서론
无标题
简体中文
英文原文
Holy David is in this psalm putting himself upon a solemn trial, not by God and his country, but by God and his own conscience, to both which he appeals touching his integrity (Ps 26:1,2), for the proof of which he alleges, I. His constant regard to God and his grace, Ps 26:3. II. His rooted antipathy to sin and sinners, Ps 26:4,5. III. His sincere affection to the ordinances of God, and his care about them, Ps 26:6-8. Having thus proved his integrity, 1. He deprecates the doom of the wicked, Ps 26:9,10. 2. He casts himself upon the mercy and grace of God, with a resolution to hold fast his integrity, and his hope in God, Ps 26:11,12. In singing this psalm we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, what we must be and do that we may have the favour of God, and comfort in our own consciences, and comfort ourselves with it, as David does, if we can say that in any measure we have, through grace, answered to these characters. The learned Amyraldus, in his argument of his psalm, suggests that David is here, by the spirit of prophecy, carried out to speak of himself as a type of Christ, of whom what he here says of his spotless innocence, was fully and eminently true, and of him only, and to him we may apply it in singing this psalm. "We are complete in him."
1-5
Devout Appeals
简体中文
虔诚的申诉
大卫的诗。
¹ 耶和华啊，求你为我伸冤，因我向来行事纯全，我又倚靠耶和华，并不摇动。
² 耶和华啊，求你察看我，试验我，熬炼我的肺腑心肠。
³ 因为你的慈爱常在我眼前，我按你的真理而行。
⁴ 我没有和虚谎人同坐，也不与瞒哄人同群。
⁵ 我恨恶恶人的会，必不与恶人同坐。
本篇大概是大卫受扫罗一党迫害时所写的。他们为给自己的不义之怒披上一层外衣，便将大卫描述为极其败坏之人，诬告他犯了诸多重罪和叛乱之罪，给他披上野兽的皮，好嗾使人去撕咬他。清白本身虽能护及胸怀，却护不了名声，挡不住毁谤的飞镖。在这一点上他是基督的预表——基督被人辱骂，也曾预告他的门徒：人也要捏造各样坏话毁谤他们。如今请看大卫在这情形中如何行事。
一、他向神公义的判语申诉（诗26:1）：「神啊，求你为我伸冤！」求你在我和控告我的人之间、在逼迫者与可怜的囚犯之间作审判者；使我带着尊荣脱身，使那妄告我的人蒙羞。扫罗本是以色列最高的审判者，却成了他的对头，因此在与扫罗的争讼中，他无处可上诉，唯有上诉到神自己面前。至于他得罪神之处，他祷告说：「主啊，不要与你仆人算账」（诗143:2），「求你不要记念我幼年的罪愆」（诗25:7），在此他向神的怜悯申诉；但至于他得罪扫罗之处，他向神的公义申诉，求神为他判断，如诗43:1所言。或者这样说：他无法为自己辩护，使自己脱离罪过的指控；他承认自己的罪孽深重，若不是神以无限的怜悯赦免他，他便灭亡了；但他能为自己的真诚自辩，脱离「假冒为善」的指控，并有理由指望，按照恩典之约的条款，他是可以指望在神面前蒙恩的人。圣洁的约伯也屡次承认自己犯了罪，却仍持守自己的纯正。注意，对那些被诬告的人来说，有一位公义的神，他或迟或早必为他们的清白辩明，这是安慰；对一切在信仰上真诚的人来说，神自己就是他们真诚的见证人，这也是安慰。
二、他顺服神无误的鉴察（诗26:2）：「耶和华啊，求你察看我，试验我」，如同试验金子是否为足色。神知道每个人的真性情，因为他知道心中的思念和主意，看穿一切伪装。大卫祷告：「主啊，求你察看我」，这表明他十分乐意神认识他，并且真心渴望神把他向自己显明，也向全世界显明。他在对神的虔诚和对君王的忠心这两件事上（两件事上他都被人怀疑为假冒），都如此真诚，甚至巴不得自己胸中开一扇窗，任凭谁愿都可以看入他的心。
三、他郑重声明自己的真诚（诗26:1）：「我向来行事纯全」；我的为人与我所宣告的相符，我生活的这一部分与那一部分也彼此一致。除非我们能借着神的恩典证明自己向来行事纯全，我们在世为人是凭着神的圣洁和诚实，否则夸耀自己的纯全便是枉然。他在此列举自己纯全的几样凭据，这些凭据使他得以信靠耶和华为他公义的审判者——为他认领并为他公义的事业辩护，并使他确信自己必带着名声脱身（「因此我不摇动」），使那些图谋把他从尊位上推下、动摇他的信心、玷污他的名声、阻挡他登上王位的人不能得逞（诗62:4）。在信仰上真诚的人可以信靠神，自己必不摇动，即必不背道。
-
他时常仰望神和他的恩典（诗26:3）。（1）他以神的恩惠为目标、为至善：「你的慈爱常在我眼前。」我们若在宗教上所行的一切，都是出于对神的爱，出于对他这位至善者、最好的朋友和恩主所存的善念，也出于对神素日施恩于我们的经历所发的感恩之心，这就是我们真诚的佳证。我们若以神的慈爱为榜样摆在自己眼前，努力效法，正如「立志行善，跟随那善良的」而效法他的良善（彼前3:13）——若以它为我们尽本分的重大约束与激励，惧怕行何事失去神的恩，并尽心竭力保守自己常在神的爱中——这不仅是纯全的佳证，对我们恒忍到底也有极大的影响。（2）他以神的话语为准则约束自己：「我按你的真理而行」，即按你的律法而行，因为你的律法就是真理。注意，唯有活出神的真理、活出那建立在真理之上的律法的人，才可指望享受神的慈爱。有人将此理解为他在真理和信实上也效法神的榜样，如同在良善和慈爱上效法一样。效法神作蒙爱的儿女而行的人，必是行得好的人。
-
他不与黑暗所结无益的果子有分，也不与行这些事的人同行（诗26:4,5）。他真正忠于君王，由此显明：他从未与那些对君王治理心怀不满的人结交，从未与那「匪徒」中藐视王的任何人同伙（撒上10:27）。他不在他们的密谋中，也不参与他们的诡计；他没有咒诅王，连心里也没有。这也证明了他对神的忠心：他从未与那些他明知对信仰心怀不满的人，或是信仰之敌，或对信仰之益处虚情假意的人结交。注意，格外留心避开恶人的同伴，既是我们真诚的佳证，也是保守我们在真诚中的良方。如今请在此观察，（1）他这声明的这一部分，既回顾了他迄今在这事上所留心的，也展望了他今后仍要留心的：「我没有与他们同坐」，「我也不与……同群」。注意，我们迄今所行的善，只有伴随着依靠神的大能、决心坚忍到底、绝不退后的心志时，才是我们真诚的凭据；而我们为将来所立的好心志，也只有作为我们迄今所行之善的延续时，我们才能在其中得着安慰。（2）大卫所远避的，不仅是恶人的同伴，也是虚谎人的同伴——那些完全沉迷于宴乐浮华、其中毫无稳重与认真的人。对敬虔人而言，这种同伴或许比恶人的同伴更为有害，因为他对浮华之传染的警惕，往往不如对赤裸作恶之传染的警惕。（3）瞒哄人的同伴，与任何同伴一样危险，无论凭敬虔还是凭谨慎，都当远避。作恶的人对待想要诱入网罗的人，常装作朋友，其实却是在瞒哄。「他们嘴上说好话，你却不要信他们。」（4）虽然他有时难免与恶人同处，却「不与他们同群」，不拣选这样的人作同伴，不寻找与他们结交来往的机会。他或许偶然与他们相遇，却不按约定和安排与他们同群。或者，他若碰巧与他们同处，也「不与他们同坐」，不与他们久留；他与他们同处，不超过本职所需的时日；他不附和他们的言行，不「与亵慢人同坐」（诗1:1）。他不与他们同谋策划害人的方法，也不与他们同席审判义人的后代。（5）我们不仅要在行为上远避恶人同伴，更要在原则和情感上对之厌恶。大卫在此不仅说「我远避了它」，更说「我恨恶了它」（诗139:21）。（6）恶人的会众——他们的团体、他们的联盟——在敬虔人眼中格外可恨。「我恨恶恶人的教会」——拉丁通俗译本如此译。善人同心合意，彼此更加为善，也能行更多的善；恶人勾结一气，彼此更加为恶，也行更多的恶。在这一切事上，大卫是基督的预表——基督虽然接待罪人，与他们同席，为要教导他们、使他们得益，但在其他方面却是圣洁、无邪恶、无玷污、远离罪人的，尤其远离法利赛人那些瞒哄人。他也是基督徒的榜样：他们既归入基督，就当「救自己脱离这弯曲的世代」（徒2:40）。
英文原文
Devout Appeals
A psalm of David.
¹ Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
² Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
³ For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
⁴ I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
⁵ I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul and his party, who, to give some colour to their unjust rage, represented him as a very bad man, and falsely accused him of many high crimes and misdemeanors, dressed him up in the skins of wild beasts that they might bait him. Innocency itself is no fence to the name, though it is to the bosom, against the darts of calumny. Herein he was a type of Christ, who was made a reproach of men, and foretold to his followers that they also must have all manner of evil said against them falsely. Now see what David does in this case.
I. He appeals to God's righteous sentence (Ps 26:1): "Judge me, O God! be thou Judge between me and my accusers, between the persecutor and the poor prisoner; bring me off with honour, and put those to shame that falsely accuse me." Saul, who was himself supreme judge in Israel, was his adversary, so that in a controversy with him he could appeal to no other then to God himself. As to his offences against God, he prays, Lord, enter not into judgment with me (Ps 143:2), remember not my transgressions (Ps 25:7), in which he appeals to God's mercy; but, as to his offences against Saul, he appeals to God's justice and begs of him to judge for him, as Ps 43:1. Or thus: he cannot justify himself against the charge of sin; he owns his iniquity is great and he is undone if God, in his infinite mercy, do not forgive him; but he can justify himself against the charge of hypocrisy, and has reason to hope that, according to the tenour of the covenant of grace, he is one of those that may expect to find favour with God. Thus holy Job often owns he has sinned and yet he holds fast his integrity. Note, It is a comfort to those who are falsely accused that there is a righteous God, who, sooner or later, will clear up their innocency, and a comfort to all who are sincere in religion that God himself is a witness to their sincerity.
II. He submits to his unerring search (Ps 26:2): Examine me, O Lord! and prove me, as gold is proved, whether it be standard. God knows every man's true character, for he knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, as sees through every disguise. David prays, Lord, examine me, which intimates that he was well pleased that God did know him and truly desirous that he would discover him to himself and discover him to all the world. So sincere was he in his devotion to his God and his loyalty to his prince (in both which he was suspected to be a pretender) that he wished he had a window in his bosom, that whoever would might look into his heart.
III. He solemnly protests his sincerity (Ps 26:1): "I have walked in my integrity; my conversation had agreed with my profession, and one part of it has been of a piece with another." It is vain to boast of our integrity unless we can make it out that by the grace of God we have walked in our integrity, and that our conversation in the world has been in simplicity and godly sincerity. He produces here several proofs of his integrity, which encouraged him to trust in the Lord as his righteous Judge, who would patronise and plead his righteous cause, with an assurance that he should come off with reputation (therefore I shall not slide), and that those should not prevail who consulted to cast him down from his excellency, to shake his faith, blemish his name, and prevent his coming to the crown, Ps 62:4. Those that are sincere in religion may trust in God that they shall not slide, that is, that they shall not apostasize from their religion.
1. He had a constant regard to God and to his grace, Ps 26:3. (1.) He aimed at God's good favour as his end and chief good: Thy loving-kindness is before my eyes. This will be a good evidence of our sincerity, if what we do in religion we do from a principle of love to God, and good thoughts of him as the best of beings and the best of friends and benefactors, and from a grateful sense of God's goodness to us in particular, which we have had the experience of all our days. If we set God's loving-kindness before us as our pattern, to which we endeavour to conform ourselves, being followers of him that is good, in his goodness (1Pe 3:13),—if we set it before us as our great engagement and encouragement to our duty, and are afraid of doing any thing to forfeit God's favour and in care by all means to keep ourselves in his love,—this will not only be a good evidence of our integrity, but will have a great influence upon our perseverance in it. (2.) He governed himself by the word of God as his rule: "I have walked in thy truth, that is, according to thy law, for thy law is truth." Note, Those only may expect the benefit of God's loving-kindness that live up to his truths, and his laws that are grounded upon them. Some understand it of his conforming himself to God's example in truth and faithfulness, as well as in goodness and loving-kindness. Those certainly walk well that are followers of God as dear children.
2. He had no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, nor with the workers of those works, Ps 26:4,5. By this it appeared he was truly loyal to his prince that he never associated with those that were disaffected to his government, with any of those sons of Belial that despised him, 1Sa 10:27. He was in none of their cabals, nor joined with them in any of their intrigues; he cursed not the king, no, not in his heart. And this also was an evidence of his faithfulness to his God, that he never associated with those who he had any reason to think were disaffected to religion, or were open enemies, or false friends, to its interests. Note, Great care to avoid bad company is both a good evidence of our integrity and a good means to preserve us in it. Now observe here, (1.) That this part of his protestation looks both backward upon the care he had hitherto taken in this matter, and forward upon the care he would still take: "I have not sat with them, and I will not go in with them." Note, Our good practices hitherto are then evidence of our integrity when they are accompanied with resolutions, in God's strength, to persevere in them to the end, and not to draw back; and our good resolutions for the future we may then take the comfort of when they are the continuation of our good practices hitherto. (2.) That David shunned the company, not only of wicked persons, but of vain persons, that were wholly addicted to mirth and gaiety and had nothing solid or serious in them. The company of such may perhaps be the more pernicious of the two to a good man because he will not be so ready to stand upon his guard against the contagion of vanity as against that of downright wickedness. (3.) That the company of dissemblers is as dangerous company as any, and as much to be shunned, in prudence as well as piety. Evil-doers pretend friendship to those whom they would decoy into their snares, but they dissemble. When they speak fair, believe them not. (4.) Though sometimes he could not avoid being in the company of bad people, yet he would not go in with them, he would not choose such for his companions nor seek an opportunity of acquaintance and converse with them. He might fall in with them, but he would not, by appointment and assignation, go in with them. Or, if he happened to be with them, he would not sit with them, he would not continue with them; he would be in their company no longer than his business made it necessary: he would not concur with them, not say as they said, nor do as they did, as those that sit in the seat of the scornful, Ps 1:1. He would not sit in counsel with them upon ways and means to do mischief, nor sit in judgment with them to condemn the generation of the righteous. (5.) We must not only in our practice avoid bad company, but in our principles and affections we must have an aversion to it. David here says, not only "I have shunned it," but, "I have hated it," Ps 139:21. (6.) The congregation of evil-doers, the club, the confederacy of them, is in a special manner hateful to good people. I have hated ecclesiam malignantium—the church of the malignant; so the vulgar Latin reads its. As good men, in concert, make one another better, and are enabled to do so much the more good, so bad men, in combination, make one another worse, and do so much the more mischief. In all this David was a type of Christ, who, though he received sinners and ate with them, to instruct them and do them good, yet, otherwise, was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, particularly from the Pharisees, those dissemblers. He was also an example to Christians, when they join themselves to Christ, to save themselves from this untoward generation, Ac 2:40.
6-12
Delight in Divine Ordinances
简体中文
以神圣圣礼为乐
⁶ 耶和华啊，我要洗手表明无辜，才环绕你的祭坛； ⁷ 我好发称谢的声音，也要述说你一切奇妙的作为。 ⁸ 耶和华啊，我喜爱你所住的殿和你荣耀居住的所在。 ⁹ 不要把我的灵魂和罪人一同除掉；不要把我的性命和流人血的一同除掉。 ¹⁰ 他们的手中有恶计，右手满了贿赂。 ¹¹ 至于我，却要行事纯全；求你救赎我，怜恤我。 ¹² 我的脚站在平坦地方；在会众中我要称颂耶和华。
在这些经文中：
一、大卫作为自己正直的进一步证据，提到他对神所立圣礼的真诚热爱、对此一贯的留心，以及在其中的喜乐。假冒为善者和欺瞒之人诚然也可在赴神之圣礼的人中寻见，正如那骄傲的法利赛人上圣殿去祷告，与悔改的税吏同在；但我们若是如大卫在此告诉我们他所作的那样赴这些圣礼，便是真诚的好记号，诗26:6-8。
1. 他在为赴圣礼而作的预备上极其谨慎、极其敬虔：「我要洗手表明无辜。」他不仅远离罪人的同伴，更保守自己不沾染罪的污秽，且此举乃着眼于他在环绕神祭坛之人中的地位。「我要洗手，才环绕祭坛，因为知道否则我便不受欢迎。」这如同（林前11:28）：「人应当自己省察，然后吃」，如此预备。这指：（1）习惯性的预备：「我要洗手表明无辜」；我要谨慎防备一切罪，并保守我的良心清洁，不染那些使它污秽、并禁止我亲近神的死行。见诗24:3-4。（2）实际的预备。它暗指祭司进入供职之时洗濯的礼节，出30:20-21。大卫虽非祭司，他却如每个敬拜者所当行的那样，留意祭司所守之影儿的实体。我们为严肃圣礼作预备时，不仅当能洗脱常住在其中的不信或假冒为善的罪愆，并为自己的无辜起誓（这由「洗手」所表明，申21:6），更当费心借更新悔改，并将基督的血重新应用于良心以洁净、安抚它，来洗净残留之罪的污点。那已经洗净的（即在称义状态中的人）仍需如此「洗脚」（约13:10），洗手，洗手表明无辜；悔改之人乃「几乎无辜」；蒙赦免之人因他的罪不再被记念，便算为无辜。
2. 他在赴这些圣礼之时极其殷勤、极其严肃：「我要环绕你的祭坛」，这暗指祭司的规矩——献祭之时他们绕祭坛而行，献祭者大概也远远照样而行，表示殷勤关注所行之事，并在事奉中敬虔地侍立。「我要环绕它」；我要在环绕祭坛的人群之中，在最密集的人群之中。大卫——一个尊荣之人、一个事务繁忙之人、一个战士——并不以与众人一同赴神的祭坛为耻，也能为此找出时间。当知道，（1）神一切百姓都必照例等候神的祭坛，是顺服他的命令，也是追求他的恩宠。基督就是我们的祭坛，不像犹太教会中靠人喂养的祭坛，而是我们所吃、所「靠以得饱足」的祭坛，来13:10。（2）看见神的祭坛被人环绕，并看见自己也在此环绕之人当中，乃是可悦的景象。
3. 他在一切赴神圣礼的事上，都以神的荣耀为目标，并多多献上感恩的赞美与敬拜。他注目敬拜之处为神荣耀所居之处（诗26:8），所以他在那里以荣耀神、将他所当得的荣耀归给他为业，以感恩的声音传扬神一切奇妙的作为。神那唤起感恩的恩典之工，全是那唤起我们赞叹的奇妙之工。我们当为他的荣耀而传扬它们、述说它们，并以此激发别人赞美他；我们当以感恩的声音如此行，如同那些自觉在凡事上都当以感恩承认从神所受恩惠的人。
4. 他是带着喜乐、并出于对神和他所立之制度的真实热爱而行的。关于这一点，他向神申诉：「主啊，你知道我何等『喜爱你所住的殿』」（诗26:8）——就是你乐意在其中显明你住在百姓中间、并接受他们敬拜的帐幕，「你荣耀居住的所在」。大卫有时因逼迫被迫流落到拜偶像之人的地中，被拦阻不能赴神的祭坛；逼迫他、使他受此限制的人，可能正以此为他被控的罪状。见撒上20:27。但他说：「主啊，我虽不能来到你所住的殿，我却爱它；我的心在那里，我最大的苦就是我不在那里。」当知道，凡真心爱神的，都真心爱神的圣礼，并因此爱它们——因为在其中他彰显他的尊荣，他们也得了荣耀他的机会。我们的主耶稣爱他父的荣耀，并以此为他事业来荣耀他；他爱他所住的殿——他在世人中的教会——爱它，更为它舍己，好建造并献上它。那些爱慕与神相交、以亲近他为乐的人，发现这始终是他们的喜乐，是他们正直的安慰凭据，也是他们无尽福乐的安慰凭据。
二、大卫既已提出正直的证据，便带着向神谦卑的信心恳切祷告（凡良心不责备他的人都有这样的信心），求他不要落在恶人的命运之下，诗26:9-10。「不要把我的灵魂和罪人一同除掉」。在此：1. 大卫描述这些罪人——他视他们所处的境况为可悲，可悲到他不愿世上最坏的仇敌处于更坏的境地。「他们是流人血的人」，渴想血，背负着流血的重罪。他们行恶，恶计常在他们手中。他们虽借恶行得利（因为「他们的右手满了贿赂」，受贿以颠倒是非），但这并不能使他们的境况好转；因为「人若赚得全世界，赔上自己的生命，有什么益处呢？」2. 他惧怕与这些人同分。他在今世从未爱过他们，也未与他们结交，所以他能凭信心求告在来世不与他们同分。我们的灵魂不久便要被收聚，归回那赐灵、又要再索回它的神。见伯34:14。我们当考虑自己的灵魂那时将与圣徒同被收聚，还是与罪人同被收聚；是永远与主同捆在生命的捆中（如忠信之人的灵魂，撒上25:29），还是与稗子同捆为火的捆，太13:30。死亡把我们收聚到我们本族那里——就是我们活着之时所选作同伴、与他们同分的人那里；死亡要把我们收聚到他们那里，我们也必与他们同分直到永远。巴兰愿「如义人之死而死」；大卫怕「如恶人之死而死」；所以双方所见相同；我们若持守此念并照之而行，便永远有福了。那些不愿与罪人同乐、也不愿吃他们美味的人，可以凭信心求不与他们同苦，也不喝他们的杯——那战抖的杯。
三、大卫以圣洁谦卑的信心，将自己交托给神的恩典，诗26:11-12。1. 他应许借着神的恩典，他必恒久在本分之中：「至于我」，无论别人怎样行，「我却要行事纯全」。当知道，当我们的良心为我们作见证——我们行事纯全——而令我们得安慰时，这当坚定我们继续如此的决心。2. 他求神圣的恩典，既使他能如此行，又使他得着其中的安慰：「求你救赎我」脱离仇敌的手，「怜恤我」，无论生死。我们对自己的正直无论何等确信，仍当倚靠神的怜悯和基督所成就的大救赎，并求它们的益处。3. 他以自己的坚定自慰：「我的脚站在平坦地方」，在那里我不会绊跌，也不会从其上坠落。他这话如同一个发现自己为神和敬虔的决心坚定不动摇的人——不为世界的试探所摇动，且自己的安慰也坚固在神和他的恩典中——不为世界的十字架和患难所扰乱。4. 他预期自己仍将有赞美耶和华的机会——既有可赞美的内容，又有赞美的心；并且他如今虽也许被放逐离开公众的圣礼，却仍将再次得以在百姓的会众中称颂神。那些恨恶作孽之人的会众的，必被加入义人的会众，并与他们一同赞美神；在良伴之中行这事是可悦的；人越多越好；就越发像天。
英文原文
Delight in Divine Ordinances
⁶ I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
⁷ That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
⁸ LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
⁹ Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
¹⁰ In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
¹¹ But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
¹² My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
In these verses,
I. David mentions, as further evidence of his integrity, the sincere affection he had to the ordinances of God, the constant care he took about them, and the pleasure he took in them. Hypocrites and dissemblers may indeed be found attending on God's ordinances, as the proud Pharisee went up to the temple to pray with the penitent publican; but it is a good sign of sincerity if we attend upon them as David here tells us he did, Ps 26:6-8.
1. He was very careful and conscientious in his preparation for holy ordinances: I will wash my hands in innocency. He not only refrained from the society of sinners, but kept himself clean from the pollutions of sin, and this with an eye to the place he had among those that compassed God's altar. "I will wash, and so will I compass the altar, knowing that otherwise I shall not be welcome." This is like that (1Co 11:28), Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, so prepared. This denotes, (1.) Habitual preparation: "I will wash my hands in innocency; I will carefully watch against all sin, and keep my conscience pure from those dead works which defile it and forbid my drawing nigh to God." See Ps 24:3,4. (2.) Actual preparation. It alludes to the ceremony of the priests' washing when they went in to minister, Ex 30:20,21. Though David was no priest, yet, as every worshipper ought, he would look to the substance of that which the priests were enjoined the shadow of. In our preparation for solemn ordinances we must not only be able to clear ourselves from the charge of reigning infidelity or hypocrisy, and to protest our innocency of that (which was signified by washing the hands, De 21:6), but we must take pains to cleanse ourselves from the spots of remaining iniquity by renewing our repentance, and making fresh application of the blood of Christ to our consciences for the purifying and pacifying of them. He that is washed (that is, in a justified state) has need thus to wash his feet (Joh 13:10), to wash his hands, to wash them in innocency; he that is penitent is pene innocens—almost innocent; and he that is pardoned is so far innocent that his sins shall not be mentioned against him.
2. He was very diligent and serious in his attendance upon them: I will compass thy altar, alluding to the custom of the priests, who, while the sacrifice was in offering, walked round the altar, and probably the offerers likewise did so at some distance, denoting a diligent regard to what was done and a dutiful attendance in the service. "I will compass it; I will be among the crowds that do compass it, among the thickest of them." David, a man of honour, a man of business, a man of war, thought it not below him to attend with the multitude on God's altars and could find time for that attendance. Note, (1.) All God's people will be sure to wait on God's altar, in obedience to his commands and in pursuance of his favour. Christ is our altar, not as the altar in the Jewish church, which was fed by them, but an altar that we eat of and live upon, Heb 13:10. (2.) It is a pleasant sight to see God's altar compassed and to see ourselves among those that compass it.
3. In all his attendance on God's ordinances he aimed at the glory of God and was much in the thankful praise and adoration of him. He had an eye to the place of worship as the place where God's honor dwelt (Ps 26:8), and therefore made it his business there to honour God and to give him the glory due to his name, to publish with the voice of thanksgiving all God's wondrous works. God's gracious works, which call for thanksgiving, are all wondrous works, which call for our admiration. We ought to publish them, and tell of them, for his glory, and the excitement of others to praise him; and we ought to do it with the voice of thanksgiving, as those that are sensible of our obligations, by all ways possible, to acknowledge with gratitude the favours we have received from God.
4. He did this with delight and from a principle of true affection to God and his institutions. Touching this he appeals to God: "Lord, thou knowest how dearly I have loved the habitation of thy house (Ps 26:8), the tabernacle where thou art pleased to manifest thy residence among thy people and receive their homage, the place where thy honour dwells." David was sometimes forced by persecution into the countries of idolaters and was hindered from attending God's altars, which perhaps his persecutors, that laid him under that restraint, did themselves upbraid him with as his crime. See 1Sa 20:27. "But, Lord," says he, "though I cannot come to the habitation of thy house, I love it; my heart is there, and it is my greatest trouble that I am not there." Note, All that truly love God truly love the ordinances of God, and therefore love them because in them he manifests his honour and they have an opportunity of honoring him. Our Lord Jesus loved his Father's honour, and made it his business to glorify him; he loved the habitation of his house, his church among men, loved it and gave himself for it, that he might build and consecrate it. Those who love communion with God, and delight in approaching him, find it to be a constant pleasure, a comfortable evidence of their integrity, and a comfortable earnest of their endless felicity.
II. David, having given proofs of his integrity, earnestly prays, with a humble confidence towards God (such as those have whose hearts condemn them not), that he might not fall under the doom of the wicked (Ps 26:9,10). Gather not my soul with sinners, Here, 1. David describes these sinners, whom he looked upon to be in a miserable condition, so miserable that he could not wish the worst enemy he had in the world to be in a worse. "They are bloody men, that thirst after blood and lie under a great deal of the guilt of blood. They do mischief, and mischief is always in their hands. Though they get by their wickedness (for their right hand is full of bribes which they have taken to pervert justice), yet that will make their case never the better; for what is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his soul?" 2. He dread having his lot with them. He never loved them, nor associated with them, in this world, and therefore could in faith pray that he might not have his lot with them in the other world. Our souls must shortly be gathered, to return to God that gave them and will call for them again. See Job 34:14. It concerns us to consider whether our souls will then be gathered with saints or with sinners, whether bound in the bundle of life with the Lord for ever, as the souls of the faithful are (1Sa 25:29), or bound in the bundle of tares for the fire, Mt 13:30. Death gathers us to our people, to those that are our people while we live, whom we choose to associate with, and with whom we cast in our lot, to those death will gather us, and with them we must take our lot, to eternity. Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous; David dreaded dying the death of the wicked; so that both sides were of that mind, which if we be of, and will live up to it, we are happy for ever. Those that will not be companions with sinners in their mirth, nor eat of their dainties, may in faith pray not to be companions with them in their misery, nor to drink of their cup, their cup of trembling.
III. David, with a holy humble confidence, commits himself to the grace of God, Ps 26:11,12. 1. He promises that by the grace of God he would persevere in his duty: "As for me, whatever others do, I will walk in my integrity." Note, When the testimony of our consciences for us that we have walked in our integrity is comfortable to us this should confirm our resolutions to continue therein. 2. He prays for the divine grace both to enable him to do so and to give him the comfort of it: "Redeem me out of the hands of my enemies, and be merciful to me, living and dying." Be we ever so confident of our integrity, yet still we must rely upon God's mercy and the great redemption Christ has wrought out, and pray for the benefit of them. 3. He pleases himself with his steadiness: "My foot stands in an even place, where I shall not stumble and whence I shall not fall." This he speaks as one that found his resolutions fixed for God and godliness, not to be shaken by the temptations of the world, and his comforts firm in God and his grace, not to be disturbed by the crosses and troubles of the world. 4. He promises himself that he should yet have occasion to praise the Lord, that he should be furnished with matter for praise, that he should have a heart for praises, and that, though he was now perhaps banished from public ordinances, yet he should again have an opportunity of blessing God in the congregation of his people. Those that hate the congregation of evil-doers shall be joined to the congregation of the righteous and join with them in praising God; and it is pleasant doing that in good company; the more the better; it is the more like heaven.
圣洁的大卫在本诗中受审,不是受审于神与国家,乃是受审于神与他自己的良心——他向二者申诉自己的正直(诗26:1,2),为证他列举:一、他对神与其恩典的常顾念(诗26:3);二、他对罪与罪人根深蒂固的反感(诗26:4,5);三、他对神律例的真诚爱慕与留意(诗26:6-8)。他既如此证明了自己的正直:1. 他求免受恶人所受的结局(诗26:9,10);2. 他投靠神的怜悯与恩典,决意持守他的正直与在神里的盼望(诗26:11,12)。我们唱这首诗时,当以此教导并劝戒自己与彼此——我们当如何为人、如何行事才能得神的恩眷与良心的平安,并如大卫那样以此为慰——若我们能在某种程度上因恩典符合这些品格的话。博学的 Amyraldus 在本篇提要中指出,大卫在此借预言的灵被引领,以自己为基督的预表而说话——他在此所说的关于自己无瑕的清白,完全而卓越地真实于基督,且惟独真实于他;我们唱这首诗时可将其应用于他。「我们在他里面得以完全」。