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第12章

the jerusalem sinner saved-第12章

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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

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