nothing of the matter; but to those who have long practifed these things, nothing is eafier. It is just the fame in religion. Try it: refolutely persevere in it; form the habit of it in your hearts; and you will find it as easy to be religious, as it is to make a curious piece of workmanship to thofe, who have been long accustomed to it.

But still it must be remembered, that even after the habit of religion is formed, our care and diligence must be continued. Religion must never be at a stand. He who is the most secure, muft take care left he fall. When our Saviour therefore fays his yoke is eafy, he does not mean to fay it can be borne without any trouble. It is an eafy yoke indeed, but ftill it is a yoke; and we must live in a constant habit of confining within its difcipline our stubborn difpofitions, whenever they occafionally, as is too often the cafe, start from it.

In conclufion from the whole, let me just add, that whatever difficulty there may be in a religious course, there is much greater in a vicious one. Every fin is naturally attended with harm, danger, difgrace, or inward uneafinefs: and a vicious life muft ever be followed either by the pangs of re

pentance on one hand; or a miserable despairing

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death

death on the other. So that, in fhort, the great difference between the difficulties of the religious man, and the finner, is just this.-The difficulties of the religious man, we have feen, are in the beginning of his course. But the longer he proceeds, the more fatisfaction and happiness he feels. On the other hand, the enjoyments of the finner, such as they are, are in the courfe of his fins: but the end is death, and deftruction. The cup of pleasure while he drinks it, may be fweet and palatablejuft as a cup of poifon may be fweet, and palatable -while you drink it: but remember the confequence-it will infallibly end in distress, agony, and death.

SERMON XXXV.

LUKE, Xxiii. 43.

TO DAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE,

HEN our bleffed Saviour was crucified, you know, two thieves were crucified with him. One of them was a reprobate. He died hardened, as we see many in these days, without any fense of religion. The other was of a different difpofition. He had led, it is true, a bad life; but now, at the close of it, he repented; and ventured to address the bleffed Jefus, in his dying hour, with a petition for mercy: Lord, remember me, when thou comeft into thy kingdom. Jefus replied in the words of the text, To day fhalt thou be with me in paradise.

This

This paffage hath afforded more confolation to the dying finner, than perhaps any other in the whole Teftament. Let us fee how he applies it to his purpose.

Let us fuppofe one of these unhappy men lying on his death-bed-his ill-fpent life now winding up-nearly reduced to its few laft hours. Amidft all the pain, and distress of his disease, his alarmed confcience still more torments him. The world has now forfaken him. Its joys are over; and all thofe guilty pleasures, for which he had given his foul, are now remembered with horror. Throwing his eyes around him, to catch a gleam of hope, he thus endeavours to console his finking fpirits: It is true," he cries, "I have been a hei

nous finner in the fight of God.-Now, I fear I "am on my death-bed-I feel nature giving way"this world is over with me. What have I then "to expect?--I am not an infidel. I believe in "God, tho' I feldom obeyed him. I believe in "Chrift, tho' his gospel had little effect upon me. "I am heartily forry for my fins-I truly repent of them. Many greater finners, I doubt not, have been received to mercy. Bad as I "have been, I cannot have been fo bad as a con"demned malefactor. The thief upon the cross

VOL. II.

"expreffed forrow for his fins in his last moments; "and received an immediate afsurance of mercy. "Why then need I defpair? My forrow is as

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great as his; and with as much earneftnefs as he "could do, I cry to heaven for mercy,"-Thus many a finner confoles a dying hour; and cherishes falfe hopes, in the midst of circumstances the most alarming.

As the cafe of the thief on the erofs is thus one of the main pillars, which often fupports the hope of a dying finner, I fhall for your inftruction to-day, firft fhew you, that this particular cafe has no kind of relation to the ufual circumftances of a dying chriftian and fecondly, I fhall admonish you of the danger of a death-bed repentance.

When the chriftian religion was first preached to mankind, and perfons of full age became converts to it, the great points; you know, infifted on, were faith, and repentance. Whoever profeffed his belief in Jefus Chrift-that he was the Son of God, and Saviour of the world renouncing at the fame time, his paft fins, and refolving to lead a new life for the future, was forgiven. Thus our Lord himfelf forgave the fins of fome perfons on their converfion, of whofe faith, and repentence he was affured.