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appears to be the case as he testifies himself, how that he had to die for crimes which he had committed.

Notwithstanding all this, as soon as this malefactor, extended on the cross between Jerusalem and Mount Calvary, heard in his last distress, the word of God from the mouth of the 'Lord; it wrought in him so powerfully, that his heart within him was touched and changed, which led him to seck, from that moment, the salvation of his fellow-men and rebuked his reviling companion, saying: Fearest thou not God? He confessed his own sins and his maliciousness, saying: We are receiving according to our merits and works; and he acknowledged the condemned Jesus (who was cursed to die on the cross as one of the most abandoned malefactors, by the chief priests, pharisees and scribes, and denied of the people and condemned to death), to be innocent, righteous, pure and without sin, saying: This one has done no evil. Besides this, he also sought grace and mercy of him, although it appeared to human understanding that he was denied all mercy, and every favor both by God and men. For he was at this time the most rejected and despised of all men, as the prophet laments, (Isa. 53,) and the thief applied to none other, in heaven or upon earth, than to this poor, despised, accursed and crucified Jesus; in full confidence drawing near to him, as the throne of divine grace; that he might obtain the remission of his sins, saying: Lord remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.

I think, this may justly be called, a true christian faith, and a truly worthy fruit of penitence and repentance; and it was nothing else to the Lord, but a refreshing of his panting soul, as a molifying of his deep wounds, as a consolation in his sore distress, and as a comfort in his painful sufferings and cruel death, so that he in the same hour, heard the consoling, joyful word of divine grace and of eternal peace, from Jesus, namely: Fear not, all thy sins which thou didst commit in thy ignorance are all covered, they shall never more be remembered, either by me or my Father. I pledge my innocent blood as an earnest; therefore, be of good cheer, what thou didst desire, thou hast already obtained: To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

Behold my reader, here you have, in the thief mentioned, a fair example of a sincere christian faith, with its properties, power and fruits. With this same thief many vain

despisers comfort and flatter themselves in their sinful and impenitent lives, think and say to themselves: God is merciful; he knows that we are the children of Adam, and can not live as the scriptures require, still we hope by his grace to be saved as the thief was. And these poor creatures know not, that the thief, will be a sore condemnation to them; because they hear the word of the Lord so often, and believe it not, nor are they obedient. Ah! reader! do not thus trifle and mock God; I fear, many will fail in their hopes in this matter.

Again, I say, that all wilful despisers, who thus say and thus think, in their hearts, must be eternally convicted by this thief and shall stand confounded. For as soon as he heard the gospel of grace, he received it in a pure conscience, through faith, and became penitent, regenerated and pious. And these hear it from year to year, see daily so many fair fruits, and that it is so gloriously testified by possessions and blood; nevertheless, they remain unbelievers and are hardened in sin; for they reject the inviting grace, they resist the operating spirit, they contemn the preached word, they trample under foot the proffered gift. Say! where is the scriptures, whereby we may comfort such unreasonable, shameful scorners or promise and proclaim to them the grace and peace of the Lord?

For I fear, they are the sterile, unfruitful earth, of which Paul speaks, which drinketh in the rain of the holy divine word, that cometh oft upon it, and, nevertheless, bears only thorns and briers, are rejected and nigh unto cursing, who is to be burned. (Heb. 6.) They are those of whom wisdom complains and says: How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and ye scorners delight in your scorning and fools hate knowledge? Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I, also, will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when fear cometh and when distress and anguish come upon you, then ye shall call upon me, but I will not answer. (Prov. 1.) But because they do not look for light, he will turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. (Jer. 13.)

The thief believed as soon as he heard. would do so; and think upon what David said: will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as provocation. (Ps. 94; Heb. 3.)

O! that they To-day, if ye in the day of

The thief, I say, heard but once and believed; and these hear it so often; still they believe not. He heard and was changed; but these hear and continue the same-they harden their hearts the longer the more.

The thief reproved his reviling companion, aud admonished him, that he should fear God; but these blaspheme and revile all the faithful who do so; and love those who hate the truth.

The thief unreservedly confessed his sins and wickedness, without fear; but these, no matter howsoever avaricious, drunken, proud, unchaste, unclean, envious and idolatrous, they are, do not confess their transgressions and sins, and when they are called to repent and to reform, they say: Yea, what have we done?

The thief acknowledged that Christ's kingdom was not earthly, for he said: when thou comest in thy kingdom ; but these have all their pleasures in gold and silver, in eating and drinking, in splendor and wantonness, and in the perisha ble, visible riches of the world; do not regard the invisible, eternal riches, which Christ out of grace, has bestowed upon all his believers, and merited them by the shedding of his precious blood.

The thief, confessed the poor, condemned, crucified Jesus before all the rulers, priests, Pharisees and before the people, and acknowledge him as his Savior and Lord; but these, alas! deny his almighty Majesty, his heavenly origin and glory, and do not regard his wisdom, spirit, word, ordinances, command, sacraments and promises, although he has seated himself as a triumphant and conquering prince, at the right hand of the Father, and has received all might and power, both in heaven and upon earth, in eternal glory of the Father. (Heb. 1, 8, 10; Eph. 1; Matt. 28.)

The thief sought mercy, favor and the forgiveness of his sins, of Christ; and these seek it of their preachers, priests and monks, through masses, confessions, absolution, bread and wine, holy water and the like superstitions and abominations.

The thief heard, because he believed on Christ, the pleasing words: To-day thou shalt be with me in Paradise: but these must hear, because they believe not on Christ, the dreadful, intolerable and awful sentence: Depart from me ye cur sed into everlasting fire. (Matt. 25.) For their faith was unlike,

unlike will also be their reward. Let all mockers take this to heart.

And thus, finally, (take notice) will this penitent sinner rise up against them (who have comforted themselves with him in "their sins,) and criminate and condemn them before the face of his Majesty. For they having so often heard the sweet melody of the divine word, and never were grateful-nor ever learned nor believed it with open and renewed hearts; but the thief, I say, heard it but once, and immediately believed. Ah! dear children, beware and seek Christ while he may be found and call on him while he is yet near, lest his anger go forth, and the fire of his fierce wrath consume you.

Think you, O perverted scorners! that you can receive or reject faith, repentance, sorrow for sin, and the grace of God, at pleasure? O no! Holy Paul says: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. (Rom. 1.) All proud scorners shall be sentenced and condemned. Children beware.

Notice this parable: There is a very rich potentate, emperor or king, whom I, through great ignorance, hated all my days; he had compassion upon me, because I am such a poor man, he, through his faithful servants, tendered me not only his great favor and friendship, but also a sum of gold, many precious stones and gems, and all this out of love and compassion; and I am so ungrateful, that I will not only not give meat and drink to the faithful servants of this kind prince, who loves me dearly, for these great favors; but I turn them with ignominy and disgrace, out of doors, throw them with mud. and stones, put them into prison and bonds, deprive them of property and life, take the proffered gifts and cast them from me and trample them under foot, &c. and inform the prince : That I do not now desire his favors, but if he will, in the course of one or ten years offer them again, then I will perhaps, think upon it, and receive them and tender my thanks for the favors. Now, I will allow you all to judge me-whether it would be right that such a prince should again offer his favor, since I treated him and his servants so perfidiously? But whether he should not much more turn his favor into displeasure, his love into wrath, toward me, for my presumptuous tyranny, haughty rejection of his favors, and severely punish me? I think, you would award me his punishment and not his grace.

Thus it is with you, O you scorners! The merciful Lord, whose kingdom and grace are immense, has graciously pitied us in these abominable, last days, and had compassion on our great blindness and deadly poverty, (although we hated his holy will from our infancy,) and through his faithful servants, freely gave us his beloved Son with his holy word, Spirit, merits, ordinances and example-tendered us his grace, peace, and eternal life, together with the remission of our sins -he dug about us and fostered us, barren trees, for three long years. (Luke 13.) He calls and teaches daily, through his chosen, who willingly sacrifice possessions and life as a testimony; he puts at variance the father, against the son; and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; and the members of the family against one another; one friend against another, &c. (Matt. 10.) Some he suffers to be driven about in strange countries, in tribulation, in sorrow, in misery, in fear, in want and in vexation, in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and in caves of the earth. (Heb. 11.) He gives signs in the sun, and in the moon, and at the stars and upon the earth, earthquakes, war, pestilence, new diseases, famine, and unheard of wonders upon earth, (Luke 21,) that as a hen gathers her chickens, he would gather us under the wings of his love. (Matt. 24.) And as a faithful shepherd of his sheep, would bring us to the right fold of his grace, (Matt. 23; John 10;) bring us into the chamber of his covenant, and kiss us with the lips of his peace, wash us from all our uncleanness, and made us his bride, (Cant. 1,) redeem us from the dominion of hell and death, and lead us into the kingdom of heaven, and of eternal life. In short, that he release us from the power of darkness and the devil, and receive us and make us holy as his chosen children and heirs. (Eph. 1; Col. 1.)

But, alas, in relation to you, it is altogether vain; for (as already said,) his proffered grace and word you contemn and reject, you persecute and kill his faithful servants and ministers; you defame and blaspheme the unblamable, pious life, together with the confession of his saints: you scoff at his great signs, wonders and reproofs, and your faces are like those of the lecherous, and your hearts as diamonds; you are neither ashamed, nor will you be converted: you say with perverted scorners: Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we

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