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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
繁體中文
敬虔的上訴
大衛的詩。
¹ 耶和華啊，求祢為我伸冤，因我向來行事純全；我又倚靠耶和華，並不搖動。
² 耶和華啊，求祢察看我，試驗我，熬煉我的肺腑心腸。
³ 因為祢的慈愛常在我眼前；我按祢的真理而行。
⁴ 我沒有和虛謊人同坐，也不與瞞哄人同群。
⁵ 我恨惡作惡之人的會，必不與惡人同坐。
大衛可能是在被掃羅一黨逼迫之時寫了本篇——他們為了給自己的無理暴怒塗上一層顏色，便把他描繪成一個極惡之人，又誣告他犯了許多大逆不道的罪，好比給他披上野獸的皮，好叫人可以放狗咬他。無辜本身雖能保護人的胸懷，卻不能護衛人的名聲免受誹謗的飛鏢。在這一點上他是基督的預表——基督被人辱罵，又預告祂的門徒：人也要因祂捏造各樣的壞話毀謗他們。如今請看大衛在此境況中作甚麼。
一、他向神公義的判斷上訴（詩26:1）：「耶和華啊，求祢為我伸冤！求祢在我和控告我的人之間、在逼迫者和可憐的囚犯之間判斷；願祢使我光榮脫身，使那些誣告我的人蒙羞。」掃羅自己在以色列中既是最高審判官，又是他的對頭，所以他在與掃羅的爭訟中，除了神自己之外，再沒有別的可以上訴。至於他在神面前所犯的罪，他禱告說：「耶和華啊，求祢不要審問僕人」（詩143:2），「求祢不要記念我的過犯」（詩25:7）——在其中他訴諸神的憐憫；但至於他得罪掃羅的事，他卻訴諸神的公義，求神為他判斷，如詩43:1。或者這樣說：他不能在罪的控告上為自己稱義；他承認自己的罪孽重大，若不是神以無限的憐憫赦免他，他便滅亡了；但他能在虛偽的控告上為自己稀義，並有理由盼望，按照恩典之約的條款，他是那些可以在神面前蒙恩的人之一。聖潔的約伯正是如此，常承認自己犯了罪，卻仍持守自己的純正。請注意，那些被誣告的人有一個安慰：有一位公義的神，或遲或早必為他們的無辜辯明；一切在宗教上真誠的人也有一個安慰：神自己是他們真誠的見證。
二、他順服祂無誤的鑒察（詩26:2）：耶和華啊，求祢察看我，試驗我——如金子被試驗，看是否合乎標準。神認識每一個人的真相，因為祂知道心中的思想和意向，看穿一切的偽裝。大衛求：「主啊，察看我」——這表明他十分樂意神認識他，並切切渴慕神將他向自己顯明，也向全世界顯明。他在對神的敬虔和對君王的忠誠上（這兩樣都有人以為他是裝假），都如此真誠，以至於巴不得自己胸中開一扇窗，叫凡願意的人都可以看到他的心。
三、他莊嚴地聲明自己的真誠（詩26:1）：「我向來行事純全——我的為人與我的信仰相符，我生活的一個部分與另一個部分相符。」我們若不能證明靠著神的恩典向來行事純全、我們在世上的為人帶著純一和敬虔的真誠，那麼誇口自己的純全便是徒然。他在此提出自己純全的幾個證據，這些證據鼓勵他信靠耶和華為他公義的審判官——祂必庇護並為他的義案辯護，使他確信自己必能體面脫身（「因此我不搖動」），使那些商議要將他從尊位上推下、動搖他的信心、玷污他的名聲、阻止他登基的人不能得逞，詩62:4。在宗教上真誠的人可以信靠神而不搖動——就是說，不至從他們的宗教上背道。
1. 他對神和神的恩典始終心存仰望，詩26:3。(1) 他以神的恩寵為目標、為至善：祢的慈愛常在我眼前。我們若在宗教上所行的，都是出於對神的愛，出於對祂——那至善的存有、最好的朋友和恩主——的美好意念，又出於對神特別向我們所施恩典的感恩之心（我們一生都曾經歷這恩典），這便是我們真誠的好證據。我們若以神的慈愛為我們效法的榜樣，努力「效法那善良的」，效法祂的良善（彼前3:13）；我們若以它為我們當盡本分的極大憑據和鼓勵，又怕行任何事失去神的恩寵、並竭力保守自己常在祂的愛中——這不僅是我們純正的好證據，更對我們在其中堅忍大有影響。(2) 他以神的話語為自己治理的準則：「我按祢的真理而行——就是說，照祢的律法而行，因祢的律法就是真理。」請注意，唯有那些活出神的真理、並活出以真理為根基的律法的人，才能指望得著神慈愛的益處。有人將此理解為他在信實和忠誠上效法神的榜樣，正如在良善和慈愛上一樣。那些作為蒙愛的兒女效法神的人，行事為人必定是好的。
2. 他不與黑暗無益的行為相交，也不與那些行為的工人相交，詩26:4,5。由此顯明他對君王確是忠誠的：他從不與那些對君王的政權心懷不滿的人結交——不與那些藐視他的「匪徒之子」有任何來往，撒上10:27。他不在他們的密謀中，也不與他們的任何詭計有分；他沒有咒詛君王，連在心中也沒有。這也是他對神忠誠的證據：他從不與那些他有理由認為對宗教心懷不滿的人、或對宗教利益公然為敵、或假冒為友的人結交。請注意，極其小心避免壞同伴，既是我們純正的好證據，也是保守我們在純正中的好方法。現在我們在此注意：(1) 他這番表白既回顧他向來在這事上所盡的謹慎，也展望他將來仍要盡的謹慎：「我沒有與他們同坐，我也必不與他們同去。」請注意，我們向來的好行為，惟有伴隨著靠神的力量堅忍到底、決不退後的決心之時，才是我們純正的證據；我們將來的好決心，惟有是我們向來好行為的延續之時，我們才能從中得著安慰。(2) 大衛所避開的，不僅是惡人的同伴，也是虛妄人的同伴——那些全然沉迷於歡笑嬉戲、毫無踏實認真的人。這樣的同伴對一個好人或許比前者更有害，因為他對虛妄的傳染不如對赤裸裸的邪惡那樣容易防備。(3) 瞞哄人的同伴，與任何同伴一樣危險，也同樣當在謹慎和敬虔上加以避開。作惡的人對他們所要誘入網羅的人假意友好，卻是裝假。他們口若懸河之時，不要信他們。(4) 他雖有時不能不與壞人同在一處，卻不與他們「同去」——他不揀選這等人作同伴，也不尋求與他們結交來往的機會。他可能偶然與他們相遇，卻不按約定和安排與他們同去。或者，他若偶然與他們同在，卻不與他們「同坐」——不與他們長留；他在他們中間，不過停留到自己的事務所必需的程度為止：他不附和他們，不說他們所說的，也不行他們所行的，如那些「坐在褻慢人座位上」的人那樣，詩1:1。他不與他們同坐商議害人的方法，也不與他們同坐審判來定義人的世代為有罪。(5) 我們不僅要在行為上避免壞同伴，更要在原則和情感上對之厭惡。大衛在此不僅說「我避開了它」，更說「我恨惡它」，詩139:21。(6) 作惡之人的會——他們的圈子、他們的聯盟——格外為好人所恨惡。我恨惡作惡之人的會。正如好人同心使彼此更好，也能作更多善事；照樣壞人聯合使彼此更壞，也作更多惡事。在這一切上，大衛是基督的預表——基督雖然接待罪人、與他們同吃，為要教訓他們、向他們行善，然而在別樣的事上，卻是聖潔、無邪惡、無玷污、遠離罪人，尤其遠離法利賽人那些裝假的人。他也是基督徒的榜樣——當他們歸附基督之時，當「救自己脫離這彎曲的世代」，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
繁體中文
對聖禮典章的喜愛
⁶ 我要洗手表明無辜，才環繞你的祭壇，耶和華啊； ⁷ 好發出稱謝的聲音，也要述說你一切奇妙的作為。 ⁸ 耶和華啊，我喜愛你所住的殿，和你榮耀所居之處。 ⁹ 不要把我的靈魂和罪人一同收去；不要把我的性命和流人血的一同除滅。 ¹⁰ 他們的手中有惡計，右手滿了賄賂。 ¹¹ 至於我，卻要行事純全；求你救贖我，憐恤我。 ¹² 我的腳站在平坦地方；在眾會中我要稱頌耶和華。
在這些經文裏，
I. 大衛作為自己正直的進一步憑據，提到他對神典章的誠摯愛慕、他對這些典章一貫的用心，以及他從其中所得的喜樂。假冒為善與虛飾之人固然也會出席神的典章——正如那驕傲的法利賽人與那悔改的稅吏一同上殿禱告一般；但我們若像大衛在此所說的那樣出席，便是真誠的好憑據（詩26:6-8）。
1. 他在為聖潔的典章作準備時，非常謹慎、非常用心：我要洗手表明無辜。他不僅遠離罪人的群體，更保守自己不受罪的玷污，並且是帶著對自己在環繞神祭壇之人中所佔之位的顧念而如此行。「我要洗手，這樣才環繞祭壇，因為知道若不如此便不蒙悅納。」這正如（林前11:28）人應當自己省察，然後吃這餅——便是這樣豫備好的。這表明， （1）習慣性的準備：「我要洗手表明無辜；我要留心防備一切罪，保守我的良心純潔，脫離那些玷污良心、阻擋我親近神的死行。」見詩24:3-4。 （2）實際的準備。這是引用祭司進去事奉時洗濯的禮儀（出30:20-21）。大衛雖不是祭司，卻如每一個敬拜者所當行的，留心到祭司所奉命遵行的影子背後的實質。我們在為嚴肅的典章作準備時，不僅當能洗清自己未受頑梗不信或虛偽的指控，並能為自己在這方面的無辜作見證（這正是洗手所表明的，申21:6），更當費心藉著重新悔改，並藉著重新將基督的血應用於良心以潔淨並使之平安，來洗淨那殘餘之罪的斑點。那已經洗淨的（就是說，在稱義的狀態中）仍需這樣洗腳（約13:10），洗手，洗手表明無辜；那悔改的人便是pene innocens——幾乎無辜的人；那蒙赦免的人在某種意義上是無辜的，因為他的罪必不再被提起來反對他。
2. 他在出席這些典章時非常殷勤、非常認真：我要環繞你的祭壇，這是引用祭司的慣例——在獻祭之時，他們繞著祭壇行走，獻祭者大概也從稍遠處這樣行，表示對所作之事殷勤的關注，以及在事奉中敬虔的侍立。「我要環繞它；我要在環繞它的群眾之中，在他們最密集之中。」大衛——一個尊貴的人、一個忙碌的人、一個爭戰的人——並不以與群眾一同侍立在神的祭壇旁為恥，也能為此找出時間。請注意， （1）神一切的百姓都必等候神的祭壇——這是順服他的命令，也是追求他的喜悅。基督就是我們的祭壇，並不像猶太教會中的祭壇由他們來供養，而是一座我們所吃、所賴以存活的祭壇（來13:10）。 （2）看見神的祭壇被環繞、並看見自己也置身於環繞它的人之中，這是一件令人喜悅的景象。
3. 他在一切出席神典章的事上，所求的是神的榮耀，並多有感恩的讚美與敬拜。他以敬拜之所為神榮耀居住之處（詩26:8），因此在那裏以尊榮神、將他名當得的榮耀歸給他為業——以稱謝的聲音傳揚神一切奇妙的作為。神那些當以感謝回應的恩典之工，盡都是當以我們的讚嘆回應的奇妙之工。我們當傳揚它們、述說它們，為他的榮耀，並激發別人也來讚美他；我們也當以稱謝的聲音來行這事，作為那些深感自己當盡全力以感恩承認從神所領受之恩的人。
4. 他是帶著喜樂、並出於對神和他所設立之制度真誠的愛而如此行。關於這一點，他向神上訴：「主啊，你知道我多麼喜愛你所住的殿（詩26:8）——就是你樂意在百姓中間彰顯你的同在、接受他們敬拜的會幕，你榮耀所居之處。」大衛有時因逼迫被迫流落於拜偶像之人的地區，不得出席神的祭壇，而那些加他這限制的逼迫者，或許反倒以此為他的罪狀來責備他（見撒上20:27）。「但是，主啊，」他說，「雖然我不能來到你所住的殿，我卻愛它；我的心在那裏，而我最大的痛苦便是不在那裏。」請注意，凡真心愛神的人，也真心愛神的典章，並因此愛它們——因為在其中他彰顯他的榮耀，而他們也有機會尊榮他。我們的主耶穌愛他父的榮耀，並以榮耀他為業；他愛他所住的殿——他在人間的教會——愛她，為她捨己，好使他能建造並獻上她。那些愛與神相交、並以親近他為樂的人，必發現這是一貫的喜樂，是他們正直的可靠憑據，也是他們永遠福樂的美好憑據。
II. 大衛既已給出他正直的憑據，便帶著向神謙卑的確信（正如那些心不責備自己的人所有的）懇切禱告，求他不至落在惡人的判決之下（詩26:9-10）：不要把我的靈魂和罪人一同收去。在這裏， 1. 大衛描寫這些罪人——他看他們為落在悲慘之中的人，其悲慘到了一個地步，他甚至不願世上最壞的仇敵落在更壞的地步。「他們是流人血的人，渴想流血，背負著極大的流人血之罪。他們作惡，惡計常在他們手中。他們雖因自己的惡行有所得（因為他們的右手滿了賄賂——他們收受了賄賂來顛倒公正），這卻不能使他們的景況絲毫好轉；因為人若賺得全世界，賠上自己的性命，有甚麼益處呢？」 2. 他懼怕與他們同分。他在今世從未愛過他們，也未與他們結交，所以他能憑信求在來世不與他們同分。我們的靈魂不久就要被收去，歸回那賜靈魂與我們、並要再呼召它的神那裏（見伯34:14）。我們當顧念我們的靈魂那時要與聖徒一同被收去，還是與罪人一同被收去——是與主永遠一同捆在生命的捆裏，如同忠信之人的靈魂一樣（撒上25:29），還是與稗子捆成捆，預備火燒（太13:30）。死亡把我們收歸到我們本族那裏，歸到我們活著時所揀選與之結交、與之同分的人那裏；死亡要把我們收歸到他們那裏，我們也必與他們同分，直到永遠。巴蘭情願如義人之死而死；大衛卻懼怕如惡人之死而死；所以兩方的人都持這樣的心意——我們若也有這心意，並活出與此相稱的生活，我們便永遠有福了。那些不願與罪人在他們的歡樂中同夥、也不願吃他們美味的人，可以憑信求不與他們在他們的痛苦中同夥、不喝他們的杯——那戰兢之杯。
III. 大衛以聖潔謙卑的確信，將自己交託於神的恩典（詩26:11-12）。 1. 他應許靠著神的恩典，必在自己的本分上堅忍：「至於我，無論別人怎樣行，我卻要行事純全。」請注意，當我們良心為我們所作的見證——見證我們行事純全——是令我們得安慰的，這便當堅固我們繼續如此的決心。 2. 他求神賜恩典——既使他能如此行，又使他從其中得著安慰：「求你救贖我脫離仇敵的手，並憐恤我——無論活著還是死時。」我們對自己的正直無論多麼有把握，仍當倚賴神的憐憫和基督所成就的偉大救贖，並求其中之益。 3. 他以自己的穩固為樂：「我的腳站在平坦地方，在那裏我不致絆跌，也不致從其上墜落。」他如此說話，如同一個發現自己為神和敬虔所定的志向堅定、不為世界的試探所搖動的人，也如同一個發現自己在神和他的恩典中的安慰堅定、不為世界的十字架與患難所攪擾的人。 4. 他指望自己仍必有機會稱頌耶和華——必有稱頌的題材，必有稱頌的心志；雖然他此刻或許被放逐於公共典章之外，卻必再有機會在百姓的會中稱頌神。那些恨惡作惡之人的會眾的，必被加入義人的會中，並與他們一同讚美神；在好同伴中作這事是令人喜樂的；人越多越好；這就越發像天堂了。
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.
在本篇詩篇中，聖潔的大衛將自己置於一場嚴肅的審訊之中——不是受神與他的國家審斷，而是受神與他自己的良心審斷；他向這二者就自己的正直申訴（詩 26:1-2），為證明其正直，他提出：一、他對神和祂恩典的一貫敬重（詩 26:3）。二、他對罪與罪人根深柢固的厭惡（詩 26:4-5）。三、他對神典章的真誠敬愛與謹慎（詩 26:6-8）。如此證明了自己的正直之後：1. 他求免去惡人的刑罰（詩 26:9-10）。2. 他投靠神的憐憫與恩典，決心持守自己的正直與在神裡面的盼望（詩 26:11-12）。我們歌唱本篇時，當教導並警戒自己和彼此：我們當成為怎樣的人、當行怎樣的事，才能得著神的恩寵與良心的平安；並如大衛一般以此自慰——我們若能說，因著恩典，我們在某种程度上達到了這些特徵。博學的亞米拉勒（Amyraldus）在本篇的論旨中指出，大衛在此藉著預言的靈，被引導論及自己作為基督的預表；他在此所論自己無瑕的無辜，唯獨在基督身上才充分而卓越地應驗，且唯有在祂身上；我們歌唱本篇時可將其應用於祂。「我們在祂裡面也得了豐盛。」