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ADDRESS TO THE CONGREGATION.

MY RESPECTED Friends,

You are all aware of the recent solemn event, which has caused our assembling together sooner than usual this evening; and as the chapel is excessively crowded, as well as the vestry, so that many have scarcely standing room, it is not my intention to add to the inconvenience of your situation, nor unnecessarily to trespass upon your patience in the delivery of a long and tedious introduction. The young man, JOSIAH PAINE, was executed on Penenden heath, near Maidstone, Kent, on the 2nd of April, for sheep-stealing. At his own particular request, I attended him in his last moments, with the Rev. Mr. Winter, the Chaplain of the prison; and I am truly happy to say, that we, with others who witnessed by night and day his becoming and exemplary conduct, after the dreadful sentence of the law had been pronounced, have substantial and satisfactory evidence to believe that he died a real penitent and a humble believer in the Son of God.

My design in calling the attention of the public to the affecting scene which cut off from the land of the living this poor young man, is, that his ignominious death may be a solemn warning to us all; particularly to young people, to show them the awful nature and fruits of sin; to guard them against the least approach to vice; to earnestly entreat them to forsake their wicked companions, who seek their final ruin, by leading them in paths of crime and infamy; and likewise to unfold to my hearers, the abundant, rich, free, and all-sufficient grace of God, gloriously and triumphantly displayed through the efficacy of the blood of Christ in the salvation of the vilest rebels and the chief of sinners.

The text to which I will now refer you, as peculiarly suitable and illustrative of the preceding observation, you will find recorded in

LUKE XXIII. 42, 43.

"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom! And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

O! may the Lord the Spirit enable me to set forth to you clearly, faithfully, and affectionately, the momentous truths contained in this surprising portion of holy scripture, and savingly accompany them to your hearts by his living unction, that some lost sinner may be plucked as a brand from the fierce burning of fire unquenchable; and that the Lord's regenerated family may be edified and stand fast in the true grace of God: then sower and reapers will rejoice together, and gather fruit unto life eternal, to the everlasting honour of our covenant God and mighty Redeemer.

The text consists of two parts.

I. THE PRAYER OF THE DYING THIEF.

II. THE ALMIGHTY SAVIOUR'S GRACIOUS ANSWER.

I. HIS PRAYER,-" Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom!" In which is observable, first, the person he addressed, or the object of his prayerLord. The Greek word here used, and in other passages of scripture translated Lord, literally signifies, master, ruler, and governor; and when applied to Christ it denotes his supremacy and sovereignty. By this expressive title he is revealed to us as the King of kings, and Lord of lords -the Governor of all worlds-the Head of the church, and the Almighty Saviour of sinners. The learned Zanchie observes, that this name is simply and absolutely ascribed to Christ a thousand times in the writings of the apostles. Dr. Pearson, bishop of Chester, in his justly celebrated Exposition of the Creed, remarks, that not only Christ is the Lord, but that this title doth so properly belong unto him, that the term "the Lord" alone, absolutely taken, is frequently used by the evangelists and apostles determinately for Christ, insomuch that the angels observe that dialect, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay!" Matt. xxviii. 6. Nor is it difficult to find that name amongst the books of the law, in the most high and full signification; for it is most frequently used as the name of the supreme God, sometimes for " El," or Elohim;" sometimes for "Shaddai," or "the Rock; often for "Adonai;" and most universally for "Jehovah,"

"

the undoubted proper name of God, and that to which the Greek translators, long before our Saviour's birth, had most appropriated the name of Lord, not only by way of explication, but distinction and particular expression; as when we read, "thou whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high in all the earth.” And as the original Jehovah was spoken of Christ by the holy prophets; so the title of Lord, as the usual interpretation of that name, was attributed unto him by the apostles. In that signal prediction of the first age of the gospel, God promised by Joel, that "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord (Jehovah) shall be delivered." And St. Paul hath assured us, that Christ is that Lord, by proving from thence, that "whoosever believeth on him shall not be ashamed;" and inferring from that, "if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved." Joel ii. 32; Rom. x. 9. For if it be a certain truth, that whosoever confesseth the Lord Jesus shall be saved; and the certainty of this truth depend upon that foundation, that "whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed;" and the certainty of that in relation to Christ depend upon that other promise, "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved;" then must the Lord in the 13th verse of the 10th chapter to the Romans, be the same with the Lord Jesus in the 9th verse, or else St. Paul's argument must be invalid and fallacious, as containing that in the conclusion which was not comprehended in the premises. But the Lord in the 9th verse is no other than Jehovah, as appeareth by the prophet Joel, from whom the scripture is taken. Therefore our Saviour in the new testament is called Lord, as that name or title is the interpretation of Jehovah. In this dignified character the penitent thief worshipped the Son of God. It is really miraculous that this poor malefactor had more distinct views of the Deity of Christ than even the disciples themselves. He saw by faith the bright and effulgent rays of divinity shine through the dark clouds of his unexampled sufferings and ignominious death, and felt a confident persuasion that the man who was crucified between him and his fellow companion in crime, had done nothing amiss, and that he was no other than Jehovah. The Spirit of faith inspired him with boldness to offer up his humble prayer to the agonizing Jesus, and to breathe his departing and immortal soul into the hands of his dying Lord, who was strong in weakness; glorious when

under reproach; was the ever-living God when his body was dead; and as able and willing to save the vilest of sinners who cry unto him for mercy, when he was hanging on the accursed tree, as he is now when reigning in heaven, and sitting upon the throne of his glory.

What a surprising instance of the rich, free, and sovereign grace of God! Surely nothing is too hard for the Lord! "For where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." He freely acknowledges the justice of the sentence which doomed him and his fellow-sinner to an ignominious death, and rebukes him for continuing to rail against the suffering Messiah, saying, "Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss." And lest any should suppose that he died an unbelieving socinian, because he called Christ a man, he emphatically styles him "Lord," which is a general title of the King Messiah, and plainly showed that he believed him to be the rightful owner of a kingdom, possessing a sovereign power to bestow it upon whom he pleased. Listen attentively to his impressive and affecting prayer, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom!"

This remarkable petition was speedily and graciously answered; for such were the matchless love and boundless compassion of the Son of God, that he appears to forget his own unutterable tortures and inconceivable sorrows, to succour, relieve, and eternally save the expiring culprit:"Verily, I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." When the Saviour had communicated to him the grace of true repentance, how singularly did he honour him by proclaiming him as the Lord of glory, at a time when he was betrayed by one of his disciples, denied by another, and forsaken by all. The dying thief boldly professes the excellency of his name above every name, before an assembled world of wicked men, pharisaical hypocrites, and malignant fiends! How vigorous and strong his faith! When the Holy and Just One was loaded with reproach, scorn, and infamy, he confidently committed his immortal soul to his protection and care, whom he saw mighty to save even through weakness and death. By the cross Christ triumphed over principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly; and "through death he destroyed him that had the power of