And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil
work
From wicked and unreasonable men, and all their attempts upon
him, and from all afflictions by them; not but that he expected
afflictions as long as he was in the world, but he knew that God
would support him under them; and in his own time and way deliver
out of them; and at last entirely by death, when he should be no
more attended with them; and from all the temptations of Satan,
and his evil designs upon him, and from sin and iniquity; not
that he expected to live free of Satan's temptations, or without
sin, but he believed that he should be kept from sinking under
the former, and from being under the dominion of the latter; and
should not be left to deny his Lord, desert his cause, blaspheme
his name, and apostatize from him:
and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly
kingdom,
the ultimate glory and happiness of the saints in heaven; so
called, both because of its nature and place, and to distinguish
it from the church, which is Christ's kingdom in this world,
though it is not of it; and from his personal reign with his
saints on earth, for the space of a thousand years; whereas this
will be for ever: and unto this the apostle believed he should be
preserved, as all the saints will be, notwithstanding the
persecutions of the world, the temptations of Satan, and their
own corruptions; for they are secured in an everlasting covenant,
and in the hands of Christ; and have not only angels to encamp
about them, and salvation, as walls and bulwarks to them, but God
himself is a wall of fire around them, and they are kept by his
power unto salvation: and besides, this heavenly kingdom is
prepared for them, and given to them; they are chosen to be heirs
and possessors of it; they are called unto it, and Christ is gone
to receive it in their name, to prepare it for them, and will
come again and introduce them into it:
to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen:
of the present deliverance, and of all others he had, or should
receive, as well as of the provision of the heavenly kingdom for
him, and of his preservation to it.