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"these circumstances, meet in any "one man, he muft not hope for fo "fafe an Exit after an evil life, upon "the confidence of this Example."†

What the penitent thief could do, in order to obtain eternal Salvation, during the fhort space he hung upon the Cross, he certainly did. His.. Lord knew his fincerity, and grant-: ed his petition. But can the Sin ner, who has lived in the conftant abuse of the means of Grace, whos has lived without law, under the best of governments, and without religions in a land where the best of : religions is taught can he hope for peace in thofe awful moments, when even the righteous: tremble? It can never be fuppofed.

There is no doubt, but all things are poffible with God. It was faidd by our Lord to St. Paul, whofe converfion was as wonderful, as that

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of the thief upon the cross, Grace is fufficient for thee.”†. But what expectation can the Sinner have, that the Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift fhould reft upon him, who hath obftinately withstood every motive of repentance, during the former courfe of his life? What reasonable hopes can he entertain, that a God of Juftice wil! have mercy upon him, who hath fo often, and fo grievously, offended? Whoever, then, puts off the hour of reformation, whoever refolutely con tinues in fin, in spite of all the rémonftrances of his confcience, all the warnings of his God, and all the kind folicitations of his Saviour, cán have but small hopes in a deathbed repentance. Far be it from me to pronounce any thing concerning the Efficacy of fuch a repentance, but there is all the reafon in the world to fuppofe that it will be always

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always hazardous, because always imperfect.

And here I might point out to you, how improper a time it is to think of Jetting the Soul in order, when Sickness or Old Age preffes down the body, but I fhall wave the more general confideration of this fubject, for the fake of fuch remarks as are more applicable to your prefent Situation. Forced from Society for your crimes, you may confider yourselves, in fome fenfe, as upon your Death-bed. It is proper that you should do so, that you may fee your own heart undisguised by any falfe colouring, as men ufually do when the next step leads them into Eternity. In this, however, the advantage is on your fide; you are called to repentance in the fulness, probably, of Health, and with all the faculties of your minds ftrong and unimpaired. You are placed in a Situation, in which all your for

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mer fins are brought before your Eyes, and reprefented in a true light. You have, in this house of reflection, no difficulty in examining the nature of your former lives, of tracing to their fource the feveral paths that have led you aftray, and preparing for your folenin trial before the God of all the Earth. How much better, then, is your fituation than that of the thief upon the crofs! You may ftill, thro' the bleffings of God, give proofs of your recovery from fin, to a world that you have injured. You may return to the fold, from whence you have strayed, and unite yourselves again to your heavenly Shepherd.

Confider then the imprisonment of your body, as the happy means of letting free your Soul. Imagine yourselves now as upon the bed of death, never more to return to the courfes of the world, never more to partake in its Enjoyments, or purfue

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its pleasures. Confider, that you, and all of us, hold our lives by a precarious tenure. Frequently hath the admonition been repeated, that neither youth nor ftrength can, for a moment, arreft the hand of death. Let the obfervation fink deep into your hearts, and remember fo to live, as if the next moment were to Think be your last. the upon dreadful condition of thofe, who have no time given them for repentance; who from the midst of polluted pleasures and impure Enjoy. ments, from the cup of Intemperance, or the circle of Vanity, from plundering, and injuring their neighbour's happiness and peace, step at once into an Eternity of Mifery.

Too long have you wandered in the ways of Sin: return now to the haven of your happiness. What comfort can you expect in death, what rational hope can you enter

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