latins— Saturday Matins .Greeks. Thursday m orning ; La te evensong in

Lent ; Vi sitation of th e sick ; Confession ; For th e

dying.

Th is i s the fifth penitentia l psalm . These are

Psalm s vi. , xxx . ,xxxviii . , l i . , cii . , cxxx.

,cxl iii. (vide

Ps. I t is th e antidote to Avarice.

The Emperor Charles v. h ad these seven psalm sread again and again to h im in h i s la st s ickness at

St . Juste (Septem berVerse 1 . These are th e word s wh ich in so m any

services u sher in the Collect or Summ ary of all tha t i sp rayed for. They are u sed thus not only in our

Litany,for instance, but in that ancient service a t

2 24

Morning Prayer] Psalm cn. [Day 20

which,from Edward the Confessor’ s tim e onward s

,

Engl ish m onarchs have touched for the King ’s Evil .Verse 5 . Wi ll iam Hunnis, Queen El izabeth

’s choi rm aster at th e Chapel Royal, was am ong the earl ierauthors who reduced into m eeter th e seven p sa lm s .His book i s rather a comm entary u pon than a transla

t ion of th e orig inal I t i s exquisitely bound,and has tunes to it . I t is cal led “ Seven sobs of a

sorrowfull sou le for s inne. This is h is comm ent toth is verse

Age overtaketh youth , I see,

and youth by steal th dooth theAs dooth the smoke vanish awaie

aloft vnder the sk ie.

! ea, manie t imes i t chanceth so

ere age come us upon,

Tha t death by st roke such wound doththat l ife w i th speed is gone.

Thus passeth foorth my t ime of l ifem ore sw ifter, I may sa ie,Than is the sh ip good under sa i le

,

or eagle after praie.

”

6 . Th i s gave to Christian art the pelican as

the sym bol of our Lord , as in St . Thom as Aquinas’

hymn Adoro te (3 12 A . and M .)Pie Pel lz

'

cane, f em Dom ine

fil e z'

mm zm a’um m unda Tao sang uine.

Verse 1 1 .

“ My days are gone lik e a shadow thatdeclineth is the Arbroa th d ial m otto . D ies mei sicut

umbra declinaverzm t is the d ia l m otto of St . Michele,

near Venice.

Verses 13 and 14. The Whole Duty of Man, a book

m ore popular than any other book of pract ica l rel igionin England , was com posed by the gallant RichardAlstree (1619 wh o after hearing m usket

,sword

,

P 2 2 5

Day 20 ] Psalm Cl ll [Morning Prayer

and pen for the k ing, and after enduring loss and

im prisonm ent for the roya l cause, becam e Regi usProfessor of Divinity and Provost of Eton. Hepreached from these words before Charles 11 . a serm on

on God 's m ethod in giving deliverance—word s whichhad greatly m oved h im self. He is buried near thehigh altar at Eton.

Verses 25 and 26 . St. Augustine assigns these versesas the w itness of David to the Doom sday al luded toin th e “

anvi l hymn of the D ies Iroe, see xcvii. 3 .

Psa lm ciii.

A Psa lm ofDavid .

Bened ic, anim a mea .

1 Praise the Lord, 0 my souland all that is w i th in m e praiseh is holy Name.

2 Praise the Lord, 0 my

soul : and forget not all h isbenefits3 Who forgiveth al l thy sin :

and healeth all th ine infirm ities4 Wh o saveth thy l ife from

destruction : and crowneth theew i th mercy and lov ing-k indness5 Who satisfieth thy m outh

w ith good th ings : mak ing theeyoung and lusty as an eagle.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment : for all

them that are oppressed w ithwrong.

7 He shewed h is ways untoMoses : h is works unto the

ch i ld ren of Israel .8 The Lord is ful l of com

passion and mercy : long-sufiering, and of grea t goodness.9 He w i l l not a lway be

ch id ing : nei ther keepeth he h isanger forever.

10 He hath not deal t w i th usafter our sins : nor rewarded usaccord ing to ourw ickednesses.

1 1 For look how h igh the

heaven is in comparison of the

earth so great is h is m ercy a lsotoward them that fear him .

1 2 Look how w ide a lso the

east is from the west : so far

hath he set our sins from us.13 ! ea , l ike as a father p i t ieth

h is own ch i ld ren even so is theLord merciful unto them thatfear h im .

14 For he knoweth whereofwe are made : he remembereththat we are but dust .

2 26

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Day 20 ] Psalm civ . [Evening Prayer

a version of it in a hym n stil l sung : Milieu n'ir im

Leben siud .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psa lm civ.

Bened ic , anima mea .

1 Praise the Lord , O my soul :0 Lord my God , thou art be

com e exceed ing glorious : thouart clothed w i th majesty and

honour.2 Thou deckest thyself w ithl igh t as i t were w i th a garmentand spreadest out the heavensl ike a cur tain.

3 Who layeth the beam s of

h is cham bers in the waters and

m aketh the clouds h is chariot ,and walketh upon the w ings of

the w ind .

4 He maketh h is angelsspi ri ts : and h is m inisters a

flam ing fire.

5 He laid the foundat ions ofthe earth : that i t never shouldmove at any time.

6 Thou coveredst i t w i th thedeep l ike as w i th a ga rment :the waters stand in the h i l ls.7 A t thy rebuke they flee :

at the vo ice of thy thunder theyare afraid .

8 They go up as h igh as the

h i l ls, and down to the val leysbeneath : even unto the placewh ich thou hast appointed forthem .

9 Thou hast set them thei rbounds wh ich they shal l not

pass : nei ther turn aga in to

cover the earth .

10 He sendeth the springs1nto the rivers wh ich run

among the h i l l s.1 1 A l l beasts of the field

d rink thereof : and the wi ldasses quench thei r th i rst.

1 2 Beside them shal l the fowlsof the air have thei r habitat ion and sing among '

th e

branches.13 He watereth the h il l s from

above : the earth is fi l led w iththe frui t of thy works.

14 He bringeth for th grassfor the ca t t le : and green herbfor the serv ice ofm en.

1 5 Tha t he may bring foodout of the earth , and w ine thatmaketh glad the hear t of man

and oil to make h im a cheerful countenance and bread to

strengthen man s hear t .16 The trees of the Lord al so

are ful l of sap : even the cedarsof Libanus wh ich he hathplanted

1 7 Wherein the bi rds make

Evening Prayer]

thei r nests and the fir-trees area dwelling for the stork .

18 The h igh h i l ls are a refugefor the w i ld goats : and so are

the stony rocks for the conies.1 9 He appointed the moon

forcerta in seasons : and the sun

knoweth h is going down.

20 Thou makest darkness thati t may be nigh t wherein all the

beasts of the forest do move.

2 1 The l ions roaring afterthei r prey : do seek thei r meatfrom God .

22 The sun ariseth , and theyget them away together and

lay them down in thei r dens .23 Man goeth forth to h iswork , and to h is labour : unt i lthe evening.

24 O Lord , h ow manifo ld arethy works in wisdom hast thoumade them all the earth is ful lof thy riches.2 5 So is the great and w ide

sea al so wherein are th ingscreeping innumerable, both smal land grea t beasts.26 There go the sh ips , and

there is that Lev iathan : whomthou hast made to take h ispast ime therein.

27 These wa i t all upon thee :

Psalm civ . [Day 20

that thou m ayest g ive themm ea t in due season.

28 When thou g ivest it themthey gather i t : and when thouopenest thy hand they are fi l ledw i th good .

29 \Vhen thou h idest thyface they are t roubled : whenthou takes t away thei r breaththey die, and are turned againto thei r dust .30 \Vhen thou let test thybreath go forth they shal l bemade and thou shal t renew the

face of the earth .

3 1 The glorious Majesty of

the Lord shal l endure for everthe Lord shal l rejoice in h isworks.32 The earth shal l tremble at

the look of h im : if h e do buttouch the h i l ls, they shal l smoke.

33 I w i l l s ing unto the Lordas long as I l ive : I w i l l praisemy God wh i le I have my being .

34 And so shal l my wordsplease h im : my joy shal l be inthe Lord .

35 As for sinners , they shal lbe consumed out of the earth ,and the ungodly shal l come to

an end : p ra ise thou th e Lord ,0 my soul , pra ise the Lord .

Liturgica l use—Whit Sunday evening ; Rogationp sa lm .

Latins —Saturday Matins ; Whitsuntide.

Greeks—Thursday m orn ing Preface to evensong .

On th e Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesday before

2 2 9

Day 20 ] Psalm CIV . [Evening Prayer

Ascension day (Rogation days) the pari sh boundswere beaten (ca lled ganging in th e North), and

Litanies were chaunted to entreat for the k indly fru itsof th e earth in due season. Th e psalm s used thenwere ciii. and c iv.

This psalm was a favourite with Henry Vaughan,

Bacon,and Alexander von Hum boldt . Bacon trans

lated it into m etre, and shewed thereby that hisdescription of h im self as a

“ concealed poet was not

quite an em p ty boa st. His book is, Certaine Psalmeswritten by him in sic/mess, 1624, and dedicated to h i svery good friend George Herbert.

The sappy cedars tal l l ike stately tow’

rs

High fly ing birds do harbour in thei r bow’rs ,The holy storks , that are the travel lers ,Choose for to dwel l and bui ld w i th in the fi rsThe cl imbing goats hang on steep mountain s ide,The d igg ing conies in the rocks do bide.

”

Hum boldt sa id that th i s s ingle psa lm presents a

picture of th e ent ire cosmos in the com pas s of a s inglepoem .

Sir George Mack enz ie ( 1636—9 1) was cal led by theCovenanters “ The Bloody

,because of the severity

with wh ich he m et their revolts. When he was not

engaged in h is pol itical duties, he wrote a paraphraseupon th is psa lm , in which he

’

greatly delighted .

Verse 1 3 . In Lu ca del la Robbia’

s bas-relief in the

church of St . Dom enic, th e figures of four saints hold

a tablet w ith De fructu operam satiabitur term— earthbeing of course interpreted as m an .

Verse 23 . Thi s was the text of John Henry Newm an’s

fi rst serm on, and al so of h is last ser mon as an Engl ishpriest, 25 th Septem ber 1 843 .

Verse 24. S t . Athanasius m ay alm ost be sa id to havecom posed h is great orations against th e Arians as

serm ons upon thi s verse,so often does he quote it .

230

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Day 2 1 ] Psalm cv [Morning Prayer

THE TWENTY-F IRST DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm cv .

Confitemini Dom ino.

1 0 g ive thanks unto the

Lord , and cal l upon h is Name

tel l the people what th ings h ehath done.

2 0 let your songs be of h im ,

and p ra ise him : and let yourtalk ing be of a ll h is wondrousworks.3 Rejoice in h is holy Name

let the heart of them rejoicethat seek the Lord .

4 Seek the Lord and h isstrength seek h is face evermore.

5 Remember the marvel lousworks that he hath done : h iswonders

,and the judgements of

h is m outh,

6 O ye seed of Abraham h isservant : ye ch i ldren of Jacobh is chosen.

7 He is the Lord our God

his judgements are in all the

world .

8 He hath been alway m indful of h is covenant and prom isethat he m ade to a thousandgenerat ions9 Even the covenant that he

made w i th Abraham : and the

oa th tha t he sware unto Isaac10 And appo inted the same

unto Jacob for a law : and to

Israel for an everlast ing testa I

ment1 1 Say ing, Unto thee w i l l I

g ive the land of Canaan the lot

of your inher i tance1 2 When there were yet but a

few of them and they strangersin the land

13 What t ime as they wentfrom one nat ion to another fromone k ingdom to another people

14 He suffered no m an to do

them wrong but reproved evenk ings for thei r sakes1 5 Touch not m ine Ano inted

and do my prophets no harm .

16 Moreover, h e ca l led for

a dearth upon the land and

destroyed all the prov ision of

bread .

1 7 But he h ad sent a m an

before them even Joseph , whowas sol d to be a bond-servant

18 \Vhose feet they hur t inth e stocks : the i ron enteredinto h is soul ;1 9 Unt i l the t ime came that

h is cause was known the wordof th e Lord tried him .

20 The k ing sent,

and de

l ivered h im : the pr ince of the

people let him go free.

2 3 2

Morning Prayer]

2 1 He made h im lord also of

h is house : and ruler of all h issubstance22 That he m ight inform h isp rinces after h is w i l l : and

teach h is senators w isdom .

23 Israel also came intoEgypt : and Jacob was a

st ranger in the land of Ham .

24 And he increased h ispeople exceed ingly : and m adethem stronger than thei renem ies25 \Vhose hea rt turned so

,

that they ha ted h is people and

deal t untruly w i th h is servants .26 Then sent he Moses h is

servant : and Aaron whom h e

had chosen.

2 7 And these shewed h istokens am ong them and

wonders in th e land of Ham .

28 He sent darkness, and i twas dark : and they were not

obed ient unto h is word.

29 He turned thei r wa tersinto b lood and slew thei r fish .

30 Thei r land brought forthfrogs : yea, even in their k ings’chambers .3 1 He Spake the word , and

there came all m anner of fl ies :and l ice in all thei r quar ters.32 He gave them hai l -stones

for rain : and flames of fire inthei r land.

33 He smote thei r v ines alsoand fig

- trees and destroyed thet rees that were in thei r coasts .

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Psalm cv. [Day 2 1

34 He spake the word , and

the grasshoppers came, and

caterp i l lars innumerable : and

d id eat up all the grass in th eirland , and devoured the frui t oftheir ground .

35 He smote all the first-bornin thei r land : even the ch ief ofall thei r strength .

36 He brought them for thalso w i th si lver and gold therewas not one feeble person amongthei r tribes.37 Egypt was glad at thei r

depart ing : for they were afra idof them .

38 He spread out a cloud to

be a covering : and fire to g ivel ight in the night-season.

39 A t thei r des i re he broughtqua i l s and be fi l led them w i ththe bread of heaven.

40 He opened the rock of

stone,and the waters flowed

out : so that rivers ran in the

dry places .41 Forwhy ? he remembered

h is holy prom ise and Abrahamh is servant.42 And he brough t forth h is

people w i th joy and h is chosenw i th gladness43 And gave them the lands

of the hea then : and they tookthe labours of the people in

possession44 That they m ight keep

h is statutes : and observe h islaws .

Day 2 1] Psalm CV . [Morning Prayer

Latina— Saturday Matins .Greeks—Last psa lm forThursday Matins .Verse 14. The first papal legates, who cam e over

to England to cla im papa l suprem acy (from Pop eAdrian

,A .D . used thi s verse as an instance of th e

superiority of th e eccles iastical over th e c iv il jurisd iction . It h as often done duty forth e sam e purpose since.

Verse 1 5 . I t is needles s to say that this was con

stantly in th e m ouths of loya l Churchm en during th eciv i l wars, plots, and revolutions of th e seventeenthcentury ; and th e ap p l ication was noth ing new then,for Thom as Merk s

,th e Bishop of Carlisle, pointed it

out to Henry 1v.,in a vigorous and m anfu l speech

h e m ade in defence of Richard 11. Th e bishop was

prom ptly lodged in the dungeon of St. Albans Abbeyfor h is boldness of utterance.

In th e letter of Edm und Verney to h is brotherRa lph (they were both sons of Charles 1.

’

s standardbearer) we find thi s rem onstrance : “ I t greeves myh earte to think that m y father a lready and I wh o soe

dearly love and esteem e you should be bound in cou sequence (because of our duty to our King) to be yourenem y. I heare tis a great greefe to m y father. Ibeseech you consider that m ajesty is sacred ; God

sayth Touch not m yne anointed ; it troubled Davyd

that h e cutt but th e lapp of Sau l ’ s garm ent .Verse 28 . Dr. John Rainold s , the Aristotel ian,

President of Corpus, solemnly proposed at the

Ham pton Court Conference (1603 ) that disobedientbe put for “

obed ient,”

as the Nonconform ists fel tthis m istranslation to be a stum bl ing—block . The

Revisers, both then and of our tim e, followed th e

Nonconform ists here w ithout d ispute, and translate,And they rebel led not against h i s words .”

Dr. Spark s had a controversy w ith Wh itgift on thi svery verse in 1 5 89 , from which arm oury the weapon sfor the later d ispu te were m ostly drawn.

234

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Day 2 1 ]

Horeb and worsh ipped the

mol ten image.

20 Thus they turned thei rglory : into th e s im i l i tude of a

ca lf that eateth hay.

2 1 And they forgat God thei rSav iour wh o had done so greatth ings in Egypt2 2 Wondrous works in the

land of Ham and fearful th ingsby the Red sea.

23 So he sa id , he would havedestroyed them , had not Mosesh is chosen stood before h im in

the gap to turn away h is w rathful ind ignat ion, lest he shoulddest roy them .

24 ! ea , they though t scorn of

that pleasant land and gave nocredence unto h is word ;25 But murmured in thei r

tents : and hearkened not untothe voice of the Lord .

26 Then l ift he up h is handaga inst them to over th row themin the w i lderness2 7 To cast out thei r seed

among the na t ions and to

scatter them in the lands.28 They jo ined them selves

unto Baal -peor : and ate th e ]of the Lord k indled aga inst h isofferings of the dead .

29 Thus they provoked h imto anger w ith thei r own inven

t ions and the plague was grea tamong them .

30 Then stood up Ph inees

and prayed : and so the plagueceased .

Psalm cvi. [Evening Prayer

3 1 And that was counted untoh im for righteousness : amongall posteri t ies forevermore.

32 They angered him al so at

the wa ters of strife : so that h epunished Moses for thei r sakes33 Because they provoked h is

sp i ri t : so tha t he spake unad

vised ly w i th h is l ips.34 Nei ther dest royed they the

heathen as the Lord com ~

m anded them35 But were m ingled among

the hea then : and learned thei rworks.36 Insomuch tha t they wor

sh ipped theif idols, wh ich turnedto thei r own decay : yea, theyoffered thei r sons and thei rdaughters unto devi ls37 And shed innocent blood ,

even the blood of thei r sons andof thei r daughters : whom theyoffered unto the idols ofCanaanand the land was defiled w i thblood .

38 Thus were they sta inedw i th thei r own works and wenta whoring w i th thei r own in

ventions.

39 Therefore was the wra th

people : insomuch tha t he ab

horred h is own inheri tance.

40 And he gave them overinto the hand of the hea thenand they tha t hated them werelords over them .

4 1 Thei r enem ies oppressed

Evening Prayer]

them : and had them in sub

jection.

42 Many a t ime d id he del iver them : but they rebel ledagainst h im w i th thei r own in

ventions, and were brought downin thei r w ickedness .43 Nevertheless, when he

saw thei r adversi ty : he heardthei r complaint .44 He thought upon h is cove

nant , and pi t ied them ,accord ing

Psalm cvi. [Day 2 1

unto themul t i tude ofh ismerciesyea, he made all those that ledthem away capt ive to p i ty them .

45 Del iver us, 0 Lord our

God , and gather us from amongthe hea then : tha t we may givethanks unto thy holy Name

,and

make ourboast of thy pra ise.

46 B lessed be the Lord Godof Israel from everlast ing, and

world w i thout end : and let all

the people sav Amen.

Latina— Saturday Matins .Greeks — Thursday evening .

Fox tells us that Will iam Wolsey, a constable, andRobert Pygot, a painter, were burnt at Ely (October1 5 5 5 ) for Protestanti sm . They d ied rec iting Psa lmcv i .

,and cla sping New Testam ents to their breasts .

I t is a curious th ing to not ice how m any com

m entators there were on th e Psa lter in the eighteenthcentury. Zachary Mudge (Dr. Johnson’ s friend and

Reynolds ’ adm ired “ study was th e first leader ; butBishop Hare, Theocri tean Thom a s Edward s

,George

Fenw ick ,and Bishop George Hom e of Norwich were

am ong th e ch ief. Doddridge gi ves the palm of

m etrical translation s to Jam es Merrick,Fellow of

Trinity Col lege, Oxford—who was m ore adm irable forh i s z ea l for the need of th e index, than forh is poetry.

Verse 3 . The epitaph u pon Sir William Hank ford ,at Am erie in Devon,

a m ost j ust j udge,wh o in 1422

was shot by his own k eeper in hi s own park by night,

when,being bidden, h e refused to stand . He was

habited with a ll requisites for a person of h i s p lace .

Verse 1 1 . The Utrecht Psa lter, that m ost interesting and pu z zl ing m anuscript

,wh ich the critics a s sign

a lternately to each of the centuries from th e fourthto the ninth , has spirited illustrations of this verse

,

23 7

Day 22] Psalm cv i i . (Morning Prayer

and som e others in thi s psalm and the next one. Th e

Red Sea i s overwhelm ing the Egyptians ; there are

ploughm en at work , felons in the stock s,v inedressers

and planters, m en going down to th e sea in th e

queerest sh i p s, and others build ing cities . There are

al so, am ong other delights, two great cha irs wh ich are

th e seats of th e elders (Ps. cvii .Verse 28 . Henry More, the Platonist (16 14 has

an interesting d iscourse u pon Baa l-Peor, the god of

increase, whom from old Sem itic tradition th e Jewsobstinately worshi pped to a late period . EvenJonathan nam ed his s on Meph ibaal , a lthough th e

term ination was changed to bosheth,nonsense . More

was one of our loveliest m ystical writers,and so loved

his l ife of scholarly retirem ent that he twice refusedbishoprics .Verse 30. Th is was one of the translations wh ich

the Puritans so inveighed against at th e Ham ptonCourt Conference. Dr. Ra inolds proposed “

executedj udgm ent,

” but th e word s were reta ined in th e

Prayer Book , though altered in th e Bible .

Verse 3 8 . Th is is the second m otto of FatherParsons’ work on th e English persecution

,and summ ed

up the Rom anist charge against our people of wil lworsh ip .

”

THE TWENTY - SECOND DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm evn.

ConfiteminiDom ino.

1 0 give thanks unto the the Lord hath redeemed : and

Lord, for he is gracious : and del ivered from the hand of the

h is m ercy endureth forever . enemy2 Let them give thanks whom 3 And gathered them out of

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Day 22] Psalm cv i i . [Morning Prayer

25 Forat h is word th e stormyw ind ariseth : wh ich l ifteth up

the waves thereof.2 6 They are carried up to the

heaven,and down again to the

deep : thei r soul m el teth awaybecause of the trouble.

27 They reel to and fro , and

stagger l ike a d runken man

and are at thei r w i t’s end .

28 So when they cry untothe Lord in thei r trouble : he

del ivereth them out of thei rd istress.29 For he m aketh the storm

to cease : so that the wavesthereof are st il l .30 Then are they glad , because they are at rest : and so

he bringeth them unto the havenwhere they would be.

3 1 0 that m en would therefore p raise the Lord for h isgoodness and declare the

wonders tha t he doeth for the

ch i ld ren ofmen

32 That they would exal th im a lso in the congregat ion of

the people : and pra ise h im in

the sea t of the elders !33 Who turneth the floodsinto a w i lderness : and d riethup the water-springs.34 A frui tful land maketh he

Liturgica l use—Thank sgiving after a storm at sea .

Latins — Saturday Matins .Greeks — Thursday m orning.

Thi s was the favourite psalm of Wil liam Romaine,240

ba rren : for the w ickedness of

them that dwel l therein.

35 Again,he m aketh the

wildem ess a stand ing water : andwater -spr ings of a d ry ground .

36 And there he setteth the

hungry : tha t they may buil dthem a city to dwel l in ;37 That they m ay sow thei r

land , and plant v ineyards : to

y ield them fru its of increase.

38 He blesseth them,so that

they mult iply exceed ingly : and

suffereth not thei r cat tle to

decrease.

39 And again, when they arem inished , and brought low

th rough oppression, th roughany plague, or t rouble ;40 Though h e suffer them to

be ev i l intreated th rough tyrantsand let them wander out of the

way in the w i lderness41 ! et hel peth he the poor

out of m isery : and maketh h imhouseholds l ike a flock of sheep.

42 The righteous w i l l con

s ider th is,and rejo ice : and the

mouth of all w ickedness shal l bestopped .

43 Whoso is w ise w i l l ponderthese th ings : and they shal lunderstand the lov ing -k indnessof the Lord .

Morning Prayer] Psalm cv i i [Day 22

th e Rector of St . Ann’s, B lack friars, and of h i s friend(and Dr. Johnson ’s acquaintance), Dr. Benjam inWheeler, th e professor of poetry at Oxford .

Verses 15 and 16 . In th e harrowing of hel l (vide Ps.

the d iv ine prophet Da v id cries aloud in the

darkness, “ Did not I truly prophesy, wh ile I was on

earth,saying, O that m en would pra ise th e Lord for

His goodness Thus, these verses m ay be said to

be what was regarded in th e ages of sorrow as th e

epitom e of th e whole Psa lter, vi z ., its tone of trium ph

and thank sgiving.

Verse 30 . Thi s was quoted by “ Little Bilney,Latimer

’

s teacher, on h is way to the stake . I t isthe epitaph set u p in Beech ey I sland for Sir JohnFrank lin and h is com panions, who d ied in 1847 wh iletrying to m ak e Behring Stra it from Cape Wa lker, andi s the discoverer of th e north-west passage, whi chna vigated by the Gjo

’

a in 1906.

Verse 42. Gaufridus, St . Bernard’s secretary, and

the author of that saint’s l ife, w ith these word s sum sup h is m aster’s earthly life : “ For h e was both th e

glory of all th e good and the awe of th e wick ed,that this verse seem ed ap tly m ade for h im

,for in

his presence holines s wholly rejoiced, frowardness was

curbed, and hardness grew penitent .”

Verse 43 . The paradox of th is verse (God’s loving

k indnes s m ade known through a series of disasters)has naturally attracted great numbers of writers and

think ers .

Day 22] Psalm Cv iil [Evening Prayer

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm cviii.A Song orPsalm ofDavid .

Paratum cormeum .

1 O God , my hear t is ready ,my hear t is ready : I w i l l singand g ive praise w i th the bestmem ber tha t I have.

2 Awake, thou lute, and harp :I myself w i l l awake right early.

3 I w i l l g ive thanks unto thee,O Lord , among the people : Iw i l l s ing pra ises unto theeamong the nat ions.4 For thy mercy is greater

than the heavens and thy truthreacheth unto the clouds.5 Set up thyself, O God ,

above the heavens : and thyglory above all the ear th .

6 That thy beloved may be

del ivered : let thy righ t hand m an.

save them ,and hear thou me. 13 Th rough God we shal l do

7 God hath spoken in his grea t acts : and i t is he thathol iness : I w i l l rejoice there shal l tread down our enem ies.

Liturgical use.—Ascension-day evening .

Latina— Saturday Matins .Greeks—Thursday evening .

This psalm was a favou r ite with that person h ighlyaffected to antiqu ities , Sir Christopher Hatton

,the

good friend both to Dugdale and to Jerem y Taylor.

He cal ls it in h is Psalter A prayer for v ictory aga instourEnem ies .” He was control ler of Charles L ’

s household, being then a ccounted a friend of all that lovedth e King and Church of England , forwh ich h e suffered

242

fore, and d iv ide S ichem , and

m ete out the val ley of Succoth .

8 G i lead is m ine, and

Manasses is m ine : Ephraimalso is the strength ofmy head .

9 Judah is my law-g iver ,Moab is my washpot

‘

: overEdom w i l l I cast out my shoe ;upon Ph i l ist ia w i l l I triumph .

10 Who w i l l lead me into thestrong ci ty : and who w i l l bringme into Edom1 1 Hast not thou forsaken us,

O God : and w i l t not thou , OGod , go forth w i th ourhosts ?12 O help us against the

enemy : for va in is the help of

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Day 22] Psalm cix. [Evening Prayer

16 His del ight was in cursing, and i t shal l happen untohim : he loved not blessing ,therefore shal l i t be farfrom him .

1 7 He clothed h im selfw ithcurs ing , l ike as w i th a raim entand i t shal l come into h is bowelsl ike water , and l ike oil into h isbones.18 Let i t be unto h im as the

cloke that he hath upon h im :

and as the g i rdle that he isalway g i rded withal .”1 9 Let i t thus happen from

the Lord unto m ine enem ies :and to those that speak ev i lagainst my soul .20 But dea l thou w ith m e,

O Lo rd God , accord ing untothy Name : for sweet is thymercy.

2 1 O del iver m e,for I am

hel pless and poor and my

heart is wounded w ith in me.

22 I go hence l ike the shadowthat depa rteth : and am d rivenaway as the grasshopper.23 My knees are weak

M inis—Saturday Matins .Greeks—Last psa lm on Thursday evening .

This is the cursing psa lm ,as it i s ca l led, th e rea l

m eaning of wh ich i s m ade m ore clear by the use of

inverted comm as . St . Augu stine, fol lowed by Cassianand th e Bible heading, would m ak e it a prophecyof Juda s and th e Passion . The question about itsp rim ary m eaning depends u pon whether th e nineteenthverse hurls back th e curse quoted by the writer.

244

th rough fast ing : my flesh isdried up forwant of fatness .24 I became a lso a reproach

unto them : they that lookedupon me shaked thei r heads.

2 5 Help m e, O Lord my

God : 0 save m e accord ing to

thy mercy26 And they sha l l know ,

how

that th is is thy hand : and thatthou, Lord , hast done i t.27 Though they curse, yet

b less thou : and let them be

confounded that r ise up aga instm e but let thy servant rejoice.

28 Let m ine adversaries beclothed w i th sham e : and let

them cover them sel ves w iththei r own confusion, as w i th a

cloke.

29 As for m e,I w i l l g ive

grea t thanks unto the Lord w i thmy mouth : and praise h im

am ong the mul t itude30 For he shal l stand at the

righ t hand of the poor : to

save h is soul from unrighteousjudges.

Evening Prayer] Psalm cix_ [Day 22

The Hebrew,Greek , and Latin vers ions would

begin th i s verse : Thi s i s th e reward , or the workof those who slander m e to the Lord . I t has beenthe them e of m any controversies, notably betweenDr. Thom as Randolph ( 170 1 the president of

Corpus Christi,who m aintained its prophetic character,

and Dr. Durrel l and others who ins isted that it wasim precatory. I t is to be feared that whether fromm isunderstanding, or from too great understanding,this p salm has been the excuse for m uch that i sindefensible. Fu l ler quaintly glances at th e seventeenth -century uses of thi s psalm ,

and at those whoc ited it copiously to j ustify their own deed s and spirit(e.g. Mi lton’ s “ Reform ation in England Lord ,when in my daily serv ice I read Da v id ’s psa lm s

,give

m e to a lter the a ccent of m y sou l according to theirseveral subjects. In such psalm s

,wherein h e confesseth

his sins orrequesteth thy pardon, or praiseth forform er,or prayeth for future favours, in a ll these gi ve m e to

raise m y sou l to as high a pitch as m ay be. Butwhen I com e to such psa lm s wherein h e curseth h isenem ies

,0 there let m e bring down m y sou l to a

lower note. For those words were m ade only to fit

David ’ s m outh . I have the l ik e breath, but not th esam e spirit to pronounce them . Nor let m e flatterm yself that it i s lawful for m e, with David, to cursethine enem ies, lest my deceitful heart entitle al l m ineenem ies to be thine, and so what was rel igion in

David prove m a lice in m e,whilst I act revenge under

pretence of piety.

Verse 17 . In 1 5 5 5 th e Jesuits under Bram a tried toerect a house in Saragossa, and though forbidden byLopez Marcos the vicar-general,

‘

refused to defer th ework . A huge procession headed by th e clergyparaded the town singing th e 109 th Psa lm , the peoplerepeating thi s verse at interval s, with pantom im es ofJesuits dragged to hel l by dem ons

,and a funera l

245

Psalm CX . [Morning PrayerDWZfl

proces sion of Christ’ s im age veiled in black . So th e

settlem ent was ended for a tim e.

Verse 27 . The epitaph u pon Fra Paolo Sarp i (1 5 5 2th e h istorian of the Council of Trent, who

pleaded the cause of Venice before Pau l v . aga instth e Pope’s temporal claim s w ith such learn ing and

success that p lots were la id to assassinate h im . In

1722 his body was re—buried in Venice beh ind thea ltar of Our Lady of Sorrow, w ith the epitaph on

parchm ent .Th e psalm has often been used in form al anathem as,

as in th e second Lateran Counci l 105 9 , under Nicholaswhere under the m ost dreadful im precations h igh

handed provis ion was m ade for the unity of th e

Church,by vesting th e pa pal election in th e h igher

clergy, di sfranchi s ing the lower clergy,barons, and

people. Here Berengarius recanted , and h i s late(and future) tene ts were condem ned and th e doctrineof th e Rea l Presence insi sted upon, though not in thestrongest term s of Transubstantiation.

THE TWENTY-TH IRD DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm ex .

A Psalm ofDav id .

D ix it Dominus.

1 The Lord sa id unto my

Lord : Si t thou on my righ thand

,unt i l I make th ine enem ies

thy footstool .2 The Lord shal l send the

rod of thy power out of Sion :

be thou ruler,even in the m idst

among th ine enem ies .

3 In the day of thy powershal l the people offer thee freew i l l offerings w i th an holyworsh ip : the dew of thy bi rthis of the womb of the morning.

4 The Lord sware, and w i l lnot repent : Thou art a Priest

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Day 23J Psalm cx i. [Morning Praye

Verse 7 . A comm on Ea ster Day text in m ediaeva lserm ons, the brook being th e river of dea th .

Psa lm cx i.

Confitebor t ibi.1 I w i l l give thanks unto th e

Lord w i th my whole heart :secretly among the fa ithful , andin the congregat ion.

2 The works of the Lord aregreat : sough t out of all themtha t have pleasure therein.

3 His work is worthy to be

pra ised , and had in honour and

6 He hath shewed h is peoplethe power of h is works : tha the m ay give them the heri tageof the heathen.

7 The works of h is hands areveri ty and judgment : all h iscommandments are true.

8 They stand fast forever andever and are done in t ruth and

h is righteousness endureth for

ever .4 The m erciful and graciousLord ha th so done h is m ar~

vellous works : that they ough ttobe had in remembrance.

5 He hath g iven meat untothem that fear h im : he sha l lever be m indful of h is covenant .

Liturgica l use.—Ea ster Matin s .

Latins.—Sunday Vespers ; Christm as ; Epiphany ;

Ea ster ; Corpus Christi ; Martyrs ; Ded ication FeastSt . Michael Al l Sa ints .Greeks.

— Saturday Matins .This psa lm i s one of the great Eucharistic psalm s of

th e Western Church . Th e others are Psa lm s ex. ,cxvi .

from verse 10,cxxv iii . and cxlvii .

Verses 4 and 5 . Th e dauntless statesm an and devoutm onk

, St. Dunstan, not least am ong th e m ak ers of

England,d ied with these wor ds on h is lips in 9 89

A .D . When St . Dunstan’

s strong force was withdrawn,248

equi ty .

9 He sent redem pt ion untoh is people he ha th commandedh is covenant for ever ; holy andreverend is h is Name.

10 The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of w isdom a

good understand ing have all

they tha t do thereafter ; the

pra ise of i t endureth for ever .

Morning Prayer] Psalm cx i i . [Day 23

a deluge of m i sery fel l u pon England . Ethelred ’sw eakness and th e Danish inva sion s seem ed for a tim e

to undo al l th e good that had ever been accom pl ishedby h erwiser rulers .Verses 4 and 5 . Them ediaeva l grace afterm eat on fa st

days was Memoriamfecit mirabilium sacrum misericors cl

m iseratorDeus ; escam timenlibus se. Gloria .

Verse 9 . The actua l and appropriate last words ofSt . Peter Nolasco, who died on Christm as Day 1286,hav ing s pent sixty-threeyears ofh is l ife asGeneral of th eOrder of Our Lady ofMercy forth e Redem p tion ofCaptives, an order which had its headquarters in Barcelona ,and bought back th e ca p t iv es m ade by the Moors .Verse 10 . In th e Beaucham p Tower is written thi s

legend, by a nak ed and torn prisoner who was oncean em issary of th e Queen of Scots Principium sap ientia

’

timor Domini. I . H . S . X . P. S . Be frend to one, be

ennemye to none. Anno D . 15 7 1 .

Psalm cxu .

Beams vir.

lendeth : and w i l l guide h iswords w i th d iscret ion.

6 For he sha l l never be

moved and the righteous sha l lbe had in everlast ing remem

brance.

1 B lessed is the man thatfea reth the Lord : he hath grea tdel igh t in h is comm andments.2 His seed sha l l be m ighty

upon earth : the generat ion of

the fa ithful shal l be blessed .

3 R iches ‘ and plenteousnesssha l l he in h is house : and

h is r ighteousness endureth for

ever .4 Unto the godly there ariseth

up light in the da rkness : h e ismerciful , lov ing , and righteous .5 A good man is merciful , and

7 He w i l l not be afra id of

any ev i l t id ings : for h is hear tstandeth fast, and bel ieveth inthe Lord .

8 His heart is establ ished ,and w i l l not sh rink : unt i lhe see h is desi re upon h isenem ies.

249

Day 23] Psalm cxu , [Morning Prayer

9 He hath d ispersed abroad , 10 The ungodly shal l see i t,

and g iven to the poor : and and i t shal l gr ieve h im : he shal lh is r ighteousness rema ineth for gnash w ith h is teeth , and con

ever ; h is horn sha l l be exal ted sum e away ; the des i re of the

w i th honour . ungodly sha l l perish .

Liturgica l use— Introit to the Mass first Sunday afterEaster, Low Sunday (e).Latins — Sunday Ves pers ; Christm as ; Epi phany ;

Easter ; Martyrs ; Dedi cation Feast ; St. Michae l ;A l l Sa ints .Greeks. Saturday;Matins.

Piers Ploughm an tell s u s tha t Sloth know s betterh ow to find a bare in th e furrow than to recite h i s Beatusrir. Th e fifth verse i s h i s antidote to avarice.

Verse 4 . Th e m otto in Lyra Apostolica chosen byJohn Henry Newm an for Lead

,k indly Light .

Verse 6 .

“Th e j ust shall be h ad in everlastingrem em brance .

” Th is was the m otto Dean Stanleychose for his funeral serm on on George Grote, whomhe pra ised as th e m ost im partia l am ong h istori ans .Verse 9 . St . Anno, an eleventh-century Bishop of

Cologne, l ik e m any others before and since, was so

im pressed with th e force of thi s verse that h e gaveaway ev eryth ing he possessed to th e poor, so thatwhen h e died h e left not a halfpenny behind h im . I ti s a verse often u sed on sa ints ’ days

,but to none doe s

it better app ly than to St . Anno .

In th e h istory of Ingulf we learn that in 109 1

Croyland Abbey ap pointed that every day after m eatth e sou l of King Ethelbald their founder shou ld beabsol ved , and in m em ory of King Wich laf th i s versebe repeated by all th e inm ates . Th e sam e verse is afrequent m otto of a lm shou ses

, e.g. at Som ertonKing Edward 111. put th e last words of this verse

on th e English half-florin, Exa ltabilur in gloria, thusreca l ling th e whole verse to m en as they m oved“ through busiest m art .”

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Psalm cx iv . [Evening PrayerDay 23]

1624, four m artyrs were being burned— three m en

and a wom an . They were concealed by th e sm ok e,when out of the m idst of th e fire rose that p sa lmLaudate, paeri, th e watchword , as it were, and ral lyingcry of so m any Ja panese m a rtyrs ; but the singer

’ svoice fa ltered in th e m ed iation of that verse, ‘ ThatHe m ay set h im with princes ,

’

and the last clausewas sung, if sung a t all

,am ong the true ‘ Princes of

th e People,’

in heaven .

Verse 3 . A solis ortu usque ad occasum— the graveyarddia l m otto on the wal l of St . Gerva is, Savoy.

Verse 8 . Th e Jewi sh Rabbins nam e from thi s verse,th e fifth special k ey which God holds in His own hand .

These are th e k eys of ra in,of food

,of th e grave

,of the

heart,and of th e wom b . In Christ ian teaching th e

Church is the barren woman, joyfu l w ith Chri st 'sreturn from th e gra ve, and so depicted from the catacom bs onward .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm cx lv .

In exitu I srael .

1 When Israel came out of

Egypt : and the house of Jacobfrom among the strange people,

2 Judah was h is sanctuary :and Israel h is dom inion.

3 The sea saw tha t , and fledjordan was driven back .

4 The m ounta ins sk ipped l ikeram s : and the l i tt le h i l l s l ikeyoung sheep.

5 What a i leth thee, O thousea, that thou fieddest : and

thou Jordan, that thou wastd riven back ?6 ! e mounta ins, that ye

sk ipped l ike ram s and ye l itt leh i l ls, l ike young sheep.

7 Tremble, thou ear th , a t thepresence of the Lord : at the

presence of the God ofjacob .

8 Who turned the hard rockinto a stand ing water and

the fl int-stone into a spring ingwel l .

2 5 2

Evening Prayer] Psalm cx iv . [Day 23

Liturgica l use.—Easter-day evening .

I.a tins .—Sunday Ves pers Ea ster.

Greeks — Saturday m orning.

This psa lm and the next form one in the Vulgate.

This is in the Paschal Hal lel , and was thereforesung at th e Last Supper.In the reign of Julian th e Apostate

,a certa in young

Christian nam ed Theodotus was rack ed for th e fa ithand defied hi s torrnentors. He chaunted th is psalmthe whole tim e, as if h e felt no pa in. When th e

torture was over h e told his friends that as he was

being rack ed h e beheld a m an in wh ite sprink l ing h imwith water from a ves sel, wh ich eased his torm ents .This is th e psa lm wh ich Dante heard th e soul s

s inging as they were wafted into Purgatory in the

angel s ’ boat (Purg.

I t was the chaunt of trium ph of th e victors a t

BannockburnTh is psa lm was sung on th e field of Cressy (1346) by

order of Edward 111. with the anti phon Non nobis,

Domine, outdoing h is m artial fam e by h i s piety. I twas also used as a thank sgi v ing in th e churches a t

hom e. Wh en Henry v. won th e battle of Agincourt,rem em bering th is, h e ordered the sam e psalm to be

ra ised . Th e whole host fel l on their knees th e

m ud,and even th e wounded joined in the song.

Probably th e Tonus peregrinus was th e chaunt u sed,even then . Thus the psalm comm em orates these two

great victories over th e French . I t is worth re

m em bering that Non nobis, Domine was Henry v.

’

s

own m otto,gi ven h im by hi s father when he wa

rai sed to a share in th e governm ent.St . Francis Xa v ier travelled through th e long

desert of Am anguch i to th e Ja panese city of Meaco,

and found the city in a state of siege. He turnedback aga in into th e dreadful desert, s inging, In exitu.

Th e Duk e of Gandia, when h e joined the early2 5 3

Day 23] Psalm v‘

, [Evening Prayer

Jesu its , left all h is state and h i s great castle of

Gandia , singing the sam e p salm ,adding

,Our bonds

are brok en and we are del i vered !Milton,

at fifteen years of age, turned this psa lminto rhym ed verseI t was a favourite of Sir Walter Scott

,who a lso

versified it .Ev idently the favourite psa lm of Abraham Cow ley,

wh o was placed by h is own age in the very front rankof th e poets of th e world ( 16 18 He rhym ed thi spsalm in hi s Davideis, a ccounting it to be the one

wh ich Dav id sang before Sau l . Th e m etrical versioni s bold and poetica l and whol ly free from the in

genuities to which Cowley was m uch given.

Verse 8 . A comm on m ediaeva l text for St . Peter.

Psalm cxv .

Non nobis, Dom ine.

1 Not unto us, 0 Lord , not 7 They have hands, and

unto us, but unto thy Nam e g ivethe praise forthy lov ing mercy ,and for thy t ruth’s sake.

2 Wherefore shal l the heathensay :

“ Where is now thei rGod ? “

3 As for our God , he is inheaven : h e hath done whatsoever pleased h im .

4 Thei r idol s are s i lver andgold : even the work of m en

’shands.5 They have m ouths, and

speak not : eyes have they , andsee not.

6 They have ears, and hearnot : noses have they, and smel lnot.

handle not feet have they , andwalk not : nei ther speak theyth rough thei r th roat .8 They that make them are

l ike unto them : and so are all

such as put thei r trust in them .

9 But thou, house of Israel ,trust thou in the Lord : he isthei r succour and defence.

1 0 ! e house of Aaron, putyour trust in the Lord : be isthei r helper and defender.1 1 ! e that fear the Lord, put

your t rus t in the Lord : he isthei r hel per and defender.1 2 The Lord hath been m ind

ful of us,and he shal l bless us :

even he shal l bless the house of

2 54

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Psalm cxv i . [Morning PrayerDay 24]

Sincera notes m any such instances, Petrus Balsam us

(3 1 1 A .D .) for exam p le .

Verse 16 . On Ea ster Tuesday 1 5 17 , Dr. Bel lpreached from th i s a spital serm on against foreignersin London, and sa id

,

“ That as birds defend theirnestes so ought Englishm en to m ainta ine them selvesand to hurt and griene alians for respect of theircomm onwealth .

”The result was a seriou s riot : and

Bell was lodged in th e Tower.

THE TWENTY-FOURTH DA!

MORNING PRAYER

Psa lm cxvi .Dilexi, quoniam .

1 I am wel l pleased that theLord hath heard the voice of

my prayerThat he hath incl ined h is

ear unto m e : therefore w i l l Ical l upon h im as long as I l ive.

3 The snares of dea th com

passed m e round about : and

the pains of hel l gat hold uponme.

4 I shal l find trouble and

heav iness , and I w i l l cal l uponthe Name of the Lo rd : 0 Lord ,I beseech thee, del iver my soul .5 G racious is the Lord, and

righteous : yea , our God ismerciful .6 The Lord preserveth the

simple I was inm isery , and hehelped m e.

7 Turn again then unto thy

rest , 0 my sou l : for the Lordhath rewarded thee .

8 And why ? thou hast del ivered my soul from deathm ine eyes from tea rs

,and my

feet from fal l ing.

9 I willwalk before the Lo rdin the land of the l iving.

IO I bel ieved , and therefo rew i l l I speak ; but I was soret roubled : I said in my haste,Al l m en are l ia rs.

1 1 Wha t reward shal l I g iveunto the Lord : for all the

benefi ts tha t he hath done untom e ?

1 2 I w i l l receive the cup of

sa lvat ion : and cal l upon the

Nam e of the Lord .

13 I w i l l pay my vows now

in the presence of all h is people2 5 6

Morning Prayer]

right dear in the sigh t of theLord is the death of h is sa ints.14 Behold , O Lord , how that

I am thy servant : I am thyservant , and the son of th inehandma id ; thou hast brokenmy bonds in sunder.1 5 I w i l l offer to thee the sac

Psalm cxv i . [Day 24

rifice of thanksgiving : and w i l lcal l upon the Name of the Lord .

16 I w i l l pay my vows untothe Lord, in the sight of all h ispeople : in the cour ts of the

Lord’s house, even in the m idstof thee, 0 Jerusalem . Pra isethe Lo rd .

Liturgica l use— Churching of wom en, before the

Mass .Latina— (Div ide thi s after ninth verse) ; Monday

Ves pers ; Apostles and evangel ists ; Martyrs ; Al lSa ints .Greeks —Saturday m orning.

Thi s i s th e first p salm in th e Dirge (aide Ps.

Our Lord and His Apostles sang this before theywent to th e Mount of Olives . I t was in the secondpart of th e Paschal Ha l lel, Psa lm s cxvi . and cxv ii .On l oth May 15 09 , John, Bishop of Rochester,

preached a m ost notable serm on at th e funera l ofHenry V I I . , and “ perused the psa lm e (dilexz

'

) in the

persone of thi s noble m an . By order of the k ing’ sgranddam e it was printed by Wynkyn de Worde .

In 1625—3 1 Wil liam Gouge, th e Black friars m ini ster,Wishing to gi ve God thank s for the abatem ent of theplague, whereof persons h ad died in Londonand the nine suburbs

,wrote a book on thi s p salm

ca lled th e Saint'

s Sacrifice. He added , as add itiona lreasons for pra ise, that Charles 11. was born, the

Huguenots were tolerated, the Dutch Protestants hadt r ium phed, Gustavu s Adolphus had won Leips ic, and

Protestantism was trium phant in Germ any.

Verse 7 . St Chrysostom says it was an old customam ong Chri stians to repeat th is verse over their dead,at funerals .Verse 8 . Th i s i s what the biographer of th e learned

Dr. Thom a s Jack son quaintly call s hi s “cygnean

R 2 5 7

Day 24] Psalm cxv i . [Morning Prayer

caution. He was a friend of Laud , and th e pres identof Corpus Christ i College, Oxford , til l 1640, and d iedso poor that h e left nothing but his papers .Verse 9 . Placebo Domino in regione vivorum was and

i s th e Latin anti phon for th e funera l psa lm s : and

this is why so m any Jesuit s and others rec ited it at

their death sentences during th e Protestant counterpersecutions . Th e last words of the gentle and sa intlyEdward the Confessor, one of th e too few royal saints

,

whose laws were the constant desire of the Engl ish .

The words were addressed to th e Queen :“Weep

not, m y daughter, for I shal l not d ie, but l ive ; andas I lea ve th e land of the dying, I trust to see th eblessing of th e Lord in th e land of the liv ing.

”

Verse 1 1 . I t is significant of the m ediaeval reverencew ith wh ich m en undertook their work

,that when

Richard de Bury finished h i s book Philobiblon (24thJanuary he wrote on the MSS . , Quid retribuam

Domino pro omnibus qua: retribuii nzihi

Verses 1 1 and 12. These are the words the prie stsays to h im self before h e recei ves the sacram ent of

Our Lord ’s Blood .

Verse 12. Calicem salutis d ecip ium . Th is is a usua lm otto for th e Com m union chal ice. I t was engra ved

,

for instance, upon John Pa stou’s gold chal ice of 1464.

Verse 1 3 , second part. The Church ’ s comm entupon m any of her saints . These words were in theAnglo- Saxon Prim e, and our fathers thus faced eachof the days of their l ife w ith them . St . Bernardexhorted the Knights Tem p lars to th e

“

Crusade withthe sam e.

Verses 14—16 . With these words St . Augustineresolved upon the new l ife : and not a few of God ’sgreat servants could inscribe Hie incipit vita nova as a

rubric to these verses .Verse 10 to end . De Thou the younger (son of th e

h i storian and com poser of the Edict of Nantes) recited2 5 8

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Day 24] Psalm cxv i i i .

4 ! ea, let them now tha tfear the Lord confess : tha t h ismercy endureth forever.5 I cal led upon the Lord in

troub le : and the Lord heard m e

at large.

6 The Lord is on my s ide Iw i l l not fear what m an doethunto me.

7 The Lord taketh my par tw ith them tha t hel p m e : therefore shal l I see my des i re uponm ine enem ies.8 I t is better to t rust in the

Lo rd : than to put any confid

ence in man.

9 I t is better to t rust in the

Lord : than to put any confid

ence in princes .10 Al l nat ions compassed

me round about : but in the

Nam e of the Lord w i l l I destroythem .

1 1 They kept me in on everys ide, they kept me in

, I say,

on every s ide : but in the

Name of the Lord w i l l I dest roythem .

12 They came about me l ikebees, and are ext inct even as

the fire among the thorns : forin the Name of the Lord I w i l ldestroy them .

I 3 Thou hast th rust sore at

me, that I m ight fal l : but th eLord was my help.

14 The Lord is my strength ,and my song : and is become

my sal vat ion.

[Morning Prayer

1 5 The voice of joy and

heal th is in the dwel l ings of

the righteous : the right handof the Lord br ingeth m igh tyth ings to pass.

16 The righ t hand of the

Lord hath the pree m inencethe right hand of the Lordbringeth m ighty th ings to pass.1 7 I shal l not die, but l ive

and declare the works of the

Lord .

1 8 The Lord hath chastenedand corrected m e : but he ha thnot given me over unto death .

1 9 Open m e the gates of

righ teousness : tha t I m ay go

into them , and give thanks untothe Lord .

20 Th is is the gate of the

Lord : the righteous shal l enterinto i t.2 1 I w i l l thank thee, for thou

hast heard m e : and art“ become

my salvat ion.

22 The same stone which thebui lders refused : is become the

head-stone in the corner.23 Th is is the Lord’s doing

and i t is marvel lous in our

eyes.24 Th is is the day which the

Lord hath m ade : we w i l lrejo ice and be glad in i t .25 Hel p me now, 0 Lord

0 Lord , send us now prosperity.

26 B lessed be he that comethin the Name of the Lord : we

Morning Prayer] Psalm cxv i i i . [Day 24

have w ished you good luck , ye 28 Thou art my God , and

tha t are of the house of the I w i l l thank thee : thou art

Lord . my God , and I w i l l pra ise27 God is the Lord who hath thee.

shewed us l ight : bind the 29 0 give thanks unto the

sacrifice w i th cords, yea , even Lord , for he is gracious : and h isunto the horns of the a l ta r. mercy endureth forever.Liturgica l use

— Easter-day evening.

Latins— Sunday at Prim e ; Comm endation of the

dying.

Greeks—Saturday m orning.

This psa lm was th e thank sgi v ing or recessiona lhym n after th e Pa ssover , and was therefore sung byChri st and the Apostles at the end of the La stSupper. I t is m ost probably the hymn they sang on

th e way to the Mount of Ol i ves, and our Lord no

doubt precented it by singing the first half-v ersealone.

Th is was Charles v.

’

s favourite psalm,as he told

Marot .Verse 6 . St . Gordiu s sang this v erse under torture,

w ith Psa lm xxiii . and m any other m artyrs with it ontheir lips

,by fa ith stopped th e m outh s of l ions,

quenched th e v iolence of th e fire, and subduedk ingdom s .On St. Ma rt in ’ s journey into I taly, th e Dev il, in

l ikenes s of a fel low- tra vel ler, pointed ou t to h im thath e was bringing upon h im self the enm ity of all the

lords of hel l . The sa int wheeled round upon h im

and put h im to flight with thi s verse.

Thi s verse com forted poor Wil liam Cow per, and

was h is “ fi rst rel igious im pres sion,” when he was

a m uch-bul l ied l ittle boy a t Mark et Street School,

173 7 .

Verse 10 . St . Bernard and H enry Martyn wereeach of them in his sickness troubled by doubts lestGod should not recogni se them am id such a m ultitude

26 1

Day 241 Psalm cxv i i i . [Morning Prayer

of souls com ing up for j udgem ent . The latter washeartened by the words, “ Th e Lord knoweth themthat are His, the form er, “ w ith a far deeper insight

,

”

says Nea le,by this verse.

Verse 12. The war-cry of th e Huguenots at the

Battle of Coutra s, 2oth October 1 5 8 1, when they wontheir first v ictory after twenty-five years ’ fighting.

Love of the psa lm s was traditional am ong these m en,

for, in the reigns of Francis 1. and Henry 11. theywere gagged at the stak e to prevent them singingpsalm s, but the fire often burnt the gags and theychaunted, with charred l ips, thi s and other favourites .It was found safer to cut their tongues out, beforeburning them .

Whitfield m ourned that this was h is im precationupon h is schoolfellows wh o teased h im . He lived at

the Bell Inn then in Gloucester, but h ad not yetbecom e a tapster or an evangel ist .Verse 16. William

,King of Sicily and son-in-law to

ourHenry took for his seal m otto ( 1 17 7) Dextera

Dominifecit virtutem,dextera Domini exattavit me.

Verse 18 .

“ O Lord, m y God ! such need is thereof chastening and correcting with Thy holy Grace,that if it please Thy m ercy that I m ay be rem ovedfrom the turm oi l of th is l ife, I have rem ained longenough with this arm y. Baldwin, the crusad ingArchbishop of Canterbury, was overheard prayingin these words, fifteen days before h e d ied heartbrok en at the coarseness of th e crusading arm y.

Verse 23 . Queen El i z abeth ’ s exclam ation when sh e

heard that Queen Mary was dead, and h er fears wererem oved . She quoted th e coin m otto of the sovereignsof that t im e .

Verse 24. Th is is the old Easter Antiphon, and a lsoa m ed iaeval grace at the sam e season . I t was citedby blessed Will iam Thurk eld when sentence of deathwas passed upon h im

,15 79 .

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Day 241 Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

I saac Casaubon in th e copse at Downham,

“ haveread it aga in and aga in with a rapturous heart .”I t is said to have been

‘ com posed for the useof Jewish cara vans on th e way to the feasts at

Jerusalem ,and th e gradual psalm s wh ich imm ediately

fol low it were for th e a scent to the tem p le. I t i sa beautifu l thought and an a l legory, to picture th e

devout and dusty travellers, when they caught sightof th e Holy City, break ing out into thi s great song.

I t has been used by m any tra vellers to th e Motherof us al l

,

”th e Urbs Sion inctyta , as they too caught

glim pses of the heavenly Jerusalem on theirjourney.

A s ick m an, wh o recited B eati immaculati, and saidOur Father six tim es, was, by the Engl ish canons of

963 A.D.,loosed from one day’ s fa st .

One or two writers have thought th is psalm to be

too lega l in its constant dwelling upon th e idea of

Duty ; but Duty is th e flywheel of th e spiritua lm ach inery. I t does not inspire the noble l ife, itregu lates it ; and the p salm i s for th e use of thosewho have a lready recei ved inspiration from the sightof th e City of God .

Verse 2. In 105 4 when Hildebrand was sent tocompose the sacram ental strife between Lanfranc andBerengarius, he constantly ejaculated this verse as

the true eirenicon.

Verse 5 . Th e m otto of Pope Pius v. (1 5 66 who

was one of th e m ost au stere, hum ble, and ch ildlikem en who ever held that cha ir, but who yet approvedof Alva in th e Netherlands, the Inqu isition ,

and th e

preparations for St. Bart holom ew, and wh o w ished tohead an exped ition aga inst England in person .

Evening Prayer] Psalm cx ix . [Day 24

Beth .

In quo corrigerBet/z , a house, and so th e church .

9 \Vherewithal shal l a youngman cleanse h is way : even byrul ing h im self after thy word.

10 W i th my whole heart haveI sought thee 0 let me not

go wrong out of thy commandments.

1 1 Thy words have I h idw i th in my hear t : tha t I shouldnot sin against thee.

1 2 B lessed art thou, O Lo rdO teach me thy statutes.

13 With my l ips have I beentel l ing of all the judgements ofthy mouth .

14 I have had as great del igh tin the way of thy test imoniesas in all manner of riches.

15 I w i l l ta lk of thy com

mandments : and have respectunto thy ways .

16 My del igh t shal l be in

thy statutes : and I w i l l not

forget thy word .

Liturgic a l use— Introit to Mas s for second Sundayafter Trinity (e).Latins— Daily at Prim e ; Christm as

,Prim e ; Com

m endation of th e dying ; At a child’ s funeral, on th e

way to church .

Greeks — Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; Al lfunerals, clerica l and lay.

Am ong th e people who learnt thi s Psalm cxix. byheart were Wi ll iam Wi lberforce

,the philanthropi st,

who found it of m uch com fort ; Mr. Rusk in, whobegan by think ing it th e m ost repul sive, and endedby th ink ing it th e m ost prec ious, of al l th e p salm sh is m other taught h im ; and Henry Martyn, th e

m iss ionary, wh o translated it, with the rest of th e

Prayer Book , into Hindustani .When Sir Wi ll iam Wallace was hung and drawn at

Sm ithfield , h e desired a priest wh o was standing byto tak e h is Psa lter

,in which h e m uch delighted, and

to hold it before his eyes ; wh ich was done untilhe died under the executioner’s hand . Th e priestwou ld be alm ost sure to o pen it at the Comm endatorypsalm s (23rd August

2 65

Day 24] Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

Th e m ost popular of all the Presbyterians wasThom as Manton (1620 a Wadham m an

,wh o

“ look ed l ik e a person fatted up for the slaughterrather than an apostle, and refused to conform at

the Restoration, though offered a deanery,but yet

laboured for peace. He was so enthu siastic aboutth is psalm that h e wrote 190 serm ons upon it

,wh ich

were publ ished in 168 1 , after his death .

G imel.Retribue servo tuo .

Gimel,a camel or bount iful deal ing.

1 7 0 do wel l unto thy ! 2 1 Thou has t rebuked the

servant : that I m ay l ive, and iproud : and cursed are they thatkeep thy word .

18 Open thou m ine eyes : tha tI m ay see the wond rous th ingsof thy law.

1 9 I am a stranger uponearth : 0 h ide not thy com

m andments from m e.

20 My soul breaketh out for

the very fervent desi re : that i thath alway unto thy judgements.

do errfrom thy commandments.22 0 turn from m e shame and

rebuke : for I have kept thytest imonies.23 Princes a lso d id si t and

speak aga inst me : but thyservant is occupied in thystatutes.24 For thy test imonies are my

del igh t : and my counsel lors .

Liturgica l use— Introit for Ma ss on thi rd Sundayafter Trinity (e).Latins — Daily at Prim e ; Christm as ; Comm enda

tion of th e dying ; Funera l of a child, on th e way to

church .

Greeks — Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ;funeral s .

A l l

Verse 1 7 . St . Luxorius’ verse (vide lxxxvi .Verse 18 . When the Engl ish Prayer Book was fi rst

introduced into Ireland in 1 5 5 0,Henry V I I I . placed

th e introduction in the hands of George Browne,Archbishop of Dublin, wh o brought in th e change with

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Day 241 Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer'

Liturgica l use—Introit forthe Mass on fourth Sunday

after Trin ity (e).Latins —Daily at Prim e Christma s Comm enda

tion of th e dying ; Funera l of a chi ld, on th e way to

church .

Greeks — Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns A llfuneral s .When Theodosius th e em peror h ad , in violation of

h is prom ise, m assacred 7000 of th e rebel l ious peop leof Thes salonica, St . Am brose refused to adm it h im to

the Holy Comm union at Milan. For eight m onths herem a ined excomm unicate . At Chri stm as (390 A .n.) hecam e w ithout h is royal robes and lay prostrate on the

church floor, pluck ing out h is hair and shedding tears,and repeating Adluesit pavimento. St. Am brose gaveh im Absolution

,but not before h e had prom ised that

a ll m ilitary executions should henceforth be delayedforth irty days

,lest they m ight be done out of haste and

tyranny. Th e whole psalm was a great favourite w ithSt. Am brose, who said of it that Dav id shone here inh is noonday l ight, w ithout th e im perfections of sunriseor abatem ent of sunset .Ad/zcesit pavimento anima mea : with this “ spiritual

javelin S t . Hugh of Lincoln overcam e a fiercetem pta tion of th e flesh .

Verse 25 .

“Word here u sed and in verses 9 , 16,25 , 4g, 43 , 49 , 65 , 74, 89 , 10 1, 105 , 107 , 130, 139 , and

140 i s in the Hebrew, the root of the nam e Deborah .

I t m eans first to put things in a row , so to put in order,so to rule

,to utter, to rea son and finally to prophesy,

each m ean ing growing out of the last. So God’ sWord m eant His Ru le, Revelation, Reason, and

Wi sd om . If this i s rem em bered it wil l be seen thatth is psalm conta ins a doctrine of the Logos or Word ,m ore nearly ak in to that of S t . John than of Ph i lo .

This in itself accounts form uch of th e popularity of

the psa lm with th e sa ints

Morning Prayer] Psalm CXIX. [Day 25

THE TWENTY-FIFTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Legem pone.

He, a latt ice orw indow .

33 Teach me, O Lord,the

way of thy statutes : and I shal lkeep i t unto the end .

34 G ive m e understand ing,and I shal l keep thy law : yea,

I shal l keep i t w i th my wholeheart .35 Makeme to go in the path

of thy commandments : for

therein is my desi re.

36 Incl ine my hear t unto thytest imonies : and not to covetousness.

Liturgica l use— Introit forMass of fifth Sunday after

Trinity (e).Latins — Da ily at Tierce (9 o

’clock ) ; Funeral of a

ch ild,on th e way to church .

Greeks — Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; Al lfunera ls .St . Augustine had so great a reverence for Psalm

cxix.,that h e hesitated to comm ent on it

,because of

its m arvel lous dep th and apparent utter sim plicity.

Our Prayer Book version of the Psa lm s has beenm ost carefully refined . Tyndale

’

s rough version passedthrough Cramm er’ s m ore del icate hands in 1 5 40

,and

was finally m oulded by Edm und Guest, to whomArchbishop Park er entrusted th e work . He was a

York shire m an by birth , educated at Eton and King’ s,

269

37 0 turn away m ine eyes,lest they behold vani ty : and

quicken thou m e in thy way.

38 O stabl ish thy word in

thy servant : that I may fearthee.

39 Take away the rebuke thatI am afraid of : for thy judge.

m ents are good .

40 Behold , my del ight is inthy commandm ents O qu ickenme in thy r ighteousness.

Psalm cx ix . [Morning PrayerDay 25 ]

Cam bridge. He was a firm bel iever in the RealPresence of Christ in the Sacram ent, and a m ost devoutm an . After being El izabeth ’ s ch ief alm oner and

Bishop of Rochester, he was tran slated to Sal isbury,where h e lies buried , and h is brass is in the north-ea s ttransept . His singing version is so m us ical and

m em orable,that th e au thorised version has failed to

oust it .Edward Hawk ins

, th e m an who drew up the con

d emnation of “ Tract the great Provost of Oriel ,who d ied at ninety-three years of age for the

last eight years of h is long l ife retired from Oxford toRochester and m ade the Psalm s his constant m anua lof devotion. When unable to read, h e would stil lrepea t the alternate verses when these were read toh im— their m em ory stil l surv iving when other learning was forgotten .

Erveniat super me.

Vau , a tent -peg orhook .

41 Let thy loving m ercy come 45 And I w i l l wal k at

al so unto me, O Lord even thysal vat ion, according unto thyword .

42 So shal l I make answerunto my blasphemers : for myt rust is in thy word .

43 0 take not the word of

thy t ru th utterly out of my

mouth : for my hope is in thyjudgements.44 So sha l l I alway keep thy

law yea, for ever and ever .

Liturgical use— IntroitSunday after Trinity (e).

l iberty : for I seek thy com

mandments.

46 I w i l l speak of thy test imonies a lso, even before k ingsand w i l l not be ashamed .

47 And my del ight shal l be inthy commandments : wh ich Ihave loved.

48 My hands al so w i l l I l iftup unto thy commandm ents,wh ich I have loved : and mystudy shal l be in thy statutes.

for the Mass on sixth

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Day 25] Psalm cx ix . [Morning Preiyer

5 3 I am horribly afra id : for 55 I have thought upon thythe ungodly that forsake thy Name, 0 Lord, in the nigh tlaw. season : and have kept thy law.

54 Thy' sta tutes have been 56 Th is I had : because Imy songs : in the house of my kept thy comm andm ents .p i lgrimage.

Liturgica l use—Introit to the Mas s on seventhSunday after Trinity.

Latins — Da ily at Tierce ; Funeral of a child , on theway to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Da ily nocturns ; Al lfunerals .Verse 5 4 . From th is verse the term “

pilgrim age,used for “ l ife,

”has passed into comm on l ife. Othello

,

for instance, “all h is pilgrim age ” d ilates ; Ra leigh

’ spoem ,

cal led “ His Pilgrim age, and Bunyan’ sPilgrim

’

s Progress itself, refer u ltim ately to th is,

and to the use which St . Peter m ad e of it (1 Pet .

11. 1 1

It is som etim es thought fit to com pare Babylonianor Eastern book s with the Hebrew . Professor Cheynepoints out that it i s th e germ s of the higher religiouspoetry that we find in th e Babylonian and not m ore .

He quotes from Max Muller : “ I t i s because the Vedaplaces before u s a language m ore prim itive than anywe knew before ; it is because its poetry is what youcal l savage, uncouth, stupid , horrible ; it i s for thatvery rea son that it was worth wh ile to dig and d ig til lth e old buried c ity was d iscovered, showing u s whatm an was, what we were, before we had reached thelevel of Da vid

,of Hom er

,of Zoroaster.

Morning Prayer] Psalm cx ix . [Day 25

Cheth .

Portio mea , Dom ine.

C/zet/t , a sheep-hurdle orfence, myst ical ly, l ife orawe.

57 Thou art my port ion, 0Lord : I have prom ised to keepthy law.

58 I made my humble peti t ionin thy presence w i th my wholeheart : 0 be m erciful unto me,

accord ing to thy word.

59 I cal led m ine own ways toremembrance : and turned my

feet unto thy tes timonies.60 I made haste

,and pro

longed not the t ime : to keepthy comm andments.

6 1 The congregations of the

ungodly have robbed me : but Ihave not forgotten thy law.

62 At m idnight I w i l l rise tog ive thanks unto thee : becauseof thy righteous judgements.63 I am a com panion of all

them that fear thee : and keepthy commandments.64 The ear th , 0 Lord, is ful l

of thy mercy : O teach me thystatutes.

Liturgica l use— Introit for the Mass on eighthSunday after Trinity .

Latins — Daily at Tierceway to church .

Funera l of a chi ld, on the

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Da ily nocturns ; A l lfunerals .Verse 5 7 . Guy, St . Bernard

’s eldest brother,was

tak ing farewel l of his father at Fontaines, to becom e a

m onk , and sa id to his youngest brother, ! ou wil l havea ll th e land and good s .” Nivard

’

s answer was : Wil lyou tak e heaven for your portion and lea ve m e onlyearth ? Th e d i v ision i s unj ust. He a lso becom e a

m onk . Indeed, this v erse seized th e im agination of

those who h ad “ renounced all”for th e m ore perfect

fol lowing of Christ,as they accounted th e m onastic

life . St . Ev rou lt, for instance, al luded to in the noteon Psalm xxxi v . ,

encouraged hi s brethren with thesewords to brave the dangers of the forest of Ouche,and found their outpost in th e warfare aga inst northernpaganism . I t has been raised as a cry again and again

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Day 25] Psalm Cx ix . [Morning Prayer

on behalf of spiritual religion, against that worldlysp irit wh ich would look for outward rewards for

inv isible righteousness . Fathers l ike St . Am brosecoincide here w ith the least ecclesiastica l prophets .Although these notes do not deal prim ari ly with

hom iletics, it is im possible not to note how m any greatsermons by great preachers ha ve been del i vered uponthis part of th e psa lm . Bossuet, Til lotson , Lardner,Bishop Hurd (Dr. Warburton

’

s biographer), Dr.

Rogers, Archbishop Sharp, Charles Sim eon, Dr. Pusey,

Bishop s Barrow, Weston, Hobart, Sherlock , Hall, and

m any m ore, have publ ished serm ons on these few verses .If we include the whole psalm we shou ld have to

notice am ong m odern Engl ish writers : ArchbishopsLeighton, Seek er, Trench ; Bishop s Goodwin,

Horne,Kaye

,Mant, Medley, Sanderson at least fifty doctors,

am ongst whom wou ld be Thom as Arnold,Sam uel

Johnson, Paley, Jortin, Chalm ers ; and wel l-knownm en, such as Richard Baxter, Calam y, Keble, Manning

,

Maurice and Henry Melvill, and so on.

Verse 5 9 . Pasca l, who declared that th e wholepsalm summ ed up th e Christian virtues, said that thisverse gives th e turning-point to a m an

’ s character andcareer.Verse 62. Th is is th e orig in of th e m idnight hour

being k ept with prayer and praise. I t is in all them idnight offices of both Ea st and West . Th e Benedietine rule, which was next ancient in England to

the Saxon (aide ver. and was the founda tion o f

all others, div ided th e hours thus : ( 1) Cock -crow or

Nocturns at 2 a .m when Christ rose ; (2) Matins at

6 a .m .,when the Jew s offered the m orning sacrifices,

and the wom en heard from angel s that Chri st wasrisen ; (3 ) Tierce at 9 a .m .

,when Christ was con

demmed and scourged ; (4) Seat at noon,when our

Lord was crucified and the sun darkened ; (5 ) None

at 3 p.m . ,when He gave up th e ghost ; (6) Vesp ers,

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Day’

25] Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

fam ine of the words of the Lord,in order to acquire

worldly riches . Neale and Littledale.

EVEN ING PRAYERJod .

Manus tuze fecerunt me.

fad, jot, the hand hel d down.

73 Thy hands have made m e

and fash ioned me : 0 g ive m e

understand ing, that I may learnthy commandments .74 They that fear thee w i l l be

glad when they see m e becauseI have put my trust in thy word .

75 I know , 0 Lord , that thyjudgements are right : and thatthou of very fai thfulness hastcaused m e to be t roub led.76 0 let thy merciful k indness

be my comfor t accord ing to

thy word unto thy servant .

77 0 let thy loving merciescome unto m e, that I may l ivefor thy law is my del ight.78 Let the proud be con

founded,for they go w ickedly

about to destroy me but I w i l lbe occup ied in thy commandments .79 Let such as fear thee, and

have known thy test imonies be

turned unto m e.

80 0 let my heart be soundin thy statutes : that I be not

ashamed.

Liturgica l use. Introit for tenth Sunday afterTrinityLatins—Daily at Tierce

way to church .

Funera l of a child, on the

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; A llfuneral s .Verse 7 3 . A poor African m artyr nam ed Arcad ius

(260) who had fled to Caesarea and refused to sacrifice,was ordered to be dism em bered . As h is fingers werebeing cut off joint by joint, he held hi s hands boldlyout and prayed , “ Thy hands hav e m ade m e and

fashioned m e : O gi ve m e understanding, that I m aylearn thy comm andm ents .”Verse 7 8 . Confuudantursuperbi. When Charlem agne

was hearing Mass,an outland m onk cam e in who had

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Evening Prayer] Psalm CXlX. [Day 25

not yet learnt to sing. The choi r-m aster,seeing h im

silent, sm ote h im with a staff and bade h im join in

th e praises of God , which he d id , out of tune, screwingh is neck about very queerly, unti l th e others laugheda loud . The em peror in a loud voice stop ped th eMa ss

,sent for the strange m onk

, and thanked h imfor the pa ins h e had tak en to sing

,and gave h im

thi s verse and m oney for his m elody.

Caph .

Defecit anima mea.

Cap/z , the hol low hand .

8 1 My soul hath longed forthy salvat ion : and I have a

good hope because of thyword .

82 Mine eyes long sore for

thy word : say ing, 0 when w i l tthou comfort me ?83 For I am become l ike a

bo tt le in the smoke : yet do Inot forget thy statutes.84 How many are the days of

thy servant : when w i l t thou beavenged of them that persecutem e ?

85 The proud have d iggedp i ts form e wh ich are not afterthy law.

86 A l l thy commandmentsare t rue : they persecute m e

fal sely 0 be thou my help.

87 They had almost m ade an

end of me upon earth : but Iforsook not thy commandm ents.88 O quicken me after thy

lov ing-k indness : and so shal lI keep the test imonies of thymouth .

Liturgica l use— Introit for the Ma ss on eleventh

Sunday after Trinity (e).Latins—Daily at Sext ; Funera l of a child, on the

way to church.

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Dai ly nocturns ; Allfunerals .Dr. Johnson thus defended the prose version of the

Psalter against th e fashionable m etrical translatorsOf sentim ents purely religious, it wil l be found thatthe m ost sim p le expression is the m ost subl im e.

Poetry loses its lustre and its power because it is2 7 7

Day 2 5] Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

applied to som eth ing m ore excellent than itself. Al lthat p ious verse can do i s to help the m em ory and

delight the ear, and for these purposes it m ay be veryuseful

,but it supplies noth ing to th e m ind . The

ideas of Christian theology are too s im ple for

eloquence and too m ajestic for ornam ent ; to re

comm end them by tropes and figures i s to m agnifyby a concave m i rror the sidereal hem isphere.

Lamed .In aeternum , Dom ine.

Lamea’

, an ox goad .

89 O Lord , thy word eu

dureth forever in heaven.

90 Thy t ruth also rema inethfrom one generat ion to anotherthou hast laid the foundat ion of

the earth,and i t abideth .

9 1 They cont inue th is dayaccord ing to th ine ord inance :forall th ings serve thee.

9 2 Ifmy del ight had not beenin thy law I should haveperished in my troub le.

9 3 I w i l l never forget thycommandments : for w i th themthou hast quickened me.

94 I am th ine, O save m e

for I have sought thy commandm ents.9 5 The ungod ly laid wa i t for

m e to destroy m e : but I w i l lcons ider thy test imonies.9 6 I see that al l th ings com e

to an end : but thy commandment is exceeding broad .

Liturgica l use— Introit for twelfth Sunday afterTrinity (e).Latins—Daily at Sext ; Funera l of a child

, on theway to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; Al lfunera ls .Verse 92. The verse Luther selected as h is m otto

for h is own Bible,wh ich i s now in th e m u seum at

Berl in. He wrote to th e Abbot of Nurem berg thusabout the whole psalm :

“ I have m ore especia llya ttached m yself to th is psalm ,

and have in tru th a

sort of right to cal l it m y own . It has deserved wel lof m e : it has saved m e from m any a difficulty whence

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Day 26] Psalm cx ix . [Morning Prayer

Henry Martyn, th e Indian m issionary. He was a

Cornishm an, born a t Truro, and becam e Fel low and

Tutor at S t . John ’s Col lege, Cam bridge. The influ

ence of Charles Sim eon sent h im out to India, whereh e translated the Psalter and the New Testam ent intoHindustani and Persian, bu t d ied shortly afterwards(178 1- 18 12)Verse 9 7 . Th e m otto of Sir Richard Bak er ( 15 68

The author ofBaker’

s Chroniclewas a tal l com elyperson of a good d ispos ition and excel lent di scourse,th e fri end of Sir Henry Wotton. He was kn ightedby Jam es I . and esteem ed a com p leat and learnedperson, and becam e High Sheriff of Oxford sh ire ; buthe fell into debt for suretysh ip, and for th e last tenyears of h is l ife was a prisoner in the Fleet

,where h e

was forced to fly for shelter to h is stud ies and

devotions . He wrote, in gaol, a m editation on th e

Lord ’s Prayer with this title to it, and comm entedupon th e penitential and consolatoric psalm s. Thelatter were in his eyes xxiii . , xxvn., xxx. , xxxiv. ,

lxxxiv. , ciii . , and cxvi .Verse 103 is David ’ s scrol l-m otto in the title-page

of Coverdale’

s Bible O hovv swete are thyvvordes vu to m y throte : yea m ore then hony, etc .

This Bible was the precursor of m any English Bibles .

THE TWENTY-S IXTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Lucerna ped ibus meis.

Nun, a fish .

10 5 Thy word is a lantern 106 I have sworn, and am

unto my feet : and a l ight unto stedfastly purposed : to keepmy paths. thy righteous judgements.

Morning Prayer]

10 7 I am

m easure : quicken me, O Lord ,accord ing to thy word .

108 Let the free-w i l l offeringsof my month please thee, OLord : and teach me thy judge~

ments .10 9 My soul is alway in my

hand : yet do I not forget thy

Psalm cx ix .

t roubled above l

[Day 26

1 10 The ungodly have la id a

snare forme but yet I swervednot from thy comm andments.1 1 1 Thy test imonies have Iclaimed as m ine heri tage for

ever : and why ? they are the

very joy ofmy heart.1 12 I have appl ied my heart

to fulfi l thy statutes alway evenlaw. unto the end .

Liturgica l use— Introit to the Mass on fourteenthSunday after Trinity (e).Latina—Daily at Sext ; Funeral of a child

,on the

way to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; A llfunera l s .Verse 105 . The coin m otto for the half- sovereigns

of Edward V I . is Lucem a pedibus meis verbum Tuum .

Thi s represented not only the new-found del ight inthe use of the Bible in the Engli sh Church , but alsoth e hope that the nation h ad passed its troubles, andwould be quick ened according to Thy word .

Verse 109 . Som etim es used in serm ons againstsuicide, of which there are now too few .

Samech.

Iniquos od io hahni.

Sa l/zec/z, a prop or stay.

1 13 I hate them that imagineev i l th ings : but thy law do Ilove.

1 14 Thou art my defence andsh ield : and my t rust is in thyword .

1 15 Away from me, yewicked :

I w i l l keep the commandmentsof my God .

1 16 O stabl ish me accord ingto thy word , that I may l iveand let m e not be d isappointedofmy hope.

1 1 7 Hold thou me up , and I

Day 26] Psalm cx ix . [Morning Pray er

sha l l be safe : yea, my del ight the ungodly of the ear th l ikesha l l be ever in thy statutes. d ross : therefore I love thy

1 18 Thou hast trodden down test imonies .all them that depar t from thy 1 20 My flesh trembleth forfearsta tutes : for they im ag ine but of thee : and I am afra id of thydecei t . judgements.

1 19 Thou puttest away all

Liturgica l us e— Introit to th e Mass on fifteenthSunday after Trinity (e).Latins—Da ily at Sext ; Funera l of a ch ild, on the

way to church .

Greeks.—Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; Al l

funera ls .Verse 1 1 5 . St . Gregory th e Great used always to

repeat th is verse when h e withdrew from the roarand turmoi l of act ive l ife into h is study for the

com pany of the holy writers of th e Scri ptures .Verse 1 16.

“ Receive m e according to Thy lov ingk indness, and let m e not be disappointed of m y hope.

”

These were th e la st words of St . Eligius, the Bishopof Noyou, Verm ondes

,and Tournay

,who d ied on 3oth

Novem ber 65 9 A .D . His nam e i s known to Engli shfolk ch iefly because of Chaucer’s Nonne Prioresse,whose heav iest oath was but, by Saint Eloy .

”

Feci judicium .

A z’

u , the eye.

12 1 I deal w i th the th ing tha t 1 23 Mineeyesarewasted awayis lawful and right 0 give m e w ith look ing forthy heal th and

not over unto m ine oppressors. forthe word of thy righteousness.1 22 Make thou thy servant to 1 24 0 deal w i th thy servant

del ight in that wh ich is good : accord ing unto thy lov ing m ercythat the proud do m e no w rong . and teach me thy statutes.

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Day 26]

1 3 1 I opened my mouth , andd rew in my breath : for my del ight was ih thy commandments.

1 32 0 look thou upon me,

and be merciful unto me : as

thou usest to do unto those thatlove thy Name.

1 33 O rder my steps in thyword : and so shal l no w ickedness have dom inion over me.

Psalm cx ix . [Morning Prayer

134 O del iver me from the

w rongful dea l ings of men : and

so shal l I keep thy commandm ents.

135 Shew the l ight of thycountenance upon thy servantand teach m e thy sta tutes.

136 Mine eyes gush out wi thwater : because men keep not

thy law.

Liturgica l use— Introit to the Mass on seventeenthSunday after Trinity (e).La tins —Daily at Nones (3 o

’clock Thefun eral of a ch ild, on the way to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Dai ly nocturns ; Al lfunerals .In 1632 George Wither p ublished a double m etrica l

version of th e Psalm s, encouraged by the late k ing,and dedicated w ith zea lou s loya lty to Elizabeth

,

Queen of Bohem ia . He closes his preface thus : “ If

I ha ve pleased m y Readers I am glad : if not ; ! et Iam glad I have honestly endea voured it . And (beinga ssured m y labour shal l not all be lost) I w il l s ingand be Merry by m yselfe, in the use of this Translation

,until l others please to sing it with m ee ; or until l

a m ore exa ct Version shall be produced and allowed .

He added to each psalm a pious m editation of hisown. This is h is comm ent on Mirabilia ° “ SweetJesus, though we desire to seem e w ise ; wee are verysimple in th e best knowledge Oh encrease our understandings . Though wee profes se great Affection to

thee and thy Lawe yet wee soone deny (yea forswear)both, if we are in danger to partake thy sutfrings.

O look u pon us therefor, with such an a spect,as

thou d idst cast on thy Apostle St . Peter, that weeping bitterly forour Sinns and unk indnesses, as he d idwe m ay obtaine th e sam e forgi veness . Am en.

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Morning Prayer] Psalm cx ix . [Day 26

Tz add i.

justus es, Dom ine.

Tzaa’dz

’

,a hook or sickle a word very l ike th is

,Tz edek ,

m eans r ighteous.

137 Righ teous art thou, OLo rd : and t rue is thy judgement.138 The testim onies that thou

hast commanded : are exceeding r ighteous and t rue.

139 My z eal hath even con

sumed m e because m ineenem ies have forgotten thywords.140 Thy word is tried to the

uttermost : and thy servantloveth i t .141 I am sm al l , and of no

Liturgica l uses.— Introit to th e Ma ss on seventeenth

Sunday after Trinity (e) ; Antiphon to Canticle on

King Charles’ day.

Latina—Daily at Nones ; Funera l of a child, on theway to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Da ily nocturns ; Al lfunerals .Justus es Domine et rectum judicium tuum was the

frequent m editation of St . Augustine and hi s friend sduring the great s iege of Hippo, during which hed ied : having l i ved to see the c ities of hi s dioceseov erwhelm ed in ruin with thei r builders, the in

habitants either fled,dead, or scattered , th e churches

without p riest or m ini ster, the m onk s and nuns a ll

d ispersed ; of th e people som e k il led with tortures ,som e slain by the sword, and som e capti ves, brok en inm ind , body, and fa ith, serving the enem y in evil and

285

reputa t ion : yet do I not forgetthy commandments.142 Thy righteousness is an

everlast ing righ teousness : and

thy law is the t ruth .

143 Troub le and heav inesshave taken hold upon me : yet

is my del igh t in thy commandments144 The righteousness of thy

test imonies is ever last ing : 0

grant me understand ing, and Ishal l l ive.

Day 26] Psalm cxix . [Evening Prayer ‘

harsh fashion . Of the m any thousand churches onlythree rem ained standing.

Verse 13 7 . The Emperor Maurice, whose five sonswere fi rst slain before his face, died with these wordson his l ips (602Verse 140 . Ignitum etoquium tuum vekemeuter. Scri p

ture itself “ is lik e an apothecary’ s shop, whereinare all rem edies for all infirm ities of m ind ,purgati ves

,cordia ls, al teratives, corroboratives, leni

tives, etc .

‘ Every d isease of th e soul,

’ saith Austin,‘ hath a pecu liar m edicine in Scripture : th is onlyis required, that the s ick m an take th e potionwh ich God hath a lready tem pered.

’ Gregory cal lsit a glass wherein we m ay see a ll our infirm ities,ignitum colloquium ; Origen,

a charm . And thereforeHierom prescribes Rusticus the m onk continually to

read th e Scripture and to m edita te on that wh ich h ehath read : ‘ for as m ast ication i s to m eat, so ism edita tion on that which we read (Burton).

EVEN ING PRAYER

Clamavi in toto corde meo.

K ap/z, the socket of an axe.

145 I cal l with my wholehea r t : hear m e, O Lord , I w i l lkeep thy statutes.146 ! ea , even unto thee do Ical l : help me

,and I shal l keep

thy test imonies.147 Early in the m orning do

I cry unto thee : for in thyword is my trust .148 Mine eyes prevent the

2

night-watches : that I m ight beoccup ied in thy words.149 Hear my voice, 0 Lord ,

accord ing unto thy lov ing-k indness quicken m e

,accord ing as

thou art wont .150 They d raw nigh that of

mal ice persecute me : and are

far from thy law.

1 5 1 Be thou nigh at hand ,86

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Day 26] Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

Resh .

Vide hum ilitatem .

Res/i , the head .

153 O consider m ine adversi ty ,and del iver me : for I do not

forget thy law.

1 54 Avenge thou my cause,and del iver m e : quicken m e,

accord ing to thy word .

1 55 Heal th is far from the

ungodly : for they regard not

thy statutes.1 56 G reat is thy m ercy , O

Lo rd : quicken m e,as thou art

wont .1 5 7 Many there are that

trouble me, and persecute me

yet do I not swerve from thytest imonies.1 58 I t grieveth me when I

see the trangressors : becausethey keep not thy law.

1 59 Cons ider, O Lo rd, howI love thy commandments : Oquicken m e, accord ing to thylov ing -k indness.160 Thy word is true from

ever last ing : all the judgementsof thy righteousness endure forevermore.

Liturgica l use— Introit forthe Mass on the twentieth

Sunday after Trinity (e).Latins — Daily at Nones Funeral of a ch ild

, on the

way to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Da ily nocturns ; Al lfunerals .

“ In the inner sanctuary,writing of th e Mosaic system ,

says Mr. Gladstone,provided for the m ost

ca pable hum an soul s,was reared the strong spiritua l

l ife, which appears to have developed itself pre

em inently in th e depth, richnes s, tenderness, and

com prehensi veness of th e Psalm s . To th e work theyhave here a ccom p l ished there i s no paral lel on earth .

Verse 160. Thi s was a stronghold of ortho doxpeople aga inst the Arians . “ Thy Word ,

”of course,

was used as m eaning Christ, and rightly to understandth e l iturgica l use of th is psalm one m ust bear thi scons tantly in m ind .

Evening Prayer] Psalm] cx ix . [Day 26

Sch in.

Principes persecuti sunt .scam,

a tooth,from root to sharpen.

16 1 Pr inces have persecutedme w i thout a cause : but myheart standeth in awe of thyword .

162 I am as glad of thyword as one that findeth greatspo i ls.

163 As for l ies , I hate and

abhor them : but thy law do Ilove.

164 Seven t imes a day do

I pra ise thee because of thyrighteous judgements.

Liturgica l use— Introit to the Mass on twenty-firstSunday after Trin ity (e).Latins—Daily at Nones Funera l of a ch ild

,on the

way to church .

Greeks— Saturday m orning ; Daily nocturns ; Al lfunera ls .Verse 164 . Th is verse gave the seven-fold div ision

of the day into the canonica l hours . The seven giftsof the Holy Ghost were im plored, one at each of

these hours, and the choice i s beautiful and appropriate. At 6 a .m . , when Prim e is said , we

'

should

im plore the Spirit of Wisdom ,as we enter upon the

k ingshi p of another day. At 9 a .m . , when Tierce(Undern, th e English ca lled it) is said, as the lightgrows, we ask for Understanding. At noon

,when

Sext is said, and m en m eet for dinner,we ask for

Counsel . At 3 o’clock , when Christ died, and the

day decl ines and m en begin to tire, Nones is due,and we ask for Strength . At 6 p .m . the day is fullold , Com pl ine com es, and we ask for Knowledge .

T 289

165 G reat is the peace thatthey have who love thy law

and they are not offended at i t .166 Lord, I have looked for

thy sav ing heal th : and doneafter thy commandments.167 My soul hath kept thy

test imonies : and loved themexceed ingly.168 I have kept thy com

mandments and test imonies :

for al l my ways are beforethee.

Day 26] Psalm cx ix . [Evening Prayer

At 9 p .m . IS the Evensong, and we ask for the Pietywh ich beautifies old age. At m idnight i s Nigh tsong,and all evil things are abroad . Then we ask for

Holy Fear (see ver. Th e Rom a n hours are

Matins (Lauds), Prim e, Tierce, Sext, Nones, Vespers,and Com p l ine .

Verse 165 . Thi scathedral at Padua .

is th e sundial m otto of th e

Appropinquet deprecatio.

Tcm, a cross orcattle brand .

169 Let my complaint come

before thee, O Lo rd : g ive m e

understand ing, accord ing to thyword .

170 Let my suppl icat ion comebefore thee del iver m e, accordto thy word .

1 7 1 My l ips shal l speak of thypraise : when thou hast taughtme thy sta tutes.172 ! ea ,

my tongue shal ls ing of thy word : for al l thycommandments are righteous.

1 73 Let th ine hand help me

for I have chosen thy comm andments.1 74 I have longed for thy

sav ing heal th , 0 Lord : and in

thy law is my del ight .175 0 let my soul l ive, and i t

shal l pra ise thee and thy judgem ents shal l help m e.

176 I have gone astray l ike a

sheep that is lost : 0 seek thyservant , for I do not forget thycommandments.

Liturgical use— Introit for the Mass for the twenty

second Sunday after Trinity (e).Latins —Daily at Nones

way to church .

Funera l of a ch i ld, on the

Greeks—Saturday m orning ; Dai ly nocturns ; A l lfun erals .A famous book in its day was Wil liam Cowp er’s

Holy Alphabet for Sion’

s Scholars,

a dissertationupon this psa lm . The author was Bishop of Gal loway, and in 16 13 ded icated hi s book to Dav id (Murray),Lord Scone. He contend s, with St. Am brose, that

2 90

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Day 27] Psalm cxx i . [Morning Prayer

degrees (Pss. cxx .—cxxxi v .) were for the ascent up to

th e Tem ple, from th e va l leys to the summ it . The

Temple was said in th e Middle Ages to have h ad

fifteen step s u p to it, as one m ay see in Titian’ sPresentation of th e Virgin Mary, for instance, and

these fifteen or gradua l psalm s were a preparation for

Sacrifice. They are said by th e Latins in Lent on

Wednesdays, w ith th e antiphon Requiem azternam,etc .

—Grant them rest, O Lord, and l ighten them witheverlasting light. The first five are said withoutGloria.

Verse Isaac Walton uses th is of Joan Churchm an

(Mrs. Richard Hook er), who was lik e Solomon’s drip

ping house, and caused h er husband to say with th eholy Prophet, “Woe is m e, that I am constrained toha v e m y habitation in the tents of Kedar.

”

This verse was quoted by blessed John Kirkm an,

wh o was hung at Tyburn for saying Rom an Mass,and

refusing the oath of suprem acy,1 5 9 7 .

Verse 5 . Multum incolafuit anima mea—a verse oftenin th e m outh of Lord Bacon (1 5 61 e.g. in th e

Es say of “ Nature and Man”

; th e letter to Bodley,etc .

Psalm cxx i.Levav i oculos.

A Song of degrees.

1 I w i l l l ift up m ine eyes untothe h i l ls : from whence comethmy help.

2 My help cometh even fromtheLord who hath made heavenand ear th .

3 He w i l l not suffer thy foo tto be moved : and he thatkeepeth thee w i l l not sleep.

4 Behold, he that keepethIsrael : shal l nei ther slumbernor sleep .

5 The Lord h im self is thykeeper : the Lord is thy defenceupon thy right hand.

6 So that the sun shal l notburn thee by day : nei ther themoon by night.

2 9 2

Morning Prayer] Psalm cxx i . [Day 27

7 The Lord shal l preserve 8 The Lord shal l preservethee from all ev il : yea , it

.

is thy going out , and thy com ingeven he that shal l keep thy in : from th is t ime forth foreversoul . more.

Liturgical use— Introit for the Mass on the Sunday

after Christm a s Day (e).Latins—Monday Ves pers .Greeks— Friday even ing ; Da ily nocturns .This second gradua l p salm has been cal led the

Tra veller’s psalm ; and Hooper,the Puritan Bi shop of

Gloucester,was accustom ed, l ike m any others

, to use

it when h e set out upon a journey. Li v ingstone readit to h is fam i ly before h e left forAfrica .

Henry Vaughan, the Silurist, loved this psa lm ,and

m ed i tated upon it in Sitar Scintillaus :

Up to those brigh t and gladsome h i l ls,\Vhence flowes my wea l and m i rth ,

I look and sigh for Him ,who fil l s

Unseen both heaven and earth .

”

It was Nel son’s favourite p salm (17 5 8Miss Rossetti ’s m edita tion in our m ore subj ective

tim e upon th e sam e begin s

I am pale w i th sick des i re,For my hea rt is far awayFrom th is wor ld’s fitful fire,And th is world ’s waning day.

One of Dr.W'

a tts ’ best hym ns Up to the h il ls I liftm ine eyes

”

) i s a translation of thi s psa lm . He'

was

then (1 7 17) a Nonconform ist m ini ster in London .

Verse 2. Auxilium meum a Domino— a m otto chosen byEdward the B lack Prince forthe English coins of 1362.

Verse 4 . Non dormit qui custod it is the m otto of th e

Cogh il l fam ily.

Day 27] Psalm cxx i i . [Morning Prayer

Form erly this psalm was in th e Engl ish use as thepsalm for the church ing of wom en.

Psalm cxx ii.

A Song of degrees ofDavid .

Laetatus sum .

1 I was glad when they said 6 O pray for the peace of

unto me : We will go into the Jerusa lem : they shal l prosperhouse of the Lord.2 Our feet shal l stand in thygates : 0 Jerusalem .

3 Jerusa lem is bui l t as a citythat is at uni ty in i tself.4 Forth i ther the tribes go up ,

even the tribes of the Lord : totest ify unto Israel , to g ive thanksunto the nam e of th e Lord.

5 For there is the seat of

that love thee.

7 Peace be w i thin thy wal lsand plenteousness w i th in thypalaces.8 Formy breth ren and com

panions’ sakes I w i l l w ish theeprosperi ty .

9 ! ea, because of the houseof the Lo rd our God : I w il lseek to do thee good .

judgement : even the sea t of thehouse ofDav id .

Liturgical uses.— Introit to the Mass for the Circum

cision (e) ; Coronation Serv ice .

Latins—Tuesday Vespers ; Circum cision : Festi val sof Our Lady.

Greeks — Friday evening.

A gradua l psa lm (videIn th e fourth century, in Cappadoc ia , th e piou s

Nonna tried long to convert her husband Gregory,father of St . Gregory Naz ianz en, to the Christian fa ith .

She often begged h im to join her in th is the psalm of

joy in the Lord , and he refused . But one night in a

dream he found h im self doing so,and having tasted

the delight of th e d ivine service in a dream , h e

shortly after enjoyed it in rea l ity.

Verse 1 . When St . Richard , th e Bishop of Lincoln,2 94

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Day 2 7] Psalm cxx i i i . [Morning Prayer

Psalm cxxiii .

A Song of degrees.

Ad te levavi oculos meos.

1 Unto thee l ift I up m ine God , unt i l he have mercy uponeyes : 0 thou that dwellest in us.the heavens. 3 Have mercy upon us

, 0

2 Behold , even as the eyes of Lord , have m ercy upon us : for

servants look unto the hand of we are utterly despised .

thei r m asters, and as the eyes 4 Our soul is fi l led w i th the

of a maiden unto the hand scornful reproof of the weal thyof her m istress : even so our and w i th the desp i tefulness of

eyes wai t upon the Lord our the proud .

Latins—Tuesday Vespers .Greeks—Friday evening .

A gradual psalm (videThis psalm was the last said at the gallows by th e

blessed Wil l iam Halt , one of the m any Rom anistv ictim s of Elizabeth’ s reign, who was hung at York ,1 5 83 , for denying th e royal suprem acy

,and suspected

treason. I t was not uncomm only used as an antidoteto death . Vicars (vide lxiv.) paraphrased it, on th e

other hand , as a psalm of thank sgiving for the greatdel iverance from the Popish Powder Plot .This psalm seem s to have attracted com paratively

little attention ; but it was a favourite with thatstrange Western scholar Joseph Glanv il le (1636He was born at Plym outh

,reared at Exeter College,

and began by being a raw d isciple of Baxter, butafterwards conform ed and becam e Vi ca r of From e, of

Street, and at last of Bath,where h e died . He wrote

on th e “ Vanity of Dogm atiz ing,

and a book w ithvarious titles on w itches and apparitions, Saducismus

triumphans, w ith Wh ips for Drolleries and Atheism ,

”

“Trum pet Call s to th e Som erset Clergy,” Essays ,

”etc .

2 9 6

Morning Prayer] Psalm CxxiV . [Day 27

He calls this psalm The Churches contemptsfrom profaneandfauatick enemies. He was a person of m ore thanordinary parts, of a qu ick , warm ,

spruce, and gay fancy,and an early and young m em ber of the Royal Society.

Psa lm cxx iv.

A Song of degrees ofDav id.

!N isi quia Dom inus.

1 If the Lo rd h im self had notbeen on our side, now m ay

Israel say : if the Lord h im selfhad not been on our side, whenmen rose up against us ;2 They had swal lowed us up

quick when they were sowra thfully d ispleased at us.3 ! ea , thewaters had d rowned

us : and the stream had goneover oursoul.4 The deep waters of the

proud : had gone even over oursoul .5 But pra ised be the Lo rd

who hath not g iven us over fora prey unto thei r teeth .

6 Our soul is escaped even as

a bi rd out of the snare of the

fowler : the snare is broken, andwe are del ivered.

7 Our hel p standeth in the

Name of the Lord : who hathmade heaven and earth .

Liturgica l uses— Introit for the Mas s 0 11 twenty-th irdSunday after Trinity (e) ; Thank sgiving for a Na valv ictory.

La tins — Tuesday Vespers .

Greeks —Friday evening.

This i s th e psalm of Engl ish v ictory at sea ,and

so a lm ost the psalm of England herself. I t ends thefirst d ivision of th e gradual psa lm s (seeThe proper psalm s for the Restoration of Charles 11.

were cxxi v . ,cxxv i . , cxxix. , and cxviii .

Verse 6 . The words with wh ich th e Duk e of Gandiagave up hi s grea t posses sion to join the Society of

Jesus (see Ps. cxiv.) and the dying words ofMcCheyne

( 1 8 13 the Scotch d i vine.

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Psalm CXXV , [Morning PrayerDay 27]

Verse 6. Laqueus contritas has always been a comm on

antiphon for sudden del i verance, as when in 1244

Innocent 1v. , a proud, rapacious, and bitter pope,escaped from the cavalry of Frederick th e aecomplished and treacherous em peror.Sir Thom as Wyatt went on an em ba ssy to Rom e

w ith Sir John Ru ssell ( 1 5 26 He was so disgustedwith th e profligacy of th e papa l court that h e drewu pon h is cham ber wal l a m a z e, and in it a m inotaurwith a tri p le crown on its head , both as it were fa l ling,and a bottom of thread with d ivers guives and brok enchains there lying by, and over this word laqueus cou

tritus est et nos liberati sumas. So great indignationd id th is satire cause that th e author “was advertiz edof.

”The di vorce question had not then even been

m ooted .

In 320 A .D . forty Ch ri stians were m artyred in Sebasteby being p laced in a frozen pond . Th e legs of th e

surv ivors were brok en in th e m orn ing and they stil lhad v ita lity enough to s ing with their last brea thOur sou l is escaped out of the snare of th e fowler.”

Psa lm cxxv .

A Song of degrees .Qui confidunt.

1 They that put thei r trust cometh not into the lot of the

in the Lord shal l be even as

the mount Sion : wh ich m ay

not be removed, but standethfast forever .2 The h i l l s stand aboutJerusalem even so standeth theLord round about h is people,from this t im e for th for evermore.

3 For the rod of the ungodly

righteous : lest the righteous putthei r hand unto w ickedness .4 Do wel l , 0 Lord : unto

these that are good and t rue of

heart .5 As for such as turn back

unto thei r own w ickedness : th eLord shal l lead them forth w i ththe ev i l-doers ; but peace shal lbe upon Israel .

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Day 27] Psalm c'

xxv i . [Evening Prayer

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm cxxvi .

A Song of degrees.

In convertendo.

1 When the Lord turned aga inthe capt iv i ty of S ion : thenwere we l ike unto them thatd ream .

2 Then was our mouth fi l ledw i th laughter : and our tonguew i th joy.

3 Then sa id they am ong theheathen : The Lord hath donegreat th ings for them .

4 ! ea, the Lord hath done

Latins — Tuesday Vespers ; Apostles and evangelists .Greeks — Friday evening.

Gregory Thaum aturgus, exiled from hap piness bythe loss of his m a ster, Origen, found hope in this psalm ,

as ha v e m u ltitudes of others : for exam p le,Queen

Lou isa of Prussia in 1 808 , a dark m om ent of the

history of her country, when Napoleon was in fu l lpower, read th is psalm to Borowsky and sa id : I donot know when anyth ing has had such an ennoblingand com forting influence on m y m ind as these preciou sword s .In 165 3 Jerem y Taylor wrote h is Life of Christ,desirous to put a portion of the holy fire into a

repository wh ich m ight help to re-enk indle the Incensewhen it sha l l please God Rel igion shal l return and

all h is servants shal l sing In convertendo captivitatem Sionwith a voice of eucharist

grea t th ings for us al readywhereofwe rejoice.

5 Turn ourcapt iv i ty, O Lordas the rivers in the south .

6 They that sow in tearsshal l reap in joy.

7 He tha t now goeth on h isway weeping , and beareth for thgood seed shal l doubt less com e

aga in w i th joy, and bring h issheaves w i th h im .

Evening Prayer] Psalm cxxv i i . [Day 27

Th is psa lm was a favourite with th e Abol itionists .Sir Thom as Fowel l Buxton

,the philanthropic brewer,

quoted the second verse when h e heard that th e

s la ves were freed and the work accom plished .

Perhaps a fa vourite of Thack eray’ s ( 18 1 1 v ideEs mond, i i . chap. 6.

Psa lm cxxvii.

A Song of degrees forSolomon.

N isi Dom inus.

1 Except the Lord bui ld the

house : thei r labour is but lostthat bui ld i t .2 Except the Lo rd keep the

ci ty : the watchman waketh butin va in.

3 I t is but lost labour that yehaste to rise up early, and so

late take rest, and eat the breadof carefulness : for so he g ivethh is beloved sleep.

4 Lo , ch i ldren and the frui t ofthe womb : are an heri tage and

gift tha t cometh of the Lord .

5 Like as the arrows in the

hand of the g iant : even so are

the young ch i ldren.

6 Happy is the man tha t hathh is quiver ful l of them : theyshal l not be ashamed when theyspeak w ith thei r enem ies in the

gate.

Liturgical uses.— Introit for the Mass on the twenty

fifth Sunday after Trinity (e) The churching ofwom en.

Latins —W'

ednesday Vespers Circum ci sion Feastsof Our Lady.

Greeks— Friday evening.

A gradua l p sa lm (vide cxx.)Th is was th e p salm which Clem ent 111. used in his

exhorta tion to the Engl ish bishop s to succour theHoly Land . U pon this our Richard Coeur de Liontook the cros s .Verse 2. At Budrum , the ancient Halicarna ssus , i s

an old castle built by the Knights of St . John,and

30 1

Day 27] Psalm cxxv i i . [Evening Prayer

am ong its coats-of-arm s it conta ins those of our KingEdward W. Th e gate legend i s Nisi Dominus

custodierit civitatem frustra vigilat qui custodit eam .

The sam e is the old m otto of the c ity of Ripon .

The herm it Brandano ga v e them a m ore aggressivem eaning when, clothed in sack cloth , h e chaunted themon the h illside aga ins t the Spaniards wh o in 15 48

were building a citadel to overawe Siena . He was

sent to th e galleys but released , and had the del ightof seeing the Signori with p ickaxes destroy the citadelin 15 5 2.

Nisi Dominus frustra is the m otto of several noblefam il ies, e.g. Ba ron Rawdon and the Moira fam ilyand of th e Com ptons . I t i s also a very comm on old

house m otto, e.g. it is over the Cam eronian MeetingHouse in Edinburgh . I t is th e m otto of that cityitself. I t is the legend over th e chaplain’s door tothe Tower Chapel dedicated to St . Peter ad Vincula .

I t is also a comm on ring and trencher m otto .

When Ferdinand 11. fled from h i s k ingdom of

Naples, h e chaunted this psalm again and again acrossthe bay, and continued it unti l he cam e to l schia .

Verse 3 . Mrs. Brown ing’s favourite v erse

Of a ll the thoughts of God that areBorne inward into souls afar,A long the Psa lm ist’s music deep ,Now tel l me, if that any isFor gift or grace surpass ing th is‘He giveth His beloved sleep ’

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Day 271 Psalm cxx ix . [Evening Prayer

Dr. John King, Bishop of London, published a work

ca l led the Vitis Pa latina on th e m arriage of PrincessElizabeth, daughter of Jam es to Frederick v .

Elector Pa latine This m arriage was th e lasttrace of Cecil ’s policy, in the counterpoise to Austria .

King was th e best speak er in th e Sta r Cham ber, anda m ost diligent preacher and governour. Prin cesRupert and Maurice were the clusters of this vine.

Psa lm cxx ix .

A Song of degrees .

Sa pe expugnaverunt.

1 Many a time have theyfought against m e from my

youth up may Israel now say.

2 ! ea, many a t ime have theyvexed me from my youth up :but they have not prevai ledagainst m e.

3 The plowers plowed uponmy back : and made longfurrows.4 But the righteous Lord :

hath hewn the snares of the

ungodly in p ieces.5 Let them be confounded

and turned backward : as manyas have ev i l w i l l at Sion.

6 Let them be even as the

grass grow ing upon the housetops : wh ich wi thereth afore i tbe plucked up7 Whereof the mower filleth

not h is hand : nei ther he thatbindeth up the sheaves h isbosom .

8 So tha t they who go bysay not so much as, The Lordprosper you : we w ish you goodluck in the Name of the Lord .

Liturgica l use.— Introit for St. Andrew’s day (e).

Latins—Wednesday Vespers .Greeks— Friday evening.

In th e legend s of the Holy Rood,the m ediaeva l

poets told h ow the h istory of Christ is the story of

m ank ind . The Rood sprang from three seeds Adambrought with h im from Paradise. Moses planted thel ittle trees in Tabor, and David brought them with

30 4

Evening Prayer] Psalm cxxx . [Day 27

joy and m elody into Jerusalem , singing the gradualpsalm s. There they grew into one great tree, underwhich he wrote Miserere and all the sawter bukeand would ha ve built there the temple, had not God

forbidden it . But he circled the tree w ith s ilver, and

saw it wax very great in his d ay.

Dr. J . Robertson, th e Ed inburgh professor of

ecclesiastica l h istory, wrote to a friend in deep d espondeney about the com fort of th e Psalm s, in wh ichthe Roya l Poet so gra phically and powerfu lly and

to the l ife describes both the hidden griefs of th e

wounded sou l and the equal ly h idden joys by whichthose griefs are so powerful ly a llayed . Often did h efind h im self rescued , as by a hand from above

,from

th e deep waters . I t has been suggested by othersthat those of ev il w il l are not the hum an adversa ries,but those spirits of depression

,which so constantly

h inder th e Christian warfare .

Psa lm cxxx .

A Song of deg rees.

De profund is.

1 Out of the deep have Ical led unto thee, O Lo rd : Lord ,hea r my vo ice.

2 0 let th ine ea rs considerwel l : the vo ice of my com

pla int .3 If thou, Lord , w i l t be

extreme to mark what is doneam iss : O Lord , who may abidei t ?4 For there is mercy w i ththee : therefore shal t thou be

feared .

5 I look for the Lord ; mysoul doth wa i t for him : in h isword is my t rust .6 My soul fleeth unto the

Lord : before the m orningwatch , I say, before the morningwatch .

7 O Israel , trust in the Lord ,forw i th the Lord there is mercyand w i th h im is plenteous re

dempt ion.

8 And he shall redeem Israelfrom all h is s ins.

U 30 5

Day 271 Psalm cxxx . [Evening Prayer

Liturgical uses—Introit for the Ma ss on secondSunday in Lent (e) ; Ash Wednesday evening.

Latina—Wednesday Vespers ; Going and returningfrom funera ls Second Vespers for Christm as .Greeks— Friday evening ; Daily evensong .

Being a penitent ia l, a gradual, and a d irge psa lm ,

this m ay be cal led the second m ost fam ou s of a ll the

Psalter. Many of th e m ediaeva l w il ls leave specia lprov ision for a De Profund is to be sa id at the Massfor the soul s of the testators, and it i s intim atelya ssociated with th e Scriptura l bel ief in Purgatory.

Wil liam of Wyk eham appointed that each scholar ofNew College and also of Winchester was to say th e

sam e once every day for th e soul s of Edward U L ,

Queen Ph il ippa, th e Black Prince,and (afterwards

was added) of Richard 11. and Queen Anne. I t wasu sed by the l iving as a preparation for death , as a

charm against the evil eye, as a preparation for

Confession. Sim on of Sudbury,the archbishop

m urdered in the revolt of 13 8 1,wh ile th e k ing went

out to m eet Wat Tyler, rem ained in the Tower,sang

his Mass devoutly, th e Dirge, seven psalm s,and th e

Litany. A s he was saying Omnes Sanctz'

orate pro

nobis th e m urderers broke in and dragged h im to a

cruel execution on th e h il l outside, the sam e h il lwh ich was nearly th ree centuries later to see th e

murder of another archbishop . Th e psalm h as beenthe dying cry of m any great persons . I t was the lastprayer of Mary Queen of Scots, and of John Nelsonth e Rom anist, in 1 5 78 . I t is am ong th e last word sof Hook er the author of the ecclesiasticalpol ity, who died a t Bishopsbourne. Jerem y Taylor, inh is Holy Dying, quotes it as the great psa lm for

the s ick , a book read to Keat s th e poet in h is lastdays ( 1821) at Rom e, where he died . Beatrice Ceneihad reached the words fi ant aures ture, when th e axe

fell .

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Day 28] Psalm cxxx i i . [Morning Prayer

Latina—Wednesday Vespers .Greeks — Friday evening .

A gradual psalm (seeA psalm wh ich suggested to devout Christians

the lowly and m eek Mother of God . Hence it is th eintroit for the Annunciation and “ the rosebud of

th e Psalter. If th is is, as it seem s to be, one of th e

earl iest of th e poem s of insight concerning ch ildren,

it is the source and fount of very m uch in the art

of all subsequent t im es . Most of the great pa intersgive u s the infant Christ not as a newly born childbut ablactal zw supermatre sua, weaned on his m other’ sknee. At th e sam e tim e neither th e Vulgate nor

the LXX. l ik en the sou l to th e weaned ch ild, bu tcontinue, “

so is retribution to m e,

”and there does

not seem any obvious connection between these twofacts .Verse Q. In 1625 , a pious but unpoetica l s i lk

m erchant nam ed Dod was forcibly rem inded of th isv erse by th e authorities . W'ither notes it thus !

Dod the silkm an’

s late rid icu lous translation of th e

Psalm s was, by authority, wort hily condem ned to thefire.

”

THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psalm cxxxn.

A Song of degrees.Memento , Dom ine.

1 Lord , remember Dav id : tabernacle of m ine house : nor

and all h is trouble ; cl imb up into my bed2 How he sware unto the 4 I w i l l not sufi

'

er m ine eyesLord : and vowed a vow unto to sleep , nor m ine eyel ids to

the A lm ighty God of Jacob slumber neither the tem ples of3 I w i l l not come w i th in the my head to take any rest

30 8

Mo rning Prayer}

5 Unt i l I find out a place forthe temple of the Lord : an

habi tat ion for the m igh ty GodofJacob .

6 Lo, we heard of the sameat Ephrata : and found i t in thewood .

7 We w i l l go into h is tabernaele and fal l low on ourkneesbefore h is footstool .8 Arise, O Lord , into thyrest ing-place : thou

,and the ark

of thy st rength .

9 Let thy priests be clothedw i th r ighteousness and let thysa ints s ing w ith joyfulness .

10 For thy servant Dav id ’ssake : turn not away the pre

sence of th ine Anointed .

I I The Lo rd hath m ade a

fai thful oa th unto Dav id : and

he shal l not sh rink from i t1 2 Of the frui t of thy body :

shal l I set upon thy seat .13 If thy ch i ldren will keep

Psalm cxxx i i . [Day 28

15 Th is shal l be my rest forever : here wi l l I dwel l

,for I

have a del ight therein.

16 I w i l l bless her v ictualsw i th increase : and w i l l sat isfyher poo r w ith bread.

1 7 1 w i l l deck her priestsw i th heal th : and her sa intsshal l rejoice and s ing.

18 There shal l I make the

horn of Dav id to flourish : Ihave orda ined a lantern form ineAnointed .

1 9 As forh is enem ies , I sha l lclothe them w i th sham e : butupon h im self shal l h is crownflourish .

Liturgica l use— Christm as evening.

La tina—Thursday Vespers .Greeks.

-La st psalm for Friday evening.

A gradual psalm (seeVerses 4. and 5 . The epitaph over good Bishop

Hacket ( 1 5 92 He was Bishop of Lichfield and

spent on hi s cathedral, and the rest of hiswea lth on Trinity College, Cam bridge. The epitaphrefers to St . Augustine’ s comm ent on the text and

the evil s of private possessions .Verse 7 . Bishop Henry, th e lea der of th e Venetians,

in the first crusade, m ade on 25 th June 1 100 a m ost30 9

my covenant , and my test imonies tha t I sha l l learn themthei r chi ldren also sha l l si t uponthy sea t forevermore.

I4 For the Lord hath chosenSion to be an habi tat ion for

h im sel f : he hath longed for

her

Day 28] Psalm cxxx i i . [Morning Prayer

sti rring s peech to th e arm y which had j ust won th e

Church of th e Holy Sepulchre, to the effect t hat theearthly Jerusa lem was useless withou t th e hea venly.

Verse 15 . The verse that founded th e grea tm onastery of St . Gal l in th e s ixth century. Th e saintwhose nam e it bears was I rish , and was entangled insom e bushes during h is prayers, wh ich he took for a

divine m onition to end his tra vel s This m onasterywas the greatest fa stness of learning 111 the world in

the t1oubled centuries that followed . Th e sam e words,H to reguies mea, hie habitatio, ai e th e m otto of the Gas

de Misericordia at Cadiz .

St . Thom as Aquinas was seiz ed with a fever at

Ca stle Maganza, but would not be stayed, and p ushedon to Fossa Nuova, a Cistercian Abbey, near Terracina,to d ie there. As he was cari ied in h e 1 epeated thesewords w ith rapture. He m used a lso m uch upon St .Augustine’s words : “ Then shal l I truly li v e, when Isha l l be fulfil led w ith Thy love : now I am a burdento m yself, because, Lord , I am not fu ll of Thee. Hedied 0 11 th e floor on ashes

, 7th March 1274.

Verse 18 . Paravi lucernam Christa mea—I haveorda ined a lantern form y Christ . These were the la stwords of Cyri l of Alexandria, whose warts Kingsleyh as drawn in strong rel ief in Hypatia , rather add ingto them than otherwise, and hardly even ou tlining th ebrave rugged face wh ich they blem ished. Pe1haps

St . Cyril used th e word s because they were a comm on

m otto then and since, for St . John the Bap tist .Verse 19 . Inimicos eius zuduam confusione. These

words were engraved on th e English sh ill ing of KingEdward V I . m inted in 1 5 49 . See in contrast (Ps. l ii . 7)Edward 111.

’

s m otto.

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Day 28] Psalm cxxx iv . [Morning Prayer

Sweet , Hermon’

s fragrant airSweet is the l i ly’s s i lver bel l ,And sweet the wakeful tapers’ sm el lThat watch forearly prayer .

This is the psalm which the comm ander of th e

Greely Expedition read to h is m en when theyw intered in the dark Arctic regions for a night wh ichlasted twenty week s .Tertul l ian (De jejun) tell s us that it was used as

a Comm union hymn,and St . Augustine im plies the

sam e, thu s laying em pha si s upon what has been cal ledin our tim es a forgotten s ide of th e Lord ’s Supper

,th e

interdependence of Christians .

Psa lm cxxx iv.

A Song of degrees.

E cce nunc .

I Behold now,pra ise the

Lord '

: all ye servants of the

Lord2 ! e tha t by nigh t stand in the

house of the Lord : even in thecourts of the house of ourGod .

Liturgica l use- Introit to the Mass for the Purifica

t ion (e).Latins — The last psalm in da ily Com pl ine.

Greeks— Friday m orning ; Daily nocturns .This is th e last of th e gradual psalm s . The pilgrim s

have now reached th e tem ple,and hear the Levites

intoning the prai ses of God .

St . Oswa ld, Archbishop of York,on the m orning

of h is death washed the feet of the poor and t e

c ited the gradual psalm s . As they rose to thankh im ,

and whi le h e was stil l saying th e Gloria,

3 L ift up your hands in

the sanctuary : and p ra ise the

Lord.

4 The Lord tha t made heavenand earth : g ive thee bless ingout of Sion.

Psalm cxxxv .Day 28Morning Prayer]

he fel l dead at the a ltar,his la st word being

Saaelo. He was one of the reform ers and patriots ofwhom S t. Dunstan was the chief

,and

‘

one of th e

desires of h is l ife was to introduce th e Benedictineru le, with its ca re for learning

,into the Engli sh

Ch urch . He was nephew to Odo the Good,the

Archbishop of Canterbury.

Psa lm cxxxv .

Lauda te Nomen.

I O pra ise the Lord , laud yethe Nam e of the Lord pra ise i t,0 ye servants of the Lord2 ! e that stand in the house

of the Lo rd : in the courts of

the house of ourGod .

3 O p raise the Lord , for theLord is g racious O sing pra isesunto h is Name, for i t is lovely.

4 For why ? the Lord hathchosen Jacob unto Him self and

Israel forh is own possession.

5 For I know that the Lordis grea t : and that our Lord isabove all gods .6 Wha tsoever the Lord

pleased , tha t d id he in heaven,

and in earth : and in the sea ,

and in al l deep places.7 He bringeth forth the clouds

from the ends of the world and

sendeth forth l ightnings w i th thera in,

bringing the w inds out of

h is t reasures.8 He sm ote the first-born of

Egypt bo th ofman and beast .

9 He hath sent tokens and

wonders into the m idst of thee,

O thou land of Egypt : uponPharaoh

,and al l h is servants.

1 0 He smote d ivers nat ionsand slew m ighty k ings

1 1 Sehonk ingoftheAmori tes,

and Og the k ing of Basan : and

all the k ingdom s of Canaan12 And gave thei r land to be

an heritage : even an heri tageunto Israel h is people.

1 3 Thy Nam e, 0 Lord , en

dureth for ever : so doth thymemorial , O Lord , from one

generat ion to ano ther.14 For the Lord w i l l avenge

h is peOple : and be graciousunto h is servants .

1 5 As for the images of the

heathen,they are but si lver

and gold : the work of m en’s

hands.16 They have mouths, and

Speak not : eyes have they , butthey see not .

3 1 3

Day 28]

1 7 They have ears, and yet

they hear not : nei ther is thereany breath in their month s.

18 They that m ake them are

l ike unto them : and so are all

they that put thei r t rust inthem .

19 Praise the Lord , ye house

Psalm cxxxv . [Morning Prayer

of Israel : praise the Lord , yehouse of Aaron.

20 Praise the Lord , ye houseof Lev i : ye that fea r the Lord ,pra ise the Lord .

2 1 Praised be the Lord out

of Sion : who dwel leth at Jerusa lem .

Latins—Thursday Vespers.Greeks — Friday m orning .

Thi s psalm and th e next form th e Great Hal lel ofJewish worship, as opposed to the (Miz ric) EgyptianHal lel . Both are rec ited on the Passover e venings .On 28th October 1704, John Lock e

,aged se venty

two, the phi losopher, d ied . He was lecturer on

Greek and Rhetoric at Oxford, physician to the firstEarl of Shaftesbury, and fi lled variou s publ ic offices .He d ied at the Masham s

’ house at Oates in Essex.

His theory that all knowledge com es from experience,a lthough it inspired Newton and others, is th e

foundation of m odern m aterial ism .

Verse 6 . The upholders of irresistible grace madem uch out of this verse. Langlarid has m uch th e same

teaching about it,using it to expla in why one th ief

m ock ed and one bel ieved . Teaching of thi s sort hasoften been a ttributed to St . Augustine, but in h isnotes on this very verse h e repudiates it and saysthat th e love and praise of God are not of necessitybut of free wil l .

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Day 28] Psalm cxxxv i . [Evening Prayer

24 And hath del ivered us 26 0 g ive thanks unto the

from ourenem ies : forh is mercy God of heaven : for h is m ercyendureth for ever . endureth forever.2 5 Who g iveth food to all 27 0 g ive thanks unto the

flesh : for h is mercy endureth Lord of lords : for h is mercyforever. endureth forever.

Latins — Thursday Vespers .Greeks—Friday m orning.

On 8th February 3 5 8, as St . Athana sius was at Mas sin the Church of St . Thom as

,a t A lexandria, th e

Arians burst in. He ordered th is psalm to be sung,but before it was o ver the sold iers h ad begun a

m a ssacre,and with ( l ifliculty the sain t was rescued by

th e c lergy and escaped to the desert and its m onk s .I t is a saying attributed to Mahom et that th e Lord

God has d i v ided m ercy and p ity into one hundredparts ; and of these He has k ept ninety—nine forHim self and sent one upon earth .

Perhaps Shak espeare h ad thi s psalm in m ind whenhe wrote :

Wilt thou d raw nea r the na ture of the gods ?D raw nea r them ,

then,in being m erciful ;

Sweet mercy is nobi l i ty’s t rue badge.

”

How m agnificently Milton,when a lad of only

fifteen yea l s, paraphra sed this psalm into h i s hymn ,

Let us w ith a gladsom e m ind ’

On 3rd May 1660, John E velyn heard the happynews of th e declaration of Breda

,and knew that

constitutional governm ent, law,and religion were once

m ore restored to this rea lm . He was in his sweete

and nati v e a ire at Wotton recovering from a doubletert ian fever, and h e writes thus in his d iary : Cam e

the m ost happy tidings ofhis Maj esty’s gracious declaration and appl ications to th e Parliam ent, General ],and People, and their dutifu l acceptance and acknow

3 1 6

Evening Prayer] Psalm cxxxv i i . [Day 28

ledgm ent, aflzer a m ost bloudy and unreasonablerebell ion of neere 20 yeares. Praise be for ever th eLo rd of Hea ven, who onely doeth wondrous th ings

,

because His m ercy endureth for ever !John Evelyn (1620 the founder and secretary

of th e Roya l Society, was alm ost the greatest v irtuosoof hi s age, an authority on coins , build ings, gardening ,and woodcraft, and a Churchm an of the devoutesttype.

Verse 27 . Th e French Psa lter is the only otherone wh ich conta ins this verse. I t i s not found

, for

instance, in th e Authorised Version.

Psalm cxxxvu .

Super flunnina.

1 By the waters of Babylonwe sat down and wept : whenwe remembered thee, O Sion.

2 As forourharps, we hangedthem up : upon the trees thatare therein.

3 For they that led us awaycapt ive requi red of us then a

song,and m elody, in ourbeav i

ness : Sing us one of the songsof Sion.

4 How shal l we sing the

Lo rd’s song : in a st rangeland ? ‘

5 If I forget thee, 0

Jerusalem : let my right handforget hercunning.

Liturgica l use— Introit for St . Luke’s Mas s (e)

Latina—Thursday Vespers .Greeks— Friday m orning.

3 1 7

6 If I do not rem ember thee,let my tongue cleave to the roofof my mouth : yea, if I prefernot Jerusa lem in my m i rth .

7 Remember the ch i ldren of

Edom , O Lord , in the day of

Jerusa lem : how they sa id ,Down wi th i t, down w i th i t ,even to the ground .

8 O daughter of Babylon,

wasted w i th m isery : yea, happyshal l he be that rewardeth thee,as thou hast served us.9 B lessed shal l he be tha ttaketh thy ch i ldren and

throweth them against the

stones.

0 i 1

Day 28] Psalm cxxxvn. [Evening Prayer

This was th e favourite p salm of Cam oens, of

Cra shaw, and of Sir Walter Scott .In 1606, St. Vincent de Paul was a slave to the

Turk s, captured and bought by an apostate. TheTurk ish w ife of his m aster ask ed h im to ; sm gthe pra ises of h i s God , and , being a m an fu l l of theSpirit of th e psalm s,

” he sang w ith tears, Superfl umina

and Sa lve Regina . Th e wom an was so touched -that .

she upbra ided h er husband with his aposta sy, whonot only set St . Vincent free, but em bark ed w ith h imfor Aigues-Mortes.Sir John D igby, Earl of Bristol, wh o lost h is estate

and his corm try when he sided with th e k ing, d ied an

exile in 165 3 , and was buried in a Paris cabbagegarden . This psalm was a favourite of h is—as it was

w ith m any pious royal ists in their exile— and h e turnedit into verses beginning

S itt ing by ye st ream s that gl ideDown by Babell’s towering wal l .”

Th i s was set to m us ic, and published, after th e

Restoration, in Clifford ’s Services am ong theAnthem s u sual ly sung in Ca thedral s .Verse 5 . In 127 1 Theoba ld, Archdeacon of Liege,

who was then on crusade with Prince Edward of

England, was chosen Pope Gregory x. and took leaveof the Ea st with these words . They m ight alm ostbe sa id to be the m otto of his pontifieate, so wholehea rted was he in his z eal for th e crusade . He was“of courage and greatness of m ind, wh ich m ade h imcontemn m oney and all m ean things,

”and renowned

for his hum anity to th e poor. He tried in th e SecondCouncil of Lyons to unite Chri stendom , Ea st and

west, and for a tim e d id so, but hi s labours werelargely lost by h i s sudden death in 1276 . He was

a friend of St. Bona ventura .

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Day 29 ] Psalm cxxx ix . [Morning Prayer

tried, and was sentenced . In all th is sh e sang pra ises,

and th e wretched thought h er wretched, wh ilesh e was singing pra ises before th e angel s .” And“ where are they ? Who sa id : O ff with th e nam e of

Christians from th e earth . They m u st now d ie or

turn. And so Thou d idst stretch forth Thy hand uponth e furiou sness of Thine enem ies . Thy right handhath saved m e, but not with tem pora l sa lvat ion .

Crispina was sla in,but d id God desert h erP He sa ved

h er not w ith th e left hand but with the right .Th i s story belongs to the last persecution underMaxim in when th e Christians flock ed to th e sa crificewhen it was left to indiv idua ls, m ostly poor and som e

s laves, to s tand for th e Faith . Th e better knownMartyrs are SS . Agnes, V incent, Denys

,Cosma s

,

George, and A lban .

In Antioch of Syria there was an order of m onk s,

in th e days of Eusebiu s, who were founded to k eepu p th e laus pererm is of cea seles s psa lm ody. Day and

night throughout the year th e Psa lm s were chauntedw ithout interruption by relays of these m onk s . Atth e end of the fourth century Corbilla, a Syrian m onk

,

probably one of them ,founded a sim i lar m onastery on

Psa lm ody Island, in the diocese of Nism es.

THE TWENTY-N INTH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm cxxx ix .

To the ch iefMusician, A Psa lm ofDav id .

Dom ine, probasti.1 O Lord , thou hast searched m ine up ’ rising ; thou under

me out, and known me : thou standest my thoughts longknowest my down-si tt ing, and before.

3 20

Morning Prayer]

2 Thou art about my path ,and about my bed : and sp iestout a ll my ways.3 For 10 , there is not a

word in my tongue : but thou,O Lord, knowest i t al together .4 Thou hast fash ioned me

beh ind and before : and laidth ine hand upon m e.

5 Such knowledge is too

wonderful and excel lent forme

I cannot a tta in unto i t .6 Wh i ther shal l I go then

from thy Sp i ri t : or wh i thershal l I go then from thy presence ?7 If I cl imb up into heaven,

thou art there : if I go downto hel l , thou art there a lso.

8 If I take the w ings of the

morning : and rema in in th e

uttermost parts of the sea ;

9 Even there al so sha l l thyhand lead m e : and thy righthand shal l ho ld m e.

10 If I say, Peradventure thedarkness shal l cover m e : thenshal l my nigh t be turned to day.

1 1 ! ea, the darkness is no

darkness w i th thee,but the

night is as clear as the day the

darkness and l ight to thee are

bo th a l ike.

1 2 For my reins are th inethou hast covered me in my

mother’s womb .

13 I w i l l g ive thanks untothee, for I am fearfully and

wonderful ly made : marvel lousX

Psalm cxxx ix . [Day 29

are thy works,and that my soul

knoweth r ight wel l .14 My bones are not h id

from thee : though I be madesecretly, and fash ioned beneathin the earth .

1 5 Th ine eyes d id see my

substance, yet being imperfectand in thy book were all mymem bers written

16 Wh ich day by day werefash ioned : when as yet therewas none of them .

1 7 How dear are thy counsel sunto me, O God : 0 how g reatis the sum of them18 If I tel l them ,

they are

m ore in number than the sandwhen I wake up I am presentw i th thee.

19 W i l t thou not slay the

w icked , O God : depart fromm e, ye bloodth irsty m en.

20 For they speak unrighteously aga inst thee : and th ineenem ies take thy Nam e in va in.

2 1 Do not I hate them , 0

Lord,that hate thee : and am

not I grieved w i th those tha trise up against thee ?22 ! ea, I hate them right

sore even as though they werem ine enem ies.23 Try me, O God , and seek

the ground of my heart : proveme, and exam ine my thoughts.24 Look wel l if there be any

way of w ickedness in m e : and

lead me in the way everlast ing .

Day 291 Psalm cxxxix . [Morning Prayer

Latins .—Friday Vespers .

Greeks— Friday m orning.

In many pa rt s of th e country there i s a good and

ancient custom among the old wives, of read ing th i spsa lm to wom en in labour. Our grandm others and

great-grandm others were no doubt strengthened and

calm ed by its words in their hours of need and peril .I t was a favourite psa lm of the great Em peror

Charlem agne,who h ad , l ik e m any other soldiers

,

a special devotion to the Holy Ghost . Both thecol lect

,

“ Alm ighty God , unto whom all hearts beopened, and the great hym n

, Veui Creator Com e,

Hol Ghost, our soul s inspire are said to have beenmade by h im . They both echo th is psa lm .

Vincent 1v.,Duk e of Mantua, founded an order of

knights of the Sancreal, who wear a collar of opa lswith the m otto Domiueprobasti me.

“ I shal l conclude m y essay”

(says Addison, in th eSpectator, 7 th June 17 12) with observing that the twok inds of hypocrisy I have here Spok en of

,nam ely

,

that of deceiving th e world and that of im posing on

ourselves,are touched with wonderfu l beauty in th e

l 3gth Psa lm . The fol ly of the first k ind of hypocrisyis there set forth by reflections on God ’s omniscienceand omnipresence , which are celebrated in as noblestrain s of poetry as any other I ever m et with, eithersacred or profane. Th e other k ind of hypocrisy,whereby a m an deceives h im self, is intim ated in th e

two last verses, where the Psalm ist addresses h im selfto the great Searcher of hearts in that em phaticalpet ition,

‘ Try m e,

’ etc .

So the Observer “Where can we m eet a

m ore touching description of God ’ s omnipresence andprovidence than the 189 th Psalm ?This psa lm

,w ith its sacram enta l teaching about th e

body, was a great aid to th e Tractarians in thei rcom bat against th e Spiritualism wh ich scorns, and the

3 2 2

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Day 29 ] Psalm cxl. [Morning Prayer

Liturgica l use— Introit to the Ma ss forSt . Matthew ’s

day (e).Latins —Friday Ves pers ; Maundy Thursday.

Greeks—Friday m orning ; Mesorion of the ninthhounTh is i s a p salm which seem s to have been rather

pas sed over by Christian peop le, although it is a cryagainst social d isorders . Martin Luther found in itan abundant consolation, and regarded it as an

a rdent prayer against the hypocrites,

and perhapsthought he saw in i t th e spi rit which caused h im to

write about the revolt (1 5 24) of the poor peasants whohad appealed to h im . He repl ied, “ Let the noblestak e th e sword as the m inisters of God’ s wrath . Let

there be no pity . A prince can m erit heaven betterby bloodshed than by prayers . Stab

,sm ite

,destroy.

”

“ The Nicola itans, Gnostics, and Manichaeans,

” saysPh ilostratus,

“ denied David altogether to be a

prophet ; and Paul of Sam osata su p pres sed thePsalm s and those hymns which th e Christians sangin praise of Christ . He wished to substitute poem sin his own honour, it was said .

”

Professor Robertson Sm ith , wh o thought it a questionm ore curious than im portant, whether David had a

hand in any of the Psalm s, was yet unable to fi t inany with his life

”; but Professor Kirkpatrick , in his

summary of critical work , applauded by Dr. Salm ondin the Critica l Review, stil l assigns “ the foundation of

th e Psalter to David .

”

Verse 7 . Mr. Gladstone found com fort and supportin this verse in th e Oxford contest of 1 847 , when h ewas returned for th e University as a supporter of SirRobert Peel .

Morning Prayer] Psalm cxl i . [Day 29

Psa lm cx l i .

A Psalm ofDav id .

Dom ine, clamav i.

1 Lord , I cal l upon thee,haste thee unto m e : and con

sider my voice when I cry untothee.

2 Let my prayer be set forthin thy sigh t as the incense and

let the l ift ing up ofmy hands hean evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch , 0 Lord , beforemy mouth : and keep the doorofmy l ips.4 0 let not m ine hear t be ih

clined to any ev i l th ing let m e

not be occup ied in ungodlyworks w i th the m en that workw ickedness , lest I eat of suchth ings as please them .

5 Let the righ teous ra thersm i te m e friendly : and reprove 1 1 Let the ungodly fal l intom e. thei r own nets together : and

6 But let not thei r precious let m e ever escape them .

Liturgical use — Introit for St . Mark ’ s MassLatins — Friday Vespers Maundy Thursday.

Greeks — Friday m orning ; Daily evensong .

Thi s has been ca l led th e Evening hym n of EarlyChri stendom . I t seem s to have been in da ily use in

the African Church .

Verses 2, 3 , and 4 . The words used for censing thea ltar. The Chri stian use of incense dates from theca tacom bs, where sweet gum s had to be burnt, as

d isinfectants , and a lludes to I saiah vi . 4 and Revelation viii .

balm s break my head : yea, Iw il l pray yet against thei rw ickedness.7 Let thei r judges be over

th rown in stony places : tha tthey m ay hear my words, forthey are sweet .8 Our bones lie scattered be

fore the pi t : l ike as when one

breaketh and heweth wood uponthe earth .

9 But m ine eyes look untothee, O Lord God : in°

thee ismy trust , 0 cast not out my soul .

10 Keep m e from the snarethat they have la id form e : and

from the traps of the w ickeddoers

Day 291 Psalm cxl i i . [Evening Prayer

Verse 3 . Th is was and is th e last verse of the lastservice of the day (Com pline) for the Benedictinem onk s, after which silence is straitly enjoined uponall.

Verse 6. Th is furnished S t. Cyprian w ith one of h isargum ents against the baptism of heretics and theirunction being valid . This Seventh Council (25 6) washeretica l .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm cx lii.

Masch il ofDav id A Prayer when he was in the cave.

Voce mea ad Dom inum .

1 I cried unto the Lord w i thmy voice : yea, even unto the

Lo rd d id I m ake my suppl icat ion.

2 I poured out my compla intsbefo re h im and Showed him of

my troub le.

3 \Vhen my sp i rit was in

heav iness thou knewest my

path : in the way wherein Iwalked have they priv i ly laida snare forme.

4 I looked a lso upon my righthand : and saw there was no

man that would know m e.

5 I had no place to flee unto

and no man cared for

soul .6 I cried unto thee

,O Lord ,

and sa id : Thou art my hope,and my por t ion in the land of

the l iv ing.

7 Consider my com pla int : forI am brough t very low.

8 O del iver m e from my per

secuto1S for they are too strongform e.

9 Bring my soul out of prison,that I may g ive thanks unto thyNam e wh ich th ing if thou w i l tgrant m e, then shal l th e righteousresor t unto my com pany.

my

Liturgica l use— Introit to St . Barnaby’s Mass (e).

Latins — Friday Vespers ; Maundy Thursday.

Greeks— Friday m orning ; Da i ly evensong.

On 4th October 1226 A .D . ,St . Francis of Assisi was

dying,nak ed , upon th e bare earth .

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Day 2 91 Psalm cxl i i i . [Evening Prayer

7 Hear m e, O Lord , and thatsoon,

formy sp i ri t waxeth fa inth ide not thy face from m e, lestI be l ike unto them that go downinto the p i t .8 0 let me hear thy lov ing

k indness bet imes in the m orning, for in thee is my trust :Shew thou m e th e way that Ishould walk in, for I l ift up mysoul unto thee.

9 Del iver m e, O Lord , fromn fine enen fies z for I flee unu)

thee to h ide m e.

Liturgica l use— Introit for th e Mass on the Nat ivity

of St . John Baptist (e) ; Ash Wednesday .

Latins— Friday, Lauds.Greeks— Friday m orning ; Dawn ; Th e late even

song ; and a l so in Lent .This is th e seventh penitential psalm (these are v i . ,

xxxii. , xxxvi ii . , l i . , cii . , cxxx. , and and an antidote to th e deadly sin of S loth or Indifference .

Charles th e Good, Count of Flanders, was slain at

th e Lady Altar,as h e recited th is psalm , 2md March

I I27 .

One of Gerson’ s prayers contains th is sentenceGrant m e, O Lord, that th i s sevenfold group of

penitent ia l psalm s m ay be a rem edy against th e sevenfold group of deadly s ins, and help to the sevenfoldgroup of the principa l v irtues, and the sevenfold groupof sp iritual gifts

, to the sevenfold beatitudes , and to

th e seven petitions conta ined in th e Lord's Prayer(ob .

Wh ile Bilney (l ittle Bilney and Sa int Bilney, as h ispupi l Lat im er ca lls h im ) was tak en to be burnt in th eLollard s ’ pit near Norwich, he ended h is prayers withth i s psalm

,repeat ing th e second verse in deep m ed i

3 28

IO Teach m e to do the th ingthat pleaseth thee, for thou art

my God : let thy lov ing Spi r i tlead me forth into th e land of

righteousness .I I Quicken m e

, O Lord, forthy Name

’s sake : and for thyr igh teousness’ sake bring mysoul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodness slaym ine enem ies : and destroy all

them that vex my soul ; for Iam thy servant .

Morning Prayer]

ta tion thrice, and so was burnt .

Psalm cxl iv . [Day 30

His protest had beenm ade, not apparently against any v ita l principle of theChurch, but aga inst pilgrimages, trust in the cowl ofSt. Francis, and prayers to saints and im ages . Hewas burnt on Saturday

, 16th April 1 5 34.

THE TH IRTIETH DA!

MORN ING PRAYER

Psa lm cx liv .

Bened ictus Dom inus.

A Psalm ofDav id .

I B lessed be the Lord my

strength : who teacheth my

hands to war, and my fingers tofight ;2 My hope and my fort ress ,

my castle and del iverer, my defender in whom I t rust : whosubdueth my people that isunder m e.

3 Lord, what is man, thatthou hast such respect unto himor the son of m an, that thou so

regardest h im4 Man is l ike a th ing of

nought : h is t ime passeth awayl ike a shadow .

5 Bow thy heavens , O Lord ,and come down touch the

m ountains,

and they shal lsmoke.

6 Cast forth thy l ightning ,and tea r them : shoot out th inearrows , and consum e them .

7 Send down th ine hand fromabove del iver m e, and take meout of the great waters, fromthe hand of strange ch i ldren8 Whose mouth talketh of

vani ty : and thei r right hand isa r ight hand of w ickedness.9 I w i l l sing a new song unto

thee, O God : and sing praisesunto thee upon a ten-stringedlute.

I O Thou hast g iven v ictoryunto k ings : and hast del iveredDav id thy servant from the

peri l of the sword .

I ! Save me, and del iver me

from the hand of strange ch i ldren : whose mouth talketh o f

vani ty,and thei r r ight hand is a

right hand of iniqui ty.

1 2 That our sons m ay growup as the young plants : and

that our daughters may be as

3 29

Day 30 ] Psalm

the pol ished corners of the

temple.

I 3 That our garners may be

ful l and plenteous w i th all

manner of store that our sheepmay bring forth thousands andten thousands in our streets.14 That our oxen may be

CxliV . [Morning Prayer

strong to labour, that there beno decay : no lead ing into captivity, and no complaining in

our st reets.15 Happy are the people that

are in such a case : yea, blessedare the people who have the

Lord for thei r God .

Liturgica l u.m— Introit to St . Peter’s Mass (e).Latina — Saturday Vespers .Greeks.

— Friday m orning.

B enedictus Dominus Deus meus. A not uncomm on

sword m otto, a lluding to the whole psalm ,which i s

one of the war psalm s . St . Bernard m ade m uch use

of it, when he preached the Crusades. It was h isexhortation to the Tem plars .In 1214 was fought the critica l battle of Bouv ines

by Ph il ip Augustus of France against Otho of

Germ any and John of England . At the first soundof the trumpets two royal chaplains in the Frencharmy raised th is psalm . The victory was everywherew ith the French arm s . Otho retired to Brunswick ,and John to his disaffected subjects in England . In

so far as this prayer gave Phi lip v ictory, it gave usMagna Charta .

Verse 3 . Richard Baxter on h is death-bed adm iredthe Div ine condescension to us, often saying : “ Lord,what i s m an ? Wha t am I, v ile worm ,

to the Grea tGod ?

Verse 4. The d ial m otto of St . Brelade, Jersey, isL

’homm e est sem blable a la vanité : ses jours sontcomm e une om bre qui passe.

Verse 7 . Th is was the text of courteous BishopBedel l’s la st serm on . He had j ust been released fromcap tivity by th e I ri sh rebel s of 1641 . He tran slated our Prayer Book into I tal ian, and h ad ittranslated into Irish . He was a great reform er of

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Day 30 ] Psalm cxlv . [Morning Prayer

1 8 The Lord is nigh unto all

them tha t cal l upon h im : yea,

all such as cal l upon him fa i th

1 9 He w i l l fulfi l the desi re of

them tha t fear him he also w i l lhea r thei r cry , and w i l l hel pthem .

Liturgica l use—Whit Sunday evening.

Latins — Saturday at Vespers .Greeks— Friday m orning .

Th is psalm m ust have been in Mi lton’s m ind when hewrote th e last speech of Adam

,the exil e

,in Parad ise

Lost.Hencefor th I learn, that to obey is best ,And love w i th fear the only God , to walkAs in H is presence, ever to observeHis prov idence and on Him sole depend

,

Merciful over all His works, w ith goodS t i l l overcom ing ev i l , and by smal lAccompl ish ing great th ings , by th ings deem ed weakSubvert ing worldly strong , and wor ldly w iseBy s im ply meek ; that suffering for t ruth ’s sakeIs fort i tude to h ighest v ictory ,And to the fa i thful Death the Gate of L ifeTaught th is by His exam ple, whom I nowAcknowledge m y Redeem er ever blest.”

Verse 9 . Dear old Dr. Johnson wrote a serm on on

this verse on gratitude to God , which h is friend Dr.

Henry Taylor preached .

Verse 13 . The Cathedral of Damascus is now a

m osque, but thi s legend is stil l to be read in Greeku pon its walls,

c

HBa a l /Mia. Xpt'

crre fiam Aefa d rwv 7 63V

(126v (“ Thy k ingdom ,

O Christ, is an everlastingk ingdom in sure and certain hope of a joyfu l resurrection.

20 The Lord p reserveth all

them that love him : butscattereth abroad all the un

godly.

2 1 My mouth shal l speak thepraise of the Lord : and let all

flesh g ive thanks unto h is holyNam e forever and ever.

Psalm cx lv i . [Day 30Morning Prayer]

Verse 1 5 . Th is verse led to th e psalm being usedfor th e converts ’ comm union in the fourth century .

A genera l grace before m eat in col leges and m onasteries was and largely is Ocu li omnium in te sp erant

Domine et tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno.

Aperis tu manum tuam et imp les omne anima l benedictione.

Psalm cx l vi .Lauda , anima mea.

1 Praise the Lord , 0 my

soul ; wh i le I l ive w i l l I praisethe Lo rd : yea, as long as Ihave any being, I w i l l s ingp ra ises unto my God .

2 0 put not your trust inprinces, norin any ch i ld ofman

for there is no help in them .

3 For when the breath of

man goeth forth he shal l turnaga in to h is earth and then all

h is thoughts perish .

4 B lessed is he that hath theGod ofJacob for h is hel p and

whose h 0pe is in the Lord h isGod

5 Who made heaven and

ea rth , the sea , and all thattherein is : who keepeth h isprom ise forever

6 Who hel peth them to rightthat suffer wrong : who feedeththe hungry.

7 The Lord looseth m en out

of pr ison the Lo rd giveth sightto the bl ind .

8 The Lord hel peth themthat are fal len the Lo rd carethforthe righteous.9 The Lord careth for the

strangers ; he defendeth the

fa therless and w idow : as for

the way of the ungodly, he

turneth i t upside down.

10 The Lord thy God , 0

Sion,shal l be King for ever

m ore and th roughout a ll

generat ions.

Liturg ica l use— Introit for St . Mary Magdalen’ sMass (eLatins—Saturday Vespers .Greeks— Friday m orning.

A d irge p sa lm (see PS.

In 162 1 the Protestant leader, Andrew W'illet, of

Cam bridge and Ely, was thrown from his horse and

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Day 30 ] Psalm cxlvu . [Evening Prayer

brok e his leg. He was carried to a bone-setter’s andhad it attended to.

on his staff and repeatedWhen it was set he leaned

“ th e m ost sweet psalm,

dwel ling especia l ly on the eighth v erse then suddenlyfa inted away and died .

Verse 2. Aptly quoted by Strafford, when h e heardthat h is m a ster

,King Charles had thrown h im to

th e wol ves, by s igning the Bil l of Attainder.Verses 3 to 5 . This was the text of William Wak e

’sserm on on Queen Mary 11. in 1694 . Th is learneddivine, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury

, nearlyconcluded an arrangem ent of intercomm union w ithth e Gal lican Church (165 7Verse 7 . The m otto of the Trinitarian friars of

Mottingden, Kent, who rai sed m oney to ransomChristian captives from the Saracens .

EVEN ING PRAYER

Psalm cx lvu.

Lauda te Dom inum .

1 O p raise the Lord, fori t is agood th ing to sing praises untoour God : yea , a joyful and

pleasant th ing i t is to be thankful .

2 The Lord doth bu i ld upJerusalem : and gather togetherthe outcasts of Israel .3 He healeth those that arebroken in hear t : and g ivethmed icine to hea l thei r s ickness.4 He tel leth the number of

the stars : and cal leth them all

by thei r names.5 G reat is our Lord, and

great is h is power : yea, and

h is w isdom is infini te.

6 The Lord set teth up the

meek : and bringeth the nu

godly down to the ground .

7 O s ing unto the Lord w i ththanksg iv ing : sing praises uponthe harp unto ourGod .

8 Who covereth the heavenw i th clouds, and prepareth rainfor the earth : and m akeththe grass to grow upon the

m ounta ins,

and herb for the

use of men ;

9 Who giveth fodder unto the334

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Day 30 ] Psalm cxlv i i i . [Evening Prayer

songs of a people reflect its character ; that a rel igion,

in its idea of God , reflect s its worshippers ? Whatsort of character i s reflected in the Psalm s ? Theycom e to us from a people, l ik e their neighbours,m erciless and bloody ; yet they are fu l l of love and

innocence and m ercy. They com e from a peoplewhos e deep s ins and wrong-doing are recorded bytheir own writers yet th e Psa lm s breathe th e hungerand th irst of th e soul after righteousness . Theycom e from a race still in the rude ch ildhood of th e

world ; yet they express th e thoughts about God and

duty,and about the purpose and reward of hum an

l ife,which are those of th e m ost refined, th e gentlest,

th e m ost sa intly, th e m ost exalted, whom th e ages ofth e world have ever seen, down to its latest .

Psalm cx lvi ii .

Laudate Dom inum .

1 O praise the Lord of

heaven :

ever and ever : he hath g ivenpraise him in the

height .2 Pra ise h im ,

all ye angel s ofh is praise h im , all h is host .3 Pra ise h im , sun and moon

praise h im , all ye stars and

l ight .4 Praise h im , all ye heavens

and ye waters that are abovethe heavens.5 Let them praise th e Name

of the Lord : for he spake the

word, and they were m ade ; hecommanded , and they werecreated .

6 He hath made them fast for

them a law wh ich sha l l not bebroken.

7 Pra ise the Lord upon earthye dragons, and all deeps8 Fire and hai l

,snow and

vapours : w ind and storm , ful

fi l l ing his word9 Mountains and all h i l ls

fruitful t rees and all cedars10 Beasts and all cat t le

worm s and feathered fowls1 1 Kings of the earth and all

people : princes and all judgesof the world

1 2 Young men and ma idens,o ld men and ch i ld ren, pra ise

Evening Prayer] Psalm cx lv i i i . [Day 30

the Name of the Lord : for h is of h is people ; all h is sa intsName only is excel lent , and h is shal l praise him even the

praise above heaven and ea rth . ch i ldren of Israel , even the

13 He shal l exal t the horn people tha t serveth him .

Liturgica l use— Introit for St . Jam es ’s Mas s (e).Latins—Da ily at Lauds ; At buria l of children, on

the way to church and to the grave.

Greeks— Friday m orning ; Dawn ; Burial of priests .Perhaps St . Franci s derived his hymn of al l

creatures from th is psalm . In it h e calls all creationto bless God (propterhonorabilemfratrem nostrum salem)for ournoble brother th e Sun, etc.

Verses l and 2. St. Bernard ’s brother Gerard d iedwith these words of trium ph . At that m om ent, mybrother, day dawned on thee, though it was night forus . Just as I reached his side I heard him utteraloud those words of Christ, Pater in mantis tuas.

Then repeating th e verse over again, and resting on

the word Father ! Father !’ he turned to m e and ,sm iling

,sa id, ‘ O how gracious of God to be th e

Father of m en, and what an honour form en to be Hisch ildrenVerse 2. The “ Angel Psalm s are viii . , xxx i v . ,

xxxv. , lxv iii . , lxxv i ii . , xci. , ciii . , civ . ,and this one.

The Angelieals are d iv ided into three choirs and nineorders . The Contem plat ive Choi r is m ade up of

Sera phim , who love God ; Cherubim ,wh o know Him ;

and Thrones,who u pbear God in His glory. Th e

Middle Choir consists of Dom inations, who order thestars ; Virtues , who uphold qualities ; and Powers,who hold ev i l s p irits in leashes . Below these are

Princi pa l ities , wh o k eep us hum an ; Archangel s, whoguard our national ity and our Church ; and Angels ,who m a intain our ind ivid uality, and set our soul ’sfood before us, and bring u s at last to the j udgm ent .

Day 30 ] Psalm cx l ix . [Evening Prayer

Psalm cx lix .

Canta te Dom ino.

1 O s ing unto the Lord a

new song : let the congregat ionof saints p ra ise h im .

2 Let Israel rejo ice in h im

that m ade h im : and let the

ch i ldren of S ion be joyful inthei r King.

3 Let them praise h is Namein the dance : let them singpra ises unto h im w i th tabret andha rp .

4 Forthe Lord hath pleasurein

_h is people : and hel peth the

meek—hearted .

glory : let them rejoice in thei rbeds .6 Let the pra ises of God be

in thei r mouth and a two-edgedsword in thei r hands7 To be avenged of the

heathen : and to rebuke the

people ;8 To bind their k ings in

cha ins : and thei r nob les w ithl inks of i ron.

9 Tha t they may be avengedof them , as i t is wr i tten : Suchhonour have all h is saints.

‘

5 Let the sa ints be joyful w i th

Liturgical use— Introit forHa llowm as (e).Latin s— Daily at Laud s Buria l of ch i ldren, between

the house and church,and the church and grave .

Greeks—Friday m orning ; Dawn ; Buria l of priests .In 483 , when the Vandal s were laying waste the

African Church,four thousand nine hundred and

seventy-six of the Num idian clergy were bani shed bythese Arian persecutors into the desert s . As theywere lashed through th e towns and v il lages

,they

raised the joyful chaunt of Cantate Dominum. Th e

reason fortheir choice will be seen, as usua l, by look ingat the l iturgical use of th is p sa lm . The beds theyrejoiced in were th e m any m ansions of their Father’shouse

,as St. Augustine taught them ,

and th e politica lbattle aga inst th e Arians was summ ed u p in h i scomm ent on the las t clauses of th e psa lm , VoluitChristus prodesse imperatori de piscatore, uou piscatori deimperatore I t is Chri st ’ s w il l to help th e Em perorby th e fisherman, not th e fi sherm an by th e Em peror."

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Day 30 ] Psalm Cl. (Evening Prayer

Greeks.

— Friday evening ; Late evensong ; Buria l ofpriests .It i s thank s to th is psalm above others that the use

of instrum enta l m usic has been continuously preservedin th e Church , a lthough som e of th e severer Fatherslook ed upon it with d istrust . I t is one of the psa lm sin which not only Christian m us icians

,but artists of

all kinds, delight. Fra Angel ico, for instance, so oftenrefers to it that we m ay cal l it his favourite p salm .

His wel l-known Angels of th e Tabernacle, th e dances

of the blessed,in th e “ Day of Judgm ent

,

”and th e

m us ical instrum ents in th e Uffiz z i Madonna, are

instances . Orcagna’

s“ Day of Judgm ent,

” Raphael ’ s“ St . Cecilia, and countless other pictures

,illustrate

th e sam e. To th is day in Seville ten l ittle boys dancebefore the altar in th e Cathedra l in di rect referenceto verse 4 . Th e word “ pi pe in th e sam e verse isin the Latin and Greek vers ions “

organ, and th e

organ was used even in the catacom b services,and in

St. Augustine’ s tim e, though perhap s not north of

the Alps till th e eighth century.

Clem ent of Alexandria once tried to explain awayth is psa lm into an al legory of th e hum an body : th etongue being th e lute, th e fa ce the harp, th e lip scym ba l s, and so on. He cou ld not bear to think of

the Church using what had excited the heathen to

lust orwar.

Verse 1 . Laudate Dominum is one bel l m otto,and

Pra ise God i s another in Fotheringay Church, 1 5 9 5 .

Verse 6 . Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum is the sundialm otto of Great Sm eaton Church , York s .After th e desolation of th e Huns, th e Danube

provinces were reca lled to order and d iscipline by a

strange prophet, St . Severinus, who so re- in spired thepeople that th e Rom an fortres ses petitioned for h i spresence in turn am ong them . He was a val iantand vigorous m an

,who by hi s contem pt of com fort

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Evening Prayer] Psalm cl. [Day 30

reca l led the legionaries to som ething of their old

manliness.On l st January 482 he cam e to his last hours . He

summ oned th e m onk s around h im and em bra ced themone by one . He then cheerful ly partook of the

Lord ’ s bo dy,and desired them not to weep but to

sing psa lm s . As they were unable to do so,he began

him self to s ing Laudate Dominum , and the last wordsof the psalm were his own last words on earth .

I aus Deo.

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I ndex

Ba ldw in,1 18.

S t . Balsamus, 2 7 , 1 1 5 .

“ Barnard ’s Verses, 1 3 .

Barr ington, 2 .

Barrow, I. , 1 9 , 64.

Bartholomew ,Bishop

, 94.

Bar tholom ew massacre, 1 14.

S t . Bas i l , Mag , 1 , 29 , 3 1 .Bauh inus, 104.

Baxter, 2 , 9 1 , 144, 149 .

Bayard , 5 1 .

Beaucham p , 16 .

Becket , 27 , 48 , 1 19

Bedel l,2, 3, 144 .

Bel larm ine, 1 , 9 1 .

Bel ls, 19 , 34, 1 15 , 1 50 .

Bened ic t, 42.

S t . Bened ict , A . , 37 .

S t . Bened ict Biscop, 83 .

Berkeley , 8.

S t. Bernard ,'

1 2 , 13, 36 , 5 1 , 9 1 ,

De Berul le, 9 .

Beveridge, 1 .

Beza, 64, 142 .

Bi lney, 143.

B lackmore, 64.

B lack Prince, 7 , 28 , 1 2 1 .

B lake, 85 .

B lenheim , 20 .

S t. Bonaventura, 1 , 1 7 , 76.

S t. Boniface, 6 , 69 .

Bosanquet , M. , 27.

Bouv ines, 144.

Boy-bishop

, 9 1 .

Brady, 34.

Brama , 109 .

Bramhal l , 44.

Brandano, 1 27 .

Brian, 5 1 .Bristol , Ld . , 137 .

Browne, G . , 1 1 9

Browne, T. , 2 , 147 .

Browning, E . B . , 127 .

Browning R . , 39 , 55 , 68.

Bunyan,1 19

[ Burial psalm s , 23 , 24, 39 , 5 1 ,& s sw, 9 n H 3, rw. l ut

Burleigh , 5 5 .

Burnet,22 .

Burns, 90 .

Burton,H .

, 53 .

Bur ton, R . , 1 , 1 19Butchers’ Company , 8 .

Butler, 36 .

Buxton,1 26 .

Byrom,23.

Byz ant ine wars, 20 .

Caesarius, 34, 89 .

Ca i rd, 53.

Calmet, 64.

Calv in, 6, 13, 39 .

Ca lvinists, 47 , 6 1 , 97 .

Cam p ion, 3 1 .Canterbury , S t . Thomas, 37 ,

Afi .u 9 cml

Capgrave, 7 , 45 , 5 1 .

Caravans , 1 19 .

Carlyle, J. , 6.

Carlyle, T. ,2 1 , 72 , 84.

Carnovale, Fra, 9 1 .Casaubon, 9 2 .

Cassian, 5 .

Catharine de Med ici , 6 .

Cavend ish, 39 .

Cealchythe, 15 .

Celest ine 1 . 43.

Cel l ini , 40 .

Cenei , B . , 130 .

S t . Chad , 18.

Chal ice motto, 1 16.

Charlemagne 2 , 4, 13, 26, 68,1 19 i78), I39

Char les the Bad , 1 1 .

Charles Edward , 5 5 .

Char les 9 , 52 , 56, 83.

Charles v . , 90 , 10 2, 1 18 , 130 .

Char les V I I I . , 65 .

344

Index

Chaucer, 45 , 8 1 , 9 5 , 1 19Cheyne, 1 19Cho lera , 66 .

Christ , 8 , 22 , 82 , 1 10 , 1 18 .

Ch ristm as, 2 , 8 , 19 , 45 , 48, 72

85 , 89 , 9 6 , 9 8 , 1 10 , 1 1 1 , 1 12

S t . Chrysostom , 24, 6 1 , 62 , 1 16 .

Church , Dean, 147 .

C ircumcision, 1 2 .

C lement Alex . 18 , 1 50 .

C loveshoo , 1 .

C lov is , 18 , 29 .

Coenobi tes, 55 .

Co leridge, 1 9 , 78.

Colet , 5 1 .

Cologne herm i t, 100 .

S t . Columba, 34, 45, 78, 84,89 .

Co lumbus , 19 , 3 1 .

Commendat ion, 13 , 3 1 ,

Commentators, eighteenth-century, 10 5 .

Commons, House of, 67 .

Composi te psa lms , 7 1 .

Constantine, 48, 82 .

Cont rition, 5 1 .

Corbilla , 138.

Cosin, 90 .

Cottam , 7 1 .

Coutras , 1 18.

Coverdale, 1 19Cowley , 1 14.

Cowper, Bishop, 1 19Cowper , W. ,

10 1 , 1 18.

Crashaw , 137 .

C ramp rings , 67 .

S t . Crisp in, 79 .

C rispina, 138.

Cromwel l , 68, 1 1 7 .

Croyland , 1 12 .

C rusade, First , 2 .

Cursing psalm , 109 .

S t. Cuthbert, 36 , 60 .

S t . Cyprian, 6 , 22 , 141 .

St . Cyri l , 132 .

Earthquake, 46.

Easter, 2 , 62 ,

S t . Edmund, 72 .

Edward Confessor, 1 16.

Edward 9 1 .

Edward 6 , 52, 1 12 , 1 14.

Edward v1., 5 1 , 1 19 132.

Elfric, 25 , 26, 5 1 .S t . Eligius, 1 19El iot

, G . , 85 .El izabeth, Queen, 14, 20 , 2 1 , 90 ,

1 18.

Eloh ists, 14, 53.

Dale, 16 .

Damascus , 145 .

Dante, 9 , 5 1 , 9 2 , 1 1 4.

Darnley, 55 .

Dav id,140 .

De Civ i tate Dei, 87 .

Dec, 76 .

Defensor,8.

Descartes , 53.

D ials, 19 , 74, 80 , 89 , 90 , 10 2 ,

1 13, 1 19 1 50 .

D idymus,88 .

D ies 1m ,1 9 , 9 7 , 10 2, 1 10 .

D igby , 137 .

D ionys ius AL , 24.

D i rge, 5 , 7 1 30 1 41 : 42 : 7 1 , t 16’146 .

D israel i , r3, 1 22 .

Dod , 13 1 .

Dodd, 10 5 .

Doge, 5 1 .

Dona t ists,26.

Donne, 6 , 32 , 68.

Drum clog , 76.

Dunbar, 68 , 1 1 7 .

Duncan, 60 .

Duns Scotus, 53.

Dunstan,1 , 5 1 , 68 , 1 1 1 .

Diirer, 90 .

Durham Univers i ty, 87 .

Duty,1 19 .

Index

S t . Elphege, 2 , 3.

Emmanuel, 37 .

England , 1 25 .

S t . Epiphanius, 3 1 .

Epiphany.29 , 46, 47 , 66. 72 ,

85 , 87 , 9 5 , 9 6 , 9 7Erasmus , 1 , 2 , 1 5 , 65Essex , 55 .

Ethelbert,29 .

Eusebius, P. , 1

Evelyn, J. , 14, 136 .

S t . Evroult , 14, 34, 41 , 1 19Exorcism , 76.

Fabricius, 12 .

Fifth Monarchy , 7.Fisher

,Bp. , 6, 32, 34, 7 1 , 1 16.

Fletcher,Ph in. , 1 , 1 30 .

Forrest,63.

Fortunatus, 9 6.

Fox, 106.

Francis 1 19S t. Francis S . 40 .

S t . Francis A . , 23,S t . Francis Xav . , 3 1 .Frankl in, 10 7 .

Frederick Gt. 1 22 .

Ful ler, 8, 37 , 52 , 66, 109 .

S t . Gal l , 132 .

Ganging,10 3 , 104.

Ga rd iner, A lan,1 7 , 139 .

Gard iner, S tephen, 60 .

Gaufridus, 106 .

Gent leman, 1 5 .

George 27 , 9 7 .

Gerard, 148.

Gerson, 143.

Giraldus, C . , 5 5.Gladstone, 1 7 , 86, 9 8,

140

Glanvi l le,123.

Gnost ics, 140 .

Good Friday, 2 , 22 , 27 , 38, 40 ,

54. 59 , 69 . 88. 94St. Gord ius, 1 18 .

1 19

S t . Go rgonia, 4, 37.

G race, 22 , 104, 1 10 ,

145 .

G radual , 120—134.

G rey , Lad y J. , 5 1 .

S t . Gregory , Dec. , 1 3 .

St G regory.Mas .1 , 32. 33. 69 ,

72 , H 9 ( 1 1 5 )Si G regory NW 4, 6, 37 , 41 , 49G rote, 1 12 .

Guardian, 40 .

Guest, 1 1 9Gundulph , 80 .

Gunpowder Plot,64, 1 23.

S t . Guth lac, 84.

1 1 7 , 1 18 ,

Habington, 19 .

Hacket, 24, 4 1 , 70 , 132 .

Hal icarnassus , 127 .

Hankford , 106 .

Hannington, 27.

Hal l,Hal lel , 1 1 3—1 18, 135 .

Ham pton Cour t Conf. 106 .

Handel , 24.

Hare, 1 7 , 24.

Harrington, 7 , 3 1 38.

Harrowing of Hel l , 24, 10 7 .

Ha rt, the, 42 .

Hart , 123 .

Ha t ton, 92 , 108 .

Hawk ins, 1 19Haydn

, 70 .

Heine,23.

Helmore, 47 .

Henry, Prince, 82 .

Henry 6 .

Henry 85 .

Henry iv . , 2 , 68.

Henry v . , 5 1 , 52 , 1 14.

Henry v 1. , 3 , 16 , 52 , 122.

Henry vrt. , 43 .

Hera ld ry, 1 27 .

Herber t, G . , 1 , 1 1 , 23 , 29 ,

38. 7 1

St. Hi larion, 20 .

346

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Index

Locke, J. , 135 .

Logos, 1 19 (2Lok , 49 .

Longfel low , 1 00 .

S t . Louis, 5 , 2 5 , 32 .

Lowe, 2 7 .

Luther, 2 , 32 , 46 , 10 0 , 1

140

Lux Mund i,1 10 .

Luxorius, 86, 1 1 9Lyte, 84.

Mackenz ie, 10 5 .

Magic, 50 .

Magna Charta, 144.

Mahom et , 1 36 .

Maimonides, 1 19

Maine, C . , 3 1 .

Manning, 43.

Manoel , 37 .

Manton,1 19

Marcion, 8 , 22 .

Margaret of R ichmond , 6 .

Margaret of Scot land,1 .

Marriage,67 , 128 .

Marsei l les, Bishop of, 9 1S t . Martin, 8, 1 18.

Martyn , H . , 1 18 , 1 19B lessed Virg in Mary , 8, 19 , 24,45. 46. 87. 96. 9 7. 9 8. 1 10

.

1 13 , 1 22, 127, 13 1 , 147 .

Mary of Scots, 1 1 , 18, 7 1 , 130 .

Matheson, 92 .

Mat i lda, Countess, 9 2 .

Mat i lda , Queen, 100 .

Maundy Thursday, 69 , 70 , 7 172—77 , 1 16 , 120 , 140

—42 .

S t . Maur , 42 .

Maurice, Em peror, 1 19Maxwel l , 1 19McCheyne, 124.

Medley, Bishop , 1 1 9Melchiz edeck

,1 10 .

Merks, 1 0 5 . Observer, 1 39 .

Mess iah , 72 . Oldcastle, 94.

Method ius, 67 . O ra torians, 9 .

348

Midw ife’s psalm, 139 .

Mi lm an,25 .

Mi l ton,1 9 , 1 14, 136 , 145 .

Missions, 22 .

Mo l inos , 18 .

Monica , 10 1 .

Monk ish vows, 54.

Montanists , 26 .

Mont rose, 35 .

More, H .,1 7 , 106 .

More,T. , 32 , 5 1 .

Morley, Ld . , 94.

Moses, 100 .

Mossom,25 .

Mozar t , 5 1 .

Munz er, 149 .

Musica l psa lm s, 50 .

Mut iny, Ind ian, 79 .

Mysteries, Covent ry, 12 5 .

Myst ics, 18, 24, 33 , 62 .

Naseby, 47 .

Na tiona l Anthem , 20 .

Neale, 9 6 , 1 19Neckan

,149 .

Necrom ancy, 50 , 5 1 , 76 , 10 3 .

Nelson, H 12 1 .

Nelson, Jn. , 3 1 , 1 30 .

Newcomer, 37 .

Newgate, 72 .

Newman, 90 , 104, 1 12 .

Newton, 22 .

Nicene Creed , 36 .

Nicholas 109 .

Nicholas 57 .

Nicholson,Bishop

, 70 .

Ni le, 2 .

Nocturns, 10 .

S t . Nonna, 1 2 1 .

Nor ris, Jn. , 18.

Northem m ost grave, 5 1 .

Notker, 2 1 , 10 3 .

Index

O rgan, 1 50 .

O rigen,1 , 65 .

Oswald , Archbishop, 16 ,Otto, 1 19Oudenarde, 46.

Oxford m ot to, 27 .

S t. Pambo, 39 .

Paris, M 9 2 .

Parker , Archbishop, 47 .

Par l iament, Long , 46 .

Pasca l, 1 19

S t . Patrick , 3 , 20 .

S t . Paul , 28 .

Paula,84.

Paul ine psalm s, 32 .

Pel ican, 10 2 .

l 'enitential psalm s, 6 , 32 , 385 1 , 10 2 , 130 ,

143 .

Perugino , 85 .

S t. Peter Balsam ,27 .

S t . Peter Nolasco , 1 1 1 .

Philostratus, 140 .

Pianoforte, 33.

Pico del la Mirandola , 16, 26 .

Pierson,87 .

Piers Ploughman, 32 , 36 ,

Pi lgrimage of G race, 74.

Pisano, N ., 9 1 .

Pius v .

, 1 19Piza rro, 73.

S t . Polycarp, 3 1 .

S t . Pont ius, 1 1 5 .

Pope,A lex . , 18, 64 .

Porphyrius , 52 , 78 .

l ’rideaux , 16 .

Psa lm s , metrical , 10 .

Psa l ters , 10 .

Pusey , 66 .

Pygot , 106 .

Rainolds, Dr. , 10 5 , 106 .

Ra leigh , Si r W. , 75 .

Ra leigh , Dr. W. , 142 .

Randolph , 109 .

Reyno lds , R . , 27 .

S t . R ichard , 1 22 .

R icha rd de Bury , 1 16.

Richard 22 , 1 27 .

R ichard 52 .

Ripon, 1 27 .

Robbia,L . del la, 104.

Roma ine, 10 7 .

Romanist m artyrs, 3 1 , 5 1 , 62 .

Rood , 1 27 .

Rosset t i , C 12 1 .

Rudd, 90 .

Rusk in,19 , 23, 36, 147 .

Russel l , W. , 42 .

Russia , 10 1 .

Sadoleto, 5 1 .

Salmasius, 54 .

Salmond , 142 .

Sancreal , 1 39 .

Sancroft, 32 .

Sandys , 80 .

Sarpi,109 .

Sanderson, 57 , 10 3 ,Savonaro la , 2 , 3 1 , 5 1 , 66 , 68 .

Sciopius, 149 .

Scott , G .

, 1 22 .

Scott,W. , 16 , 37 , 1 14, 137 .

Scrope , 55 .

Sebaste, 1 24.

Secker, 1 , 2 .

Secreta , 43.

Secta rians , 26 .

S t . Sever inus, 1 50 .

Shakespea re, 18,19 , 22 , 89 ,

90 . 9 3Sheldon, G . , 18 .

Sherlock,8 1 .

Shute, 36 .

Sidney , 10 , 23 .

S t . Si lvester , 45 .

Simeon, C . , 1 7 , 30 , 1 19

Sixtus v . , 7 1 .

Smalbroke, 2 .

Smart , 0 ,1 33 .

Smart , P. , 3 1 .

Index

Sm i th R . , 140 .

Sm i th , S. , 72 .

Social ism , 78.

Socrates S. , 39 , 59 .

Sparkes, 1 0 5 .

Spenser , 38, 9 1 .

S tanley, A . , 3 1 , 78, 1 12 ,

122 .

S torm , the great , 46 .

S trafford , 25 , 146 .

S trathmore, 3 1 .

S tubbs,29 .

Sudbury , 130 . U rban 1v . , 5 1 .

Suicide, 1 19 Ussher, 32 , 56 .

Supremacy, papal , 1 0 5 . Usury, 1 5 .

Swedenborg, 74. Utrecht Psal ter, 12, 106 .

Sword motto , 144.

Sydenham , 62 .

Syl log ism ,fal se, 66 .

Syriac,144.

Tai t, 1 7 .

Talmud , 100 .

Tasso, 3 1 .

Tate and Brady, 1 0 , 34.

Taylor, J. , 126, 1 30 .

Taylor, R. , 5 1 .

Te Deum , 28 , 3 1 .

Templars, 9 5 .

Tennyson, 86 , 130 .

Tertul lian, 133S t . Theodore, 1 1 9S t. Theodore Mop. , 18, 79 .

S t . Theodore Marty r, 34.

Theodoret, 1 , 78.

Theodos ius, 1 19Theodulf

,25 , 5 1 .

S t . Thomas aKemp is, 12 , 85 .

S t. Thomas of Canterbury , 37 ,48. 1 19 6 31.Thom son

,19 .

De Thou, 1 16, 1 18 .

Th ring, 78.

Thurkeld,1 18.

Ti l lo tson, 1 9 .

Ti t ian, 1 20 .

Toplady, 6 1 , 1 1 5 .

Torquem ada, 35 .

Tractarians,139 .

Trafa lgar,66 .

Travel ler’s psalm ,12 1 .

Treat ies, 46 .

Trench,86 .

Trini tar ian friars,146 .

Trini ty psa lms, 8, 19 , 24,

48. 67. 72. 96. 9 7. 98

Turketul, 26.

Vane,H . 7 .

Vandal s,149 .

Van Mi lder t, 2 , 87 .

Vaughan,H . , 65 , 104, 12 1 .

Verney, E .,10 5 .

Versions, 1 .

V ica rs,64, 123.

V ictoria,122 .

S t . V incent de Paul , 137 .

S t . Vincent, Lerins, 46 .

Vind icat ion, 59 .

V ind ict ive psalm s, 59 , 69 , 79 ,109 .

Visconti , B . , 5 1 .

Vis i ta t ion of s ick, 6, 23, 27 , 32 ,SI : 55 , 6 1 : 7 1 7 10 2 °

V lad im i r, 10 1 .

Waddel l,10 .

Wake,2 1 , 146.

Wal lace,1 19

Wa l ton,2, 32 , 120 .

Waterloo , 20 .

Wat ts, 90 , 1 2 1 .

Wesley , C . , 3 1 , 72 .

Wesley, J. , 38 .

Wh i te,K .

,18.

Wh i tfield,1 18 .

Wh i tgift,10 5 .

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