of the thief on the cross? If duly considered, its proper effect should be to deter you from it. The present is not such a time as that, when the thief was pardoned. Your circumstances are far different from his. If Jesus Christ should come again, and die for the sins of men, and you, as a thief, be crucified by his side, there would be in your case, the possibility of hope. The case of the pardoned thief was an extreme one. It was an extreme hour, and for extreme purposes. It was to show, that Christ had the power to pardon, when that power was most doubted. It was to show, that Jesus was still victorious, though hell seemed to triumph. may be classed with the darkening of the heavens, the rending of the rocks, the opening of the graves, and the miraculous parting of the veil in the temple. Are you willing to depend on the recurrence of this scene, with its attendant circumstan

And it

ces, for a fate similar to that of the thief? Because the plague has swept ten thousand victims from the earth, where it has spared a remnant to tell the tale of wo, will you choose to throw yourself in the jaws of the pestilence, with the hope of escaping? Because the single instance stands recorded, of a man having been convicted of sin while witnessing a theatrical performance, will you choose to seek a new heart and the pardon of your sins, by visiting the haunts of profligacy and crime? Because a death bed repentance is just within the circumference of possibility, will you choose to risk upon it your highest, your immortal interests? Will you, in the exercise of reason, in the view of all experience, and in the light of divine truth, deliberately suspend your salvation upon the extreme point of bare possibility?

The celebrated Dr. Lightfoot, in his sermon on the case of the penitent thief,

makes the following just remarks: “Monuments of mercy were never set up in Scripture to be encouragements of presumption; and examples of pardon never recorded to state the rate and price of pardon.

"David's conclusion is, "There is mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared.' But God never showed mercy, that he might be made the more bold withal and the less feared. And the inference he makes upon the pardon of his sin, is this: I acknowledge my sin, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.' What use is here for others to make of that example? For this, shall every man that is godly, make his prayer in time, when thou mayest be found': and not put it off to what time he himself shall find, he knows not when.

"The providence of God, was never the rule for men to go by, but his word. It were not good sense to say, that God's

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extraordinary actings should be men's ordinary rule. He that would not plough nor sow, but expect bread to be rained for him from heaven, because God once rained manna upon Israel, may sit and starve and he that will look for ravens to bring him bread and flesh, morning and evening, because they did once so to Elias, may walk with a hungry belly, but he will never be fed.

"The mercies of God are never recorded in Scripture for man's presumption, and the failings of men never for imitation. Here is the memorial of a singular mercy of God, in saving this sinner: and a failing of this man that he never sought salvation till this very instant.

"For the stating of the sure grounds, whereupon a man may comfortably hope and expect pardon and salvation at the hands of God, it were a mad doing, to lay for the two corner stones, in such a build

ing, presumption upon mercy,' and 'delaying of repentance.' This is worse than building upon impiety.

"Now, the word of God, which is to be our rule, tells us these two things:"1. That repentance is the gift of God, as well as pardon. It is he, that 'pours out the Spirit of grace and supplication.' Zech. xii. 10. 'Him God hath exalted to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.' Acts v. 31. Therefore, that man takes the interest of God and Christ out of their hands, that presumes he shall give himself repentance; and that, when he pleaseth. Can such a man give himself life, when God will not give it? health, when God will not give it? and can he give himself repentance, when God will not give it?-They, in the apostle James, that say, 'To-day, or tomorrow, we will go into such or such a