the jerusalem sinner saved-第21章

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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　tha