Why should it not be so now? Must there not be some strange barrier in your way? some hindrance of Satan, that keeps genuine souls from entering into peace for months, or even years? And the worst of it is, that when people do enter, they dread lest they should deceive themselves. It is curious enough that in the two hymns we sung tonight I was really embarrassed; because they both take for granted that the Christian must die, that the tongue shall be silent in the grave. Both are assumptions, although the authors of them were excellent persons—John Newton the writer of the one, and W. Cowper of the other. They were both of them, beyond a doubt, true saints of the Lord; but the truth should be dearer than either.
Now just look at the grave departure from Scripture. I ought never to assume, as a Christian, that I am going to die, but rather to be waiting for Christ. One may die, of course, as is perfectly true; but I ought not to speak as if I must die, as both hymns do. I was rather hard put to it to find a hymn I could sing, and just refer to it to show how adulterated the truth is in reference to the question. Do you think people do not lose by it? Of course they do. What is the remedy? The grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the gospel. We know people say this is dangerous! The truth of God dangerous! The grace of God dangerous! Just wait for a moment, and you will see how excessively false and evil such a notion is. Nay, it is rebellion against the grace of God, as God has revealed it in His word.
Look again at this man. I have shown the blessed testimony he bore to the Lord Jesus as the Holy One, who had done nothing amiss. Surely He must have been more than man to have done nothing amiss. But then the dying robber does not rest there. He turns to our Lord, and strikingly said, “Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom” —not exactly “into,” but “in Thy kingdom.” This is a particular point, because our Lord does not go into His kingdom there. He comes in His kingdom from heaven; He receives a kingdom from God and comes back. It is given Him by God before He comes, as is shown in the parable, where it is said that “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and to return.”
Is it not a marvelous thing that the robber should know the truth better than our authorized translators? They made the mistake of thinking He had come into this kingdom there. The robber knew more about the kingdom than they. He no doubt had heard the Prophets read—had heard of the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, and all His angels with Him; and he asked to be remembered of the Lord. When you think of how the robber had lived up to that time, what a thing it was for him to ask of Christ “Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom!” That the Lord Jesus in that august moment, when claims of the countless interests of the kingdom over all the earth rested upon Him, should remember the new-born one, the poor converted robber! For him personally to be remembered by the King of kings and Lord of lords at that moment, you would say was a bold request. Yes, but the Lord Jesus loves the boldness that confides in Him. What you have to guard against is just the contrary—the bravado of unbelief. Oh, think of this!
People talk about the presumption of believers. It were wiser to warn them of the presumptuous sin of unbelief. Is it not truly presumptuous to think that they can ever make a title to the skies, or a title to Christ's kingdom comparable with His grace? You never can have so good a title as the robber had unless you have his title. There is but one title good. The title of grace is perfect; and this is Christ—Christ in all His worth—Christ in His perfection—Christ in all the power of His redemption. Is that your title? If so, blessed are you: you have got the same title as the converted robber; you cannot have a better; you may easily have a worse. All else is good for nothing. There are some Christians who consider it the way of wisdom and prudence to mix a little bit of self with grace. The more they do so, the weaker they are, the less happy. And so they deserve; for they dishonor Christ, by marring grace, and darkening the truth.
What a deliverance to have done with self! What self-abandonment to have only grace, and nothing but grace, and all grace! Such was the case with this poor man. He saw he could look in the Lord's face, and say to Him, “Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.” And the Lord did not reply, “What! you talk about that. You may think yourself well off to be just the boy borne with, as it were, in heaven.” The Lord will not have one in heaven save like Himself. He will not allow a person there with a single token of shame about him. They are resplendent every one in the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I remember seeing a curious mistake in a tract by one of our brethren; for you must not suppose we want to maintain that they do not make mistakes. “The Broken Crown” was the point of the tract. But seriously, in heaven there are no broken crowns—nothing of the sort. When saints go with Christ to heaven, they are crowned: no broken crowns are there, nor men in robes that are not the best robes. Nay, the best robe is given here. What is the best robe? Christ. Put on Christ: no robe so good as He. Be true to Christ. It is impossible to have Christ, and not have the best robe. This is the truth of the figure; and the man that had not on the wedding garment was one who dared to come in his own righteousness. So that, when the robber begged the Lord to remember him when He came in His kingdom, he was thoroughly within the just petitions to Christ. He was there, if I may so say, swimming in that blessed sea of love in which he was made to find his true bliss. He was at home there, at ease there, breathing freely there. He was buoyed up and made strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ; yea, he was as good as preaching from that cross to every creature, and showing what the cross of Christ can do for a poor guilty sinner.
Is this to be your portion now? I call on you not to believe half the gospel, nor to seek and find a little something for your soul. I want you to see that Christ does not give in such fashion at all. It is not His way to give a little now and a little again. The crumbs that fall from His table are turned into richer and still richer blessing. He gives better than the whole loaf of man. He was asked, “Remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.” What is the answer? It is in accordance with a blessed principle of God, that, whatever faith asks, grace gives yet more. The Lord knew well that the boldness of the man's faith was to be eclipsed by the fullness of God's grace. The grace of God will always be greater than any faith on man's part. The man asked a very great thing—to be remembered when the Lord comes in His kingdom. His heart was filled with assurance that at such a moment Christ would be able to remember him; but the Lord lets him know He will do it and far more. “Verily,” said Jesus unto him, “I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.”
This is surely more than to be remembered in the kingdom. You will not suspect me of running down the kingdom, or of willingness to depreciate the day of the Lord. You know that one loves often and publicly to insist on it, and on its great importance. You will not think, therefore, that slight of it is meant. But this I do say, that, great as may be the glory of the kingdom when our Lord Jesus comes, to be with Christ in Paradise is even more and better. The two blessings go together, and therefore it is not at all a question of setting the one against the other. But there is this difference. The kingdom will be an outward display when the Lord will give five cities to one servant and ten to another. It will be a day of rewards for service, for fidelity, when every laborer will account according to his labor. But to be with Christ in Paradise means the fullness of grace; and beyond doubt, great as is the importance of the kingdom, the privilege of a sinner saved to be with Christ in the presence of God is one that nothing can exceed or equal.