THE *BOOK OF
PSALMS.
Psalm 102 ©
The church complains very much of her heavy affliction and prays for deliverances, comforting herself with God’s ever abiding mercy, and in the everlasting, endless or unlimited power of the Lord, and promising that she will praise and thank Him for it. And by the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity and the restoration of the temple and city, there is likewise understood the deliverance by Christ and the calling of the heathen to His communion.
A Prayer1of the afflicted, when he is 2overwhelmed, and 3poureth out his complaint before the LORD.
HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
4Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call 5answer me speedily.
For 6my days are consumed 7likea smoke, and my bones are burned 8as an hearth.
My heart is smitten, and withered 9like grass; 10so that I forget to eat my bread.
11By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave 12to my skin.
I 13am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
14I watch, and am 15as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
16Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that 17are mad against me 18are sworn against me.
For 19I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled 20my drink with weeping,
21Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
22My days are 23like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered 24like grass.
But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and 25thy remembrance unto all generations.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy 26upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the 27set time, is come.
For 28thy servants 29take pleasure in her stones, and 30favour the 31dust thereof.
So the 32heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
He will regard the prayer 33of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
34This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people 35which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
For he hath looked down 36from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold 37the earth;
To hear the groaning 38of the prisoner; to loose those 39that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
40When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
41He weakened my strength 42in the way; he shortened 43my days.
44I said, O my God, 45take me not away in the midst of my days: 46thy years are throughout 47all generations.
48Of 49old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
50They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, 51all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vestureb shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
But 52thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
53The children of thy servants shall 54continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.