his grace and favour with a broken and a contrite heart, as this malefactor did. Also, Christ will not refuse those who renounce themselves, and their own merits, and rest only upon his righteousness by faith for their justification, and also upon the merit of his death for the pardon of their sins, and for the salvation of their souls for his promises of grace and mercy are made to such as sigh and mourn for their transgressions.

Now examine thy condition with a faithful heart: art thou a malefactor and a grievous sinner against God? Doth the guilt of thy sins press heavy upon thee? Dost thou desire from thy heart to be eased of that burden? Is the remembrance of them bitter to thee, though it be when thou art weak and faint, and ready to give up the ghost? Then look up to Christ with the eye of faith, confess thy sins unto him with a penitent heart, and if thine ear be spiritually opened, thou wilt then hear a merciful and gracious answer from him to thy petitions; and if thou wilt diligently search the scriptures, thou wilt find some promises of grace which will suit with thy condition, that Christ hath made to such as thou art, which thou must apply to thy fainting soul by true faith and stedfast hope that it belongeth unto thee; then rest upon it with a firm confidence to comfort thee in the assurance of thy reconciliation unto God; which will take away the evil of all thy sorrows, and the terror of death itself; which to a natural man is most uncomfortable, and death is most fearful and terrible to such as see the hand-writing of God against them for as they lived in sin without repentance, so they die with the guilt of sin upon their souls without forgiveness.

This act of Christ in the conversion of this poor sinner was extraordinary, and it was a special work of mercy to manifest his power and goodness to him, even at the last hour, when he had no hope and no means of his salvation, and when he was upon the cross expecting death every moment; and also it is to shew that he is no respecter of persons, and that he is not limited to time or means when or how to work repentance in the heart of a dejected sinner, or to save any that come unto him with an upright heart, and sincere affections, though it be immediately before they go hence, and shall

be seen no more.

For it doth not appear that this man had ever any knowledge of Christ, or any opportunity to come unto him, or any means of grace before this time, or that he did wittingly and wilfully defer the time of his salvation, or neglect the means of grace to the last hour, or desperately reserve the hope of his redemption to the time of his death. But though it were late before this malefactor was converted, or had any true saving grace wrought in him, or before he did believe in Christ; yet his faith was true, and he made a good confession of his sins, and did justify the innocency of Christ in that instant of time when none of his friends durst speak in his cause, and his apostles either doubted or seemed to stagger in their faith of his divinity.

Here is much matter of spiritual comfort, if we duly consider how powerful true faith is to prevail with Christ in all our troubles, sorrows, and necessities: for if we rest and depend upon him, and if our hope and confidence be only in him, let our condition of life be what it will, he will not deceive us in our hope, nor leave us without support and comfort; also, if he findeth faith and truth in our hearts, he will deny us no good thing that we crave of him, be it never so great, or begged never so late for this poor sinner begged heavenly happiness at the very last hour of his life, when he had no time to express any thankfulness at so great a blessing, and yet he had his request granted.

But this particular act of Christ's mercy makes no general rule for remission of sins, to those that do wilfully defer their repentance and turning to God to the last and worst part of their lives: not that Christ is not always ready to receive the truly humbled and repenting sinner, but because late repentance is seldom sound. God will not bestow this heavenly grace at their pleasure, who do wilfully neglect the means of grace, and lose the opportunity that God hath given them for it, and do rather choose to continue still in their sins, than to leave and forsake them, and to turn to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul.

We cannot but daily see what means the Lord useth to bring us unto Christ, and to make us get an holy assurance of the pardon of our sins through him by true repentance; his law doth shew us the depravity of our sins, and what we have justly deserved thereby, which is a forcible means to drive us unto Christ, by him to have redemption from the curse of the law. The sense of our sins, and the anguish of our spirits for them, are strong motives to make us seek to our crucified Redeemer, that they may be washed away in his blood, which he shed upon the cross.

Also the smart of his rod in our troubles, sorrows, and afflictions are special means which God is pleased to use to bring us to repentance; but especially if we find by the manner of his visitation, that it is for some particular sins which we have committed, we ought then speedily to repent of them, and to seek after the blood of Christ, to apply it to ourselves by faith, that the guilt of such sins may not cleave to our souls and consciences, but that those spiritual wouuds which they have made in us, may be quickly healed, before they come to putrid sores and ulcers, and we may have a true assurance hereof by our repentance.

If repentance be truly wrought in us, there will be such an holy change in all the faculties of our souls, and in all the affections of our hearts, and in all the parts of our bodies, that the corruptions of our nature, and the sinful lusts of our flesh will be mortified, and the power of sin will be killed in us, that by the sanctifying grace of the Holy Ghost we may be raised up to newness of life.

If we did seriously consider these things, we should not keep at so far a distance from piety and virtue, and we should not be such

strangers to a christian life and conversation; but we would use all means to get into nearer society with Christ by true saving faith, and by heavenly contemplations, that the spiritual dew of his heavenly graces may distil into our hearts, to sanctify us throughout, both in soul and in body, that in Christ we may be made new

ereatures.

To this end, we must endeavour to keep our faith still in action, and continually to use upon all occasions, and in every condition of life; for thereby we shall draw strength and power from Christ to carry us on through all temptations and trials, and to support and comfort us in all our sorrows and tribulations; it will purify our hearts from dead works, and suffer no sin to continue with us without repentance, to hinder the salvation of our souls.

This rare example of the goodness and mercy of Christ to this believing thief, may keep us from despair, because there is mercy for a sinful soul, if at any time he doth truly repent, and turn to the Lord with full intent and purpose of will to reform his evil; it doth also teach us not to be secure or careless of our salvation; for it is extremely dangerous to lose any opportunity of grace that God shall give us, or to take so much liberty to sin as to forget to make our peace with God in time; for we must give an account at the last day of all that we have done in the flesh, and our condition then will be most miserable, if our reckoning be not made perfect in the righteousness of Christ, by faith, while we live upon earth; and therefore, it is the greatest punishment in this life to have no sense of our spiritual misery, and not to fear or remember the dreadful day of judgment. Also, this consideration should keep us from rash judgment, and censuring of any man's condition, though he be a notorious sinner: for God can give him grace to repent when he pleaseth.

As this one example of the mercy of Christ to this penitent sinner may keep us from despair, from security and rash judging of others; so let it keep us from presuming upon sin in hope of pardon; we do wilfully delay our repentance from day to day, and so continue impenitent to the last part of our life, because this man had all his sins forgiven even in a moment, and was received to mercy at the last hour for God may justly deny us mercy, if we refuse grace when the means is open to us. So likewise let it keep us from presuming upon repentance, because it is not in our power to repent when we will.

:

This heavenly grace is the gift of God, and it is the first-fruits of faith, which the Holy Ghost will work in us, if we are ready to yield obedience to his holy inspirations, or to make the right use of such means, as he is pleased to use, to make us willing to seek unto him for it; for if the Spirit of God doth not work in us, we can have no hope ever to obtain it.

Now, consider the strength of faith that was in this poor sinner, he gave the highest title of honour to Christ when he was scornfully VOL. XI.-No. 131.]

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mocked, and in a most contemptible condition to the eye of all men; he did embrace him and vindicate his honour when he was upon the cross; he did believe that heaven was his kingdom, though he were now reviled and despised of all men, and that he had the disposing of all honours and preferments in that kingdom which made him pray unto him, " Lord, remember me when thou comest unto thy kingdom;" also, his heart was touched with a sensible feeling of his sins, he made a pious confession of them, and therefore he did pray for mercy out of a true sense of his misery.

If we can shew the faith of this penitent thief, though our life hath been as vicious as his was, and though we turn to Christ late as he did; yet we may have good hope of the pardon of our sins, and we may comfortably expect his felicity, for Christ will return the like gracious answer to our prayers, and the like promise of future happiness.

But what faith can we shew if we still dishonour Christ with our words and works? How can we trust in him, if we do not believe that all regal power both in heaven and in earth is given to him? And how can we hope for future blessedness from him, if we are not confident that he is the disposer of all the glorious mansions that are in heaven? What godly sorrow have we for our sins, if we still go on in a presumptuous way of sinning? and what hope is there of true repentance, if we still cherish and foster our sins in our bosom ? If our faith and repentance be no better than this, Christ will not hear our prayers, nor grant our requests.

Wherefore let not the devil delude thee with security or presumption, lest he bring thee to perdition; for many have perished with the shadow of this deceitful hope.

Look well to the truth of thy faith, that it be well grounded upon the true knowledge of Christ, and of those excellencies that are in him, that thou mayest firmly rest upon him in all troublesome and dangerous times, but chiefly for the redemption of thy soul.

Neglect not the means of grace, and defer not thy repentance: for God hateth such as upon confidence of repentance in their old age, do presume to sin the more freely, as if God did not know the deceit and hypocrisy that is in their hearts.

If thou dost flatter thyself in thy wickedness, and dost bless thyself in thy heart, saying, "I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst; then know that the Lord will not spare thee, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against thee, and all the curses that are written in his book shall lie upon thee, and the Lord shall blot out thy name from under heaven."

Consider further, how much this penitent sinner was humbled in the sense of his sins and of his unworthiness; and also, how bountiful and good Christ was to him: for he durst not presume to beg any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, but only some remembrance of him, when he came to his kingdom: but Christ did gran

him a present possession of his kingdom, "Verily, I say unto thee, to-day thou shalt be with me in paradise."

This paradise was the place of blessedness, where all the saints of God shall be until the general resurrection, whereof the earthly paradise was but a shadow. This blessed place is in the presence of God, where we shall have fulness of joy, and it is at God's right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore.

Thus is Christ abundant in goodness and in truth, if we have but little comfort in this short time of our life; yet when we come to the end of our days, we shall have fulness of joy in the paradise of God together with Christ our Saviour for evermore. Wherefore, though this life be full of vexations and troubles, the meditation and hope of heavenly happiness, which we shall hereafter enjoy to all eternity, will sweeten the bitterness of all our momentary afflictions and tribulations.

Now comfort thyself, O penitent sinner, if thou art so cast down in the apprehension of thy sins, that thou darest not come into the presence of God, in regard of divine justice, or lift up thine eyes to heaven with the poor publican, to crave what thou wantest or desirest, because thou hast justly incurred his high displeasure by thy manifold transgressions; yet be not disheartened, faint not, but come cheerfully to Christ with true faith and firm confidence to be received; for he will open a fountain to thee, from whence all divine mercy floweth; and thou wilt find him always ready and willing to accept of thee: make thy condition therefore truly known unto him, put up thy prayers and supplications to him, and though thou desirest but a drop of comfort, yet he will give thee abundant consolation in what thou sufferest, and much more than thou deservest.

By the example of this malefactor, we may draw holy meditations upon the divine nature of true faith for our instruction and comfort; for it looketh beyond the eye of reason, and above the reach of nature, it maketh us evidently to apprehend that which our reason or natural capacity cannot shew us, and it will make us believe in hope even against hope, that which is impossible to nature, and incredible to human reason. This miserable sinner had no reason to believe in Christ, and to confide in him for his salvation: for we do not read that ever he heard his preaching, or saw any of his miracles; but he saw him now ready to die an ignominious and cursed death upon the cross, and he heard him thns reviled, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." Also he heard him mocked in this manner by the chief priests and elders, "He saved others, himself he cannot save: if he be the King of Israel let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him; he trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."

Though these and the like blasphemous words were spoken in derision against him, which were sufficient in all reason to keep back this malefactor from trusting in him: yet the Holy Ghost did