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diff --git a/3270-0.txt b/3270-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2388a31 --- /dev/null +++ b/3270-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3722 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, by John Bunyan + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + + + + +Title: The Jerusalem Sinner Saved + or, Good News for the Vilest of Men + + +Author: John Bunyan + + + +Release Date: April 17, 2015 [eBook #3270] +[This file was first posted on March 6, 2001] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED*** + + +Transcribed from the 1845 Thomas Nelson edition by David Price, email +ccx074@pglaf.org + + [Picture: Picture of John Bunyan] + + + + + + THE + JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED; + OR, + GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN + + + BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM.—Luke xxiv. 47. + +THE whole verse runs thus: “And that repentance and remission of sins +should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at +Jerusalem.” + +The words were spoken by Christ, after he rose from the dead, and they +are here rehearsed after an historical manner, but do contain in them a +formal commission, with a special clause therein. The commission is, as +you see, for the preaching of the gospel, and is very distinctly inserted +in the holy record by Matthew and Mark. “Go teach all nations,” &c. “Go +ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature.” Matt. +xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 15. Only this cause is in special mentioned by +Luke, who saith, That as Christ would have the doctrine of repentance and +remission of sins preached in his name among all nations, so he would +have the people of Jerusalem to have the first proffer thereof. Preach +it, saith Christ, in all nations, but begin at Jerusalem. + +The apostles then, though they had a commission so large as to give them +warrant to go and preach the gospel in all the world, yet by this clause +they were limited as to the beginning of their ministry: they were to +begin this work at Jerusalem. “Beginning at Jerusalem.” + +Before I proceed to an observation upon the words, I must (but briefly) +touch upon two things: namely, + +I. Show you what Jerusalem now was. + +II. Show you what it was to preach the gospel to them. + +I. For the first, Jerusalem is to be considered, either, + +1. With respect to the descent of her people: or, + +2. With respect to her preference and exaltation: or, + +3. With respect to her present state, as to her decays. + +_First_, As to her descent: she was from Abraham, the sons of Jacob, a +people that God singled out from the rest of the nations to set his love +upon them. + +_Secondly_, As to her preference or exaltation, she was the place of +God’s worship, and that which had in and with her the special tokens and +signs of God’s favour and presence, above any other people in the world. +Hence the tribes went up to Jerusalem to worship; there was God’s house, +God’s high-priest, God’s sacrifices accepted, and God’s eye, and God’s +heart perpetually; Psalm lxxvi. 1, 2; Psalm cxxii.; 1 Kings ix. 3. But, + +_Thirdly_, We are to consider Jerusalem also in her decays; for as she is +so considered, she is the proper object of our text, as will be further +showed by and by. + +Jerusalem, as I told you, was the place and seat of God’s worship, but +now decayed, degenerated, and apostatized. The word, the rule of +worship, was rejected of them, and in its place they had put and set up +their own traditions; they had rejected also the most weighty ordinances, +and put in the room thereof their own little things, Matt. xv.; Mark vii. +Jerusalem was therefore now greatly backsliding, and become the place +where truth and true religion were much defaced. + +It was also now become the very sink of sin and seat of hypocrisy, and +gulf where true religion was drowned. Here also now reigned presumption, +and groundless confidence in God, which is the bane of souls. Amongst +its rulers, doctors, and leaders, envy, malice, and blasphemy vented +itself against the power of godliness, in all places where it was espied; +as also against the promoters of it; yea, their Lord and Maker could not +escape them. + +In a word, Jerusalem was now become the shambles, the very slaughter-shop +for saints. This was the place wherein the prophets, Christ, and his +people, were most horribly persecuted and murdered. Yea, so hardened at +this time was this Jerusalem in her sins, that she feared not to commit +the biggest, and to bind herself by wish under the guilt and damning evil +of it; saying, when she had murdered the Son of God, “His blood be upon +us and our children.” + +And though Jesus Christ did, both by doctrine, miracles, and holiness of +life, seek to put a stop to their villanies, yet they shut their eyes, +stopped their ears, and rested not, till, as was hinted before, they had +driven him out of the world. Yea, that they might, if possible, have +extinguished his name, and exploded his doctrine out of the world, they, +against all argument, and in despite of Heaven, its mighty hand, and +undeniable proof of his resurrection, did hire soldiers to invent a lie, +saying, his disciples stole him away from the grave; on purpose that men +might not count him the Saviour of the world, nor trust in him for the +remission of sins. + +They were, saith Paul, contrary to all men: for they did not only shut up +the door of life against themselves, but forbade that it should be opened +to any else. “Forbidding us,” saith he, “to preach to the Gentiles, that +they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway;” Matt. xxiii. 35; chap. +xv. 7–9; Mark vii. 6–8; Matt. iii. 7–9; John viii. 33, 41; Matt. xxvii. +18; Mark iii. 30; Matt. xxiii. 37; Luke xiii. 33, 34; Matt. xxvii. 25; +chap. xx. 11–16; 1 Thess. ii. 14–16. + +This is the city, and these are the people; this is their character, and +these are their sins: nor can there be produced their parallel in all +this world. Nay, what world, what people, what nation, for sin and +transgression, could, or can be compared to Jerusalem! especially if you +join to the matter of fact the light they sinned against, and the +patience which they abused. Infinite was the wickedness upon this +account which they committed. + +After all their abusings of wise men, and prophets, God sent unto them +John Baptist, to reduce them, and then his Son to redeem them; but they +would be neither reduced nor redeemed, but persecuted both to the death. +Nor did they, as I said, stop here; the holy apostles they afterwards +persecuted also to death, even so many as they could; the rest they drove +from them unto the utmost corners. + +II. I come now to show you what it was to preach the gospel to them. It +was, saith Luke, “to preach to them repentance and remission of sins” in +Christ’s name; or, as Mark has it, to bid them “repent and believe the +gospel,” Mark i. 15; not that repentance is a cause of remission, but a +sign of our hearty reception thereof. Repentance is therefore here put +to intimate, that no pretended faith of the gospel is good that is not +accompanied with it: and this he doth on purpose, because he would not +have them deceive themselves: for with what faith can he expect remission +of sins in the name of Christ, that is not heartily sorry for them? Or +how shall a man be able to give to others a satisfactory account of his +unfeigned subjection to the gospel, that yet abides in his impenitency? + +Wherefore repentance is here joined with faith in the way of receiving +the gospel. Faith is that without which it cannot be received at all; +and repentance that without which it cannot be received unfeignedly. +When therefore Christ says, he would have repentance and remission of +sins preached in his name among all nations, it is as much as to say, I +will that all men every where be sorry for their sins, and accept of +mercy at God’s hand through me, lest they fall under his wrath in the +judgment. For as I had said, without repentance, what pretence soever +men have of faith, they cannot escape the wrath to come. Wherefore Paul +saith, God commands “all men every where to repent,” (in order to their +salvation), “because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge +the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained;” Acts xvii. +31. + +And now to come to this clause, “Beginning at Jerusalem;” that is, that +Christ would have Jerusalem have the first offer of the gospel. + +1. This cannot be so commanded, because they had now any more right of +themselves thereto than had any of the nations of the world; for their +sins had divested them of all self-deservings. + +2. Nor yet, because they stood upon the advance-ground with the worst of +the sinners of the nations; nay, rather, the sinners of the nations had +the advance-ground of them: for Jerusalem was, long before she had added +this iniquity to her sin, worse than the very nations that God cast out +before the children of Israel; 2 Chron. xxxiii. + +3. It must therefore follow, that this clause, Begin at Jerusalem, was +put into this commission of mere grace and compassion, even from the +overflowings of the bowels of mercy; for indeed they were the worst, and +so in the most deplorable condition of any people under the heavens. + +Whatever, therefore, their relation was to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, +however they formerly had been the people among whom God had placed his +name and worship, they were now degenerated from God, more than the +nations were from their idols, and were become guilty of the highest sins +which the people of the world were capable of committing. Nay, none can +be capable of committing of such pardonable sins as they committed +against their God, when they slew his Son, and persecuted his name and +word. + +From these words, therefore, thus explained, we gain this observation: + +That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the +biggest sinners. + +That these Jerusalem sinners were the biggest sinners that ever were in +the world, I think none will deny, that believes that Christ was the best +man that ever was in the world, and also was their Lord God. And that +they were to have the first offer of his grace, the text is as clear as +the sun; for it saith, “Begin at Jerusalem.” “Preach,” saith he, +“repentance and remission of sins” to the Jerusalem sinners: to the +Jerusalem sinners in the first place. + +One would a-thought, since the Jerusalem sinners were the worst and +greatest sinners, Christ’s greatest enemies, and those that not only +despised his person, doctrine, and miracles, but that a little before had +had their hands up to the elbows in his heart-blood, that he should +rather have said, Go into all the world, and preach repentance and +remission of sins among all nations; and after that offer the same to +Jerusalem; yea, it had been infinite grace, if he had said so. But what +grace is this, or what name shall we give it, when he commands that this +repentance and remission of sins, which is designed to be preached in all +nations, should first be offered to Jerusalem, in the first place to the +worst of sinners! + +Nor was this the first time that the grace which was in the heart of +Christ thus shewed itself to the world. For while he was yet alive, even +while he was yet in Jerusalem, and perceived even among these Jerusalem +sinners, which was the most vile amongst them, he still in his preaching +did signify that he had a desire that the worst of these worst should in +the first place come unto him. The which he showeth, where he saith to +the better sort of them, “The publicans and harlots enter into the +kingdom of God before you;” Matt. xxi. 31. Also when he compared +Jerusalem with the sinners of the nations, then he commands that the +Jerusalem sinners should have the gospel at present confined to them. +“Go not,” saith he, “into the way of the Gentiles, and into any of the +cities of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of +the house of Israel;” Matt. x. 5, 6; chap. xxiii. 37; but go rather to +them, for they were in the most fearful plight. + +These therefore must have the cream of the gospel, namely, the first +offer thereof in his lifetime: yea, when he departed out of the world, he +left this as part of his last will with his preachers, that they also +should offer it first to Jerusalem. He had a mind, a careful mind, as it +seems, to privilege the worst of sinners with the first offer of mercy, +and to take from among them a people to be the first fruits unto God and +to the Lamb. + +The 15th of Luke also is famous for this, where the Lord Jesus takes more +care, as appears there by three parables, for the lost sheep, lost groat, +and the prodigal son, than for the other sheep, the other pence, or for +the son that said he had never transgressed, yea, he shows that there is +joy in heaven, among the angels of God, at the repentance of one sinner, +more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance; +Luke xv. + +After this manner therefore the mind of Christ was set on the salvation +of the biggest sinners in his lifetime. But join to this, this clause, +which he carefully put into the apostles’ commission to preach, when he +departed hence to the Father, and then you shall see that his heart was +vehemently set upon it; for these were part of his last words with them, +Preach my gospel to all nations, but see that you begin at Jerusalem. + +Nor did the apostles overlook this clause when their Lord was gone into +heaven: they went first to them of Jerusalem, and preached Christ’s +gospel to them: they abode also there for a season and time, and preached +it to no body else, for they had regard to the commandment of their Lord. + +And it is to be observed, namely, that the first sermon which they +preached after the ascension of Christ, it was preached to the very worst +of these Jerusalem sinners, even to these that were the murderers of +Jesus Christ, Acts ii. 23, for these are part of the sermon: “Ye took +him, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain him.” Yea, the next +sermon, and the next, and also the next to that, was preached to the +self-same murderers, to the end they might be saved; Acts iii. 14–16; +chap. iv. 10, 11; chap. v. 30; chap. vii. 52. + +But we will return to the first sermon that was preached to these +Jerusalem sinners, by which will be manifest more than great grace, if it +be duly considered. + +For after that Peter, and the rest of the apostles, had, in their +exhortation, persuaded these wretches to believe that they had killed the +Prince of life, and after they had duly fallen under the guilt of their +murder, saying, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” he replies, by an +universal tender to them all in general, considering them as Christ’s +killers, that if they were sorry for what they had done, and would be +baptized for the remission of their sins in his name, they should receive +the gift of the Holy Ghost; Acts ii. 37, 38. + +This he said to them all, though he knew that they were such sinners. +Yea, he said it without the least stick or stop, or pause of spirit, as +to whether he had best to say so or no. Nay, so far off was Peter from +making an objection against one of them, that by a particular clause in +his exhortation, he endeavours, that not one of them may escape the +salvation offered. “Repent,” saith he, “and be baptized every one of +you.” I shut out never a one of you; for I am commanded by my Lord to +deal with you, as it were, one by one, by the word of his salvation. But +why speaks he so particularly? Oh! there were reasons for it. The +people with whom the apostles were now to deal, as they were murderers of +our Lord, and to be charged in the general with his blood, so they had +their various and particular acts of villany in the guilt thereof, now +lying upon their consciences. And the guilt of these their various and +particular acts of wickedness, could not perhaps be reached to a removal +thereof, but by this particular application. Repent every one of you; be +baptized every one of you, in his name, for the remission of sins, and +you shall, every one of you, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. + +_Object_. But I was one of them that plotted to take away his life. May +I be saved by him? + +_Peter_. Every one of you. + +_Object_. But I was one of them that bare false witness against him. Is +there grace for me? + +_Peter_. For every one of you. + +_Object_. But I was one of them that cried out, Crucify him, crucify +him; and desired that Barabbas the murderer might live, rather than him. +What will become of me, think you? + +_Peter_. I am to preach repentance and remission of sins to every one of +you, says Peter. + +_Object_. But I was one of them that did spit in his face when he stood +before his accusers. I also was one that mocked him, when in anguish he +hanged bleeding on the tree. Is there room for me? + +_Peter_. For every one of you, says Peter. + +_Object_. But I was one of them that in his extremity said, give him +gall and vinegar to drink. Why may not I expect the same when anguish +and guilt is upon me? + +_Peter_. Repent of these your wickednesses, and here is remission of +sins for every one of you. + +_Object_. But I railed on him, I reviled him, I hated him, I rejoiced to +see him mocked at by others. Can there be hopes for me? + +_Peter_. There is for every one of you. “Repent and be baptised every +one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye +shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Oh! what a blessed “Every one +of you,” is here! How willing was Peter, and the Lord Jesus, by his +ministry, to catch these murderers with the word of the gospel, that they +might be made monuments of the grace of God! How unwilling, I say, was +he, that any of these should escape the hand of mercy! Yea, what an +amazing wonder it is to think, that above all the world, and above every +body in it, these should have the first offer of mercy! “Beginning at +Jerusalem.” + +But was there not something of moment in this clause of the commission? +Did not Peter, think you, see a great deal in it, that he should thus +begin with these men, and thus offer, so particularly, this grace to each +particular man of them? + +But, as I told you, this is not all; these Jerusalem sinners must have +this offer again and again; every one of them must be offered it over and +over. Christ would not take their first rejection for a denial, nor +their second repulse for a denial; but he will have grace offered once, +and twice, and thrice, to these Jerusalem sinners. Is not this amazing +grace? Christ will not be put off. These are the sinners that are +sinners indeed. They are sinners of the biggest sort; consequently such +as Christ can, if they convert and be saved, best serve his ends and +designs upon. Of which more anon. + +But what a pitch of grace is this! Christ is minded to amaze the world, +and to shew, that he acteth not like the children of men. This is that +which he said of old. “I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath, I +will not return to destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man;” Hos. xi. +9. This is not the manner of men; men are shorter winded; men are soon +moved to take vengeance, and to right themselves in a way of wrath and +indignation. But God is full of grace, full of patience, ready to +forgive, and one that delights in mercy. All this is seen in our text. +The biggest sinners must first be offered mercy; they must, I say, have +the cream of the gospel offered unto them. + +But we will a little proceed. In the third chapter we find, that they +who escaped converting by the first sermon, are called upon again, to +accept of grace and forgiveness, for their murder committed upon the Son +of God. You have killed, yea, “you have denied, the holy one and the +just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the +Prince of life.” Mark, he falls again upon the very men that actually +were, as you have it in the chapters following, his very betrayers and +murderers, Acts iii. 14, 15; as being loath that they should escape the +mercy of forgiveness; and exhorts them again to repent, that their sins +might “be blotted out;” verses 19, 20. + +Again, in the fourth chapter, he charges them afresh with this murder, +ver. 10; but withal tells them, salvation is in no other. Then, like a +heavenly decoy, he puts himself also among them, to draw them the better +under the net of the gospel; saying, “There is none other name under +heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved;” ver. 12. + +In the fifth chapter you find them railing at him, because he continued +preaching among them salvation in the name of Jesus. But he tells them, +that that very Jesus whom they had slain and hanged on a tree, him God +had raised up, and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give +repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins: ver. 29–31. Still +insinuating, that though they had killed him, and to this day rejected +him, yet his business was to bestow upon them repentance and forgiveness +of sins. + +’Tis true, after they began to kill again, and when nothing but killing +would serve their turn, then they that were scattered abroad went every +where preaching the word. Yet even some of them so hankered after the +conversion of the Jews, that they preached the gospel only to them. Also +the apostles still made their abode at Jerusalem, in hopes that they +might yet let down their net for another draught of these Jerusalem +sinners. Neither did Paul and Barnabas, who were the ministers of God to +the Gentiles, but offer the gospel, in the first place, to those of them +that for their wickedness were scattered like vagabonds among the +nations; yea, and when they rendered rebellion and blasphemy for their +service and love, they replied, it was necessary that the word of God +should first have been spoken to them; Acts i. 8; chap. xiii. 46, 47. + +Nor was this their preaching unsuccessful among these people: but the +Lord Jesus so wrought with the word thus spoken, that thousands of them +came flocking to him for mercy. Three thousand of them closed with him +at the first; and afterwards two thousand more; for now they were in +number about five thousand; whereas before sermons were preached to these +murderers, the number of the disciples was not above “a hundred and +twenty;” Acts i. 15; chap. ii. 41; chap. iv. 4. + +Also among these people that thus flocked to him for mercy, there was a +“great company of the priests;” chap. vi. 7. Now the priests were they +that were the greatest of these biggest sinners; they were the +ringleaders, they were the inventors and ringleaders in the mischief. It +was they that set the people against the Lord Jesus, and that were the +cause why the uproar increased, until Pilate had given sentence upon him. +“The chief priests and elders,” says the text, “persuaded (the people) +the multitude,” that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus; Matt. +xxvii. 20. And yet behold the priests, yea, a great company of the +priests, became obedient to the faith. + +Oh the greatness of the grace of Christ, that he should be thus in love +with the souls of Jerusalem sinners! that he should be thus delighted +with the salvation of the Jerusalem sinners! that he should not only will +that his gospel should be offered them, but that it should be offered +unto them first, and before other sinners were admitted to a hearing of +it. “Begin at Jerusalem.” + +Were this doctrine well believed, where would there be a place for a +doubt, or a fear of the damnation of the soul, if the sinner be penitent, +how bad a life soever he has lived, how many soever in number are his +sins? + +But this grace is hid from the eyes of men; the devil hides it from them; +for he knows it is alluring, he knows it has an attracting virtue in it: +for this is it that above all arguments can draw the soul to God. + +I cannot help it, but must let drop another word. The first church, the +Jerusalem church, from whence the gospel was to be sent into all the +world, was a church made up of Jerusalem sinners. These great sinners +were here the most shining monuments of the exceeding grace of God. + +Thus you see I have proved the doctrine; and that not only by showing you +that this was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ in his lifetime, but +his last will when he went up to God; saying, Begin to preach at +Jerusalem. + +Yea, it is yet further manifested, in that when his ministers first began +to preach there, he joined his power to the word, to the converting of +thousands of his betrayers and murderers, and also many of the +ringleading priests to the faith. + +I shall now proceed, and shall show you, + +1. The reasons of the point: + +2. And then make some application of the whole. + +The observation, you know, is this: Jesus Christ would have mercy +offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem +sinners: “Preach repentance, and remission of sins, in my name, among all +nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” + +The reasons of the point are: + +First, Because the biggest sinners have most need thereof. He that has +most need, reason says, should be helped first. I mean, when a helping +hand is offered, and now it is: for the gospel of the grace of God is +sent to help the world; Acts xvi. 9. But the biggest sinner has most +need. Therefore, in reason, when mercy is sent down from heaven to men, +the worst of men should have the first offer of it. “Begin at +Jerusalem.” This is the reason which the Lord Christ himself renders, +why in his lifetime he left the best, and turned him to the worst; why he +sat so loose from the righteous, and stuck so close to the wicked. “The +whole,” saith he, “have no need of the physician, but the sick. I came +not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance;” Mark ii. 15–47. + +Above you read, that the scribes and pharisees said to his disciples, +“How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?” +Alas! they did not know the reason: but the Lord renders them one, and +such an one as is both natural and cogent, saying, These have need, most +need. Their great necessity requires that I should be most friendly, and +show my grace first to them. + +Not that the other were sinless, and so had no need of a Saviour; but the +publicans and their companions were the biggest sinners; they were, as to +view, worse than the scribes; and therefore in reason should be helped +first, because they had most need of a Saviour. + +Men that are at the point to die have more need of the physician than +they that are but now and then troubled with an heart-fainting qualm. +The publicans and sinners were, as it were, in the mouth of death; death +was swallowing of them down: and therefore the Lord Jesus receives them +first, offers them mercy first. “The whole have no need of the +physician, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners +to repentance.” The sick, as I said, is the biggest sinner, whether he +sees his disease or not. He is stained from head to foot, from heart to +life and conversation. This man, in every man’s judgment, has the most +need of mercy. There is nothing attends him from bed to board, and from +board to bed again, but the visible characters, and obvious symptoms, of +eternal damnation. This therefore is the man that has need, most need; +and therefore in reason should be helped in the first place. Thus it was +with the people concerned in the text, they were the worst of sinners, +Jerusalem sinners, sinners of the biggest size; and therefore such as had +the greatest need; wherefore they must have mercy offered to them, before +it be offered any where else in the world. “Begin at Jerusalem,” offer +mercy first to a Jerusalem sinner. This man has most need, he is +farthest from God, nearest to hell, and so one that has most need. This +man’s sins are in number the most, in cry the loudest, in weight the +heaviest, and consequently will sink him soonest: wherefore he has most +need of mercy. This man is shut up in Satan’s hand, fastest bound in the +cords of his sins: one that justice is whetting his sword to cut off; and +therefore has most need, not only of mercy, but that it should be +extended to him in the first place. + +But a little further to show you the true nature of this reason, to wit, +That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place, to the +biggest sinners. + +First, Mercy ariseth from the bowels and compassion, from pity, and from +a feeling of the condition of those in misery. “In his love, and in his +pity, he saveth us.” And again, “The Lord is pitiful, very pitiful, and +of great mercy;” Isa. lxiii. 9; James v. 11. + +Now, where pity and compassion is, there is yearning of bowels; and where +there is that, there is a readiness to help. And, I say again, the more +deplorable and dreadful the condition is, the more directly doth bowels +and compassion turn themselves to such, and offer help and deliverance. +All this flows from our first scripture proof; I came to call them that +have need; to call them first, while the rest look on and murmur. + +“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” Ephraim was a revolter from God, a +man that had given himself up to devilism: a company of men, the ten +tribes, that worshipped devils, while Judah kept with his God. “But how +shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How +shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? (and yet +thou art worse than they: nor has Samaria committed half thy sins); Ezek. +xvi. 46–51. My heart is turned within me, and my repentings are kindled +together;” Hos. xi. 8. + +But where do you find that ever the Lord did thus yearn in his bowels for +and after any self-righteous man? No, no; they are the publicans and +harlots, idolaters and Jerusalem sinners, for whom his bowels thus yearn +and tumble about within him: for, alas! poor worms, they have most need +of mercy. + +Had not the good Samaritan more compassion for that man that fell among +thieves (though that fall was occasioned by his going from the place +where they worshipped God, to Jericho, the cursed city) than we read he +had for any other besides? His wine was for him, his oil was for him, +his beast for him; his penny, his care, and his swaddling bands for him; +for alas! wretch, he had most need; Luke x. 30–35. + +Zaccheus the publican, the chief of the publicans, one that had made +himself the richer by wronging of others; the Lord at that time singled +him out from all the rest of his brother publicans, and that in the face +of many Pharisees, and proclaimed in the audience of them all, that that +day salvation was come to his house; Luke xix. 1–8. + +The woman also that had been bound down by Satan for eighteen years +together, his compassions putting him upon it, he loosed her, though +those that stood by snarled at him for so doing; Luke xiii. 11–13, + +And why the woman of Sarepta, and why Naaman the Syrian, rather than +widows and lepers in Israel, but because their conditions were more +deplorable, (for that) they were most forlorn, and farthest from help; +Luke iv. 25, 27. + +But I say, why all these, thus named? why have we not a catalogue of some +holy men that were so in their own eyes, and in the judgment of the +world? Alas if at any time any of them are mentioned, how seemingly +coldly doth the record of scripture present them to us? Nicodemus, a +night professor, and Simon the pharisee, with his fifty pence; and their +great ignorance of the methods of grace, we have now and then touched +upon. + +Mercy seems to be out of his proper channel, when it deals with +self-righteous men; but then it runs with a full stream when it extends +itself to the biggest sinners. As God’s mercy is not regulated by man’s +goodness, nor obtained by man’s worthiness; so not much set out by saving +of any such. But more of this anon. + +And here let me ask my reader a question: suppose that as thou art +walking by some pond side, thou shouldst espy in it four or five children +all in danger of drowning, and one in more danger than all the rest, +judge which has most need to be helped out first? I know thou wilt say, +he that is nearest drowning. Why, this is the case; the bigger sinner, +the nearer drowning; therefore the bigger sinner the more need of mercy; +yea, of help by mercy in the first place. And to this our text agrees, +when it saith, “Beginning at Jerusalem.” Let the Jerusalem sinner, says +Christ, have the first offer, the first invitation, the first tender of +my grace and mercy, for he is the biggest sinner, and so has most need +thereof. + +_Secondly_, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners, because when they, any of them, receive it, it +redounds most to the fame of his name. + +Christ Jesus, as you may perceive, has put himself under the term of a +physician, a doctor for curing of diseases: and you know that applause +and fame, are things that physicians much desire. That is it that helps +them to patients, and that also that will help their patients to commit +themselves to their skill for cure, with the more confidence and repose +of spirit. And the best way for a doctor or physician to get himself a +name, is, in the first place, to take in hand, and cure some such as all +others have given off for lost and dead. Physicians get neither name nor +fame by pricking of wheals, or pricking out thistles, or by laying of +plaisters to the scratch of a pin; every old woman can do this. But if +they would have a name and a fame, if they will have it quickly they +must, as I said, do some great and desperate cures. Let them fetch one +to life that was dead; let them recover one to his wits that was mad; let +them make one that was born blind to see; or let them give ripe wits to a +fool; these are notable cures, and he that can do thus, and if he doth +thus first, he shall have the name and fame he desires; he may lie a-bed +till noon. + +Why, Christ Jesus forgiveth sins for a name, and so begets of himself a +good report in the hearts of the children of men. And therefore in +reason he must be willing, as also he did command, that his mercy should +be offered first to the biggest sinners. + +“I will forgive their sins, iniquities, and transgressions,” says he, +“and it shall turn to me for a name of joy, and a praise and an honour, +before all the nations of the earth;” Jer. xxxiii. 8, 9. + +And hence it is, that at his first appearing he took upon him to do such +mighty works: he got a fame thereby, he got a name thereby; Matt. iv. 23, +24. + +When Christ had cast the legion of devils out of the man of whom you +read, Mark v., he bid him go home to his friends, and tell it: “Go home,” +saith he, “to thy friends, and tell them how great things God has done +for thee, and has had compassion on thee;” Mark v. 19. Christ Jesus +seeks a name, and desireth a fame in the world; and therefore, or the +better to obtain that, he commands that mercy should first be proffered +to the biggest sinners, because, by the saving of one of them he makes +all men marvel. As ’tis said of the man last mentioned, whom Christ +cured towards the beginning of his ministry: “And he departed,” says the +text, “and began to publish in Decapolis, how great things Jesus had done +for him; and all men did marvel,” ver. 20. + +When John told Christ, that they saw one casting out devils in his name, +and they forbade him, because he followed not with them, what is the +answer of Christ? “Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a +miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.” No; they will +rather cause his praise to be heard, and his name to be magnified, and so +put glory on the head of Christ. + +But we will follow a little our metaphor: Christ, as I said, has put +himself under the term of a physician; consequently he desireth that his +fame, as to the salvation of sinners, may spread abroad, and that the +world may see what he can do. And to this end, he has not only +commanded, that the biggest sinners should have the first offer of his +mercy, but has, as physicians do, put out his bills, and published his +doings, that things may be read and talked of. Yea, he has moreover, in +these his blessed bills, the holy scriptures I mean, inserted the very +names of persons, the places of their abode, and the great cures that, by +the means of his salvations, he has wrought upon them to this very end. +Here is, _Item_, such a one, by my grace and redeeming blood, was made a +monument of everlasting life; and such a one, by my perfect obedience, +became an heir of glory. And then he produceth their names. + +_Item_, I saved Lot from the guilt and damnation that he had procured to +himself by his incest. + +_Item_, I saved David from the vengeance that belonged to him for +committing of adultery and murder. + +Here is also Solomon, Manasseh, Peter, Magdalen, and many others, made +mention of in this book. Yea, here are their names, their sins, and +their salvations recorded together, that you may read and know what a +Saviour he is, and do him honour in the world. For why are these things +thus recorded, but to show to sinners what he can do, to the praise and +glory of his grace? + +And it is observable, as I said before, we have but very little of the +salvation of little sinners mentioned in God’s book, because that would +not have answered the design, to wit, to bring glory and fame to the name +of the Son of God. + +What should be the reason, think you, why Christ should so easily take a +denial of the great ones, that were the grandeur of the world, and +struggle so hard for hedge-creepers and highwaymen (as that parable, Luke +xiv., seems to import he doth), but to show forth the riches of the glory +of his grace to his praise? This I say, is one reason to be sure. + +They that had their grounds, their yoke of oxen, and their marriage joys, +were invited to come; but they made their excuse, and that served the +turn. But when he comes to deal with the worst, he saith to his +servants, Go ye out and bring them in hither. “Go out quickly, and bring +in hither the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind.” And they did +so: and he said again, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel +them to come in, that my house may be filled;” Luke xiv. 18, 19, 23. +These poor, lame, maimed, blind, hedge-creepers and highwaymen, must come +in, must be forced in. These, if saved, will make his merits shine. + +When Christ was crucified, and hanged up between the earth and heavens, +there were two thieves crucified with him; and behold, he lays hold of +one of them and will have him away with him to glory. Was not this a +strange act, and a display of unthought of grace? Were there none but +thieves there, or were the rest of that company out of his reach? Could +he not, think you, have stooped from the cross to the ground, and have +laid hold on some honester man if he would? Yes, doubtless. Oh! but +then he would not have displayed his grace, nor so have pursued his own +designs, namely, to get to himself a praise and a name: but now he has +done it to purpose. For who that shall read this story, but must +confess, that the Son of God is full of grace; for a proof of the riches +thereof, he left behind him, when upon the cross he took the thief away +with him to glory. Nor can this one act of his be buried; it will be +talked of to the end of the world to his praise. “Men shall speak of the +might of thy terrible acts, and will declare thy greatness; they shall +abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy +righteousness. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of +thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the +glorious majesty of his kingdom;” Psalm cxlv. 6–12. + +When the word of God came among the conjurers and those soothsayers that +you read of, Acts xix., and had prevailed with some of them to accept of +the grace of Christ, the Holy Ghost records it with a boast, for that it +would redound to his praise, saying, “And many of them that used curious +arts, brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and +counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. +So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed;” Acts xix. 19, 20. It +wrenched out of the clutches of Satan some of those of whom he thought +himself most sure. + +“So mightily grew the word of God.” It grew mightily, it encroached upon +the kingdom of the devil. It pursued him, and took the prey; it forced +him to let go his hold: it brought away captive, as prisoners taken by +force of arms, some of the most valiant of his army: it fetched back +from, as it were, the confines of hell, some of those that were his most +trusty, and that with hell had been at an agreement: it made them come +and confess their deeds, and burn their books before all men: “So +mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed.” + +Thus, therefore, you see why Christ will have mercy offered in the first +place to the biggest sinners; they have most need thereof; and this is +the most ready way to extol his name that rideth upon the heavens to our +help. But, + +_Thirdly_, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners, because by their forgiveness and salvation, others +hearing of it, will be encouraged the more to come to him for life. + +For the physician, by curing the most desperate at the first, doth not +only get himself a name, but begets encouragement in the minds of other +diseased folk to come to him for help. Hence you read of our Lord, that +after, through his tender mercy, he had cured many of great diseases, his +fame was spread abroad, “They brought unto him all sick people that were +taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed +with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy, +and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people +from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond +Jordan;” Matt. iv. 24, 25. + +See here, he first by working gets himself a fame, a name, and renown, +and now men take encouragement, and bring from all quarters their +diseased to him, being helped, by what they had heard, to believe that +their diseased should be healed. + +Now, as he did with those outward cures, so he does in the proffers of +his grace and mercy: he proffers that in the first place to the biggest +sinners, that others may take heart to come to him to be saved. I will +give you a scripture or two, I mean to show you that Christ, by +commanding that his mercy should in the first place be offered to the +biggest of sinners, has a design thereby to encourage and provoke others +to come also to him for mercy. + +“God,” saith Paul, “who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he +loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with +Christ (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made +us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” But why did he do +all this? “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches +of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus;” Eph. ii. +4–7. + +See, here is a design; God lets out his mercy to Ephesus of design, even +to shew to the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace, in his +kindness to them through Christ Jesus. And why to shew by these the +exceeding riches of his grace to the ages to come, through Christ Jesus, +but to allure them, and their children also, to come to him, and to +partake of the same grace through Christ Jesus? + +But what was Paul, and the Ephesian sinners? (of Paul we will speak +anon). These Ephesian sinners, they were men dead in sins, men that +walked according to the dictates and motions of the devil; worshippers of +Diana, that effeminate goddess; men far off from God, aliens and +strangers to all good things; such as were far off from that, as I said, +and consequently in a most deplorable condition. As the Jerusalem +sinners were of the highest sort among the Jews, so these Ephesian +sinners were of the highest sort among the Gentiles; Eph. ii. 1–3, 11, +12; Acts xix. 35. + +Wherefore as by the Jerusalem sinners, in saving them first, he had a +design to provoke others to come to him for mercy, so the same design is +here set on foot again, in his calling and converting the Ephesian +sinners, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of +his grace,” says he, “in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.” +There is yet one hint behind. It is said that God saved these for his +love; that is, as I think, for the setting forth, for the commendations +of his love, for the advance of his love, in the hearts and minds of them +that should come after. As who should say, God has had mercy upon, and +been gracious to you, that he might shew to others, for their +encouragement, that they have ground to come to him to be saved. When +God saves one great sinner, it is to encourage another great sinner to +come to him for mercy. + +He saved the thief, to encourage thieves to come to him for mercy; he +saved Magdalen, to encourage other Magdalens to come to him for mercy; he +saved Saul, to encourage Sauls to come to him for mercy; and this Paul +himself doth say, “For this cause,” saith he, “I obtained mercy, that in +me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern +to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting;” 1 +Tim. i. 16. + +How plain are the words! Christ, in saving of me, has given to the world +a pattern of his grace, that they might see and believe, and come, and be +saved; that they that are to be born hereafter might believe on Jesus +Christ to life everlasting. + +But what was Paul? Why, he tells you himself; I am, says he, the chief +of sinners: I was, says he, a blaspheme; a persecutor, an injurious +person; but I obtained mercy; 1 Tim. i. 14, 15. Ay, that is well for +you, Paul; but what advantage have we thereby? Oh, very much, saith he; +for, “for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ +might shew all long-suffering for a pattern to them which shall believe +on him to life everlasting.” + +Thus, therefore, you see that this third reason is of strength, namely, +that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the +biggest sinners, because, by their forgiveness and salvation, others, +hearing of it, will be encouraged the more to come to him for mercy. + +It may well therefore be said to God, Thou delightest in mercy, and mercy +pleases thee; Mich. vii. 18. + +But who believes that this was God’s design in shewing mercy of +old—namely, that we that come after might take courage to come to him for +mercy; or that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place +to the biggest sinners, to stir up others to come to him for life? This +is not the manner of men, O God! + +But David saw this betimes; therefore he makes this one argument with +God, that he would blot out his transgressions, that he would forgive his +adultery, his murders, and horrible hypocrisy. Do it, O Lord, saith he, +do it, and “then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall +be converted unto thee;” Psalm li. 7–13. + +He knew that the conversion of sinners would be a work highly pleasing to +God, as being that which he had designed before he made mountain or hill: +wherefore he comes, and he saith, Save me, O Lord; if thou wilt but save +me, I will fall in with thy design; I will help to bring what sinners to +thee I can. And, Lord, I am willing to be made a preacher myself; for +that I have been a horrible sinner: wherefore, if thou shalt forgive my +great transgressions, I shall be a fit man to tell of thy wondrous grace +to others. Yea, Lord, I dare promise, that if thou wilt have mercy upon +me, it shall tend to the glory of thy grace, and also to the increase of +thy kingdom; for I will tell it, and sinners will hear on’t. And there +is nothing so suiteth with the hearing sinner as mercy, and to be +informed that God is willing to bestow it upon him. “I will teach +transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” + +Nor will Christ Jesus miss of his design in proffering of mercy in the +first place to the biggest sinners. You know what work the Lord, by +laying hold of the woman of Samaria, made among the people there. They +knew that she was a town sinner, an adulteress, yea, one that after the +most audacious manner lived in uncleanness with a man that was not her +husband: but when she, from a turn upon her heart, went into the city, +and said to her neighbours, “Come,” Oh how they came! how they flocked +out of the city to Jesus Christ! “Then they went out of the city, and +came to him.” “And many of the Samaritans (people perhaps as bad as +herself) believed on him, for the saying of the woman, which testified, +saying, he told me all that ever I did;” John iv. 39. + +That word, “He told me all that ever I did,” was a great argument with +them; for by that they gathered, that though he knew her to be vile, yet +he did not despise her, nor refuse to shew how willing he was to +communicate his grace unto her; and this fetched over, first her, then +them. + +This woman, as I said, was a Samaritan sinner, a sinner of the worst +complexion: for the Jews abhorred to have ought to do with them, ver. 9; +wherefore none more fit than she to be made one of the decoys of heaven, +to bring others of these Samaritan wild-fowls under the net of the grace +of Christ. And she did the work to purpose. Many, and many more of the +Samaritans believed on him; ver. 40–42. The heart of man, though set on +sin, will, when it comes once to a persuasion that God is willing to have +mercy upon us, incline to come to Jesus Christ for life. + +Witness those turn-aways from God that you also read of in Jeremiah; for +after they had heard three or four times over, that God had mercy for +backsliders, they broke out, and said, “Behold, we come unto thee, for +thou art the Lord our God.” Or as those in Hosea did, “For in thee the +fatherless find mercy;” Jer. iii. 22; Hos. xiv. 1–3. + +Mercy, and the revelation thereof, is the only antidote against sin. It +is of a thawing nature; it will loose the heart that is frozen up in sin; +yea, it will make the unwilling willing to come to Jesus Christ for life. +Wherefore, do you think, was it that Jesus Christ told the adulterous +woman, and that before so many sinners, that he had not condemned her, +but to allure her, with them there present, to hope to find favour at his +hands? (As he also saith in another place, “I came not to judge, but to +save the world.”) For might they not thence most rationally conclude, +that if Jesus Christ had rather save than damn an harlot, there was +encouragement for them to come to him for mercy. + +I heard once a story from a soldier, who with his company had laid siege +against a fort, that so long as the besieged were persuaded their foes +would shew them no favour, they fought like madmen; but when they saw one +of their fellows taken, and received to favour, they all came tumbling +down from their fortress, and delivered themselves into their enemies’ +hands. + +I am persuaded, did men believe that there is that grace and willingness +in the heart of Christ to save sinners, as the word imports there is, +they would come tumbling into his arms: but Satan has blinded their +minds, that they cannot see this thing. Howbeit, the Lord Jesus has, as +I said, that others might take heart and come to him, given out a +commandment, that mercy should in the first place be offered to the +biggest sinners. “Begin,” saith he, “at Jerusalem.” And thus I end the +third reason. + +_Fourthly_, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners, because that is the way, if they receive it, most to +weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to keep it lowest in every age of the +world. The biggest sinners, they are Satan’s colonels and captains, the +leaders of his people, and they that most stoutly make head against the +Son of God. Wherefore let these first be conquered, and his kingdom will +be weak. When Ishbosheth had lost his Abner, his kingdom was made weak: +nor did he sit but tottering then upon his throne. So when Satan loseth +his strong men, them that are mighty to work iniquity, and dexterous to +manage others in the same, then is his kingdom weak; 2 Sam. iii. +Therefore, I say, Christ doth offer mercy in the first place to such, the +more to weaken his kingdom. Christ Jesus was glad to see Satan fall like +lightning from heaven, that is, suddenly or head long; and it was, +surely, by casting of him out of strong possessions, and by recovering of +some notorious sinners out of his clutches; Luke x. 17–19. + +Samson, when he would pull down the Philistines temple, took hold of the +two main pillars of it, and breaking them, down came the house. Christ +came to destroy the works of the devil, and to destroy by converting +grace, as well as by redeeming blood. Now sin swarms, and lieth by +legions, and whole armies, in the souls of the biggest sinners, as in +garrisons: wherefore the way, the most direct way to destroy it, is first +to deal with such sinners by the word of his gospel, and by the merits of +his passion. + +For example, though I shall give you but a homely one: suppose a family +to be troubled with vermin, and one or two of the family to be in chief +the breeders, the way, the quickest way to clear that family, or at least +to weaken the so swarming of those vermin, is, in the first place, to +sweeten the skin, head, and clothes of the chief breeders; and then, +though all the family should be apt to breed them, the number of them, +and so the greatness of that plague there, will be the more impaired. + +Why, there are some people that are in chief the devil’s sin-breeders in +the towns and places where they live. The place, town, or family where +they live, must needs be horribly verminous, as it were, eaten up with +vermin. Now, let the Lord Jesus, in the first place, cleanse these great +breeders, and there will be given a nip to those swarms of sins that used +to be committed in such places throughout the town, house, or family, +where such sin-breeding persons used to be. + +I speak by experience: I was one of these verminous ones, one of these +great sin-breeders; I infected all the youth of the town where I was +born, with all manner of youthful vanities. The neighbours counted me +so; my practice proved me so: wherefore Christ Jesus took me first, and +taking me first, the contagion was much allayed all the town over. When +God made me sigh, they would hearken, and enquiringly say, What is the +matter with John? They also gave their various opinions of me: but, as I +said, sin cooled, and failed, as to his full career. When I went out to +seek the bread of life, some of them would follow, and the rest be put +into a muse at home. Yea, almost the town, at first, at times would go +out to hear at the place where I found good; yea, young and old for a +while had some reformation on them; also some of them, perceiving that +God had mercy upon me, came crying to him for mercy too. + +But what need I give you an instance of poor I; I will come to Manasseh +the king. So long as he was a ring-leading sinner, the great idolater, +the chief for devilism, the whole land flowed with wickedness; for he +“made them to sin,” and do worse than the heathen that dwelt round about +them, or that was cast out from before them: but when God converted him, +the whole land was reformed. Down went the groves, the idols, and altars +of Baal, and up went true religion in much of the power and purity of it. +You will say, The king reformed by power. I answer, doubtless, and by +example too; for people observe their leaders; as their fathers did, so +did they; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 2. + +This, therefore, is another reason why Jesus would have mercy offered in +the first place to the biggest sinners, because that is the best way, if +they receive it, most to weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to keep it poor +and low. + +And do you not think now, that if God would but take hold of the hearts +of some of the most notorious in your town, in your family, or country, +that this thing would be verified before your faces? It would, it would, +to the joy of you that are godly, to the making of hell to sigh, to the +great suppressing of sin, the glory of Christ, and the joy of the angels +of God. And ministers should, therefore, that this work might go on, +take advantages to persuade with the biggest sinners to come into Christ, +according to my text, and their commissions; “Beginning at Jerusalem.” + +_Fifthly_, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place, to +the biggest sinners; because such, when converted, are usually the best +helps in the church against temptations, and fittest for the support of +the feeble-minded there. Hence, usually, you have some such in the first +plantation of churches, or quickly upon it. Churches would do but +sorrily, if Christ Jesus did not put such converts among them: they are +the monuments and mirrors of mercy. The very sight of such a sinner in +God’s house, yea, the very thought of him, where the sight of him cannot +be had, is ofttimes greatly for the help of the faith of the feeble. + +“When the churches (said Paul) that were in Judea, heard this concerning +me, that he which persecuted them in time past, now preached the faith +which once he destroyed, they glorified God in me;” Gal. i. 20–24. + +“Glorified God.” How is that? Why, they praised him, and took courage +to believe the more in the mercy of God; for that he had had mercy on +such a great sinner as he. They glorified God “in me;” they wondered +that grace should be so rich, as to take hold of such a wretch as I was; +and for my sake believed in Christ the more. + +There are two things that great sinners are acquainted with, when they +come to divulge them to the saints, that are a great relief to their +faith. + +1. The contests that they usually have with the devil at their parting +with him. + +2. Their knowledge of his secrets in his workings. + +For the _first_, The biggest sinners have usually great contests with the +devil at their partings; and this is an help to saints: for ordinary +saints find afterwards what the vile ones find at first, but when at the +opening of hearts, the one finds himself to be as the other, the one is a +comfort to the other. The lesser sort of sinners find but little of +this, till after they have been some time in profession; but the vile man +meets with his at the beginning. Wherefore he, when the other is down, +is ready to tell that he has met with the same before; for, I say, he has +had it before. Satan is loath to part with a great sinner. What my true +servant (quoth he), my old servant, wilt thou forsake me now? having so +often sold thyself to me to work wickedness, wilt thou forsake me now? +Thou horrible wretch, dost not know, that thou hast sinned thyself beyond +the reach of grace, and dost think to find mercy now? Art not thou a +murderer, a thief, a harlot, a witch, a sinner of the greatest size, and +dost thou look for mercy now? Dost thou think that Christ will foul his +fingers with thee? + +’Tis enough to make angels blush, saith Satan, to see so vile a one knock +at heaven-gates for mercy, and wilt thou be so abominably bold to do it? +Thus Satan dealt with me, says the great sinner, when at first I came to +Jesus Christ. And what did you reply? saith the tempted. Why, I granted +the whole charge to be true, says the other. And what, did you despair, +or how? No, saith he, I said, I am Magdalen, I am Zaccheus, I am the +thief, I am the harlot, I am the publican, I am the prodigal, and one of +Christ’s murderers: yea, worse than any of these; and yet God was so far +off from rejecting of me (as I found afterwards), that there was music +and dancing in his house for me, and for joy that I was come home unto +him. O blessed be God for grace (says the other), for then I hope there +is favour for me. Yea, as I told you, such a one is a continual +spectacle in the church, for every one to behold God’s grace and wonder +by. + +_Secondly_, And as for the secrets of Satan, such as are suggestions to +question the being of God, the truth of his word, and to be annoyed with +devilish blasphemies; none more acquainted with these than the biggest +sinners at their conversion; wherefore thus also they are prepared to be +helps in the church to relieve and comfort the other. + +I might also here tell you of the contests and battles that such are +engaged in, wherein they find the besettings of Satan, above any other of +the saints. At which times Satan assaults the soul with darkness, fears, +frightful thoughts of apparitions; now they sweat, pant, cry out, and +struggle for life. + +The angels now come down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a bit of +dust and ashes to overcome principalities and powers, and might, and +dominions. But, as I said when these come a little to be settled, they +are prepared for helping others, and are great comforts unto them. Their +great sins give great encouragement to the devil to assault them; and by +these temptations Christ takes advantage to make them the more helpful to +the churches. + +The biggest sinner, when he is converted, and comes into the church, says +to them all, by his very coming in, Behold me, all you that are men and +women of a low and timorous spirit, you whose hearts are narrow, for that +you never had the advantage to know, because your sins are few, the +largeness of the grace of God. Behold, I say, in me, the exceeding +riches of his grace! I am a pattern set forth before your faces, on whom +you may look and take heart. This, I say, the great sinner can say, to +the exceeding comfort of all the rest. + +Wherefore, as I have hinted before, when God intends to stock a place +with saints, and to make that place excellently to flourish with the +riches of his grace, he usually begins with the conversion of some of the +most notorious thereabouts, and lays them as an example to allure others, +and to build up when they are converted. + +It was Paul that must go to the Gentiles, because Paul was the most +outrageous of all the apostles, in the time of his unregeneracy. Yea, +Peter must be he, that after his horrible fall, was thought fittest, when +recovered again, to comfort and strengthen his brethren. See Luke xxii. +31, 32. + +Some must be pillars in God’s house; and if they be pillars of cedar, +they must stand while they are stout and sturdy sticks in the forest, +before they are cut down, and planted or placed there. + +No man, when he buildeth his house, makes the principal parts thereof of +weak or feeble timber; for how could such bear up the rest? but of great +and able wood. Christ Jesus also goeth this way to work; he makes of the +biggest sinners bearers and supporters to the rest. This then, may serve +for another reason, why Jesus Christ gives out in commandment, that mercy +should, in the first place, be offered to the biggest sinners: because +such, when converted, are usually the best helps in the church against +temptations, and fittest for the support of the feeble-minded there. + +_Sixthly_, Another reason why Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in +the first place to the biggest sinners, is, because they, when converted, +are apt to love him most. + +This agrees both with Scripture and reason. Scripture says so: “To whom +much is forgiven, the same loveth much. To whom little is forgiven, the +same loveth little;” Luke vii. 47. Reason says so: for as it would be +the unreasonablest thing in the world to render hatred for love, and +contempt for forgiveness; so it would be as ridiculous to think, that the +reception of a little kindness should lay the same obligations upon the +heart to love, as the reception of a great deal. I would not disparage +the love of Christ; I know the least drachm of it, when it reaches to +forgiveness, is great above all the world; but comparatively, there are +greater extensions of the love of Christ to one than to another. He that +has most sin, if forgiven, is partaker of the greatest love, of the +greatest forgiveness. + +I know also, that there are some, that from this very doctrine say, “Let +us do evil that good may come;” and that turn the grace of our God into +lasciviousness. But I speak not of these; these will neither be ruled by +grace nor reason. Grace would teach them, if they know it, to deny +ungodly courses; and so would reason too, if it could truly sense the +love of God; Titus ii. 11, 12; Rom. xi. 1. + +Doth it look like what hath any coherence with reason or mercy, for a man +to abuse his friend? Because Christ died for men, shall I therefore spit +in his face? The bread and water that was given by Elisha to his +enemies, that came into the land of Israel to take him, had so much +influence upon their minds, though heathens, that they returned to their +homes without hurting him: yea, it kept them from coming again in a +hostile manner into the coasts of Israel; 2 Kings vi. 19–23. + +But to forbear to illustrate till anon. One reason why Christ Jesus +shews mercy to sinners, is, that he might obtain their love, that he may +remove their base affections from base objects to himself. Now, if he +loves to be loved a little, he loves to be loved much; but there is not +any that are capable of loving much, save those that have much forgiven +them. Hence it is said of Paul, that he laboured more than them all; to +wit, with a labour of love, because he had been by sin more vile against +Christ than they all; 1 Cor. xv. He it was that persecuted the church of +God, and wasted it; Gal. i. 13. He of them all was the only raving +bedlam against the saints: “And being exceeding mad,” says he, “against +them, I persecuted them, even to strange cities;” Acts xxvi. 11. + +This raving bedlam, that once was so, is he that now says, I laboured +more than them all, more for Christ than them all. + +But Paul, what moved thee thus to do? The love of Christ, says he. It +was not I, but the grace of God that was with me. As who should say, O +grace! It was such grace to save me! It was such marvellous grace for +God to look down from heaven upon me, and that secured me from the wrath +to come, that I am captivated with the sense of the riches of it. Hence +I act, hence I labour; for how can I otherwise do, since God not only +separated me from my sins and companions, but separated all the powers of +my soul and body to his service? I am therefore prompted on by this +exceeding love to labour as I have done; yet not I, but the grace of God +with me. + +Oh! I shall never forget his love, nor the circumstances under which I +was, when his love laid hold upon me. I was going to Damascus with +letters from the high-priest, to make havock of God’s people there, as I +had made havock of them in other places. These bloody letters were not +imposed upon me. I went to the high-priest and desired them of him; Acts +ix. 1, 2; and yet he saved me! I was one of the men, of the chief men, +that had a hand in the blood of his martyr Stephen; yet he had mercy on +me! When I was at Damascus, I stunk so horribly like a blood-sucker, +that I became a terror to all thereabout. Yea, Ananias (good man) made +intercession to my Lord against me; yet he would have mercy upon me, yea, +joined mercy to mercy, until he had made me a monument of grace! He made +a saint of me, and persuaded me that my transgressions were forgiven me. + +When I began to preach, those that heard me were amazed, and said, “Is +not this he that destroyed them that called on this name in Jerusalem, +and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound to the +high-priest?” Hell doth know that I was a sinner; heaven doth know that +I was a sinner; the world also knows that I was a sinner, a sinner of the +greatest size; but I obtained mercy; 1 Tim i. 15, 16. + +Shall not this lay obligation upon me? Is not love of the greatest force +to oblige? Is it not strong as death, cruel as the grave, and hotter +than the coals of juniper? Hath it not a most vehement flame? can the +waters quench it? can the floods drown it? I am under the force of it, +and this is my continual cry, What shall I render to the Lord for all the +benefits which he has bestowed upon me? + +Ay, Paul! this is something; thou speakest like a man, like a man +affected, and carried away with the love and grace of God. Now, this +sense, and this affection, and this labour, giveth to Christ the love +that he looks for. But he might have converted twenty little sinners, +and yet not found, for grace bestowed, so much love in them all. + +I wonder how far a man might go among the converted sinners of the +smaller size, before one could find one that so much as looked any thing +this wayward. Where is he that is thus under pangs of love for the grace +bestowed upon him by Jesus Christ? Excepting only some few, you may walk +to the world’s end, and find none. But, as I said, some there are, and +so there has been in every age of the church, great sinners, that have +had much forgiven them; and they love much upon this account. + +Jesus Christ therefore knows what he doth, when he lays hold on the +hearts of sinners of the biggest size. He knows that such an one will +love more than many that have not sinned half their sins. + +I will tell you a story that I have read of Martha and Mary; the name of +the book I have forgot; I mean of the book in which I found the relation; +but the thing was thus: Martha, saith my author, was a very holy woman, +much like Lazarus her brother; but Mary was a loose and wanton creature; +Martha did seldom miss good sermons and lectures, when she could come at +them in Jerusalem; but Mary would frequent the house of sports, and the +company of the vilest of men for lust: And though Martha had often +desired that her sister would go with her to hear her preachers, yea, had +often entreated her with tears to do it, yet could she never prevail; for +still Mary would make her excuse, or reject her with disdain for her zeal +and preciseness in religion. + +After Martha had waited long, tried many ways to bring her sister to +good, and all proved ineffectual, at last she comes upon her thus: +“Sister,” quoth she, “I pray thee go with me to the temple to-day, to +hear one preach a sermon.” “What kind of preacher is he?” said she. +Martha replied, “It is one Jesus of Nazareth; he is the handsomest man +that ever you saw with your eyes. Oh! he shines in beauty, and is a most +excellent preacher.” + +Now, what does Mary, after a little pause, but goes up into her chamber, +and with her pins and her clouts, decks up herself as fine as her fingers +could make her. + +This done, away she goes, not with her sister Martha, but as much +unobserved as she could, to the sermon, or rather to see the preacher. + +The hour and preacher being come, and she having observed whereabout the +preacher would stand, goes and sets herself so in the temple, that she +might be sure to have the full view of this excellent person. So he +comes in, and she looks, and the first glimpse of his person pleased her. +Well, Jesus addresseth himself to his sermon, and she looks earnestly on +him. + +Now, at that time, saith my author, Jesus preached about the lost sheep, +the lost groat, and the prodigal child. And when he came to shew what +care the shepherd took for one lost sheep, and how the woman swept to +find her piece which was lost, and what joy there was at their finding, +she began to be taken by the ears, and forgot what she came about, musing +what the preacher would make of it. But when he came to the application, +and shewed, that by the lost sheep was meant a great sinner; by the +shepherd’s care, was meant God’s love for great sinners; and that by the +joy of the neighbours, was shewed what joy there was among the angels in +heaven over one great sinner that repenteth; she began to be taken by the +heart. And as he spake these last words, she thought he pitched his +innocent eyes just upon her, and looked as if he spake what was now said +to her: wherefore her heart began to tremble, being shaken with affection +and fear; then her eyes ran down with tears apace; wherefore she was +forced to hide her face with her handkerchief; and so sat sobbing and +crying all the rest of the sermon. + +Sermon being done, up she gets, and away she goes, and withal inquired +where this Jesus the preacher dined that day? and one told her, At the +house of Simon the Pharisee. So away goes she, first to her chamber, and +there strips herself of her wanton attire: then falls upon her knees to +ask God forgiveness for all her wicked life. This done, in a modest +dress she goes to Simon’s house, where she finds Jesus sat at dinner. So +she gets behind him, and weeps, and drops her tears upon his feet like +rain, and washes them, and wipes them with the hair of her head. She +also kissed his feet with her lips, and anointed them with ointment. +When Simon the Pharisee perceived what the woman did, and being ignorant +of what it was to be forgiven much (for he never was forgiven more than +fifty pence), he began to think within himself, that he had been mistaken +about Jesus Christ, because he suffered such a sinner as this woman was, +to touch him. Surely, quoth he, this man, if he were a prophet, would +not let this woman come near him, for she is a town-sinner (so ignorant +are all self-righteous men of the way of Christ with sinners.) But lest +Mary should be discouraged with some clownish carriage of this Pharisee +and so desert her good beginnings, and her new steps which she now had +begun to take towards eternal life, Jesus began thus with Simon. +“Simon,” saith he, “I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, +Master, say on. There was,” said Jesus, “a certain creditor had two +debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when +they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore +which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose +that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly +judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this +woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; +but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of +her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came +in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not +anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I +say unto thee, Her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; +but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto +her, Thy sins are forgiven;” Luke vii. 36–50. + +Thus you have the story. If I come short in any circumstance, I beg +pardon of those that can correct me. It is three or four and twenty +years since I saw the book: yet I have, as far as my memory will admit, +given you the relation of the matter. However Luke, as you see, doth +here present you with the substance of the whole. + +Alas! Christ Jesus has but little thanks for the saving of little +sinners. “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” He gets +not water for his feet, by his saving of such sinners. There are +abundance of dry-eyed Christians in the world, and abundance of dry-eyed +duties too; duties that never were wetted with the tears of contrition +and repentance, nor ever sweetened with the great sinner’s box of +ointment. And the reason is, such sinners have not great sins to be +saved from; or if they have, they look upon them in the diminishing glass +of the holy law of God. But I rather believe, that the professors of our +days want a due sense of what they are; for, verily, for the generality +of them, both before and since conversion, they have been sinners of a +lusty size. But if their eyes be holden, if convictions are not shewn, +if their knowledge of their sins is but like to the eye-sight in +twilight; the heart cannot be affected with that grace that has laid hold +on the man; and so Christ Jesus sows much, and has little coming in. + +Wherefore his way is ofttimes to step out of the way, to Jericho, to +Samaria, to the country of the Gadarenes, to the coasts of Tyre and +Sidon, and also to Mount Calvary, that he may lay hold of such kind of +sinners as will love him to his liking; Luke xix. 1–11; John iv. 3–11; +Mark v. 1–21; Matt. xv. 21–29; Luke xxiii. 33–44. + +But thus much for the sixth reason, why Christ Jesus would have mercy +offered in the first place to the biggest sinners, to wit, because such +sinners, when converted, are apt to love him most. The Jerusalem sinners +were they that outstripped, when they were converted, in some things, all +the churches of the Gentiles. “They were of one heart, and of one soul, +neither said any of them, that aught of the things that they possessed +was their own.” “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as +many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the +price of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ +feet,” &c.; Acts iv. 32–35. Now, shew me such another pattern if you +can. But why did these do thus? Oh! they were Jerusalem sinners. These +were the men that but a little before had killed the Prince of Life; and +those to whom he did, that notwithstanding, send the first offer of grace +and mercy. And the sense of this took them up betwixt the earth and the +heaven, and carried them on in such ways and methods as could never be +trodden by any since. They talk of the church of Rome, and set her in +her primitive state, as a pattern and mother of churches; when the truth +is, they were the Jerusalem sinners, when converts, that out-did all the +churches that ever were. + +_Seventhly_, Christ Jesus would have mercy offered, in the first place, +to the biggest sinners; because grace when it is received by such, finds +matter to kindle upon more freely than it finds in other sinners. Great +sinners are like the dry wood, or like great candles, which burn best and +shine with biggest light. I lay not this down, as I did those reasons +before, to shew, that when great sinners are converted, they will be +encouragement to others, though that is true; but to shew that Christ has +a delight to see grace, the grace we receive, to shine. We love to see +things that bear a good gloss; yea, we choose to buy such kind of matter +to work upon, as will, if wrought up to what we intend, cast that lustre +that we desire. + +Candles that burn not bright, we like not: wood that is green will rather +smother, and sputter, and smoke, and crack, and flounce, than cast a +brave light and a pleasant heat: wherefore great folks care not much, not +so much for such kind of things, as for them that will better answer +their ends. + +Hence Christ desires the biggest sinner; in him there is matter to work +by, to wit, a great deal of sin; for as by the tallow of the candle, the +fire takes occasion to burn the brighter; so by the sin of the soul, +grace takes occasion to shine the clearer. Little candles shine but +little, for there wanteth matter for the fire to work upon; but in the +great sinner, here is more matter for grace to work by. Faith shines, +when it worketh towards Christ, through the sides of many and great +transgressors, and so does love, for that much is forgiven. And what +matter can be found in the soul for humility to work by so well, as by a +sight that I have been and am an abominable sinner? And the same is to +be said of patience, meekness, gentleness, self-denial, or of any other +grace. Grace takes occasion by the vileness of the man to shine the +more; even as by the ruggedness of a very strong distemper or disease, +the virtue of the medicine is best made manifest. Where sin abounds, +grace much more abounds; Rom. v. 20. A black string makes the neck look +whiter; great sins make grace burn clear. Some say, when grace and a +good nature meet together, they do make shining Christians: but I say, +when grace and a great sinner meet, and when grace shall subdue that +great sinner to itself, and shall operate after its kind in the soul of +that great sinner, then we have a shining Christian; witness all those of +whom mention was made before. + +Abraham was among the idolaters when in the land of Assyria, and served +idols with his kindred on the other side of the flood; Jos. xxiv. 2; Gen. +xi. 31. But who, when called, was there in the world, in whom grace +shone so bright as in him? + +The Thessalonians were idolaters before the word of God came to them; but +when they had received it, they became examples to all that did believe +in Macedonia and Achaia; 1 Thess. i. 6–10. + +God the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son, are for having things seen, for +having the word of life held forth. They light not a candle that it +might be put under a bushel, or under a bed, but on a candlestick, that +all that come in may see the light; Matt. v. 15; Mark iv. 21; Luke viii. +16; chap. xi. 33. + +And, I say, as I said before, in whom is light like so to shine, as in +the souls of great sinners? + +When the Jewish Pharisees dallied with the gospel, Christ threatened to +take it from them, and to give it to the barbarous heathens and +idolaters. Why so? For they, saith he, will bring forth the fruits +thereof in their season: “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God +shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits +thereof;” Matt. xxi. 41–43. + +I have often marvelled at our youth, and said in my heart, What should be +the reason that they should be so generally at this day debauched as they +are? For they are now profane to amazement; and sometimes I have thought +one thing, and sometimes another; that is, why God should suffer it so to +be. At last I have thought of this: How if the God, whose ways are past +finding out, should suffer it so to be now, that he might make of some of +them the more glorious saints hereafter. I know sin is of the devil, but +it cannot work in the world without permission: and if it happens to be +as I have thought, it will not be the first time that God the Lord hath +caught Satan in his own design. For my part, I believe that the time is +at hand, that we shall see better saints in the world than has been seen +in it this many a day. And this vileness, that at present does so much +swallow up our youth, is one cause of my thinking so: for out of them, +for from among them, when God sets to his hand, as of old, you shall see +what penitent ones, what trembling ones, and what admirers of grace, will +be found to profess the gospel to the glory of God by Christ. + +Alas! we are a company of worn-out Christians, our moon is in the wane; +we are much more black than white, more dark than light; we shine but a +little; grace in the most of us is decayed. But I say, when they of +these debauched ones that are to be saved shall be brought in, when these +that look more like devils than men shall be converted to Christ (and I +believe several of them will), then will Christ be exalted, grace adored, +the word prized, Zion’s path better trodden, and men in the pursuit of +their own salvation, to the amazement of them that are left behind. + +Just before Christ came into the flesh, the world was degenerated as it +is now: the generality of the men in Jerusalem, were become either high +and famous for hypocrisy, or filthy base in their lives. The devil also +was broke loose in a hideous manner, and had taken possession of many: +yea, I believe that there was never generation before nor since, that +could produce so many possessed with devils, deformed, lame, blind, and +infected with monstrous diseases, as that generation could. But what was +the reason thereof, I mean the reason from God? Why one (and we may sum +up more in that answer that Christ gave to his disciples concerning him +that was born blind) was, that the works of God might be made manifest in +them, and that the Son of God might be glorified thereby, John ix. 2, 3; +chap. xi. 4. + +Now if these devils and diseases, as they possessed men then, were to +make way and work for an approaching Christ in person, and for the +declaring of his power, why may we not think that now, even now also, he +is ready to come by his Spirit in the gospel to heal many of the +debaucheries of our age? I cannot believe that grace will take them all, +for there are but few that are saved; but yet it will take some, even +some of the worst of men, and make blessed ones of them. But, O how +these ringleaders in vice will then shine in virtue! They will be the +very pillars in churches, they will be as an ensign in the land. “The +Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: +for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon +his land;” Zech. ix. 16. But who are these? Even idolatrous Ephraim, +and backsliding Judah; ver. 13. + +I know there is ground to fear, that the iniquity of this generation will +be pursued with heavy judgments: but that will not hinder what we have +supposed. God took him a glorious church out of bloody Jerusalem, yea, +out of the chief of the sinners there, and left the rest to be taken and +spoiled, and sold, thirty for a penny, in the nations where they were +captives. The gospel working gloriously in a place, to the seizing upon +many of the ringleading sinners thereof, promiseth no security to the +rest, but rather threateneth them with the heaviest and smartest +judgments; as in the instance now given, we have a full demonstration; +but in defending, the Lord will defend his people; and in saving, he will +save his inheritance. + +Nor does this speak any great comfort to a decayed and backsliding sort +of Christians; for the next time God rides post with his gospel, he will +leave such Christians behind him. But I say, Christ is resolved to set +up his light in the world; yea, he is delighted to see his graces shine; +and therefore he commands that his gospel should to that end be offered, +in the first place, to the biggest sinners; for by great sins it shineth +most; therefore he saith, “Begin at Jerusalem.” + +_Eighthly_, and lastly, Christ Jesus will have mercy to be offered in the +first place to the biggest sinners; for that by that means the impenitent +that are left behind will be at the judgment the more left without +excuse. + +God’s word has two edges; it can cut back-stroke and fore-stroke: if it +doth thee no good, it will do thee hurt; it is the savour of life unto +life to those that receive it, but of death unto death to them that +refuse it; 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. But this is not all; the tender of grace +to the biggest sinners in the first place, will not only leave the rest, +or those that refuse it, in a deplorable condition, but will also stop +their mouths, and cut off all pretence to excuse at that day. “If I had +not come and spoken unto them,” saith Christ, “they had not had sin; but +now they have no cloak for their sin,” for their sin of persevering in +impenitence; Job xv. 22. + +But what did he speak to them? Why, even that which I have told you; to +wit, That he has in special a delight in saving the biggest sinners. He +spake this in the way of his doctrine; he spake this in the way of his +practice, even to the pouring out of his last breath before them; Luke +xxiii. 34. + +Now, since this is so, what can the condemned at the judgment say for +themselves, why sentence of death should not be passed upon them? I say, +what excuse can they make for themselves, when they shall be asked why +they did not in the day of salvation come to Christ to be saved? Will +they have ground to say to the Lord, Thou wast only for saving of little +sinners; and therefore because they were great ones, they durst not come +unto him? or that thou hadst not compassion for the biggest sinners, +therefore I died in despair? Will these be excuses for them, as the case +now standeth with them? Is there not every where in God’s book a flat +contradiction to this, in multitudes of promises, of invitations, of +examples, and the like? Alas, alas! there will then be there millions of +souls to confute this plea; ready, I say, to stand up, and say, O! +deceived world, heaven swarms with such, as were, when they were in the +world, to the full as bad as you. + +Now, this will kill all plea or excuse, why they should perish in their +sins; yea, the text says, they shall see them there. “There shall be +weeping, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the +prophets in the kingdom of heaven, and you yourselves thrust out. And +they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and +from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God;” Luke xiii. 28, +29. Out of which company it is easy to pick such as sometimes were as +bad people as any that now breathe on the face of the earth. What think +you of the first man, by whose sins there are millions now in hell? And +so I may say, What think you of ten thousand more besides? + +But if the world will not stifle and gag them up (I speak now for +amplification’s sake), the view of those who are saved shall. + +There comes an incestuous person to the bar, and pleads, That the bigness +of his sins was a bar to his receiving the promise. But will not his +mouth be stopped as to that, when Lot and the incestuous Corinthian shall +be set before him; Gen. xix. 33–37; 1 Cor. v. 1, 2. + +There comes a thief, and says, Lord, my sin of theft, I thought, was such +as could not be pardoned by thee! But when he shall see the thief that +was saved on the cross stand by, as clothed with beauteous glory, what +further can he be able to object? Yea, the Lord will produce ten +thousand of his saints at his coming, who shall after this manner execute +judgment upon all, and so convince all that are ungodly among them, of +all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. +And these are hard speeches against him, to say that he was not able or +willing to save men, because of the greatness of their sins, or to say +that they were discouraged by his word from repentance, because of the +heinousness of their offences. + +These things, I say, shall then be confuted: he comes with ten thousand +of his saints to confute them, and to stop their mouths from making +objections against their own eternal damnation. + +Here is Adam, the destroyer of the world; here is Lot, that lay with both +his daughters; here is Abraham, that was sometime an idolater, and Jacob, +that was a supplanter, and Reuben, that lay with his father’s concubine, +and Judah that lay with his daughter-in-law, and Levi and Simeon that +wickedly slew thee Shechemites, and Aaron that great backslider, and +Manassah that man of blood and that made an idol to be worshipped, and +that proclaimed a religious feast unto it. Here is also Rachab the +harlot, and Bathsheba that bare a bastard to David. Here is Solomon a +witch. Time would fail me to tell you of the woman of Canaan’s daughter, +Magdalen, of Matthew the publican, and of Gideon and Sampson, and many +thousands more. + +Alas! alas! I say, what will these sinners do, that have, through their +unbelief, eclipsed the glorious largeness of the mercy of God, and gave +way to despair of salvation, because of the bigness of their sins? + +For all these, though now glorious saints in light, were sometimes +sinners of the biggest size, who had sins that were of a notorious hue; +yet now, I say, they are in their shining and heavenly robes before the +throne of God and of the Lamb, blessing for ever and ever that Son of God +for their salvation, who died for them upon the tree; admiring that ever +it should come into their hearts once to think of coming to God by +Christ; but above all, blessing God for granting of them light to see +those encouragements in his testament; without which, without doubt, they +had been daunted and sunk down under guilt of sin and despair, as their +fellow-sinners have done. + +But now they also are witnesses for God, and for his grace against an +unbelieving world; for, as I said, they shall come to convince the world +of their speeches, their hard and unbelieving words, that they have +spoken concerning the mercy of God, and the merits of the passion of his +blessed Son Jesus Christ. + +But will it not, think you, strangely put to silence all such thoughts, +and words, and reasonings of the ungodly before the bar of God? +Doubtless it will; yea and will send them away from his presence also, +with the greatest guilt that possibly can fasten upon the consciences of +men. + +For what will sting like this?—I have, through mine own foolish, narrow, +unworthy, undervaluing thoughts, of the love and ability of Christ to +save me, brought myself to everlasting ruin. It is true, I was a +horrible sinner; not one in a hundred did live so vile a life as I: but +this should not have kept me from closing with Jesus Christ: I see now +that there are abundance in glory that once were as bad as I have been: +but they were saved by faith, and I am damned by unbelief. + +Wretch that I am! why did not I give glory to the redeeming blood of +Jesus? Why did I not humbly cast my soul at his blessed footstool for +mercy? Why did I judge of his ability to save me by the voice of my +shallow reason, and the voice of a guilty conscience? Why betook not I +myself to the holy word of God? Why did I not read and pray that I might +understand, since now I perceive that God said then, he giveth liberally +to them that pray, and upbraideth not; Jam. i. 5. + +It is rational to think, that by such cogitations as these the +unbelieving world will be torn in pieces before the judgment of Christ; +especially those that have lived where they did or might have heard the +gospel of the grace of God. Oh! that saying, “It shall be more tolerable +for Sodom at the judgment than for them,” will be better understood. See +Luke x. 8–12. + +This reason, therefore, standeth fast; namely, that Christ, by offering +mercy in the first place to the biggest sinner now, will stop all mouths +of the impenitent at the day of judgment, and cut off all excuse that +shall be attempted to be made (from the thoughts of the greatness of +their sins) why they came not to him. + +I have often thought of the day of judgment, and how God will deal with +sinners at that day; and I believe it will be managed with that +sweetness, with that equitableness, with that excellent righteousness, as +to every sin, and circumstance, and aggravation thereof; that men that +are damned, before the judgment is over shall receive such conviction of +the righteous judgment of God upon them, and of their deserts of +hell-fire, that they shall in themselves conclude that there is all the +reason in the world that they should be shut out of heaven, and go to +hell-fire: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment;” Matt. xxv. +46. + +Only this will tear them, that they have missed of mercy and glory, and +obtained everlasting damnation through their unbelief; but it will tear +but themselves, but their own souls; they will gnash upon themselves; for +in that mercy was offered to the chief of them in the first place, and +yet they were damned for rejecting of it; they were damned for forsaking +what they had a sort of propriety in; for forsaking their own mercy. + +And thus much for the reasons. I will conclude with a word of +application. + + + + +THE APPLICATION. + + +_First_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to the +biggest sinners? then this shews us how to make a right judgment of the +heart of Christ to men. Indeed we have advantage to guess at the +goodness of his heart, by many things; as by his taking our nature upon +him, his dying for us, his sending his word and ministers to us, and all +that we might be saved. But this of beginning to offer mercy to +Jerusalem, is that which heightens all the rest; for this doth not only +confirm to us, that love was the cause of his dying for us, but it shews +us yet more the depth of that love. He might have died for us, and yet +have extended the benefit of his death to a few, as one might call them, +of the best conditioned sinners, to those who, though they were weak, and +could not but sin, yet made not a trade of sinning; to those that sinned +not lavishingly. There are in the world, as one may call them, the +moderate sinners; the sinners that mix righteousness with their +pollutions; the sinners that though they be sinners, do what on their +part lies (some that are blind would think so) that they might be saved. +I say, it had been love, great love, if he had died for none but such, +and sent his love to such: but that he should send out conditions of +peace to the biggest of sinners; yea, that they should be offered to them +first of all; (for so he means when he says, “Begin at Jerusalem;”) this +is wonderful! this shews his heart to purpose, as also the heart of God +his Father, who sent him to do thus. + +There is nothing more incident to men that are awake in their souls, than +to have wrong thoughts of God; thoughts that are narrow, and that pinch +and pen up his mercy to scanty and beggarly conclusions, and rigid legal +conditions; supposing that it is rude, and an intrenching upon his +majesty, to come ourselves, or to invite others, until we have scraped +and washed, and rubbed off as much of our dirt from us as we think is +convenient, to make us somewhat orderly and handsome in his sight. Such +never knew what these words meant, “Begin at Jerusalem:” yea, such in +their hearts have compared the Father and his Son to niggardly rich men, +whose money comes from them like drops of blood. True, says such, God +has mercy, but he is loath to part with it; you must please him well, if +you get any from him; he is not so free as many suppose, nor is he so +willing to save as some pretended gospellers imagine. But I ask such, if +the Father and Son be not unspeakably free to shew mercy, why was this +clause put into our commission to preach the gospel? Yea, why did he +say, “Begin at Jerusalem:” for when men, through the weakness of their +wits, have attempted to shew other reasons why they should have the first +proffer of mercy; yet I can prove (by many undeniable reasons) that they +of Jerusalem (to whom the apostles made the first offer, according as +they were commanded) were the biggest sinners that ever did breathe upon +the face of God’s earth, (set the unpardonable sin aside), upon which my +doctrine stands like a rock, that Jesus the Son of God would have mercy +in the first place offered to the biggest sinners: and if this doth not +shew the heart of the Father and the Son to be infinitely free in +bestowing forgiveness of sins, I confess myself mistaken. + +Neither is there, set this aside, another argument like it, to shew us +the willingness of Christ to save sinners; for, as was said before, all +the rest of the signs of Christ’s mercifulness might have been limited to +sinners that are so and so qualified; but when he says, “Begin at +Jerusalem,” the line is stretched out to the utmost: no man can imagine +beyond it; and it is folly here to pinch and pare, to narrow, and seek to +bring it within scanty bounds; for he plainly saith, “Begin at +Jerusalem,” the biggest sinner is the biggest sinner; the biggest is the +Jerusalem sinner. + +It is true, he saith, that repentance and remission of sins must go +together, but yet remission is sent to the chief, the Jerusalem sinner; +nor doth repentance lessen at all the Jerusalem sinner’s crimes; it +diminisheth none of his sins, nor causes that there should be so much as +half a one the fewer: it only puts a stop to the Jerusalem sinner’s +course, and makes him willing to be saved freely by grace; and for time +to come to be governed by that blessed word that has brought the tidings +of good things to him. + +Besides, no man shews himself willing to be saved that repenteth not of +his deeds; for he that goes on still in his trespasses, declares that he +is resolved to pursue his own damnation further. + +Learn then to judge of the largeness of God’s heart, and of the heart of +his Son Jesus Christ, by the word; judge not thereof by feeling, nor by +the reports of thy conscience; conscience is oftentimes here befooled and +made to go quite beside the word. It was judging without the word that +made David say, I am cast off from God’s eyes, and shall perish one day +by the hand of Saul; Psalm xxxi. 22; 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. + +The word had told him another thing; namely, that he should be king in +his stead. Our text says also, that Jesus Christ bids preachers, in +their preaching repentance and remission of sins, begin first at +Jerusalem, thereby declaring most truly the infinite largeness of the +merciful heart of God and his Son, to the sinful children of men. + +Judge thou, I say, therefore, of the goodness of the heart of God and his +Son, by this text, and by others of the same import; so shalt thou not +dishonour the grace of God, nor needlessly fright thyself, nor give away +thy faith, nor gratify the devil, nor lose the benefit of his word. I +speak now to weak believers. + +_Secondly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem sinners? then, by this also, you +must learn to judge of the sufficiency of the merits of Christ; not that +the merits of Christ can be comprehended, for that they are beyond the +conceptions of the whole world, being called the unsearchable riches of +Christ; but yet they may be apprehended to a considerable degree. Now, +the way to apprehend them most, is, to consider what offers, after his +resurrection, he makes of his grace to sinners; for to be sure he will +not offer beyond the virtue of his merits; because, as grace is the cause +of his merits, so his merits are the basis and bounds upon and by which +his grace stands good, and is let out to sinners. + +Doth he then command that his mercy should be offered in the first place +to the biggest sinners? It declares, that there is sufficiency in his +blood to save the biggest sinners. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth +from all sin. And again, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and +brethren, that through this man (this man’s merits) is preached unto you +the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from +all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses;” +Acts xiii. 38. + +Observe then thy rule to make judgment of the sufficiency of the blessed +merits of thy Saviour. If he had not been able to have reconciled the +biggest sinners to his Father by his blood, he would not have sent to +them, have sent to them in the first place, the doctrine of remission of +sins; for remission of sins is through faith in his blood. We are +justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in +the blood of Christ. Upon the square, as I may call it, of the +worthiness of the blood of Christ, grace acts, and offers forgiveness of +sin to men; Eph. i. 7; chap. ii. 13, 14; Col. i. 20–22. + +Hence, therefore, we must gather, that the blood of Christ is of infinite +value, for that he offereth mercy to the biggest of sinners. Nay, +further, since he offereth mercy in the first place to the biggest +sinners, considering also, that this first act of his is that which the +world will take notice of and expect it should be continued unto thee +end. Also it is a disparagement to a man that seeks his own glory in +what he undertakes, to do that for a sport, which he cannot continue and +hold out in. This is our Lord’s own argument, “He began to build,” saith +he, “but was not able to finish;” Luke xiv. 28. + +Shouldst thou hear a man say, I am resolved to be kind to the poor, and +should begin with giving handfuls of guineas, you would conclude, that +either he is wonderful rich, or must straiten his hand, or will soon be +at the bottom of his riches. Why, this is the case: Christ, at his +resurrection, gave it out that he would be good to the world; and first +sends to the biggest sinners, with an intent to have mercy on them. Now, +the biggest sinners cannot be saved but by abundance of grace; it is not +a little that will save great sinners; Rom. v. 17. And I say again, +since the Lord Jesus mounts thus high at the first, and sends to the +Jerusalem sinners, that they may come first to partake of his mercy, it +follows, that either he has unsearchable riches of grace and worth in +himself, or else he must straiten his hand, or his grace and merits will +be spent before the world is at an end. But let it be believed, as +surely as spoken, he is still as full as ever. He is not a jot the +poorer for all the forgivenesses that he has given away to great sinners. +Also he is still as free as at first; for he never yet called back this +word, Begin at the Jerusalem sinners. And, as I said before, since his +grace is extended according to the worth of his merits, I conclude, that +there is the same virtue in his merits to save now, as there was at the +very beginning. + +Oh! the riches of the grace of Christ! Oh! the riches of the blood of +Christ! + +_Thirdly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners, then here is encouragement for you that think, for +wicked hearts and lives, you have not your fellows in the world, yet to +come to him. + +There is a people that therefore fear lest they should be rejected of +Jesus Christ, because of the greatness of their sins; when, as you see +here, such are sent to, sent to by Jesus Christ to come to him for mercy, +“Begin at Jerusalem.” Never did one thing answer another more fitly in +this world, than this text fitteth such kind of sinners. As face +answereth face in a glass, so this text answereth the necessities of such +sinners. What can a man say more, but that he stands in the rank of the +biggest sinners? let him stretch himself whither he can, and think of +himself to the utmost, he can but conclude himself to be one of the +biggest sinners. And what then? Why the text meets him in the very +face, and saith, Christ offereth mercy to the biggest sinners, to the +very Jerusalem sinners. What more can be objected? Nay, he doth not +only offer to such his mercy, but to them it is commanded to be offered +in the first place; “Begin at Jerusalem.” Preach repentance and +remission of sins among all nations. “Begin at Jerusalem.” Is not here +encouragement for those that think, for wicked hearts and lives, they +have not their fellows in the world? + +_Object_. But I have a heart as hard as a rock. + +_Answ_. Well, but this doth but prove thee a bigger sinner. + +_Object_. But my heart continually frets against the Lord. + +_Answ_. Well, this doth but prove thee a bigger sinner. + +_Object_. But I have been desperate in sinful courses. + +_Answ_. Well, stand thou with the number of the biggest sinners. + +_Object_. But my grey head is found in the way of wickedness. + +_Answ_. Well, thou art in the rank of the biggest sinners. + +_Object_. But I have not only a base heart, but I have lived a debauched +life. + +_Answ_. Stand thou also among those that are called the biggest sinners. +And what then? Why the text swoops you all; you cannot object yourselves +beyond the text. It has a particular message to the biggest sinners. I +say, it swoops you all. + +_Object_. But I am a reprobate. + +_Answ_. Now thou talkest like a fool, and of that thou understandest +not: no sin, but the sin of final impenitence, can prove a man a +reprobate; and I am sure thou hast not arrived as yet unto that; +therefore thou understandest not what thou sayest, and makest groundless +conclusions against thyself. Say thou art a sinner, and I will hold with +thee; say thou art a great sinner, and I will say so too; yea, say thou +art one of the biggest sinners, and spare not; for the text yet is beyond +thee, is yet betwixt he and thee; “Begin at Jerusalem,” has yet a smile +upon thee; and thou talkest as if thou wast a reprobate, and that the +greatness of thy sins do prove thee so to be, when yet they of Jerusalem +were not such, whose sins, I dare say, were such, both for bigness and +heineousness, as thou art incapable of committing beyond them; unless +now, after thou hast received conviction that the Lord Jesus is the only +Saviour of the world, thou shouldst wickedly and despitefully turn +thyself from him, and conclude he is not to be trusted to for life, and +so crucify him for a cheat afresh. This, I must confess, will bring a +man under the black rod, and set him in danger of eternal damnation; Heb. +vi. 6: chap. x. 29. This is trampling under foot the Son of God, and +counting his blood an unholy thing. This did they of Jerusalem; but they +did it ignorantly in unbelief; and so were yet capable of mercy: but to +do this against professed light, and to stand to it, puts a man beyond +the text indeed; Acts iii. 14–17; 1 Tim. i. 13. + +But I say, what is this to him that would fain be saved by Christ? His +sins did, as to greatness, never yet reach to the nature of the sins that +the sinners intended by the text, had made themselves guilty of. He that +would be saved by Christ, has an honourable esteem of him; but they of +Jerusalem preferred a murderer before him; but as for him, they cried, +Away, away with him, it is not fit that he should live. Perhaps thou +wilt object, That thyself hast a thousand times preferred a stinking lust +before him: I answer, Be it so; it is but what is common to men to do; +nor doth the Lord Jesus make such a foolish life a bar to thee, to forbid +thy coming to him, or a bond to his grace, that it might be kept from +thee; but admits of thy repentance, and offereth himself unto thee +freely, as thou standest among the Jerusalem sinners. + +Take therefore encouragement, man, mercy is, by the text, held forth to +the biggest sinners; yea, put thyself into the number of the worst, by +reckoning that thou mayst be one of the first, and mayst not be put off +till the biggest sinners are served; for the biggest sinners are first +invited; consequently, if they come, they are like to be the first that +shall be served. It was so with Jerusalem; Jerusalem sinners were they +that were first invited, and those of them that came first (and there +came three thousand of them the first day they were invited; how many +came afterwards none can tell), they were first served. + +Put in thy name, man, among the biggest, lest thou art made to wait till +they are served. You have some men that think themselves very cunning, +because they put up their names in their prayers among them that feign +it, saying, God, I thank thee I am not so bad as the worst. But believe +it, if they be saved at all, they shall be saved in the last place. The +first in their own eyes shall be served last; and the last or worst shall +be first. The text insinuates it, “Begin at Jerusalem;” and reason backs +it, for they have most need. Behold ye, therefore, how God’s ways are +above ours; we are for serving the worst last, God is for serving the +worst first. The man at the pool, that to my thinking was longest in his +disease, and most helpless as to his cure, was first healed; yea, he only +was healed; for we read that Christ healed him, but we read not then that +he healed one more there! John v. 1–10. + +Wherefore, if thou wouldst soonest be served, put in thy name among the +very worst of sinners. Say, when thou art upon thy knees, Lord, here is +a Jerusalem sinner! a sinner of the biggest size! one whose burden is of +the greatest bulk and heaviest weight! one that cannot stand long without +sinking into hell, without thy supporting hand! “Be not thou far from +me, O Lord! O my strength, haste thou to help me!” + +I say, put in thy name with Magdalen, with Manasseh, that thou mayst fare +as the Magdalen and the Manasseh sinners do. The man in the gospel made +the desperate condition of his child an argument with Christ to haste his +cure: “Sir, come down,” saith he, “ere my child die;” John iv. 49, and +Christ regarded his haste, saying, “Go thy way; thy son liveth;” ver. 50. +Haste requires haste. David was for speed; “Deliver me speedily;” “Hear +me speedily;” “Answer me speedily;” Psalm xxxi. 2; lxix. 17; cii. 2. But +why speedily? I am in “the net;” “I am in trouble;” “My days are +consumed like smoke;” Psalm xxxi. 4; lxix. 17; cii. 3. Deep calleth unto +deep, necessity calls for help; great necessity for present help. + +Wherefore, I say, be ruled by me in this matter; feign not thyself +another man, if thou hast been a filthy sinner, but go in thy colours to +Jesus Christ, and put thyself among the most vile, and let him alone to +put thee among the children; Jer. iii. 19. Confess all that thou knowest +of thyself; I know thou wilt find it hard work to do thus; especially if +thy mind be legal; but do it, lest thou stay and be deferred with the +little sinners, until the great ones have had their alms. What do you +think David intended when he said, his wounds stunk and were corrupted, +but to hasten God to have mercy upon him, and not to defer his cure? +“Lord,” says he, “I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning +all the day long.” “I am feeble and sore broken, by reason of the +disquietness of my heart;” Psalm xxxviii. 3–8. + +David knew what he did by all this; he knew that his making the worst of +his case, was the way to speedy help, and that a feigning and dissembling +the matter with God, was the next way to a demur as to his forgiveness. + +I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement, who deemest thyself +one of the biggest sinners; and that is, thou art as it were called by +thy name, in the first place, to come in for mercy. Thou man of +Jerusalem, hearken to thy call; men do so in courts of judicature, and +presently cry out, Here, Sir; and then they shoulder and crowd, and say, +Pray give way, I am called into the court. Why, this thy case, thou +great, thou Jerusalem sinner; be of good cheer, he calleth thee; Mark x. +46–49. Why sitttest thou still? arise: why standest thou still? come +man, thy call should give thee authority to come. “Begin at Jerusalem,” +is thy call and authority to come; wherefore up and shoulder it, man; +say, Stand away, devil, Christ calls me; stand away unbelief, Christ +calls me; stand away all ye my discouraging apprehensions, for my Saviour +calls me to him to receive of his mercy. Men will do thus, as I said, in +courts below; and why shouldst not thou approach thus to the court above? +The Jerusalem sinner is first in thought, first in commission, first in +the record of names; and therefore should give attendance with +expectation, that he is first to receive mercy of God. + +Is not this an encouragement to the biggest sinners to make their +application to Christ for mercy? “Come unto me all ye that labour and are +heavy laden,” doth also confirm this thing; that is, that the biggest +sinner, and he that has the biggest burden, is he who is first invited. +Christ pointeth over the heads of thousands, as he sits on the throne of +grace, directly to such a man; and says, Bring in hither the maimed, the +halt, and the blind; let the Jerusalem sinner that stands there behind +come to me. Wherefore, since Christ says, Come, to thee, let thee angels +make a lane, and let all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may +come to Jesus Christ for mercy. + +_Fourthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place, to +the biggest sinners? Then come thou profane wretch, and let me a little +enter into an argument with thee. Why wilt thou not come to Jesus +Christ, since thou art a Jerusalem sinner? How canst thou find in thy +heart to set thyself against grace, against such grace as offereth mercy +to thee? What spirit possesseth thee, and holds thee back from a sincere +closure with thy Saviour? Behold God groaningly complains of thee, +saying, “But Israel would none of me.” “When I called, none did answer;” +Psl. lxxxi. 11; Isa. lxvi. 4. + +Shall God enter this complaint against thee? Why dost thou put him off? +Why dost thou stop thine ear? Canst thou defend thyself? When thou art +called to an account for thy neglects of so great salvation, what canst +thou answer? or doest thou think thou shalt escape the judgment? Heb. +ii. 3. + +No more such Christs! There will be no more such Christs, sinner! Oh, +put not the day, the day of grace, away from thee! if it be once gone, it +will never come again, sinner. + +But what is it that has got thy heart, and that keeps it from thy +Saviour? “Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the +sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?” Psl. lxxxix. 6. Hast +thou, thinkest thou, found anything so good as Jesus Christ? + +Is there any among thy sins, thy companions, and foolish delights, that +like Christ can help thee in the day of thy distress? Behold, the +greatness of thy sins cannot hinder; let not the stubbornness of thy +heart hinder thee, sinner. + +_Object_. But I am ashamed. + +_Answ_. Oh! Do not be ashamed to be saved, sinner. + +_Object_. But my old companions will mock me. + +_Answ_. Oh! Do not be mocked out of eternal life, sinner. + +Thy stubbornness affects, afflicts the heart of thy Saviour. Carest thou +not for this? Of old he beheld the city, and wept over it. Canst thou +hear this, and not be concerned? Luke xix. 41, 42. Shall Christ weep to +see thy soul going on to destruction, and wilt thou sport thyself in that +way? Yea, shall Christ, that can be eternally happy without thee, be +more afflicted at the thoughts of the loss of thy soul, than thyself, who +art certainly eternally miserable if thou neglectest to come to him. + +Those things that keep thee and thy Saviour, on thy part asunder, are but +bubbles; the least prick of an affliction will let out, as to thee, what +now thou thinkest is worth the venture of heaven to enjoy. + +Hast thou not reason? Canst thou not so much as once soberly think of +thy dying hour, or of whither thy sinful life will drive thee then? Hast +thou no conscience? or having one, is it rocked so fast asleep by sin, or +made so weary with an unsuccessful calling upon thee, that it is laid +down, and cares for thee no more? Poor man! thy state is to be lamented. +Hast no judgment? Art not able to conclude, that to be saved is better +than to burn in hell? and that eternal life, with God’s favour, is better +than a temporal life in God’s displeasure? Hast no affection but what is +brutish? what, none at all? no affection for the God that made thee? +what! none for his loving Son that has shewed his love, and died for +thee? Is not heaven worth thy affection? O poor man! which is strongest +thinkest thou, God or thee? If thou art not able to overcome him, thou +art a fool for standing out against him; Matt. v. 25, 26. “It is a +fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” He will gripe +hard; his fist is stronger than a lion’s paw; take heed of him, he will +be angry if you despise his Son; and will you stand guilty in your +trespasses, when he offereth you his grace and favour? Exod. xxxiv. 6, +7; Heb. x. 29–31. + +Now we come to the text, “Beginning at Jerusalem.” This text, though it +be now one of the brightest stars that shineth in the Bible, because +there is in it, as full, if not the fullest offer of grace that can be +imagined, to the sons of men; yet to them that shall perish from under +this word, even this text will be to such, one of the hottest coals in +hell. + +This text, therefore, will save thee or sink thee: there is no shifting +of it: if it saves thee, it will set thee high; if it sinks thee, it will +set thee low. + +But, I say, why so unconcerned? Hast no soul? or dost think thou mayst +lose thy soul, and save thyself? Is it not pity, had it otherwise been +the will of God, that ever thou wast made a man, for that thou settest so +little by thy soul? + +Sinner, take the invitation; thou art called upon to come to Christ: nor +art thou called upon but by order from the Son of God though thou +shouldst happen to come of the biggest sinners; for he has bid us offer +mercy, as to all the world in general, so, in the first place, to the +sinners of Jerusalem, or to the biggest sinners. + +_Fifthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in thee first place, to +the biggest sinners? then this shews how unreasonable a thing it is for +men to despair of mercy: for those that presume, I shall say something to +them afterward. + +I now speak to them that despair. + +There are four sorts of despair. There is the despair of devils; there +is the despair of souls in hell; there is the despair that is grounded +upon men’s deficiency; and there is the despair that they are perplexed +with that are willing to be saved, but are too strongly borne down with +the burthen of their sins. + +The despair of devils, the damned’s despair, and that despair that a man +has of attaining of life because of his own deficiency, are all +unreasonable. Why should not devils and damned souls despair? yea, why +should not man despair of getting to heaven by his own abilities? I +therefore am concerned only with the fourth sort of despair, to wit, with +the despair of those that would be saved, but are too strongly borne down +with the burden of their sins. + +I say, therefore, to thee that art thus, And why despair? Thy despair, +if it were reasonable, should flow from thee, because found in the land +that is beyond the grave, or because thou certainly knowest that Christ +will not, or cannot save thee. + +But for the first, thou art yet in the land of the living; and for the +second, thou hast ground to believe the quite contrary; Christ is able to +save to the uttermost them that come to God by him; and if he were not +willing, he would not have commanded that mercy, in the first place, +should be offered to the biggest sinners. Besides, he hath said, “And +let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water +of life freely;” that is, with all my heart. What ground now is here for +despair? If thou sayst, The number and burden of my sins; I answer, Nay; +that is rather a ground for faith: because such an one, above all others, +is invited by Christ to come unto him, yea, promised rest and forgiveness +if they come; Matt. xi. 28. What ground then to despair? Verily none at +all. Thy despair then is a thing unreasonable and without footing in the +word. + +But I have no experience of God’s love; God hath given me no comfort, or +ground of hope, though I have waited upon him for it many a day. + +Thou hast experience of God’s love, for that he has opened thine eyes to +see thy sins: and for that he has given thee desires to be saved by Jesus +Christ. For by thy sense of sin thou art made to see thy poverty of +spirit, and that has laid thee under a sure ground to hope that heaven +shall be thine hereafter. + +Also thy desires to be saved by Christ, has put thee under another +promise, so there is two to hold thee up in them, though thy present +burden be never so heavy, Matt. v. 3, 6. As for what thou sayst, as to +God’s silence to thee, perhaps he has spoken to thee once or twice +already, but thou hast not perceived it; Job xxxiii. 14, 15. + +However, thou hast Christ crucified, set forth before thine eyes in the +Bible, and an invitation to come unto him, though thou be a Jerusalem +sinner, though thou be the biggest sinner; and so no ground to despair. +What, if God will be silent to thee, is that ground of despair? Not at +all, so long as there is a promise in the Bible that God will in no wise +cast away the coming sinner, and so long as he invites the Jerusalem +sinner to come unto him John vi. 37. + +Build not therefore despair upon these things; they are no sufficient +foundations for it, such plenty of promises being in the Bible, and such +a discovery of his mercy to great sinners of old; especially since we +have withal a clause in the commission given to ministers to preach, that +they should begin with the Jerusalem sinners in their offering of mercy +to the world. + +Besides, God says, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their +strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; but perhaps it may +be long first. “I waited long,” saith David, “and did seek the Lord;” +and at length his cry was heard: wherefore he bids his soul wait on God, +and says, For it is good so to do before thy saints; Psalm xl. 1; lxii. +5; lii. 9. + +And what if thou waitest upon God all thy days? Is it below thee? And +what if God will cross his book, and blot out the hand-writing that is +against thee, and not let thee know it as yet? Is it fit to say unto +God, Thou art hard-hearted? Despair not; thou hast no ground to despair, +so long as thou livest in this world. It is a sin to begin to despair +before one sets his foot over the threshold of hell-gates. For them that +are there, let them despair and spare not; but as for thee, thou hast no +ground to do it. What! despair of bread in a land that is full of corn! +despair of mercy when our God is full of mercy! despair of mercy, when +God goes about by his ministers, beseeching of sinners to be reconciled +unto him! 2 Cor. v. 18–20. + +Thou scrupulous fool, where canst thou find that God was ever false to +his promise, or that he ever deceived the soul that ventured itself upon +him? He often calls upon sinners to trust him, though they walk in +darkness, and have no light; Isa. 1. 10. + +They have his promise and oath for their salvation, that flee for refuge +to the hope set before them; Heb. vi. 17, 18. + +Despair! when we have a God of mercy, and a redeeming Christ alive! For +shame, forbear: let them despair that dwell where there is no God, and +that are confined to those chambers of death which can be reached by no +redemption. + +A living man despair when he is chid for murmuring and complaining! Lam. +iii. 39. Oh! so long as we are where promises swarm, where mercy is +proclaimed, where grace reigns, and where Jerusalem sinners are +privileged with the first offer of mercy, it is a base thing to despair. + +Despair undervalues the promise, undervalues the invitation, undervalues +the proffer of grace. Despair undervalues the ability of God the Father, +and the redeeming blood of Christ his Son. Oh unreasonable despair! + +Despair makes man God’s judge; it is a controller of the promise, a +contradicter of Christ in his large offers of mercy: and one that +undertakes to make unbelief the great manager of our reason and judgment, +in determining about what God can and will do for sinners. + +Despair! It is the devil’s fellow, the devil’s master; yea, the chains +with which he is captivated and held under darkness for ever: and to give +way thereto in a land, in a state and time that flows with milk and +honey, is an uncomely thing. + +I would say to my soul, O my soul! this is not the place of despair; this +is not the time to despair in: as long as mine eyes can find a promise in +the Bible, as long as there is the least mention of grace, as long as +there is a moment left me of breath or life in this world; so long will I +wait or look for mercy, so long will I fight against unbelief and +despair. + +This is the way to honour God and Christ; this is the way to set the +crown on the promise; this is the way to welcome the invitation and +inviter; and this is the way to thrust thyself under the shelter and +protection of the word of grace. Never despair so long as our text is +alive, for that doth sound it out,—that mercy by Christ is offered, in +the first place, to the biggest sinner. + +Despair is an unprofitable thing; it will make a man weary of waiting +upon God; 2 Kings vi. 33; it will make a man forsake God, and seek his +heaven in the good things of this world; Gen. iv. 13–18. It will make a +man his own tormentor, and flounce and fling like a wild bull in a net; +Isa. ii. 20. + +Despair! it drives a man to the study of his own ruin, and brings him at +last to be his own executioner; 2 Sam. xvii. 23; Matt. xxvii. 3–5. + +Besides, I am persuaded also, that despair is the cause that there are so +many that would fain be Atheists in the world: For because they have +entertained a conceit that God will never be merciful to them; therefore +they labour to persuade themselves that there is no God at all, as if +their misbelief would kill God, or cause him to cease to be. A poor +shift for an immortal soul, for a soul who liketh not to retain God in +its knowledge! If this be the best that despair can do, let it go, man, +and betake thyself to faith, to prayer, to wait for God, and to hope, in +despite of ten thousand doubts. And for thy encouragement, take yet (as +an addition to what has already been said) the following scripture; “The +Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his +mercy;” Psal. cxlvii. 11. + +Whence note, They fear not God, that hope not in his mercy: also God is +angry with them that hope not in his mercy: for he only taketh pleasure +in them that hope. He that believeth, or hath received his testimony, +“hath set to his seal that God is true,” John iii. 33; but he that +receiveth it not hath made him a liar, and that is a very unworthy thing; +1 John v. 10, 11. “Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous +man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy +on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly multiply pardons.” +Perhaps thou art weary of thy ways, but art not weary of thy thoughts, of +thy unbelieving and despairing thoughts; now, God also would have thee +cast away these thoughts, as such which he deserveth not at thy hands; +for he will have mercy upon thee, and he will abundantly pardon. + +“O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have +spoken!” Luke xxiv. 25. Mark you here, slowness to believe is a piece of +folly. Ay! but sayst thou, I do believe some, and I believe what can +make against me. Ay, but sinner, Christ Jesus here calls thee fool for +not believing all. Believe all, and despair if thou canst. He that +believes all, believes that text that saith, Christ would have mercy +preached first to the Jerusalem sinners. He that believeth all, +believeth all the promises and consolations of the word; and the promises +and consolations of the word weigh heavier than do all the curses and +threatenings of the law; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Wherefore +believe all, and mercy will to thy conscience weigh judgment down, and so +minister comfort to thy soul. The Lord take the yoke from off thy jaws, +since he has set meat before thee; Hos. xi. 4; and help thee to remember +that he is pleased in the first place to offer mercy to the biggest +sinners. + +_Sixthly_, Since Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place +to the biggest sinners, let souls see that they lay right hold thereof, +lest they, notwithstanding, indeed come short thereof. Faith only knows +how to deal with mercy; wherefore put not in the place thereof +presumption. I have observed, that as there are herbs and flowers in our +gardens, so there are their counterfeits in the field; only they are +distinguished from the other by the name of wild ones. Why, there is +faith, and wild faith; and wild faith is this presumption. I call it +wild faith, because God never placed it in his garden, his church; it is +only to be found in the field, the world. I also call it wild faith, +because it only grows up and is nourished where other wild notions +abound. Wherefore take heed of this, and all may be well; for this +presumuptuousness is a very heinous thing in the eyes of God: “The soul,” +saith he, “that doeth ought presumptuously (whether he be born in the +land, or a stranger), the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall +be cut off from among his people;” Numb. xv. 30. + +The thoughts of this made David tremble, and pray that God would hold him +back from presumptuous sins, and not suffer them to have dominion over +him; Psal. xix. 13. + +Now this presumption, then, puts itself in the place of faith, when it +tampereth with the promise for life, while the soul is a stranger to +repentance. Wherefore you have in the text, to prevent doing thus, both +repentance and remission of sins to be offered to Jerusalem; not +remission without repentance: for all that repent not shall perish, let +them presume on grace and the promise while they will; Luke xiii. 1–3. + +Presumption, then, is that which severeth faith and repentance, +concluding, that the soul shall be saved by grace, though the man was +never made sorry for his sins, nor the love of the heart turned +therefrom. This is to be self-willed, as Peter has it; and this is a +despising the word of the Lord, for that has put repentance and faith +together; Mark i. 15. And “because he hath despised the word of the +Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut +off: his iniquity shall be upon him.” Numb. xv. 31. + +Let such therefore look to it, who yet are, and abide in their sins; for +such, if they hope, as they are, to be saved, presume upon the grace of +God. Wherefore presumption and not hearkening to God’s word are put +together; Deut. xvii. 12. + +Again, Then men presume when they are resolved to abide in their sins, +and yet expect to be saved by God’s grace through Christ. This is as +much as to say, God liketh sin as well as I do, and careth not how men +live, if so be they lean upon his Son. Of this sort are they that build +up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity; that judge for reward, +and teach for hire, and divine for money, and lean upon the Lord; Mic. +iii. 10, 11. This is doing things with an high hand against the Lord our +God, and a taking him, as it were, at the catch. This is, as we say +among men, to seek to put a trick upon God, as if he had not sufficiently +fortified his proposals of grace by his holy word, against all such kind +of fools as these. But look to it. + +Such will be found at the day of God, not among that great company of +Jerusalem sinners that shall be saved by grace, but among those that have +been the great abusers of the grace of God in the world. Those that say, +Let us sin that grace may abound, and let us do evil that good may come, +their damnation is just. And if so, they are a great way off of that +salvation that is by Jesus Christ presented to the Jerusalem sinners. + +I have therefore these things to propound to that Jerusalem sinner that +would know, if he may be so bold as to venture himself upon this grace. + +_First_, Dost thou see thy sins? + +_Secondly_, Art thou weary of them? + +_Thirdly_, Wouldst thou with all thy heart be saved by Jesus Christ? I +dare say no less, I dare say no more. But if it be truly thus with thee, +how great soever thy sins have been, how bad soever thou feelest thy +heart, how far soever thou art from thinking that God has mercy for +these: thou art the man, the Jerusalem sinner, that the Word of God has +conquered, and to whom it offereth free remission of sins, by the +redemption that is in Jesus Christ. + +When the jailor cried out, “Sirs, What must I do to be saved?” The +answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” +He that sees his sins aright, is brought to his wit’s end by them; and he +that is so, is willing to part from them, and to be saved by the grace of +God. + +If this be thy case, fear not, give no way to despair; thou presumest +not, if thou believest to life everlasting in Jesus Christ: yea, Christ +is prepared for such as thou art. + +Therefore take good courage and believe. The design of Satan is to tell +the presumptuous, that their presuming on mercy is good; but to persuade +the believer, that his believing is impudent bold dealing with God. I +never heard a presumptuous man in my life say that he was afraid that he +presumed; but I have heard many an honest humble soul say, that they have +been afraid that their faith has been presumption. Why should Satan +molest those whose ways he knows will bring them to him? And who can +think that he should be quiet when men take the right course to escape +his hellish snares? This, therefore, is the reason why the truly humbled +is opposed, while the presumptuous goes on by wind and tide. The truly +humble Satan hates, but he laughs to see the foolery of the other. + +Does thy hand and heart tremble? Upon thee the promise smiles. “To this +man will I look,” says God, “even to him that is poor, and of a contrite +spirit, and trembles at my word;” Isa. lxvi. 2. + +What, therefore, I have said of presumption concerns not the humble in +spirit at all. I therefore am for gathering up the stones, and for +taking the stumblingblocks out of the way of God’s people: and +forewarning of them that lay the stumblingblock of their iniquity before +their faces, and that are for presuming upon God’s mercy; and let them +look to themselves; Ezek. xiv. 6–8. + +Also our text stands firm as ever it did, and our observation is still of +force, that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners. So then let none despair, let none presume; let +none despair that are sorry for their sins, and would be saved by Jesus +Christ; let none presume that abide in the liking of their sins, though +they seem to know the exceeding grace of Christ; for though the door +stands wide open for the reception of the penitent, yet it is fast enough +barred and bolted against the presumptuous sinner. Be not deceived, God +is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that he shall reap. It cannot be +that God should be wheedled out of his mercy, or prevailed upon by lips +of dissimulation; he knows them that trust in him, and that sincerely +come to him by Christ for mercy; Nahum i. 7. + +It is then not the abundance of sins committed, but the not coming +heartily to God by Christ for mercy, that shuts men out of doors. And +though their not coming heartily may be said to be but a sin, yet it is +such a sin as causeth that all thy other sins abide upon thee unforgiven. + +God complains of this. “They have not cried unto me with their heart; +they turned, but not to the most High. They turned feignedly;” Jer. iii. +10; Hos. vii. 14, 16. + +Thus doing, his soul hates; but the penitent, humble, brokenhearted +sinner, be his transgressions red as scarlet, red like crimson, in number +as the sand; though his transgressions cry to heaven against him for +vengeance, and seem there to cry louder than do his prayers, or tears, or +groans for mercy, yet he is safe. To this man God will look; Isa. i. 18; +chap lxvi. 2. + +_Seventhly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners? Then here is ground for those that, as to practice, +have not been such, to come to him for mercy. + +Although there is no sin little of itself; because it is a contradiction +of the nature and majesty of God; yet we must admit of divers numbers, +and also of aggravations. Two sins are not so many as three; nor are +three that are done in ignorance so big as one that is done against +light, against knowledge and conscience. Also there is the child in sin, +and a man in sin that has his hairs gray, and his skin wrinkled for very +age. And we must put a difference betwixt these sinners also. For can +it be that a child of seven, or ten, or sixteen years old, should be such +a sinner—a sinner so vile in the eye of the law as he is who has walked +according to the course of this world, forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy +years? Now the youth, this stripling, though he is a sinner, is but a +little sinner, when compared with such. + +Now, I say, if there be room for the first sort, for those of the biggest +size, certainly there is room for the lesser size? If there be a door +wide enough for a giant to go in at, there is certainly room for a dwarf. +If Christ Jesus has grace enough to save great sinners, he has surely +grace enough to save little ones. If he can forgive five hundred pence, +for certain he can forgive fifty; Luke vii. 41, 42. + +But you said before, that the little sinners must stand by until the +great ones have received their grace, and that is discouraging! + +I answer, there are two sorts of little sinners, such as are so, and such +as feign themselves so. They are those that feign themselves so, that I +intended there, and not those that are indeed comparatively so. Such as +feign themselves so may wait long enough before they obtain forgiveness. + +But again, a sinner may be comparatively a little sinner, and sensibly a +great one. There are then two sorts of greatness in sin; greatness by +reason of number; greatness by reason of thoroughness of conviction of +the horrible nature of sin. In this last sense, he that has but one sin, +if such a one could be found, may in his own eyes find himself the +biggest sinner in the world. Let this man or this child therefore put +himself among the great sinners, and plead with God as great sinners do, +and expect to be saved with the great sinners, and as soon and as +heartily as they. + +Yea, a little sinner, that comparatively is truly so, if he shall +graciously give way to conviction, and shall in God’s light diligently +weigh the horrible nature of his own sins, may yet sooner obtain +forgiveness for them at the hands of the heavenly Father, than he that +has ten times his sins, and so cause to cry ten times harder to God for +mercy. + +For the grievousness of the cry is a great thing with God; for if he will +hear the widow, if she cries at all, how much more if she cries most +grievously? Exod. xxii. 22, 23. + +It is not the number, but the true sense of the abominable nature of sin, +that makes the cry for pardon lamentable. He, as I said, that has many +sins, may not cry so loud in the ears of God as he that has far fewer; +he, in our present sense, that is in his own eyes the biggest sinner, is +he that soonest findeth mercy. + +The offer then is to the biggest sinner; to the biggest sinner first, and +the mercy is first obtained by him that first confesseth himself to be +such an one. + +There are men that strive at the throne of grace for mercy, by pleading +the greatness of their necessity. Now their plea, as to the prevalency +of it, lieth not in the counting up of the number, but in the sense of +the greatness of their sins, and in the vehemency of their cry for +pardon. And it is observable, that though the birthright was Ruben’s, +and, for his foolishness, given to the sons of Joseph, yet Judah +prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the Messias; 1 Chron. v. 1, +2. + +There is a heavenly subtilty to be managed in this matter. “Thy brother +came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.” The blessing +belonged to Esau, but Jacob by his diligence made it his own; Gen. xxvii. +33. The offer is to the biggest sinner, to the biggest sinner first; but +if he forbear to cry, the sinner that is a sinner less by far than he, +both as to number and the nature of transgression, may get the blessing +first, if he shall have grace to bestir himself well; for the loudest cry +is heard furthest, and the most lamentable pierces soonest. + +I therefore urge this head, not because I would have little sinners go +and tell God that they are little sinners, thereby to think to obtain +mercy; for, verily, so they are never like to have it: for such words +declare, that such a one hath no true sense at all of the nature of his +sins. + +Sin, as I said, in the nature of it, is horrible, though it be but one +single sin as to act; yea, though it be but a sinful thought; and so +worthily calls for the damnation of the soul. + +The comparison, then, of little and great sinners, is to go for good +sense among men. But to plead the fewness of thy sins, or the +comparative harmlessness of their quantity before God, argueth no sound +knowledge of the nature of thy sin, and so no true sense of the nature or +need of mercy. + +Little sinner, when therefore thou goest to God, though thou knowest in +thy conscience that thou, as to acts, art no thief, no murderer, no +whore, no liar, no false swearer, or the like, and in reason must needs +understand that thus thou art not so profanely vile as others; yet when +thou goest to God for mercy, know no man’s sins but thine own, make +mention of no man’s sins but thine own. Also labour not to lessen thy +own, but magnify and greaten them by all just circumstances, and be as if +there was never a sinner in the world but thyself. Also cry out, as if +thou wast the only undone man; and that is the way to obtain God’s mercy. + +It is one of the comeliest sights in the world to see a little sinner +commenting upon the greatness of his sins, multiplying and multiplying +them to himself, till he makes them in his own eyes bigger and higher +than he seeth any other man’s sins to be in the world; and as base a +thing it is to see a man do otherwise, and as basely will come on it; +Luke xviii. 10–14. + +As, therefore, I said to the great sinner before, let him take heed lest +he presume; I say now to the little sinner, let him take heed that he do +not dissemble: for there is as great an aptness in the little sinner to +dissemble, as there is in the great one. “He that hideth his sins shall +not prosper,” be he a sinner little or great; Prov. xxviii. 13. + +_Eighthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place, to +the biggest sinners? Then this shews the true cause why Satan makes such +head as he doth against him. + +The Father and the Holy Spirit are well spoken of by all deluders and +deceived persons; Christ only is the rock of offence. “Behold I lay in +Zion a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence;” Rom. ix. 33. Not that +Satan careth for the Father or the Spirit more than he careth for the +Son, but he can let men alone with their notions of the Father and the +Spirit, for he knows they shall never enjoy the Father nor the Spirit, if +indeed they receive not the merits of the Son. “He that hath the Son, +hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life,” however they +may boast themselves of the Father and the Spirit; 1 John v. 12. Again, +“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath +not God: he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, hath both the Father +and the Son;” 2 John i. 9. + +Christ, and Christ only, is he that can make us capable to enjoy God with +life and joy to all eternity. Hence he calls himself the way to the +Father, the true and living way; John xiv. 6; Heb. x. 19, 20; for we +cannot come to the Father but by him. Satan knows this, therefore he +hates him. Deluded persons are ignorant of this, and, therefore, they +are so led up and down by Satan by the nose as they are. + +There are many things by which Satan has taken occasion to greaten his +rage against Jesus Christ. + +As, first, his love to man, and then the many expressions of that love. +He hath taken man’s nature upon him; he hath in that nature fulfilled the +law to bring in righteousness for man; and hath spilt his blood for the +reconciling of men to God; he hath broke the neck of death, put away sin, +destroyed the works of the devil, and got into his own hands the keys of +death: and all these are heinous things to Satan. He cannot abide Christ +for this. Besides, he hath eternal life in himself; and that to bestow +upon us; and we in all likelihood are to possess the very places from +which the Satans by transgression fell, if not places more glorious. +Wherefore he must needs be angry. And is it not a vexatious thing to +him, that we should be admitted to the throne of grace by Christ, while +he stands bound over in chains of darkness, to answer for his rebellions +against God and his Son, at the terrible day of judgment. Yea, we poor +dust and ashes must become his judges, and triumph over him for ever: and +all this long of Jesus Christ; for he is the meritorious cause of all +this. + +Now though Satan seeks to be revenged for this, yet he knows it is in +vain to attack the person of Christ; he has overcome him: therefore he +tampers with a company of silly men, that he may vilify him by them. And +they, bold fools as they are, will not spare to spit in his face. They +will rail at his person, and deny the very being of it; they will rail at +his blood, and deny the merit and worth of it. They will deny the very +end why he accomplished the law, and by jiggs, and tricks, and quirks, +which he helpeth them to, they set up fond names and images in his place, +and give the glory of a Saviour to them. Thus Satan worketh under the +name of Christ; and his ministers under the name of the ministers of +righteousness. + +And by his wiles and stratagems he undoes a world of men; but there is a +seed, and they shall serve him, and it shall be counted to the Lord for a +generation. These shall see their sins, and that Christ is the way to +happiness. These shall venture themselves, both body and soul, upon his +worthiness. + +All this Satan knows, and therefore his rage is kindled the more. +Wherefore, according to his ability and allowance, he assaulteth, +tempteth, abuseth, and stirs up what he can to be hurtful to these poor +people, that he may, while his time shall last, make it as hard and +difficult for them to go to eternal glory as he can. Oftentimes he +abuses them with wrong apprehensions of God, and with wrong apprehensions +of Christ. He also casts them into the mire, to the reproach of +religion, the shame of their brethren, the derision of the world, and +dishonour of God. + +He holds our hands while the world buffets us; he puts bear-skins upon +us, and then sets the dogs at us. He bedaubeth us with his own foam, and +then tempts us to believe that that bedaubing comes from ourselves. + +Oh! the rage and the roaring of this lion, and the hatred that he +manifests against the Lord Jesus, and against them that are purchased +with his blood! But yet, in the midst of all this, the Lord Jesus sends +forth his herald to proclaim in the nations his love to the world, and to +invite them to come in to him for life. Yea, his invitation is so large, +that it offereth his mercy in the first place to the biggest sinners of +every age, which augments the devil’s rage the more. + +Wherefore, as I said before, fret he, fume he, the Lord Jesus will divide +the spoil with this great one; yea, he shall divide the spoil with the +strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was +numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made +intercession for the transgressors; Isa. liii. 12. + +_Ninthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners? Let the tempted harp upon this string for their +help and consolation. The tempted wherever he dwells, always thinks +himself the biggest sinner, one most unworthy of eternal life. + +This is Satan’s master-argument: thou art a horrible sinner, a hypocrite, +one that has a profane heart, and one that is an utter stranger to a work +of grace. I say this is his maul, his club, his master-piece; he doth +with this as some do with their most enchanting songs, sings them +everywhere. I believe there are but few saints in the world that have +not had this temptation sounding in their ears. But were they but aware, +Satan by all this does but drive them to the gap out at which they should +go, and so escape his roaring. + +Saith he, thou art a great sinner, a horrible sinner, a profane hearted +wretch, one that cannot be matched for a vile one in the country. + +And all this while Christ says to his ministers, offer mercy, in the +first place, to the biggest sinners. So that this temptation drives thee +directly into the arms of Jesus Christ. + +Were therefore the tempted but aware, he might say, Ay, Satan, so I am, I +am a sinner of the biggest size, and therefore have most need of Jesus +Christ; yea, because I am such a wretch, therefore Jesus Christ calls me; +yea, he calls me first: the first proffer of the Gospel is to be made to +the Jerusalem sinner: I am he, wherefore stand back Satan; make a lane, +my right is first to come to Jesus Christ. + +This now will be like for like. This would foil the devil: this would +make him say, I must not deal with this man thus; for then I put a sword +into his hand to cut off my head. + +And this is the meaning of Peter, when he saith, “Resist him stedfast in +the faith;” 1 Pet. v. 9. And of Paul, when he saith, “Take the shield of +faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the +wicked;” Eph. vi. 16. + +Wherefore is it said, “Begin at Jerusalem,” if the Jerusalem sinner is +not to have the benefit of it? And if I am to have the benefit of it, +let me call it to mind when Satan haunts me with the continual +remembrance of my sins, of my Jerusalem sins. Satan and my conscience +say I am the biggest sinner,—Christ offereth mercy, in the first place, +to the biggest sinners. Nor is the manner of the offer other but such as +suiteth with my mind. I am sorry for my sin; yea, sorry at my heart that +ever sinful thought did enter, or find the least entertainment in my +wicked mind; and might I obtain my wish, I would never more that my heart +should be a place for ought but the grace, and spirit, and faith of the +Lord Jesus. + +I speak not this to lessen my wickedness; I would not for all the world +but be placed by mine own conscience in the very front of the biggest +sinners, that I might be one of the first that are beckoned by the +gracious hand of Jesus the Saviour, to come to him for mercy. + +Well, sinner, thou now speakest like a Christian, but say thus in a +strong spirit in the hour of temptation, and then thou wilt, to thy +commendation and comfort, quit thyself well. + +This improving of Christ in dark hours, is the life, though the hardest +part of our Christianity. We should neither stop at darkness, nor at the +raging of our lusts, but go on in a way of venturing and casting the +whole of our affairs for the next world at the foot of Jesus Christ. +This is the way to make the darkness light, and also to allay the raging +of our corruption. + +The first time the Passover was eaten, was in the night; and when Israel +took courage to go forward, though the sea stood in their way like a +devouring gulf, and the host of the Egyptians follow them at the heels; +yet the sea gives place, and their enemies were as still as a stone till +they were gone over; Exod. xii. 8; chap. xiv. 13, 14, 21, 22; chap. xv. +16. + +There is nothing like faith to help at a pinch; faith dissolves doubts as +the sun drives away the mists. And that you may not be put out, know +your time, as I said, of believing it always. There are times when some +graces may be out of use, but there is no time wherein faith can be said +to be so. Wherefore faith must be always in exercise. + +Faith is the eye, is the mouth, is the hand, and one of these is of use +all day long. Faith is to see, to receive, to work, or to eat; and a +Christian should be seeing or receiving, or working, or feeding all day +long. Let it rain, let it blow, let it thunder, let it lighten, a +Christian must still believe: “At what time,” said thee good man, “I am +afraid, I will trust in thee;” Psal. vi. 2, 3. + +Nor can we have a better encouragement to do this, than is by the text +set before us, even an open heart for a Jerusalem sinner. And if for a +Jerusalem sinner to come, then for such an one when come. If for such a +one to be saved, then for such a one that is saved. If for such a one to +be pardoned his great transgressions, then for such a one who is pardoned +these, to come daily to Jesus Christ, too, to be cleansed and set free +from his common infirmities, and from the iniquities of his holy things. + +Therefore let the poor sinner that would be saved labour for skill to +make the best improvement of the grace of Christ to help him against the +temptations of the devil and his sins. + +_Tenthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners? Let those men consider this, that (have, or) may in +a day of trial have spoken or done what their profession or conscience +told them they should not, and that have the guilt and burden thereof +upon their consciences. + +Whether a thing be wrong or right, guilt may pursue him that doth +contrary to his conscience. But suppose a man should deny his God, or +his Christ, or relinquish a good profession, and be under the real guilt +thereof; shall he therefore conclude he is gone for ever? Let him come +again with Peter’s tears, and no doubt he shall obtain Peter’s +forgiveness. For the text includes the biggest sinners. + +And it is observable, that before this clause was put into this +commission, Peter was pardoned his horrible revolt from his Master. He +that revolteth in the day of trial, if he is not shot quite dead upon the +place, but is sensible of his wound, and calls out for a surgeon, shall +find his Lord at hand to pour wine and oil into his wounds, that he may +again be healed, and to encourage him to think that there may be mercy +for him: besides what we find recorded of Peter, you read in the Acts, +some were, through the violence of their trials, compelled to blaspheme, +and yet are called saints; Acts xxvi. 9–11. + +Hence you have a promise or two that speak concerning such kind of men, +to encourage us to think that at least some of them shall come back to +the Lord their God. “Shall they fall,” saith he, “and not arise? Shall +they turn away, and not return?” Jer. viii. 4. “And in that day I will +assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that was driven out, and +her that I have afflicted. And I will make her that halteth a remnant, +and her that was cast off a strong nation; and the Lord shall reign over +them in Mount Zion for ever.” What we are to understand by her that +halteth, is best expressed by the Prophet Elijah; Mic. iv. 6, 7; Zeph. +iii. 19; 1 Kings xviii. 21. + +I will conclude, then, that for them that have halted, or may halt, the +Lord has mercy in the bank, and is willing to accept them if they return +to him again. + +Perhaps they may never be after that of any great esteem in the house of +God, but if the Lord will admit them to favour and forgiveness: O +exceeding and undeserved mercy! See Ezekiel xliv. 10–14. + +Thou, then, that mayst be the man, remember this, that there is mercy +also for thee. Return therefore to God, and to his Son, who hath yet in +store for thee, and who will do thee good. + +But perhaps thou wilt say, he doth not save all revolters, and, +therefore, perhaps not me. + +_Answr_. Art thou returning to God? If thou art returning, thou art the +man; “Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings;” +Jer. iii. 22. + +Some, as I said, that revolt, are shot dead upon the place, and for them, +who can help them? But for them that cry out of their wounds, it is a +sign they are yet alive, and if they use the means in time, doubtless +they may be healed. + +Christ Jesus has bags of mercy that were never yet broken up or unsealed. +Hence it is said, he has goodness laid up; things reserved in heaven for +his. And if he breaks up one of these bags, who can tell what he can do! + +Hence his love is said to be such as passeth knowledge, and that his +riches are unsearchable. He has, no body knows what; for no body knows +whom: he has by him in store for such as seem in the view of all men to +be gone beyond recovery. For this the text is plain. What man or angel +could have thought that the Jerusalem sinners had been yet on this side +of an impossibility of enjoying life and mercy? Hadst thou seen their +actions, and what horrible things they did to the Son of God; yea, how +stoutly they backed what they did with resolves and endeavours to +persevere, when they had killed his person, against his name and +doctrine; and that there was not found among them all that while, as we +read of, the least remorse or regret for these their doings; couldst thou +have imagined that mercy would ever have took hold of them, at least so +soon! Nay, that they should, of all the world, be counted those only +meet to have it offered to them in the very first place! For so my text +commands, saying, “Preach repentance and remission of sins among all +nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” + +I tell you the thing is a wonder, and must for ever stand for a wonder +among the sons of men. It stands also for an everlasting invitation and +allurement to the biggest sinners to come to Christ for mercy. + +Now since, in the opinion of all men, the revolter is such a one; if he +has, as I said before, any life in him, let him take encouragement to +come again, that he may live by Christ. + +_Eleventhly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to +the biggest sinners? Then let God’s ministers tell them so. There is an +incidence in us, I know not how it doth come about, when we are +converted, to contemn them that are left behind. Poor fools as we are, +we forget that we ourselves were so; Tit. iii. 2, 3. + +But would it not become us better, since we have tasted that the Lord is +gracious, to carry it towards them so, that we may give them convincing +ground to believe, that we have found that mercy which also sets open the +door for them to come and partake with us. + +Ministers, I say, should do thus, both by their doctrine, and in all +other respects. + +Austerity doth not become us, neither in doctrine nor in conversation. +We ourselves live by grace; let us give as we receive, and labour to +persuade our fellow-sinners which God has left behind us, to follow +after, that they may partake with us of grace. We are saved by grace, +let us live like them that are gracious. Let all our things (to the +world) be done in charity towards them; pity them, pray for them, be +familiar with them for their good. Let us lay aside our foolish, +worldly, carnal grandeur; let us not walk the streets, and have such +behaviours as signify we are scarce for touching of the poor ones that +are left behind, no not with a pair of tongs. It becomes us not thus to +do. + +Remember your Lord, he was familiar with publicans and sinners to a +proverb; “Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of +publicans and sinners;” Matt. xi. 19. The first part, concerning his +gluttonous eating and drinking, to be sure, was an horrible slander; but +for the other, nothing was ever spoke truer of him by the world. Now, +why should we lay hands cross on this text: that is, choose good +victuals, and love the sweet wine better than the salvation of the poor +publican? Why not familiar with sinners, provided we hate their spots +and blemishes, and seek that they may be healed of them? + +Why not fellowly with our carnal neighbours? If we do take occasion to +do so, that we may drop, and be yet distilling some good doctrine upon +their souls? Why not go to the poor man’s house, and give him a penny, +and a Scripture to think upon? Why not send for the poor to fetch away +at least the fragments of thy table, that the bowels of thy fellow-sinner +may be refreshed as well as thine? + +Ministers should be exemplary; but I am an inferior man, and must take +heed of too much meddling. But might I, I would meddle with them, with +their wives, and with their children too. I mean not this of all, but of +them that deserve it, though I may not name them. + +But, I say, let ministers follow the steps of their blessed Lord, who by +word and deed shewed his love to the salvation of the world, in such a +carriage as declared him to prefer their salvation before his own private +concern, For we are commanded to follow his steps, “who did no sin, +neither was guile found in his mouth.” + +And as I have said concerning ministers, so I say to all the brethren, +carry it so, that all the world may see, that indeed you are the sons of +love. + +Love your Saviour; yea, shew one to another that you love him, not only +by a seeming love of affection, but with the love of duty. Practical +love is best. Many love Christ with nothing but the lick of the tongue. +Alas! Christ Jesus the Lord must not be put off thus: “He that hath my +commandments, and keepeth them,” saith he, “he it is that loveth me;” +John xiv. 21. + +Practical love, which stands in self-denial, in charity to my neighbour, +and a patient enduring of affliction for his name; this is counted love. + +Right love to Christ is that which carries in it a provoking argument to +others of the brethren; Heb. x. 24. + +Should a man ask me how he should know that he loveth the children of +God? The best answer I could give him, would be in the words of the +Apostle John; “By this,” saith he, “we know we love the children of God, +when we love God, and keep his commandments;” 1 John, v. 2. + +Love to God and Christ is then shewn when we are tender of his name; and +then we shew ourselves tender of his name when we are afraid to break any +the least of his commandments. And when we are here, then do we shew our +love to our brother also. + +Now, we have obligation sufficient thus to do, for that our Lord loved +us, and gave himself for us, to deliver us from death, that we might live +through him. + +The world, when they hear the doctrine that I have asserted and handled +in this little book; to wit, that Jesus Christ would have mercy offered +in the first place to the biggest sinners, will be apt, because +themselves are unbelievers, to think that this is a doctrine that leads +to looseness, and that gives liberty to the flesh; but if you that +believe love your brethren and your neighbours truly, and as you should, +you will put to silence the ignorance of such foolish men, and stop their +mouths from speaking evil of you. + +And, I say, let the love of Christ constrain us to this. Who deserveth +our heart, our mouth, our life, our goods, so much as Jesus Christ, who +has bought us to himself by his blood, to this very end, that we should +be a peculiar people, zealous of good works? + +There is nothing more seemly in the world, than to see a Christian walk +as becomes the Gospel; nor any thing more unbecoming a reasonable +creature, than to hear a man say, I believe in Christ, and yet see in his +life debauchery and profaneness. Might I, such men should be counted the +basest of men; such men should be counted by all unworthy of the name of +a Christian, and should be shunned by every good man, as such who are the +very plague of profession. + +For so it is written, we should carry it towards them. Whoso have a form +of godliness, and deny the power thereof, from such we must turn away. + +It has ofttimes come into my mind to ask, by what means it is that the +gospel profession should be so tainted with loose and carnal gospellers? +and I could never arrive to better satisfaction in the matter than +this,—such men are made professors by the devil, and so by him put among +the rest of the godly. A certain man had a fruitless fig-tree planted in +his vineyard; but by whom was it planted there? Even by him that sowed +the tares, his own children, among the wheat; Luke xiii. 6; Matt. xiii. +37–40. And that was the devil. But why doth the devil do thus? Not of +love to them, but to make of them offences and stumblingblocks to others. +For he knows that a loose professor in the church does more mischief to +religion than ten can do to it that are in the world. + +Was it not, think you, the devil that stirred up the damsel that you read +of in Acts xvi., to cry out, “These are the servants of the most high +God, that shew unto us the way of salvation!” Yes it was, as is evident, +for Paul was grieved to hear it. But why did the devil stir up her to +cry so? but because that was the way to blemish the Gospel, and to make +the world think that it came from the same hand as did her soothsaying +and witchery; verse 16–18; “Holiness, O Lord, becomes thy house for +ever.” + +Let, therefore, whoever they be that profess the name of Christ, take +heed that they scandal not that profession which they make of him, since +he has so graciously offered us, as we are sinners of the biggest size, +in the first place, his grace to save us. + +Having thus far spoken of the riches of the grace of Christ, and of the +freeness of his heart to embrace the Jerusalem sinners, it may not be +amiss to give you yet, as a caution, an intimation of one thing, namely, +that this grace and freeness of his heart is limited to time and day; the +which, whoso overstandeth, shall perish notwithstanding. + +For as a king, who, of grace, sendeth out to his rebellious people an +offer of pardon, if they accept thereof by such a day, yet beheadeth or +hangeth those that come not in for mercy until the day or time be past; +so Christ Jesus has set the sinner a day, a day of salvation, an +acceptable time; but he who standeth out, or goeth on in rebellion beyond +that time, is like to come off with the loss of his soul; 2 Cor. vi. 2; +Heb. iii. 13, 16, 17, 18, 19; chap. iv. 7; Luke xix. 41, 42. + +Since, therefore, things are thus, it may be convenient here to touch a +little upon these particulars. + +_First_, That this day, or time thus limited, when it is considered with +reference to this or that man, is ofttimes undiscerned by the person +concerned therein, and always is kept secret as to the shutting up +thereof. + +And this, in the wisdom of God, is thus to the end; no man, when called +upon, should put off turning to God to another time. Now, and to-day, is +that and only that which is revealed in holy writ; Psal. 1. 22; Eccles. +xii. 1; Heb. iii. 13, 16. + +And this shews us the desperate hazards which those men run, who when +invitation or conviction attends them, put off turning to God to be saved +till another, and, as they think, a more fit season and time. For many, +by so doing, defer this to do till the day of God’s patience and +long-suffering is ended; and then, for their prayers and cries after +mercy, they receive nothing but mocks, and are laughed at by the God of +heaven; Prov. i. 20–30; Isaiah lxv. 12–16; chap. lxvi. 4; Zech. xii. +11–13. + +_Secondly_, Another thing to be considered is this, viz. that the day of +God’s grace with some men begins sooner, and also sooner ends than it +doth with others. Those at the first hour of the day, had their call +sooner than they who were called upon to turn to God at the sixth hour of +the day; yea, and they who were hired at the third hour, had their call +sooner than they who were called at the eleventh; Matt. xx. 1–6. + +1. The day of God’s patience began with Ishmael, and also ended before +he was twenty years old. At thirteen years of age he was circumcised; +the next year after Isaac was born; and then Ishmael was fourteen years +old. Now that day that Isaac was weaned, that day was Ishmael rejected; +and suppose that Isaac was three years old before he was weaned, that was +but the seventeenth year of Ishmael; wherefore the day of God’s grace was +ended with him betimes; Gen. xvii. 24, 25; chap. xxi. 2–11; Gal. iv. 30. + +2. Cain’s day ended with him betimes; for after God had rejected him, he +lived to beget many children, and build a city, and to do many other +things. But alas! all that while he was a fugitive and a vagabond. Nor +carried he any thing with him after the day of his rejection was come, +but this doleful language in his conscience, “From God’s face shall I be +hid;” Gen. iv. 10–15. + +3. Esau, through his extravagancies would needs go to sell his +birth-right, not fearing (as other confident fools) but that yet the +blessing would still be his, after which he lived many years; but all of +them under the wrath of God, as was, when time came, made appear to his +destruction; for “When he would have inherited the blessing, he was +rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it +carefully with tears;” Heb. xii. 14–16. + +Many instances might be given as to such tokens of the displeasure of God +against such as fool away, as the wise man has it, the prize which is put +into their hand; Prov. xvii. 16. + +Let these things, therefore, be a further caution to those that sit under +the glorious sound of the Gospel, and hear of the riches of the grace of +God in Christ to poor sinners. + +To slight grace, to despise mercy, and to stop the ear when God speaks, +when he speaks such great things, so much to our profit, is a great +provocation. + +He offereth, he calls, he woos, he invites, he prays, he beseeches us in +this day of his grace to be reconciled to him; yea, and has provided for +us the means of reconciliation himself. Now, this despised must needs be +provoking; and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living +God. + +But some man may say unto me, Fain I would be saved, fain I would be +saved by Christ; but I fear this day of grace is past, and that I shall +perish, notwithstanding the exceeding riches of the grace of God. + +_Answer_. To this doubt I would answer several things. + +_First_, With respect to this day. + +_Secondly_, With respect to thy desires. + +_Thirdly_, With respect to thy fears. + +_First_, With respect to the day; that is, whether it be ended with a man +or no. + +1. Art thou jogged, and shaken and molested at the hearing of the Word? +Is thy conscience awakened and convinced then that thou art at present in +a perishing state, and that thou hast need to cry to God for mercy? This +is a hopeful sign that this day of grace is not past with thee. For +usually they that are past grace, are also, in their conscience, past +feeling, being “seared with an hot iron;” Eph. iv. 18, 19; 1 Tim. iv. 1, +2. + +Consequently, those past grace must be such as are denied the awakening +fruits of the Word preached. “The dead that hear,” says Christ, “shall +live;” at least while Christ has not quite done with them; the day of +God’s patience is not at an end with them; John v. 25. + +2. Is there in thy more retired condition, arguings, strugglings, and +strivings with thy spirit to persuade thee of the vanity of what vain +things thou lovest, and to win thee in thy soul to a choice of Christ +Jesus and his heavenly things? Take heed and rebel not, for the day of +God’s grace and patience will not be past with thee till he saith his +“Spirit shall strive no more” with thee; for then the woe comes, when “he +shall depart from them;” and when he says to the means of grace, “Let +them alone;” Hos. iv. 17; chap. ix. 12. + +3. Art thou visited in the night-seasons with dreams about thy state, +and that thou art in danger of being lost? Hast thou heart-shaken +apprehensions when deep sleep is upon thee, of hell, death, and judgment +to come? These are signs that God has not wholly left thee, or cast thee +behind his back for ever. “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man +perceiveth it not; in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep +falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears +of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his +purpose (his sinful purposes) and hide pride from man;” Job xxxiii. +14–17. + +All this while God has not left the sinner, nor is come to the end of his +patience towards him, but stands at least with the door of grace a-jar in +his hand, as being loth as yet to bolt it against him. + +4. Art thou followed with affliction, and dost thou hear God’s angry +voice in thy afflictions? Doth he send with thy affliction an +interpreter to shew thee thy vileness; and why, or wherefore, the hand of +God is upon thee, and upon what thou hast; to wit, that it is for thy +sinning against him, and that thou mightest be turned to him? If so, thy +summer is not quite ended; thy harvest is not quite over and gone. Take +heed, stand out no longer, lest he cause darkness, and lest thy feet +stumble upon the dark mountains; and lest, while you look for light, he +turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness; Jer. viii. +20; chap. xiii. 15–17. + +5. Art thou crossed, disappointed, and way-laid, and overthrown in all +thy foolish ways and doings? This is a sign God has not quite left thee, +but that he still waits upon thee to turn thee. Consider, I say, has he +made a hedge and a wall to stop thee? Has he crossed thee in all thou +puttest thy hand unto? Take it as a call to turn to him, for, by his +thus doing, he shews he has a mind to give thee a better portion. For +usually when God gives up men, and resolves to let them alone in the +broad way, he gives them rope, and lets them have their desires in all +hurtful things; Hos. ii. 6–15; Psalm lxxiii. 3–13; Rom. xi. 9. + +Therefore take heed to this also, that thou strive not against this hand +of God; but betake thyself to a serious inquiry into the causes of this +hand of God upon thee, and incline to think, it is because the Lord would +have thee look to that, which is better than what thou wouldst satisfy +thyself withal. When God had a mind to make the prodigal go home to his +father, he sent a famine upon him, and denied him a bellyful of the husks +which the swine did eat. And observe it, now he was in a strait, he +betook him to consideration of the good that there was in his father’s +house; yea, he resolved to go home to his father, and his father dealt +well with him; he received him with music and dancing, because he had +received him safe and sound; Luke xv. 14–32. + +6. Hast then any enticing thoughts of the word of God upon thy mind? +Doth, as it were, some holy word of God give a glance upon thee, cast a +smile upon thee, let fall, though it be but one drop of its savour upon +thy spirit; yea, though it stays but one moment with thee? O then the +day of grace is not past! The gate of heaven is not shut! nor God’s +heart and bowels withdrawn from thee as yet. Take heed, therefore, and +beware that thou make much of the heavenly gift, and of that good word of +God of the which he has made thee taste. Beware, I say, and take heed; +there may be a falling away for all this; but, I say, as yet God has not +left thee, as yet he has not cast thee off; Heb. vi. 1–9. + +_Secondly_, With respect to thy desires, what are they? Wouldst thou be +saved! Wouldst thou be saved with a thorough salvation? Wouldst thou be +saved from guilt and filth too? Wouldst thou be the servant of thy +Saviour? Art thou indeed weary of the service of thy old master the +devil, sin, and the world? And have these desires put thy soul to +flight? Hast thou through desires betaken thyself to thy heels? Dost +fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to come, for life? If these +be thy desires, and if they be unfeigned, fear not. Thou art one of +those runaways which God has commanded our Lord to receive, and not to +send thee back to the devil thy master again, but to give thee a place in +his house, even the place which liketh thee best. “Thou shalt not +deliver to his master,” says he, “the servant which is escaped from his +master unto thee. He shall dwell with thee, even among you in that place +which he shall choose, in one of thy gates where it liketh him best; thou +shalt not oppress him;” Deut. xxiii. 15, 16. + +This is a command to the church, consequently to the Head of the church; +for all commands from God come to her through her Head. Whence I +conclude, that as Israel of old was to receive the runaway servant who +escaped from a heathen master to them, and should not dare to send him +back to his master again, so Christ’s church now, and consequently Christ +himself, may not, will not, refuse that soul that has made his escape +from sin, Satan, the world, and hell, unto him, but will certainly let +him dwell in his house, among his saints, in that place which he shall +choose, even where it liketh him best. For he says in another place, +“And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” In no wise, let +his crimes be what they will, either for nature, multitude, or the +attendance of aggravating circumstances. + +Wherefore, if thy desires be firm, sound, and unfeigned to become the +saved of Christ, and his servant, fear not, he will not, he will in no +wise put thee away, or turn thee over to thy old master again. + +_Thirdly_, As to they fears, whatever they are, let that be supposed +which is supposed before, and they are groundless, and so of no weight. + +_Object_. But I am afraid I am not elected, or chosen to salvation, +though you called me fool a little before for so fearing. + +_Ans_. Though election is, in order, before calling, as to God, yet the +knowledge of calling must go before the belief of my election as to +myself. Wherefore, souls that doubt of the truth of their effectual +calling, do but plunge themselves into a deeper labyrinth of confusion +that concern themselves with their election; I mean, while they labour to +know it before they prove their calling. “Make your calling, and so your +election, sure;” 2 Pet. i. 4–11. + +Wherefore, at present, lay the thoughts of thy election by, and ask +thyself these questions: Do I see my lost condition? Do I see salvation +is nowhere but in Christ? Would I share in this salvation by faith in +him? And would I, as was said before, be thoroughly saved, to wit, from +the filth as from the guilt? Do I love Christ, his Father, his saints, +his words, and ways? This is the way to prove we are elect. Wherefore, +sinner, when Satan, or thine own heart seeks to puzzle thee with +election, say thou, I cannot attend to talk of this point now, but stay +till I know that I am called of God to the fellowship of his Son, and +then I will shew you that I am elect, and that my name is written in the +book of life. + +If poor distressed souls would observe this order, they might save +themselves the trouble of an unprofitable labour under these unreasonable +and soul-sinking doubts. + +Let us therefore, upon the sight of our wretchedness, fly and venturously +leap into the arms of Christ, which are now as open to receive us into +his bosom, as they were when nailed to the cross. This is coming to +Christ for life aright; this is right running away from thy master to +him, as was said before. And for this we have multitudes of scriptures +to support, encourage, and comfort us in our so doing. + +But now, let him that doth thus be sure to look for it, for Satan will be +with him to-morrow, to see if he can get him again to his old service; +and if he cannot do that, then will he enter into dispute with him, to +wit, about whether he be elect to life, and called indeed to partake of +this Christ, to whom he is fled for succour, or whether he comes to him +of his own presumptuous mind. Therefore we are bid, as to come, so to +arm ourselves with that armour which God has provided; that we may +resist, quench, stand against, and withstand all the fiery darts of the +devil; Eph. vi. 11–18. + +If, therefore, thou findest Satan in this order to march against thee, +remember then thou hadst this item about it; and betake thyself to faith +and good courage; and be sober, and hope to the end. + +_Object_. But how if I should have sinned the sin unpardonable, or that +called the sin against the Holy Ghost? + +_Answer_. If thou hast, thou art lost for ever; but yet before it is +concluded by thee that thou hast so sinned, know that they that would be +saved by Jesus Christ through faith in his blood, cannot be counted for +such. + +1. Because of the promise, for that must not be frustrated: and that +says, “And him that cometh to Christ, he will in no wise cast out.” And +again, “Whoso will, let him take of the water of life freely;” John vi. +37; Rev. xxi. 6; chap. xxii. 17. + +But I say, how can these scriptures be fulfilled, if he that would indeed +be saved, as before, has sinned the sin unpardonable? The scriptures +must not be made void, nor their truth be cast to the ground. Here is a +promise, and here is a sinner; a promise that says he shall not be cast +out that comes; and the sinner comes, wherefore he must be received: +consequently he that comes to Christ for life, has not, cannot have +sinned that sin for which there is no forgiveness. + +And this might suffice for an answer to any coming soul, that fears, +though he comes, that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost. + +2. But again, he that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost cannot +come, has no heart to come, can by no means be made willing to come to +Jesus Christ for life; for that he has received such an opinion of him, +and of his things, as deters and holds him back. + +1. He counteth this blessed person, the Son of God, a magician, a +conjuror, a witch, or one that did, when he was in the world, what he did +by the power and spirit of the devil; Matt. ix. 34; chap. xii. 24, 25, +&c.; Mark iii. 22–30. Now he that has this opinion of this Jesus, cannot +be willing to cast himself at his feet for life, or to come to him as the +only way to God and to salvation. And hence it is said again, that such +an one puts him to open shame, and treadeth him under foot, that is, by +contemning, reproaching, vilifying, and despising of him, as if he were +the vilest one, or the greatest cheat in the world: and has therefore, as +to his esteem of him, called him accursed, crucified him to himself, or +counted him one hanged, as one of the worst of malefactors; Heb. vi. 6; +chap. x. 29; 1 Cor. xii. 3. + +2. His blood, which is the meritorious cause of man’s redemption, even +the blood of the everlasting covenant, he counteth an unholy thing, or +that which has no more virtue in it to save a soul from sin than has the +blood of a dog; Heb. x. 29. For when the Apostle says, “he counts it an +unholy thing,” he means, he makes it of less value than that of a sheep +or cow, which were clean according to the law; and therefore must mean, +that his blood was of no more worth to him in his account than was the +blood of a dog, an ass, or a swine, which always was, as to sacrifices, +rejected by the God of heaven, as unholy or unclean. + +Now he who has no better esteem of Jesus Christ, and of his death and +blood, will not be persuaded to come to him for life, or to trust in him +for salvation. + +3. But further, all this must be done against manifest tokens to prove +the contrary, or after the shining of gospel light upon the soul, or some +considerable profession of him as the Messiah, or that he was the Saviour +of the world. + +1. It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary; and +thus the reprobate Jews committed it when they saw the works of God, +which put forth themselves in him, and called them the works of the devil +and Beelzebub. + +2. It must be done against some shining light of the gospel upon them. +And thus it was with Judas, and with those who, after they were +enlightened, and had tasted, and had felt something of the powers of the +world to come, fell away from the faith of him, and put him to open shame +and disgrace; Heb. vi. 5, 6. + +3. It must also be done after, and in opposition to one’s own open +profession of him. “For if after they have escaped the pollution of the +world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they +are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with +them than the beginning; for it had been better for them not to have +known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn +from the holy commandment (which is the word of faith) delivered unto +them.” + +4. All this must be done openly, before witnesses, in the face, sight, +and view of the world, by word and act. This is the sin that is +unpardonable; and he that hath thus done, can never, it is impossible he +ever should be renewed again to repentance, and that for a double reason; +for such an one doth say, he will not; and of him God says, he shall not +have the benefit of salvation by him. + +_Object_. But if this be the sin unpardonable, why is it called the sin +against the Holy Ghost, and not rather the sin against the Son of God? + +_Answ_. It is called “the sin against the Holy Ghost,” because such +count the works he did, which were done by the Spirit of God, the works +of the spirit of the devil. Also because all such as so reject Christ +Jesus the Lord, they do it in despite of that testimony which the Holy +Ghost has given of him in the holy scriptures; for the scriptures are the +breathings of the Holy Ghost, as in all other things, so in that +testimony they bear of the person, of the works, sufferings, +resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. + +Sinner, this is the sin against the Holy Ghost. What sayst thou? Hast +thou committed it? Nay, I know thou hast not; if thou wouldst be saved +by Christ. Yea, it is impossible that thou shouldst have done it, if +indeed thou wouldst be saved by him. + +No man can desire to be saved by him, whom he yet judgeth to be an +impostor, a magician, a witch. No man can hope for redemption by that +blood which he yet counteth an unholy thing. Nor will God ever suffer +such an one to repent, who has, after light and profession of him, thus +horribly and devil-like contemned and trampled upon him. + +True, words and wars and blasphemies against this Son of man are +pardonable; but then they must be done ignorantly and in unbelief. Also +all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may be passed by, if the +soul afflicted with them indeed is sorry for them; 1 Tim. i. 13–15; Mar. +iii. 28. + +All but this, sinner, all but this! If God had said, he will forgive one +sin, it had been undeserved grace; but when he says he will pardon all +but one, this is grace to the height. + +Nor is that one unpardonable otherwise, but because the Saviour that +should save them is rejected and put away. + +We read of Jacob’s ladder; Christ is Jacob’s ladder that reacheth up to +heaven, and he that refuseth to go by this ladder thither, will scarce by +other means get up so high. + +There is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be +saved. There is none other sacrifice for sin than this; he also, and he +only, is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God. And, sinner, if thou +wouldst be saved by him, his benefits are thine; yea, though thou art a +great and Jerusalem transgressor. + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED*** + + +******* This file should be named 3270-0.txt or 3270-0.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/2/7/3270 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part +of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +concept and trademark. 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