Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 91
The xci. PSALM.
The Psalmist prophetically declares Gods great care for the welfare of the faithfull, commends it by his own testimony and example, and therefore exhorts them to walk with a holy carelesness in midst of dangers upon assurance of his de…ence. Brings in God himself, promising to the faithfull deliverance temporall, and salvation eternall.Psalm xci.
1 HE that by faith is firmly fixed upon God,1HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. making him his never-failing refuge, and wholly confiding in his sure though invisible protection, at all essayes shall be as secure and safely preserved, as the Almighty power of God can tell how to protect him, which he need neither fear nor doubt of.
2 I believe,2I will say of the Lord, he is my re…uge, and my fortress: my God in him will I trust. and therefore I will and dare with boldness affirm as much of the Lord by mine own experience of him, as I recommend unto others to make triall of, how that he is the onelyonly refuge and fortress, even this my God that I have ever in all straits and concussions fled unto, and never found him falsifie his word or fail my trust, therefore I both have and will trust in him, and relie upon him and him onelyonly, fall back fall edge.
3Surely he shall deliver thee from the sn…re of the fowler: an… from the noysom pestilence.3 Let me and mine example perswade with thee to do so too, surely thou shalt not repent thee, but find the happy fruits of it, in his gracious and powerfull preservation of thee, neither men nor divels, by power or policy, shall be able to do thee any hurt, they may endanger thee, but thine extremity shall be his oportunity; no nothing, though in its own nature never so destructive and inavoidable, the plague it self, that uncomfortable all-devouring disease, shall not annoy thee.
4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his trust shall be thy shield and buckler.4 He shall take care of thee, and by his Almighty power secure thee from danger, as a Hen doth her Chickins, wherein the more thou trusts the more thou may, such experience shalt thou have of him and of his faithfulness; cast but thy care on him and trust firmly in him, and thou shalt find him true of his word, and true to thy trust, and thy self better safeguarded by thy faith in his faithfulness, than by any humane helps, or warlike accommodations whatsoever.
5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day.5 Thou shalt therein apprehend such safety, and thy mind find such recumbency as that nothing shall disquiet thy peace, no time, place, person, nor thing shall be cause of fear to thee, for day and night shalt thou have sweet repose in his protection, both against naturall evils, and supernaturall extraordinary judgements, which as they come immediately from him, so are they ordered by him, how mortall and sudden soever they seem to be.
6 Thou shalt be antidoted,6Nor for the pestilence that walketh ie darkness: nor for th… destruction that wasteth at noon-day. and fearless of the plague of pestilence that infecteth secretly, and spreadeth here and there uncertainly and insensibly, and where it rageth leaves sad spectacles of natures frailty, sinners mortality, and Gods heavy displeasure, to be seen and lamented by all in all places, in streets and houses frequently and openly, dying night and day.
7 And though by Gods just judgement and secret dispensation,7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee. men die and fall as thick as hail round about thee by the pestilence, which of it self knows no difference, nor makes none, betwixt one man and another, whose natures are alike mortall, and their constitutions alike apt to infection, yet shall God whose judgement it is, and whose will it performs, so order and dispose the dispensation of it, that thou shalt be as it were shot-free, when thousands, and ten thousands drop dead at thy feet.
8 Thou in thine own person shalt feel no harm,8OnelyOnly with thine eyes shalt thou behold: and see the reward of the wicked. thou shalt onelyonly be a spectatour of other mens destruction, and Gods judgement executed upon sinners, by suddain and untimely death, overtaking many thousands that misimploied their life-time, living in sin and impenitency, and would have continued so.
9 Because thou hast done as I do,9Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation. thou shalt speed as I have sped; for God his promise and performance shall be one and the same to all believers, and therefore as I made him my refuge, and so he was, so thou doing the like, he shall be the like, even the Almighty God from heaven, shall safeguard thee as well as me, if thou take sanctuary in him.
10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.10 So doing, thou shalt be like Israel in Egypt, when the first born were smitten, how ever it happen to others, thy faith shall secure thee, yea, both thee and thine, even from commonest judgements.
11For he shall give his Angel… charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy wayes.11 For all the powers of heaven shall be imploid to preserve thee if there be need; besides both the ordinary and extraordinary providence of God, he shall double his guard upon thee, yea, not one but many, nor many, but all the Angels of heaven shall stand charged with thee, if there be cause to protect thee, from miscarriage by any power or accidents on earth, whilest thou walkest in wayes pleasing to God, and believest stedfastly in him.
12They shall bear thee up in their hands: least thou dash thy foot against a stone.12 For as the faithfull have many and great enemies, so have they many more and greater friends; If Sathan and his Angels lay stumbling blocks in thy way, God and his Angels shall either remove them, that is, enable thee to keep on thy course without making a stand or turning back, thou shalt either not stumble, or so as not to fall, thou shalt catch no hurt though thou maiest be endangered.
13Thou shalt tread upon the lion, and adder: the young lion & the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.13 Manifold dangers and fierce enemies, men and divels the faithfull shall meet with, secret plotters and open assailers, but neither the one nor the other shall do them any hurt, but instead thereof both they and their attempts shall miscarry; Gods faithfull people shall take no hurt by the most hurtfull creatures, be they never so poisonous or ravenous, nor by men of like dispositions, to whom the godly are great eyesores, living amongst them they are a trouble and vexation to them, against whom they act their rage and malice but to their own destruction.
14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.14 Besides my doctrine and example, hear God himself bespeaking thee with promises as from his own mouth, whom I his Prophet personate. Because (saith he) he that is faithfull, hath out of love to me and my faithfulness put his affiance in me, he shall have no cause to repent him, I will not deceive him, he shall not miscarry, I will deliver him out of trouble and danger, set him quite out of gun-shot, they shall as soon hurt heaven as him, because out of a right understanding and belief of my power and faithfulness, he hath honoured me by believing in me, with sutable recumbency.
15 Such an one shall but ask and have,15He shall call upon me and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him. if he be in trouble I will have an eye to him, and an ear for him, if he call for deliverance it shall come at his call, I will deliver him, and in such a manner, as that because he honours me, I also will honour him with speciall marks of my favour, such as his very enemies men or divels shall honour or envy him for, here on earth, and reward him with glory in heaven.
16 Thus will I preserve and lengthen his life to his own desire,16With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my salvation. maugre all that would shorten it, he shall know I can and will save him if he trust in me, yea, my everlasting salvation more worth than my temporall will I open his eyes to see, and desire above it, and if he believe me for it, he shall be sure of it, and he that hath the comfort and assurance of that by my spirits ascertaining it unto him, will have no cause to think I break faith with him, or deceive his faith in me, whatever happen.