the jerusalem sinner saved-第7章

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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　wer