"Fear not, little flock," says Christ to his followers, "it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Precious as this promise has been to the church in all ages of her history, it applies with peculiar force as we come down to the close of this dispensation. When the time draws near that the saints are in reality to take the kingdom, when the last great struggle is to ensue, when the powers of earth and hell are to combine to oppose the work of God, and to try to defeat his purpose concerning his people, then the assurance is doubly precious from the great Captain of our salvation, that it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom; that the fact that we shall take it, and possess it forever and ever, is unalterably sure. Another feature calculated to assure our hearts, is the fact that we are addressed as a "little flock." As the line of distinction becomes more clearly drawn between the church and the world, as the forces of the enemy are being combined and consolidated, and people are more definitely taking their stand upon one side or the other, the great disparity of numbers between the two classes becomes more apparent. The people of God are as "the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done." But the Saviour looking down through eighteen centuries, and beholding a little handful of the last generation, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and longing for the coming kingdom, sends forth to them the hope-inspiring proclamation: "Fear not, little flock." Do not be surprised or disheartened that your numbers are so few. Deceive not yourselves with the thought that all the world will be converted, or that the multitude will turn to the narrow way. Christ's flock has always been small, and will be smallest at the last. But the injunction, "Fear not," is unqualified and unlimited. It is not confined to one generation merely, or to two, or to any particular time, but reaches clear through to the end. Christ does not say, Fear not, after such and such perils are passed; or, after you have escaped such and such dangers, then have no fears; or if the opposition does not rise too strong, or the way become too strait, or the voyage too rough, or the Lord delay too long, or Satan work with too great power, or evil increase too rapidly in the earth, then you need not fear. But the injunction is unqualified, Fear not at any time, under any circumstances. God has foreseen all the powers that would confront the progress of his people, and all the dangers that would surround them; and when he tells us not to fear, we may be sure that there is no cause why our hearts should fail us. Then let the dangers of the way thicken, let famine, persecution and perils come, let the anger and perplexity of the nations increase, let the time of trouble, greater than has ever been since there was a nation, burst upon the world, let the plagues fall, let the great day of wrath which is to sweep away an unthankful, unholy and rebellious race, appear—above all the din of strife and destruction, the closing up of a dispensation, and the judgment of a doomed race, the child of God hears the clear accents of the Saviour saying unto him, "Fear not!" One kind of fear only are we counseled to cherish—the fear, having a promise left us, of coming short; the fear that we shall wander from the fold. If we are of the flock of Christ, we shall bear the characteristics of that flock. They are a peculiar people; they are not of the world; they are free from pride, and the spirit of the world; they have their conversation in Heaven from whence they are looking for the Lord and Saviour; they are laying up their treasures above; they are living in all respects like pilgrims and strangers upon the earth. Do we bear with us the marks of the flock of Christ? Here let us carefully examine ourselves, but banish all other fear; for God will faithfully perform all that on his part, he has spoken. He who "bears all nature up, will guard his children well." "Shout ye little flock and blest,
You near Jesus' throne shall rest;
There your seats are now prepared,
There your kingdom and reward.
Fear not, brethren, joyful stand
On the borders of your land:
Jesus Christ your Father's Son
Bids you undismayed go on."