the jerusalem sinner saved-第11部分

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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
sinners。　　As　face　answereth　face　in　a　glass；　so　this　text　answereth
the　necessities　of　such　sinners。　　What　can　a　man　say　more；　but　that
he　stands　in　the　rank　of　the　biggest　sinners？　let　him　stretch　himself
whither　he　can；　and　think　of　himself　to　the　utmost；　he　can　but
conclude　himself　to　be　one　of　the　biggest　sinners。　　And　what　then？
Why　the　text　meets　him　in　the　very　face；　and　saith；　Christ　offereth
mercy　to　the　biggest　sinners；　to　the　very　Jerusalem　sinners。　　What
more　can　be　objected？　　Nay；　he　doth　not　only　offer　to　such　his　mercy；
but　to　them　it　is　commanded　to　be　offered　in　the　first　place；　〃Begin
at　Jerusalem。〃　　Preach　repentance　and　remission　of　sins　among　all
nations。　　〃Begin　at　Jerusalem。〃　　Is　not　here　encouragement　for　those
that　think；　for　wicked　hearts　and　lives；　they　have　not　their　fellows
in　the　world？

Object。　　But　I　have　a　heart　as　hard　as　a　rock。

Answ。　　Well；　but　this　doth　but　prove　thee　a　bigger　sinner。

Object。　　But　my　heart　continually　frets　against　the　Lord。

Answ。　　Well；　this　doth　but　prove　thee　a　bigger　sinner。

Object。　　But　I　have　been　desperate　in　sinful　courses。

Answ。　　Well；　stand　thou　with　the　number　of　the　biggest　sinners。

Object。　　But　my　grey　head　is　found　in　the　way　of　wickedness。

Answ。　　Well；　thou　art　in　the　rank　of　the　biggest　sinners。

Object。　　But　I　have　not　only　a　base　heart；　but　I　have　lived　a
debauched　life。

Answ。　　Stand　thou　also　among　those　that　are　called　the　biggest
sinners。　　And　what　then？　　Why　the　text　swoops　you　all；　you　cannot
object　yourselves　beyond　the　text。　　It　has　a　particular　message　to
the　biggest　sinners。　　I　say；　it　swoops　you　all。

Object。　　But　I　am　a　reprobate。

Answ。　　Now　thou　talkest　like　a　fool；　and　of　that　thou　understandest
not：　　no　sin；　but　the　sin　of　final　impenitence；　can　prove　a　man　a
reprobate；　and　I　am　sure　thou　hast　not　arrived　as　yet　unto　that；
therefore　thou　understandest　not　what　thou　sayest；　and　makest
groundless　conclusions　against　thyself。　　Say　thou　art　a　sinner；　and　I
will　hold　with　thee；　say　thou　art　a　great　sinner；　and　I　will　say　so
too；　yea；　say　thou　art　one　of　the　biggest　sinners；　and　spare　not；　for
the　text　yet　is　beyond　thee；　is　yet　betwixt　he　and　thee；　〃Begin　at
Jerusalem；〃　has　yet　a　smile　upon　thee；　and　thou　talkest　as　if　thou
wast　a　reprobate；　and　that　the　greatness　of　thy　sins　do　prove　thee　so
to　be；　when　yet　they　of　Jerusalem　were　not　such；　whose　sins；　I　dare
say；　were　such；　both　for　bigness　and　heineousness；　as　thou　art
incapable　of　committing　beyond　them；　unless　now；　after　thou　hast
received　conviction　that　the　Lord　Jesus　is　the　only　Saviour　of　the
world；　thou　shouldst　wickedly　and　despitefully　turn　thyself　from　him；
and　conclude　he　is　not　to　be　trusted　to　for　life；　and　so　crucify　him
for　a　cheat　afresh。　　This；　I　must　confess；　will　bring　a　man　under　the
black　rod；　and　set　him　in　danger　of　eternal　damnation；　Heb。　vi。　6：
chap。　x。　29。　　This　is　trampling　under　foot　the　Son　of　God；　and
counting　his　blood　an　unholy　thing。　　This　did　they　of　Jerusalem；　but
they　did　it　ignorantly　in　unbelief；　and　so　were　yet　capable　of　mercy：
but　to　do　this　against　professed　light；　and　to　stand　to　it；　puts　a
man　beyond　the　text　indeed；　Acts　iii。　14…17；　1　Tim。　i。　13。

But　I　say；　what　is　this　to　him　that　would　fain　be　saved　by　Christ？
His　sins　did；　as　to　greatness；　never　yet　reach　to　the　nature　of　the
sins　that　the　sinners　intended　by　the　text；　had　made　themselves
guilty　of。　　He　that　would　be　saved　by　Christ；　has　an　honourable
esteem　of　him；　but　they　of　Jerusalem　preferred　a　murderer　before　him；
but　as　for　him；　they　cried；　Away；　away　with　him；　it　is　not　fit　that
he　should　live。　　Perhaps　thou　wilt　object；　That　thyself　hast　a
thousand　times　preferred　a　stinking　lust　before　him：　　I　answer；　Be　it
so；　it　is　but　what　is　common　to　men　to　do；　nor　doth　the　Lord　Jesus
make　such　a　foolish　life　a　bar　to　thee；　to　forbid　thy　coming　to　him；
or　a　bond　to　his　grace；　that　it　might　be　kept　from　thee；　but　admits
of　thy　repentance；　and　offereth　himself　unto　thee　freely；　as　thou
standest　among　the　Jerusalem　sinners。

Take　therefore　encouragement；　man；　mercy　is；　by　the　text；　held　forth
to　the　biggest　sinners；　yea；　put　thyself　into　the　number　of　the
worst；　by　reckoning　that　thou　mayst　be　one　of　the　first；　and　mayst
not　be　put　off　till　the　biggest　sinners　are　served；　for　the　biggest
sinners　are　first　invited；　consequently；　if　they　come；　they　are　like
to　be　the　first　that　shall　be　served。　　It　was　so　with　Jerusalem；
Jerusalem　sinners　were　they　that　were　first　invited；　and　those　of
them　that　came　first　（and　there　came　three　thousand　of　them　the　first
day　they　were　invited；　how　many　came　afterwards　none　can　tell）；　they
were　first　served。

Put　in　thy　name；　man；　among　the　biggest；　lest　thou　art　made　to　wait
till　they　are　served。　　You　have　some　men　that　think　themselves　very
cunning；　because　they　put　up　their　names　in　their　prayers　among　them
that　feign　it；　saying；　God；　I　thank　thee　I　am　not　so　bad　as　the
worst。　　But　believe　it；　if　they　be　saved　at　all；　they　shall　be　saved
in　the　last　place。　　The　first　in　their　own　eyes　shall　be　served　last；
and　the　last　or　worst　shall　be　first。　　The　text　insinuates　it；　〃Begin
at　Jerusalem；〃　and　reason　backs　it；　for　they　have　most　need。　　Behold
ye；　therefore；　how　God's　ways　are　above　ours；　we　are　for　serving　the
worst　last；　God　is　for　serving　the　worst　first。　　The　man　at　the　pool；
that　to　my　thinking　was　longest　in　his　disease；　and　most　helpless　as
to　his　cure；　was　first　healed；　yea；　he　only　was　healed；　for　we　read
that　Christ　healed　him；　but　we　read　not　then　that　he　healed　one　more
there！　　John　v。　1…10。

Wherefore；　if　thou　wouldst　soonest　be　served；　put　in　thy　name　among
the　very　worst　of　sinners。　　Say；　when　thou　art　upon　thy　knees；　Lord；
here　is　a　Jerusalem　sinner！　a　sinner　of　the　biggest　size！　one　whose
burden　is　of　the　greatest　bulk　and　heaviest　weight！　one　that　cannot
stand　long　without　sinking　into　hell；　without　thy　supporting　hand！
〃Be　not　thou　far　from　me；　O　Lord！　　O　my　strength；　haste　thou　to　help
me　I　say；　put　in　thy　name　with　Magdalen；