From external evils it delivers us or not, as God may will. James was
no less dear, and no less faithful, than John, though he was early
'slain with the sword,' and his brother died in extreme old age in
Ephesus. Paul looked forward to being 'delivered from every evil work,'
though he knew that the time of his being 'offered' was at hand,
because the deliverance that he looked for was his being 'saved _into_
His heavenly kingdom.'
That true deliverance is infallibly ours, if by faith we have made the
Deliverer ours.
There is a more terrible fall of a worse city than Jericho, in that day
when 'the city of the terrible ones shall be laid low,' and _our_
Joshua brings it 'to the ground, even to the dust.' 'In that same day
shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: we have a strong city,
salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks,' and into that
eternal home He will certainly lead all who are joined to Him, and
separated from their foul old selves, and from 'the city of
destruction,' by faith in Him.