SERMON UPOr PSALM XCl. 1.
He that divelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadoiu of the Almighty. — Ps. xci. 1.
This psalm is thought to be composed upon occasion of that great pes- tilence which destroyed seventy thousand in the space of three days, 2 Sam. xxiv. Whether David is the author of it is disputed ; for though some of the Greek and Latin copies have a title ascribing it to David, yet the Hebrew has none. I should think it is not David's.
1. For David's psalms usually have his name prefixed, together with the occasion ; which, the case being so weighty, probably here it would not have been omitted.
2. It is not likely that David, having drawn that great calamity on the people by his sin, and expressing his resentment of it with so much penitence, would make no mention of it in the contexture of this psalm, nor signify his repentance by some passage or other.
It is more likely to be composed by Gad, a prophet of those times, called David's seer, and whose ministry God made use of to offer David his choice of pestilence, war, or famine. It is probable that holy man, being no way accessary to David's sin, declareth his confidence and trust in God, for an example to other believers in like dangers. He maketh no mention of David's sin, it being both needless and undutiful to discover the nakedness of his prince, who had already manifested such an exemplary repentance. But whoever was the penman, the devil himself grants it to be the word of God, for he quotes a passage out of it : Mat. iv. 6, ' It is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee.'
In this verse (which is the ground of the whole psalm) there is — (1.) A qualification ; (2.) A privilege.
Both are almost expressed in the same terms, to show that our pri- vilege and our duty are near of kin. God is wont to reward grace with grace : Ps. xxxi. 24, ' Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart ; ' and Ps. xxvii. 14, ' Wait on the Lord ; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.' So delight with delight : Isa. Iviii, 13, 14, ' If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words : then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord,' &c. But here it is the duty and
SERMON UPON PSALM XCI. 1. 23
the fruit. What do you desire in the time of dcanger but to abide in the shadow of the Almighty ? Do so, and you shall abide. Make him your refuge, and he will be your refuge. Dwell in God, and you shall dwell in God.
But though the qualification and privilege be expressed in like terms, yet they are not altogether the same ; but as in the qualification you may observe three things, so the privilege answereth it — (1.) The act of faith ; (2.) The manner of preservation ; (3.) The author, or person trusted.
1. The act of faith, 'He that dwelleth;' in the privilege, 'shall abide.' He that doth dwell shall dwell.
2. The manner of preservation. It is called in the qualification, 'The secret place of the Most High ; ' in the privilege, ' The shadow.' The secret place : Sept. — ev /Sorjdeca rov vy^lcnov, ' He that dwells in the help of God.' God's help is secret, unknown, and unaccessible to the carnal world, who live by sense. The other term, 'shadow,' signifieth defence ; for a cool shade was a great relief to travellers in that hot country : Num. xiv. 9, ' Their defence is parted from them ;' margin, ' Their shadow is departed from them.' Here the Sept. ev (TKe7rr], ' In the protection.' The Chaldee addeth, ' In the shadow of the clouds of the glory of the Almighty.'
3. The author, or person trusted for preservation. In the qualifica- tion, 'Most High;' in the privilege, 'Almighty.' The one noteth his supreme authority and command, the other his invincible power.
Doct. That whosoever will trust himself in God's hands may remain secure under his protection in the midst of all dangers.
The point will be best discussed by considering these things — (1.) What it is to trust ourselves in God's hands ; (2.) How it is expressed and recommended to us in this text ; (3.) How necessary a duty this is for all christians.
I. What it is entirely to trust ourselves in God's hands. We shall consider the nature and the grounds of it.
1. The formality, nature, or essence of it consists in two acts — in resigning ourselves to God's will, and in resting with quietness, and depending upon him for the good we stand in need of. It is expressed in scripture by two words — (1.) Consecrating ; and (2.) Committing ourselves to God.
[1.] Consecrating, or devoting or giving up ourselves to his will: Rom. xii. 1, ' I beseech you by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.' There is a twofold will of God — his governing and his disposing will. We give up ourselves to obey his governing will as our ruler : Eom. vi. 13, ' Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.' We give up ourselves to submit to his disposing will as our owner : 2 Sam. xv, 26, ' Behold, here I am, let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him.' The one, to do what he will have us to do ; the other, to be what he will have us to be. Both are presupposed in trust, which resulteth from owning God as our God : Ps. xxxi. 14, ' I trusted in thee, 0 Lord ; I said, Thou art my God.' Till we have given up ourselves to him, how can we trust him ? And till we give up ourselves entirely