of them; for he had a battle with the devils on the cross, and triumphed over them all, Col. ii. 15. This same blindness of the world remains still in it; for when the world sees a body under affliction, in poverty, burnt or martyred for Christ's sake, then the world thinks it is impossible that that body can attain to glory. They think him as an outcast, and will scorn his profession. They will say, "Are these your Christians? Of all men they are the most miserable. If that be the way to heaven, I will renounce to go that way; this is rather the way to go to hell." This is the voice of the world; and the cause is, because miserable caitiffs know not what sin is, which at that time behoved to be purged by the cross; for the justice and majesty of God being offended, required that it should be so; and now, in us, sin, through manifold crosses and afflictions, must be mortified. Let the world think and speak as it pleases, the only way whereby thou shalt come to life is suffering and affliction; and thou must think this that we must be racked through hell ere we come to heaven. Our redemption is wrought by the cross; thou shalt not come to heaven but by the cross. The ground of all is sin; but, alas! the world sees it not. The word will teach thee that there is no other way to come to heaven but by affliction; and it will thee that if thou be not purged and changed by trouble and affliction, thou shalt never see heaven. Alas! that we could once groan under sin. And blessed is the soul that hath a sight of the weight of sin; and woe to that soul that hath no sight of sin.

To go forward, I see in this thief who rails on Christ some special thing; he hath a particular of his own, he is in torment, and therefore he says, "If thou be that Christ, save thyself and us." Brethren, a torment, whatsoever it be, if it be not the better sanctified it will move the creature to fall out in blasphemy; thou wilt blaspheme both in heart and mouth, and thou wilt say that there is no power in God to save thee; (and the thief in effect said this, "There is no power in thee to save me; I renounce thee as a Saviour;") and if thou confess his power, thou wilt deny his

1 Teach has been accidentally omitted.

mercy, and wilt say, God is but a tyrant. And if thou wilt say, "He is merciful, be merciful to whom he will, he cannot be merciful unto me"-this last distrusting of mercy to thyself is a great sin. And that to say altogether that there is no mercy in God, it is a plain blasphemy. And last, to say there is no power in God, it is to deny God to be God; for how can he be God if he want power? So I think that this caitiff hath been a great blasphemer of that Majesty; and when I look on it, I see in him the image of the death of the reprobate, when they are dying and changing this life. The Lord give us grace to die well! The reprobate shall think, that in their doing,' God hath no power to save them; for of all men in the world the reprobate is the most loath to die, for either they shall think that God is not merciful at all, or else at least that there is no mercy in him for them; and so the miserable creature will turn his back on God, and immediately shall cast himself into hell and damnation. We read of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that they were so far from this blasphemy, that when the tyrant falls out in blasphemy they meet him, and say, "Our God is almighty, and he hath power to deliver us if he please." Never come thou to despair, though thou shouldst die ten thousand deaths, but sleep in his bosom, and hang on him, and save his honour, and think not that which may derogate his honour, and say, "Though thou shouldst slay me, Lord, yet will I trust in thee," and so die sweetly, resting in his arms. Well, I see this hath been a miserable body, and hath died miserably, blaspheming the God of glory; and this is even as the reprobate shall do at the latter judgment. And yet when I compare him with the Pharisees and priests, I find their blasphemy greater than his. Well shall it be to the thief in respect of them; for they had knowledge and he wanted. Who should have had knowledge but they? They had no torment; he had sore torment. What need had they to blaspheme? Therefore their condemnation shall be greater than his. And when I compare this blasphemy of the thief with the blasphemy of some men in these days, who, when

1 Dying?

2 Dan. iii. 17.

3 Job xiii. 15.

any cross falls upon them without their expectation, will say, "What can God do more unto me?" so, in effect, denying power to be in God and in Jesus Christ; I count the blasphemy of these men to be greater than his was. For now Jesus is in glory; and the thief saw him on the cross in misery with himself. If thou now blasphemest him so, it were well done that thy mouth were sewed up, that thou never spakest a word.

Now, to end with this. The Lord give us grace, that neither in thought nor in word we dishonour that Majesty, but may acknowledge his mercy and power towards us in Jesus Christ. To whom be all honour, glory, praise, power, and dominion, both now and evermore, world without end. Amen.

N

THE SEVENTEENTH LECTURE.

OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

LUKE, CHAP. XXIII.

40. But the other answered, and rebuked him, saying, Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41. We are indeed righteously here; for we receive things worthy of that we have done : but this man hath done nothing amiss.

42. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

WE heard the last day, brethren, of all these railings and blasphemies that the Lord Jesus suffered of all ranks and estates of persons, whilst he hung on the cross naked, living in torment. Pilate began, and fixed on the cross an ignominous inscription, that Jesus was a traitor against Cæsar, and that he suffered death for his treason. Then the hangmen, four in number, in despite, and in his sight, took his garments and divided them in four parts, and because his coat had no seam, but was woven throughout, therefore they cast lots for it, who should have it whole. Then come on the people, with their part, and rail upon him, and blaspheme him, saying, "Now, if thou be that Christ, come down and save thy

self." Then follow the high priests, the scribes, and the elders, who rail on him, and say, "Is this he who will save others? let see if he can be able to save himself." Then the men of war and Gentiles begin to rail, "If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself, and come down from the cross." And then one of the thieves rails out on him, "If thou be that Christ, save thyself and us both; but now, so like as thou art the Christ! Thou art a-dying as well as we, and art neither able to save thyself nor us, and therefore thou art not a king." Now, brethren, ye may perceive that it was no prayer that this thief made to Christ, as some think.

We spake of this thief the last day, now we have to speak of the part of the other thief. He is twitched with repentance; in an instant he becomes penitent; and the inward conversion of the heart to God he utters outwardly in sundry effects. First, perceiving the other thief his companion to blaspheme God, the first action that he does, he defends the honour of the Lord against the other thief, and rebukes him; and after that, gives a free confession of his sins; and, last, he turns to Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, and says, "Lord, remember me when thou comest to thy kingdom." The Lord answers immediately to the thief, "Verily, thou shalt be with me this day in paradise."

To come, then, first to the rebuke he gives to the other thief, "Fearest thou not God?" The meaning is, "Thief, fy on thee! Seeing thou hangest in a common misery and torment with me and this man, fearest thou not God, who wilt blaspheme and rail on him, seeing thou art shortly to appear before that tribunal, and give an account of all thine evil deeds, and chiefly of the blaspheming of the innocent?" So he takes up the blaspheming from the fountain, and he lets him see that his heart was void of the fear of God; for if he had any spunk of the fear of God, he had not fallen out in railing against the God of glory.

We learn this lesson, that when the hand of God is lying on any man, and pressing him to the death, then it is time to be humble and to fear the Lord, and that terrible judgment wherein thou must stand immediately after this life; and if there appear