Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

DISCOURSE XXIV.

MATTHEW Xxvii. 38.

Then were there two thieves crucified with him; one on the right hand, and another on the left.

WHAT different effects the judgments of God have upon the minds of men, may be learned from these examples now before us. Here are two thieves crucified with our bleffed Saviour; two, who were probably guilty of the fame crimes, and now under the fame condemnation; both brought by the providence of God to fuffer in the company of his own Son, whose blood was fhed for the fins of the whole world. But mark the end of these men one died reproaching and blafpheming Chrift, and breathed out his foul in the agonies of guilt and defpair; the other faw, acknowledged, and openly confeffed his Redeemer, and expired with the found of those bleffed words in his ears, To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradife.

How adorable is the wifdom of God, who has thus inftructed us; and, by fetting the examples of his justice and mercy fo near together, has taught us to fear without despair, and to hope without prefumption! Who would not tremble for himself,

when he fees the man perifh in his fins who died by his Saviour's fide; within reach of that blood which was poured out for his redemption, but wanting faith to ftretch out his hand, and be saved?

What would the dying finner give to have his Saviour fo near him in his last moments, that he might pour out his foul before him, and feize by violence the hand which alone is able to fave? Yet he who had all these advantages enjoyed none of them; but died in his fins, void of hope and of comfort.

Muft the finner then despair, and has God forgot to be merciful? No: caft your eyes on the other fide of the cross, and there you may fee the mercy of God displayed in the brightest colours. There hangs the penitent, furrounded with all the terrors of approaching death; yet in the midft of all calm and ferene, confeffing his fins, glorifying the justice of God in his own punishment, rebuking the blafphemy of his companion, juftifying the innocence of his Saviour, and adoring him even in the lowest ftate of mifery; and at laft receiving the certain promise of a blessed immortality.

Thus the cafe ftands with all the allowances made to it which feem moft to favour a death-bed repentance and yet, as if the Scripture had faid nothing of the wretch who died blafpheming and reproaching Chrift, nor given us any cause to fear that a wicked life may end in an hardened and obdurate death; the cafe of the penitent only is drawn into example, and fuch hopes are built on it, as are neither confiftent with the laws of God, nor the terms of man's falvation; for even of this ex

ample the most prepofterous and abfurd ufe is made. This penitent, as foon as he came to the knowledge of Chrift, repented of his fins: if you are fond of the example, Go and do likewife: if you delay, and pursue the pleasures of fin, upon the encouragement which this inftance affords you, it is plain, that you like nothing in the repentance, but only the latenefs of it; and that your inclinations are to imitate the thief, rather than the penitent Chriftian. Once he lived by violence, in defiance of the laws of God. and man: when he was penitent, he abhorred and detefted his iniquities. Which part would you imitate? If both, if like him you propose to enjoy the pleasures of fin, and like him to repent and enjoy the pleasures of heaven, you mightily impose on yourself; his cafe can never be yours, and therefore his example cannot be your fecurity. Besides, were the cafe indeed parallel to that of the dying Christian, yet still it can afford no certain hope; fince the proof is as ftrong from the cafe of the impenitent thief, that you fhall die in your fins; as it can be from the other cafe, that you fhall repent of them.

It would take up too much of your time to confider this cafe distinctly in all its views: I fhall therefore only briefly hint to you the circumftances which distinguish it from that of the dying Christian; and then proceed to fhew what little hope this example affords, allowing the cafe to bewhat it is generally fuppofed to be.

First then; In all this perhaps there may be nothing resembling a death-bed repentance. It is not

uncommon thing for malefactors to lie in prison a long time, before they are brought to trial and execution; and if that is the prefent cafe, there is room enough for the converfion of this criminal before he came to fuffer. The circumftances incline this way. How came he to be fo well acquainted with the innocence of Chrift, if he never heard of him till he met him on the crofs? How came it into his head to addrefs to him in the manner he does, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom? What were the marks of royalty that were to be discovered on the crofs? what the figns of dignity and power? What could lead him to think that his fellow-fufferer had a title to any kingdom? what to imagine, that he was Lord of the world that is to come? Thefe circumstances make it probable that he had elsewhere learned the character and dignity of Chrift, and came perfuaded of the truth of his miffion: and what is this to them, who have no defire to lie down Chriftians upon their death-bed, though they would willingly go off penitents?

Secondly, Suppose this great work were begun and finished on the cross; yet it cannot be drawn into example by Christian finners: 'because the converfion of a Jew or an Heathen is one thing, and the repentance of a Chriftian is another. The promises of God, through Chrift, are fo far certain, that whenever an unbeliever repents and is converted, his fins fhall be forgiven, This was the penitent's cafe; and therefore the pardon granted to him answers directly to baptifinal regeneration; and

has nothing to do with a death-bed repentance; nor can at all affect them who have fallen from grace once received. For,

Thirdly, The profligate life of this unconverted finner was not attended with fuch aggravating circumftances as the fins of Chriftians are. He finned against the light of nature, and the common rules of reafon and morality: but it might at least be faid for him, that he was the unhappy fon of an unhappy father, conceived in the degenerate and corrupted state of nature; that he wanted both the fense and knowledge, the hopes and fears, and the helps and affiftances, which the Gospel affords for deftroying the power and dominion of fin: and the greater his weakness was, the fitter object of mercy was he; and because he had not been freed by grace from the power of fin, he had the better plea to be freed by mercy from punishment. But are there the fame excufes, or the fame hopes of pardon for Chriftians, who fin against knowledge, against the powerful motives of hope and fear, and in despite of the Holy Spirit, with which they were fealed? To fin in hopes of pardon, and upon the profpect of future repentance, is itself a great aggravation of fin, and a fad abuse of the mercy of God.

If the Heathen fins, he fins under those infirmities of nature for which Chrift died; but the Chriftian fins under the use of all the remedies which the Gospel has provided, and which were purchased for him by his dying Saviour. The condition of mankind after the fall afforded, without doubt, many arguments of pity and compaffion; and fuch

« ElőzőTovább »