nor hath indeed the truth of it, unless by those who deny the whole gofpel of Chrift, been ever called in queftion. Very different indeed have been the inferences made, and the conclufions drawn from it, according to the various prejudices, paffions and opinions of men. I fhall not waste your time and attention by collecting and laying before you the various interpretations of different commentators with which these words have been perplexed; but (which will doubtlefs be a far more useful confideration) take notice of the very improper ufe which habitual finners have made of this paffage, and the many idle and frivolous excufes too often brought for their mifapplication and mifinterpretation of it.

It is indeed aftonishing to reflect how many wicked and impenitent finners fly for fhelter to this facred afylum; how many are misled by this extraordinary inftance of a fudden converfion, to imagine, that as their faults and follies do by no means exceed, or even equal the guilt of fuch a criminal, their repentance and contrition, however late, and however imperfect, muft confequently be attended with the fame fuccefs: they are even too often prefumptuous enough to fuppofe, that as the ma lefactor on the crofs was not only pardoned, but received into Paradife, without the painful task of repentance and reformation, that the fame degree of favour and indulgence may be granted them in the last period of their ex

iftence.

But

But though this may have proved in fome degree a matter (however groundless and unreasonable) of momentary confolation to the profligate and abandoned, who have no other reed to catch at in their defperate fituation, never could it afford any rational hope to the fober and serious Chriftian, because there are many and most important peculiarities in the cafe before us, which cannot, by any fophiftry or mode of false reasoning, be applied to any

other.

And here, the first thing which, with refpect to a general comparison, will naturally fuggeft itself to our imagination, is, that the penitent mentioned in my text, to whom the gracious promife of pardon and reward was given, did, we may fuppofe, embrace the faith of Chrift, as foon as fufficient means of conviction were laid before him. It has been the opinion indeed of many learned writers on this fubject, that this unhappy criminal knew nothing of our bleffed Saviour, but what he might have collected from common report, and confequently had no better opinion of him than the unbelieving Jews, than his cruel perfecutors and oppreffors, who confidered him, no doubt, as an hypocrite and impoftor; and if fo he did, the more powerful must have been his faith, and the more exalted his virtue, in that at once overcoming all his prejudices, in acknowledging that wisdom which he had contemned, and adoring that Saviour whom he had been taught to laugh at and deride; and our Redeemer might with reafon

have faid unto him, as he did unto the Centurion, I have not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael. His heart we fee was open to the first impreffion of grace; fo far, therefore, from being confidered as a late convert, he had rather the glory of being an early penitent; it was not inclination, but opportunity alone, that was wanting to render him a zealous believer, and a true Chriftian: he might therefore have fome title to that pardon which he received, and fome claim to that reward which his divine mafter had here promised to be tow upon him; and to this judgment we shall probably be more inclined, when we come likewife to confider his very uncommon and intrepid faith, in embracing our Lord at that difaftrous crifis, when even thofe difciples and followers who had heard his bleffed doctrines, and feen his divine miracles, when even those forfook him and fled; in this wretched and ignominious ftate, in this low and miferable condition, the unhappy fellow-fufferer throws himself on his protection, acknowledges his divinity, believes in him as the Lord and giver of a future and better life, as the great difpenfer of bleffings after death: fe noble and fo bold a confidence at fuch a period, could not perhaps be equalled,

It muft indeed, on the other hand, be acknowledged as a most extraordinary event, that a public malefactor, condemned probably for fome atrocious crime, to a fhameful and ignominious punishment, fhould thus be pardoned, and rewarded by the promise of eter

nal

nal happiness. This will undoubtedly appear, on the first tranfient view of it, an event little to be expected; and yet who can fay what extraordinary circumftances, to us utterly unknown, might have recommended him to the divine favour? He might have been poffeffed of qualities and virtues fufficient, in the eye of a merciful Redeemer, to atone for all his offences; he might even, perhaps, for aught we know to the contrary, have been perfectly innocent, like our bleffed Saviour himfelf, of the crimes for which he fuffered. There are

but too many inftances in every age and nation, of men who have been falfely accufed, and who have paid with their lives, for crimes which they have never committed. Such we know was the power of an outrageous multitude, and the prejudice of mifguided zcal, that the great Saviour of mankind was nailed to the crofs, whilft the impious Barabbas, who was a murderer and a robber, efcaped the punishment due to his iniquities.

This, my brethren, may ferve as an inftructive leffon to us, never too rigidly to cenfure even those whom the laws have condemned, never to confider as utterly forfaken by the Almighty, thofe who are deferted and abhor. red of inen, becaufe too many amongst us, who, to all outward appearance, have led good and exemplary lives, may, notwithstanding, have been fecretly guilty of the greateft crimes; and those on the other hand, who, like the thief on the cross, have been publickly branded for the most heinous offences, may ftill be deferving

ferving objects of divine mercy, and become the heirs of eternal falvation.

"To day, fays our Saviour to the thief on the cross, thou fhalt be with me in Paradife; thou fhalt change this miferable and ignominious flate, for a place of uninterrupted joy and felicity, and as thou now partakeft of my fufferings, fhalt foon partake of my reward alfo." This, no doubt, muft adminifter comfort and confolation to every fincere penitent, who is pierced with a hearty concern for his paft offences; this wonderful monument of divine mercy must raise the hopes of the repenting profligate, and induce him to improve his laft moments to the best advantage; but at the fame time, it will highly become us to remember, that there is no refemblance between him who fubmits to, and embraces the firft fuggeftions of God's grace, and him who wilfully refifts them; between him who obeys the first call, and him who has continually opposed all the motions and folicitations of God's holy fpirit.

Well would it be for those who lay fo uncommon, and fo unwarrantable a firefs on this fingle and extraordinary inftance, could they produce as uncommon and indifputable evidence of their imitation of his conduct, with regard to their faith and conviction. The thief on the crofs acknowledged our bleffed Saviour, when scarce any body elie would acknowledge him; in that diftressful and ignominious state, when even his own difciples had forfook him and fled; whilft too many amongst

us