brother went to the higher ground and raised two torches, as a signal to Lindisfarne. The brethren there were chanting the same psalm when the signal was spied, and they knew that their chief was gone. So this psalm has been called the Dirge of St. Cuthbert, and was the dirge also of Celtic Christianity, which died with him.

H

Verse 2. The text of the Bishop of Exeter, Joseph Hall's magnificent and brave plea for peace, which he preached to Charles I. at Whitehall, on the 2nd Sunday in Lent, 1641, On the Mischiefe of Faction and the Remedie of it." He was translated to Norwich; but his advice was left to lie where it fell.

Latins.-Wednesday morning.
Greeks.-Tuesday morning.

PSALM LXI. Eraudi, Deus.

EAR my crying, O God

prayer.

give ear unto my

2 From the ends of the earth will I call upon thee: when my heart is in heaviness.

3 O set me up upon the rock that is higher than I : for thou hast been my hope, and a strong tower for me against the enemy.

4 I will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever and my trust shall be under the covering of thy wings.

5 For thou, O Lord, hast heard my desires and hast given an heritage unto those that fear thy Name.

6 Thou shalt grant the King a long life that his years may endure throughout all generations.

7 He shall dwell before God for ever: O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.

8 So will I alway sing praise unto thy Name: that I may daily perform thy vows.

Verse 5. St. Chrysostom's comment on this is that the "heritage" is Christ Himself. "A thousand hells are nothing to the evil of being shut out

from this heavenly heritage, of being eternally repelled from Christ, and hearing from His mouth, I never knew you.'

Latins.-Wednesday morning; Apostles and Evangelists ;

All Saints'.

Greeks. Tuesday morning; Visitation of the Sick.

Y

PSALM LXII. Nonne Deo?

My soul truly waiteth still upon God: for of him

cometh my salvation.

2 He verily is my strength and my salvation : he is my defence, so that I shall not greatly fall.

3 How long will ye imagine mischief against every man ye shall be slain all the sort of you; yea, as a tottering wall shall ye be, and like a broken hedge.

4 Their device is only how to put him out whom God will exalt their delight is in lies; they give good words with their mouth, but curse with their heart.

5 Nevertheless, my soul, wait thou still upon God : for my hope is in him.

6 He truly is my strength and my salvation : he is my defence, so that I shall not fall.

7 In God is my health, and my glory: the rock of my might, and in God is my trust.

8 O put your trust in him alway, ye people: pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.

9 As for the children of men, they are but. vanity: the children of men are deceitful upon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

10 O trust not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

II God spake once, and twice I have also heard the same that power belongeth unto God;

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12 And that thou, Lord, art merciful for thou rewardest every man according to his work.

St. Athanasius's favourite psalm. Against all attempts upon thy body, thy state, thy soul, thy fame, temptations, tribulations, machinations, defamations, say this psalm." He probably learnt his great love for it in the desert with St. Anthony. There he had

time to meditate upon the corruptions of Alexandria, where he was born, and where he died (373).

Verse I. Allan Gardiner painted these words in red over the cave in which he was starved to death (vide xvii.).

Liturgical use. -Introit for Mass on Easter morning (e).
Latins.-Wednesday Matins.

Greeks.-Tuesday morning.

PSALM LXIII.

Deus, Deus meus.

GOD, thou art my God: early will I seek thee.

2 My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is.

3 Thus have I looked for thee in holiness: that I might behold thy power and glory.

4 For thy loving-kindness is better than the life itself my lips shall praise thee.

5 As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner and lift up my hands in thy Name.

6 My soul shall be satisfied, even as it were with marrow and fatness: when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.

7 Have I not remembered thee in my bed : and thought upon thee when I was waking?

8 Because thou hast been my helper: therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

9 My soul hangeth upon thee: thy right hand hath upholden me.

IO These also that seek the hurt of my soul: they shall go under the earth.

II Let them fall upon the edge of the sword: that they may be a portion for foxes.

12 But the King shall rejoice in God; all they also that swear by him shall be commended: for the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

HE

PSALM LXIV. Exaudi, Deus.

EAR my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the gathering together of the froward and from the insurrection of wicked doers;

3 Who have whet their tongue like a sword: and shoot out their arrows, even bitter words;

4 That they may privily shoot at him that is perfect : suddenly do they hit him, and fear not.

5 They encourage themselves in mischief: and commune among themselves how they may lay snares, and say, that no man shall see them.

6 They imagine wickedness, and practise it: that they keep secret among themselves, every man in the deep of his heart.

7 But God shall suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow that they shall be wounded.

8 Yea, their own tongues shall make them fall: insomuch that whoso seeth them shall laugh them to

scorn.

9 And all men that see it shall say, "This hath God done" for they shall perceive that it is his work.

IO The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad.

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The proper psalms once appointed to be said on Gunpowder Treason Day were lxiv., cxxiv., and cxxv.

John Holland, in his "Psalmists of Britain," numbers 173 authors of metrical translations from the sixteenth century. Up to the year 1720, Le Long numbers 1,120 editions of the Old Testament made since the year 1475, and counts 500 commentators on the Psalms; but Calmet, not long afterwards, asserted that there were close upon a thousand known.

Among the much-wronged minor authors, who out of love for the Psalter published me

Latins.-Wednesday at Matins; Apostles and Evangelists. Greeks. Tuesday morning.

THO

PSALM LXV. Te decet hymnus.

HOU, O God, art praised in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem.

2 Thou that hearest the prayer: unto thee shall all flesh come.

3 My misdeeds prevail against me: O be thou merciful unto our sins.

4 Blessed is the man, whom thou choosest, and receivest unto thee: he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

5 Thou shalt show us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our salvation: thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea.

6 Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains : and is girded about with power.

7 Who stilleth the raging of the sea and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the people.

8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens: thou that makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise thee.

9 Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it: thou makest it very plenteous.

10 The river of God is full of water: thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth.

II Thou waterest her furrows, thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it.

12 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy clouds drop fatness.

13 They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.

14 The folds shall be full of sheep the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.