Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

when his Enemies were infulting over him; when his own Disciples and the Companions of his Preaching and Miracles had forfaken him; when they, who once trufted it had been He, who should have redeemed Ifrael, defpaired of him, when the Companion of his Wickednefs was at the fame time reproaching and blafpheming him: That He, I fay, fhould, in this lowest ebb of Mifery, and Shame, and Scorn, that ever the Son of God did or could ftoop to, throw himself upon his Protection, acknowledge his Kingdom, believe him Lord of a future and better State, and the Difpofer of Rewards and Happiness after Death; And all this, upon fo furprizing a Conviction, and in answer to the very firft Calls of Grace: This argues fo ingenuous a Temper, fo noble and fo bold a Faith, as never was outdone, as never can in all refpects be equalled, except the fame Jefus were again to be Crucified. For no Man's Converfion ever had, ever can have, upon other Terms, the fame Difadvantages and Difcouragements, which This Man's laboured under, and fo generously overcame.

Might not then St. Chryfoftom, as with great Force he does, rebuke the Impudence of thofe late Penitents, who presume to take Sanctuary in this Example? Them, who live under the Miniftry of the Gofpel, and enjoy both the Outward Calls of God's Word, and the Inward Sollicitations of his Spirit, but turn the deaf Ear continually to Both? Who profefs to believe a rifen and glorified Redeemer, to expect him as their Judge, and call him Lord and King, and have lifted themfelves in his Service by Baptifm; But pay him no degree of that Refpect, which this Stranger did, when he had rendred himself of no Reputation, and appeared in the Guife of the vileft Malefactor? This certainly fhews fuch a Difference, as muft, if reflected on, convince all wilful Delayers of Repentance, that they have no Precedent to produce for their Confidence. Indeed, Their State is as unlike to His, as that of a Converfion aftonishingly

speedy

speedy and gallant, is to an obftinate Backwardness and Delay. And the only part of the Comparison that holds, is that of Death being at the Door.

That God fhould communicate the Affiftance of his Grace very liberally, to One fo difpofed to close with the first Motions of it, as this Thief; agrees with those exalted Notions of his Goodness, which both Reason and Revelation hath given us. But, what Affurance can we have from Either, of his Readiness to affift and bring over those, who have received it in vain? Why should They fuppofe, that a Spirit, so often driven away, will be at their Call, whenever they please; and, by a more than common Influence, work in them a Change, just when they come to die, which they would never be prevailed upon to concur with, or confent to, in the whole Course of their Lives? No, no. If these Men are defirous to find a Parallel, they have it here at Hand. The Other Thief, who went out of the World railing and reviling, is much more likely to be the true Emblem of Their fad Condition. He is far from being the only Instance of a wicked Creature, given up by God at his laft Hour: But the penitent Thief is the only One we are fure of, reclaimed at his laft Hour. And This too fuch a One, as cannot be drawn into Confequence by any Christian; By reason of those many Circumstances, in which it is not fo much as poffible, for this Cafe to agree, with that of Any, who fhall prefume to defer his Repentance, tho' but till the next Hour.

Let us therefore deal fairly with our felves, and not read this Story by halves. Let us in it contemplate the Juftice of a provoked, as well as the Mercy of a forgiving, God. If to day, while it is called to day, we do our part; we have a Title to the Confolations of this Cafe. If we put off from Day to Day, and continue to harden our Hearts; it contains not one Syllable of Comfort for Us, but all we build upon it, is without Foundation. The Extent of our Lives we cannot, but the

Difficul

[ocr errors]

Difficulties of a Death-Bed Repentance we may, cer tainly know. And, if once Matters come to this pafs we cannot be fure of the Power, nay we cannot be fure of fo much as the Will, to repent. But, fuppofing this alfo not to be denied us: We cannot have the fame Affurance of being then accepted, which this Thief had. For many things, at fuch a time, concur to deceive us: And whether the good Purpofes, then raifed in our Minds, would be ftedfaft and perpetual, God only can forefee. We find by Experience, many, who have refolved well, if God grant an unexpected Recovery, relapfe into their old Impieties: And do not only deceive Others, but Themfelves too. The only Course then to be fafe and eafy, is to repent fo early, that the Fruits may put the Sincerity of our Change past any doubt. For we can never have too mean a Thought, of doing this upon Beds of Languishing, and at the Approach of Death. And the most that ought to be faid in favour of fuch a Delay, is not to pronounce it altogether defperate. But this is a Danger, which, I hope, the due Obfervance of this Holy Season we are now in, hath delivered us from. And if fo, then may we, with great Equanimity, imitate our Bleffed Lord, in that Act, which I propofed to treat of in the

III. Third and laft Place, defcribed in thefe Words, Ver. 46. Father, into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. The Obfervations, which this furnishes Matter for, are principally these that follow.

1. This proves the Reality of Chrift's Human Nature, with regard to the Soul, no lefs than the Body. For the Spirit here commended to God, could not be the Divine Spirit, which fome ancient Hereticks imagined Chrift's Body to have been actuated by; but it must be the fame intelligent part of him, as Man, which is, in every one of Us, the Principle of Life,

M m

and

and Senfe, and Motion; Because this is it, which Death diflodges from a fleshly Mafs, no longer in Condition to receive, and to be influenced by it.

2. The manner of our Lord's giving up this Spirit hath generally been thought to carry in it an Air of Authority; and to intimate, that, as the delivering it was an Act of free Choice, fo the refuming of it was likewife fully in his own Power. The Form made use of on this Occafion, is such as properly denotes the leaving Goods of Value, to be kept by a trufty Friend, till called for again. It may be faid indeed, that Other Good Men, who confeffedly have not the fame Power, are found to have committed their Souls to God in like manner. They have indeed done fo, but with this Difference: That, in Chrift this was a Declaration of his having purchafed Immortality for human Nature, and a fort of Claim for raising it from the Dead: In Others, it is an Expreffion of their Faith, that their Souls and Bodies fhall again be united, by Virtue of that Resurrection, which their Saviour's Rifing hath enfured to them.

3. From hence it follows, that the Human Soul is a Substance diftinct from the Body; that it lives after it, in a State feparate from it, and such a State, as is fufceptible of Happiness or Mifery. For, why is the Spirit here the Object of our Lord's Care, and depofited in God's Hands; but because these Phrases are fet to fignify a Place of Safety from Danger, where Souls fhall not only furvive, but live too in a manner, far diftant from that, in which they lived here; where no Temptation fhall be able to affault, no Sin to pollute, no Affliction to difcompofe them? This we find to have been the Sense even of the Jewish Church, before our Saviour's time. The Souls of the Righte Wifd. iii. 1, 2, 3. ous are in the Hand of God, and there ha no Torment touch them. In the Sight of the Unwife they

feemed

feemed to die, and their Departure is taken for Misery. And their going from us to be utter Deftruction, but they are

in Peace.

4. Lastly, From hence there feems alfo to be fufficient Foundation for concluding, that the Souls of Good Men enter upon fome Degrees of Blifs, immediately after their Departure out of the Body. Efpecially, if together with thefe Words to his Father, we take Chrift's Promise, made just before to the Penitent Thief, that he should that Day be with Him in Paradife.

Thefe are Particulars, which cannot now conveniently receive an Enlargement worthy of them: and are therefore recommended to the Improvement of the Reader. Who will not find it difficult, from hence to draw fuch Inferences, as may turn to great Account; By fupporting him under the Trials of the prefent Life; By arming him against the immoderate Fears of Death; And by quickning him in fuch Virtues and Graces, as are neceffary, to juftify his Hopes of exchanging this for an infinitely better State, when God fhall fee him ripe for it.

A

Good Friday.

The COLLECTS.

Lmighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy Family, for which our Lord Jefus Chrift was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the Hands of wicked Men, and to fuffer Death upon the Crofs, who now liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A

Lmighty and everlafting God, by whofe Spirit the whole Body of the Church is governed and fanctified; Receive our Supplications and Prayers, which we offer before thee for all Eftates of Men in thy holy Church; that every Member of the fame, in his Vocation and Miniftry, may truly and godly ferve Thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

M m 2

Eph. iii. 14, 15.
Matth. xxvi,
xxvii.

Acts ii. 23.
Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10,
II.

1 Cor. xii. 12, 13.
Eph. iv. 4.
1 Pet. i. 2.
Rom. xii. 4--8.

1 Cor. xii. 12,20.
Eph. iv. 1.

O Mer

« EdellinenJatka »