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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.12.12.00*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced from the 1845 Thomas Nelson edition by David +Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + + +THE JERUSALEM SINNER SAVED; +or, +GOOD NEWS FOR THE VILEST OF MEN + +by John Bunyan + + + + + +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 l6-18; "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 eText The Jerusalem Sinner Saved + |