His way to Calvary. It is probable that he was well acquainted with the expectations of his countrymen respecting the Messiah; and when he saw all these evidences that Christ was not a mere man like other men, then his mind was convinced, and his heart was opened, and immediately he turned to Jesus with the holy and spiritual prayer for the salvation of his soul-Lord remember me, when Thou, after dying on the cross as a man, shalt come into Thy kingdom. Do you imagine that, if you had been present at this scene, you would have done as this criminal? Let me entreat you to consider the greatness of his faith at this fearful moment. When the conviction that Christ was the Lord, and King of Israel, began to arise in his mind, how naturally might the objection have presented itself"Can this be indeed the Christ-can this pale, “and faint, and bleeding form-can this suffering, despised, and crucified Nazarene, be indeed the Saviour, and Redeemer of Israel? Am I to de"pend for my salvation on this man of sorrows, "who is thus acquainted with grief 13 2" Such would have been the reasoning of thousands: but this penitent reasoned in a different manner. He saw, and he believed-in the moment he believed, he repented he prayed, and he was pardoned.

66

66

And is this, then, the example which is to justify a Christian, who delays his repentance till the hour of death? You now possess in the Holy

13 Isaiali liii. 3.

Scriptures all the evidences which convinced this criminal, and the mercy of God has added to them abundantly. You have more reason to believe as He believed-you acknowledge this-and you profess the same faith as that in which He died. So far there may be some resemblance between Him and you. But what was his example? He prayed immediately. You are convinced, but you do not pray, you do not repent. Your very faith in Christ is made the argument for persevering in evil. You believe that Christ, our Lord, is the only Saviour of man; and while life, and strength, and opportunity, are given you, to prove, by your repentance and obedience, the sincerity of your faith, you resolve to devote yourselves to the service of the world, and to leave to this merciful Saviour, the mere dregs of life, the infirmities of sickness, the pains of death! You say that you believe in the Son of God, yet you refuse to put away the evil which you know condemns you! You tremble, when you think most seriously of the love and mercy of a crucified Saviour; yet you imagine you can meet Him with joy, because He forgave a criminal, whose belief you profess, but whose example you decline to follow!

If this view of the conduct of the repentant criminal be not sufficient to remove the error against which I would warn you, let me further entreat to inquire, if you are not more likely to imitate the impenitent, than the repentant malefactor? As men live, such they too often die.

The impenitent thief prayed, in mockery, to our Lord, that He would deliver his body from the pain of the Cross. The Penitent entreated Him to deliver his soul from destruction, and to receive him into his kingdom. Is it not more probable, that if you were seized, this night, with a dangerous disease, your attention would be directed to the body more than to the soul? Amidst the distraction of the thoughts, the reflections on the past life, the dread of the future, the unavoidable anxiety which engages even the best men, on the circumstances of their friends and kindred-the desire of adding to, or changing the order of your affairs-when the mind too is weak, and when the body is in pain, are you not more likely to call for the physician of the body, than to turn, entirely, and exclusively, to the Saviour of the soul? Is it not more probable too, if you will delay your repentance to the last, that your thoughts would turn in blasphemy to the God whom you had so long neglected-and that your exclamation would be-If thou be the Christ, save me from the sufferings of the body, rather than that you would say

Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom. There is nothing, in short, either in the conduct of our blessed Lord, or in the prayer of the Penitent upon the Cross, which can at all justify the opinion, that it is safe to delay repentance to the last; or, that a death-bed repentance can be acceptable. This passage of Scripture cannot therefore be interpreted as a defence of this

doctrine. The account of the dying thief is related by one Evangelist only. One instance "only," to use the language of the eloquent Augustine, "of the acceptance of a dying repentance "is recorded-one only, that none might despair; "and only one, that none might presume."

I therefore conclude the subject, by entreating you to be assured of the absolute necessity of immediate, earnest, and sincere repentance, while it pleases God to grant you life, and strength, and health, for that purpose. If you have been living in the indulgence of that which you know to be wrong, prove your faith in the Saviour of the world, by putting it away from you. Seek the Lord, while He may be found 1. There is no safety in the prayers which are uttered in the prospect of eternal misery-there is no dependance on the tears which may be shed, in the terror of death. The present, the present alone, is the day of salvation. The future is known only to God; and, this night thy soul may be required of thee.

14 Isaiah lv. 6.

SERMON XII.

RECONCILIATION OF OPPOSITE OPINIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF REGENERATION.

JOHN iii. 5—7.

Ye must be born again. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

THE subject of the new birth is deserving of our most serious attention. While some professed Christians entirely deny the necessity of any change whatever-others misapprehend the doctrine. Some despise the opinion as nonsense, enthusiasm, or folly—others firmly believe its truth, yet they make themselves wretched by the apprehension that they are not born again. Some are miserable, because they despair of partaking of the influences of the Holy Spirit; others presume, without a right foundation, and mistake confidence of spirit for holiness of life. It cannot, therefore, be deemed unnecessary to discuss a subject of such general interest and importance; and the