30 go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto him, and speak good of his name. 4 For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting : and his truth endureth from generation to generation. "Singing the hundredth psalm, that grand old Puritan anthem." The hymn "All people that on earth do dwell," was by William Kethe, a Puritan friend of Knox's, and the "Old Hundredth tune is from the Psalter of 1580 A.D.-a traditional chorale, some say, by Luther. It is probably this Liturgical use.-At the daily Matins, if Benedictus comes in the Gospel or Lesson; Introit to Mass on Whit Monday (e). Latins.-Sunday Lauds. Greeks.-Thursday morning. The Talmud says that Psalms xc. to c., except Ps. xcii., were composed by Moses. PSALM CI. Misericordiam et judicium. M2 thee, O Lord, will I sing. Y song shall be of mercy and judgement : unto 20 let me have understanding in the way of godliness. 3 When wilt thou come unto me: I will walk in my house with a perfect heart. 4 I will take no wicked thing in hand; I hate the sins of unfaithfulness: there shall no such cleave unto me. 5 A froward heart shall depart from me : I will not know a wicked person. 6 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour : him will I destroy. 7 Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach: I will not suffer him. 8 Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land that they may dwell with me. 9 Whoso leadeth a godly life he shall be my ser vant. IO There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. II I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land that I may root all the wicked doers from the city of the Lord. This psalm and the next were sung at the death of Monica by St. Augustine and his son Adeodatus, with Euodius, and the household. Bacon recommended George Villiers to make a study of this psalm, and to be ruled by it when he promoted the courtiers. Verse 1. The opening words of this psalm were the expression of poor Cowper's joy, on his recovery from the deep melancholy which caused him to be put under the care of Dr. Cotton. When at last the light broke in upon him, he Liturgical use. -Introit for "felt it almost waste of time to sleep, he was so happy." Then he wrote the song of Mercy and Judgment which begins, "Lord, I love the habitation." "Me through waves of deep affliction, Dearest Saviour, Thou hast brought; Fiery deeps of sharp conviction, Hard to bear and passing Sweet the sound of grace Sweet the grace which makes Mass on Whit Tuesday (e); Greeks.-Thursday morning; First hour. H PSALM CII. Domine, exaudi. EAR my prayer, O Lord: and let my crying come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble incline thine ear unto me when I call; Ŏ hear me, and that right soon. 3 For my days are consumed away like smoke : and my bones are burnt up as it were a fire-brand. 4 My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass : so that I forget to eat my bread. 5 For the voice of my groaning my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh. 6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness : and like an owl that is in the desert. 7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow: that sitteth alone upon the house-top. 8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long : and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me. 9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread and mingled my drink with weeping; 10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath : for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down. II My days are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grass. 12 But, thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever: and thy remembrance throughout all generations. 13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion : for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come. 14 And why? thy servants think upon her stones: and it pitieth them to see her in the dust. 15 The heathen shall fear thy Name, O Lord : and all the kings of the earth thy Majesty; 16 When the Lord shall build up Sion: and when his glory shall appear; 17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute: and despiseth not their desire. 18 This shall be written for those that come after : and the people which shall be born shall praise the Lord. 19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary: out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth; 20 That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity and deliver the children appointed unto death; 21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion and his worship at Jerusalem; : 22 When the people are gathered together: and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord. 23 He brought down my strength in my journey : and shortened my days. 24 But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations. 25 Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight. This is the fifth penitential psalm. These are Pss. vi., Xxx., xxxviii., li., cii., cxxx., cxliii. (vide Ps. vi.) It is the antidote to Avarice. The Emperor Charles V. had these seven psalms read again and again to him in his last sickness at St. Juste (Sept., 1568). Verse 1. These are the words which in so many services usher in the Collect or Summary of all that is prayed for. They are used thus not only in our Litany, for instance, but in that ancient service at which, from Edward the Confessor's time onwards, English monarchs have touched for the King's Evil. Verse 5. William Hunnis, Queen Elizabeth's choirmaster at the Chapel Royal, was among the earlier authors who "reduced into meeter the seven psalms. His book is rather a commentary upon than a translation of the original (1583). It is exquisitely bound. and has tunes to it. It is called "Seven sobs of a sorrowful soule for sinne." This is his comment to this verse: "Age overtaketh youth, I see, and youth by stealth dooth flie, As dooth the smoke vanish awaie [so aloft vnder the skie. more swifter, I may saie, or eagle after praie." Verse 6. This gave to Christian art the pelican as the symbol of our Lord, as in St. Thomas Aquinas' hymn "Adoro te" (312 A. and M.): "Pie Pellicane, Jesu Domine! Me immundum munda Tuo sanguine." Verse 10. Quoted by Origen in his bitter lament for his apostasy (vide Ps. 1.). Verse 11. "My days are gone like a shadow that declineth" is the Arbroath dial motto. Dies mei sicut umbra declinaverunt, is the dial motto of St. Michele, near Venice. Verses 25 and 26. St. Augustine assigns these verses as the witness of David to the Doomsday alluded to in the "anvil hymn" of the Dies Ira, see xcvii. 3. Liturgical use.-Ash Wednesday evening. Greeks.-Thursday morning; late Evensong in Lent; Visitation of the Sick; Confession; For the dying. PSALM CIII. Benedic, anima mea. RAISE the Lord, O my soul PRAISE within me praise his holy Name. : and all that is 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits; 3 Who forgiveth all thy sins: and healeth all thine infirmities; 4 Who saveth thy life from destruction crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness; and 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things : making thee young and lusty as an eagle. 6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement: for all them that are oppressed with wrong. 7 He shewed his ways unto Moses: his works unto the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: longsuffering, and of great goodness. 9 He will not alway be chiding: neither keepeth he his anger for ever. IO He hath not dealt with us after our sins: nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses. II For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth; so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him. 12 Look how wide also the east is from the west : so far hath he set our sins from us. 13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children : even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembereth that we are but dust. 15 The days of man are but as grass: for he flourisheth as a flower of the field. 16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone : and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him and his righteousness upon children's children. |