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THE SPIRITUAL

AND

MAGAZINE,

ZION'S CASKET.

For there are Three that bear record in heaven, the FATHER, the WORD and the HOLY GHOST; and these Three are One."-1 John v. 7.

"Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."-Jude 3. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."-1 Tim. iii. 6.

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THE GOSPEL PULPIT.

MAY 1847.

A Sermon preached at the Baptist Chapel,
Bedworth, Warwickshire, on Lord's Day
Afternoon, February 7th, 1847.

BY MR. JAMES OSBORNE,
Of the City of Baltimore.

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."-LUKE XII, 32.

IN discoursing from these words this morning, after some introductory remarks, which were rather lengthy, we then proposed four things to be discussed, which stand immediately connected with our text, or deducible from the same.

1st. The Shepherd of Israel, the speaker in the text, from the natural conclusion of the term flock being made use of.

2nd. Describe the flock, and point out what those characteristics are that constitute sheep, the flock of which Christ is Shepherd.

3rd. Attend to what the Shepherd here says-Fear not, little flock. Lastly. The ground or reason why they should not fear. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." We shall take up May, 1847]

the subject and come immediately to the text. Before I do so, I would Christ as the stone, the Shepherd of just say, we described the Lord Jesus Israel, and pointed out the properties or qualifications requisite for a shepherd, in which the Lord Jesus exceeded all others. We left the subfirst general head of our discourse. ject there without finishing even the Where we left off this morning, there we will begin this afternoon. The last property or qualification, we spoke of our glorious Shepherd's amazing and unequalled skill in the diseases of sheep, so that when a sheep applied to him for cure, it never pined or died under his hand, but that a cure was effected in every instance. That, however compli cated the diseases of God's children may be, however deep-seated, of long standing, whatever might be the state and condition of the complaint; the wretchedness and misery to which they might be reduced; the skill of the Shepherd was never either baffled or put to a nonplus. That he pursues in every essential, in healing broken-hearted sinners one and the same course of application. Whatever he brings to view is sure to effect all that he designs to be effected. That

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he covers the whole ground, and in what a loathsome condition some have been brought; the fearful apprehensions; the dreadful uprisings of the mind which they are under; from the fearful state they consider themselves to be in; that not only does the trouble baffle the skill of their fellow-creatures, but they feel sure that God himself in an honorable way, cannot extricate them from the ruin in which they feel themselves to be; many such groundless fears are they occupied about. But poor returning prodigals, and sin sick souls in every instance are disappointed; where application had been made to Jesus Christ, in every instance these poor things have been disappointed, and found health and cure in the Divine Redeemer. Henceforth, from that hour they were disposed more or less to speak good of his name, to speak well of the Great Physician of souls, also with much cheerfulness of heart, and great confidence they recommended him in all cases to poor sin-sick souls for health and cure; that he, the Lord Jesus Christ, was the wisdom of God. We left this matter half finished, and not half; still we must move along. The next characteristic or property peculiar to Jesus Christ, as far as relates to the extent of his love, then, is the love and attachment to them, is that this love and attachment to them always will, and always has done, and does now, induce him to pursue such measures with them, that shall be for their good, and his declarative glory and honour. Hence Jesus Christ the Shepherd, knows what will suit them; what air, what climate, what sort of seasons, what sort of provisions; he knows all these things, better than they do themselves. Hence we are told he leads them by the still waters of comfort. Water is a beautiful emblem in scripture: it represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; "I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods

upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon their offspring." The consequence of this is, "And he shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses." Then you see the advance of faith, see the strength of that grace. "One shall say, I am the Lord's ;" so we say so far so good. "And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel." This is when a poor distressed sheep supplicated the Lord Jesus Christ the shepherd, under the character of Jacob, having prevailed, he now subscribes with his hand unto the Lord, and surnames himself by the name of Israel; and he will lead them into the green pastures. It is said, "I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the high mountains of Israel." There God will feed them and water them; there the air is salubrious for bracing and building them up, strengthening and confirming them, the water is the water of life, "He shewed me a pure river proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb." There they drunk copiously; does it distress them or produce any unfavourable symptoms, any swelling with pride and arrogance, any disarrangement in their vital part? Quite the reverse; everything the reverse. The more we take of it, the more we want: as the poet says

"Thy bounties make me hunger more." So in drinking this water, it is taken in large quantities, it refreshes, cheers, comforts, and strengthens. Here we have also the bread of life. the broken bread, the mangled body of our dear Redeemer, who cries out and says, Eat, O friends; drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved."

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They must be friends and beloved of God. He will lead them in the green pastures of the Gospel, that is in Zion, they are to be led. There all God's springs are: "All my springs are in thee." In general this is understood the church saying her springs are in Christ. It is true, yet not to the exception of the other; all her springs are in Christ. It pleased the Father that in him should all the springs of mercy, peace, truth, life, light, and love, dwell, all in Christ, as well as the church, all "my springs are in thee." The bride takes of these springs; these bountiful springs are calculated to build them up. She may say, all the springs of life that I draw from, and receive benefit from, are in Christ. Hence, strictly speaking, the text should be so understood that Christ speaks so of his church: all my springs of grace, love, life, peace, truth, joy, and comfort, are in Zion. Here is a fountain, come to it. This is Zion, the church of the living God. The house of God; the people's home; home, sweet home; home to the soul; this is God's dwellingplace, where he rests in his love, as we read, "For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation; this is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread." Here the sheep, hungering, starving, poor, sickly, feeble, diseased sheep, hither are brought, and Christ the shepherd watches over them, as a shepherd watches over his flock, to lead them in the green pastures. They shall spring up among the grass, and spread forth their roots as Lebanon. Being thus honorably clothed, and blessedly fed, they are convinced it is all of grace. Cheerfully do they speak of the King and the kingdom: "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee, They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power." They talk of his

power as the church of old did. "I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Wisdom is another property in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can say of it, that it will never, never be baffled, nothing so complicated in your state or condition, though from time to time your finite mind may be baffled: you cannot see the end from the beginning; you cannot see through this mystery, and are apt to draw premature conclusions. Your shepherd the Lord Jesus, is never baffled; let your disease be ever so complicated, or your case appear to be ever so entangled. The dreadful awful entanglement in which you are standing, or may engulf yourself, such things with which you stand charged, and have been guilty of, in every case Jesus Christ can open up this labyrinth, and bring the soul out of the imprisonment, out of that darkness, out of that prison-house, and places him where he may go. He brings him into a large place where there is no straitness; this is the place, Christ the Shepherd says, loose him and let him go. He goes where he chooses, and where is that? To his own company; who are they? The outcasts of Israel, the broken in heart, the contrite soul, that little diminutive few spoken of in the text, "Fear not, little flock." This wisdom may be spoken of in a variety of branches. As I said in the morning, so I say now, I am confined in my feelings, I am at a loss at this moment, not what I should say, but what I should leave unsaid, so that nothing ought to be left unsaid that should be said, We will now pass from this property in Christ, of wisdom, and just say a few things with regard to another important property he possesses, that is, power. It is said in one of the minor prophets, Zephaniah, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty." Where is he? In Zion. He is head and corner and all. "The

Lord thy God." Zion's God, the church's God, is in the midst of thee, right in the centre, so that we can take a fair view of him. His eyes are towards every soul in this enclosure. "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;" mighty to condemn, to dash in pieces as a potter's vessel; to cut off head and tail; drive from light into darkness; chase out of the world. No! in the gospel there is no such abstract measures, they are issued at Sinai's mount, not under the gospel; there is something so forcible in it that we need not dispute about it. He declares he will not condemn. He is mighty, as the text says, "he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

That is his character; he is mighty as the church once said; and Christ himself answered: "Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bosrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?" Imagine to yourselves that gigantic army greater than known for two thousand years, which above thirty years ago, marched in solemn column from France to Moscow; when the very noise of their drums, and sound of their arms, made Kings and Emperors to totter; the world trembled under the tread of Napoleon, then travelling in the greatness of his strength. Though this country put forth its strength, it was remarkably feeble. They were obliged to call in the neighbouring nations to help them at a dead lift; and as sure as I draw the breath of life, neither Russia, Prussia, Austria, nor Britain ever got any real honour by conquering Bonaparte. Imagine to yourselves Nations, Kings, and Emperors, trembling. It might have been said literally, Who is this that cometh from France, travelling in the greatness of his strength? Even this figure is remarkably puerile; still it may help

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a little. Who is this that cometh from Edom, this Prince of Peace, the Eternal God? Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosrah. ،، Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel ?" This is a question Christ himself answers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." This is a property belonging to our Shepherd. To what extent art thou able to save? apostle Paul puts this at rest,"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Paul speaks here confident, his power as being almighty is scarcely brought into the account; so far it is but he is able to save to the uttermost. Paul does not mean (if I may so speak) his physical strength, if that were the case, he would save beasts of the field, and the cattle upon a thousand hills; devils as well as men; all mankind as well as some. But according to the text, power is not the rule by which the Almighty acts. He never acts by that rule, as it respects that rule of power, and, as Paul tells us, we are bound to believe," According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." What the Lord wills, his power executes. As Job says, ،، But he is in one mind, and who can turn him, and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with him." He having consecrated a new and living way to heaven, removing all obstacles out of the way; a way that is consistent with all the attributes of his divine perfections; he is able to save to the uttermost, he has not only done away and obviated all difficulties, but it is in an honorable way. None should despair of his mercy, that is, no poor penitent sinners, his mercy is consistent with his justice. As Dr. Young says

"A God all mercy is a God unjust."

* We do not alter, but certainly do not understand what the author means here. We presume it veils some republicanism, learnt in America, with which we can have no sympathy.-EDS.

He is not a God all mercy, but a part of both. He magnified the law and appeased justice; satisfied divine justice, and brought salvation to the sinner. He is a God of mercy and truth; the attributes of God were all honored in the salvation of the sinner from condemnation. We must now say something of his strength. This important property belonging to our Shepherd to save your souls. Are you sunk so low, under such trying circumstances, that you conclude you can never possibly be raised. But as low sunk as the Lord's people may be, whatever difficulties they may be in, "The eternal God is thy refuge." And he will put under you, does it read so? It does not. That is not correct, that when we are sunk down God interferes, as a man who sees his friend sinking in the water -drowning-and flees to his aid. The text should be in the present tense according to that doctrine, but it is not. It is in the past tense; underneath were the everlasting arms, placed there in the ancient settlements of eternity. Therefore we do not sink under what is below us. Where do we sink? Just low enough for the everlasting arms to catch us. In sinking we fall upon safe ground, underneath are the everlasting arms; thus this power of our Shepherd is one important property that constitutes him a proper Shepherd over his sheep. Much more might be said, and we want time to go through the whole. However, we will go on deliberately.

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The next property is love. shepherd amongst men, may have a sort of love, a sort of respect anyhow for his sheep. This, in moderation, is right and proper, just and good. Then, of course, this is but a feeble figure to bring to our view, the love of our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, which he ever had towards his own people. He loved them with an everlasting love, therefore, on account of this, he draws them.

Where to? To the truth, to gospel ground; draws them to himself; he draws them to sweet home; that is Zion, the home of the soul, as the poet says—

"Prepare me, dear Saviour, for Zion my home."

Jesus Christ's heart and love are set upon them, not on Paul; Abraham, the friend of God; David after God's own heart, in an especial manner, above all his children, there is no speciality about it in that sense. I would not insult my God; I must acknowledge this great truth, a glorious truth, that there is a speciality about it but not in that sense that his speciality is partial. God loved me with the same love as he loved Abraham and Paul, his love is the same towards his people, ever was, and ever will be; he will love me to the end; "Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end," and he manifested that love towards me in choosing me while others were passed by. It is a grand truth, that the love of this shepherd is a perpetual motion, one continual flow, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream; then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees: as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem; and when ye shall see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb; and the hand of the Lord shall be known towards his servants, and his indignation towards his enemies." The text quoted from Zephaniah, I will remind you of again, in speaking of this property of love in our Shepherd, it is both unfathomable and illimitable. It is intense, more so than any thing a finite being can possibly conceive of its ardour, fervour, intensity, and every property of it. How great is this love, the text in Zephaniah says: "The Lord thy

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