Psalms 26

Had not David his ebbings sometimes as well as his flowings, like the mariner, who sometimes cries out Stellam Video, I see a star, sometimes the star is out of sight. Sometimes we hear David say, Your loving kindness is before my eyes (Psalm 26:3). But at another time he was at…

But now the case is altered, he will lift up his soul to God in a way of triumph; from where was this? God had spoken peace to his soul (Psalm 26:3): Your loving kindness is before my eyes. 2. This divine peace fires the heart with love to Christ; peace is the result of pardon;…

Grace is but a creature; if we trust in it, we make it an idol. Grace is imperfect, we cannot trust to that to save us which is imperfect (Psalm 26:1): I have walked in my integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord. David did walk in his integrity, but did not trust in his integ…

If there were no doubtings there would be no unbelief. Assurance itself does not exclude all doubting (Psalm 26:3). "Your loving kindness is before my eyes"; but at another time (Psalm 89:49): "Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses?"

For the guilt of a man's particular ways, actions, and corruptions is made the matter of the evidence and the proofs of those minor premises; and the defilement and erroneousness of the conscience is that principle in us which he works upon when he enforces such a misapprehensio…

So the Apostle reckoning up the privileges of the Hebrews (Romans 9:4), affirms that to them appertained the adoption and the glory. And therein not the Ark is intended, although it may be that is sometimes called the glory, or signified under that name, as (1 Samuel 4:21, 22; P…

You will abhor your selves; and there will be a continual contest with, and opposition against your own righteousness: you will still endeavour to be beating down that: as he (Philippians 3:8, 9), and you will never wholly get clear of a self righteous principle, and the working…

For it is the Lord's will that his church should be tempted. Indeed, David desired some kind of temptations (Psalm 26:1): prove me, O Lord. And James says, Account it for exceeding joy, when you shall fall into diverse temptations (James 1:2).

Ecclesiastes 5:1. Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a thing before the Lord. And David, Psalms 26:6. Washed his hands in innocency, before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice. The means whereby men may stir up their dull and he…

In short, the radical (if I may so speak) and principal disposition of love is a desire of union; for all other effects of love flow from it. This is that makes the soul to prize the ordinances, because God is to be enjoyed there; and these are means of communion with him (Psalm…

Why then may we not certainly know that we repent and believe and are reconciled to God, which all Roman Catholics deny? Fifth: in the last words — and lead us not into temptation — we pray not that God should free us from temptation, for it is sometimes good to be tempted, Psal…

For this as the learned have observed, has ever been the manner of the situation of Altars, both among the Jews and Heathens, for the Prophet Elijah made a Trench round about the Altar (1 Kings 18:32, 35). I will wash mine hands in innocency, so will I compass your Altar, O Lord…

For it is the Lord's will, that his Church should be tempted. Indeed, David desired some kind of temptations (Psalm 26:1): Prove me O Lord. And James says, account it for exceeding joy, when you shall fall into diverse temptations (James 1:2).

Ecclesiastes 5:1: Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a thing, before the Lord. And David (Psalm 26:6) washed his hands in innocence, before he came to the altar of the Lord to offer sacrifice. The means whereby men may stir up their dull and he…

If God give you this blessing to dwell in his own House, you are well enough. In (Psalm 26:8) Lord I have loved the habitation of your House, and the place where your honor dwells. The Church is not only God's House, but the house wherein the honor of God dwells.

(5) From the positive marks that Christ puts on his children as marks of true blessedness (Matthew 5:3-11; Psalm 119:1-2; Psalm 32:1-2). (6) From the judgment that the saints make of themselves, and their own begun communion with God (Psalm 73:25; Psalm 18:20-22; Psalm 26:3-4, 8…

Likewise we read in the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 48, that the Lord speaks these words: Behold I have tried you, in the furnace of affliction. And in Psalm 26: Try me O Lord, prove and examine my reins and my heart. Again Psalm 66: We passed through fire and water.

How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings, etc! It makes them love God's public Worship; Psalms 26. 8. Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House, and the Place where thine Honour dwelleth.

They make him proud like Jehu in his false persuasions. Sixthly, sound comforts and real assurance do engage the soul to walk before God in a course of holiness (Psalm 26:3). Your loving kindness is before my eyes — that is, I am assured, if I saw the thing with my eye, that God…

Holy duties call for holy preparation. We must not touch holy things with unholy hands, or with unholy hearts; I will wash my hands in innocency, and so will I compass your altar O Lord, was David's resolution (Psalm 26:6). Therefore Job intending a solemn duty, a sacrifice, whi…

Yet after all, suspect your own heart: call in help from Heaven, desire the Lord to search you, and be willing to be sifted to the bran, searched to the bottom. David is so intent upon it, and so afraid of a mistake, that he uses three emphatic words, in that challenge he makes…

—And thus our Churches will be likely to be such Congregations as the Psalmist said he hated, and would not sit with. Psalm 26:4, 5. I have not sat with vain Persons, nor will I go in with Dissemblers; I have hated the Congregation of Evil Doers, nor will I sit with the Wicked.

Possible out of eager opposition to enthusiasts and Libertines we run on another extreme, that we rush on duties upon no other account, but only the Scripture is clear, Do this in remembrance of me; and that warranted us to eat at the Lord's Supper prepared or not prepared, but…

Now you that are fain to be put into mean holes for your dwellings, if you may be with Gods people, do not think it much, for God dwells there, and desires no better habitation: It is strange that God that has Heaven to be his habitation, should desire to dwell with his people,…

Certainly, the sight of sin, wherever it is committed, should cause horror in the heart; thus it was with David, Psalm 119:53 Horror has taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake your Law: It should make men forbear to come into such company where they see sin commi…

I am sure says he my redeemer lives &c. whom I my self shall see and mine eyes shall behold and no other for me: So that though he stood not upon the righteousness of works for himself, yet he was assured in Christ of Eternal Salvation. The second example he brings is of David,…

Hope is not lively, unless we contemplate the thing hoped for, and with Abraham walk through the Land of Promise (Genesis 15), and think often and seriously on the glory of the riches of the inheritance of the saints (Ephesians 1:18), and get upon the Mount of Meditation, upon t…

1. Them that take pleasure in nothing so much as in the company of the ungodly, where they hear God dishonored, his laws broken: if they were horribly afraid of the wicked which forsake God's law, how could this be? All conversation with the wicked is not forbidden, for then we…

We are to have peace with their persons as they are made in God's image, but to have war with their sins as they have made themselves in the devil's image. David was for peace (Psalm 120:7) but he would not sit upon the ale-bench with sinners (Psalm 26:4-5). Grace teaches good n…

There will be ebbs and flows in their comforts as well as in their graces. Sometimes David says God's loving-kindness was before his eyes (Psalm 26:3); at another time he cries: where are your loving-kindnesses? (Psalm 89:49). Paul at one time sets up the trophies of victory and…

Song of Solomon 5:6: My beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone, my soul failed when he spoke, remembering his speeches, when he knocked (verse 2). There may be some too lengthy security under sad falls, when he is not soon missed (2 Samuel 11:1-3; Psalm 26:15). Indeed a spi…

Every Church is a sanctuary. Therefore God dwells therein (Psalms 26:8). I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your honor dwells.

(For Christ is with us here, but those two ways, in his ordinances, or providences, by his holy Spirit.) Lord (says David) I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your honor dwells (Psalm 26:8). The ground of which is set down in verse 3: your loving kindn…

This added an edge to Hezekiah's prayers (Isaiah 38:3). This made David bold to refer himself to God's trial and examination (Psalm 26:1). This upheld Paul against all that could be laid against him (1 Corinthians 4:4).

The Scriptures they insisted on were all of them gathered together in the Epistle of Pope Hadrian, which was solemnly assented to by the whole Council. And they were these: God made man of the dust of the Earth after his own image (Genesis 1); Abel by his own choice offered a sa…

"Judge me, O Lord," says he, "for I have walked in my innocence; prove me, O Lord, and try me; examine my reins and my heart." So upright and clear was he in all his doings (Psalm 101:2; Psalm 26:1-2; Psalm 119:23; Psalm 18:22-24). 52