own sin, but he also faithfully, yet meekly, reproved the sin of his companion and of the multitude which surrounded him, and used all the means which were in his power to arrest their ungodly career and to bring them to repentance. He was clothed with humility. His affections were set on things above and not on things on the earth. His conversation was in heaven. No corrupt communication proceeded from his mouth, but that which was good to the use of edifying. All bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking he put away from him, with all malice; he was kind, tender-hearted, forgiving; and was not this a proof that God, for Christ's sake, had forgiven him? Who imagines that if this man had been let down from the cross, he would have returned to his old companions and his old practices? Who doubts that he that stole would have stolen no more, but have wrought with his hands that he might give to him that needeth; that he would have been a bright and living example of renovation; that he would have joined himself to the apostles, and continued stedfastly in their doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer? Would to God that all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as this malefactor was, except the nails by which he was affixed to the tree.

Secondly, We have here a distinguished proof of the power of divine grace. Speaking of what he had been, and contrasting it with what he had become, Paul exclaims, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant!" We cannot think of the conversion of this man without making the same reflection. He had been a great sinner, an ignorant, profane, ungodly, lawless, hardened ruffian. But O! how changed from what he was! So much so, that his former associates, who had known him most intimately, could not now know him to be the same person. He is, indeed, become a new man, a new creature; "old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." The lion, who had gone about seeking whom he might devour, is changed into the lamb; the blasphemer into a preacher of righteousness; the robber into a reprover of vice. And how sudden the transformation! He came to the cross with all the evil passions rankling in his

breast, and he had scarcely been affixed to it, when their poison was plucked out, and they gave place to mildness, gentleness, and compassion for the sufferings of others; he came to it with his mouth filled with cursing and bitterness, and when upon it, we find him employed only in praying and exhorting; he was lifted up on the cross polluted with the blood of others, he was taken down from it washed from his sins in the blood of Christ; he was suspended as a malefactor, and he died as a martyr. What can withstand or resist the power of the grace which produced such a change as this? What is too hard, what can be difficult for it? It can pardon the greatest sins, subdue the strongest corruptions, eradicate the most deep-rooted prejudices, cure the most inveterate habits; in a word, change the most desperately wicked heart.

Thirdly, Contemplate in this scene an instance of late conversion. It was the last hour with this malefactor. His days were numbered, and the last of them had dawned on him in as hopeless a condition as ever,—with all his sins upon him, unrepented of, and unpardoned, without the smallest preparation for appearing before his righteous and impartial Judge. He was brought out of his cell, he was led away to be crucified, he was lifted up upon the cross, he hung over the yawning pit which was ready to receive him, when the Saviour, who was at his right hand, had compassion on him, apprehended him by his grace, and plucked him as a brand from the fire. Miraculous escape! Wonderful intervention! Ineffable expression of the patience and mercy of him who is God and not man! In one and the same day, this man was in the gall of bitterness and in the delights of paradise, associated with felons and admitted into the society of angels, in concord with Belial and in fellowship with Christ. This singular fact is recorded in scripture, and we know, that whatever was written aforetime, was written for our learning. It teaches us by example what our Saviour taught by parable, that persons may be called into God's vineyard at the last hour, and that he will bestow upon them the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus, as well as upon those who have borne the burden and heat of the day. And shall their eye be evil because he is good? Or,

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shall we be ashamed or afraid to produce this example, and to point to the encouragement which it holds out, because some will speak evil of the good ways of God, or others will abuse his tender mercy to their own perdition? No; while there is life there is hope—while sinners are on God's footstool, they may look up to the throne of his grace. He waits to be gracious; his long suffering is salvation. warranted to carry into the cell of the convict—to the bedside of the dying profligate and to proclaim it in public to persons of all ages. The most hoary-headed sinner in this assembly may find mercy of the Lord. Though thou hast provoked God, and grieved him for forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, fourscore years, yet to-day, after so long a time, to-day, if thou wilt hear his voice, and not harden thy heart, thou shalt enter into his rest, and be received into his glory. You need not say, who shall ascend to heaven to bring Christ down. He who was near to the thief on the cross, is near to you in the preaching of the cross. O then delay not to improve the precious season which will not last long, which passeth away, and will soon come to a close; look to him, believe on him, cry to him, confessing your sins, "Lord, remember me, now when thou art come into thy kingdom." Look on him whom you have pierced by your iniquities, until your hearts are smitten with the sight, and you are made to mourn as for an only son, and to be in bitterness as for a first-born; and he will heal you by the virtue of his stripes, and by the sovereign efficacy of his free Spirit.

But this example, while it invites to repentance, gives no encouragement to presumption. It has been justly remarked, that one instance of conversion at the latest period of life, has been recorded in the Bible, that none may despair; and but one instance, that none may presume, or delay this important work to the last. Not to insist on the singularity of this man's situation, and the propriety of the Redeemer displaying the power of his grace, and the virtue of his blood, when hanging on the cross, by a signal and extraordinary act of mercy; the history of the converted malefactor, affords not a shadow of encouragement or excuse to those who resist the calls of

the gospel, and procrastinate repentance; for he had not enjoyed these calls, nor is there any good reason for thinking that he ever heard or saw the Saviour before. It is sinful to limit the Holy One, and to despair of his mercy and ability to save in the most extreme case; but it is awfully sinful, it is a fearful tempting and provoking of the most High, to delay repentance in the hope of finding mercy at a future period. When put into plain language, it just amounts to this, I will continue in sin because the grace of God abounds: I will go on to disobey him, and rebel against him, and affront him, in the confidence, that he will pardon me whenever I shall be pleased to turn to him, and that he will receive me when I am weary of sinning, and can no longer find pleasure in it.' If this is not to "sin wilfully after having received the knowledge of the truth,"-if it is not to "sin the sin unto death,” it is something very like it. What can such persons expect but that God will pronounce against them his fearful oath of exclusion, cease to strive with them any longer by his Spirit, say to the ministers of his word and of his providence, "Let them alone," and give them up to the uncontrolled operation of their own corruptions, increased and aggravated by indulgence, and by the influence of the god of this world? How know you that you shall have time for repentance? You may be struck dead in a single moment, in the very act of sinning with a high hand. Or you may be struck motionless and senseless, without a tongue to confess your sins or your faith in the Saviour,-without an eye to read the record of salvation-without an ear to hear its gladdening sounds from preacher or friend-without a memory to recollect what you have heard or known of it. Although time for reflection should be granted you, and though the gate of mercy should stand open before you, yet your soul may be so filled with darkness, and unbelief, and remorse, that you cannot perceive the way of escape, and may die, like Judas, in despair. Though quaintly expressed, there is much truth in the saying, True repentance is never too late, but late repentance is seldom true.' How many instances are there of "repentance" in sickness, and in the prospect of death, being "repented of." Judicious

persons who have had occasion to deal with the irreligious in such circumstances, have a saddening report to make of the result of their experience. How many of them have died as they lived, ignorant, insensible, hardened ! Of those who survived, and were delivered from the terrors of death, how many "returned, like the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire!" And among those who died with the accents of penitence on their lips, of how few can they speak but in the language of trembling hope! We often hear of the contrition of condemned malefactors, and it is not uncommon to represent them as having exhibited decided marks of conversion in their cells and on the scaffold; but there is reason to think that credulity is mingled with charity in these reports. Charity should dispose us to form the most favourable hopes of individuals; but when we speak on this subject, and especially when we make our sentiments public, we should recollect, that charity for the dead may be cruelty to the living. If such persons were to be pardoned and restored to life, we may judge what would be the result with multitudes of them, from what we see in the case of those who have been recovered from a dangerous sickness. How rarely do we meet, in such cases, with the unequivocal proofs of sincere repentance which were evinced in the crucified malefactor!

Fourthly, See here a striking example of the different effects produced by the preaching of Christ crucified. To the one malefactor the cross was the savour of life unto life, to the other it was the savour of death unto death; to the former, it was the power of God unto salvation, to the latter, it was a stumblingblock; it softened the heart of the former, it hardened the heart of the latter,-it prepared the one for heaven, it rendered the other two-fold more a child of hell. Here we perceive the exceeding riches of sovereign grace, and the desperate depravity of the human heart, when left to its native operation. O the blindness, the infatuation, the obduracy of this impenitent malefactor, whom neither the reproofs and contrition of his companion, nor the meekness and patience of Jesus, nor the acts of grace and clemency which he witnessed, could soften! He saw the rich treasures of grace opened; he