LUKE XXIII. 43.

Verily 1 fay unto thee, to day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife.

TH

XVII.

HERE is not perhaps in the SERM. whole affecting narrative of our bleffed Saviour's fufferings, as related by the holy Evangelifts, a circumftance more striking or extraordinary than that which is now before us; that a licentious and abandoned profligate, condemned for a crime the most atrocious, one who, as he was to die the death, had most probably lived the life of the unrighteous; that he should become fo fuddenly and fo. unexpectedly the object of divine mercy, and obtain a gracious promise from his Redeemer, not only of pardon, VOL. III. but

A a

SERM.

XVII.

but of immediate reward, muft doubtlefs be the fubject of our admiration and aftonishment; the fact notwithstanding, however surprising it may appear to us, is indifputable, nor hath indeed the truth of it, unless by thofe who deny the whole gofpel of Chrift, been ever called in question. 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 shall not waste your time and attention by collecting and laying before you the various interpretations of dif ferent commentators with which these words have been perplexed; but (which will doubtless 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

for their misapplication and misinterpre- SERM.

tation of it.

XVII.

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 instance 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 malefactor on the cross 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 existance.

1

SERM. ' XVII.

But though this may have proved in fome degree a matter (however ground, lefs and unreafonable) 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 ferious Chriftian, because there are many and most important peculiarities in the cafe before us, which cannot, by any fophiftry or mode of falfe reafoning, be applied to any other.

And here, the first thing which, with respect to a general comparison, will naturally fuggeft itfelf 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

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