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longer; but if the design of this history be, not to give countenance to sin, but to encourage the humble; to display the riches of divine grace to the contrite; to comfort the desponding; and generally to bring men to Christ; then beware lest the perversion of it, as affording a licence to sin, lead you on to eternal ruin.

The circumstances in which we are placed, are, in many respects, widely different from those of the penitent thief. We live in a Christian land, and hear continually the great truths of the gospel. But we have no evidence that this man had ever rejected the offer of mercy. It is probable, that he had violated no vows of obedience to Christ, nor resisted, as we have done, the warnings of the Holy Spirit. Before his case can be considered as affording any justification, or furnishing any hope to those, who in a Christian country, presume upon it, it must be shown that his advantages were equal to ours, and that he had wilfully and deliberately broken his own solemn engagements of obedience, and had resisted the Spirit, and would not come unto Christ that he might have life.

And the occasion, be it observed, was such as hitherto never had occurred, and cannot occur again. We behold the Son of God at that moment in the lowest state of humiliation, suspended as a malefactor, between earth and heaven; apparently powerless and friendless; forsaken even by His father, and regarded by the multitudes. around Him, as an object of scorn and execration. It seemed good, therefore, to the Divine wisdom, that He should give at that time to the spectators and to the world, an evidence of His power and authority; that He should assert at that time the dignity which He had claimed through the whole period of His ministry; and a dying criminal was made the object of His grace. Thus did Christ triumph, even upon the cross; thus did He vindicate the riches of His mercy, and the efficacy of His atoning blood. It was an event suited to such an occasion. The one malefactor was snatched as a brand from the burning: the other died as he had lived, in ignorance, and wickedness, and hardness of heart.

To those, then, who even in their last moments, become truly penitent, we are authorised by this history, to speak the language of encou

ragement and hope; but to ALL we say-beware how you trust to the prospect of a deathbed repentance. Seek for reconciliation and peace with God, while the offer of mercy is still made to you: let there be no trifling, no delay. Behold, Now is the accepted time; behold, Now is the day of salvation.*

* 2 Cor. vi. 2.

SERMON VII.

THE JOY OF THE APOSTLES AT CHRIST'S
ASCENSION.

PREACHED ON THE SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY.

ST. LUKE, Xxiv. 50—53.

"And He led them out as far as to Bethany; and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen."

It is one of the excellencies of our apostolical church, that so far as her influence extends, she suffers none of her people to be ignorant of the leading facts belonging to the narrative of man's redemption. She well knows how closely these facts are connected with the doctrines of the gospel, and how powerfully they appeal to the understandings, and the hearts of multitudes among us, upon whom the mere exposition of scriptural doctrine might be attended with little effect. Hence in

the course of the last few months, independently of the instruction afforded by her ministers, she has herself taken us by the hand, and accompanied us to the principal scenes of our Saviour's eventful history. Under her guidance, we have been taught to hear the voice of the prophet, crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.* She has conducted us to the stable at Bethlehem; has pointed out to us the infant Saviour, and led us to listen to that song from heaven, which celebrated His appearance. If under the guidance of a star, the wise men of the east repaired to visit the Messiah, and to present to Him their offerings, the church has instructed us to hail the same manifestation; to share in the feelings which it excited in those Gentile sages; and like them to rejoice, and like them to worship.

Thus, also, have we witnessed the Redeemer's triumphant entry into Jerusalem: with the favoured disciples we have been present at His last supper; we have entered with Him into the garden of Gethsemane; we have followed Him up the steep of Calvary; have stood by His cross, and witnessed the * John i. 23.

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