the clearing it well, would tend very much to the confirming all you have hitherto argued.

Theoph. That is eafily done. But I fear I have already over-tired you with this long harangue; efpecially fince, tho' it be upon a weighty fubject, and the confideration thereof is very fit and proper for the generality of mankind, to prepare them beforehand for the state you are now in; yet it is not fo fit all our time should be spent in what is no more to the purpose of our present meeting. And indeed I have been several times ready to condemn myself, for having entered upon an argument fo foreign to the bufinefs we came about; which was to difcourfe with you, who both are fick at prefent, and have repented beforehand, and whom it is therefore unreasonable to weary with a long description of what is incumbent upon others, who are in quite different circumftances, and are still obliged to the performance of that duty, which you have been performing all your life long. You are one of those, who, in our Saviour's language, (k) need no repentance, that is, as it implies in it an entrance upon a new course of life. And therefore it is not fit to trouble you with any more of what has already been too burdenfome to you.

Anchith. I confefs I have lain still without interrupting you; but I affure you, it was not without lending all the attention I could, to fo useful and profitable a difcourfe. And I must needs fay, that you have entertained me to my great fatisfaction. And I am so far from being uneafy at what you have argued, with fo much perfpicuity and ftrength of reason, that I heartily join in the fame requeft, that you will proceed to fatisfy Timotheus, concerning the thief upon the cross, and the happy fuccefs of his late repentance.

Theoph. Then with your leave, Anchithanes, I proceed. And, first, I remark, that a fpecial regard is to be had to the time when his repentance was thus rewarded; fuch a time as can never happen again whilft

(4) Luke xv. 7.

the

the world lafts. For it was at the time of our bleffed Saviour's Death, when the Redeemer of the world was lift upon the cross for the atonement of our fins, and our deliverance from the heavy indignation due to them. And what wonder were it, if, at fuch a time as this, he fhould glorify himself, by a fingular act of compaffion, and even a miracle of mercy; fuch as that never was any afterwards to expect the like? When our Lord was thus ftupendously expofing himself for the fake of mankind, if he did in a peculiar and extraordinary manner fhew kindness to a poor penitent finner, that addreffed to him in articulo mortis, it will not follow, that he must do the fame to all that fly to him, in every different circumftance. He that is fo infinite in mercy, might very well fhew an uncommon inftance of it, upon fo fignal an occafion, without making it a ftanding rule for others. If a general pardon, at a prince's coming to his throne, will not infer, that no criminals are to be punished by him thenceforward thro' all his reign, no more will what was done at this time evince, that the fame method is to be taken, and the fame allowances to be made, thro' all fucceeding generations. It well became fo folemn a time as this was, to leave fome illuftrious monument of an unusual condefcenfion, for the comfort and encouragement of fuch as fhall come after. But they grofly abufe fuch ineftimable loving-kindnefs, who take occafion from hence to harden themselves in their wickedness, as if they were all intitled to the like commiferation when they come to die, tho' ever so heavy laden, and fo fhamefully defiled, with, and enflav'd to, their fins. Secondly, This thief owned our Saviour in fuch a manner, as argu'd in him a very strong and operative faith, inasmuch as otherwife he would not have dar'd to profess his belief in him, when he faw him conflicting with fuch an excess of fhame and pain. The hard usage our Lord then labour'd under, was enough to affright any one, not thoroughly perfuaded of his Divinity, into a denial of him, like that of St. Peter,

Peter, rather than expofe himself to all the obloquy, and reproach, and pain, and torture, that might be expected to accompany fuch a profeffion. Yet did not all this difcourage this unfeigned profelyte-and penitent, from venturing the utmost that could be added, to the condemnation he was now fuffering under. He gave the fulleft teftimony that could be of his faith in Chrift, by a free and undaunted owning of him, in the face of his perfecutors; and when his difgrace and fufferings were fuch as had terrified his own difciples, and put them upon forfaking and denying him. O de Ansus, &c. fays St. Chryfoftom (k), The thief, without baving heard the prophets, or feen any miracles to convince him, beholding our Saviour faften'd upon the cross; attended not to bis difgrace, nor regarded his dishonour, but, looking to his divinity, brake forth into this petition: Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom: and this even whilft those who had been acquainted with the declarations of the prophets concerning him, and had feen bis miracles, cried out against him, that he had a devil, and deceived the people. Whilft our Saviour received fuch despiteful ufage, from fuch as ought to have known better things, this new difciple was not dif hearten'd from making an open confeffion of him in the face of the multitude, then affembled to fee him upon the cross. Thirdly, We know not what fort of life he had formerly led, nor how he had behav'd him felf, as to the main of his converfation. That he had been guilty of an act of robbery, is implied in the cha racter given of him, the fentence of condemnation paffed upon him, and his own acknowledgment, for himfelf and his fellow-fufferer, That they received only the due reward of their deeds, St. Luke xxiii. 41. But whether he had made a common practice of it, or had ever liv'd in any other courfe of known wickedness, we are not told, nor what fteps he might poffibly have made towards repentance, during his confinement. (k) Eis Tir. λoy. 3. F

Whence

Whence it manifeftly follows, that our Saviour's procedure towards him can be no precedent for others to judge by, whofe fins are too notorious, and bear too flagrant teftimony against them, as no way worthy of the lenity and clemency they are fo ready to depend upon. Fourthly, It does not appear, that this penitent had ever before heard of our Saviour, and the laws of his gospel, and to poffibly he furrender'd himself upon the very first call; which makes fo wide a distance between his cafe, and that of the death-bed penitent, as may juftly filence the pretences of all fuch, to an acceptance with our Lord, at the laft gafp, from this example, fo very different from any thing they have to plead for themfelves. And then it is most certain, in the last place, that this is but a single inftance; all ages, from the beginning of the world, to this day, not affording another like it. And it is very unreafonable to conclude, that because our Lord was once thus wonderfully merciful, therefore he will be fure to be fo as often as a finner is unwilling to repent of his fins, whilst he can continue in them. This is a ftrange and a fhameful prefumption upon God's goodness, and which the late penitent may juftly expect will leave him, at best, in a very difconfolate and dangerous condition. I do not fay, that God will not pardon fuch, as, after a long courfe of wickedness, unfeignedly turn to him at the hour of death. But yet, from what I have now faid, I prefume I may fairly conclude, he has given us no affurance that he will do it; and in particular, that nothing of this nature can be reasonably inferr'd, from this inftance of the thief upon the cross.

Timoth. I heartily thank you, good Theophilus, for the full and fatisfactory account you have given of this inftance, so often abufed, to the hardening perfons in their fins, in hope of a fpeedy admiffion into Heaven, when they can keep them no longer. And methinks, if your doctrine were fufficiently publifh'd to the world, people would not dare to venture on fo heedlefly in their impieties; which they now perfuade

them

themselves will be eafily pardon'd, upon a flight repentance, when they come to die.

Theoph. This is the very height of indifcretion, or rather of folly and madness. And no one in his wits can poffibly give a reaton for acting thus unaccountably, nor would ever allow himself in it, did not his lufts and paffions cloud his judgment, and utterly unqualify him for confulting his own fafety: for if he that neglects to repent at prefent, knows not whether he hall have another day to do it in, or if he have, will yet have the fame impediments to ftruggle with, and fo be tempted to defer it to another time, and thence to another, and fo, it may be, never repent at all and again, fuppofe death fhould fright him into repentance, when he is just going out of the world; if he can never be fure this his repentance is fuch as would produce a real reformation in him, tho' time had been allow'd him; nor that it will be available to falvation, unless it actually do produce fuch a reformation; and if, moreover, his two main fupports, of the labourers in the vineyard, and the thief upon the crofs, both fail him, he has all the reafon in the world to look upon himself as in the ready way to everlasting ruin, and must be a moft defperate enemy to his own foul, if he refolve ftill to perfift in it.

Anchith. This is fo neceffary a confequence of the foregoing doctrine, that I earnestly with all would be conftantly mindful of it, and would diligently improve it to their own advantage. I am fure thofe must leave themfelves without all excufe, who do not. Nor is there any greater folly in the world, than the deferring of repentance, unless it be, what too frequently follows upon this, the not doing it at all.

Timoth. Befides, it is to be confider'd, that each day any one defers his repentance, he continues in his fin; and fo is yet adding to his account, and treafuring up to himself new matter of grief, and forrow, and fhame, and remorfe, and anguifh, against his intended time of bethinking himself. And what a