Curiosity is another unhappy Cause of Schisms and Divisions Christ has given us a Rule to walk by and the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to be believed in order to Salvation And so long as men hold fast that form of sound words which was at first delivered to the Church there can be no danger of Schisms and Divisions But curiosity makes men desire to be wise above what is written and consequently disturb the Peace and Tranquility of the Church This St. Paul foresaw when he commanded Timothy to charge some That they give no heed to Fables and endless Genealogies which minister Questions rather than Godly Edifying 1 Tim. 1. 4. and Chap. 6. 3 4. he condemns such as dote about Questions and Dispute about Words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railings and Surmises 4. Self-love is another unhappy Cause of Schisms and Divisions This is the strongest and most violent Passion of the Soul and therefore St. Paul gives it the precedence of all the rest 2 Tim. 3. 2. It is a true saying of Luthers Societies would continue longer than they do if it were not for this little Pronoun Ego I my self For whilst Men prefer their own Interest before the Publick whilst they seek their own things rather than the things of Jesus Christ and his Church they tear his seamless Coat in pieces and make unhappy Divisions among Christians To prevent therefore these Divisions St. Paul gives this Advice amongst others Let nothing be done through strife Look not every man on his own things but also on the things of others Phil. 2. 3 4. Thus I have shewn you what are the Causes of Schisms and Divisions in the Church and so long as these Causes remain we must expect the fatal consequences of them so long as the Devil is allowed to go about as a Roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour so long as he has mens Lusts and Passions to join with him in the Work so long as he can imploy such Instruments as the Ambitious Covetous Curious and Lovers of themselves he will be able to disturb the Peace of God's Church Indeed God has power sufficient to prevent these Divisions he can create a firm and lasting peace among Christians But as St. Cyprian speaks Fieri haec Dominus permittit patitur manente propriae libertatis arbitrio The Lord saith he suffers these Divisions to be in his Church because he leaves men to act according to the liberty of their Wills God does not imploy his irresistible power in keeping men from Schism more than from other sins But having forbidden it with all the solemnity imaginable having discyphered the damnable nature of it and prest Christians by innumerable and those most powerful Motives to keep this Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace he leaves them to act for themselves in this as in other matters appointing a day in which he will judge and punish everlastingly such as dare to disturb the Peace of his Church We need not wonder then if men be Traytors to the Church as well as to the State if they rebel against Christ as well as against their Prince seeing God leaves men at liberty to commit this as well as any other sin Now if any should put the Question why God leaves men thus to their liberty Tho' I might chastise such curiosity with Solomons Answer Eccles. 7. 10. who tells such Curious Persons That they do not enquire wisely concerning this matter yet since St. Paul has furnisht me with a more satisfactory reply in the Text I shall return them this Answer in my third General Namely Thirdly That God's design in suffering these Schisms and Divisions is to discover the rottenness of some and the integrity of others This may easily be gathered from the Text where St. Paul tells us That there must be Heresies that they who are approved may be made manifest It is a Golden Sentence of St. Austin That God who is Infinitely Good would never suffer Evil but that being also Omnipotent he is able to extract Good out of Evil. When God suffers Schisms and Divisions to befall his Church his design is to discover to the World the Rottenness of some and the Integrity of others It may be said of Religion what good old Simeon said of Christ the Author of it It is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel So long as Religion prospers and flourishes in the World Hypocrites and the worst of Atheists will be content to own it But if at any time it falls into Distress or labours under Persecution then they fall off like Leaves in Autumn Indeed as St. Cyprian observes Nemo existimet bonos Ecclesia posse discedere None can imagin saith he that Good Men will abjure the Communion of God's Church as he goes on the Wind drives not away the solid Wheat but the Chaff the Storm may overturn the weaker Shrubs but the sturdy Oak gains strength and firmness by the Tempest To the same purpose is that of St. Iohn 1 Iohn 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not of us Times of Division are times of Trial and do as the Father speaks in some sort anticipate the day of Iudgment for at such times the Tares will gather themselves into Bundles and leave the purer Corn without any mixture in the Field of the Lord Sound Believers will now be known from Hypocrites and though the Church may not be crouded with such numbers as it was before yet its greatest loss will be only of rotten Members It will now be able to discern its Friends from its Foes And tho' an Acacius an Ecebolius and such like Changlings may serve the Times and themselves more yet all sincere Christians will think it both their Duty and Honour to adhere couragiously to the Church of God which brings me to the fourth General proposed Namely Fourthly To shew you that those are truly Noble and Honourable Persons who continue steadfast in the Communion of God's Church amidst these Schisms and Divisions which arise in it These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the approved ones in the Text. The Greek word which is here rendred Approved is a Metaphor taken from Gold tried in the Fire We know such a trial makes its solidity and lustre shine the brighter yea it is now valued at an higher rate than it was before Even so Christians when they continue steadfast amidst Schisms and Divisions it renders them much more honourable than they were before There is an advantage saith Plutarch which men receive from their very Enemies had there been no Trojan Wars Hector's Valour had never been so renowned and the greater the violence of a Tempest is the more highly does it commend the skill of the Pilot Even so the integrity of Orthodox Christians
SERMONS Preach'd on several Occasions BY Iohn March B. D. Late VICAR of NEWCASTLE upon TINE The last of which was Preach'd the Twenty Seventh of November 1692. Being the Sunday before he Died. With a Preface by Dr. Iohn Scot. The Second Edition To which is added a Sermon Preach'd at the Assizes in New-Castle upon Tine in the Reign of the late King Iames. LONDON Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1699. Imprimatur C. ALSTON R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. Ã Sacris Julii 3. 1693. THE PREFACE THE Reverend Author of the following Sermons was a Person of that great Worth and Excellency that among those who knew him they need no other Recommendation than his own Name for besides that they carry in 'em a certain strain of serious and unaffected Piety and this imbellished with such Clearness and Perspicuity such strength and vigour of Expression such solidity of Argument and Discourse as must have rendered the perusal of them very pleasant and profitable to all well-disposed Readers though their Author had been Anonymous besides which I say the truly Pious and Learned Author of them was a Person of such great Accomplishments both Moral and Intellectual as would have justly given Credit with all that knew his Personal Excellencies to much meaner Performances than these The main Objection this degenerous Age had against him was that he was a faithful Son of the Church of England and a zealous Asserter of its Doctrine and Discipline and one would think for a Man to be true to his Profession to that which he hath ex animo subscribed his Iudgment and declared his unfeigned Assent and Consent it should be so far from being reputed a Fault in him by those who pretend either to common Honesty or Modesty that it should rather be esteemed his Glory and Excellency As for his Conversation it was in all respects so Sober and Regular so Pure and Uncorrupt as that though he had but little reason to apprehend himself concerned in that Denunciation Wo be to you when all Men speak well of you yet so far as I ever heard even those who spoke worst of him durst never bespatter him with an Immorality He was a very diligent Pastor of the Flock committed to his Charge and that not only in the course of his Publick Ministry from which without some necessary Occasion he very rarely absented himself but also in his private Converses For besides that every Lord's Day in the Evening he generally spent a considerable Portion of time in Instructing the Youth of his Parish from which Pious and Charitable Exercise he very rarely suffered himself to be diverted even by the Visits of his best and greatest Friends besides which I say his known Abilities in resolving Cases of Conscience drew after him a great many good People not only of his own Flock but from remoter Distances who resorted to him as to a common Oracle and commonly went away from him intirely satisfied in his Wise and Iudicious Resolutions and by these his excellent Qualities and Labours he hath not only purchased to himself a Crown of Glory in Heaven but also so indeared his Memory upon Earth to all that are Virtuous and Good that like the Leaves of Roses still retain their Fragrancy though the Rose it self is withered and dead and that being dead he may yet speak to his surviving Auditors and that the Memory of his good Example and Doctrin may ever flourish among them it is the earnest desire of his Friends that these Sermons of his may be made Publick which though they have not that accomplished Accuracy as they would have had had they had his last hand to them and been prepared for the Press by his own skilful Pen yet as they are they are rightly worthy the Christian Readers perusal and as such I recommend them to his View and remain his Affectionate and Humble Servant Iohn Scot. SERMON I. Psalm lxxvi 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry I Know no Motives nor Arguments more likely to awaken Sinners to their Duty than a due consideration of Gods Infinite Goodness and Almighty Power Knowest thou not saith St. Paul that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Transcendently great is the Goodness of God towards poor Sinners He freely gave us his Son to Purchase Heaven and Eternal Happiness for us He sent down his Holy Spirit to dwell with us that he might sanctifie our corrupt Natures and make us meet to partake of the vast Inheritance of the Saints in Light and he excites us to a due improvement of these assistances of the Spirit by proposing the most glorious Rewards of Heaven and Eternal Happiness Thus God draws Sinners to their Duty by the bands of Love and the cords of a Man that is by Arguments of such an obliging Nature as are most likely to prevail with men whom he hath endowed with Reason and Understanding But how few are there who have so much ingenuity as to be won by kindness The greatest part of Mankind must be treated with severer methods according to the observation of St. Austin Plures sunt quos terror corrigit pauciores quos allicit amor Such saith he is the corruption and degeneracy of our Natures that very few are drawn to their Duty by the Bands of Love the generality of men must be driven to it by the fears of Punishment For this reason the wiser Heathens made Hercules their God of Power their God of Eloquence too intimating that no Arguments are more forcible or more prevalent than those which alarm our fears Now God who is never wanting in any thing that may conduce to our Salvation is observed in Scripture frequently to urge these powerful Arguments upon us Fear-not them saith our Saviour who can do no more than destroy the Body but fear him who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 5. 11. To the same end and purpose we find Asaph the Author of this Psalm magnifying the power of God in the defeat of Sennacheribs Army Thou hast broken the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battel ver 3. The Stout hearted are Spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the Men of Might have found their Hands ver 5. At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and Horse are cast into a deep sleep ver 6. Those expressions of our Psalmist relate unto Sennacherib King of the Assyrians this Monarchy in Daniels Vision is for its strength compared unto the Lion and it was at its Zenith in the reign of Sennacherib whose very name signifies a fierce Warrier and whose Subjects the Assyrians are deservedly stiled by our Psalmist the Stout-hearted because being flush'd by many Victories they feared neither Man nor God himself whom
2ly We shall find yet more reason to fear the Lord our God if we consider seriously that great power he exercises over the Souls and Consciences of men It is a true Saying of Seneca if understood with respect to men In corpore exercentur supplicia animus ipse sacer aeternus est cui nequeat injici manus The Sword of Justice which Earthly Potentates carry before them as the Ensign of their Power can only hurt the Shell of Man insomuch that the greatest Tyrants are honoured in Scripture with no higher Titles than those of Masters according to the flesh For the Soul or Spirit is far enough out of the reach of their Power the Conscience is secure from their Rage and Fury and it is the Prerogative Royal of God as by his Omniscience to know the most inward thoughts so by his Omnipotence to be able to punish them When the Almighty pleases he breaks into the solitary Recesses of the Soul and lodges his revenging Furies in the Inner Man And now could we set a Casement upon the Breast of an Orestes or some despairing Sinner and there see those ictus and laniatus those gnawings of the Worm which prey upon all the Vitals of the Soul we should easily grant with Tertullian that an inraged Conscience is praejudicium judicii the Antedate of the last Judgment we might then see Hell seizing the Wretched Sinner here upon Earth at least inflicting some part of its Torments on this side the Grave Such a dreadful Monument of Vengeance was cursed Cain no sooner did he kill his Brother Abel but he became a wretched Vagabond he trembled at the sight of every Beast saith Iosephus and was forced to bear such incredible Torments as he himself confessed were greater than he could bear It is sad enough for the Sinner to have God Almighty and the whole World against him but his condition must needs be sadder when he becomes a Traytor to himself nay more his own Tormentor So much of Truth there is in that Saying of Seneca Nemini gravius imprecari potes quam ut seipsum habeat iratum Thou canst not saith he lay an heavier Curse or imprecation upon any person than to wish him angry or at enmity with himself And now I hope we will join with the Psalmist in the Text and say Thou even thou O Lord art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art Angry Fearful we are to offend an earthly King how careful of our Words and Behaviour lest by Treason or any Misdemeanour we fall under his Displeasure But what I pray are Gibbets Racks or the most ingenious Torments they can invent to the sullen Lashes and silent Girds of an inraged Conscience Let Solomon if you please determin this matter Prov. 18. 14. The Spirit of a Man saith he can bear all his Infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear How many noble Martyrs have sung and danc'd amidst the devouring Flames But what Iudas what Spira what daring Sinner was ever yet able to bear the stings of a wounded Spirit What reason then have we to fear the Lord our God who can when he pleases wound our Spirits and fill our Souls with the ineffable Torments of black Despair But Thirdly We shall find yet more Reason to fear the Lord our God if we consider those most exquisite and eternal Punishments he is able to inflict both on the Bodies and Souls of Sinners in the Lake below If the bold Sinner has but courage enough to look beyond the Grave he will find prepared for him the eternal Tophet such a dreadful place of Torments as is most tragically described by the Prophet Isay Chap. 30. 33. Tophet is prepared of old saith he the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood and the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it continually See how each word is armed with Thunder It seems there is Fire in this eternal Tophet yea there is a great Pile of Fire Now how dreadful how terrible is Fire Which the Persians of old were wont to call immanissima bellua a most fierce and devouring Monster And yet this Fire of Tophet is no ordinary Fire it is no such material Fire as we have in our Chimneys For the Scripture tells us it was originally prepared for the Devil and his Angels Now the Devil and his Angels being spiritual Beings cannot be tormented by any material or corporeal Fire The Fire therefore of Tophet must be some strange metaphorical Fire such as the Fire we use is only fit to be made a cold and faint emblem of it and we will the rather believe this when we consider that it is said to be kindled by the Breath of Almighty God The fiery Furnace of Babylon was dreadful enough tho' kindled only by the finite power of an earthly King How dreadful then must the Furnace of Hell be which has all the Treasures of Torment infinite Wisdom could invent If all this be not sufficient to make these Torments dreadful remember that they are said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels We know these infernal Fiends are the most inveterate and most malicious Enemies of Heaven such as did not only at first endeavour to dethrone their Almighty Creator but have ever since imployed all their malice and subilty to affront God and draw Mankind into a conspiracy against him Sure then that Fire which was at first prepared for these inveterate and malicious Enemies of Heaven cannot possibly want any ingredients of Torture either Infinite Wisdom could invent or Infinite Power inflict And yet such devouring Flames as these are not only prepared for the Devil and his Angels but likewise for all impenitent Sinners How fearful a thing then will it be to fall into the Hands of the Living God And yet it will be more fearful if we consider the eternity of all these Torments For in Hell the Worm never dies and the Fire shall never be quenched When the Sinner has lain in Hell as many millions of Ages as there are Stars in Heaven or Sands on the Sea-shore he will be no nearer an End of his Torments than he was the first Moment he entred into that place of Torments Who then will not fear the Lord our God Who may stand in his sight when once he is Angry But it seems our Psalmist met with some in his days who had no fear of God before their Eyes who did set their Mouths against Heaven and bid defiance to the Almighty And are there not still too many in the World who discover little or no fear of God in their Lives and Conversations such I mean as are not afraid to spit in the Face of Heaven by their drunken Vomits who profane his tremendous Name by Oaths and Blasphemies deride his Ordinances and break his Holy Laws by their notorious Debaucheries But sure these men have other apprehensions of the Majesty of Heaven than
come now Fourthly In the fourth place to shew you what Reasons and Encouragements we have to endeavour after the highest degrees of Grace And 1st Our serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Grace will be an excellent means to preserve that saving growth in Grace the pious Christian has already attain'd to There is a dangerous Opinion in the World that a man cannot totally and finally fall away from Grace According to these mens sentiments he that is once sincerely Righteous will infallibly hold on and persevere unto the end Now if this Opinion were true this exhortation would be vain But certainly nothing can be more contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Scripture Hear what St. Peter saith Chap. 1. of this Epistle vers 10. Give all dilligence saith he to make your Calling and Election sure for if you do these things you shall never fall You see he puts an if in the case such as fairly implies that we may neglect our Duty and fall from our own stedfastness For the same reason St. Paul gives this necessary Caution Rom. 11. 20. c. Be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God on them which fall severity but towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be cut off But a fuller confutation of this dangerous Opinion we cannot desire than what may be gathered from the words of the Prophet Ezek. 18. 24. VVhen the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live saith the Lord No All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Thus plain it is that a Christian may fall away from that saving state of Grace he has attained to And what I pray is more likely to secure his steadfastness than serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Holiness Our Apostle it seems thought so for having in the foregoing Verse given this necessary Caution Beware Brethren lest you fall from your own steadfastness he presently subjoins in the Text as the properest means to secure them from falling but grow in Grace It is the same in spiritual growths that it is in naturals For as a man by eating and drinking and other natural Actions preserves his natural Life so the Christian by serious endeavours after higher degrees of Holiness preserves his spiritual Life The Musician screws up his Peg to an higher pitch that he may be sure it will not fall lower than the true Note Even so the higher degrees of Perfection we aspire to the less danger shall we be in of falling lower than what is absolutely necessary And this certainly is sufficient encouragement to continue these our serious endeavours 2ly These serious endeavours after a further growth in Grace than what is absolutely necessary to Salvation will give the pious Christian a more comfortable assurance of Eternal Happiness It is no doubt a kind of Heaven upon Earth to be assured of Heaven whilst we are here upon Earth This is that hidden Manna mentioned in the Revelations which fills the Soul with all variety of Delights Now nothing besides a particular Revelation from Heaven can be more likely to create this full assurance in the Soul than these Heroick attainments of Grace and Vertue Grace is that Seal of the Spirit by which we are marked and sealed unto the day of Redemption And certainly the brighter and more evident that Grace is the more evident will it be to our own selves and the fuller our assurance of Heaven and Eternal Happiness Many good Christians are in a safe condition and yet their condition is not so comfortable by reason of those fears and doubtings which do often accompany these lower degrees of Grace But the more we abound in good Works and the more eminently our Graces shine the more comfortable will our Assurance be and the clearer our Title to Heaven and Eternal Happiness Read St. Paul's 11 Chap. to the Hebrews where he sets down a large Calendar of God's eminent Saints such as advanc't into the highest form of Piety and Vertue and you 'l find their Faith as great as was their growth in Grace and their assurance of Heaven bearing a just proportion to their improvements in Holiness For St. Paul describing their Faith ver 1. calls it the substance or subsistence of things hoped for the evidence or clear demonstration of things not seen 3ly These serious endeavours after the highest degrees of Grace as they will secure our Title to Heaven and give us a more comfortable assurance of it for the present so they will hereafter advance us to higher degrees of Glory in Heaven We know there are different degrees of Glory in Heaven even as one Star differeth from another Star in Glory so also saith St. Paul shall be the Resurrection of the Iust As St. Austin speaks Splendor dispar Caelum commune the Saints shall dwell together in the same Heaven but yet like Stars they shall shine with different Rays of Glory Now these higher degrees of Glory will be conferred on such who arrived at higher degrees of Grace Hence when our Saviour tells his Disciples John 14. 2. In my Fathers House are many Mansions Tertullian remarks thus upon the place Quomodo multae Mansiones si non pro varietate Meritorum Wherefore saith he should our Saviour mention many Mansions in his Fathers House if there were not several Rooms of different Size and Glory provided for his Saints according to the variety of their deserts Indeed Heaven has room enough to lodge all the Godly but as in other Magnificent Palaces so in this of Heaven there are higher and lower larger and lesser Mansions in which God's Saints shall be disposed of according to those Services they have performed upon Earth Their Rewards hereafter shall be answerable to their Obedience here See then what incouragement there is to endeavour after the highest degrees of Glory These it seems will create an Heaven in our Souls whilst we live here on Earth These will at our Deaths carry our Souls as high as Heaven nay which is more they will lodge them in the best Mansions there Hence is that of our Apostle Chap. 1. 11. If these things be in you and abound then shall an entrance be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Having therefore these Promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord. Let us go from Strength to Strength and grow from one degree of Grace unto another until we appear before our God in Sion I shall conclude all with St. Pauls Exhortation
Text for it seems he believed Christ to have been both able and willing to save him which is in effect to own him for a Mediatour Hence we find him making solemn and earnest Addresses to him for Mercy Lord saith he remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom One would think these Circumstances which I have mention'd namely his deep Sense of his Sins his humble Confession of them his Charity to the Soul of his Fellow Thief and his strange and prodigious Faith I say one would think these Circumstances so wonderful and so extraordinary that they were sufficient of themselves to evidence the sincerity of his Repentance how short soever it was and yet by way of Overplus we have the Testimony of our Saviour himself concerning it This day saith our Saviour thou shalt be with me in Paradise Sure that Repentance must be sincere and perfect which enters into Heaven passeth into Paradise and makes so notorious a Thief all on a sudden so fit a Companion for the Holy Jesus And now let us enquire what matter of Comfort here can be for the bold Daring Sinners of the Times Have they any reason to expect such a lively vigorous and extraordinary Faith Or is it possible they should be so well assured of the sincerity of their Repentance The Age of Miracles did expire long ago and God having abundantly confirmed the Truths of the Gospel by mighty Signs and Wonders did resolve to leave the succeeding Ages of the Church to the ordinary Means of Grace How then can we expect at the Hour of Death to find such a wonderful Faith wrought in those profligate Wretches who have all their Life time despised Gods Ministers quenched all the Motions of his Holy Spirit trampled on the Blood of the New Covenant and shamefully abused all the ordinary Methods and Dispensations of the Gospel And as we cannot expect to find in the Clinicks of the Age such a prodigious and extraordinary Faith as was in this penitent Thief so neither is it possible they should be so well assur'd of the sincerity of their Repentance as he was I am willing to be as Charitable to these Penitents as the Salvation of their Souls will allow me to be And therefore let us suppose such Presumptuous sinners to be deeply sensible of their sins and willing to Confess them Let us suppose them sending for their Debauch'd Companions to remind them of Eternity and the great danger of delaying their Repentance Nay farther let us suppose them watering their Couches with their Tears and making most solemn Protestations of better Obedience if God should restore them to their former Health Supposing all this be done by the Clinicks of the Age is it possible for a Minister to afford them a Cordial or any solid Comfort from this Example of the Text For my part I must declare that I think it impossible We may hope well in the Judgment of Charity but to give them any such Assurance as this penitent Thief is beyond the power and skill of the wisest Minister for the Heart is deceitful above all things and since Ministers are not Omniscious as our Saviour was they cannot pass an infallible Judgment upon the sincerity of such a late Repentance When Esau had lost his Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage did not he shed as hearty and unfeigned Tears as these supposed Penitents can do and yet it is said found no place for Repentance Did not Iudas run to the Scribes and Pharisees Did he not confess publickly that he had betrayed the Innocent Blood Nay did he not throw down the Thirty peices of Silver And sure if he had not been in earnest such a Covetous Wretch would never have parted with his Mony and yet we know his Repentance was not right Alas the Horrours of Conscience and the ghastly Apparitions of Death will force men to do many things which God will not accept of because they proceed from fear of Punishment and not from the Love of him Nay let me add yet farther that sad Experience has set its Seal to this Observation That many such Penitents who have made the most solemn Protestations of better Obedience in the time of their Sickness when God has restored them in Mercy to their former Health they have with the Dog return'd to their Vomits and with the Sow to their wallowings in the Mire Thus you see that Repentance of the Thief in the Text was so remarkable so wonderful so extraordinary in all the parts of it as will afford little solid Comfort to repenting Sinners at the Hour of Death 4ly This Repentance of the Thief will be found yet farther extraordinary and such as can afford little Comfort to the Clinicks of the Age if we consider those great and extraordinary Temptations he had to grapple with Christ was now in his worst Estate in the very lowest degree of his Humiliation there was no Beauty no Form no Comeliness in him that he should be desired The Chief Priests the Scribes and the Elders mocked him all that passed by reviled him wagging their Heads Of his own Disciples some denied him and all of them shamefully and most ungratefully forsook him This poor penitent Thief was the only Confessor he had And what Inducements had he at this time to own him He could expect no Wordly Advantages all that he could promise himself was only this that as he was now Crucified as a Malefactor only so for such his Confession his Torments would have been enhanced and he persecuted as a Martyr And can now the Clinicks of the Age shew us any such extraordinary Repentance Is Christ now under the same Circumstances of Pain and Ignominy that he was then Do not all our Creeds tell us that he is now at the Right Hand of God That He is made the Head of all things both in Heaven and in Earth And will it be any such heroick Act of Faith now to seek unto such a Glorious and Triumphant Saviour Sure there is a vast difference between the case of the Thief and the case of the presumptuous Sinners The Thief had no inducements to fly to Christ for succour and these have none to fly to but their Saviour There is therefore but little solid comfort for such Penitents in the Example of the Text. 5ly The case of the Thief will yet further be found extraordinary if we consider the time when he obtained Mercy it was no ordinary time but a time when God was shewing a publick Act of Grace and Mercy to the World God at this time was giving his own Son out of great love to Mankind And therefore it might seem proper and well becoming so solemn a time that there should be some Monument of this Infinite Mercy It may possibly deserve your serious observation that God Almighty did always something extraordinary to grace the several Passages of our Saviours Mediatorship We know at his Nativity a Glorious Star shone in the Air