Fragmenda

Scripture

Psalms 15–18

Psalms 15

Conserva me, Domine. Christ’s future victory and triumph over the world and death.

1 

The inscription of a title to David himself. Preserve me, O Lord, for I have put my trust in thee.

2 

I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.

3 

To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.

4 

Their infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste. I will not gather together their meetings for bloodofferings: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips.

5 

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.

6 

The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.

7 

I will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding: moreover, my reins also have corrected me even till night.

8 

I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.

9 

Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover, my flesh also shall rest in hope.

10 

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.

11 

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.


Psalms 16

Exaudi, Domine, justitiam. A just man’s prayer in tribulation against the malice of his enemy.

1 

The prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.

2 

Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

3 

Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

4 

That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

5 

Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved.

6 

I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

7 

Shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee.

8 

From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.

9 

From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul:

10 

They have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly.

11 

They have cast me forth, and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.

12 

They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.

13 

Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one; thy sword

14 

From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

15 

But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.


Psalms 17

Diligam te, Domine. David’s thanks to God for his delivery from all his enemies.

1 

Unto the end, for David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said:

2 

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:

3 

The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector, and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

4 

Praising, I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

5 

The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.

6 

The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me.

7 

In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.

8 

The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.

9 

There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.

10 

He bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under his feet.

11 

And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.

12 

And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.

13 

At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.

14 

And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.

15 

And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.

16 

Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.

17 

He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.

18 

He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19 

They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.

20 

And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

21 

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:

22 

Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.

23 

For all his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.

24 

And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

25 

And the Lord will reward me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

26 

With the holy thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent:

27 

And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

28 

For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.

29 

For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God, enlighten my darkness.

30 

For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.

31 

As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire-tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.

32 

For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?

33 

God, who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.

34 

Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.

35 

Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.

36 

And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.

37 

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.

38 

I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.

39 

I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.

40 

And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.

41 

And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.

42 

They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.

43 

And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets.

44 

Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people; thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.

45 

A people which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.

46 

The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.

47 

The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

48 

O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enraged enemies.

49 

And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.

50 

Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.

51 

Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David, his anointed: and to his seed for ever.


Psalms 18

Coeli enarrant. The works of God shew forth his glory: his law is greatly to be esteemed and loved.

1 

Unto the end. A Psalm for David.

2 

The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

3 

Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.

4 

There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.

5 

Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.

6 

He hath set his tabernacle in the sun: and he as a bridegroom coming out of his bridechamber, Hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way:

7 

His going out is from the end of heaven, And his circuit even to the end thereof: and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.

8 

The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.

9 

The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

10 

The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.

11 

More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

12 

For thy servant keepeth them, and in keeping them there is a great reward.

13 

Who can understand sins? from my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord:

14 

And from those of others spare thy servant. If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot: and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin.

15 

And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please: and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight. O Lord, my helper and my Redeemer.

Catechism

An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Lesson 19, Question 210

210 Q. What are the chief qualities of a good confession?

A. The chief qualities of a good confession are three: it must be humble, sincere, and entire.