Psalm XXVI
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 lovingkiuduess 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.
6 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
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 ray 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.
The distinguishing peculiarity of this Psahii, in the tone of its appeals, is, that it dwells so much on the righteousness of Jehovah’s character. Having in the preceding one dealt much with his mercies, it was fitting in this one to trace the channel down which these mercies flow to sinners.
Our Head himself speaks here as well as his members. We may consider Him as teaching his members to take up his words, and address them to the Father in his name.
“Judge me, 0 Lord,” &c., (Ver. ]). Who could so well speak thus, as He who prayed that prayer and held that converse in John xvii. —
“Examine me, 0 Lord, and prove me;
“My heart and reins have been tried” — as gold is tried, (Ver. 2). John xvii. 4. And who could so well say as Jesus, in verse 3, —
“Thy lovinglcindness is before mine eyes; — (as Deut. vi. 8, frontlets.) And I have walked in thy truth.”
He fears not to invite this searching of heart and reins, for
IN THE lord’s righteousness. 91
He knows the “lovin<jhladne>^s” of the Lord; and he fears not to be driven from any favourite path he is upon, for his desire is to “walk habitually in his truth.” “I love the Father,” said Jesus, (John xiv 31). “I come to bear witness to the truth,” (John xviii, 37). And we might thus go through the Psalm, and shew its application to Him. But more particularly observe verses 6, 7, —
“/ loiU -wasJb my hands in innocency {i.e., I will touch no unclean thing, like Gen. xx. 5, Deut. xxi. 6): Iioill compass thine altar, O Lord; (as Jericho was compassed, Josh. vi. 3) That I may 2mblish with the voice of thanksgiving; And tell all thy wondrously accomplished works.”
The meaning is, that he will go round and round the altar, looking at it, looking at the blood on its base, and the blood on each of the four horns, towards north, south, east, and west, and beholding the smoke of the fire, and thinking of the sacrificial victim that has died there, — all in the way of joyful thanks, for salvation provided for men! It is a survey of redemption-work, taken by- the Redeemer; such a survey, as every member of his body often takes after having felt the power of free forgiveness, and while aiming at “innocency.” For the “coiii’passing” of the altar takes place after pardon: it is made in order to view it leisurely.
Jesus loved the types, and that typical Temple, because they shewed forth his work;
“Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, And the place where thine honour dwelleth” — (Ver. 8),
where his Glory dwelt, and where God was shewn as just, while gi-acious. He hated the thought of sin; and though” numbered with transgressors,’’ abhorred their company as hell. (Ver. 9, 1 0.) And is not this the feeling of every member of his mystical body? And do not all join in the resolution and prayer of verse 11?
We consider verse 12 as anticipating the future.” The even
place,’” seems to be the place of security, where no farther
danger of falling shall occur; though it may express also the
present sure standing of the soul in God’s love. At all events, —
“In the couf/regaf ions will I bless the Lord” (ver. 12), — points farther than to the assemblies of God’s people on earth. However pleasant these may be, they are but types of better. They are but shadows of those multitudes, “numbers without number” in the kingdom, and their voice of praise but the prelude to the anthems that shall arise from “blessed voices uttering joy,” when the Lord shall have gathered his great multitude that no man can number. Till that day dawns, let us use this Psalm, in order to enter fully into sympathy with the appeals of the Righteous One and his members. It is, throughout, a breathing forth of — The confidence of the Righteous in the Lord’s righteousness.