Psalms 91

The Penman of this Psalm is uncertain. The occasion of it seems to have been that great Pestilence recorded, 2 Sam. 24.

HE that dwelleth in the secret place Or, hiding place. He that makes God his habitation and refuge, as he is called below, v. 9. resorting to him and relying upon him in his dangers and difficulties. of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He shall not be disappointed of his hope, but shall find a quiet and safe repose under the Divine protection. A shadow in Scripture phrase commonly signifies protection. See Gen. 19. 8. Iudg. 9. 15. Psal. 17. 8. &c..

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge Upon that ground I will confidently commit my self and all my affairs to God., and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee O thou believing pious Soul who after my example shale make God thy refuge, thou shalt partake of the same priviledge which I enjoy. from the snare of the fowler: and from the noisom Pestilence From the Pestilence which like a Fowlers snare taketh men suddenly and unexpectedly, and holdeth them fast, and commonly delivers them up to Death..

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth Whereby he is obliged to fulfil all his gracious promises, and amongst the rest, that of protection in dangers. shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night When evil accidents are most terrible and least avoidable., nor for the arrow The Pestilence or any such common and destructive Calamity; for such are frequently called Gods arrows, as Deut. 32. 23, 42. Lam. 3. 12, 13, &c. that fleeth by day Which is the time for shooting of Arrows. The sense of the Verse is, He shall be kept from secret and open mischiefs at all times.:

Nor for the pestilence This Verse explains the former, and shows what that terror and arrow signifies. that walketh That spreadeth or maketh progress. in darkness Either invisibly, so as we can neither foresee nor prevent it. Or rather, by night; as v. 5.: nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day That like a bold Enemy assaults us openly, and though discovered cannot be resisted..

A thousand shall fall at thy side At thy left side, because this is opposed to the right side here following. See the like Ellipsis, Numb. 9. 16. Psal. 84. 11., and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee This and such like promises are not to be understood absolutely and universally, as if no truly good man could be cut off by the Plague or other common Calamities, which is confused both by other plain Texts of Scripture and by unquestionable experience, but with due limitations and conditions, either on mans part, as if there be a defect in his Faith or Obedience or on Gods part, when God sees that Death is more for his good than life, as it apparently is when righteous men are taken away from the evil to come, as is said Isa. 57. 1. In which case though God does not give the thing promised, yet he giveth a far greater mercy in stead of it, and so fulfils his promise in the best sense and with most advantage. As if one man should solemnly promise to another to give him his daily food every day, he not only might but ought, notwithstanding this promise, to deny and withdraw this food when his body is so distempered that in the judgment of the wisest Physicians the taking of his food would evidently endanger his life..

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold Without any terrour or danger to thy self, and with a delightful and thankful reflection upon Gods goodness to thee., and see the reward of the wicked The just recompence of their sins, or the vengeance of God upon them..

Because thou hast made the LORD which is my refuge, even the most High thy habitation Or, as the words ly in the Hebrew and others render them. Because thou, O Lord, art my refuge, thou O my Soul (which is easily understood out of the foregoing words, and to which David oft suddenly turneth his speech) hast made the most high thine habitation. Which is the only ground and reason of that safety last mentioned. As for the variation of persons, that he sometimes speaketh to and of others, and sometimes to and of himself, nothing is more frequent in this Book; nor does it make any alteration in the sense..

There shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling To wit, so as to destroy thee, as the next Verse limits and expounds it. For surely this promise is not made to all his Children and Servants, who may possibly be wicked men, and so strangers from Gods Covenant and Promises. How far this secures his own person, see on v. 7..

For he shall give his angels Those blessed and powerful and watchful spirits, whom God has appointed to mind the affairs of this lower World, and to take care of the Heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1. 14. charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways In the whole course of thy life, and in all thy lawful undertakings..

They shall bear thee up in their hands Sustain or uphold thee in thy goings, as we do a Child or a weakly man, especially in uneven or dangerous paths. Or, shall carry thee aloft as upon Eagles Wings, when it shall be needful for thee., lest thou dash thy foot against a stone So as to hurt thy foot, or to cause thee to fall..

Thou shalt tread upon the lion The Lyon shall lie prostrate at thy feet, and thou shalt securely put thy feet upon his neck, as the Israelites did upon the necks of the Canaanitish Kings, Ios. 10. 24., and adder: the young lion and the dragon By which he synecdochically understands all pernicious Creatures, though never so strong and fierce and subtil, and all sorts of Enemies. shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he has set his love upon me This and the two following Verses are the words of God, whom the Psalmist here, as oft elsewhere, introduceth as giving an account of the reasons of Gods singular care of all believing or pious persons., therefore will I deliver him I will abundantly recompence his love with my favour and blessing.: I will set him on high In an high and safe place, where no evil can reach him., because he has known my name With a true and saving knowledge, so as to love me and put his trust in me. Gods name is here put for God himself, as it is also Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 20. 2. and 115. 1..

He shall call upon me To wit, in trouble, which is expressed in the following clause. As he knoweth and loveth me, so he will offer up sincere and fervent Prayers to me upon all occasions., and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble To keep him from sinking under his burden., I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life Either in this World, when it is expedient for my service and for his benefit: or, at least, in the next World where he shall live to Eternity in the blissful sight and enjoyment of God in glory. will I satisfie him, and show him my salvation Either here or hereafter..