the Prayer of the Church. Even, humanly speaking, the Prayer of David would be the prayer of every grade of life, of every spiritual necessity. The shepherd's youngest son, small in stature, ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face," he becomes the champion, the hero, and the sovereign of the chosen people. The changing scenes of his life display the beauty and constancy of friendship, the pangs of ingratitude, the grandeur of piety, the simplicity of its manifestation, the loss of virtue, the agony of remorse, and the fervor of that contrition which, amidst the plaintive melodies of the psaltery, poured itself forth in those deep, thrilling accents of sorrow which, to the end of our wayward history, must form the sad language of penance. Therefore, in the Prayer of David, every one who suffers, every one who rejoices, every one who is tempted, or falls, or repents, will be able to breathe forth his thoughts, his hopes, his praises, his desires, in strains of inspired poetry. But, as we learn from the New , Testament, David is both a prophet and a type of Jesus Christ, and the "Prayer of David " is therefore also the Prayer of Jesus Christ." Our Lord quoted the Psalms and applied them to Himself, He used them as His own prayers, He sung them with His
