Chapter 48: Of the Word spoken on the Cross to the thief

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, chief and only Comfort of sinners, for the boundless love and exceeding mercy, which You did vouchsafe to show to him who hung at Your right hand upon his cross. He had been a most wicked thief, but was now at length converted, and a true penitent. As soon as he acknowledged his sinfulness, and was truly sorry for his evil deeds, he obtained, by Your sure promise, remission of all his sins, and entrance into Paradise; for when a man's contrition is true, and his conversion complete, his repentance, however late it may be, will not fail of its reward.

How blessed and life-giving are the conversion and contrition of sinners, by which, without delay, a man may win a place in the Kingdom of Heaven! That penitent, who had been a thief, but was now a blessed Confessor, although he had long and grievously sinned, yet at last, and in the hour of his greatest need, came to himself; and grieving with heartfelt sorrow for all that he had done, humbly sought forgiveness, and obtained full pardon. For when he owned that he was justly condemned to death, he admitted that he had been guilty. He had a zeal for righteousness, when he reproved his comrade at his side for the wickedness of his blasphemy. He shows that his heart is in its right place, when he laments that Christ, Who is altogether free from guilt, has been unjustly condemned. He had great faith; for he did not despair of obtaining mercy from Christ; but asked to be remembered by Him in the Kingdom of God: and so, being full of the gifts of grace, he appealed, in the full assurance of faith, to You, O Lord Jesus, Whom he owned as the loving Shepherd of souls, the true Priest, and the Confessor of all confessors the most faithful; and having in his mind's eye the whole course of his life, he said: " Lord, remember me when You shall come into Your Kingdom" And You, O most gracious Jesus, did answer him in those most sweet and most comforting words: " Amen, I say to you, this day you shall he with Me in paradise" O words sweet indeed, and altogether lovely, laden with encouragement from the Mouth of God, bringing joy to the heart of the contrite sinner in his agony, and overflowing with comfort for one who was in such anxiety and distress. With v/hat a sense of safety can he now die, to whom it has been given to hear such a promise! He shall have no fear in the evil day, whom the Lord Jesus has promised to uphold. To this thief, confessing the Lord Jesus, is granted that which was refused to Peter, entreating Him. Peter wished to set up tabernacles on the Mount of the Transfiguration, but his request was not granted; and when the hour of the Passion was at hand, and Peter wished to be with the Lord through it all, he was told: " You can not follow Me now, but you shall follow Me hereafter." To the Apostleship Peter was the first to be called; but in entering the Kingdom the thief went before him. How marvellous, O Lord, are Your works! Your thoughts are exceeding deep. How unfathomable are Your judgements, and how past finding out are Your 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 You, to die with You, and with You to enter Your 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 You his humble prayer: " Lord, remember me when You shall come into Your Kingdom," than all was forgiven him! You, O Lord, merciful and gracious, gave ear at once to the penitent, and did comfort the soul of him who had confessed his sin with the gracious answer: "Amen, I say to you, this day you shall 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 Your 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 Your 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 Your mercies, had I not heard of cases of penitents most graciously taken back into Your favour. It is You Who by the mouth of Your Prophet did say: "I would not the death of a sinner but rather that he should he converted and live ": and again by Your own mouth: " God so loved the world as to give His only 'begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting ": and again: "I am not come to call the just, but sinners." It was You Who without delay did forgive to Mary Magdalene all her sins, as she knelt weeping at Your Feet. It was You Who did take back into Your favour Peter, who had thrice denied You, when he went out and wept bitterly. It was You Who, in Your mercy, did heal those who were taken with divers diseases, and, in the abundance of Your love, did loose those who were bound with the chain of very grievous sins — witness the woman taken in adultery, whom You did save from the hands of her accusers, who were about to stone her.

O most gracious Jesus, my hope of mercy, and my refuge; You Who undertake for me, and deliver me from my cruel enemies; be merciful to me, and suffer not my soul to perish, to redeem which You were content to endure the shameful death of the Cross. Remember Your sacred words spoken to the thief, by which to me also You have left a hope so firm that it can never be shaken. Say, then, to my soul, O Saviour of my life, when the hour of my departure shall draw nigh: " This day you shall be with Me in Paradise." What more joyful words could a dying man hear, in what sweeter sounds could his senses be steeped, than those of that answer of good comfort: " This day you shall be with Me in Paradise". Remember me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom; forsake me not in the awful hour of death, when my strength is failing, when my voice is a mere whisper, when my sight is almost gone, when my ears are almost deaf. Then, O my good Jesus, haste You to help me, and send Your holy angels to comfort me in my agony, that the cruel enemy, who lies in wait for us at our last hour, may not prevail against me. He even dared to look for some weak point in You, that might be open to his attack; but finding none, he was utterly confounded, and departed from You. So let them be confounded that seek after my soul to destroy it, let them be turned backward and be put to shame suddenly. But let my soul be joyful in You, and rejoice in Your Salvation, O Lord, meditating on Your gracious second Word from the Cross: "Amen I say to you, this day you shall he with Me in Paradise." May those words, made sweeter by the thought that You did speak them from Your Cross, be often on my lips, and more often still in my heart. Words coming from the lips of my Lord as He hung upon the Cross, have a more grateful sweetness, and a fuller power, than any others, and call therefore for more thoughtful attention, more anxious meditation. Oh that I may have grace so to live; Oh that I may strive so to serve my Lord, that when the hour of my departure from the body shall come, I may be found worthy to hear that most sweet word spoken from on high: "This day you shall he with Me in Paradise"! And Oh that You would also speak to Your poor servant those other most joyful words: "Well done, you good servant, you have been faithful over a few things: enter you into the joy of your Lord." For at that hour nothing can profit more, nothing bring more joy, than to have led a good life, and to have served You faithfully until death.