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英文原文
It is uncertain when, and upon what occasion, David penned this psalm, probably when he was struck at either by Saul or by Absalom; for in it he complains of the malice of his enemies against him, but triumphs in the goodness of God to him. We are here led to consider, and it will do us good to consider seriously, I. The sinfulness of sin, and how mischievous it is, Ps 36:1-4. II. The goodness of God, and how gracious he is, 1. To all his creatures in general, Ps 36:5,6. 2. To his own people in a special manner, Ps 36:7-9. By this the psalmist is encouraged to pray for all the saints (Ps 36:10), for himself in particular and his own preservation (Ps 36:11), and to triumph in the certain fall of his enemies, Ps 36:12. If, in singing this psalm, our hearts be duly affected with the hatred of sin and satisfaction in God's lovingkindness, we sing it with grace and understanding.
1-4
The Character of the Wicked
简体中文
恶人的写照
交与伶长。耶和华的仆人大卫的诗。
¹ 恶人的罪过在我心里说：他眼中没有敬畏神的念头。
² 他自夸自媚，以为他的罪孽终不显露，不被恨恶。
³ 他口中的言语尽是罪孽诡诈，他与智慧善行已经断绝。
⁴ 他在床上图谋罪孽，定意行不善的道，不憎恶恶事。
大卫在本篇的标题中被称为「耶和华的仆人」；为何本篇如此称，而非他篇（除诗18篇题注外），无从得知；然而他确是如此——不仅如每位敬虔人都是神的仆人，更作为君王、作为先知、作为在他当日比任何人都更直接、更显著地事奉神国益处的人。他以此为荣（诗116:16）。作至大之神的仆人，对最伟大的人来说，并非贬损，反倒是尊荣；这是人在今世所能达到的最高职分。
大卫在这些经节中描述了恶人的恶；他究竟特指逼迫他的人，还是泛指一切穷凶极恶的罪人，难以确定。但此处我们看见罪在其原因中、罪在其本色中，罪在其根上、罪在其枝上。
一、此处有那苦根，恶人一切的恶都由此发出。它发源于，1. 他们对神的轻慢，并缺少当有的敬畏（诗36:1）：「恶人的罪过（如下文诗36:3,4所描述的）在我心里说（使我在自己心中断定）他眼中没有敬畏神的念头；因为若有，他就不会如此放言妄行；他若对他的威严有所畏惧、对他的震怒有所惧怕，就必不敢违犯神的律法、违背与他所立的约。」因此我们的律法恰当地把它列入控状：那罪犯「眼中既不敬畏神」，便行了如此如此的事。恶人并未公然弃绝对神的敬畏，但他们的过犯暗中向一切稍微晓得敬虔与不敬之本性的人耳语了此事。大卫便断定那些放纵而活的人，是在世上「没有神」而活。2. 发源于他们的自恃，和他们故意加诸自己灵魂的欺骗（诗36:2）：「他自夸自媚」；即他在罪中前行时，自以为所作的于自己聪明得当，对自己罪恶的行径不是看不见，便是不肯承认其中的邪恶与危险；他以恶为善，以善为恶；他将自己的放纵妄称为合理的自由，将欺诈当作自己的精明策略，将自己对神百姓的逼迫暗示为必要的公义。他的良心若因他所行的警告他，他便说：「神必不追究；我尽管继续前行，仍必平安。」注意，罪人是因自媚而自毁。撒但若不是他们自欺，便不能欺骗他们。但这欺骗能持久吗？不能；日子将到，罪人要被解除迷蒙，那时「他的罪孽终被显露，被恨恶」。罪孽是可恨之物；它是「耶和华所恨恶的可憎之事」，他纯洁忌邪的眼目不能容忍一见。它对罪人自己有害，因此他本应当恨恶；然而他不肯；他把它当作甘甜的滋味含在舌下，因随之而来的世俗利益和肉体宴乐；然而「这食物在他腹中要变，成为虺蛇的毒气」（伯20:13,14）。当他们的良心被光照，罪显露其真面目，使他们成为自己的惊吓——当战兢之杯递在他们手中，被迫喝尽其中的渣滓——那时他们的罪孽便显为可恨，他们的自媚显为难以言喻的愚妄，且成为定罪更重的缘由。
二、此处有从这苦根发出来的可咒之枝。罪人向神挑战，甚至把自己当作神，此后除了他彻底败坏，还能指望什么呢？这两样正是罪的最初入口。人不敬畏神，便自媚，于是，1. 他们对自己所说的话——是真是假、是对是错——全无良心（诗36:3）：「他口中的言语尽是罪孽诡欺」，专为行恶而设，却又以似是而非的借口加以掩饰。自欺的人图谋欺瞒万人，这并不希奇；因为对自己灵魂不忠的人，对谁还能忠心呢？2. 他们里面那一点点的善也消逝了；美德的火花熄灭，他们的觉悟被击退，他们美好的起头归于无有：「他与智慧善行已经断绝」。他们似乎曾在智慧的引导和宗教的治理之下，却把这些绳索挣断；他们抛弃了宗教，也随之抛弃了智慧。注意，那不再行善的，也就不再有智慧。3. 既不再行善，他们便图谋害人，骚扰周围那些行善又行得正的人（诗36:4）：「他在床上图谋罪孽。」注意，（1）忽略为犯罪开了路。当人不再行善、不再祷告、不再守神的律例、不再尽对他的本分，魔鬼就容易使他们成为他的差役、他的工具，引人入罪的便引入罪，对那不肯犯罪的便引入患难。不再行善的便开始作恶；魔鬼既从无罪中堕落，便迅速成为试探夏娃的、逼迫义人亚伯的。（2）行恶已是不好，图谋恶事则更糟——蓄意决意去行，绞尽脑汁想最有效的法子，用计谋手段，兼具古蛇的狡猾与恶毒，「在床上」图谋——而床上正是我们当默想神和他话语之处（弥2:1）。这显明罪人的心已定意行恶。4. 既已踏上罪之路——那不善之路，其中无善、其终也无善——他们便坚持、决意在此路上恒忍。「他定意」执行所图谋的恶事，凡他所定意要行的，无一能拦阻，尽管这与他的本分和他的真益处都相违。罪人若不以其顽梗厚颜使心如铁、面如铜，便不能在这等与一切公义良善直接为敌的恶道上继续前行。5. 自己行恶，对别人行的恶也毫不厌恶：「他不憎恶恶事」，反倒在其中喜悦，并乐于见别人与自己一样败坏。或者这话也指他在罪中不悔改。行过恶的人，若神赐他悔改的心，便恨恶自己所行的恶，也因这恶恨恶自己；它回顾时苦，纵然行之时甜。但这些刚硬的罪人良心已经麻木如同被烙，事后从不为罪忧伤懊悔，反倒坚持所行，似乎能在神面前自以为是。
有人认为大卫这一切话特指扫罗——他抛弃了对神的敬畏，断绝了一切良善，把女儿给他为妻时装作恩慈，同时却在图谋害他。但我们不必如此局限于解释；我们中间太多人这描述都能贴上，这实在令人悲痛。
英文原文
The Character of the Wicked
To the chief Musician. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
¹ The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
² For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
³ The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
⁴ He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
David, in the title of this psalm, is styled the servant of the Lord; why in this, and not in any other, except in Ps 18:1 (title), no reason can be given; but so he was, not only as every good man is God's servant, but as a king, as a prophet, as one employed in serving the interests of God's kingdom among men more immediately and more eminently than any other in his day. He glories in it, Ps 116:16. It is no disparagement, but an honour, to the greatest of men, to be the servants of the great God; it is the highest preferment a man is capable of in this world.
David, in these verses, describes the wickedness of the wicked; whether he means his persecutors in particular, or all notorious gross sinners in general, is not certain. But we have here sin in its causes and sin in its colours, in its root and in its branches.
I. Here is the root of bitterness, from which all the wickedness of the wicked comes. It takes rise, 1. From their contempt of God and the want of a due regard to him (Ps 36:1): "The transgression of the wicked (as it is described afterwards, Ps 36:3,4) saith within my heart (makes me to conclude within myself) that there is no fear of God before his eyes; for, if there were, he would not talk and act so extravagantly as he does; he would not, he durst not, break the laws of God, and violate his covenants with him, if he had any awe of his majesty or dread of his wrath." Fitly therefore is it brought into the form of indictments by our law that the criminal, not having the fear of God before his eyes, did so and so. The wicked did not openly renounce the fear of God, but their transgression whispered it secretly into the minds of all those that knew any thing of the nature of piety and impiety. David concluded concerning those who lived at large that they lived without God in the world. 2. From their conceit of themselves and a cheat they wilfully put upon their own souls (Ps 36:2): He flattereth himself in his own eyes; that is, while he goes on in sin, he thinks he does wisely and well for himself, and either does not see or will not own the evil and danger of his wicked practices; he calls evil good and good evil; his licentiousness he pretends to be but his just liberty, his fraud passes for his prudence and policy, and his persecuting the people of God, he suggests to himself, is a piece of necessary justice. If his own conscience threaten him for what he does, he says, God will not require it; I shall have peace though I go on. Note, Sinners are self-destroyers by being self-flatterers. Satan could not deceive them if they did not deceive themselves. But will the cheat last always? No; the day is coming when the sinner will be undeceived, when his iniquity shall be found to be hateful. Iniquity is a hateful thing; it is that abominable thing which the Lord hates, and which his pure and jealous eye cannot endure to look upon. It is hurtful to the sinner himself, and therefore ought to be hateful to him; but it is not so; he rolls it under his tongue as a sweet morsel, because of the secular profit and sensual pleasure which may attend it; yet the meat in his bowels will be turned, it will be the gall of asps, Job 20:13,14. When their consciences are convinced, and sin appears in its true colours and makes them a terror to themselves—when the cup of trembling is put into their hands and they are made to drink the dregs of it—then their iniquity will be found hateful, and their self-flattery their unspeakable folly, and an aggravation of their condemnation.
II. Here are the cursed branches which spring from this root of bitterness. The sinner defies God, and even deifies himself, and then what can be expected but that he should go all to naught? These two were the first inlets of sin. Men do not fear God, and therefore they flatter themselves, and then, 1. They make no conscience of what they say, true of false, right or wrong (Ps 36:3): The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, contrived to do wrong, and yet to cover it with specious and plausible pretences. It is no marvel if those that deceive themselves contrive how to deceive all mankind; for to whom will those be true who are false to their own souls? 2. What little good there has been in them is gone; the sparks of virtue are extinguished, their convictions baffled, their good beginnings come to nothing: They have left off to be wise and to do good. They seemed to be under the direction of wisdom and the government of religion, but they have broken these bonds asunder; they have shaken off their religion, and therewith their wisdom. Note, Those that leave off to do good leave off to be wise. 3. Having left off to do good, they contrive to do hurt and to be vexatious to those about them that are good and do good (Ps 36:4): He devises mischief upon his bed. Note, (1.) Omissions make way for commissions. When men leave off doing good, leave off praying, leave off their attendance on God's ordinances and their duty to him, the devil easily makes them his agents, his instruments to draw those that will be drawn into sin, and, with respect to those that will not, to draw them into trouble. Those that leave off to do good begin to do evil; the devil, being an apostate from his innocency, soon became a tempter to Eve and a persecutor of righteous Abel. (2.) It is bad to do mischief, but it is worse to devise it, to do it deliberately and with resolution, to set the wits on work to contrive to do it most effectually, to do it with plot and management, with the subtlety, as well as the malice, of the old serpent, to devise it upon the bed, where we should be meditating upon God and his word, Mic 2:1. This argues the sinner's heart fully set in him to do evil. 4. Having entered into the way of sin, that way that is not good, that has good neither in it nor at the end of it, they persist and resolve to persevere in that way. He sets himself to execute the mischief he has devised, and nothing shall be withholden from him which he has purposed to do, though it be ever to contrary both to his duty and to his true interest. If sinners did not steel their hearts and brazen their faces with obstinacy and impudence, they could not go on in their evil ways, in such a direct opposition to all that is just and good. 5. Doing evil themselves, they have no dislike at all of it in others: He abhors not evil, but on the contrary, takes pleasure in it, and is glad to see others as bad as himself. Or this may denote his impenitency in sin. Those that have done evil, if God give them repentance, abhor the evil they have done and themselves because of it; it is bitter in the reflection, however sweet it was in the commission. But these hardened sinners have such seared stupefied consciences that they never reflect upon their sins afterwards with any regret or remorse, but stand to what they have done, as if they could justify it before God himself.
Some think that David, in all this, particularly means Saul, who had cast off the fear of God and left off all goodness, who pretended kindness to him when he gave him his daughter to wife, but at the same time was devising mischief against him. But we are under no necessity of limiting ourselves so in the exposition of it; there are too many among us to whom the description agrees, which is to be greatly lamented.
5-12
The Amazing Goodness of God; Favour of God towards His People;
简体中文
神奇妙的良善；神向他百姓所施的恩惠
⁵ 耶和华啊，你的慈爱上及诸天；你的信实达到穹苍。 ⁶ 你的公义好像高山；你的判断如同深渊。耶和华啊，人民牲畜，你都救护。 ⁷ 神啊，你的慈爱何其宝贵！世人投靠在你翅膀的荫下。 ⁸ 他们必因你殿里的肥甘得以饱足；你也必叫他们喝你乐河的水。 ⁹ 因为在你那里有生命的源头；在你的光中，我们必得见光。 ¹⁰ 愿你常施慈爱给认识你的人，常以公义待心里正直的人。 ¹¹ 不容骄傲人的脚践踏我；不容凶恶人的手赶逐我。 ¹² 在那里，作孽的人已经仆倒；他们被推倒，不能再起来。
大卫既带着忧伤环顾恶人的恶行，此处便带着安慰仰望神的良善；这题材与前者同样令人厌烦一般地令人喜悦，且恰好可与前者相提并论。请留意：
一、他对神恩典的默想。他看见世界被污染，自己陷危险，神也因恶人的过犯受羞辱；但他忽然转眼、转心、转口，向神说：「无论如何，你总是良善的。」他在此时承认：
1. 神属性中超群的完全。在人中间我们常常有理由抱怨：「无诚实、无良善」（何4:1），「无公平、无公义」（赛5:7）。但这一切都可以在神里面毫无掺杂地寻见。无论世界有何缺失或错失，我们确知那位治理世界的神里面毫无缺失、毫无错失。（1）他是那位有取之不竭之良善的神：「耶和华啊，你的慈爱上及诸天。」人若将怜悯的心肠关闭，我们在神那里、在他施恩的宝座前必仍寻得怜悯。当人图谋恶事害我们时，我们若紧紧倚靠神，神对我们的意念便是赐平安的意念。我们在地上遇见的是少许满足和许多不安失望；但在天上，神的慈爱完全掌权，且存到永远，那里有一切的满足；所以我们要安乐，就当在那里有我们的往来，也当渴望在那里。这世界无论多坏，我们总不要因此看轻神和他的治理；反倒要从人中间众多的恶行中得着机会，不去非议神的圣洁——仿佛他纵容罪恶——而是称赞他的忍耐，因他竟如此容忍那些肆无忌惮惹动他的人，甚至使他的日头照临他们、降雨给他们。神的慈爱若不在诸天之上（即无限地超越任何受造之物的怜悯），他早已再把世界淹没了。见赛55:8-9，何11:9。（2）他是那位有不可侵犯之诚实的神：「你的信实达到穹苍。」神虽容恶人行许多恶事，他却向罪所发的威吓始终如一、必不落空，到了那日他必与他们算账；他对与他百姓所立之约也始终信实，这约不能破裂，地上阴间一切的恶意也不能使其中一点一画落空。这是一切善人大大的安慰：人虽虚谎，神却信实；人所说的是虚空，耶和华的言语却是纯净的言语。神的信实达到如此之高，并不像人那样随天气改变，因为它达到「云霄」（有人如此读），在云层之上，凌越低空一切的变化。（3）他是那位有无可争辩之公义与公平的神：「你的公义好像高山」，本身如此坚定不动摇，又向世人如此显明可见；因为没有一条真理比这更确定、更明白：耶和华在他一切所行的道上无不公义，他未曾、也永不会对他的任何受造之物行错。即使「密云和幽暗在他的四围」，但「公义和公平是他宝座的根基」，诗97:2。（4）他是那位有不可测度之智慧与计划的神：「你的判断如同深渊」，不能用任何有限悟性的线与锤测透。他的大能既是主权的（他并不向我们交代），他的方法也是独特而奥秘的（我们无法测透）：「他的道路在海中，他的路径在大水中。」我们知道他所作的一切都智慧美好；但他所作的，我们如今不知道；以后知道也不迟。
2. 神护理的广泛看顾与恩惠：「人民牲畜，你都救护」，不仅保护他们免受损害，更供给他们维持生命所需。牲畜虽不能认识赞美神，却仍蒙他施恩供给；它们的眼睛仰望他，他按时赐它们食物。我们不要希奇神赐食物给恶人，因为他喂养野兽；我们也不要惧怕他不善待善人；他既喂养少壮狮子，必不叫自己的儿女饥饿。
3. 神对圣徒的特殊恩惠。请留意：
（1）他们的特征，诗36:7。他们是那些被「神慈爱的宝贵」吸引，而「投靠在你翅膀的荫下」的人。〔1〕神的慈爱对他们极为宝贵。他们品味它；他们在其中尝到超然的甘甜；他们爱慕神的荣美与恩慈，胜过世上一切，没有什么比这更可爱、更可慕。不赞赏神慈爱的人不认识神；不切切渴慕的人不认识自己。〔2〕他们因此在他里面完全信靠。他们投靠他，将自己置于他的保护之下，便觉得自己稳妥、安然无虑，如同母鸡翅膀下的小鸡一般，太23:37。归附者的特征正是他们来「投靠以色列神的翅膀荫下」（得2:12）；还有什么比他慈爱的宝贵更能招聚归附者呢？还有什么更能引动我们的心向着他、定居于他呢？那些如此被爱所吸引的人，必紧紧跟随他。
（2）他们的特权。有福的、三重有福的百姓，他们的神就是主；因为在他里面他们已有、可有、并将有完全的福乐。〔1〕他们的渴望必蒙应允（诗36:8）：「他们必因你殿里的肥甘得以饱足」——他们的缺乏得着供应，他们的渴求得着满足，他们的容量得着充满。在无所不知、无所不能的神里面，他们必得着一切，得着一个蒙光照、被扩大的灵魂所能渴望或领受的一切。世俗的所得和感官的乐趣令人厌腻，却永不能令人满足，赛55:2；但神圣恩惠与恩典的赐予能满足人，却永不会令人厌腻。一个蒙恩的人虽仍渴望更多得着神，却从不渴望多于神。护理的恩赐如此满足他们，使他们以现在所有的为足。「我样样都有，并且有余」，腓4:18。圣礼的益处就是神殿中的肥甘，对成圣的灵魂是甘甜的，对属灵属神的生命是坚固的。他们因此丰盛地得着满足；他们在世上别无所求，只愿过与神相交的生活，并得着应许的安慰。但完全的、丰盛的满足，是为将来的境况保留的——那不是人手所造、在天上永远的房子。在那里，每一个器皿都是满的。〔2〕他们的喜乐必是恒常的：「你也必叫他们喝你乐河的水。」第一，有真正属神的乐。「那是『你的乐』——不仅在于你是赐予者，更在于你是其内容和中心。」它们既是纯然属灵的，便与上面世界荣耀的居民所享的性质相同，甚至与永恒之心的喜乐有几分相仿。第二，有这些乐的河，常常满溢，常保新鲜，常流不息。对众人充足，对每一个人也充足；见诗46:4。感官之乐是腐烂的池水；信心之乐却纯净可悦，「清明如水晶」，启22:1。第三，神不仅为他百姓预备了这乐河，更使他们喝它——在他们里面造成对这些乐的恩典胃口，并借他的圣灵使他们因信得着喜乐平安。在天上他们要永远喝那「在神右手中的乐」，因「满足的喜乐」而饱足，诗16:11。〔3〕生命与光必是他们永远的福乐与分，诗36:9。他们既以神自己为福乐，第一，在他里面他们有「生命的源头」，从其中流出那些乐河，诗36:8。自然之神是自然生命之源。我们「生活、动作、存留都在乎他」。恩典之神是属灵生命之源。一个成圣之灵魂的一切力量与安慰、一切恩典的原则、能力与作为，都是从神而来。神是它一切对属神之事的感觉之源，也是它一切向这些事的动向之源：他要叫谁活着，谁就活了；凡愿意的都可以来，白白取生命的水。他是永生之源。得荣耀的圣徒的福乐，在于得见他、得享他，并直接领受他爱的交通，没有间断，也不怕止息。第二，在他里面他们有完全的光——智慧、知识、喜乐，这一切都包含在这光中：「在你的光中，我们必得见光」，意即：1. 「在恩典中认识你、在荣耀中得见你之时，我们必得着那能充分适应、充分满足我们悟性的事。」在圣经中闪耀的、尤其在基督——世界的光——脸上闪耀的神圣之光，包含一切真理。当我们到了幔内面对面见神之时，我们要看见完全的光；那时我们要充足地知道，林前13:12，约壹3:2。2. 「在与你现在的相交中，借着你的恩典向我们交通，又借我们敬虔的情感归回于你，并到了时候在天上得享你——我们必得着完全的福乐与满足。在你的恩宠中，我们有一切所能愿望的善。」这是一个黑暗的世界；在其中我们看不见多少安慰；但在属天的光中有真的光，没有虚假的光，是持久而不衰竭的光。在这世界中，我们借着受造之物和媒介来认识神、享受他；但在天上「神自己必与我们同在」（启21:3），我们要直接见他和享受他。
二、在此我们看见大卫基于这些默想而发的祷告、代求与圣洁的夸胜。
1. 他为一切圣徒代求，恳求他们常经历神恩惠与恩典的益处和安慰，诗36:10。（1）他为之祷告的人，是那些认识神的人——与他相熟、承认他、认他为属自己的人——是心里正直的人，就是在他们的信仰告白上真诚、对神对人忠信的人。对神不正直的人，并不按所当有的认识他。（2）他为他们所求的福，是神的慈爱（即他向他们施恩的凭据）和他的公义（即他在他们里面恩典的运行）；或说他的慈爱与公义就是他照应许所施的良善；那就是怜悯与诚实。（3）他愿这福分临到他们的方式：「愿你常施」——把它伸出来，如同母亲把乳房伸向孩子，孩子再从乳房中吸出奶来。愿它被伸长到与永恒之线相等。圣徒在天上的福乐，既是完全的，又是持续进展的（有人如此想）；因为那里的源头常常满溢，那里溪流常常流淌。「在其中我们有恒久」，赛64:5 [译按：和合本节次略有不同]。
2. 他为自己祷告，愿他在正直与安慰中蒙保守（诗36:11）：「不容骄傲人的脚践踏我」，不容它绊倒我，不容它践踏我；「不容凶恶人的手」——就是那向我伸出来的手——「赶逐我」，或借试探使我离开我的纯洁正直，或借患难使我离开我的平安安慰。愿那些攻击神的人，不要向那些愿意紧紧跟随他的人夸胜。已经历过与神相交之乐的人，不能不愿没有任何事使他们离开他。
3. 他因盼望众仇敌到了时候终必败落而喜乐（诗36:12）：「在那里」——他们以为可在那里胜过我——「他们已经仆倒」，自己陷入他们为我设的网罗。「在那里」，在来世（有人如此说），圣徒在审判中站立，并在神的殿中有分；作孽的人则在审判中被定罪，「被推倒」阴间、推入无底坑中，在神忿怒与咒诅不可担当的重压之下，他们必永不能起来。我们诚然不该因我们某个特定的仇敌跌倒而喜乐；但一切作孽之人最终的倾覆，必是得荣耀的圣徒永远的夸胜。
英文原文
The Amazing Goodness of God; Favour of God towards His People;
⁵ Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
⁶ Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
⁷ How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
⁸ They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
⁹ For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
¹⁰ O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
¹¹ Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
¹² There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
David, having looked round with grief upon the wickedness of the wicked, here looks up with comfort upon the goodness of God, a subject as delightful as the former was distasteful and very proper to be set in the balance against it. Observe,
I. His meditations upon the grace of God. He sees the world polluted, himself endangered, and God dishonoured, by the transgressions of the wicked; but, of a sudden, he turns his eye, and heart, and speech, to God "However it be, yet thou art good." He here acknowledges,
1. The transcendent perfections of the divine nature. Among men we have often reason to complain, There is no truth nor mercy, (Ho 4:1), no judgment nor justice, Isa 5:7. But all these may be found in God without the least alloy. Whatever is missing, or amiss, in the world, we are sure there is nothing missing, nothing amiss, in him that governs it. (1.) He is a God of inexhaustible goodness: Thy mercy, O Lord! is in the heavens. If men shut up the bowels of their compassion, yet with God, at the throne of his grace, we shall find mercy. When men are devising mischief against us God's thoughts concerning us, if we cleave closely to him, are thoughts of good. On earth we meet with little content and a great deal of disquiet and disappointment; but in the heavens, where the mercy of God reigns in perfection and to eternity, there is all satisfaction; there therefore, if we would be easy, let us have our conversation, and there let us long to be. How bad soever the world is, let us never think the worse of God nor of his government; but, from the abundance of wickedness that is among men, let us take occasion, instead of reflecting upon God's purity, as if he countenanced sin, to admire his patience, that he bears so much with those that so impudently provoke him, nay, and causes his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon them. If God's mercy were not in the heavens (that is, infinitely above the mercies of any creature), he would, long ere this, have drowned the world again. See Isa 55:8,9, Ho 11:9. (2.) He is a God of inviolable truth: Thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds. Though God suffers wicked people to do a great deal of mischief, yet he is and will be faithful to his threatenings against sin, and there will come a day when he will reckon with them; he is faithful also to his covenant with his people, which cannot be broken, nor one jot or tittle of the promises of it defeated by all the malice of earth and hell. This is matter of great comfort to all good people, that, though men are false, God is faithful; men speak vanity, but the words of the Lord are pure words. God's faithfulness reaches so high that it does not change with the weather, as men's does, for it reaches to the skies (so it should be read, as some think), above the clouds, and all the changes of the lower region. (3.) He is a God of incontestable justice and equity: Thy righteousness is like the great mountains, so immovable and inflexible itself and so conspicuous and evident to all the world; for no truth is more certain nor more plain than this, That the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and that he never did, nor ever will do, any wrong to any of his creatures. Even when clouds and darkness are round about him, yet judgment and justice are the habitation of his throne, Ps 97:2. (4.) He is a God of unsearchable wisdom and design: "Thy judgments are a great deep, not to be fathomed with the line and plummet of any finite understanding." As his power is sovereign, which he owes not any account of to us, so his method is singular and mysterious, which cannot be accounted for by us: His way is in the sea and his path in the great waters. We know that he does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now; it will be time enough to know hereafter.
2. The extensive care and beneficence of the divine Providence: "Thou preservest man and beast, not only protectest them from mischief, but suppliest them with that which is needful for the support of life." The beasts, though not capable of knowing and praising God, are yet graciously provided for; their eyes wait on him, and he gives them their meat in due season. Let us not wonder that God gives food to bad men, for he feeds the brute-creatures; and let us not fear but that he will provide well for good men; he that feeds the young lions will not starve his own children.
3. The peculiar favour of God to the saints. Observe,
(1.) Their character, Ps 36:7. They are such as are allured by the excellency of God's loving-kindness to put their trust under the shadow of his wings. [1.] God's loving-kindness is precious to them. They relish it; they taste a transcendent sweetness in it; they admire God's beauty and benignity above any thing in this world, nothing so amiable, so desirable. Those know not God that do not admire his loving-kindness; and those know not themselves that do not earnestly covet it. [2.] They therefore repose an entire confidence in him. They have recourse to him, put themselves under his protection, and then think themselves safe and find themselves easy, as the chickens under the wings of the hen, Mt 23:37. It was the character of proselytes that they came to trust under the wings of the God of Israel (Ru 2:12); and what more proper to gather proselytes than the excellency of his loving-kindness? What more powerful to engage our complacency to him and on him? Those that are thus drawn by love will cleave to him.
(2.) Their privilege. Happy, thrice happy, the people whose God is the Lord, for in him they have, or may have, or shall have, a complete happiness. [1.] Their desires shall be answered, (Ps 36:8): They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, their wants supplied; their cravings gratified, and their capacities filled. In God all-sufficient they shall have enough, all that which an enlightened enlarged soul can desire or receive. The gains of the world and the delights of sense will surfeit, but never satisfy, Isa 55:2. But the communications of divine favour and grace will satisfy, but never surfeit. A gracious soul, though still desiring more of God, never desires more than God. The gifts of Providence so far satisfy them that they are content with such things as they have. I have all, and abound, Php 4:18. The benefit of holy ordinances is the fatness of God's house, sweet to a sanctified soul and strengthening to the spiritual and divine life. With this they are abundantly satisfied; they desire nothing more in this world than to live a life of communion with God and to have the comfort of the promises. But the full, the abundant satisfaction is reserved for the future state, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Every vessel will be full there. [2.] Their joys shall be constant: Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. First, There are pleasures that are truly divine. "They are thy pleasures, not only which come from thee as the giver of them, but which terminate in thee as the matter and centre of them." Being purely spiritual, they are of the same nature with those of the glorious inhabitants of the upper world, and bear some analogy even to the delights of the Eternal Mind. Secondly, There is a river of these pleasures, always full, always fresh, always flowing. There is enough for all, enough for each; see Ps 46:4. The pleasures of sense are putrid puddle-water; those of faith are pure and pleasant, clear as crystal, Re 22:1. Thirdly, God has not only provided this river of pleasures for his people, but he makes them to drink of it, works in them a gracious appetite to these pleasures, and by his Spirit fills their souls with joy and peace in believing. In heaven they shall be for ever drinking of those pleasures that are at God's right hand, satiated with a fulness of joy, Ps 16:11. [3.] Life and light shall be their everlasting bliss and portion, Ps 36:9. Having God himself for their felicity, First, In him they have a fountain of life, from which those rivers of pleasure flow, Ps 36:8. The God of nature is the fountain of natural life. In him we live, and move, and have our being. The God of grace is the fountain of spiritual life. All the strength and comfort of a sanctified soul, all its gracious principles, powers, and performances, are from God. He is the spring and author of all its sensations of divine things, and all its motions towards them: he quickens whom he will; and whosoever will may come, and take from him of the waters of life freely. He is the fountain of eternal life. The happiness of glorified saints consists in the vision and fruition of him, and in the immediate communications of his love, without interruption or fear of cessation. Secondly, In him they have light in perfection, wisdom, knowledge, and joy, all included in this light: In thy light we shall see light, that is, 1. "In the knowledge of thee in grace, and the vision of thee in glory, we shall have that which will abundantly suit and satisfy our understandings." That divine light which shines in the scripture, and especially in the face of Christ, the light of the world, has all truth in it. When we come to see God face to face, within the veil, we shall see light in perfection, we shall know enough then, 1Co 13:12, 1Jo 3:2. 2. "In communion with thee now; by the communications of thy grace to us and the return of our devout affections to thee, and in the fruition of thee shortly in heaven, we shall have a complete felicity and satisfaction. In thy favour we have all the good we can desire." This is a dark world; we see little comfort in it; but in the heavenly light there is true light, and no false light, light that is lasting and never wastes. In this world we see God, and enjoy him by creatures and means; but in heaven God himself shall be with us (Re 21:3) and we shall see and enjoy him immediately.
II. We have here David's prayers, intercessions, and holy triumphs, grounded upon these meditations.
1. He intercedes for all saints, begging that they may always experience the benefit and comfort of God's favour and grace, Ps 36:10. (1.) The persons he prays for are those that know God, that are acquainted with him, acknowledge him, and avouch him for theirs—the upright in heart, that are sincere in their profession of religion, and faithful both to God and man. Those that are not upright with God do not know him as they should. (2.) The blessing he begs for them is God's loving-kindness (that is, the tokens of his favour towards them) and his righteousness (that is, the workings of his grace in them); or his loving-kindness and righteousness are his goodness according to promise; they are mercy and truth. (3.) The manner in which he desires this blessing may be conveyed: O continue it, draw it out, as the mother draws out her breasts to the child, and then the child draws out the milk from the breasts. Let it be drawn out to a length equal to the line of eternity itself. The happiness of the saints in heaven will be in perfection, and yet in continual progression (as some thing); for the fountain there will be always full and the streams always flowing. In these is continuance, Isa 64:5.
2. He prays for himself, that he might be preserved in his integrity and comfort (Ps 36:11): "Let not the foot of pride come against me, to trip up my heels, or trample upon me; and let not the hand of the wicked, which is stretched out against me, prevail to remove me, either from my purity and integrity, by any temptation, or from my peace and comfort, by any trouble." Let not those who fight against God triumph over those who desire to cleave to him. Those that have experienced the pleasure of communion with God cannot but desire that nothing may ever remove them from him.
3. He rejoices in hope of the downfall of all his enemies in due time (Ps 36:12): "There, where they thought to gain the point against me, they have themselves fallen, been taken in that snare which they laid for me." There, in the other world (so some), where the saints stand in the judgment, and have a place in God's house, the workers of iniquity are cast in the judgment, are cast down into hell, into the bottomless pit, out of which they shall assuredly never be able to rise from under the insupportable weight of God's wrath and curse. It is true we are not to rejoice when any particular enemy of ours falls; but the final overthrow of all the workers of iniquity will be the everlasting triumph of glorified saints.
大卫何时、因何故写本篇,无从确知;大概是在他被扫罗或押沙龙攻击之时,因他在其中抱怨仇敌的恶意,却在神对他的良善里夸胜。此处我们被引导来思量(且认真思量必对我们有益):一、罪的恶毒与其为害(诗36:1-4);二、神的良善与他的恩慈:1. 他对一切受造之物普遍的恩(诗36:5,6);2. 他对自己百姓特别的恩(诗36:7-9)。诗人因此受鼓励,为众圣徒祷告(诗36:10),为自己特别地并为自己的保守祷告(诗36:11),并在仇敌必败的确定中夸胜(诗36:12)。我们唱这首诗时,若心被对罪的恨恶与对神慈爱的满意所感,便是以恩典与悟性歌唱了。