For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in
all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou
dash thy foot against a stone.--Psalm xci. 11, 12.
The psalm from which this is taken, describes, in glowing language,
the blessed state of those who have God for their refuge; but we
are not to limit the entire application of these verses to the sons
of men. We find they have a reference to the God-Man, Christ Jesus.
At his first entrance on the great work of his mission, he was for
forty days and nights tempted by Satan, during which time the devil
made use of every artifice to tempt and destroy him. Amongst other
schemes, he set Jesus on a pinnacle of the temple, and desired him
to prove his Godhead, by casting himself down from the height; for
he said, it was written that the angels of God had charge concerning
him, and in their hands they were to bear him up, lest at any time
he dash his foot against a stone. Jesus gave other proof of his
Deity than Satan desired: he told him he should not tempt the
Lord his God, and he also added "Get thee hence Satan, for it is
written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve." It is an undeniable fact that when Jesus was on earth,
the devils knew his person and publicly acknowledged his Godhead.
Yes, angels and devils own his power; and shall the sons of earth
whom he formed from the dust, be the last to confess a truth which
is acknowledged by all in heaven and hell--by the wisest and best
created intelligences, and by the fallen angels, who were expelled
the heavenly mansions, and consigned to the lake of fire and
brimstone, for rebelling against the authority of the great Mediator
between God and man,[41] who was, in after ages, known by the name
of Jesus of Nazareth.
[41] Daniel xii. 1. Revelations xii. 7.