Perverted Scripture. 581 
into barns, and be sure that you will be fed even as the 
fowls of the air are fed, which sow not, and be clothed even 
as the lilies of the field are clothed, which toil not. Take 
no thought for the morrow, but do your duty to-day. 
That is hard enough to do, and cannot be done if. 
mind and body are busied about the morrow. What 
a sad perversion of Scripture is it, then, to cite the 
words “ Take no thought for the morrow,” and “ Sufficient 
unto the day is the evil thereof,” as an excuse for indolence 
and improvidence. No, their intent is to encourage industry 
and to foster providence by reminding us of the love of 
God, and by giving us the assurance that if we do our duty 
to-day, He will provide for us on the morrow. 
A not less strange perversion of Scripture is rife in 
respect to an incident.of the crucifixion. Two malefactors 
were executed with the Saviour. One of them having re- 
buked the other for railing on Christ, said unto Jesus, 
“Lord,remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom.” 
And Jesus said unto him, “ Verily I say unto thee, to-day 
shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” ‘This incident is a 
favourite conscience narcotic with those who find it un- 
pleasant to believe, that whatsoever a man sows, that shall 
he reap. Such a one is unjust, an oppressor, or impure. 
He does not think himself so much worse than other men, 
but withal not quite what he ought to be. He is a sinner. 
but by no means miserable. It will all come right at last. 
Divine justice will be stayed by Divine mercy. If a 
felon deserving death was in an instant forgiven all his sins, 
why should a respectable sinner be in any doubt about 
obtaining a like forgiveness at the last moment ? 
We do not enter into the question of delayed repentance}; 
but assuredly the incident of the forgiveness of the male- 
factor executed with the Saviour, does not support the 
assumption that a life of iniquitv is to be atoned by a cry 
for mercy at the hour of death. So far from the incident 
sanctioning that doctrine, it seems to us directly opposed 
to it. 
We know not the offence for which the malefactors were 
condemned to death. We do not know whether they were 
justly condemned. We know, however, from the confession 
of one of them that they were criminals, and that they had 
led wicked lives. But it is manifest that both were 
instructed in the elements of religion, and were acquainted 
with the teachings of Jesus. The repentant malefactor 
addressed a prayer to the Saviour that could not have pro- 
