the jerusalem sinner saved-第3章

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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；　Beca