are exceeding deep. How unfathomable are Thy judgements, and how past finding out are Thy words! An unwise man will not well consider, and a fool will not understand these things. How blessed was the opportunity of this robber, who was permitted to suffer with Thee, to die with Thee, and with Thee to enter Thy Kingdom. I know not what good he had before this done in all his life; but of this I am sure, that when its end came he got rid of all his evil deeds by his humble confession. How boundless, then, was the mercy by which one so steeped in guilt had no sooner made to Thee his humble prayer: " Lord, remember me when Thou shall come into Thy Kingdom," than all was forgiven him! Thou, O Lord, merciful and gracious, gavest ear at once to the penitent, and didst comfort the soul of him who had confessed his sin with the gracious answer: "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in paradise."
How comforting and wholesome a thing is it for me thoughtfully to consider the circumstances of this thief's death, and of Thy most sweet answer to his prayer; not in order that I may be more fearless in sinning, or may put off amendment longer than I should; but that, from the fact of a man, who had been such an evil-doer, being so suddenly converted, being made an heir, by Thy merciful grace, of everlasting life, and restored to Paradise, I may learn, when suddenly overcome by temptation, that I need not despair. I should indeed, O Lord, be sorely troubled on account of my many sins, did I not know of Thy mercies, had I not heard of cases of penitents most graciously taken back into Thy favour. It is Thou Who by the mouth of Thy Prophet didst say: "I would
