Psalms 26

Psalms 26:1-6

This psalm appears to have been penned on occasion of the malicious oppression cast on David, by his avowed perfocater, Saul. It contains his appeal to God for his integrity, ver. 1, 2. for the proof of which he alludes. 1. His regard to God and his truth, ver. 3. His antipathy to sin and sinners, ver. 4, 5. His affliction to the ordinances of God, ver. 6, 7, 8. Having thus proved his integrity, (1.) He advocates the doom of the wicked, ver. 9, 10. (2.) He refuses to hold fast his integrity, and hope in God, ver. 11, 12. He is David, the only man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who is not to be a man who

¶ A psalm of David.

1. ¶ DGE me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted altho 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 loving kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. 4. ¶ I have not let with vain persons, neither will I go in with dishevelers. 5. I have hated the congregation of evil doers: and will not sit with the wicked.

The greatest innocence is no protection from the in-venged tongue of slander. It is well there is a day coming that shall confute the calumnies of the wicked, and turn them with confusion on their own heads.

1. David here appeals to God for his integrity. Not as upright in the sight of God, for there he pretended not to be justified; but as innocent of the charges laid against him by Saul, respecting which, he deems to submit to the heart-deathing scrutiny of God, and to abide by his judgment, conscious that there was no just occasion of offence to be found in him; and therefore trusting that God would espouse his righteous quarrel, and preserve him that he should not slide: neither fall before the malignity of his perfocators, nor be enslaved by the power of evil. Note. (1.) Under the safest misrepresentations, it is an unfeasible comfort to possess conscious innocence. (2.) They who trust in God, shall never slide, at least not so as to be cast away; but are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.

2. In support of his plea, he produces the following evidences. (1.) His regard to God’s loving kindness, a sense of which upon his heart, restrained him from evil. (2.) That he had

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had walked in God’s trash, made his word his rute, and sought to have his actions governed thereby. (3.) His care as a little from the company of sinners. They are called vain person, admitted to the vanities of this world; or whose talk and conversation was light, lewd, or unprofitable. Difficulties, who clutter with their lips, or lye in wait to deceive; still does, whose words and works are calculated to injure their neighbour; wicked, men of prostrate lives and conversations, who have call off the fear of God: with these he never shall resurrected acquaintance, never chose to sit down in their company, he hated their ways, and fully purposed never to go from them as friends, or be connected with them as his familiars. Note, (1.) A sense of God’s love is the great restrainer from God. (2.) When God’s word is ever confused as our guide, then we shall walk aright. (3.) Nothing to dangerous as following with the triumph. (4.) To sit long amidst light, vain; unprofitable diffourle, deaden the heart perhaps more than what is flagrantly profane. (5.) Though we must needs go out of the world if we would have no communication with the wicked, yet a gracious soul will have as little as possible.

Pil. hall. 13. East. see, 19, 20. Pil. savi. 9. Itch. Of the habittion of thy honour. Pil. avail. p. Gen. avai. 9. p. 1. 2. Or take not every. Pil. al. 1. 6. ‘I will walk mine hands in innocency: so will I compels 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 doesforth, o. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: 10. In whose hands is mileshed: and their right hand is full of brides. 11. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. 12. My foot thundest in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

If God be for us, who can be against us, if he be our salvation, how impotent the malice of every foe? We have here. 1. David’s triumph over his enemies, through his interest in God’s love. The Lord is my right, to point out my way, to clean my heart, and to preserve me (such) all the darkness of evil and of sin, and my salvation, whose grace perishes over me, whose power protects me, and in whose arms I am late from every danger; whom shall I fear under such a guardian? The Lord is the strength of my life, preserving one from every deadly blow that is aimed against me, by my temporal or spiritual foes, and will bring me to his eternal life in glory, of whom shall I be afraid? who can separate me from his regards, and of secure of these, all must be well. My numerous adversaries have tried their utmost malice, but stumbled and fell; and though they should renew their desperate attacks, so fear shall dismay me: my confidence is placed on him who cannot fail, and will not fortake me. Note, (1.) Without the light of God’s word and spirit, we must quickly stumble; but if these lead us, then shall we walk safely. (2.) Our fears are often up as heists us from the views of the multitude, or greatness of our dangers; but if our faith fall out, our fears cannot prevail. (3.) Christ is our life; till the well spring that is in him fails, we cannot faint. (4.) It is our duty and comfort to despair of ourselves, and be confident in God. 2. His prayer. One thing have I desired of the Lord, not to return to his own house, not to be reinstituted at court, but to be admitted to the more desirable courts of the Lord’s house, there he could wish for ever to dwell, such delight had he in the ordinances of the sanctuary; to behold the beauty of the Lord, the priests in their vestments, the sacrifices smoking on the altar, and all the glory of that worldly sanctuary; and from these outward symbols to contemplate the glories of the great high-great, and perfect sacrifice of the Messiah, to whom all this shadowy service pointed; and to require in his temple, to aid direction in every difficulty, and in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to make his requests known unto God. There he promised himself safety and security, hid under the sacred pavilion of the Divine Majesty, and firmly seated, as on a rock, which all his enemies, like boisterous waves, assail in vain. Therefore, because of such protection, will I offer in his tabernacle, though now absent from it, yet confident of a gain returning, sacrifice of joy, the grateful overflowings of a heart filled with the love, and big with the praises of a gracious God. Note, (1.) God’s sanctuary and service is the believer’s delight; he would dwell there now, he hopes to have his abode in it shortly for ever. (2.) They who are hid under the wing of Almighty grace, and are held with manifestations of the beauty of the Lord as their God and Saviour, are not only safe, but happy, amidst an hold of enemies. (3.) Praise is the just tribute we owe, and should daily render for mercein without number and without end. 7. Hear, O LORD, utzea I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8. When then

1. The same, I think, ‘Seek ye my face: my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9. ‘Hide not thy face for from me, but not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10. ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will + take me up. 11. ‘Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of a mine enemies. 12. ‘Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe old cruelty. 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to be the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14. ‘Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

2. 0. 2—14. Having engaged to praise God on his return to his talcman, David enlarge his requisite, that he may have more abundant matter for praise and joy.

3. His requisite are many: in general he begs that God would hear his voice, shew him the mercy he needed for soul and body, and answer his cry by some precious evidence that his prayer was heard and granted, 0. 7. In particular, (1.) He desires God’s face: may not be bad from him, 0. 8. Let the sense of his favour and regard. (2.) That he may not be turned back in anger, as a servant from the presence of an offended mother; at least not turned out of his service, though he a little moment his sins provoked a frown. (3.) That he might never be left a moment to his own heart; nor hesitant of those suppices of grace, without which he could in no wise stand, 0. 9. (4.) He untreats the Lord to reach him his way, his holy way; that he might know it, and lead him, that he might not stumble in it, and that because of his enemies, who would with prying eyes observe him, and teach at his halting. (5.) He prays to be delivered from the will of his enemies, who thrilled for his blood; and as they flock at no falsehood to misrepresent him, he might expect to feel their cruelty if once given up into their hands. Note, (1.) The greatest failure rests ever cry for mercy at God’s hands. (2.) A sense of God’s nature, is the great support under affliction. (3.) We are weak as infancy, and, left to ourselves, cannot but fail. (4.) The wisest man knows nothing as he ought to know without divine teaching. (5.) Our enemies, as charitans, are many, and with malignant eye mask all our steps; we need watch and pray, that we may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion against us.

4. He prays in faith, as unto the God of his salvation, whose promises encouraged his confidence. God had said unto him, Sick ye my face: his heart echoes back the welcome invitation, Thy face, Lord, until I seek, assured I shall not seek in vain, 0. 8. ‘The experience also of the days past, emboldened him to expect preterm support. Thus high love my holy, 0. 9. and I trust thou wilt continue the same kind assistance. Therefore, though his nearest and dearest friends forsook him, to tell he could be satisfied in the divine care and keeping; and this it was that ever kept his head above water, amidst fear of trouble, 0. 13. He fainted now, because he believed to be the pains of the Lord in the land of the living; to experience his present mercy, and to behold his richest discoveries of grace in the land where life eternal reigns. On the whole, he bids his poor trembling heart to wait still on the Lord; to take courage, and expect Divine strength; and rest assured, that which he continued to wait upon God in faith and prayer, God would watch over him in mercy and love, 0. 14. Note, (1.) If God is so condescendingly kind as to invite us to come to him, it surely becomes us gratefully to receive, and readily to obey the Divine summons. (2.) The cause of God, sometimes makes our once dearest friends our bitterest enemies; but though all forsake us, if God loves us we have enough. (3.) It is faith alone can keep us from fainting; so much corruption within, and so many temptations without, would quickly sink us in despair, if our faith had not on Jesus, on his unchangeable regard, and everlasting promises. (4.) From what we have experienced, we should encourage our own souls and others, still to take courage, and rest in assured hope of seeing the salvation of God.

Psalms 26:6-12

We have heard what company David avoided, here we are told what company he delighted in, the worshippers of God. 1. He declares how he approached the coasts of the Lord’s house. He washed his hands in innocence, washed in the blessed hearings, upon for sin and for inefficiencies, that to be might be accounted pure before God; and he kept back no allowed sin, but with a conscience void of offence, compelled God’s altar; alluding to the priests who wept proud the altar, tjetaking the atoning blood on the four sororers, so would he wait continually upon God, pleading the blood of tjetaking, and offering the grateful sacrifice of praise. That I may publish with the vices of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works, works of mercy and grace so astonishing, that they deserve to be proclaimed for the comfort of his brethren, and the glory of God. And this was not a mere thro’ duty to family conscience, or support a Pharisaical righteousness, no; it was the very joy of his heart. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, there could I with pleasure ever abide, and the place where thou donear dreadeth, where in the divine Shechinoh thy glory visibly repears. Note, (1.) In our approaches to God’s altar, it becomes us to apply with renewed faith to the fountain of a Savinor’s blood, that in him we may appear without spot or blemoth. (2.) They who love God will love his ordinances, and could his service perfect freedom. (3.) In the believer’s eyes, all God’s works of grace appear wonderful, beyond all he could delive, and above all he could deserve. 2. He prays, Gather not my soul with sinners, such as are openly profane and prostrate, that God would not suffer him to walk in their ways, or come to their miserable end; nor my life with bloody men, who are cut off in the midst of their days; he describes them as men, in whose hand is mislaid, and their right hand is full of brides, to pervert judgment, or to gratify the sinful purposes of their hearts. Enclose me, deliver me from the company of all such, and from the hand of all my enemies, and be merciful unto me; to my sins, to pardon them, to my suffraings, to remove them. Note, (1.) However now sinners may be joyous, and walk in prosperous iniquity, the day is near when God shall gather in their souls as taret, and bind them in bundles for the burning. (2.) They who are delivered from sinners ways, shall escape their ruin. (3.) The redemption of our souls is by the blood of Jesus; blessed and happy are they, to whom this is by faith applied. 3. He repeats his purpose to persevere as he had done, v. 1. in his integrity, and give no just cause to his enemy to accuse him. Confident in God’s care, who had set his foot in no more place, from whence he should not be moved, but in the congregation of God’s saints continue to bless the Lord for all his dispensations of mercy, grace, and love to his soul. Note, (1.) When we have run well, it should be an engagement to us to persevere. (2.) Christ is the even place on whom the believer is firmly fixed, and from whose love and service no enemy shall be able to remove him. (3.) They who share the Redeemer’s gracious protection, are bound to render the calves of their lips, and in the congregation of saints and angels their work will shortly be everlasting praise. PSALMS XXVII. In what particular way David proved this public in possession. In it we hold: 1. The strength and usefulness of his truth, ver. 1; 2, 3. 2. The imbalances he took in possession with God, and the benefit he experienced by it, ver. 1, 5. 3. His office inwards God, and his grace, ver. 3, 6. 4. His expetuations from God, and the encouragement to great in order to buy in him, ver. 10, 13, 14. A point of David. 1. THE LORD is my right and my situation, 1. 2. When shall I fear? (the LORD) the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? 2. When the wicked, who come enemies, and my foot came upon me, to set up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3. Though in such should exempt against me, my heart shall not feel through our should be against me, in this will I be confident. 4. One thing have I desired of the LORD; that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and so require in his temple. 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his parishes: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me, he shall set me up upon a rock. 6. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy, I will sing, yes, I will sing praises unto the LORD.