Secondly, If they be carnal, walk circumspectly, in the most precise and punctual discharge of your duties, for how knowest thou, O child, but hereby thou mayest win thy parents ? Wouldst thou but humbly, and seriously intreat, ana persuade them to mind the ways of holiness, speaking to them at fit seasons, with all imaginable humility and reverence, insinuating your advice to duties, or trouble for their evils, rather by relating some pertinent history, or proposing some excellent example, leaving their own
39^ THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXXI,
conscience to draw the conclusion, and make application, than to do it yourselves ; it is possible they may ponder your words in their hearts, as Mary did Christ's, Luke ii. 49, 51. And would you but back all this with your earnest cries to heaven for them, and vour own daily example, that they may have nothing from yourselves to retort upon you; and thus wait with patience for the desired effect : O what blessed instruments might you be of their everlasting good !
Inf. 3. To conclude, Let those that have such children as fear the Lord, and endeavour to imitate Christ in those duties, account them a singular treasure and heritage from the Lord, and give them all due encouragement to their duties.
How many have no children at all, but are as a dry tree ! and how many have such as are worse than none ? The very reproach and heart breaking of their parents, that bring down their hoary heads with sorrow to the grave.
If God have given you the blessing of godly children, you can never be sufficiently sensible of, or thankful for such a favour. O that ever God should honour you to bring forth children for hea- ven ! what a comfort must this be to you, whatever other troubles you meet with abroad, when you come home among godly relations, that are careful to sweeten your own family to you by their obedi- ence ! especially, what a comfort is it, when you come to die, that you leave them within the covenant, entitled to Christ, and so need not be anxious how it shall be with them when you are gone ? Take heed of discouraging or damping such children from whom so much glory is like to rise to God, and so much comfort to your- selves. Thus let Christ's pattern be improved, who went before you in such eminent holiness, in all his relations, and left you an example that you should follow his steps.
The third of Cpirist's last Words upon the Cross, illustrated.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to-day thou shalt be with me in paradise.
IN this scripture you have the third excellent saying of Christ upon the cross, expressing the riches of free grace to the peni- tent thief; a man that had spent his life in wickedness, and for
SERM. XXXIT. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 393
his wickedness was now to lose his life. His practice had been vile and profane, but now his heart was broken for it ; he proves a convert, yea, the first fruits of the blood of the cross. In the former verse he manifests his faith, " Lord, remember me, when " thou comest into thy kingdom." In this Christ manifests his pardon and gracious acceptance of him ; " Verily I say unto thee, " to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.11 In which promise are considerable, the matter of it, the person to whom it is made, the time set for its performance, and the confirmation of it for his full satisfaction.
First, The matter or substance of the promise made by Christ, viz. That he shall be with him in paradise. By paradise he means heaven itself, which is here shadowed to us by a place of delight and pleasure. This is the receptacle of gracious souls, when sepa- rated from their bodies. And that paradise signifies heaven itself, and not a third place, as some of the fathers fondly imagine, is evi- dent from 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4. where the apostle calls the same place by the names of the third heaven, and the paradise. This is the place of blessedness designed for the people of God. So you find, Rev. ii. 7. " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the " tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God ;" i. e. to have the fullest and most intimate communion with Jesus Christ in heaven. And this is the substance of Christ's promise to the thief: Thou, i. e. thou in spirit, or thou in the noblest part, thy soul which here bears the image of the whole person ; " Thou " shalt be with me in paradise.11
Secondly, The person to whom Christ makes this excellent and glorious promise : it was to one that had lived lewdly and pro- fanely ; a very vile and wretched man, in all the former part of his time, and, for his wickedness, now justly under condemnation; yea, to one that had reviled Christ, after that sentence was exe- cuted on him. However,, now at last the Lord gave him a peni- tent believing heart. Now, almost at the last gasp, he is soundly, in an extraordinary way converted ; and, being converted, he owns and professes Christ amidst all the shame and reproach of his death ; vindicates his innocency, and humbly supplicates for mercy ; " Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.11
Thirdly, The set time for the performance of this gracious pro- mise : To-day, this very day, shalt thou be with me in glory : Not after the resurrection, but immediately from the time of thy disso- lution, thou shalt enjoy blessedness. And here I cannot but detect the cheat of those that deny an immediate state of glory to believers after death; who, (to the end this scripture might not stand in full opposition to their, as uncomfortable, as unsound opinion),
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loose the whole frame of it, by drawing one pin, yea, by transposing but a comma, putting it at the word day, which should be at the word thee ; and so reading it thus, " Verily I say unto thee to-day ,w referring the word day to the time that Christ made the promise, and not to the time of its performance. But if such a liberty as this be yielded, what may not men make the scriptures speak ? There can be no doubt, but Christ, in this expression, fixes the time for his happiness ; " To-day thou shalt be with me."
Fourthly, and lastly, You have here the confirmation and seal of this most comfortable promise to him, with Christ's solemn assever- ation ; " Verily I say unto thee." Higher security cannot be given. I that am able to perform what I promise, and have not out- promised myself; for heaven and the glory thereof, are mine: I that am faithful and true to my promises, and have never forfeited my credit with any ; I say it, I solemnly confirm it ; " Verily I *' say unto thee, to-day thou shalt be with me in paradise." Hence we have three plain obvious truths, for our instruction and conso- lation.
Doct. 1. That there is a future eternal state, Into which soidspass at death.
Doct. 2. That all believers are, at their death, immediately re- ceived into a state of glory and eternal happiness.