put them beyond, but lay them in the way of the renewing of his mercy.  But Oh, what love, what care, what kindness and mercy did I now see, mixing itself with the most severe and dreadful of all God’s ways to his people!  He would let David, Hezekiah, Solomon, Peter, and others fall; but he would not let them fall into the sin unpardonable, nor into hell for sin.  O, thought I, these be the men that God hath loved—­these be the men that God, though he chastiseth them, keeps in safety by him, and whom he makes to abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Surely his salvation, his saving, pardoning grace, is nigh them that fear him; that is, to save them out of the hand of their spiritual enemies.  The devil and sin and death do always wait even to devour them that fear the Lord; but to deliver them from these, his salvation doth attend them.  So, then, if Satan tempts, here is their salvation nigh; if sin by breaking forth beguiles them, here is God’s salvation nigh them; yea, if death itself shall suddenly seize upon them, why, here is their God’s salvation nigh them.

I have seen that great men’s little children must go no whither without their nurses be at hand.  If they go abroad, their nurses must go with them; if they go to meals, their nurses must go with them; if they go to bed, their nurses must go with them; yea,—­and if they fall asleep, their nurses must stand by them.

O, my brethren, those little ones that fear the Lord are the children of the highest; therefore they shall not walk alone, be at their spiritual meats alone, go to their sick-beds or to their graves alone:  the salvation of their God is nigh them, to deliver them from the evil.  This is then the glory that dwells in the land of them that fear the Lord.

“He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him.”  Where now is the man that feareth the Lord? let him hearken to this.  “What sayest thou, poor soul?  Will this content thee? the Lord fulfil thy desires.  O thou that fearest the Lord, what is thy desire?  “All my desire,” says David, “is all my salvation;” so sayest thou, “All my salvation is all my desire?” Well, the desire of thy soul is granted thee; yea, God himself hath engaged himself even to fulfil this thy desire.  “He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him; he will hear their cry, and will save them.”  O this desire, when it cometh, what “a tree of life” will it be to thee!  Thou desirest to be rid of thy present trouble; the Lord shall rid thee out of trouble.  Thou desirest to be delivered from temptation; the Lord shall deliver thee out of temptation.  Thou desirest to be delivered from thy body of death; and the Lord shall change this thy vile body, that it may be like to his glorious body.  Thou desirest to be in the presence of God, and among the angels in heaven; this thy desire also shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt be made equal to the angels.  Exod. 6:6; 2 Peter, 2:9; Phil. 3:20, 21; Luke 16:22; 26:35, 36.  “Oh, but it is long first.”  Well, learn first to live upon thy portion in the promise of it, and that will make thy expectation of it sweet.  God will fulfil thy desires; God will do it, though it tarry long:  Wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”