the jerusalem sinner saved-第13章

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〃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