,transcribed from the #ahde ,thomas     
,nelson edition by ,david ,price1 email 
ccx#jgdpglaf4org                        
,picture3 ,picture of ,john ,bunyan     
,,the                                   
,,jerusalem ,,sinner ,,saved2           
,,or1                       ,,good      
,,news ,,for ,,the ,,vilest ,,of ,,men  
,,beginning ,,at ,,jerusalem4--,luke    
xxiv4 #dg4    ,,the whole verse runs    
thus3 8,and that repentance and         
remission of sins  should be preached in
 his name among all nations1 beginning  
at  ,jerusalem40    ,the words were     
spoken by ,christ1 after he rose from   
the dead1 and they  are here rehearsed  
after an historical manner1 but do      
contain in them a  formal commission1   
with a special clause therein4  ,the    
commission is1 as  you see1 for the     
preaching of the gospel1 and is very    
distinctly inserted  in the holy record 
by ,matthew and ,mark4  8,go teach all  
nations10 c4  8,go  ye into all the     
world1 and preach the gospel unto every 

creature40  ,matt4  xxviii4 #ai2 ,mark  
xvi4 #ae4  ,only this cause is in       
special mentioned by  ,luke1 who saith1 
,that as ,christ would have the doctrine
 of repentance and  remission of sins   
preached in his name among all nations1 
so he would  have the people of         
,jerusalem to have the first proffer    
thereof4  ,preach  it1 saith ,christ1 in
 all nations1 but begin at ,jerusalem4  
,the apostles then1 though they had a   
commission so large as to give them     
warrant to go and preach the gospel in  
all the world1 yet by this clause  they 
were limited as to the beginning of     
their ministry3 they were to  begin this
 work at ,jerusalem4  8,beginning at    
,jerusalem40    ,before ,i proceed to an
 observation upon the words1 ,i must    
7but briefly7  touch upon two things3   
namely1    ,i4  ,show you what          
,jerusalem now was4    ,,ii4  ,show you 
what it was to preach the gospel to     
them4    ,i4  ,for the first1 ,jerusalem
 is to be considered1 either1    #a4    

,with respect to the descent of her     
people3 or1    #b4  ,with respect to her
 preference and exaltation3 or1    #c4  
,with respect to her present state1 as  
to her decays4    ,first1 ,as to her    
descent3 she was from ,abraham1 the sons
 of ,jacob1 a  people that ,god singled 
out from the rest of the nations to set 
his love  upon them4    ,secondly1 ,as  
to her preference or exaltation1 she was
 the place of  ,god's worship1 and that 
which had in and with her the special   
tokens and  signs of ,god's favour and  
presence1 above any other people in the 
world4  ,hence the tribes went up to    
,jerusalem to worship2 there was ,god's 
house1  ,god's high-priest1 ,god's      
sacrifices accepted1 and ,god's eye1 and
 ,god's  heart perpetually2 ,psalm      
lxxvi4 #a1 #b2 ,psalm cxxii42 #a ,kings 
ix4 #c4  ,but1    ,thirdly1 ,we are to  
consider ,jerusalem also in her decays2 
for as she is  so considered1 she is the
 proper object of our text1 as will be  
further  showed by and by4              

,jerusalem1 as ,i told you1 was the     
place and seat of ,god's worship1 but   
now decayed1 degenerated1 and           
apostatized4  ,the word1 the rule of    
worship1 was rejected of them1 and in   
its place they had put and set up  their
 own traditions2 they had rejected also 
the most weighty ordinances1  and put in
 the room thereof their own little      
things1 ,matt4 xv42 ,mark vii4          
,jerusalem was therefore now greatly    
backsliding1 and become the place  where
 truth and true religion were much      
defaced4    ,it was also now become the 
very sink of sin and seat of hypocrisy1 
and  gulf where true religion was       
drowned4  ,here also now reigned        
presumption1  and groundless confidence 
in ,god1 which is the bane of souls4    
,amongst  its rulers1 doctors1 and      
leaders1 envy1 malice1 and blasphemy    
vented  itself against the power of     
godliness1 in all places where it was   
espied2  as also against the promoters  
of it2 yea1 their ,lord and ,maker could

 not  escape them4    ,in a word1       
,jerusalem was now become the shambles1 
the very slaughter-shop  for saints4    
,this was the place wherein the         
prophets1 ,christ1 and his  people1 were
 most horribly persecuted and murdered4 
,yea1 so hardened at  this time was this
 ,jerusalem in her sins1 that she feared
 not to commit  the biggest1 and to bind
 herself by wish under the guilt and    
damning evil  of it2 saying1 when she   
had murdered the ,son of ,god1 8,his    
blood be upon  us and our children40    
,and though ,jesus ,christ did1 both by 
doctrine1 miracles1 and holiness of     
life1 seek to put a stop to their       
villanies1 yet they shut their eyes1    
stopped their ears1 and rested not1     
till1 as was hinted before1 they had    
driven him out of the world4  ,yea1 that
 they might1 if possible1 have          
extinguished his name1 and exploded his 
doctrine out of the world1 they1        
against all argument1 and in despite of 
,heaven1 its mighty hand1 and           

undeniable proof of his resurrection1   
did hire soldiers to invent a lie1      
saying1 his disciples stole him away    
from the grave2 on purpose that men     
might not count him the ,saviour of the 
world1 nor trust in him for the         
remission of sins4    ,they were1 saith 
,paul1 contrary to all men3 for they did
 not only shut up  the door of life     
against themselves1 but forbade that it 
should be opened  to any else4          
8,forbidding us10 saith he1 8to preach  
to the ,gentiles1 that  they might be   
saved1 to fill up their sins alway20    
,matt4 xxiii4 #ce2 chap4  xv4 #g-i2     
,mark vii4 #f-h2 ,matt4 iii4 #g-i2 ,john
 viii4 #cc1 #da2 ,matt4 xxvii4  #ah2    
,mark iii4 #cj2 ,matt4 xxiii4 #cg2 ,luke
 xiii4 #cc1 #cd2 ,matt4 xxvii4 #be2     
chap4 xx4 #aa-af2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #ad-af4
    ,this is the city1 and these are the
 people2 this is their character1 and   
these are their sins3 nor can there be  
produced their parallel in all  this    
world4  ,nay1 what world1 what people1  

what nation1 for sin and  transgression1
 could1 or can be compared to           
,jerusalem6 especially if you  join to  
the matter of fact the light they sinned
 against1 and the  patience which they  
abused4  ,infinite was the wickedness   
upon this  account which they committed4
    ,after all their abusings of wise   
men1 and prophets1 ,god sent unto them  
,john ,baptist1 to reduce them1 and then
 his ,son to redeem them2 but they      
would be neither reduced nor redeemed1  
but persecuted both to the death4  ,nor 
did they1 as ,i said1 stop here2 the    
holy apostles they afterwards           
persecuted also to death1 even so many  
as they could2 the rest they drove  from
 them unto the utmost corners4    ,,ii4 
,i come now to show you what it was to  
preach the gospel to them4  ,it  was1   
saith ,luke1 8to preach to them         
repentance and remission of sins0 in    
,christ's name2 or1 as ,mark has it1 to 
bid them 8repent and believe the        
gospel10 ,mark i4 #ae2 not that         

repentance is a cause of remission1 but 
a  sign of our hearty reception thereof4
  ,repentance is therefore here put  to 
intimate1 that no pretended faith of the
 gospel is good that is not  accompanied
 with it3 and this he doth on purpose1  
because he would not  have them deceive 
themselves3 for with what faith can he  
expect remission  of sins in the name of
 ,christ1 that is not heartily sorry for
 them8  ,or  how shall a man be able to 
give to others a satisfactory account of
 his  unfeigned subjection to the       
gospel1 that yet abides in his          
impenitency8    ,wherefore repentance is
 here joined with faith in the way of   
receiving  the gospel4  ,faith is that  
without which it cannot be received at  
all2  and repentance that without which 
it cannot be received unfeignedly4      
,when therefore ,christ says1 he would  
have repentance and remission of  sins  
preached in his name among all nations1 
it is as much as to say1 ,i  will that  
all men every where be sorry for their  

sins1 and accept of  mercy at ,god's    
hand through me1 lest they fall under   
his wrath in the  judgment4  ,for as ,i 
had said1 without repentance1 what      
pretence soever  men have of faith1 they
 cannot escape the wrath to come4       
,wherefore ,paul  saith1 ,god commands  
8all men every where to repent10 7in    
order to their  salvation71 8because he 
hath appointed a day in the which he    
will judge  the world in righteousness  
by that man whom he hath ordained20     
,acts xvii4  #ca4    ,and now to come to
 this clause1 8,beginning at            
,jerusalem20 that is1 that  ,christ     
would have ,jerusalem have the first    
offer of the gospel4    #a4  ,this      
cannot be so commanded1 because they had
 now any more right of  themselves      
thereto than had any of the nations of  
the world2 for their  sins had divested 
them of all self-deservings4    #b4     
,nor yet1 because they stood upon the   
advance-ground with the worst of  the   
sinners of the nations2 nay1 rather1 the

 sinners of the nations had  the        
advance-ground of them3 for ,jerusalem  
was1 long before she had added  this    
iniquity to her sin1 worse than the very
 nations that ,god cast out  before the 
children of ,israel2 #b ,chron4 xxxiii4 
#c4  ,it must therefore follow1 that    
this clause1 ,begin at ,jerusalem1 was  
put into this commission of mere grace  
and compassion1 even from the           
overflowings of the bowels of mercy2 for
 indeed they were the worst1 and  so in 
the most deplorable condition of any    
people under the heavens4    ,whatever1 
therefore1 their relation was to        
,abraham1 ,isaac1 or ,jacob1  however   
they formerly had been the people among 
whom ,god had placed his  name and      
worship1 they were now degenerated from 
,god1 more than the  nations were from  
their idols1 and were become guilty of  
the highest sins  which the people of   
the world were capable of committing4   
,nay1 none can  be capable of committing
 of such pardonable sins as they        

committed  against their ,god1 when they
 slew his ,son1 and persecuted his name 
and  word4    ,from these words1        
therefore1 thus explained1 we gain this 
observation3    ,that ,jesus ,christ    
would have mercy offered in the first   
place to the  biggest sinners4    ,that 
these ,jerusalem sinners were the       
biggest sinners that ever were in  the  
world1 ,i think none will deny1 that    
believes that ,christ was the best  man 
that ever was in the world1 and also was
 their ,lord ,god4  ,and that  they were
 to have the first offer of his grace1  
the text is as clear as  the sun2 for it
 saith1 8,begin at ,jerusalem40         
8,preach10 saith he1  8repentance and   
remission of sins0 to the ,jerusalem    
sinners3 to the  ,jerusalem sinners in  
the first place4    ,one would          
a-thought1 since the ,jerusalem sinners 
were the worst and  greatest sinners1   
,christ's greatest enemies1 and those   
that not only  despised his person1     
doctrine1 and miracles1 but that a      

little before had  had their hands up to
 the elbows in his heart-blood1 that he 
should  rather have said1 ,go into all  
the world1 and preach repentance and    
remission of sins among all nations2 and
 after that offer the same to           
,jerusalem2 yea1 it had been infinite   
grace1 if he had said so4  ,but what    
grace is this1 or what name shall we    
give it1 when he commands that this     
repentance and remission of sins1 which 
is designed to be preached in all       
nations1 should first be offered to     
,jerusalem1 in the first place to the   
worst of sinners6    ,nor was this the  
first time that the grace which was in  
the heart of  ,christ thus shewed itself
 to the world4  ,for while he was yet   
alive1 even  while he was yet in        
,jerusalem1 and perceived even among    
these ,jerusalem  sinners1 which was the
 most vile amongst them1 he still in his
 preaching  did signify that he had a   
desire that the worst of these worst    
should in  the first place come unto    

him4  ,the which he showeth1 where he   
saith to  the better sort of them1 8,the
 publicans and harlots enter into the   
kingdom of ,god before you20 ,matt4 xxi4
 #ca4  ,also when he compared           
,jerusalem with the sinners of the      
nations1 then he commands that the      
,jerusalem sinners should have the      
gospel at present confined to them4     
8,go not10 saith he1 8into the way of   
the ,gentiles1 and into any of the      
cities of the ,samaritans enter ye not2 
but go rather to the lost sheep of  the 
house of ,israel20 ,matt4 x4 #e1 #f2    
chap4 xxiii4 #cg2 but go rather to      
them1 for they were in the most fearful 
plight4    ,these therefore must have   
the cream of the gospel1 namely1 the    
first  offer thereof in his lifetime3   
yea1 when he departed out of the world1 
he  left this as part of his last will  
with his preachers1 that they also      
should offer it first to ,jerusalem4    
,he had a mind1 a careful mind1 as it   
seems1 to privilege the worst of sinners

 with the first offer of mercy1  and to 
take from among them a people to be the 
first fruits unto ,god and  to the      
,lamb4    ,the #aeth of ,luke also is   
famous for this1 where the ,lord ,jesus 
takes more  care1 as appears there by   
three parables1 for the lost sheep1 lost
 groat1  and the prodigal son1 than for 
the other sheep1 the other pence1 or for
  the son that said he had never        
transgressed1 yea1 he shows that there  
is  joy in heaven1 among the angels of  
,god1 at the repentance of one sinner1  
more than over ninety and nine just     
persons1 which need no repentance2      
,luke xv4    ,after this manner         
therefore the mind of ,christ was set on
 the salvation  of the biggest sinners  
in his lifetime4  ,but join to this1    
this clause1  which he carefully put    
into the apostles' commission to preach1
 when he  departed hence to the ,father1
 and then you shall see that his heart  
was  vehemently set upon it2 for these  
were part of his last words with them1  

,preach my gospel to all nations1 but   
see that you begin at ,jerusalem4       
,nor did the apostles overlook this     
clause when their ,lord was gone into   
heaven3 they went first to them of      
,jerusalem1 and preached ,christ's      
gospel to them3 they abode also there   
for a season and time1 and preached  it 
to no body else1 for they had regard to 
the commandment of their ,lord4    ,and 
it is to be observed1 namely1 that the  
first sermon which they  preached after 
the ascension of ,christ1 it was        
preached to the very worst  of these    
,jerusalem sinners1 even to these that  
were the murderers of  ,jesus ,christ1  
,acts ii4 #bc1 for these are part of the
 sermon3 8,ye took  him1 and by wicked  
hands have crucified and slain him40    
,yea1 the next  sermon1 and the next1   
and also the next to that1 was preached 
to the  self-same murderers1 to the end 
they might be saved2 ,acts iii4 #ad-af2 
chap4 iv4 #aj1 #aa2 chap4 v4 #cj2 chap4 
vii4 #eb4    ,but we will return to the 

first sermon that was preached to these 
,jerusalem sinners1 by which will be    
manifest more than great grace1 if it   
be duly considered4    ,for after that  
,peter1 and the rest of the apostles1   
had1 in their  exhortation1 persuaded   
these wretches to believe that they had 
killed the  ,prince of life1 and after  
they had duly fallen under the guilt of 
their  murder1 saying1 8,men and        
brethren1 what shall we do80 he replies1
 by an  universal tender to them all in 
general1 considering them as ,christ's  
killers1 that if they were sorry for    
what they had done1 and would be        
baptized for the remission of their sins
 in his name1 they should receive  the  
gift of the ,holy ,ghost2 ,acts ii4 #cg1
 #ch4    ,this he said to them all1     
though he knew that they were such      
sinners4  ,yea1 he said it without the  
least stick or stop1 or pause of spirit1
 as  to whether he had best to say so or
 no4  ,nay1 so far off was ,peter from  
making an objection against one of them1

 that by a particular clause in  his    
exhortation1 he endeavours1 that not one
 of them may escape the  salvation      
offered4  8,repent10 saith he1 8and be  
baptized every one of  you40  ,i shut   
out never a one of you2 for ,i am       
commanded by my ,lord to  deal with you1
 as it were1 one by one1 by the word of 
his salvation4  ,but  why speaks he so  
particularly8  ,oh6 there were reasons  
for it4  ,the  people with whom the     
apostles were now to deal1 as they were 
murderers of  our ,lord1 and to be      
charged in the general with his blood1  
so they had  their various and          
particular acts of villany in the guilt 
thereof1 now  lying upon their          
consciences4  ,and the guilt of these   
their various and  particular acts of   
wickedness1 could not perhaps be reached
 to a removal  thereof1 but by this     
particular application4  ,repent every  
one of you2 be  baptized every one of   
you1 in his name1 for the remission of  
sins1 and  you shall1 every one of you1 

receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4   
,object4  ,but ,i was one of them that  
plotted to take away his life4  ,may  ,i
 be saved by him8    ,peter4  ,every one
 of you4    ,object4  ,but ,i was one of
 them that bare false witness against   
him4  ,is  there grace for me8          
,peter4  ,for every one of you4         
,object4  ,but ,i was one of them that  
cried out1 ,crucify him1 crucify  him2  
and desired that ,barabbas the murderer 
might live1 rather than him4  ,what will
 become of me1 think you8    ,peter4  ,i
 am to preach repentance and remission  
of sins to every one of  you1 says      
,peter4    ,object4  ,but ,i was one of 
them that did spit in his face when he  
stood  before his accusers4  ,i also was
 one that mocked him1 when in anguish he
  hanged bleeding on the tree4  ,is     
there room for me8    ,peter4  ,for     
every one of you1 says ,peter4          
,object4  ,but ,i was one of them that  
in his extremity said1 give him  gall   
and vinegar to drink4  ,why may not ,i  

expect the same when anguish  and guilt 
is upon me8    ,peter4  ,repent of these
 your wickednesses1 and here is         
remission of  sins for every one of you4
    ,object4  ,but ,i railed on him1 ,i 
reviled him1 ,i hated him1 ,i rejoiced  
to  see him mocked at by others4  ,can  
there be hopes for me8    ,peter4       
,there is for every one of you4         
8,repent and be baptised every  one of  
you in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for  
the remission of sins1 and ye  shall    
receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost40  
,oh6 what a blessed 8,every one  of     
you10 is here6  ,how willing was ,peter1
 and the ,lord ,jesus1 by his  ministry1
 to catch these murderers with the word 
of the gospel1 that they  might be made 
monuments of the grace of ,god6  ,how   
unwilling1 ,i say1 was  he1 that any of 
these should escape the hand of mercy6  
,yea1 what an  amazing wonder it is to  
think1 that above all the world1 and    
above every  body in it1 these should   
have the first offer of mercy6          

8,beginning at  ,jerusalem40    ,but was
 there not something of moment in this  
clause of the commission8  ,did not     
,peter1 think you1 see a great deal in  
it1 that he should thus  begin with     
these men1 and thus offer1 so           
particularly1 this grace to each        
particular man of them8    ,but1 as ,i  
told you1 this is not all2 these        
,jerusalem sinners must have  this offer
 again and again2 every one of them must
 be offered it over and  over4  ,christ 
would not take their first rejection for
 a denial1 nor  their second repulse for
 a denial2 but he will have grace       
offered once1  and twice1 and thrice1 to
 these ,jerusalem sinners4  ,is not this
 amazing  grace8  ,christ will not be   
put off4  ,these are the sinners that   
are  sinners indeed4  ,they are sinners 
of the biggest sort2 consequently such  
as ,christ can1 if they convert and be  
saved1 best serve his ends and  designs 
upon4  ,of which more anon4    ,but what
 a pitch of grace is this6  ,christ is  

minded to amaze the world1  and to shew1
 that he acteth not like the children of
 men4  ,this is that  which he said of  
old4  8,i will not execute the          
fierceness of my wrath1 ,i  will not    
return to destroy ,ephraim2 for ,i am   
,god and not man20 ,hos4 xi4  #i4  ,this
 is not the manner of men2 men are      
shorter winded2 men are soon  moved to  
take vengeance1 and to right themselves 
in a way of wrath and  indignation4     
,but ,god is full of grace1 full of     
patience1 ready to  forgive1 and one    
that delights in mercy4  ,all this is   
seen in our text4  ,the biggest sinners 
must first be offered mercy2 they must1 
,i say1 have  the cream of the gospel   
offered unto them4    ,but we will a    
little proceed4  ,in the third chapter  
we find1 that they  who escaped         
converting by the first sermon1 are     
called upon again1 to  accept of grace  
and forgiveness1 for their murder       
committed upon the ,son  of ,god4  ,you 
have killed1 yea1 8you have denied1 the 

holy one and the  just1 and desired a   
murderer to be granted unto you2 and    
killed the  ,prince of life40  ,mark1 he
 falls again upon the very men that     
actually  were1 as you have it in the   
chapters following1 his very betrayers  
and  murderers1 ,acts iii4 #ad1 #ae2 as 
being loath that they should escape the 
mercy of forgiveness2 and exhorts them  
again to repent1 that their sins  might 
8be blotted out20 verses #ai1 #bj4      
,again1 in the fourth chapter1 he       
charges them afresh with this murder1   
ver4 #aj2 but withal tells them1        
salvation is in no other4  ,then1 like a
  heavenly decoy1 he puts himself also  
among them1 to draw them the better     
under the net of the gospel2 saying1    
8,there is none other name under  heaven
 given among men1 whereby we must be    
saved20 ver4 #ab4    ,in the fifth      
chapter you find them railing at him1   
because he continued  preaching among   
them salvation in the name of ,jesus4   
,but he tells them1  that that very     

,jesus whom they had slain and hanged on
 a tree1 him ,god  had raised up1 and   
exalted to be a ,prince and a ,saviour1 
to give  repentance to ,israel1 and     
forgiveness of sins3 ver4 #bi-ca4       
,still  insinuating1 that though they   
had killed him1 and to this day rejected
  him1 yet his business was to bestow   
upon them repentance and forgiveness  of
 sins4    ',tis true1 after they began  
to kill again1 and when nothing but     
killing  would serve their turn1 then   
they that were scattered abroad went    
every  where preaching the word4  ,yet  
even some of them so hankered after the 
conversion of the ,jews1 that they      
preached the gospel only to them4  ,also
  the apostles still made their abode at
 ,jerusalem1 in hopes that they  might  
yet let down their net for another      
draught of these ,jerusalem  sinners4   
,neither did ,paul and ,barnabas1 who   
were the ministers of ,god to  the      
,gentiles1 but offer the gospel1 in the 
first place1 to those of them  that for 

their wickedness were scattered like    
vagabonds among the  nations2 yea1 and  
when they rendered rebellion and        
blasphemy for their  service and love1  
they replied1 it was necessary that the 
word of ,god  should first have been    
spoken to them2 ,acts i4 #h2 chap4 xiii4
 #df1 #dg4    ,nor was this their       
preaching unsuccessful among these      
people3 but the  ,lord ,jesus so wrought
 with the word thus spoken1 that        
thousands of them  came flocking to him 
for mercy4  ,three thousand of them     
closed with him  at the first2 and      
afterwards two thousand more2 for now   
they were in  number about five         
thousand2 whereas before sermons were   
preached to these  murderers1 the number
 of the disciples was not above 8a      
hundred and  twenty20 ,acts i4 #ae2     
chap4 ii4 #da2 chap4 iv4 #d4    ,also   
among these people that thus flocked to 
him for mercy1 there was a  8great      
company of the priests20 chap4 vi4 #g4  
,now the priests were they  that were   

the greatest of these biggest sinners2  
they were the  ringleaders1 they were   
the inventors and ringleaders in the    
mischief4  ,it  was they that set the   
people against the ,lord ,jesus1 and    
that were the  cause why the uproar     
increased1 until ,pilate had given      
sentence upon him4  8,the chief priests 
and elders10 says the text1 8persuaded  
7the people7  the multitude10 that they 
should ask ,barabbas1 and destroy       
,jesus2 ,matt4  xxvii4 #bj4  ,and yet   
behold the priests1 yea1 a great company
 of the  priests1 became obedient to the
 faith4    ,oh the greatness of the     
grace of ,christ1 that he should be thus
 in love  with the souls of ,jerusalem  
sinners6 that he should be thus         
delighted  with the salvation of the    
,jerusalem sinners6 that he should not  
only will  that his gospel should be    
offered them1 but that it should be     
offered  unto them first1 and before    
other sinners were admitted to a hearing
 of  it4  8,begin at ,jerusalem40       

,were this doctrine well believed1 where
 would there be a place for a  doubt1 or
 a fear of the damnation of the soul1 if
 the sinner be penitent1  how bad a life
 soever he has lived1 how many soever in
 number are his  sins8    ,but this     
grace is hid from the eyes of men2 the  
devil hides it from them2  for he knows 
it is alluring1 he knows it has an      
attracting virtue in it3  for this is it
 that above all arguments can draw the  
soul to ,god4    ,i cannot help it1 but 
must let drop another word4  ,the first 
church1 the  ,jerusalem church1 from    
whence the gospel was to be sent into   
all the  world1 was a church made up of 
,jerusalem sinners4  ,these great       
sinners  were here the most shining     
monuments of the exceeding grace of     
,god4    ,thus you see ,i have proved   
the doctrine2 and that not only by      
showing you  that this was the practice 
of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in his      
lifetime1 but  his last will when he    
went up to ,god2 saying1 ,begin to      

preach at  ,jerusalem4    ,yea1 it is   
yet further manifested1 in that when his
 ministers first began  to preach there1
 he joined his power to the word1 to the
 converting of  thousands of his        
betrayers and murderers1 and also many  
of the  ringleading priests to the      
faith4    ,i shall now proceed1 and     
shall show you1    #a4  ,the reasons of 
the point3    #b4  ,and then make some  
application of the whole4    ,the       
observation1 you know1 is this3 ,jesus  
,christ would have mercy  offered1 in   
the first place1 to the biggest sinners1
 to the ,jerusalem  sinners3 8,preach   
repentance1 and remission of sins1 in my
 name1 among all  nations1 beginning at 
,jerusalem40    ,the reasons of the     
point are3    ,first1 ,because the      
biggest sinners have most need thereof4 
,he that has  most need1 reason says1   
should be helped first4  ,i mean1 when a
 helping  hand is offered1 and now it   
is3 for the gospel of the grace of ,god 
is  sent to help the world2 ,acts xvi4  

#i4  ,but the biggest sinner has most   
need4  ,therefore1 in reason1 when mercy
 is sent down from heaven to men1  the  
worst of men should have the first offer
 of it4  8,begin at  ,jerusalem40  ,this
 is the reason which the ,lord ,christ  
himself renders1  why in his lifetime he
 left the best1 and turned him to the   
worst2 why he  sat so loose from the    
righteous1 and stuck so close to the    
wicked4  8,the  whole10 saith he1 8have 
no need of the physician1 but the sick4 
,i came  not to call the righteous1 but 
sinners to repentance20 ,mark ii4       
#ae-dg4    ,above you read1 that the    
scribes and pharisees said to his       
disciples1  8,how is it that he eateth  
and drinketh with publicans and         
sinners80  ,alas6 they did not know the 
reason3 but the ,lord renders them one1 
and  such an one as is both natural and 
cogent1 saying1 ,these have need1 most  
need4  ,their great necessity requires  
that ,i should be most friendly1 and    
show my grace first to them4    ,not    

that the other were sinless1 and so had 
no need of a ,saviour2 but the          
publicans and their companions were the 
biggest sinners2 they were1 as to  view1
 worse than the scribes2 and therefore  
in reason should be helped  first1      
because they had most need of a         
,saviour4    ,men that are at the point 
to die have more need of the physician  
than  they that are but now and then    
troubled with an heart-fainting qualm4  
,the publicans and sinners were1 as it  
were1 in the mouth of death2 death  was 
swallowing of them down3 and therefore  
the ,lord ,jesus receives them  first1  
offers them mercy first4  8,the whole   
have no need of the  physician1 but the 
sick4  ,i came not to call the          
righteous1 but sinners  to repentance40 
,the sick1 as ,i said1 is the biggest   
sinner1 whether he  sees his disease or 
not4  ,he is stained from head to foot1 
from heart to  life and conversation4   
,this man1 in every man's judgment1 has 
the most  need of mercy4  ,there is     

nothing attends him from bed to board1  
and from  board to bed again1 but the   
visible characters1 and obvious         
symptoms1 of  eternal damnation4  ,this 
therefore is the man that has need1 most
 need2  and therefore in reason should  
be helped in the first place4  ,thus it 
was  with the people concerned in the   
text1 they were the worst of sinners1   
,jerusalem sinners1 sinners of the      
biggest size2 and therefore such as had 
the greatest need2 wherefore they must  
have mercy offered to them1 before  it  
be offered any where else in the world4 
8,begin at ,jerusalem10 offer  mercy    
first to a ,jerusalem sinner4  ,this man
 has most need1 he is  farthest from    
,god1 nearest to hell1 and so one that  
has most need4  ,this  man's sins are in
 number the most1 in cry the loudest1 in
 weight the  heaviest1 and consequently 
will sink him soonest3 wherefore he has 
most  need of mercy4  ,this man is shut 
up in ,satan's hand1 fastest bound in   
the  cords of his sins3 one that justice

 is whetting his sword to cut off2 and  
therefore has most need1 not only of    
mercy1 but that it should be  extended  
to him in the first place4    ,but a    
little further to show you the true     
nature of this reason1 to wit1  ,that   
,jesus ,christ would have mercy offered1
 in the first place1 to the  biggest    
sinners4    ,first1 ,mercy ariseth from 
the bowels and compassion1 from pity1   
and from  a feeling of the condition of 
those in misery4  8,in his love1 and in 
his  pity1 he saveth us40  ,and again1  
8,the ,lord is pitiful1 very pitiful1   
and  of great mercy20 ,isa4 lxiii4 #i2  
,james v4 #aa4    ,now1 where pity and  
compassion is1 there is yearning of     
bowels2 and where  there is that1 there 
is a readiness to help4  ,and1 ,i say   
again1 the more  deplorable and dreadful
 the condition is1 the more directly    
doth bowels  and compassion turn        
themselves to such1 and offer help and  
deliverance4  ,all this flows from our  
first scripture proof2 ,i came to call  

them that  have need2 to call them      
first1 while the rest look on and       
murmur4    8,how shall ,i give thee up1 
,ephraim80  ,ephraim was a revolter from
 ,god1 a  man that had given himself up 
to devilism3 a company of men1 the ten  
tribes1 that worshipped devils1 while   
,judah kept with his ,god4  8,but how   
shall ,i give thee up1 ,ephraim8  ,how  
shall ,i deliver thee1 ,israel8  ,how   
shall ,i make thee as ,admah8  ,how     
shall ,i set thee as ,zeboim8 7and yet  
thou art worse than they3 nor has       
,samaria committed half thy sins72      
,ezek4  xvi4 #df-ea4  ,my heart is      
turned within me1 and my repentings are 
kindled  together20 ,hos4 xi4 #h4       
,but where do you find that ever the    
,lord did thus yearn in his bowels for  
and after any self-righteous man8  ,no1 
no2 they are the publicans and  harlots1
 idolaters and ,jerusalem sinners1 for  
whom his bowels thus yearn  and tumble  
about within him3 for1 alas6 poor worms1
 they have most need  of mercy4    ,had 

not the good ,samaritan more compassion 
for that man that fell among  thieves   
7though that fall was occasioned by his 
going from the place  where they        
worshipped ,god1 to ,jericho1 the cursed
 city7 than we read he  had for any     
other besides8  ,his wine was for him1  
his oil was for him1  his beast for him2
 his penny1 his care1 and his swaddling 
bands for him2  for alas6 wretch1 he had
 most need2 ,luke x4 #cj-ce4            
,zaccheus the publican1 the chief of the
 publicans1 one that had made  himself  
the richer by wronging of others2 the   
,lord at that time singled  him out from
 all the rest of his brother publicans1 
and that in the face  of many           
,pharisees1 and proclaimed in the       
audience of them all1 that that  day    
salvation was come to his house2 ,luke  
xix4 #a-h4    ,the woman also that had  
been bound down by ,satan for eighteen  
years  together1 his compassions putting
 him upon it1 he loosed her1 though     
those that stood by snarled at him for  

so doing2 ,luke xiii4 #aa-ac1    ,and   
why the woman of ,sarepta1 and why      
,naaman the ,syrian1 rather than  widows
 and lepers in ,israel1 but because     
their conditions were more  deplorable1 
7for that7 they were most forlorn1 and  
farthest from help2  ,luke iv4 #be1 #bg4
    ,but ,i say1 why all these1 thus    
named8 why have we not a catalogue of   
some  holy men that were so in their own
 eyes1 and in the judgment of the       
world8  ,alas if at any time any of them
 are mentioned1 how seemingly  coldly   
doth the record of scripture present    
them to us8  ,nicodemus1 a  night       
professor1 and ,simon the pharisee1 with
 his fifty pence2 and their  great      
ignorance of the methods of grace1 we   
have now and then touched  upon4        
,mercy seems to be out of his proper    
channel1 when it deals with             
self-righteous men2 but then it runs    
with a full stream when it extends      
itself to the biggest sinners4  ,as     
,god's mercy is not regulated by man's  

goodness1 nor obtained by man's         
worthiness2 so not much set out by      
saving  of any such4  ,but more of this 
anon4    ,and here let me ask my reader 
a question3 suppose that as thou art    
walking by some pond side1 thou shouldst
 espy in it four or five children  all  
in danger of drowning1 and one in more  
danger than all the rest1  judge which  
has most need to be helped out first8   
,i know thou wilt say1  he that is      
nearest drowning4  ,why1 this is the    
case2 the bigger sinner1  the nearer    
drowning2 therefore the bigger sinner   
the more need of mercy2  yea1 of help by
 mercy in the first place4  ,and to this
 our text agrees1  when it saith1       
8,beginning at ,jerusalem40  ,let the   
,jerusalem sinner1 says  ,christ1 have  
the first offer1 the first invitation1  
the first tender of  my grace and mercy1
 for he is the biggest sinner1 and so   
has most need  thereof4    ,secondly1   
,christ ,jesus would have mercy offered 
in the first place to  the biggest      

sinners1 because when they1 any of them1
 receive it1 it  redounds most to the   
fame of his name4    ,christ ,jesus1 as 
you may perceive1 has put himself under 
the term of a  physician1 a doctor for  
curing of diseases3 and you know that   
applause  and fame1 are things that     
physicians much desire4  ,that is it    
that helps  them to patients1 and that  
also that will help their patients to   
commit  themselves to their skill for   
cure1 with the more confidence and      
repose  of spirit4  ,and the best way   
for a doctor or physician to get himself
 a  name1 is1 in the first place1 to    
take in hand1 and cure some such as all 
others have given off for lost and dead4
  ,physicians get neither name nor  fame
 by pricking of wheals1 or pricking out 
thistles1 or by laying of  plaisters to 
the scratch of a pin2 every old woman   
can do this4  ,but if  they would have a
 name and a fame1 if they will have it  
quickly they  must1 as ,i said1 do some 
great and desperate cures4  ,let them   

fetch one  to life that was dead2 let   
them recover one to his wits that was   
mad2 let  them make one that was born   
blind to see2 or let them give ripe wits
 to a  fool2 these are notable cures1   
and he that can do thus1 and if he doth 
thus first1 he shall have the name and  
fame he desires2 he may lie a-bed  till 
noon4    ,why1 ,christ ,jesus forgiveth 
sins for a name1 and so begets of       
himself a  good report in the hearts of 
the children of men4  ,and therefore in 
reason he must be willing1 as also he   
did command1 that his mercy should  be  
offered first to the biggest sinners4   
8,i will forgive their sins1 iniquities1
 and transgressions10 says he1  8and it 
shall turn to me for a name of joy1 and 
a praise and an honour1  before all the 
nations of the earth20 ,jer4 xxxiii4 #h1
 #i4    ,and hence it is1 that at his   
first appearing he took upon him to do  
such  mighty works3 he got a fame       
thereby1 he got a name thereby2 ,matt4  
iv4 #bc1  #bd4    ,when ,christ had cast

 the legion of devils out of the man of 
whom you  read1 ,mark v41 he bid him go 
home to his friends1 and tell it3 8,go  
home10  saith he1 8to thy friends1 and  
tell them how great things ,god has done
  for thee1 and has had compassion on   
thee20 ,mark v4 #ai4  ,christ ,jesus    
seeks a name1 and desireth a fame in the
 world2 and therefore1 or the  better to
 obtain that1 he commands that mercy    
should first be proffered  to the       
biggest sinners1 because1 by the saving 
of one of them he makes  all men marvel4
  ,as 'tis said of the man last         
mentioned1 whom ,christ  cured towards  
the beginning of his ministry3 8,and he 
departed10 says the  text1 8and began to
 publish in ,decapolis1 how great things
 ,jesus had done  for him2 and all men  
did marvel10 ver4 #bj4    ,when ,john   
told ,christ1 that they saw one casting 
out devils in his name1  and they       
forbade him1 because he followed not    
with them1 what is the  answer of       
,christ8  8,forbid him not3 for there is

 no man which shall do a  miracle in my 
name1 that can lightly speak evil of    
me40  ,no2 they will  rather cause his  
praise to be heard1 and his name to be  
magnified1 and so  put glory on the head
 of ,christ4    ,but we will follow a   
little our metaphor3 ,christ1 as ,i     
said1 has put  himself under the term of
 a physician2 consequently he desireth  
that his  fame1 as to the salvation of  
sinners1 may spread abroad1 and that the
  world may see what he can do4  ,and to
 this end1 he has not only  commanded1  
that the biggest sinners should have the
 first offer of his  mercy1 but has1 as 
physicians do1 put out his bills1 and   
published his  doings1 that things may  
be read and talked of4  ,yea1 he has    
moreover1 in  these his blessed bills1  
the holy scriptures ,i mean1 inserted   
the very  names of persons1 the places  
of their abode1 and the great cures     
that1 by  the means of his salvations1  
he has wrought upon them to this very   
end4  ,here is1 ,item1 such a one1 by my

 grace and redeeming blood1 was made a  
monument of everlasting life2 and such a
 one1 by my perfect obedience1  became  
an heir of glory4  ,and then he         
produceth their names4    ,item1 ,i     
saved ,lot from the guilt and damnation 
that he had procured to  himself by his 
incest4    ,item1 ,i saved ,david from  
the vengeance that belonged to him for  
committing of adultery and murder4      
,here is also ,solomon1 ,manasseh1      
,peter1 ,magdalen1 and many others1 made
  mention of in this book4  ,yea1 here  
are their names1 their sins1 and  their 
salvations recorded together1 that you  
may read and know what a  ,saviour he   
is1 and do him honour in the world4     
,for why are these things  thus         
recorded1 but to show to sinners what he
 can do1 to the praise and  glory of his
 grace8    ,and it is observable1 as ,i 
said before1 we have but very little of 
the  salvation of little sinners        
mentioned in ,god's book1 because that  
would  not have answered the design1 to 

wit1 to bring glory and fame to the name
  of the ,son of ,god4    ,what should  
be the reason1 think you1 why ,christ   
should so easily take a  denial of the  
great ones1 that were the grandeur of   
the world1 and  struggle so hard for    
hedge-creepers and highwaymen 7as that  
parable1 ,luke  xiv41 seems to import he
 doth71 but to show forth the riches of 
the glory  of his grace to his praise8  
,this ,i say1 is one reason to be sure4 
,they that had their grounds1 their yoke
 of oxen1 and their marriage joys1  were
 invited to come2 but they made their   
excuse1 and that served the  turn4  ,but
 when he comes to deal with the worst1  
he saith to his  servants1 ,go ye out   
and bring them in hither4  8,go out     
quickly1 and bring  in hither the poor1 
the maimed1 the halt1 and the blind40   
,and they did  so3 and he said again1   
8,go out into the highways and hedges1  
and compel  them to come in1 that my    
house may be filled20 ,luke xiv4 #ah1   
#ai1 #bc4  ,these poor1 lame1 maimed1   

blind1 hedge-creepers and highwaymen1   
must come  in1 must be forced in4       
,these1 if saved1 will make his merits  
shine4    ,when ,christ was crucified1  
and hanged up between the earth and     
heavens1  there were two thieves        
crucified with him2 and behold1 he lays 
hold of  one of them and will have him  
away with him to glory4  ,was not this a
  strange act1 and a display of         
unthought of grace8  ,were there none   
but  thieves there1 or were the rest of 
that company out of his reach8  ,could  
he not1 think you1 have stooped from the
 cross to the ground1 and have  laid    
hold on some honester man if he would8  
,yes1 doubtless4  ,oh6 but  then he     
would not have displayed his grace1 nor 
so have pursued his own  designs1       
namely1 to get to himself a praise and a
 name3 but now he has  done it to       
purpose4  ,for who that shall read this 
story1 but must  confess1 that the ,son 
of ,god is full of grace2 for a proof of
 the riches  thereof1 he left behind    

him1 when upon the cross he took the    
thief away  with him to glory4  ,nor can
 this one act of his be buried2 it will 
be  talked of to the end of the world to
 his praise4  8,men shall speak of the  
might of thy terrible acts1 and will    
declare thy greatness2 they shall       
abundantly utter the memory of thy great
 goodness1 and shall sing of thy        
righteousness4  ,they shall speak of the
 glory of thy kingdom1 and talk of  thy 
power2 to make known to the sons of men 
his mighty acts1 and the  glorious      
majesty of his kingdom20 ,psalm cxlv4   
#f-ab4    ,when the word of ,god came   
among the conjurers and those           
soothsayers that  you read of1 ,acts    
xix41 and had prevailed with some of    
them to accept of  the grace of ,christ1
 the ,holy ,ghost records it with a     
boast1 for that it  would redound to his
 praise1 saying1 8,and many of them that
 used curious  arts1 brought their books
 together1 and burned them before all   
men3 and  counted the price of them1 and

 found it fifty thousand pieces of      
silver4  ,so mightily grew the word of  
,god1 and prevailed20 ,acts xix4 #ai1   
#bj4  ,it  wrenched out of the clutches 
of ,satan some of those of whom he      
thought  himself most sure4    8,so     
mightily grew the word of ,god40  ,it   
grew mightily1 it encroached upon  the  
kingdom of the devil4  ,it pursued him1 
and took the prey2 it forced  him to let
 go his hold3 it brought away captive1  
as prisoners taken by  force of arms1   
some of the most valiant of his army3 it
 fetched back  from1 as it were1 the    
confines of hell1 some of those that    
were his most  trusty1 and that with    
hell had been at an agreement3 it made  
them come  and confess their deeds1 and 
burn their books before all men3 8,so   
mightily grew the word of ,god1 and     
prevailed40    ,thus1 therefore1 you see
 why ,christ will have mercy offered in 
the first  place to the biggest sinners2
 they have most need thereof2 and this  
is  the most ready way to extol his name

 that rideth upon the heavens to our    
help4  ,but1    ,thirdly1 ,christ ,jesus
 would have mercy offered in the first  
place to  the biggest sinners1 because  
by their forgiveness and salvation1     
others  hearing of it1 will be          
encouraged the more to come to him for  
life4    ,for the physician1 by curing  
the most desperate at the first1 doth   
not  only get himself a name1 but begets
 encouragement in the minds of other    
diseased folk to come to him for help4  
,hence you read of our ,lord1 that      
after1 through his tender mercy1 he had 
cured many of great diseases1 his  fame 
was spread abroad1 8,they brought unto  
him all sick people that were  taken    
with divers diseases and torments1 and  
those which were possessed  with devils1
 and those which were lunatic1 and those
 that had the palsy1  and he healed     
them4  ,and there followed him great    
multitudes of people  from ,galilee1 and
 ,decapolis1 and ,jerusalem1 and ,judea1
 and from beyond  ,jordan20 ,matt4 iv4  

#bd1 #be4    ,see here1 he first by     
working gets himself a fame1 a name1 and
 renown1  and now men take              
encouragement1 and bring from all       
quarters their  diseased to him1 being  
helped1 by what they had heard1 to      
believe that  their diseased should be  
healed4    ,now1 as he did with those   
outward cures1 so he does in the        
proffers of  his grace and mercy3 he    
proffers that in the first place to the 
biggest  sinners1 that others may take  
heart to come to him to be saved4  ,i   
will  give you a scripture or two1 ,i   
mean to show you that ,christ1 by       
commanding that his mercy should in the 
first place be offered to the  biggest  
of sinners1 has a design thereby to     
encourage and provoke others  to come   
also to him for mercy4    8,god10 saith 
,paul1 8who is rich in mercy1 for his   
great love wherewith he  loved us1 even 
when we were dead in sins1 hath         
quickened us together with  ,christ 7by 
grace ye are saved72 and hath raised us 

up together1 and made  us sit together  
in heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus40  
,but why did he do  all this8  8,that in
 the ages to come he might shew the     
exceeding riches  of his grace in his   
kindness towards us through ,christ     
,jesus20 ,eph4 ii4  #d-g4    ,see1 here 
is a design2 ,god lets out his mercy to 
,ephesus of design1 even  to shew to the
 ages to come the exceeding riches of   
his grace1 in his  kindness to them     
through ,christ ,jesus4  ,and why to    
shew by these the  exceeding riches of  
his grace to the ages to come1 through  
,christ ,jesus1  but to allure them1 and
 their children also1 to come to him1   
and to  partake of the same grace       
through ,christ ,jesus8    ,but what was
 ,paul1 and the ,ephesian sinners8 7of  
,paul we will speak  anon74  ,these     
,ephesian sinners1 they were men dead in
 sins1 men that  walked according to the
 dictates and motions of the devil2     
worshippers of  ,diana1 that effeminate 
goddess2 men far off from ,god1 aliens  

and  strangers to all good things2 such 
as were far off from that1 as ,i said1  
and consequently in a most deplorable   
condition4  ,as the ,jerusalem  sinners 
were of the highest sort among the      
,jews1 so these ,ephesian  sinners were 
of the highest sort among the ,gentiles2
 ,eph4 ii4 #a-c1 #aa1  #ab2 ,acts xix4  
#ce4    ,wherefore as by the ,jerusalem 
sinners1 in saving them first1 he had a 
design to provoke others to come to him 
for mercy1 so the same design is  here  
set on foot again1 in his calling and   
converting the ,ephesian  sinners1      
8,that in the ages to come he might shew
 the exceeding riches of  his grace10   
says he1 8in his kindness towards us    
through ,christ ,jesus40  ,there is yet 
one hint behind4  ,it is said that ,god 
saved these for his  love2 that is1 as  
,i think1 for the setting forth1 for the
 commendations  of his love1 for the    
advance of his love1 in the hearts and  
minds of them  that should come after4  
,as who should say1 ,god has had mercy  

upon1 and  been gracious to you1 that he
 might shew to others1 for their        
encouragement1 that they have ground to 
come to him to be saved4  ,when  ,god   
saves one great sinner1 it is to        
encourage another great sinner to  come 
to him for mercy4    ,he saved the      
thief1 to encourage thieves to come to  
him for mercy2 he  saved ,magdalen1 to  
encourage other ,magdalens to come to   
him for mercy2 he  saved ,saul1 to      
encourage ,sauls to come to him for     
mercy2 and this ,paul  himself doth say1
 8,for this cause10 saith he1 8,i       
obtained mercy1 that in  me first ,jesus
 ,christ might shew forth all           
long-suffering for a pattern  to them   
which should hereafter believe on him to
 life everlasting20 #a  ,tim4 i4 #af4   
,how plain are the words6  ,christ1 in  
saving of me1 has given to the world  a 
pattern of his grace1 that they might   
see and believe1 and come1 and be       
saved2 that they that are to be born    
hereafter might believe on ,jesus       

,christ to life everlasting4    ,but    
what was ,paul8  ,why1 he tells you     
himself2 ,i am1 says he1 the chief  of  
sinners3 ,i was1 says he1 a blaspheme2 a
 persecutor1 an injurious  person2 but  
,i obtained mercy2 #a ,tim4 i4 #ad1 #ae4
  ,ay1 that is well for  you1 ,paul2 but
 what advantage have we thereby8  ,oh1  
very much1 saith he2  for1 8for this    
cause ,i obtained mercy1 that in me     
first1 ,jesus ,christ  might shew all   
long-suffering for a pattern to them    
which shall believe  on him to life     
everlasting40    ,thus1 therefore1 you  
see that this third reason is of        
strength1 namely1  that ,jesus ,christ  
would have mercy offered in the first   
place to the  biggest sinners1 because1 
by their forgiveness and salvation1     
others1  hearing of it1 will be         
encouraged the more to come to him for  
mercy4    ,it may well therefore be said
 to ,god1 ,thou delightest in mercy1 and
 mercy  pleases thee2 ,mich4 vii4 #ah4  
,but who believes that this was ,god's  

design in shewing mercy of  old--namely1
 that we that come after might take     
courage to come to him for  mercy2 or   
that ,jesus ,christ would have mercy    
offered in the first place  to the      
biggest sinners1 to stir up others to   
come to him for life8  ,this  is not the
 manner of men1 ,o ,god6    ,but ,david 
saw this betimes2 therefore he makes    
this one argument with  ,god1 that he   
would blot out his transgressions1 that 
he would forgive his  adultery1 his     
murders1 and horrible hypocrisy4  ,do   
it1 ,o ,lord1 saith he1  do it1 and     
8then will ,i teach transgressors thy   
ways1 and sinners shall  be converted   
unto thee20 ,psalm li4 #g-ac4    ,he    
knew that the conversion of sinners     
would be a work highly pleasing to      
,god1 as being that which he had        
designed before he made mountain or     
hill3  wherefore he comes1 and he saith1
 ,save me1 ,o ,lord2 if thou wilt but   
save  me1 ,i will fall in with thy      
design2 ,i will help to bring what      

sinners to  thee ,i can4  ,and1 ,lord1  
,i am willing to be made a preacher     
myself2 for  that ,i have been a        
horrible sinner3 wherefore1 if thou     
shalt forgive my  great transgressions1 
,i shall be a fit man to tell of thy    
wondrous grace  to others4  ,yea1 ,lord1
 ,i dare promise1 that if thou wilt have
 mercy upon  me1 it shall tend to the   
glory of thy grace1 and also to the     
increase of  thy kingdom2 for ,i will   
tell it1 and sinners will hear on't4    
,and there  is nothing so suiteth with  
the hearing sinner as mercy1 and to be  
informed that ,god is willing to bestow 
it upon him4  8,i will teach            
transgressors thy ways1 and sinners     
shall be converted unto thee40    ,nor  
will ,christ ,jesus miss of his design  
in proffering of mercy in the  first    
place to the biggest sinners4  ,you know
 what work the ,lord1 by  laying hold of
 the woman of ,samaria1 made among the  
people there4  ,they  knew that she was 
a town sinner1 an adulteress1 yea1 one  

that after the  most audacious manner   
lived in uncleanness with a man that was
 not her  husband3 but when she1 from a 
turn upon her heart1 went into the city1
  and said to her neighbours1 8,come10  
,oh how they came6 how they flocked  out
 of the city to ,jesus ,christ6  8,then 
they went out of the city1 and  came to 
him40  8,and many of the ,samaritans    
7people perhaps as bad as  herself7     
believed on him1 for the saying of the  
woman1 which testified1  saying1 he told
 me all that ever ,i did20 ,john iv4    
#ci4    ,that word1 8,he told me all    
that ever ,i did10 was a great argument 
with  them2 for by that they gathered1  
that though he knew her to be vile1 yet 
he did not despise her1 nor refuse to   
shew how willing he was to  communicate 
his grace unto her2 and this fetched    
over1 first her1 then  them4    ,this   
woman1 as ,i said1 was a ,samaritan     
sinner1 a sinner of the worst           
complexion3 for the ,jews abhorred to   
have ought to do with them1 ver4 #i2    

wherefore none more fit than she to be  
made one of the decoys of heaven1  to   
bring others of these ,samaritan        
wild-fowls under the net of the grace   
of ,christ4  ,and she did the work to   
purpose4  ,many1 and many more of the   
,samaritans believed on him2 ver4       
#dj-db4  ,the heart of man1 though set  
on  sin1 will1 when it comes once to a  
persuasion that ,god is willing to have 
mercy upon us1 incline to come to ,jesus
 ,christ for life4    ,witness those    
turn-aways from ,god that you also read 
of in ,jeremiah2 for  after they had    
heard three or four times over1 that    
,god had mercy for  backsliders1 they   
broke out1 and said1 8,behold1 we come  
unto thee1 for  thou art the ,lord our  
,god40  ,or as those in ,hosea did1     
8,for in thee the  fatherless find      
mercy20 ,jer4 iii4 #bb2 ,hos4 xiv4 #a-c4
    ,mercy1 and the revelation thereof1 
is the only antidote against sin4  ,it  
is of a thawing nature2 it will loose   
the heart that is frozen up in sin2     

yea1 it will make the unwilling willing 
to come to ,jesus ,christ for life4     
,wherefore1 do you think1 was it that   
,jesus ,christ told the adulterous      
woman1 and that before so many sinners1 
that he had not condemned her1  but to  
allure her1 with them there present1 to 
hope to find favour at his  hands8  7,as
 he also saith in another place1 8,i    
came not to judge1 but to  save the     
world407  ,for might they not thence    
most rationally conclude1  that if      
,jesus ,christ had rather save than damn
 an harlot1 there was  encouragement for
 them to come to him for mercy4    ,i   
heard once a story from a soldier1 who  
with his company had laid siege  against
 a fort1 that so long as the besieged   
were persuaded their foes  would shew   
them no favour1 they fought like madmen2
 but when they saw one  of their fellows
 taken1 and received to favour1 they all
 came tumbling  down from their         
fortress1 and delivered themselves into 
their enemies'  hands4    ,i am         

persuaded1 did men believe that there is
 that grace and willingness  in the     
heart of ,christ to save sinners1 as the
 word imports there is1  they would come
 tumbling into his arms3 but ,satan has 
blinded their  minds1 that they cannot  
see this thing4  ,howbeit1 the ,lord    
,jesus has1 as  ,i said1 that others    
might take heart and come to him1 given 
out a  commandment1 that mercy should in
 the first place be offered to the      
biggest sinners4  8,begin10 saith he1   
8at ,jerusalem40  ,and thus ,i end the  
third reason4    ,fourthly1 ,jesus      
,christ would have mercy offered in the 
first place to  the biggest sinners1    
because that is the way1 if they receive
 it1 most to  weaken the kingdom of     
,satan1 and to keep it lowest in every  
age of the  world4  ,the biggest        
sinners1 they are ,satan's colonels and 
captains1 the  leaders of his people1   
and they that most stoutly make head    
against the  ,son of ,god4  ,wherefore  
let these first be conquered1 and his   

kingdom will  be weak4  ,when           
,ishbosheth had lost his ,abner1 his    
kingdom was made weak3  nor did he sit  
but tottering then upon his throne4  ,so
 when ,satan loseth  his strong men1    
them that are mighty to work iniquity1  
and dexterous to  manage others in the  
same1 then is his kingdom weak2 #b ,sam4
 iii4  ,therefore1 ,i say1 ,christ doth 
offer mercy in the first place to such1 
the  more to weaken his kingdom4        
,christ ,jesus was glad to see ,satan   
fall like  lightning from heaven1 that  
is1 suddenly or head long2 and it was1  
surely1 by casting of him out of strong 
possessions1 and by recovering of  some 
notorious sinners out of his clutches2  
,luke x4 #ag-ai4    ,samson1 when he    
would pull down the ,philistines temple1
 took hold of the  two main pillars of  
it1 and breaking them1 down came the    
house4  ,christ  came to destroy the    
works of the devil1 and to destroy by   
converting  grace1 as well as by        
redeeming blood4  ,now sin swarms1 and  

lieth by  legions1 and whole armies1 in 
the souls of the biggest sinners1 as in 
garrisons3 wherefore the way1 the most  
direct way to destroy it1 is first  to  
deal with such sinners by the word of   
his gospel1 and by the merits of  his   
passion4    ,for example1 though ,i     
shall give you but a homely one3 suppose
 a family  to be troubled with vermin1  
and one or two of the family to be in   
chief  the breeders1 the way1 the       
quickest way to clear that family1 or at
 least  to weaken the so swarming of    
those vermin1 is1 in the first place1 to
  sweeten the skin1 head1 and clothes of
 the chief breeders2 and then1  though  
all the family should be apt to breed   
them1 the number of them1  and so the   
greatness of that plague there1 will be 
the more impaired4    ,why1 there are   
some people that are in chief the       
devil's sin-breeders in  the towns and  
places where they live4  ,the place1    
town1 or family where  they live1 must  
needs be horribly verminous1 as it were1

 eaten up with  vermin4  ,now1 let the  
,lord ,jesus1 in the first place1       
cleanse these great  breeders1 and there
 will be given a nip to those swarms of 
sins that used  to be committed in such 
places throughout the town1 house1 or   
family1  where such sin-breeding persons
 used to be4    ,i speak by experience3 
,i was one of these verminous ones1 one 
of these  great sin-breeders2 ,i        
infected all the youth of the town where
 ,i was  born1 with all manner of       
youthful vanities4  ,the neighbours     
counted me  so2 my practice proved me   
so3 wherefore ,christ ,jesus took me    
first1 and  taking me first1 the        
contagion was much allayed all the town 
over4  ,when  ,god made me sigh1 they   
would hearken1 and enquiringly say1     
,what is the  matter with ,john8  ,they 
also gave their various opinions of me3 
but1 as ,i  said1 sin cooled1 and       
failed1 as to his full career4  ,when ,i
 went out to  seek the bread of life1   
some of them would follow1 and the rest 

be put  into a muse at home4  ,yea1     
almost the town1 at first1 at times     
would go  out to hear at the place where
 ,i found good2 yea1 young and old for a
  while had some reformation on them2   
also some of them1 perceiving that  ,god
 had mercy upon me1 came crying to him  
for mercy too4    ,but what need ,i give
 you an instance of poor ,i2 ,i will    
come to ,manasseh  the king4  ,so long  
as he was a ring-leading sinner1 the    
great idolater1  the chief for devilism1
 the whole land flowed with wickedness2 
for he  8made them to sin10 and do worse
 than the heathen that dwelt round about
  them1 or that was cast out from before
 them3 but when ,god converted him1  the
 whole land was reformed4  ,down went   
the groves1 the idols1 and altars  of   
,baal1 and up went true religion in much
 of the power and purity of it4  ,you   
will say1 ,the king reformed by power4  
,i answer1 doubtless1 and by  example   
too2 for people observe their leaders2  
as their fathers did1 so  did they2 #b  

,chron4 xxxiii4 #b4    ,this1 therefore1
 is another reason why ,jesus would have
 mercy offered in  the first place to   
the biggest sinners1 because that is the
 best way1 if  they receive it1 most to 
weaken the kingdom of ,satan1 and to    
keep it poor  and low4    ,and do you   
not think now1 that if ,god would but   
take hold of the hearts  of some of the 
most notorious in your town1 in your    
family1 or country1  that this thing    
would be verified before your faces8    
,it would1 it would1  to the joy of you 
that are godly1 to the making of hell to
 sigh1 to the  great suppressing of sin1
 the glory of ,christ1 and the joy of   
the angels  of ,god4  ,and ministers    
should1 therefore1 that this work might 
go on1  take advantages to persuade with
 the biggest sinners to come into       
,christ1  according to my text1 and     
their commissions2 8,beginning at       
,jerusalem40    ,fifthly1 ,jesus ,christ
 would have mercy offered1 in the first 
place1 to  the biggest sinners2 because 

such1 when converted1 are usually the   
best  helps in the church against       
temptations1 and fittest for the support
 of  the feeble-minded there4  ,hence1  
usually1 you have some such in the first
  plantation of churches1 or quickly    
upon it4  ,churches would do but        
sorrily1 if ,christ ,jesus did not put  
such converts among them3 they are  the 
monuments and mirrors of mercy4  ,the   
very sight of such a sinner in  ,god's  
house1 yea1 the very thought of him1    
where the sight of him cannot  be had1  
is ofttimes greatly for the help of the 
faith of the feeble4    8,when the      
churches 7said ,paul7 that were in      
,judea1 heard this concerning  me1 that 
he which persecuted them in time past1  
now preached the faith  which once he   
destroyed1 they glorified ,god in me20  
,gal4 i4 #bj-bd4    8,glorified ,god40  
,how is that8  ,why1 they praised him1  
and took courage  to believe the more in
 the mercy of ,god2 for that he had had 
mercy on  such a great sinner as he4    

,they glorified ,god 8in me20 they      
wondered  that grace should be so rich1 
as to take hold of such a wretch as ,i  
was2  and for my sake believed in       
,christ the more4    ,there are two     
things that great sinners are acquainted
 with1 when they  come to divulge them  
to the saints1 that are a great relief  
to their  faith4    #a4  ,the contests  
that they usually have with the devil at
 their parting  with him4    #b4  ,their
 knowledge of his secrets in his        
workings4    ,for the first1 ,the       
biggest sinners have usually great      
contests with the  devil at their       
partings2 and this is an help to saints3
 for ordinary  saints find afterwards   
what the vile ones find at first1 but   
when at the  opening of hearts1 the one 
finds himself to be as the other1 the   
one is a  comfort to the other4  ,the   
lesser sort of sinners find but little  
of  this1 till after they have been some
 time in profession2 but the vile man   
meets with his at the beginning4        

,wherefore he1 when the other is down1  
is ready to tell that he has met with   
the same before2 for1 ,i say1 he has    
had it before4  ,satan is loath to part 
with a great sinner4  ,what my true     
servant 7quoth he71 my old servant1 wilt
 thou forsake me now8 having so  often  
sold thyself to me to work wickedness1  
wilt thou forsake me now8  ,thou        
horrible wretch1 dost not know1 that    
thou hast sinned thyself beyond  the    
reach of grace1 and dost think to find  
mercy now8  ,art not thou a  murderer1 a
 thief1 a harlot1 a witch1 a sinner of  
the greatest size1 and  dost thou look  
for mercy now8  ,dost thou think that   
,christ will foul his  fingers with     
thee8    ',tis enough to make angels    
blush1 saith ,satan1 to see so vile a   
one knock  at heaven-gates for mercy1   
and wilt thou be so abominably bold to  
do it8  ,thus ,satan dealt with me1 says
 the great sinner1 when at first ,i came
 to  ,jesus ,christ4  ,and what did you 
reply8 saith the tempted4  ,why1 ,i     

granted  the whole charge to be true1   
says the other4  ,and what1 did you     
despair1  or how8  ,no1 saith he1 ,i    
said1 ,i am ,magdalen1 ,i am ,zaccheus1 
,i am the  thief1 ,i am the harlot1 ,i  
am the publican1 ,i am the prodigal1 and
 one of  ,christ's murderers3 yea1 worse
 than any of these2 and yet ,god was so 
far  off from rejecting of me 7as ,i    
found afterwards71 that there was music 
and dancing in his house for me1 and for
 joy that ,i was come home unto  him4   
,o blessed be ,god for grace 7says the  
other71 for then ,i hope there  is      
favour for me4  ,yea1 as ,i told you1   
such a one is a continual  spectacle in 
the church1 for every one to behold     
,god's grace and wonder  by4            
,secondly1 ,and as for the secrets of   
,satan1 such as are suggestions to      
question the being of ,god1 the truth of
 his word1 and to be annoyed with       
devilish blasphemies2 none more         
acquainted with these than the biggest  
sinners at their conversion2 wherefore  

thus also they are prepared to be  helps
 in the church to relieve and comfort   
the other4    ,i might also here tell   
you of the contests and battles that    
such are  engaged in1 wherein they find 
the besettings of ,satan1 above any     
other of  the saints4  ,at which times  
,satan assaults the soul with darkness1 
fears1  frightful thoughts of           
apparitions2 now they sweat1 pant1 cry  
out1 and  struggle for life4    ,the    
angels now come down to behold the      
sight1 and rejoice to see a bit of  dust
 and ashes to overcome principalities   
and powers1 and might1 and  dominions4  
,but1 as ,i said when these come a      
little to be settled1 they  are prepared
 for helping others1 and are great      
comforts unto them4  ,their  great sins 
give great encouragement to the devil to
 assault them2 and by  these temptations
 ,christ takes advantage to make them   
the more helpful to  the churches4      
,the biggest sinner1 when he is         
converted1 and comes into the church1   

says  to them all1 by his very coming   
in1 ,behold me1 all you that are men and
  women of a low and timorous spirit1   
you whose hearts are narrow1 for that   
you never had the advantage to know1    
because your sins are few1 the          
largeness of the grace of ,god4         
,behold1 ,i say1 in me1 the exceeding   
riches of his grace6  ,i am a pattern   
set forth before your faces1 on whom    
you may look and take heart4  ,this1 ,i 
say1 the great sinner can say1 to  the  
exceeding comfort of all the rest4      
,wherefore1 as ,i have hinted before1   
when ,god intends to stock a place  with
 saints1 and to make that place         
excellently to flourish with the  riches
 of his grace1 he usually begins with   
the conversion of some of the  most     
notorious thereabouts1 and lays them as 
an example to allure others1  and to    
build up when they are converted4    ,it
 was ,paul that must go to the          
,gentiles1 because ,paul was the most   
outrageous of all the apostles1 in the  

time of his unregeneracy4  ,yea1  ,peter
 must be he1 that after his horrible    
fall1 was thought fittest1 when         
recovered again1 to comfort and         
strengthen his brethren4  ,see ,luke    
xxii4  #ca1 #cb4    ,some must be       
pillars in ,god's house2 and if they be 
pillars of cedar1  they must stand while
 they are stout and sturdy sticks in the
 forest1  before they are cut down1 and 
planted or placed there4    ,no man1    
when he buildeth his house1 makes the   
principal parts thereof of  weak or     
feeble timber2 for how could such bear  
up the rest8 but of great  and able     
wood4  ,christ ,jesus also goeth this   
way to work2 he makes of the  biggest   
sinners bearers and supporters to the   
rest4  ,this then1 may serve  for       
another reason1 why ,jesus ,christ gives
 out in commandment1 that mercy  should1
 in the first place1 be offered to the  
biggest sinners3 because  such1 when    
converted1 are usually the best helps in
 the church against  temptations1 and   

fittest for the support of the          
feeble-minded there4    ,sixthly1       
,another reason why ,jesus ,christ would
 have mercy offered in  the first place 
to the biggest sinners1 is1 because     
they1 when converted1  are apt to love  
him most4    ,this agrees both with     
,scripture and reason4  ,scripture says 
so3 8,to whom  much is forgiven1 the    
same loveth much4  ,to whom little is   
forgiven1 the  same loveth little20     
,luke vii4 #dg4  ,reason says so3 for as
 it would be  the unreasonablest thing  
in the world to render hatred for love1 
and  contempt for forgiveness2 so it    
would be as ridiculous to think1 that   
the  reception of a little kindness     
should lay the same obligations upon the
  heart to love1 as the reception of a  
great deal4  ,i would not disparage  the
 love of ,christ2 ,i know the least     
drachm of it1 when it reaches to        
forgiveness1 is great above all the     
world2 but comparatively1 there are     
greater extensions of the love of       

,christ to one than to another4  ,he    
that  has most sin1 if forgiven1 is     
partaker of the greatest love1 of the   
greatest forgiveness4    ,i know also1  
that there are some1 that from this very
 doctrine say1 8,let  us do evil that   
good may come20 and that turn the grace 
of our ,god into  lasciviousness4  ,but 
,i speak not of these2 these will       
neither be ruled by  grace nor reason4  
,grace would teach them1 if they know   
it1 to deny  ungodly courses2 and so    
would reason too1 if it could truly     
sense the  love of ,god2 ,titus ii4 #aa1
 #ab2 ,rom4 xi4 #a4    ,doth it look    
like what hath any coherence with reason
 or mercy1 for a man  to abuse his      
friend8  ,because ,christ died for men1 
shall ,i therefore spit  in his face8   
,the bread and water that was given by  
,elisha to his  enemies1 that came into 
the land of ,israel to take him1 had so 
much  influence upon their minds1 though
 heathens1 that they returned to their  
homes without hurting him3 yea1 it kept 

them from coming again in a  hostile    
manner into the coasts of ,israel2 #b   
,kings vi4 #ai-bc4    ,but to forbear to
 illustrate till anon4  ,one reason why 
,christ ,jesus  shews mercy to sinners1 
is1 that he might obtain their love1    
that he may  remove their base          
affections from base objects to himself4
  ,now1 if he  loves to be loved a      
little1 he loves to be loved much2 but  
there is not  any that are capable of   
loving much1 save those that have much  
forgiven  them4  ,hence it is said of   
,paul1 that he laboured more than them  
all2 to  wit1 with a labour of love1    
because he had been by sin more vile    
against  ,christ than they all2 #a ,cor4
 xv4  ,he it was that persecuted the    
church of  ,god1 and wasted it2 ,gal4 i4
 #ac4  ,he of them all was the only     
raving  bedlam against the saints3 8,and
 being exceeding mad10 says he1 8against
  them1 ,i persecuted them1 even to     
strange cities20 ,acts xxvi4 #aa4       
,this raving bedlam1 that once was so1  

is he that now says1 ,i laboured  more  
than them all1 more for ,christ than    
them all4    ,but ,paul1 what moved thee
 thus to do8  ,the love of ,christ1 says
 he4  ,it  was not ,i1 but the grace of 
,god that was with me4  ,as who should  
say1 ,o  grace6  ,it was such grace to  
save me6  ,it was such marvellous grace 
for  ,god to look down from heaven upon 
me1 and that secured me from the wrath  
to come1 that ,i am captivated with the 
sense of the riches of it4  ,hence  ,i  
act1 hence ,i labour2 for how can ,i    
otherwise do1 since ,god not only       
separated me from my sins and           
companions1 but separated all the powers
 of  my soul and body to his service8   
,i am therefore prompted on by this     
exceeding love to labour as ,i have     
done2 yet not ,i1 but the grace of ,god 
with me4    ,oh6  ,i shall never forget 
his love1 nor the circumstances under   
which ,i  was1 when his love laid hold  
upon me4  ,i was going to ,damascus with
  letters from the high-priest1 to make 

havock of ,god's people there1 as ,i    
had made havock of them in other places4
  ,these bloody letters were not        
imposed upon me4  ,i went to the        
high-priest and desired them of him2    
,acts  ix4 #a1 #b2 and yet he saved me6 
,i was one of the men1 of the chief men1
  that had a hand in the blood of his   
martyr ,stephen2 yet he had mercy on    
me6  ,when ,i was at ,damascus1 ,i stunk
 so horribly like a blood-sucker1  that 
,i became a terror to all thereabout4   
,yea1 ,ananias 7good man7 made          
intercession to my ,lord against me2 yet
 he would have mercy upon me1 yea1      
joined mercy to mercy1 until he had made
 me a monument of grace6  ,he made  a   
saint of me1 and persuaded me that my   
transgressions were forgiven me4        
,when ,i began to preach1 those that    
heard me were amazed1 and said1 8,is    
not this he that destroyed them that    
called on this name in ,jerusalem1  and 
came hither for that intent1 that he    
might bring them bound to the           

high-priest80  ,hell doth know that ,i  
was a sinner2 heaven doth know that  ,i 
was a sinner2 the world also knows that 
,i was a sinner1 a sinner of the        
greatest size2 but ,i obtained mercy2 #a
 ,tim i4 #ae1 #af4    ,shall not this   
lay obligation upon me8  ,is not love of
 the greatest force  to oblige8  ,is it 
not strong as death1 cruel as the grave1
 and hotter  than the coals of juniper8 
,hath it not a most vehement flame8 can 
the  waters quench it8 can the floods   
drown it8  ,i am under the force of it1 
and this is my continual cry1 ,what     
shall ,i render to the ,lord for all the
  benefits which he has bestowed upon   
me8    ,ay1 ,paul6 this is something2   
thou speakest like a man1 like a man    
affected1 and carried away with the love
 and grace of ,god4  ,now1 this  sense1 
and this affection1 and this labour1    
giveth to ,christ the love  that he     
looks for4  ,but he might have converted
 twenty little sinners1  and yet not    
found1 for grace bestowed1 so much love 

in them all4    ,i wonder how far a man 
might go among the converted sinners of 
the  smaller size1 before one could find
 one that so much as looked any thing   
this wayward4  ,where is he that is thus
 under pangs of love for the grace      
bestowed upon him by ,jesus ,christ8    
,excepting only some few1 you may walk  
to the world's end1 and find none4      
,but1 as ,i said1 some there are1 and   
so there has been in every age of the   
church1 great sinners1 that have  had   
much forgiven them2 and they love much  
upon this account4    ,jesus ,christ    
therefore knows what he doth1 when he   
lays hold on the  hearts of sinners of  
the biggest size4  ,he knows that such  
an one will  love more than many that   
have not sinned half their sins4    ,i  
will tell you a story that ,i have read 
of ,martha and ,mary2 the name of  the  
book ,i have forgot2 ,i mean of the book
 in which ,i found the relation2  but   
the thing was thus3 ,martha1 saith my   
author1 was a very holy woman1  much    

like ,lazarus her brother2 but ,mary was
 a loose and wanton creature2  ,martha  
did seldom miss good sermons and        
lectures1 when she could come at  them  
in ,jerusalem2 but ,mary would frequent 
the house of sports1 and the  company of
 the vilest of men for lust3 ,and though
 ,martha had often  desired that her    
sister would go with her to hear her    
preachers1 yea1 had  often entreated her
 with tears to do it1 yet could she     
never prevail2 for  still ,mary would   
make her excuse1 or reject her with     
disdain for her zeal  and preciseness in
 religion4    ,after ,martha had waited 
long1 tried many ways to bring her      
sister to  good1 and all proved         
ineffectual1 at last she comes upon her 
thus3  8,sister10 quoth she1 8,i pray   
thee go with me to the temple to-day1 to
  hear one preach a sermon40  8,what    
kind of preacher is he80 said she4      
,martha replied1 8,it is one ,jesus of  
,nazareth2 he is the handsomest man     
that ever you saw with your eyes4  ,oh6 

he shines in beauty1 and is a most      
excellent preacher40    ,now1 what does 
,mary1 after a little pause1 but goes up
 into her chamber1  and with her pins   
and her clouts1 decks up herself as fine
 as her fingers  could make her4        
,this done1 away she goes1 not with her 
sister ,martha1 but as much  unobserved 
as she could1 to the sermon1 or rather  
to see the preacher4    ,the hour and   
preacher being come1 and she having     
observed whereabout the  preacher would 
stand1 goes and sets herself so in the  
temple1 that she  might be sure to have 
the full view of this excellent person4 
,so he  comes in1 and she looks1 and the
 first glimpse of his person pleased    
her4  ,well1 ,jesus addresseth himself  
to his sermon1 and she looks earnestly  
on  him4    ,now1 at that time1 saith my
 author1 ,jesus preached about the lost 
sheep1  the lost groat1 and the prodigal
 child4  ,and when he came to shew what 
care the shepherd took for one lost     
sheep1 and how the woman swept to  find 

her piece which was lost1 and what joy  
there was at their finding1  she began  
to be taken by the ears1 and forgot what
 she came about1 musing  what the       
preacher would make of it4  ,but when he
 came to the application1  and shewed1  
that by the lost sheep was meant a great
 sinner2 by the  shepherd's care1 was   
meant ,god's love for great sinners2 and
 that by the  joy of the neighbours1 was
 shewed what joy there was among the    
angels in  heaven over one great sinner 
that repenteth2 she began to be taken by
 the  heart4  ,and as he spake these    
last words1 she thought he pitched his  
innocent eyes just upon her1 and looked 
as if he spake what was now said  to    
her3 wherefore her heart began to       
tremble1 being shaken with affection    
and fear2 then her eyes ran down with   
tears apace2 wherefore she was  forced  
to hide her face with her handkerchief2 
and so sat sobbing and  crying all the  
rest of the sermon4    ,sermon being    
done1 up she gets1 and away she goes1   

and withal inquired  where this ,jesus  
the preacher dined that day8 and one    
told her1 ,at the  house of ,simon the  
,pharisee4  ,so away goes she1 first to 
her chamber1 and  there strips herself  
of her wanton attire3 then falls upon   
her knees to  ask ,god forgiveness for  
all her wicked life4  ,this done1 in a  
modest  dress she goes to ,simon's      
house1 where she finds ,jesus sat at    
dinner4  ,so  she gets behind him1 and  
weeps1 and drops her tears upon his feet
 like  rain1 and washes them1 and wipes 
them with the hair of her head4  ,she   
also kissed his feet with her lips1 and 
anointed them with ointment4  ,when     
,simon the ,pharisee perceived what the 
woman did1 and being ignorant  of what  
it was to be forgiven much 7for he never
 was forgiven more than  fifty pence71  
he began to think within himself1 that  
he had been mistaken  about ,jesus      
,christ1 because he suffered such a     
sinner as this woman was1  to touch him4
  ,surely1 quoth he1 this man1 if he    

were a prophet1 would  not let this     
woman come near him1 for she is a       
town-sinner 7so ignorant  are all       
self-righteous men of the way of ,christ
 with sinners47  ,but lest  ,mary should
 be discouraged with some clownish      
carriage of this ,pharisee  and so      
desert her good beginnings1 and her new 
steps which she now had  begun to take  
towards eternal life1 ,jesus began thus 
with ,simon4  8,simon10 saith he1 8,i   
have somewhat to say unto thee4  ,and he
 saith1  ,master1 say on4  ,there was10 
said ,jesus1 8a certain creditor had two
  debtors2 the one owed five hundred    
pence1 and the other fifty4  ,and when  
they had nothing to pay1 he frankly     
forgave them both4  ,tell me therefore  
which of them will love him most8       
,simon answered and said1 ,i suppose    
that he to whom he forgave most4  ,and  
he said unto him1 ,thou hast rightly    
judged4  ,and he turned to the woman1   
and said unto ,simon1 ,seest thou this  
woman8  ,i entered into thy house1 thou 

gavest me no water for my feet2  but she
 hath washed my feet with tears1 and    
wiped them with the hairs of  her head4 
,thou gavest me no kiss3 but this woman1
 since the time ,i came  in1 hath not   
ceased to kiss my feet4  ,my head with  
oil thou didst not  anoint1 but this    
woman hath anointed my feet with        
ointment4  ,wherefore ,i  say unto thee1
 ,her sins which are many1 are forgiven1
 for she loved much2  but to whom little
 is forgiven1 the same loveth little4   
,and he said unto  her1 ,thy sins are   
forgiven20 ,luke vii4 #cf-ej4    ,thus  
you have the story4  ,if ,i come short  
in any circumstance1 ,i beg  pardon of  
those that can correct me4  ,it is three
 or four and twenty  years since ,i saw 
the book3 yet ,i have1 as far as my     
memory will admit1  given you the       
relation of the matter4  ,however ,luke1
 as you see1 doth  here present you with
 the substance of the whole4    ,alas6  
,christ ,jesus has but little thanks for
 the saving of little  sinners4  8,to   

whom little is forgiven1 the same loveth
 little40  ,he gets  not water for his  
feet1 by his saving of such sinners4    
,there are  abundance of dry-eyed       
,christians in the world1 and abundance 
of dry-eyed  duties too2 duties that    
never were wetted with the tears of     
contrition  and repentance1 nor ever    
sweetened with the great sinner's box of
  ointment4  ,and the reason is1 such   
sinners have not great sins to be  saved
 from2 or if they have1 they look upon  
them in the diminishing glass  of the   
holy law of ,god4  ,but ,i rather       
believe1 that the professors of our     
days want a due sense of what they are2 
for1 verily1 for the generality  of     
them1 both before and since conversion1 
they have been sinners of a  lusty size4
  ,but if their eyes be holden1 if      
convictions are not shewn1  if their    
knowledge of their sins is but like to  
the eye-sight in  twilight2 the heart   
cannot be affected with that grace that 
has laid hold  on the man2 and so       

,christ ,jesus sows much1 and has little
 coming in4    ,wherefore his way is    
ofttimes to step out of the way1 to     
,jericho1 to  ,samaria1 to the country  
of the ,gadarenes1 to the coasts of     
,tyre and  ,sidon1 and also to ,mount   
,calvary1 that he may lay hold of such  
kind of  sinners as will love him to his
 liking2 ,luke xix4 #a-aa2 ,john iv4    
#c-aa2  ,mark v4 #a-ba2 ,matt4 xv4      
#ba-bi2 ,luke xxiii4 #cc-dd4    ,but    
thus much for the sixth reason1 why     
,christ ,jesus would have mercy  offered
 in the first place to the biggest      
sinners1 to wit1 because such  sinners1 
when converted1 are apt to love him     
most4  ,the ,jerusalem sinners  were    
they that outstripped1 when they were   
converted1 in some things1 all  the     
churches of the ,gentiles4  8,they were 
of one heart1 and of one soul1  neither 
said any of them1 that aught of the     
things that they possessed  was their   
own40  8,neither was there any among    
them that lacked3 for as  many as were  

possessors of lands or houses sold them1
 and brought the  price of the things   
that were sold1 and laid them down at   
the apostles'  feet10 c42 ,acts iv4     
#cb-ce4  ,now1 shew me such another     
pattern if you  can4  ,but why did these
 do thus8  ,oh6 they were ,jerusalem    
sinners4  ,these  were the men that but 
a little before had killed the ,prince  
of ,life2 and  those to whom he did1    
that notwithstanding1 send the first    
offer of grace  and mercy4  ,and the    
sense of this took them up betwixt the  
earth and the  heaven1 and carried them 
on in such ways and methods as could    
never be  trodden by any since4  ,they  
talk of the church of ,rome1 and set her
 in  her primitive state1 as a pattern  
and mother of churches2 when the truth  
is1 they were the ,jerusalem sinners1   
when converts1 that out-did all the     
churches that ever were4    ,seventhly1 
,christ ,jesus would have mercy offered1
 in the first place1  to the biggest    
sinners2 because grace when it is       

received by such1 finds  matter to      
kindle upon more freely than it finds in
 other sinners4  ,great  sinners are    
like the dry wood1 or like great        
candles1 which burn best and  shine with
 biggest light4  ,i lay not this down1  
as ,i did those reasons  before1 to     
shew1 that when great sinners are       
converted1 they will be  encouragement  
to others1 though that is true2 but to  
shew that ,christ has  a delight to see 
grace1 the grace we receive1 to shine4  
,we love to see  things that bear a good
 gloss2 yea1 we choose to buy such kind 
of matter  to work upon1 as will1 if    
wrought up to what we intend1 cast that 
lustre  that we desire4    ,candles that
 burn not bright1 we like not3 wood that
 is green will rather  smother1 and     
sputter1 and smoke1 and crack1 and      
flounce1 than cast a  brave light and a 
pleasant heat3 wherefore great folks    
care not much1 not  so much for such    
kind of things1 as for them that will   
better answer  their ends4    ,hence    

,christ desires the biggest sinner2 in  
him there is matter to work  by1 to wit1
 a great deal of sin2 for as by the     
tallow of the candle1 the  fire takes   
occasion to burn the brighter2 so by the
 sin of the soul1  grace takes occasion 
to shine the clearer4  ,little candles  
shine but  little1 for there wanteth    
matter for the fire to work upon2 but in
 the  great sinner1 here is more matter 
for grace to work by4  ,faith shines1   
when it worketh towards ,christ1 through
 the sides of many and great            
transgressors1 and so does love1 for    
that much is forgiven4  ,and what       
matter can be found in the soul for     
humility to work by so well1 as by a    
sight that ,i have been and am an       
abominable sinner8  ,and the same is to 
be said of patience1 meekness1          
gentleness1 self-denial1 or of any other
  grace4  ,grace takes occasion by the  
vileness of the man to shine the  more2 
even as by the ruggedness of a very     
strong distemper or disease1  the virtue

 of the medicine is best made manifest4 
,where sin abounds1  grace much more    
abounds2 ,rom4 v4 #bj4  ,a black string 
makes the neck look  whiter2 great sins 
make grace burn clear4  ,some say1 when 
grace and a  good nature meet together1 
they do make shining ,christians3 but ,i
 say1  when grace and a great sinner    
meet1 and when grace shall subdue that  
great sinner to itself1 and shall       
operate after its kind in the soul of   
that great sinner1 then we have a       
shining ,christian2 witness all those of
  whom mention was made before4         
,abraham was among the idolaters when in
 the land of ,assyria1 and served  idols
 with his kindred on the other side of  
the flood2 ,jos4 xxiv4 #b2 ,gen4  xi4   
#ca4  ,but who1 when called1 was there  
in the world1 in whom grace  shone so   
bright as in him8    ,the ,thessalonians
 were idolaters before the word of ,god 
came to them2 but  when they had        
received it1 they became examples to all
 that did believe  in ,macedonia and    

,achaia2 #a ,thess4 i4 #f-aj4    ,god   
the ,father1 and ,jesus ,christ his     
,son1 are for having things seen1 for   
having the word of life held forth4     
,they light not a candle that it  might 
be put under a bushel1 or under a bed1  
but on a candlestick1 that  all that    
come in may see the light2 ,matt4 v4    
#ae2 ,mark iv4 #ba2 ,luke viii4  #af2   
chap4 xi4 #cc4    ,and1 ,i say1 as ,i   
said before1 in whom is light like so to
 shine1 as in  the souls of great       
sinners8    ,when the ,jewish ,pharisees
 dallied with the gospel1 ,christ       
threatened to  take it from them1 and to
 give it to the barbarous heathens and  
idolaters4  ,why so8  ,for they1 saith  
he1 will bring forth the fruits  thereof
 in their season3 8,therefore say ,i    
unto you1 ,the kingdom of ,god  shall be
 taken from you1 and given to a nation  
bringing forth the fruits  thereof20    
,matt4 xxi4 #da-dc4    ,i have often    
marvelled at our youth1 and said in my  
heart1 ,what should be  the reason that 

they should be so generally at this day 
debauched as they  are8  ,for they are  
now profane to amazement2 and sometimes 
,i have thought  one thing1 and         
sometimes another2 that is1 why ,god    
should suffer it so to  be4  ,at last ,i
 have thought of this3 ,how if the ,god1
 whose ways are past  finding out1      
should suffer it so to be now1 that he  
might make of some of  them the more    
glorious saints hereafter4  ,i know sin 
is of the devil1 but  it cannot work in 
the world without permission3 and if it 
happens to be  as ,i have thought1 it   
will not be the first time that ,god the
 ,lord hath  caught ,satan in his own   
design4  ,for my part1 ,i believe that  
the time is  at hand1 that we shall see 
better saints in the world than has been
 seen  in it this many a day4  ,and this
 vileness1 that at present does so much 
swallow up our youth1 is one cause of my
 thinking so3 for out of them1  for from
 among them1 when ,god sets to his hand1
 as of old1 you shall see  what penitent

 ones1 what trembling ones1 and what    
admirers of grace1 will  be found to    
profess the gospel to the glory of ,god 
by ,christ4    ,alas6 we are a company  
of worn-out ,christians1 our moon is in 
the wane2  we are much more black than  
white1 more dark than light2 we shine   
but a  little2 grace in the most of us  
is decayed4  ,but ,i say1 when they of  
these debauched ones that are to be     
saved shall be brought in1 when these   
that look more like devils than men     
shall be converted to ,christ 7and ,i   
believe several of them will71 then will
 ,christ be exalted1 grace adored1  the 
word prized1 ,zion's path better        
trodden1 and men in the pursuit of      
their own salvation1 to the amazement of
 them that are left behind4    ,just    
before ,christ came into the flesh1 the 
world was degenerated as it  is now3 the
 generality of the men in ,jerusalem1   
were become either high  and famous for 
hypocrisy1 or filthy base in their      
lives4  ,the devil also  was broke loose

 in a hideous manner1 and had taken     
possession of many3  yea1 ,i believe    
that there was never generation before  
nor since1 that  could produce so many  
possessed with devils1 deformed1 lame1  
blind1 and  infected with monstrous     
diseases1 as that generation could4     
,but what was  the reason thereof1 ,i   
mean the reason from ,god8  ,why one    
7and we may sum  up more in that answer 
that ,christ gave to his disciples      
concerning him  that was born blind7    
was1 that the works of ,god might be    
made manifest in  them1 and that the    
,son of ,god might be glorified thereby1
 ,john ix4 #b1 #c2  chap4 xi4 #d4       
,now if these devils and diseases1 as   
they possessed men then1 were to  make  
way and work for an approaching ,christ 
in person1 and for the  declaring of his
 power1 why may we not think that now1  
even now also1 he  is ready to come by  
his ,spirit in the gospel to heal many  
of the  debaucheries of our age8  ,i    
cannot believe that grace will take them

 all1  for there are but few that are   
saved2 but yet it will take some1 even  
some of the worst of men1 and make      
blessed ones of them4  ,but1 ,o how     
these ringleaders in vice will then     
shine in virtue6  ,they will be the     
very pillars in churches1 they will be  
as an ensign in the land4  8,the  ,lord 
their ,god shall save them in that day  
as the flock of his people3  for they   
shall be as the stones of a crown1      
lifted up as an ensign upon  his land20 
,zech4 ix4 #af4  ,but who are these8    
,even idolatrous ,ephraim1  and         
backsliding ,judah2 ver4 #ac4    ,i know
 there is ground to fear1 that the      
iniquity of this generation will  be    
pursued with heavy judgments3 but that  
will not hinder what we have  supposed4 
,god took him a glorious church out of  
bloody ,jerusalem1 yea1  out of the     
chief of the sinners there1 and left the
 rest to be taken and  spoiled1 and     
sold1 thirty for a penny1 in the nations
 where they were  captives4  ,the gospel

 working gloriously in a place1 to the  
seizing upon  many of the ringleading   
sinners thereof1 promiseth no security  
to the  rest1 but rather threateneth    
them with the heaviest and smartest     
judgments2 as in the instance now given1
 we have a full demonstration2  but in  
defending1 the ,lord will defend his    
people2 and in saving1 he will  save his
 inheritance4    ,nor does this speak   
any great comfort to a decayed and      
backsliding sort  of ,christians2 for   
the next time ,god rides post with his  
gospel1 he will  leave such ,christians 
behind him4  ,but ,i say1 ,christ is    
resolved to set  up his light in the    
world2 yea1 he is delighted to see his  
graces shine2  and therefore he commands
 that his gospel should to that end be  
offered1  in the first place1 to the    
biggest sinners2 for by great sins it   
shineth  most2 therefore he saith1      
8,begin at ,jerusalem40    ,eighthly1   
and lastly1 ,christ ,jesus will have    
mercy to be offered in the  first place 

to the biggest sinners2 for that by that
 means the impenitent  that are left    
behind will be at the judgment the more 
left without  excuse4    ,god's word has
 two edges2 it can cut back-stroke and  
fore-stroke3 if it  doth thee no good1  
it will do thee hurt2 it is the savour  
of life unto  life to those that receive
 it1 but of death unto death to them    
that  refuse it2 #b ,cor4 ii4 #ae1 #af4 
,but this is not all2 the tender of     
grace  to the biggest sinners in the    
first place1 will not only leave the    
rest1  or those that refuse it1 in a    
deplorable condition1 but will also stop
  their mouths1 and cut off all pretence
 to excuse at that day4  8,if ,i had    
not come and spoken unto them10 saith   
,christ1 8they had not had sin2 but  now
 they have no cloak for their sin10 for 
their sin of persevering in             
impenitence2 ,job xv4 #bb4    ,but what 
did he speak to them8  ,why1 even that  
which ,i have told you2 to  wit1 ,that  
he has in special a delight in saving   

the biggest sinners4  ,he  spake this in
 the way of his doctrine2 he spake this 
in the way of his  practice1 even to the
 pouring out of his last breath before  
them2 ,luke  xxiii4 #cd4    ,now1 since 
this is so1 what can the condemned at   
the judgment say for  themselves1 why   
sentence of death should not be passed  
upon them8  ,i say1  what excuse can    
they make for themselves1 when they     
shall be asked why  they did not in the 
day of salvation come to ,christ to be  
saved8  ,will  they have ground to say  
to the ,lord1 ,thou wast only for saving
 of little  sinners2 and therefore      
because they were great ones1 they durst
 not come  unto him8 or that thou hadst 
not compassion for the biggest sinners1 
therefore ,i died in despair8  ,will    
these be excuses for them1 as the case  
now standeth with them8  ,is there not  
every where in ,god's book a flat       
contradiction to this1 in multitudes of 
promises1 of invitations1 of  examples1 
and the like8  ,alas1 alas6 there will  

then be there millions of  souls to     
confute this plea2 ready1 ,i say1 to    
stand up1 and say1 ,o6  deceived world1 
heaven swarms with such1 as were1 when  
they were in the  world1 to the full as 
bad as you4    ,now1 this will kill all 
plea or excuse1 why they should perish  
in their  sins2 yea1 the text says1 they
 shall see them there4  8,there shall be
  weeping1 when you shall see ,abraham1 
and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and all the     
prophets in the kingdom of heaven1 and  
you yourselves thrust out4  ,and  they  
shall come from the east1 and from the  
west1 and from the north1 and  from the 
south1 and shall sit down in the kingdom
 of ,god20 ,luke xiii4 #bh1  #bi4  ,out 
of which company it is easy to pick such
 as sometimes were as  bad people as any
 that now breathe on the face of the    
earth4  ,what think  you of the first   
man1 by whose sins there are millions   
now in hell8  ,and  so ,i may say1 ,what
 think you of ten thousand more besides8
    ,but if the world will not stifle   

and gag them up 7,i speak now for       
amplification's sake71 the view of those
 who are saved shall4    ,there comes an
 incestuous person to the bar1 and      
pleads1 ,that the bigness  of his sins  
was a bar to his receiving the promise4 
,but will not his  mouth be stopped as  
to that1 when ,lot and the incestuous   
,corinthian shall  be set before him2   
,gen4 xix4 #cc-cg2 #a ,cor4 v4 #a1 #b4  
,there comes a thief1 and says1 ,lord1  
my sin of theft1 ,i thought1 was such   
as could not be pardoned by thee6  ,but 
when he shall see the thief that  was   
saved on the cross stand by1 as clothed 
with beauteous glory1 what  further can 
he be able to object8  ,yea1 the ,lord  
will produce ten  thousand of his saints
 at his coming1 who shall after this    
manner execute  judgment upon all1 and  
so convince all that are ungodly among  
them1 of  all their hard speeches which 
ungodly sinners have spoken against him4
  ,and these are hard speeches against  
him1 to say that he was not able or     

willing to save men1 because of the     
greatness of their sins1 or to say  that
 they were discouraged by his word from 
repentance1 because of the  heinousness 
of their offences4    ,these things1 ,i 
say1 shall then be confuted3 he comes   
with ten thousand  of his saints to     
confute them1 and to stop their mouths  
from making  objections against their   
own eternal damnation4    ,here is      
,adam1 the destroyer of the world2 here 
is ,lot1 that lay with both  his        
daughters2 here is ,abraham1 that was   
sometime an idolater1 and ,jacob1  that 
was a supplanter1 and ,reuben1 that lay 
with his father's concubine1  and ,judah
 that lay with his daughter-in-law1 and 
,levi and ,simeon that  wickedly slew   
thee ,shechemites1 and ,aaron that great
 backslider1 and  ,manassah that man of 
blood and that made an idol to be       
worshipped1 and  that proclaimed a      
religious feast unto it4  ,here is also 
,rachab the  harlot1 and ,bathsheba that
 bare a bastard to ,david4  ,here is    

,solomon a  witch4  ,time would fail me 
to tell you of the woman of ,canaan's   
daughter1  ,magdalen1 of ,matthew the   
publican1 and of ,gideon and ,sampson1  
and many  thousands more4    ,alas6     
alas6  ,i say1 what will these sinners  
do1 that have1 through their  unbelief1 
eclipsed the glorious largeness of the  
mercy of ,god1 and gave  way to despair 
of salvation1 because of the bigness of 
their sins8    ,for all these1 though   
now glorious saints in light1 were      
sometimes  sinners of the biggest size1 
who had sins that were of a notorious   
hue2  yet now1 ,i say1 they are in their
 shining and heavenly robes before the  
throne of ,god and of the ,lamb1        
blessing for ever and ever that ,son of 
,god  for their salvation1 who died for 
them upon the tree2 admiring that ever  
it should come into their hearts once to
 think of coming to ,god by  ,christ2   
but above all1 blessing ,god for        
granting of them light to see  those    
encouragements in his testament2 without

 which1 without doubt1 they  had been   
daunted and sunk down under guilt of sin
 and despair1 as their  fellow-sinners  
have done4    ,but now they also are    
witnesses for ,god1 and for his grace   
against an  unbelieving world2 for1 as  
,i said1 they shall come to convince the
 world  of their speeches1 their hard   
and unbelieving words1 that they have   
spoken concerning the mercy of ,god1 and
 the merits of the passion of his       
blessed ,son ,jesus ,christ4    ,but    
will it not1 think you1 strangely put to
 silence all such thoughts1  and words1 
and reasonings of the ungodly before the
 bar of ,god8  ,doubtless it will2 yea  
and will send them away from his        
presence also1  with the greatest guilt 
that possibly can fasten upon the       
consciences of  men4    ,for what will  
sting like this8--,i have1 through mine 
own foolish1 narrow1  unworthy1         
undervaluing thoughts1 of the love and  
ability of ,christ to  save me1 brought 
myself to everlasting ruin4  ,it is     

true1 ,i was a  horrible sinner2 not one
 in a hundred did live so vile a life as
 ,i3 but  this should not have kept me  
from closing with ,jesus ,christ3 ,i see
 now  that there are abundance in glory 
that once were as bad as ,i have been3  
but they were saved by faith1 and ,i am 
damned by unbelief4    ,wretch that ,i  
am6 why did not ,i give glory to the    
redeeming blood of  ,jesus8  ,why did ,i
 not humbly cast my soul at his blessed 
footstool for  mercy8  ,why did ,i judge
 of his ability to save me by the voice 
of my  shallow reason1 and the voice of 
a guilty conscience8  ,why betook not ,i
  myself to the holy word of ,god8  ,why
 did ,i not read and pray that ,i might 
understand1 since now ,i perceive that  
,god said then1 he giveth liberally  to 
them that pray1 and upbraideth not2     
,jam4 i4 #e4    ,it is rational to      
think1 that by such cogitations as these
 the  unbelieving world will be torn in 
pieces before the judgment of ,christ2  
especially those that have lived where  

they did or might have heard the  gospel
 of the grace of ,god4  ,oh6 that       
saying1 8,it shall be more tolerable    
for ,sodom at the judgment than for     
them10 will be better understood4  ,see 
,luke x4 #h-ab4    ,this reason1        
therefore1 standeth fast2 namely1 that  
,christ1 by offering  mercy in the first
 place to the biggest sinner now1 will  
stop all mouths  of the impenitent at   
the day of judgment1 and cut off all    
excuse that  shall be attempted to be   
made 7from the thoughts of the greatness
 of  their sins7 why they came not to   
him4    ,i have often thought of the day
 of judgment1 and how ,god will deal    
with  sinners at that day2 and ,i       
believe it will be managed with that    
sweetness1 with that equitableness1 with
 that excellent righteousness1 as  to   
every sin1 and circumstance1 and        
aggravation thereof2 that men that  are 
damned1 before the judgment is over     
shall receive such conviction of  the   
righteous judgment of ,god upon them1   

and of their deserts of  hell-fire1 that
 they shall in themselves conclude that 
there is all the  reason in the world   
that they should be shut out of heaven1 
and go to  hell-fire3 8,these shall go  
away into everlasting punishment20      
,matt4 xxv4  #df4    ,only this will    
tear them1 that they have missed of     
mercy and glory1 and  obtained          
everlasting damnation through their     
unbelief2 but it will tear  but         
themselves1 but their own souls2 they   
will gnash upon themselves2 for  in that
 mercy was offered to the chief of them 
in the first place1 and  yet they were  
damned for rejecting of it2 they were   
damned for forsaking  what they had a   
sort of propriety in2 for forsaking     
their own mercy4    ,and thus much for  
the reasons4  ,i will conclude with a   
word of  application4          ,,the    
,,application4      ,first1 ,would      
,jesus ,christ have mercy offered in the
 first place to the  biggest sinners8   
then this shews us how to make a right  

judgment of the  heart of ,christ to    
men4  ,indeed we have advantage to guess
 at the  goodness of his heart1 by many 
things2 as by his taking our nature upon
  him1 his dying for us1 his sending his
 word and ministers to us1 and all  that
 we might be saved4  ,but this of       
beginning to offer mercy to  ,jerusalem1
 is that which heightens all the rest2  
for this doth not only  confirm to us1  
that love was the cause of his dying for
 us1 but it shews  us yet more the depth
 of that love4  ,he might have died for 
us1 and yet  have extended the benefit  
of his death to a few1 as one might call
 them1  of the best conditioned sinners1
 to those who1 though they were weak1   
and  could not but sin1 yet made not a  
trade of sinning2 to those that sinned  
not lavishingly4  ,there are in the     
world1 as one may call them1 the        
moderate sinners2 the sinners that mix  
righteousness with their  pollutions2   
the sinners that though they be sinners1
 do what on their  part lies 7some that 

are blind would think so7 that they     
might be saved4  ,i say1 it had been    
love1 great love1 if he had died for    
none but such1  and sent his love to    
such3 but that he should send out       
conditions of  peace to the biggest of  
sinners2 yea1 that they should be       
offered to them  first of all2 7for so  
he means when he says1 8,begin at       
,jerusalem207 this  is wonderful6 this  
shews his heart to purpose1 as also the 
heart of ,god  his ,father1 who sent him
 to do thus4    ,there is nothing more  
incident to men that are awake in their 
souls1 than  to have wrong thoughts of  
,god2 thoughts that are narrow1 and that
 pinch  and pen up his mercy to scanty  
and beggarly conclusions1 and rigid     
legal  conditions2 supposing that it is 
rude1 and an intrenching upon his       
majesty1 to come ourselves1 or to invite
 others1 until we have scraped  and     
washed1 and rubbed off as much of our   
dirt from us as we think is  convenient1
 to make us somewhat orderly and        

handsome in his sight4  ,such  never    
knew what these words meant1 8,begin at 
,jerusalem30 yea1 such in  their hearts 
have compared the ,father and his ,son  
to niggardly rich men1  whose money     
comes from them like drops of blood4    
,true1 says such1 ,god  has mercy1 but  
he is loath to part with it2 you must   
please him well1 if  you get any from   
him2 he is not so free as many suppose1 
nor is he so  willing to save as some   
pretended gospellers imagine4  ,but ,i  
ask such1 if  the ,father and ,son be   
not unspeakably free to shew mercy1 why 
was this  clause put into our commission
 to preach the gospel8  ,yea1 why did he
  say1 8,begin at ,jerusalem30 for when 
men1 through the weakness of their      
wits1 have attempted to shew other      
reasons why they should have the first  
proffer of mercy2 yet ,i can prove 7by  
many undeniable reasons7 that they  of  
,jerusalem 7to whom the apostles made   
the first offer1 according as  they were
 commanded7 were the biggest sinners    

that ever did breathe upon  the face of 
,god's earth1 7set the unpardonable sin 
aside71 upon which my  doctrine stands  
like a rock1 that ,jesus the ,son of    
,god would have mercy  in the first     
place offered to the biggest sinners3   
and if this doth not  shew the heart of 
the ,father and the ,son to be          
infinitely free in  bestowing           
forgiveness of sins1 ,i confess myself  
mistaken4    ,neither is there1 set this
 aside1 another argument like it1 to    
shew us  the willingness of ,christ to  
save sinners2 for1 as was said before1  
all  the rest of the signs of ,christ's 
mercifulness might have been limited to 
sinners that are so and so qualified2   
but when he says1 8,begin at            
,jerusalem10 the line is stretched out  
to the utmost3 no man can imagine       
beyond it2 and it is folly here to pinch
 and pare1 to narrow1 and seek to  bring
 it within scanty bounds2 for he plainly
 saith1 8,begin at  ,jerusalem10 the    
biggest sinner is the biggest sinner2   

the biggest is the  ,jerusalem sinner4  
,it is true1 he saith1 that repentance  
and remission of sins must go  together1
 but yet remission is sent to the chief1
 the ,jerusalem sinner2  nor doth       
repentance lessen at all the ,jerusalem 
sinner's crimes2 it  diminisheth none of
 his sins1 nor causes that there should 
be so much as  half a one the fewer3 it 
only puts a stop to the ,jerusalem      
sinner's  course1 and makes him willing 
to be saved freely by grace2 and for    
time  to come to be governed by that    
blessed word that has brought the       
tidings  of good things to him4         
,besides1 no man shews himself willing  
to be saved that repenteth not of  his  
deeds2 for he that goes on still in his 
trespasses1 declares that he  is        
resolved to pursue his own damnation    
further4    ,learn then to judge of the 
largeness of ,god's heart1 and of the   
heart of  his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 by   
the word2 judge not thereof by feeling1 
nor by  the reports of thy conscience2  

conscience is oftentimes here befooled  
and  made to go quite beside the word4  
,it was judging without the word that   
made ,david say1 ,i am cast off from    
,god's eyes1 and shall perish one day   
by the hand of ,saul2 ,psalm xxxi4 #bb2 
#a ,sam4 xxvii4 #a4    ,the word had    
told him another thing2 namely1 that he 
should be king in  his stead4  ,our text
 says also1 that ,jesus ,christ bids    
preachers1 in  their preaching          
repentance and remission of sins1 begin 
first at  ,jerusalem1 thereby declaring 
most truly the infinite largeness of the
  merciful heart of ,god and his ,son1  
to the sinful children of men4    ,judge
 thou1 ,i say1 therefore1 of the        
goodness of the heart of ,god and his   
,son1 by this text1 and by others of the
 same import2 so shalt thou not         
dishonour the grace of ,god1 nor        
needlessly fright thyself1 nor give away
  thy faith1 nor gratify the devil1 nor 
lose the benefit of his word4  ,i  speak
 now to weak believers4    ,secondly1   

,would ,jesus ,christ have mercy offered
 in the first place to  the biggest     
sinners1 to the ,jerusalem sinners8     
then1 by this also1 you  must learn to  
judge of the sufficiency of the merits  
of ,christ2 not that  the merits of     
,christ can be comprehended1 for that   
they are beyond the  conceptions of the 
whole world1 being called the           
unsearchable riches of  ,christ2 but yet
 they may be apprehended to a           
considerable degree4  ,now1  the way to 
apprehend them most1 is1 to consider    
what offers1 after his  resurrection1 he
 makes of his grace to sinners2 for to  
be sure he will  not offer beyond the   
virtue of his merits2 because1 as grace 
is the cause  of his merits1 so his     
merits are the basis and bounds upon and
 by which  his grace stands good1 and is
 let out to sinners4    ,doth he then   
command that his mercy should be offered
 in the first place  to the biggest     
sinners8  ,it declares1 that there is   
sufficiency in his  blood to save the   

biggest sinners4  ,the blood of ,jesus  
,christ cleanseth  from all sin4  ,and  
again1 8,be it known unto you therefore1
 men and  brethren1 that through this   
man 7this man's merits7 is preached unto
 you  the forgiveness of sins3 and by   
him all that believe are justified from 
all things1 from which ye could not be  
justified by the law of ,moses20  ,acts 
xiii4 #ch4    ,observe then thy rule to 
make judgment of the sufficiency of the 
blessed  merits of thy ,saviour4  ,if he
 had not been able to have reconciled   
the  biggest sinners to his ,father by  
his blood1 he would not have sent to    
them1 have sent to them in the first    
place1 the doctrine of remission of     
sins2 for remission of sins is through  
faith in his blood4  ,we are  justified 
freely by the grace of ,god1 through the
 redemption that is in  the blood of    
,christ4  ,upon the square1 as ,i may   
call it1 of the  worthiness of the blood
 of ,christ1 grace acts1 and offers     
forgiveness of  sin to men2 ,eph4 i4 #g2

 chap4 ii4 #ac1 #ad2 ,col4 i4 #bj-bb4   
,hence1 therefore1 we must gather1 that 
the blood of ,christ is of infinite     
value1 for that he offereth mercy to the
 biggest of sinners4  ,nay1  further1   
since he offereth mercy in the first    
place to the biggest  sinners1          
considering also1 that this first act of
 his is that which the  world will take 
notice of and expect it should be       
continued unto thee  end4  ,also it is a
 disparagement to a man that seeks his  
own glory in  what he undertakes1 to do 
that for a sport1 which he cannot       
continue and  hold out in4  ,this is our
 ,lord's own argument1 8,he began to    
build10 saith  he1 8but was not able to 
finish20 ,luke xiv4 #bh4    ,shouldst   
thou hear a man say1 ,i am resolved to  
be kind to the poor1 and  should begin  
with giving handfuls of guineas1 you    
would conclude1 that  either he is      
wonderful rich1 or must straiten his    
hand1 or will soon be  at the bottom of 
his riches4  ,why1 this is the case3    

,christ1 at his  resurrection1 gave it  
out that he would be good to the world2 
and first  sends to the biggest sinners1
 with an intent to have mercy on them4  
,now1  the biggest sinners cannot be    
saved but by abundance of grace2 it is  
not  a little that will save great      
sinners2 ,rom4 v4 #ag4  ,and ,i say     
again1  since the ,lord ,jesus mounts   
thus high at the first1 and sends to the
  ,jerusalem sinners1 that they may come
 first to partake of his mercy1 it      
follows1 that either he has unsearchable
 riches of grace and worth in  himself1 
or else he must straiten his hand1 or   
his grace and merits will  be spent     
before the world is at an end4  ,but let
 it be believed1 as  surely as spoken1  
he is still as full as ever4  ,he is not
 a jot the  poorer for all the          
forgivenesses that he has given away to 
great sinners4  ,also he is still as    
free as at first2 for he never yet      
called back this  word1 ,begin at the   
,jerusalem sinners4  ,and1 as ,i said   

before1 since his  grace is extended    
according to the worth of his merits1 ,i
 conclude1 that  there is the same      
virtue in his merits to save now1 as    
there was at the  very beginning4       
,oh6 the riches of the grace of ,christ6
  ,oh6 the riches of the blood of       
,christ6    ,thirdly1 ,would ,jesus     
,christ have mercy offered in the first 
place to  the biggest sinners1 then here
 is encouragement for you that think1   
for  wicked hearts and lives1 you have  
not your fellows in the world1 yet to   
come to him4    ,there is a people that 
therefore fear lest they should be      
rejected of  ,jesus ,christ1 because of 
the greatness of their sins2 when1 as   
you see  here1 such are sent to1 sent to
 by ,jesus ,christ to come to him for   
mercy1  8,begin at ,jerusalem40  ,never 
did one thing answer another more fitly 
in  this world1 than this text fitteth  
such kind of sinners4  ,as face         
answereth face in a glass1 so this text 
answereth the necessities of such       

sinners4  ,what can a man say more1 but 
that he stands in the rank of the       
biggest sinners8 let him stretch himself
 whither he can1 and think of  himself  
to the utmost1 he can but conclude      
himself to be one of the  biggest       
sinners4  ,and what then8  ,why the text
 meets him in the very  face1 and saith1
 ,christ offereth mercy to the biggest  
sinners1 to the  very ,jerusalem        
sinners4  ,what more can be objected8   
,nay1 he doth not  only offer to such   
his mercy1 but to them it is commanded  
to be offered  in the first place2      
8,begin at ,jerusalem40  ,preach        
repentance and  remission of sins among 
all nations4  8,begin at ,jerusalem40   
,is not here  encouragement for those   
that think1 for wicked hearts and lives1
 they  have not their fellows in the    
world8    ,object4  ,but ,i have a heart
 as hard as a rock4    ,answ4  ,well1   
but this doth but prove thee a bigger   
sinner4    ,object4  ,but my heart      
continually frets against the ,lord4    

,answ4  ,well1 this doth but prove thee 
a bigger sinner4    ,object4  ,but ,i   
have been desperate in sinful courses4  
,answ4  ,well1 stand thou with the      
number of the biggest sinners4          
,object4  ,but my grey head is found in 
the way of wickedness4    ,answ4  ,well1
 thou art in the rank of the biggest    
sinners4    ,object4  ,but ,i have not  
only a base heart1 but ,i have lived a  
debauched  life4    ,answ4  ,stand thou 
also among those that are called the    
biggest sinners4  ,and what then8  ,why 
the text swoops you all2 you cannot     
object yourselves  beyond the text4  ,it
 has a particular message to the biggest
 sinners4  ,i  say1 it swoops you all4  
,object4  ,but ,i am a reprobate4       
,answ4  ,now thou talkest like a fool1  
and of that thou understandest  not3 no 
sin1 but the sin of final impenitence1  
can prove a man a  reprobate2 and ,i am 
sure thou hast not arrived as yet unto  
that2  therefore thou understandest not 
what thou sayest1 and makest groundless 

conclusions against thyself4  ,say thou 
art a sinner1 and ,i will hold with     
thee2 say thou art a great sinner1 and  
,i will say so too2 yea1 say thou  art  
one of the biggest sinners1 and spare   
not2 for the text yet is beyond  thee1  
is yet betwixt he and thee2 8,begin at  
,jerusalem10 has yet a smile  upon thee2
 and thou talkest as if thou wast a     
reprobate1 and that the  greatness of   
thy sins do prove thee so to be1 when   
yet they of ,jerusalem  were not such1  
whose sins1 ,i dare say1 were such1 both
 for bigness and  heineousness1 as thou 
art incapable of committing beyond them2
 unless  now1 after thou hast received  
conviction that the ,lord ,jesus is the 
only  ,saviour of the world1 thou       
shouldst wickedly and despitefully turn 
thyself from him1 and conclude he is not
 to be trusted to for life1 and  so     
crucify him for a cheat afresh4  ,this1 
,i must confess1 will bring a  man under
 the black rod1 and set him in danger of
 eternal damnation2 ,heb4  vi4 #f3 chap4

 x4 #bi4  ,this is trampling under foot 
the ,son of ,god1 and  counting his     
blood an unholy thing4  ,this did they  
of ,jerusalem2 but they  did it         
ignorantly in unbelief2 and so were yet 
capable of mercy3 but to  do this       
against professed light1 and to stand to
 it1 puts a man beyond  the text indeed2
 ,acts iii4 #ad-ag2 #a ,tim4 i4 #ac4    
,but ,i say1 what is this to him that   
would fain be saved by ,christ8  ,his   
sins did1 as to greatness1 never yet    
reach to the nature of the sins that    
the sinners intended by the text1 had   
made themselves guilty of4  ,he that    
would be saved by ,christ1 has an       
honourable esteem of him2 but they of   
,jerusalem preferred a murderer before  
him2 but as for him1 they cried1  ,away1
 away with him1 it is not fit that he   
should live4  ,perhaps thou  wilt       
object1 ,that thyself hast a thousand   
times preferred a stinking lust  before 
him3 ,i answer1 ,be it so2 it is but    
what is common to men to do2  nor doth  

the ,lord ,jesus make such a foolish    
life a bar to thee1 to forbid  thy      
coming to him1 or a bond to his grace1  
that it might be kept from  thee2 but   
admits of thy repentance1 and offereth  
himself unto thee  freely1 as thou      
standest among the ,jerusalem sinners4  
,take therefore encouragement1 man1     
mercy is1 by the text1 held forth to    
the biggest sinners2 yea1 put thyself   
into the number of the worst1 by        
reckoning that thou mayst be one of the 
first1 and mayst not be put off  till   
the biggest sinners are served2 for the 
biggest sinners are first  invited2     
consequently1 if they come1 they are    
like to be the first that  shall be     
served4  ,it was so with ,jerusalem2    
,jerusalem sinners were they  that were 
first invited1 and those of them that   
came first 7and there  came three       
thousand of them the first day they were
 invited2 how many  came afterwards none
 can tell71 they were first served4     
,put in thy name1 man1 among the        

biggest1 lest thou art made to wait till
  they are served4  ,you have some men  
that think themselves very cunning1     
because they put up their names in their
 prayers among them that feign  it1     
saying1 ,god1 ,i thank thee ,i am not so
 bad as the worst4  ,but believe  it1 if
 they be saved at all1 they shall be    
saved in the last place4  ,the  first in
 their own eyes shall be served last2   
and the last or worst shall  be first4  
,the text insinuates it1 8,begin at     
,jerusalem20 and reason backs  it1 for  
they have most need4  ,behold ye1       
therefore1 how ,god's ways are  above   
ours2 we are for serving the worst last1
 ,god is for serving the  worst first4  
,the man at the pool1 that to my        
thinking was longest in his  disease1   
and most helpless as to his cure1 was   
first healed2 yea1 he only  was healed2 
for we read that ,christ healed him1 but
 we read not then that  he healed one   
more there6  ,john v4 #a-aj4            
,wherefore1 if thou wouldst soonest be  

served1 put in thy name among the  very 
worst of sinners4  ,say1 when thou art  
upon thy knees1 ,lord1 here is  a       
,jerusalem sinner6 a sinner of the      
biggest size6 one whose burden is of    
the greatest bulk and heaviest weight6  
one that cannot stand long without      
sinking into hell1 without thy          
supporting hand6  8,be not thou far from
  me1 ,o ,lord6  ,o my strength1 haste  
thou to help me60    ,i say1 put in thy 
name with ,magdalen1 with ,manasseh1    
that thou mayst fare  as the ,magdalen  
and the ,manasseh sinners do4  ,the man 
in the gospel made  the desperate       
condition of his child an argument with 
,christ to haste his  cure3 8,sir1 come 
down10 saith he1 8ere my child die20    
,john iv4 #di1 and  ,christ regarded his
 haste1 saying1 8,go thy way2 thy son   
liveth20 ver4 #ej4  ,haste requires     
haste4  ,david was for speed2 8,deliver 
me speedily20 8,hear  me speedily20     
8,answer me speedily20 ,psalm xxxi4 #b2 
lxix4 #ag2 cii4 #b4  ,but  why speedily8

  ,i am in 8the net20 8,i am in         
trouble20 8,my days are  consumed like  
smoke20 ,psalm xxxi4 #d2 lxix4 #ag2 cii4
 #c4  ,deep calleth unto  deep1         
necessity calls for help2 great         
necessity for present help4             
,wherefore1 ,i say1 be ruled by me in   
this matter2 feign not thyself  another 
man1 if thou hast been a filthy sinner1 
but go in thy colours to  ,jesus        
,christ1 and put thyself among the most 
vile1 and let him alone to  put thee    
among the children2 ,jer4 iii4 #ai4     
,confess all that thou knowest  of      
thyself2 ,i know thou wilt find it hard 
work to do thus2 especially if  thy mind
 be legal2 but do it1 lest thou stay and
 be deferred with the  little sinners1  
until the great ones have had their     
alms4  ,what do you  think ,david       
intended when he said1 his wounds stunk 
and were corrupted1  but to hasten ,god 
to have mercy upon him1 and not to defer
 his cure8  8,lord10 says he1 8,i am    
troubled2 ,i am bowed down greatly2 ,i  

go mourning  all the day long40  8,i am 
feeble and sore broken1 by reason of the
  disquietness of my heart20 ,psalm     
xxxviii4 #c-h4    ,david knew what he   
did by all this2 he knew that his making
 the worst of  his case1 was the way to 
speedy help1 and that a feigning and    
dissembling  the matter with ,god1 was  
the next way to a demur as to his       
forgiveness4    ,i have one thing more  
to offer for thy encouragement1 who     
deemest thyself  one of the biggest     
sinners2 and that is1 thou art as it    
were called by  thy name1 in the first  
place1 to come in for mercy4  ,thou man 
of  ,jerusalem1 hearken to thy call2 men
 do so in courts of judicature1 and     
presently cry out1 ,here1 ,sir2 and then
 they shoulder and crowd1 and say1      
,pray give way1 ,i am called into the   
court4  ,why1 this thy case1 thou       
great1 thou ,jerusalem sinner2 be of    
good cheer1 he calleth thee2 ,mark x4   
#df-di4  ,why sitttest thou still8      
arise3 why standest thou still8 come    

man1 thy call should give thee authority
 to come4  8,begin at ,jerusalem10  is  
thy call and authority to come2         
wherefore up and shoulder it1 man2  say1
 ,stand away1 devil1 ,christ calls me2  
stand away unbelief1 ,christ  calls me2 
stand away all ye my discouraging       
apprehensions1 for my ,saviour  calls me
 to him to receive of his mercy4  ,men  
will do thus1 as ,i said1 in  courts    
below2 and why shouldst not thou        
approach thus to the court above8  ,the 
,jerusalem sinner is first in thought1  
first in commission1 first in  the      
record of names2 and therefore should   
give attendance with  expectation1 that 
he is first to receive mercy of ,god4   
,is not this an encouragement to the    
biggest sinners to make their           
application to ,christ for mercy8 8,come
 unto me all ye that labour and are     
heavy laden10 doth also confirm this    
thing2 that is1 that the biggest        
sinner1 and he that has the biggest     
burden1 is he who is first invited4     

,christ pointeth over the heads of      
thousands1 as he sits on the throne of  
grace1 directly to such a man2 and says1
 ,bring in hither the maimed1 the  halt1
 and the blind2 let the ,jerusalem      
sinner that stands there behind  come to
 me4  ,wherefore1 since ,christ says1   
,come1 to thee1 let thee angels  make a 
lane1 and let all men give place1 that  
the ,jerusalem sinner may  come to      
,jesus ,christ for mercy4    ,fourthly1 
,would ,jesus ,christ have mercy        
offered1 in the first place1 to  the    
biggest sinners8  ,then come thou       
profane wretch1 and let me a little     
enter into an argument with thee4  ,why 
wilt thou not come to ,jesus  ,christ1  
since thou art a ,jerusalem sinner8     
,how canst thou find in thy  heart to   
set thyself against grace1 against such 
grace as offereth mercy  to thee8  ,what
 spirit possesseth thee1 and holds thee 
back from a sincere  closure with thy   
,saviour8  ,behold ,god groaningly      
complains of thee1  saying1 8,but       

,israel would none of me40  8,when ,i   
called1 none did answer20  ,psl4 lxxxi4 
#aa2 ,isa4 lxvi4 #d4    ,shall ,god     
enter this complaint against thee8  ,why
 dost thou put him off8  ,why dost thou 
stop thine ear8  ,canst thou defend     
thyself8  ,when thou art  called to an  
account for thy neglects of so great    
salvation1 what canst  thou answer8 or  
doest thou think thou shalt escape the  
judgment8  ,heb4  ii4 #c4    ,no more   
such ,christs6  ,there will be no more  
such ,christs1 sinner6  ,oh1  put not   
the day1 the day of grace1 away from    
thee6 if it be once gone1 it  will never
 come again1 sinner4    ,but what is it 
that has got thy heart1 and that keeps  
it from thy  ,saviour8  8,who in the    
heaven can be compared unto the ,lord8  
who among the  sons of the mighty can be
 likened unto the ,lord80  ,psl4 lxxxix4
 #f4  ,hast  thou1 thinkest thou1 found 
anything so good as ,jesus ,christ8     
,is there any among thy sins1 thy       
companions1 and foolish delights1 that  

like ,christ can help thee in the day of
 thy distress8  ,behold1 the  greatness 
of thy sins cannot hinder2 let not the  
stubbornness of thy  heart hinder thee1 
sinner4    ,object4  ,but ,i am ashamed4
    ,answ4  ,oh6  ,do not be ashamed to 
be saved1 sinner4    ,object4  ,but my  
old companions will mock me4    ,answ4  
,oh6  ,do not be mocked out of eternal  
life1 sinner4    ,thy stubbornness      
affects1 afflicts the heart of thy      
,saviour4  ,carest thou  not for this8  
,of old he beheld the city1 and wept    
over it4  ,canst thou  hear this1 and   
not be concerned8  ,luke xix4 #da1 #db4 
,shall ,christ weep to  see thy soul    
going on to destruction1 and wilt thou  
sport thyself in that  way8  ,yea1 shall
 ,christ1 that can be eternally happy   
without thee1 be  more afflicted at the 
thoughts of the loss of thy soul1 than  
thyself1 who  art certainly eternally   
miserable if thou neglectest to come to 
him4    ,those things that keep thee and
 thy ,saviour1 on thy part asunder1 are 

but  bubbles2 the least prick of an     
affliction will let out1 as to thee1    
what  now thou thinkest is worth the    
venture of heaven to enjoy4    ,hast    
thou not reason8  ,canst thou not so    
much as once soberly think of  thy dying
 hour1 or of whither thy sinful life    
will drive thee then8  ,hast  thou no   
conscience8 or having one1 is it rocked 
so fast asleep by sin1 or  made so weary
 with an unsuccessful calling upon thee1
 that it is laid  down1 and cares for   
thee no more8  ,poor man6 thy state is  
to be lamented4  ,hast no judgment8     
,art not able to conclude1 that to be   
saved is better  than to burn in hell8  
and that eternal life1 with ,god's      
favour1 is better  than a temporal life 
in ,god's displeasure8  ,hast no        
affection but what is  brutish8 what1   
none at all8 no affection for the ,god  
that made thee8  what6 none for his     
loving ,son that has shewed his love1   
and died for  thee8  ,is not heaven     
worth thy affection8  ,o poor man6 which

 is strongest  thinkest thou1 ,god or   
thee8  ,if thou art not able to overcome
 him1 thou  art a fool for standing out 
against him2 ,matt4 v4 #be1 #bf4  8,it  
is a  fearful thing to fall into the    
hands of the living ,god40  ,he will    
gripe  hard2 his fist is stronger than a
 lion's paw2 take heed of him1 he will  
be angry if you despise his ,son2 and   
will you stand guilty in your           
trespasses1 when he offereth you his    
grace and favour8  ,exod4 xxxiv4 #f1    
#g2 ,heb4 x4 #bi-ca4    ,now we come to 
the text1 8,beginning at ,jerusalem40   
,this text1 though it  be now one of the
 brightest stars that shineth in the    
,bible1 because  there is in it1 as     
full1 if not the fullest offer of grace 
that can be  imagined1 to the sons of   
men2 yet to them that shall perish from 
under  this word1 even this text will be
 to such1 one of the hottest coals in   
hell4    ,this text1 therefore1 will    
save thee or sink thee3 there is no     
shifting  of it3 if it saves thee1 it   

will set thee high2 if it sinks thee1 it
 will  set thee low4    ,but1 ,i say1   
why so unconcerned8  ,hast no soul8 or  
dost think thou mayst  lose thy soul1   
and save thyself8  ,is it not pity1 had 
it otherwise been  the will of ,god1    
that ever thou wast made a man1 for that
 thou settest so  little by thy soul8   
,sinner1 take the invitation2 thou art  
called upon to come to ,christ3 nor  art
 thou called upon but by order from the 
,son of ,god though thou  shouldst      
happen to come of the biggest sinners2  
for he has bid us offer  mercy1 as to   
all the world in general1 so1 in the    
first place1 to the  sinners of         
,jerusalem1 or to the biggest sinners4  
,fifthly1 ,would ,jesus ,christ have    
mercy offered in thee first place1 to   
the biggest sinners8 then this shews how
 unreasonable a thing it is for  men to 
despair of mercy3 for those that        
presume1 ,i shall say something to  them
 afterward4    ,i now speak to them that
 despair4    ,there are four sorts of   

despair4  ,there is the despair of      
devils2 there  is the despair of souls  
in hell2 there is the despair that is   
grounded  upon men's deficiency2 and    
there is the despair that they are      
perplexed  with that are willing to be  
saved1 but are too strongly borne down  
with  the burthen of their sins4    ,the
 despair of devils1 the damned's        
despair1 and that despair that a man    
has of attaining of life because of his 
own deficiency1 are all  unreasonable4  
,why should not devils and damned souls 
despair8 yea1 why  should not man       
despair of getting to heaven by his own 
abilities8  ,i  therefore am concerned  
only with the fourth sort of despair1 to
 wit1 with  the despair of those that   
would be saved1 but are too strongly    
borne down  with the burden of their    
sins4    ,i say1 therefore1 to thee that
 art thus1 ,and why despair8  ,thy      
despair1  if it were reasonable1 should 
flow from thee1 because found in the    
land  that is beyond the grave1 or      

because thou certainly knowest that     
,christ  will not1 or cannot save thee4 
,but for the first1 thou art yet in the 
land of the living2 and for the  second1
 thou hast ground to believe the quite  
contrary2 ,christ is able to  save to   
the uttermost them that come to ,god by 
him2 and if he were not  willing1 he    
would not have commanded that mercy1 in 
the first place1  should be offered to  
the biggest sinners4  ,besides1 he hath 
said1 8,and  let him that is athirst    
come1 and whosoever will1 let him take  
the water  of life freely20 that is1    
with all my heart4  ,what ground now is 
here for  despair8  ,if thou sayst1 ,the
 number and burden of my sins2 ,i       
answer1 ,nay2  that is rather a ground  
for faith3 because such an one1 above   
all others1  is invited by ,christ to   
come unto him1 yea1 promised rest and   
forgiveness  if they come2 ,matt4 xi4   
#bh4  ,what ground then to despair8     
,verily none at  all4  ,thy despair then
 is a thing unreasonable and without    

footing in the  word4    ,but ,i have no
 experience of ,god's love2 ,god hath   
given me no comfort1 or  ground of hope1
 though ,i have waited upon him for it  
many a day4    ,thou hast experience of 
,god's love1 for that he has opened     
thine eyes to  see thy sins3 and for    
that he has given thee desires to be    
saved by ,jesus  ,christ4  ,for by thy  
sense of sin thou art made to see thy   
poverty of  spirit1 and that has laid   
thee under a sure ground to hope that   
heaven  shall be thine hereafter4       
,also thy desires to be saved by        
,christ1 has put thee under another     
promise1 so there is two to hold thee up
 in them1 though thy present  burden be 
never so heavy1 ,matt4 v4 #c1 #f4  ,as  
for what thou sayst1 as to  ,god's      
silence to thee1 perhaps he has spoken  
to thee once or twice  already1 but thou
 hast not perceived it2 ,job xxxiii4    
#ad1 #ae4    ,however1 thou hast ,christ
 crucified1 set forth before thine eyes 
in the  ,bible1 and an invitation to    

come unto him1 though thou be a         
,jerusalem  sinner1 though thou be the  
biggest sinner2 and so no ground to     
despair4  ,what1 if ,god will be silent 
to thee1 is that ground of despair8     
,not at  all1 so long as there is a     
promise in the ,bible that ,god will in 
no wise  cast away the coming sinner1   
and so long as he invites the ,jerusalem
  sinner to come unto him ,john vi4 #cg4
    ,build not therefore despair upon   
these things2 they are no sufficient    
foundations for it1 such plenty of      
promises being in the ,bible1 and such  
a discovery of his mercy to great       
sinners of old2 especially since we     
have withal a clause in the commission  
given to ministers to preach1 that  they
 should begin with the ,jerusalem       
sinners in their offering of mercy  to  
the world4    ,besides1 ,god says1 ,they
 that wait upon the ,lord shall renew   
their  strength1 they shall mount up    
with wings like eagles2 but perhaps it  
may  be long first4  8,i waited long10  

saith ,david1 8and did seek the ,lord20 
and at length his cry was heard3        
wherefore he bids his soul wait on ,god1
  and says1 ,for it is good so to do    
before thy saints2 ,psalm xl4 #a2 lxii4 
#e2 lii4 #i4    ,and what if thou       
waitest upon ,god all thy days8  ,is it 
below thee8  ,and  what if ,god will    
cross his book1 and blot out the        
hand-writing that is  against thee1 and 
not let thee know it as yet8  ,is it fit
 to say unto  ,god1 ,thou art           
hard-hearted8  ,despair not2 thou hast  
no ground to despair1  so long as thou  
livest in this world4  ,it is a sin to  
begin to despair  before one sets his   
foot over the threshold of hell-gates4  
,for them that  are there1 let them     
despair and spare not2 but as for thee1 
thou hast no  ground to do it4  ,what6  
despair of bread in a land that is full 
of corn6  despair of mercy when our ,god
 is full of mercy6 despair of mercy1    
when  ,god goes about by his ministers1 
beseeching of sinners to be reconciled  

unto him6  #b ,cor4 v4 #ah-bj4    ,thou 
scrupulous fool1 where canst thou find  
that ,god was ever false to  his        
promise1 or that he ever deceived the   
soul that ventured itself upon  him8    
,he often calls upon sinners to trust   
him1 though they walk in  darkness1 and 
have no light2 ,isa4 #a4 #aj4    ,they  
have his promise and oath for their     
salvation1 that flee for refuge  to the 
hope set before them2 ,heb4 vi4 #ag1    
#ah4    ,despair6 when we have a ,god of
 mercy1 and a redeeming ,christ alive6  
,for  shame1 forbear3 let them despair  
that dwell where there is no ,god1 and  
that are confined to those chambers of  
death which can be reached by no        
redemption4    ,a living man despair    
when he is chid for murmuring and       
complaining6  ,lam4  iii4 #ci4  ,oh6 so 
long as we are where promises swarm1    
where mercy is  proclaimed1 where grace 
reigns1 and where ,jerusalem sinners are
  privileged with the first offer of    
mercy1 it is a base thing to despair4   

,despair undervalues the promise1       
undervalues the invitation1 undervalues 
the proffer of grace4  ,despair         
undervalues the ability of ,god the     
,father1  and the redeeming blood of    
,christ his ,son4  ,oh unreasonable     
despair6    ,despair makes man ,god's   
judge2 it is a controller of the        
promise1 a  contradicter of ,christ in  
his large offers of mercy3 and one that 
undertakes to make unbelief the great   
manager of our reason and judgment1  in 
determining about what ,god can and will
 do for sinners4    ,despair6  ,it is   
the devil's fellow1 the devil's master2 
yea1 the chains  with which he is       
captivated and held under darkness for  
ever3 and to give  way thereto in a     
land1 in a state and time that flows    
with milk and  honey1 is an uncomely    
thing4    ,i would say to my soul1 ,o my
 soul6 this is not the place of despair2
 this  is not the time to despair in3 as
 long as mine eyes can find a promise in
  the ,bible1 as long as there is the   

least mention of grace1 as long as      
there is a moment left me of breath or  
life in this world2 so long will ,i     
wait or look for mercy1 so long will ,i 
fight against unbelief and  despair4    
,this is the way to honour ,god and     
,christ2 this is the way to set the     
crown on the promise2 this is the way to
 welcome the invitation and  inviter2   
and this is the way to thrust thyself   
under the shelter and  protection of the
 word of grace4  ,never despair so long 
as our text is  alive1 for that doth    
sound it out1--that mercy by ,christ is 
offered1 in  the first place1 to the    
biggest sinner4    ,despair is an       
unprofitable thing2 it will make a man  
weary of waiting  upon ,god2 #b ,kings  
vi4 #cc2 it will make a man forsake     
,god1 and seek his  heaven in the good  
things of this world2 ,gen4 iv4 #ac-ah4 
,it will make a  man his own tormentor1 
and flounce and fling like a wild bull  
in a net2  ,isa4 ii4 #bj4    ,despair6  
it drives a man to the study of his own 

ruin1 and brings him at  last to be his 
own executioner2 #b ,sam4 xvii4 #bc2    
,matt4 xxvii4 #c-e4    ,besides1 ,i am  
persuaded also1 that despair is the     
cause that there are so  many that would
 fain be ,atheists in the world3 ,for   
because they have  entertained a conceit
 that ,god will never be merciful to    
them2 therefore  they labour to persuade
 themselves that there is no ,god at    
all1 as if  their misbelief would kill  
,god1 or cause him to cease to be4  ,a  
poor  shift for an immortal soul1 for a 
soul who liketh not to retain ,god in   
its knowledge6  ,if this be the best    
that despair can do1 let it go1 man1    
and betake thyself to faith1 to prayer1 
to wait for ,god1 and to hope1 in       
despite of ten thousand doubts4  ,and   
for thy encouragement1 take yet 7as  an 
addition to what has already been said7 
the following scripture2 8,the  ,lord   
taketh pleasure in them that fear him1  
in those that hope in his  mercy20      
,psal4 cxlvii4 #aa4    ,whence note1    

,they fear not ,god1 that hope not in   
his mercy3 also ,god is  angry with them
 that hope not in his mercy3 for he only
 taketh pleasure  in them that hope4    
,he that believeth1 or hath received his
 testimony1  8hath set to his seal that 
,god is true10 ,john iii4 #cc2 but he   
that  receiveth it not hath made him a  
liar1 and that is a very unworthy thing2
  #a ,john v4 #aj1 #aa4  8,let the      
wicked forsake his ways1 and the        
unrighteous  man his thoughts2 and let  
him return to the ,lord1 and he will    
have mercy  on him2 and to our ,god1 for
 he will abundantly multiply pardons40  
,perhaps thou art weary of thy ways1 but
 art not weary of thy thoughts1 of  thy 
unbelieving and despairing thoughts2    
now1 ,god also would have thee  cast    
away these thoughts1 as such which he   
deserveth not at thy hands2  for he will
 have mercy upon thee1 and he will      
abundantly pardon4    8,o fools1 and    
slow of heart to believe all that the   
prophets have  spoken60 ,luke xxiv4 #be4

  ,mark you here1 slowness to believe is
 a piece of  folly4  ,ay6 but sayst     
thou1 ,i do believe some1 and ,i believe
 what can  make against me4  ,ay1 but   
sinner1 ,christ ,jesus here calls thee  
fool for  not believing all4  ,believe  
all1 and despair if thou canst4  ,he    
that  believes all1 believes that text  
that saith1 ,christ would have mercy    
preached first to the ,jerusalem        
sinners4  ,he that believeth all1       
believeth all the promises and          
consolations of the word2 and the       
promises  and consolations of the word  
weigh heavier than do all the curses and
  threatenings of the law2 and mercy    
rejoiceth against judgment4  ,wherefore 
believe all1 and mercy will to thy      
conscience weigh judgment down1 and so  
minister comfort to thy soul4  ,the     
,lord take the yoke from off thy jaws1  
since he has set meat before thee2 ,hos4
 xi4 #d2 and help thee to remember  that
 he is pleased in the first place to    
offer mercy to the biggest  sinners4    

,sixthly1 ,since ,jesus ,christ would   
have mercy offered in the first place   
to the biggest sinners1 let souls see   
that they lay right hold thereof1  lest 
they1 notwithstanding1 indeed come short
 thereof4  ,faith only knows  how to    
deal with mercy2 wherefore put not in   
the place thereof  presumption4  ,i have
 observed1 that as there are herbs and  
flowers in our  gardens1 so there are   
their counterfeits in the field2 only   
they are  distinguished from the other  
by the name of wild ones4  ,why1 there  
is  faith1 and wild faith2 and wild     
faith is this presumption4  ,i call it  
wild faith1 because ,god never placed it
 in his garden1 his church2 it is  only 
to be found in the field1 the world4  ,i
 also call it wild faith1  because it   
only grows up and is nourished where    
other wild notions  abound4  ,wherefore 
take heed of this1 and all may be well2 
for this  presumuptuousness is a very   
heinous thing in the eyes of ,god3 8,the
 soul10  saith he1 8that doeth ought    

presumptuously 7whether he be born in   
the  land1 or a stranger71 the same     
reproacheth the ,lord2 and that soul    
shall  be cut off from among his        
people20 ,numb4 xv4 #cj4    ,the        
thoughts of this made ,david tremble1   
and pray that ,god would hold him  back 
from presumptuous sins1 and not suffer  
them to have dominion over  him2 ,psal4 
xix4 #ac4    ,now this presumption1     
then1 puts itself in the place of faith1
 when it  tampereth with the promise for
 life1 while the soul is a stranger to  
repentance4  ,wherefore you have in the 
text1 to prevent doing thus1 both       
repentance and remission of sins to be  
offered to ,jerusalem2 not  remission   
without repentance3 for all that repent 
not shall perish1 let  them presume on  
grace and the promise while they will2  
,luke xiii4 #a-c4    ,presumption1 then1
 is that which severeth faith and       
repentance1  concluding1 that the soul  
shall be saved by grace1 though the man 
was  never made sorry for his sins1 nor 

the love of the heart turned  therefrom4
  ,this is to be self-willed1 as ,peter 
has it2 and this is a  despising the    
word of the ,lord1 for that has put     
repentance and faith  together2 ,mark i4
 #ae4  ,and 8because he hath despised   
the word of the  ,lord1 and hath broken 
his commandment1 that soul shall utterly
 be cut  off3 his iniquity shall be upon
 him40  ,numb4 xv4 #ca4    ,let such    
therefore look to it1 who yet are1 and  
abide in their sins2 for  such1 if they 
hope1 as they are1 to be saved1 presume 
upon the grace of  ,god4  ,wherefore    
presumption and not hearkening to ,god's
 word are put  together2 ,deut4 xvii4   
#ab4    ,again1 ,then men presume when  
they are resolved to abide in their     
sins1  and yet expect to be saved by    
,god's grace through ,christ4  ,this is 
as  much as to say1 ,god liketh sin as  
well as ,i do1 and careth not how men   
live1 if so be they lean upon his ,son4 
,of this sort are they that build  up   
,zion with blood1 and ,jerusalem with   

iniquity2 that judge for reward1  and   
teach for hire1 and divine for money1   
and lean upon the ,lord2 ,mic4  iii4    
#aj1 #aa4  ,this is doing things with an
 high hand against the ,lord our  ,god1 
and a taking him1 as it were1 at the    
catch4  ,this is1 as we say  among men1 
to seek to put a trick upon ,god1 as if 
he had not sufficiently  fortified his  
proposals of grace by his holy word1    
against all such kind  of fools as      
these4  ,but look to it4    ,such will  
be found at the day of ,god1 not among  
that great company of  ,jerusalem       
sinners that shall be saved by grace1   
but among those that have  been the     
great abusers of the grace of ,god in   
the world4  ,those that say1  ,let us   
sin that grace may abound1 and let us do
 evil that good may come1  their        
damnation is just4  ,and if so1 they are
 a great way off of that  salvation that
 is by ,jesus ,christ presented to the  
,jerusalem sinners4    ,i have therefore
 these things to propound to that       

,jerusalem sinner that  would know1 if  
he may be so bold as to venture himself 
upon this grace4    ,first1 ,dost thou  
see thy sins8    ,secondly1 ,art thou   
weary of them8    ,thirdly1 ,wouldst    
thou with all thy heart be saved by     
,jesus ,christ8  ,i  dare say no less1  
,i dare say no more4  ,but if it be     
truly thus with thee1  how great soever 
thy sins have been1 how bad soever thou 
feelest thy  heart1 how far soever thou 
art from thinking that ,god has mercy   
for  these3 thou art the man1 the       
,jerusalem sinner1 that the ,word of    
,god has  conquered1 and to whom it     
offereth free remission of sins1 by the 
redemption that is in ,jesus ,christ4   
,when the jailor cried out1 8,sirs1     
,what must ,i do to be saved80  ,the    
answer was1 8,believe on the ,lord      
,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be       
saved40  ,he that sees his sins aright1 
is brought to his wit's end by them2 and
 he  that is so1 is willing to part from
 them1 and to be saved by the grace of  

,god4    ,if this be thy case1 fear not1
 give no way to despair2 thou presumest 
not1 if thou believest to life          
everlasting in ,jesus ,christ3 yea1     
,christ  is prepared for such as thou   
art4    ,therefore take good courage and
 believe4  ,the design of ,satan is to  
tell  the presumptuous1 that their      
presuming on mercy is good2 but to      
persuade  the believer1 that his        
believing is impudent bold dealing with 
,god4  ,i  never heard a presumptuous   
man in my life say that he was afraid   
that he  presumed2 but ,i have heard    
many an honest humble soul say1 that    
they have  been afraid that their faith 
has been presumption4  ,why should      
,satan  molest those whose ways he knows
 will bring them to him8  ,and who can  
think that he should be quiet when men  
take the right course to escape  his    
hellish snares8  ,this1 therefore1 is   
the reason why the truly humbled  is    
opposed1 while the presumptuous goes on 
by wind and tide4  ,the truly  humble   

,satan hates1 but he laughs to see the  
foolery of the other4    ,does thy hand 
and heart tremble8  ,upon thee the      
promise smiles4  8,to this  man will ,i 
look10 says ,god1 8even to him that is  
poor1 and of a contrite  spirit1 and    
trembles at my word20 ,isa4 lxvi4 #b4   
,what1 therefore1 ,i have said of       
presumption concerns not the humble in  
spirit at all4  ,i therefore am for     
gathering up the stones1 and for  taking
 the stumblingblocks out of the way of  
,god's people3 and  forewarning of them 
that lay the stumblingblock of their    
iniquity before  their faces1 and that  
are for presuming upon ,god's mercy2 and
 let them  look to themselves2 ,ezek4   
xiv4 #f-h4    ,also our text stands firm
 as ever it did1 and our observation is 
still of  force1 that ,jesus ,christ    
would have mercy offered in the first   
place to  the biggest sinners4  ,so then
 let none despair1 let none presume2 let
  none despair that are sorry for their 
sins1 and would be saved by ,jesus      

,christ2 let none presume that abide in 
the liking of their sins1 though  they  
seem to know the exceeding grace of     
,christ2 for though the door  stands    
wide open for the reception of the      
penitent1 yet it is fast enough  barred 
and bolted against the presumptuous     
sinner4  ,be not deceived1 ,god  is not 
mocked1 whatsoever a man sows1 that he  
shall reap4  ,it cannot be  that ,god   
should be wheedled out of his mercy1 or 
prevailed upon by lips  of              
dissimulation2 he knows them that trust 
in him1 and that sincerely  come to him 
by ,christ for mercy2 ,nahum i4 #g4     
,it is then not the abundance of sins   
committed1 but the not coming  heartily 
to ,god by ,christ for mercy1 that shuts
 men out of doors4  ,and  though their  
not coming heartily may be said to be   
but a sin1 yet it is  such a sin as     
causeth that all thy other sins abide   
upon thee unforgiven4    ,god complains 
of this4  8,they have not cried unto me 
with their heart2  they turned1 but not 

to the most ,high4  ,they turned        
feignedly20 ,jer4 iii4  #aj2 ,hos4 vii4 
#ad1 #af4    ,thus doing1 his soul      
hates2 but the penitent1 humble1        
brokenhearted  sinner1 be his           
transgressions red as scarlet1 red like 
crimson1 in number  as the sand2 though 
his transgressions cry to heaven against
 him for  vengeance1 and seem there to  
cry louder than do his prayers1 or      
tears1 or  groans for mercy1 yet he is  
safe4  ,to this man ,god will look2     
,isa4 i4 #ah2  chap lxvi4 #b4           
,seventhly1 ,would ,jesus ,christ have  
mercy offered in the first place to  the
 biggest sinners8  ,then here is ground 
for those that1 as to practice1  have   
not been such1 to come to him for mercy4
    ,although there is no sin little of 
itself2 because it is a contradiction   
of the nature and majesty of ,god2 yet  
we must admit of divers numbers1  and   
also of aggravations4  ,two sins are not
 so many as three2 nor are  three that  
are done in ignorance so big as one that

 is done against  light1 against        
knowledge and conscience4  ,also there  
is the child in sin1  and a man in sin  
that has his hairs gray1 and his skin   
wrinkled for very  age4  ,and we must   
put a difference betwixt these sinners  
also4  ,for can  it be that a child of  
seven1 or ten1 or sixteen years old1    
should be such  a sinner--a sinner so   
vile in the eye of the law as he is who 
has walked  according to the course of  
this world1 forty1 fifty1 sixty1 or     
seventy  years8  ,now the youth1 this   
stripling1 though he is a sinner1 is but
 a  little sinner1 when compared with   
such4    ,now1 ,i say1 if there be room 
for the first sort1 for those of the    
biggest  size1 certainly there is room  
for the lesser size8  ,if there be a    
door  wide enough for a giant to go in  
at1 there is certainly room for a dwarf4
  ,if ,christ ,jesus has grace enough to
 save great sinners1 he has surely      
grace enough to save little ones4  ,if  
he can forgive five hundred pence1  for 

certain he can forgive fifty2 ,luke vii4
 #da1 #db4    ,but you said before1 that
 the little sinners must stand by until 
the  great ones have received their     
grace1 and that is discouraging6    ,i  
answer1 there are two sorts of little   
sinners1 such as are so1 and such  as   
feign themselves so4  ,they are those   
that feign themselves so1 that ,i       
intended there1 and not those that are  
indeed comparatively so4  ,such as      
feign themselves so may wait long enough
 before they obtain forgiveness4    ,but
 again1 a sinner may be comparatively a 
little sinner1 and sensibly a  great    
one4  ,there are then two sorts of      
greatness in sin2 greatness by  reason  
of number2 greatness by reason of       
thoroughness of conviction of  the      
horrible nature of sin4  ,in this last  
sense1 he that has but one sin1  if such
 a one could be found1 may in his own   
eyes find himself the  biggest sinner in
 the world4  ,let this man or this child
 therefore put  himself among the great 

sinners1 and plead with ,god as great   
sinners do1  and expect to be saved with
 the great sinners1 and as soon and as  
heartily as they4    ,yea1 a little     
sinner1 that comparatively is truly so1 
if he shall  graciously give way to     
conviction1 and shall in ,god's light   
diligently  weigh the horrible nature of
 his own sins1 may yet sooner obtain    
forgiveness for them at the hands of the
 heavenly ,father1 than he that  has ten
 times his sins1 and so cause to cry ten
 times harder to ,god for  mercy4       
,for the grievousness of the cry is a   
great thing with ,god2 for if he will   
hear the widow1 if she cries at all1 how
 much more if she cries most            
grievously8  ,exod4 xxii4 #bb1 #bc4     
,it is not the number1 but the true     
sense of the abominable nature of sin1  
that makes the cry for pardon           
lamentable4  ,he1 as ,i said1 that has  
many  sins1 may not cry so loud in the  
ears of ,god as he that has far fewer2  
he1 in our present sense1 that is in his

 own eyes the biggest sinner1 is  he    
that soonest findeth mercy4    ,the     
offer then is to the biggest sinner2 to 
the biggest sinner first1 and  the mercy
 is first obtained by him that first    
confesseth himself to be  such an one4  
,there are men that strive at the throne
 of grace for mercy1 by pleading  the   
greatness of their necessity4  ,now     
their plea1 as to the prevalency  of it1
 lieth not in the counting up of the    
number1 but in the sense of  the        
greatness of their sins1 and in the     
vehemency of their cry for  pardon4     
,and it is observable1 that though the  
birthright was ,ruben's1  and1 for his  
foolishness1 given to the sons of       
,joseph1 yet ,judah  prevailed above his
 brethren1 and of him came the ,messias2
 #a ,chron4 v4 #a1  #b4    ,there is a  
heavenly subtilty to be managed in this 
matter4  8,thy brother  came with       
subtilty1 and hath taken away thy       
blessing40  ,the blessing  belonged to  
,esau1 but ,jacob by his diligence made 

it his own2 ,gen4 xxvii4  #cc4  ,the    
offer is to the biggest sinner1 to the  
biggest sinner first2 but  if he forbear
 to cry1 the sinner that is a sinner    
less by far than he1  both as to number 
and the nature of transgression1 may get
 the blessing  first1 if he shall have  
grace to bestir himself well2 for the   
loudest cry  is heard furthest1 and the 
most lamentable pierces soonest4    ,i  
therefore urge this head1 not because ,i
 would have little sinners go  and tell 
,god that they are little sinners1      
thereby to think to obtain  mercy2 for1 
verily1 so they are never like to have  
it3 for such words  declare1 that such a
 one hath no true sense at all of the   
nature of his  sins4    ,sin1 as ,i     
said1 in the nature of it1 is horrible1 
though it be but one  single sin as to  
act2 yea1 though it be but a sinful     
thought2 and so  worthily calls for the 
damnation of the soul4    ,the          
comparison1 then1 of little and great   
sinners1 is to go for good  sense among 

men4  ,but to plead the fewness of thy  
sins1 or the  comparative harmlessness  
of their quantity before ,god1 argueth  
no sound  knowledge of the nature of thy
 sin1 and so no true sense of the nature
 or  need of mercy4    ,little sinner1  
when therefore thou goest to ,god1      
though thou knowest in  thy conscience  
that thou1 as to acts1 art no thief1 no 
murderer1 no  whore1 no liar1 no false  
swearer1 or the like1 and in reason must
 needs  understand that thus thou art   
not so profanely vile as others2 yet    
when  thou goest to ,god for mercy1 know
 no man's sins but thine own1 make      
mention of no man's sins but thine own4 
,also labour not to lessen thy  own1 but
 magnify and greaten them by all just   
circumstances1 and be as if  there was  
never a sinner in the world but thyself4
  ,also cry out1 as if  thou wast the   
only undone man2 and that is the way to 
obtain ,god's mercy4    ,it is one of   
the comeliest sights in the world to see
 a little sinner  commenting upon the   

greatness of his sins1 multiplying and  
multiplying  them to himself1 till he   
makes them in his own eyes bigger and   
higher  than he seeth any other man's   
sins to be in the world2 and as base a  
thing it is to see a man do otherwise1  
and as basely will come on it2  ,luke   
xviii4 #aj-ad4    ,as1 therefore1 ,i    
said to the great sinner before1 let him
 take heed lest  he presume2 ,i say now 
to the little sinner1 let him take heed 
that he do  not dissemble3 for there is 
as great an aptness in the little sinner
 to  dissemble1 as there is in the great
 one4  8,he that hideth his sins shall  
not prosper10 be he a sinner little or  
great2 ,prov4 xxviii4 #ac4    ,eighthly1
 ,would ,jesus ,christ have mercy       
offered1 in the first place1 to  the    
biggest sinners8  ,then this shews the  
true cause why ,satan makes such  head  
as he doth against him4    ,the ,father 
and the ,holy ,spirit are well spoken of
 by all deluders and  deceived persons2 
,christ only is the rock of offence4    

8,behold ,i lay in  ,zion a             
stumbling-stone and a rock of offence20 
,rom4 ix4 #cc4  ,not that  ,satan careth
 for the ,father or the ,spirit more    
than he careth for the  ,son1 but he can
 let men alone with their notions of the
 ,father and the  ,spirit1 for he knows 
they shall never enjoy the ,father nor  
the ,spirit1 if  indeed they receive not
 the merits of the ,son4  8,he that hath
 the ,son1  hath life2 he that hath not 
the ,son of ,god hath not life10 however
 they  may boast themselves of the      
,father and the ,spirit2 #a ,john v4    
#ab4  ,again1  8,whosoever              
transgresseth1 and abideth not in the   
doctrine of ,christ1 hath  not ,god3 he 
that abideth in the doctrine of ,christ1
 hath both the ,father  and the ,son20  
#b ,john i4 #i4    ,christ1 and ,christ 
only1 is he that can make us capable to 
enjoy ,god with  life and joy to all    
eternity4  ,hence he calls himself the  
way to the  ,father1 the true and living
 way2 ,john xiv4 #f2 ,heb4 x4 #ai1 #bj2 

for we  cannot come to the ,father but  
by him4  ,satan knows this1 therefore he
  hates him4  ,deluded persons are      
ignorant of this1 and1 therefore1 they  
are so led up and down by ,satan by the 
nose as they are4    ,there are many    
things by which ,satan has taken        
occasion to greaten his  rage against   
,jesus ,christ4    ,as1 first1 his love 
to man1 and then the many expressions of
 that love4  ,he hath taken man's nature
 upon him2 he hath in that nature       
fulfilled the  law to bring in          
righteousness for man2 and hath spilt   
his blood for the  reconciling of men to
 ,god2 he hath broke the neck of death1 
put away sin1  destroyed the works of   
the devil1 and got into his own hands   
the keys of  death3 and all these are   
heinous things to ,satan4  ,he cannot   
abide ,christ  for this4  ,besides1 he  
hath eternal life in himself2 and that  
to bestow  upon us2 and we in all       
likelihood are to possess the very      
places from  which the ,satans by       

transgression fell1 if not places more  
glorious4  ,wherefore he must needs be  
angry4  ,and is it not a vexatious thing
 to  him1 that we should be admitted to 
the throne of grace by ,christ1 while   
he stands bound over in chains of       
darkness1 to answer for his rebellions  
against ,god and his ,son1 at the       
terrible day of judgment4  ,yea1 we poor
  dust and ashes must become his judges1
 and triumph over him for ever3 and  all
 this long of ,jesus ,christ2 for he is 
the meritorious cause of all  this4     
,now though ,satan seeks to be revenged 
for this1 yet he knows it is in  vain to
 attack the person of ,christ2 he has   
overcome him3 therefore he  tampers with
 a company of silly men1 that he may    
vilify him by them4  ,and  they1 bold   
fools as they are1 will not spare to    
spit in his face4  ,they  will rail at  
his person1 and deny the very being of  
it2 they will rail at  his blood1 and   
deny the merit and worth of it4  ,they  
will deny the very  end why he          

accomplished the law1 and by jiggs1 and 
tricks1 and quirks1  which he helpeth   
them to1 they set up fond names and     
images in his place1  and give the glory
 of a ,saviour to them4  ,thus ,satan   
worketh under the  name of ,christ2 and 
his ministers under the name of the     
ministers of  righteousness4    ,and by 
his wiles and stratagems he undoes a    
world of men2 but there is a  seed1 and 
they shall serve him1 and it shall be   
counted to the ,lord for a  generation4 
,these shall see their sins1 and that   
,christ is the way to  happiness4       
,these shall venture themselves1 both   
body and soul1 upon his  worthiness4    
,all this ,satan knows1 and therefore   
his rage is kindled the more4           
,wherefore1 according to his ability and
 allowance1 he assaulteth1  tempteth1   
abuseth1 and stirs up what he can to be 
hurtful to these poor  people1 that he  
may1 while his time shall last1 make it 
as hard and  difficult for them to go to
 eternal glory as he can4  ,oftentimes  

he  abuses them with wrong apprehensions
 of ,god1 and with wrong apprehensions  
of ,christ4  ,he also casts them into   
the mire1 to the reproach of  religion1 
the shame of their brethren1 the        
derision of the world1 and  dishonour of
 ,god4    ,he holds our hands while the 
world buffets us2 he puts bear-skins    
upon  us1 and then sets the dogs at us4 
,he bedaubeth us with his own foam1 and 
then tempts us to believe that that     
bedaubing comes from ourselves4    ,oh6 
the rage and the roaring of this lion1  
and the hatred that he  manifests       
against the ,lord ,jesus1 and against   
them that are purchased  with his blood6
  ,but yet1 in the midst of all this1   
the ,lord ,jesus sends  forth his herald
 to proclaim in the nations his love to 
the world1 and to  invite them to come  
in to him for life4  ,yea1 his          
invitation is so large1  that it        
offereth his mercy in the first place to
 the biggest sinners of  every age1     
which augments the devil's rage the     

more4    ,wherefore1 as ,i said before1 
fret he1 fume he1 the ,lord ,jesus will 
divide  the spoil with this great one2  
yea1 he shall divide the spoil with the 
strong1 because he hath poured out his  
soul unto death1 and he was  numbered   
with the transgressors1 and he bare the 
sin of many1 and made  intercession for 
the transgressors2 ,isa4 liii4 #ab4     
,ninthly1 ,would ,jesus ,christ have    
mercy offered in the first place to  the
 biggest sinners8  ,let the tempted harp
 upon this string for their  help and   
consolation4  ,the tempted wherever he  
dwells1 always thinks  himself the      
biggest sinner1 one most unworthy of    
eternal life4    ,this is ,satan's      
master-argument3 thou art a horrible    
sinner1 a hypocrite1  one that has a    
profane heart1 and one that is an utter 
stranger to a work  of grace4  ,i say   
this is his maul1 his club1 his         
master-piece2 he doth  with this as some
 do with their most enchanting songs1   
sings them  everywhere4  ,i believe     

there are but few saints in the world   
that have  not had this temptation      
sounding in their ears4  ,but were they 
but aware1  ,satan by all this does but 
drive them to the gap out at which they 
should  go1 and so escape his roaring4  
,saith he1 thou art a great sinner1 a   
horrible sinner1 a profane hearted      
wretch1 one that cannot be matched for a
 vile one in the country4    ,and all   
this while ,christ says to his          
ministers1 offer mercy1 in the  first   
place1 to the biggest sinners4  ,so that
 this temptation drives thee  directly  
into the arms of ,jesus ,christ4        
,were therefore the tempted but aware1  
he might say1 ,ay1 ,satan1 so ,i am1 ,i 
am a sinner of the biggest size1 and    
therefore have most need of ,jesus      
,christ2 yea1 because ,i am such a      
wretch1 therefore ,jesus ,christ calls  
me2  yea1 he calls me first3 the first  
proffer of the ,gospel is to be made to 
the ,jerusalem sinner3 ,i am he1        
wherefore stand back ,satan2 make a     

lane1  my right is first to come to     
,jesus ,christ4    ,this now will be    
like for like4  ,this would foil the    
devil3 this would  make him say1 ,i must
 not deal with this man thus2 for then  
,i put a sword  into his hand to cut off
 my head4    ,and this is the meaning of
 ,peter1 when he saith1 8,resist him    
stedfast in  the faith20 #a ,pet4 v4 #i4
  ,and of ,paul1 when he saith1 8,take  
the shield of  faith1 wherewith ye shall
 be able to quench all the fiery darts  
of the  wicked20 ,eph4 vi4 #af4         
,wherefore is it said1 8,begin at       
,jerusalem10 if the ,jerusalem sinner is
  not to have the benefit of it8  ,and  
if ,i am to have the benefit of it1  let
 me call it to mind when ,satan haunts  
me with the continual  remembrance of my
 sins1 of my ,jerusalem sins4  ,satan   
and my conscience  say ,i am the biggest
 sinner1--,christ offereth mercy1 in the
 first place1  to the biggest sinners4  
,nor is the manner of the offer other   
but such as  suiteth with my mind4  ,i  

am sorry for my sin2 yea1 sorry at my   
heart that  ever sinful thought did     
enter1 or find the least entertainment  
in my  wicked mind2 and might ,i obtain 
my wish1 ,i would never more that my    
heart  should be a place for ought but  
the grace1 and spirit1 and faith of the 
,lord ,jesus4    ,i speak not this to   
lessen my wickedness2 ,i would not for  
all the world  but be placed by mine own
 conscience in the very front of the    
biggest  sinners1 that ,i might be one  
of the first that are beckoned by the   
gracious hand of ,jesus the ,saviour1 to
 come to him for mercy4    ,well1       
sinner1 thou now speakest like a        
,christian1 but say thus in a  strong   
spirit in the hour of temptation1 and   
then thou wilt1 to thy  commendation and
 comfort1 quit thyself well4    ,this   
improving of ,christ in dark hours1 is  
the life1 though the hardest  part of   
our ,christianity4  ,we should neither  
stop at darkness1 nor at the  raging of 
our lusts1 but go on in a way of        

venturing and casting the  whole of our 
affairs for the next world at the foot  
of ,jesus ,christ4  ,this is the way to 
make the darkness light1 and also to    
allay the raging  of our corruption4    
,the first time the ,passover was eaten1
 was in the night2 and when ,israel     
took courage to go forward1 though the  
sea stood in their way like a  devouring
 gulf1 and the host of the ,egyptians   
follow them at the heels2  yet the sea  
gives place1 and their enemies were as  
still as a stone till  they were gone   
over2 ,exod4 xii4 #h2 chap4 xiv4 #ac1   
#ad1 #ba1 #bb2 chap4 xv4  #af4    ,there
 is nothing like faith to help at a     
pinch2 faith dissolves doubts as  the   
sun drives away the mists4  ,and that   
you may not be put out1 know  your time1
 as ,i said1 of believing it always4    
,there are times when some  graces may  
be out of use1 but there is no time     
wherein faith can be said  to be so4    
,wherefore faith must be always in      
exercise4    ,faith is the eye1 is the  

mouth1 is the hand1 and one of these is 
of use  all day long4  ,faith is to see1
 to receive1 to work1 or to eat2 and a  
,christian should be seeing or          
receiving1 or working1 or feeding all   
day  long4  ,let it rain1 let it blow1  
let it thunder1 let it lighten1 a       
,christian must still believe3 8,at what
 time10 said thee good man1 8,i am      
afraid1 ,i will trust in thee20 ,psal4  
vi4 #b1 #c4    ,nor can we have a better
 encouragement to do this1 than is by   
the text  set before us1 even an open   
heart for a ,jerusalem sinner4  ,and if 
for a  ,jerusalem sinner to come1 then  
for such an one when come4  ,if for such
 a  one to be saved1 then for such a one
 that is saved4  ,if for such a one to  
be pardoned his great transgressions1   
then for such a one who is pardoned     
these1 to come daily to ,jesus ,christ1 
too1 to be cleansed and set free  from  
his common infirmities1 and from the    
iniquities of his holy things4          
,therefore let the poor sinner that     

would be saved labour for skill to  make
 the best improvement of the grace of   
,christ to help him against the         
temptations of the devil and his sins4  
,tenthly1 ,would ,jesus ,christ have    
mercy offered in the first place to  the
 biggest sinners8  ,let those men       
consider this1 that 7have1 or7 may in  a
 day of trial have spoken or done what  
their profession or conscience  told    
them they should not1 and that have the 
guilt and burden thereof  upon their    
consciences4    ,whether a thing be     
wrong or right1 guilt may pursue him    
that doth  contrary to his conscience4  
,but suppose a man should deny his ,god1
 or  his ,christ1 or relinquish a good  
profession1 and be under the real guilt 
thereof2 shall he therefore conclude he 
is gone for ever8  ,let him come  again 
with ,peter's tears1 and no doubt he    
shall obtain ,peter's  forgiveness4     
,for the text includes the biggest      
sinners4    ,and it is observable1 that 
before this clause was put into this    

commission1 ,peter was pardoned his     
horrible revolt from his ,master4  ,he  
that revolteth in the day of trial1 if  
he is not shot quite dead upon the      
place1 but is sensible of his wound1 and
 calls out for a surgeon1 shall  find   
his ,lord at hand to pour wine and oil  
into his wounds1 that he may  again be  
healed1 and to encourage him to think   
that there may be mercy  for him3       
besides what we find recorded of ,peter1
 you read in the ,acts1  some were1     
through the violence of their trials1   
compelled to blaspheme1  and yet are    
called saints2 ,acts xxvi4 #i-aa4       
,hence you have a promise or two that   
speak concerning such kind of men1  to  
encourage us to think that at least some
 of them shall come back to  the ,lord  
their ,god4  8,shall they fall10 saith  
he1 8and not arise8  ,shall  they turn  
away1 and not return80 ,jer4 viii4 #d4  
8,and in that day ,i will  assemble her 
that halteth1 and ,i will gather her    
that was driven out1 and  her that ,i   

have afflicted4  ,and ,i will make her  
that halteth a remnant1  and her that   
was cast off a strong nation2 and the   
,lord shall reign over  them in ,mount  
,zion for ever40  ,what we are to       
understand by her that  halteth1 is best
 expressed by the ,prophet ,elijah2     
,mic4 iv4 #f1 #g2 ,zeph4  iii4 #ai2 #a  
,kings xviii4 #ba4    ,i will conclude1 
then1 that for them that have halted1 or
 may halt1 the  ,lord has mercy in the  
bank1 and is willing to accept them if  
they return  to him again4    ,perhaps  
they may never be after that of any     
great esteem in the house of  ,god1 but 
if the ,lord will admit them to favour  
and forgiveness3 ,o  exceeding and      
undeserved mercy6  ,see ,ezekiel xliv4  
#aj-ad4    ,thou1 then1 that mayst be   
the man1 remember this1 that there is   
mercy  also for thee4  ,return therefore
 to ,god1 and to his ,son1 who hath yet 
in  store for thee1 and who will do thee
 good4    ,but perhaps thou wilt say1 he
 doth not save all revolters1 and1      

therefore1 perhaps not me4    ,answr4   
,art thou returning to ,god8  ,if thou  
art returning1 thou art the  man2       
8,return ye backsliding children1 and ,i
 will heal your backslidings20  ,jer4   
iii4 #bb4    ,some1 as ,i said1 that    
revolt1 are shot dead upon the place1   
and for them1  who can help them8  ,but 
for them that cry out of their wounds1  
it is a  sign they are yet alive1 and if
 they use the means in time1 doubtless  
they may be healed4    ,christ ,jesus   
has bags of mercy that were never yet   
broken up or unsealed4  ,hence it is    
said1 he has goodness laid up2 things   
reserved in heaven for  his4  ,and if he
 breaks up one of these bags1 who can   
tell what he can do6    ,hence his love 
is said to be such as passeth knowledge1
 and that his  riches are unsearchable4 
,he has1 no body knows what2 for no body
 knows  whom3 he has by him in store for
 such as seem in the view of all men to 
be gone beyond recovery4  ,for this the 
text is plain4  ,what man or angel      

could have thought that the ,jerusalem  
sinners had been yet on this side  of an
 impossibility of enjoying life and     
mercy8  ,hadst thou seen their  actions1
 and what horrible things they did to   
the ,son of ,god2 yea1 how  stoutly they
 backed what they did with resolves and 
endeavours to  persevere1 when they had 
killed his person1 against his name and 
doctrine2 and that there was not found  
among them all that while1 as we  read  
of1 the least remorse or regret for     
these their doings2 couldst thou  have  
imagined that mercy would ever have took
 hold of them1 at least so  soon6  ,nay1
 that they should1 of all the world1 be 
counted those only  meet to have it     
offered to them in the very first place6
  ,for so my text  commands1 saying1    
8,preach repentance and remission of    
sins among all  nations1 beginning at   
,jerusalem40    ,i tell you the thing is
 a wonder1 and must for ever stand for a
 wonder  among the sons of men4  ,it    
stands also for an everlasting          

invitation and  allurement to the       
biggest sinners to come to ,christ for  
mercy4    ,now since1 in the opinion of 
all men1 the revolter is such a one2 if 
he  has1 as ,i said before1 any life in 
him1 let him take encouragement to  come
 again1 that he may live by ,christ4    
,eleventhly1 ,would ,jesus ,christ have 
mercy offered in the first place to  the
 biggest sinners8  ,then let ,god's     
ministers tell them so4  ,there is an   
incidence in us1 ,i know not how it doth
 come about1 when we are  converted1 to 
contemn them that are left behind4      
,poor fools as we are1  we forget that  
we ourselves were so2 ,tit4 iii4 #b1 #c4
    ,but would it not become us better1 
since we have tasted that the ,lord is  
gracious1 to carry it towards them so1  
that we may give them convincing  ground
 to believe1 that we have found that    
mercy which also sets open the  door for
 them to come and partake with us4      
,ministers1 ,i say1 should do thus1 both
 by their doctrine1 and in all  other   

respects4    ,austerity doth not become 
us1 neither in doctrine nor in          
conversation4  ,we ourselves live by    
grace2 let us give as we receive1 and   
labour to  persuade our fellow-sinners  
which ,god has left behind us1 to follow
  after1 that they may partake with us  
of grace4  ,we are saved by grace1  let 
us live like them that are gracious4    
,let all our things 7to the  world7 be  
done in charity towards them2 pity them1
 pray for them1 be  familiar with them  
for their good4  ,let us lay aside our  
foolish1  worldly1 carnal grandeur2 let 
us not walk the streets1 and have such  
behaviours as signify we are scarce for 
touching of the poor ones that  are left
 behind1 no not with a pair of tongs4   
,it becomes us not thus to  do4         
,remember your ,lord1 he was familiar   
with publicans and sinners to a         
proverb2 8,behold a gluttonous man1 and 
a wine-bibber1 a friend of  publicans   
and sinners20 ,matt4 xi4 #ai4  ,the     
first part1 concerning his  gluttonous  

eating and drinking1 to be sure1 was an 
horrible slander2 but  for the other1   
nothing was ever spoke truer of him by  
the world4  ,now1  why should we lay    
hands cross on this text3 that is1      
choose good  victuals1 and love the     
sweet wine better than the salvation of 
the poor  publican8  ,why not familiar  
with sinners1 provided we hate their    
spots  and blemishes1 and seek that they
 may be healed of them8    ,why not     
fellowly with our carnal neighbours8    
,if we do take occasion to  do so1 that 
we may drop1 and be yet distilling some 
good doctrine upon  their souls8  ,why  
not go to the poor man's house1 and give
 him a penny1  and a ,scripture to think
 upon8  ,why not send for the poor to   
fetch away  at least the fragments of   
thy table1 that the bowels of thy       
fellow-sinner  may be refreshed as well 
as thine8    ,ministers should be       
exemplary2 but ,i am an inferior man1   
and must take  heed of too much         
meddling4  ,but might ,i1 ,i would      

meddle with them1 with  their wives1 and
 with their children too4  ,i mean not  
this of all1 but of  them that deserve  
it1 though ,i may not name them4        
,but1 ,i say1 let ministers follow the  
steps of their blessed ,lord1 who by    
word and deed shewed his love to the    
salvation of the world1 in such a       
carriage as declared him to prefer their
 salvation before his own private       
concern1 ,for we are commanded to follow
 his steps1 8who did no sin1  neither   
was guile found in his mouth40    ,and  
as ,i have said concerning ministers1 so
 ,i say to all the brethren1  carry it  
so1 that all the world may see1 that    
indeed you are the sons of  love4       
,love your ,saviour2 yea1 shew one to   
another that you love him1 not only  by 
a seeming love of affection1 but with   
the love of duty4  ,practical  love is  
best4  ,many love ,christ with nothing  
but the lick of the tongue4  ,alas6     
,christ ,jesus the ,lord must not be put
 off thus3 8,he that hath my            

commandments1 and keepeth them10 saith  
he1 8he it is that loveth me20  ,john   
xiv4 #ba4    ,practical love1 which     
stands in self-denial1 in charity to my 
neighbour1  and a patient enduring of   
affliction for his name2 this is counted
 love4    ,right love to ,christ is that
 which carries in it a provoking        
argument to  others of the brethren2    
,heb4 x4 #bd4    ,should a man ask me   
how he should know that he loveth the   
children of  ,god8  ,the best answer ,i 
could give him1 would be in the words of
 the  ,apostle ,john2 8,by this10 saith 
he1 8we know we love the children of    
,god1  when we love ,god1 and keep his  
commandments20 #a ,john1 v4 #b4    ,love
 to ,god and ,christ is then shewn when 
we are tender of his name2 and  then we 
shew ourselves tender of his name when  
we are afraid to break any  the least of
 his commandments4  ,and when we are    
here1 then do we shew our  love to our  
brother also4    ,now1 we have          
obligation sufficient thus to do1 for   

that our ,lord loved  us1 and gave      
himself for us1 to deliver us from      
death1 that we might live  through him4 
,the world1 when they hear the doctrine 
that ,i have asserted and handled  in   
this little book2 to wit1 that ,jesus   
,christ would have mercy offered  in the
 first place to the biggest sinners1    
will be apt1 because  themselves are    
unbelievers1 to think that this is a    
doctrine that leads  to looseness1 and  
that gives liberty to the flesh2 but if 
you that  believe love your brethren and
 your neighbours truly1 and as you      
should1  you will put to silence the    
ignorance of such foolish men1 and stop 
their  mouths from speaking evil of you4
    ,and1 ,i say1 let the love of       
,christ constrain us to this4  ,who     
deserveth  our heart1 our mouth1 our    
life1 our goods1 so much as ,jesus      
,christ1 who  has bought us to himself  
by his blood1 to this very end1 that we 
should  be a peculiar people1 zealous of
 good works8    ,there is nothing more  

seemly in the world1 than to see a      
,christian walk  as becomes the ,gospel2
 nor any thing more unbecoming a        
reasonable  creature1 than to hear a man
 say1 ,i believe in ,christ1 and yet see
 in his  life debauchery and            
profaneness4  ,might ,i1 such men should
 be counted the  basest of men2 such men
 should be counted by all unworthy of   
the name of  a ,christian1 and should be
 shunned by every good man1 as such who 
are the  very plague of profession4     
,for so it is written1 we should carry  
it towards them4  ,whoso have a form  of
 godliness1 and deny the power thereof1 
from such we must turn away4    ,it has 
ofttimes come into my mind to ask1 by   
what means it is that the  gospel       
profession should be so tainted with    
loose and carnal gospellers8  and ,i    
could never arrive to better            
satisfaction in the matter than         
this1--such men are made professors by  
the devil1 and so by him put among  the 
rest of the godly4  ,a certain man had a

 fruitless fig-tree planted in  his     
vineyard2 but by whom was it planted    
there8  ,even by him that sowed  the    
tares1 his own children1 among the      
wheat2 ,luke xiii4 #f2 ,matt4 xiii4     
#cg-dj4  ,and that was the devil4  ,but 
why doth the devil do thus8  ,not of    
love to them1 but to make of them       
offences and stumblingblocks to others4 
,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 world4    ,was it not1 think you1
 the devil that stirred up the damsel   
that you read  of in ,acts xvi41 to cry 
out1 8,these are the servants of the    
most high  ,god1 that shew unto us the  
way of salvation60  ,yes it was1 as is  
evident1  for ,paul was grieved to hear 
it4  ,but why did the devil stir up her 
to  cry so8 but because that was the way
 to blemish the ,gospel1 and to make    
the world think that it came from the   
same hand as did her soothsaying  and   
witchery2 verse #af-ah2 8,holiness1 ,o  

,lord1 becomes thy house for  ever40    
,let1 therefore1 whoever they be that   
profess the name of ,christ1 take  heed 
that they scandal not that profession   
which they make of him1 since  he has so
 graciously offered us1 as we are       
sinners of the biggest size1  in the    
first place1 his grace to save us4      
,having thus far spoken of the riches of
 the grace of ,christ1 and of the       
freeness of his heart to embrace the    
,jerusalem sinners1 it may not be  amiss
 to give you yet1 as a caution1 an      
intimation of one thing1 namely1  that  
this grace and freeness of his heart is 
limited to time and day2 the  which1    
whoso overstandeth1 shall perish        
notwithstanding4    ,for as a king1 who1
 of grace1 sendeth out to his rebellious
 people an  offer of pardon1 if they    
accept thereof by such a day1 yet       
beheadeth or  hangeth those that come   
not in for mercy until the day or time  
be past2  so ,christ ,jesus has set the 
sinner a day1 a day of salvation1 an    

acceptable time2 but he who standeth    
out1 or goeth on in rebellion beyond    
that time1 is like to come off with the 
loss of his soul2 #b ,cor4 vi4 #b2      
,heb4 iii4 #ac1 #af1 #ag1 #ah1 #ai2     
chap4 iv4 #g2 ,luke xix4 #da1 #db4      
,since1 therefore1 things are thus1 it  
may be convenient here to touch a       
little upon these particulars4          
,first1 ,that this day1 or time thus    
limited1 when it is considered with     
reference to this or that man1 is       
ofttimes undiscerned by the person      
concerned therein1 and always is kept   
secret as to the shutting up  thereof4  
,and this1 in the wisdom of ,god1 is    
thus to the end2 no man1 when called    
upon1 should put off turning to ,god to 
another time4  ,now1 and to-day1 is     
that and only that which is revealed in 
holy writ2 ,psal4 #a4 #bb2 ,eccles4     
xii4 #a2 ,heb4 iii4 #ac1 #af4    ,and   
this shews us the desperate hazards     
which those men run1 who when           
invitation or conviction attends them1  

put off turning to ,god to be saved     
till another1 and1 as they think1 a more
 fit season and time4  ,for many1  by so
 doing1 defer this to do till the day of
 ,god's patience and  long-suffering is 
ended2 and then1 for their prayers and  
cries after  mercy1 they receive nothing
 but mocks1 and are laughed at by the   
,god of  heaven2 ,prov4 i4 #bj-cj2      
,isaiah lxv4 #ab-af2 chap4 lxvi4 #d2    
,zech4 xii4  #aa-ac4    ,secondly1      
,another thing to be considered is this1
 viz4 that the day of  ,god's grace with
 some men begins sooner1 and also sooner
 ends than it  doth with others4  ,those
 at the first hour of the day1 had their
 call  sooner than they who were called 
upon to turn to ,god at the sixth hour  
of  the day2 yea1 and they who were     
hired at the third hour1 had their call 
sooner than they who were called at the 
eleventh2 ,matt4 xx4 #a-f4    #a4  ,the 
day of ,god's patience began with       
,ishmael1 and also ended before  he was 
twenty years old4  ,at thirteen years of

 age he was circumcised2  the next year 
after ,isaac was born2 and then ,ishmael
 was fourteen years  old4  ,now that day
 that ,isaac was weaned1 that day was   
,ishmael rejected2  and suppose that    
,isaac was three years old before he was
 weaned1 that was  but the seventeenth  
year of ,ishmael2 wherefore the day of  
,god's grace was  ended with him        
betimes2 ,gen4 xvii4 #bd1 #be2 chap4    
xxi4 #b-aa2 ,gal4 iv4 #cj4    #b4       
,cain's day ended with him betimes2 for 
after ,god had rejected him1 he  lived  
to beget many children1 and build a     
city1 and to do many other  things4     
,but alas6 all that while he was a      
fugitive and a vagabond4  ,nor  carried 
he any thing with him after the day of  
his rejection was come1  but this       
doleful language in his conscience1     
8,from ,god's face shall ,i be  hid20   
,gen4 iv4 #aj-ae4    #c4  ,esau1 through
 his extravagancies would needs go to   
sell his  birth-right1 not fearing 7as  
other confident fools7 but that yet the 

blessing would still be his1 after which
 he lived many years2 but all of  them  
under the wrath of ,god1 as was1 when   
time came1 made appear to his           
destruction2 for 8,when he would have   
inherited the blessing1 he was          
rejected1 for he found no place of      
repentance1 though he sought it         
carefully with tears20 ,heb4 xii4       
#ad-af4    ,many instances might be     
given as to such tokens of the          
displeasure of ,god  against such as    
fool away1 as the wise man has it1 the  
prize which is put  into their hand2    
,prov4 xvii4 #af4    ,let these things1 
therefore1 be a further caution to those
 that sit under  the glorious sound of  
the ,gospel1 and hear of the riches of  
the grace of  ,god in ,christ to poor   
sinners4    ,to slight grace1 to despise
 mercy1 and to stop the ear when ,god   
speaks1  when he speaks such great      
things1 so much to our profit1 is a     
great  provocation4    ,he offereth1 he 
calls1 he woos1 he invites1 he prays1 he

 beseeches us in  this day of his grace 
to be reconciled to him2 yea1 and has   
provided for  us the means of           
reconciliation himself4  ,now1 this     
despised must needs be  provoking2 and  
it is a fearful thing to fall into the  
hands of the living  ,god4    ,but some 
man may say unto me1 ,fain ,i would be  
saved1 fain ,i would be  saved by       
,christ2 but ,i fear this day of grace  
is past1 and that ,i shall  perish1     
notwithstanding the exceeding riches of 
the grace of ,god4    ,answer4  ,to this
 doubt ,i would answer several things4  
,first1 ,with respect to this day4      
,secondly1 ,with respect to thy desires4
    ,thirdly1 ,with respect to thy      
fears4    ,first1 ,with respect to the  
day2 that is1 whether it be ended with a
 man  or no4    #a4  ,art thou jogged1  
and shaken and molested at the hearing  
of the ,word8  ,is thy conscience       
awakened and convinced then that thou   
art at present in  a perishing state1   
and that thou hast need to cry to ,god  

for mercy8  ,this  is a hopeful sign    
that this day of grace is not past with 
thee4  ,for  usually they that are past 
grace1 are also1 in their conscience1   
past  feeling1 being 8seared with an hot
 iron20 ,eph4 iv4 #ah1 #ai2 #a ,tim4 iv4
 #a1  #b4    ,consequently1 those past  
grace must be such as are denied the    
awakening  fruits of the ,word preached4
  8,the dead that hear10 says ,christ1  
8shall  live20 at least while ,christ   
has not quite done with them2 the day of
  ,god's patience is not at an end with 
them2 ,john v4 #be4    #b4  ,is there in
 thy more retired condition1 arguings1  
strugglings1 and  strivings with thy    
spirit to persuade thee of the vanity of
 what vain  things thou lovest1 and to  
win thee in thy soul to a choice of     
,christ  ,jesus and his heavenly things8
  ,take heed and rebel not1 for the day 
of  ,god's grace and patience will not  
be past with thee till he saith his     
8,spirit shall strive no more0 with     
thee2 for then the woe comes1 when 8he  

shall depart from them20 and when he    
says to the means of grace1 8,let  them 
alone20 ,hos4 iv4 #ag2 chap4 ix4 #ab4   
#c4  ,art thou visited in the           
night-seasons with dreams about thy     
state1  and that thou art in danger of  
being lost8  ,hast thou heart-shaken    
apprehensions when deep sleep is upon   
thee1 of hell1 death1 and judgment  to  
come8  ,these are signs that ,god has   
not wholly left thee1 or cast thee      
behind his back for ever4  8,for ,god   
speaketh once1 yea twice1 yet man       
perceiveth it not2 in a dream1 in a     
vision of the night1 when deep sleep    
falleth upon men1 in slumberings upon   
the bed2 then he openeth the ears  of   
men1 and sealeth their instruction1 that
 he may withdraw man from his  purpose  
7his sinful purposes7 and hide pride    
from man20 ,job xxxiii4  #ad-ag4    ,all
 this while ,god has not left the       
sinner1 nor is come to the end of his   
patience towards him1 but stands at     
least with the door of grace a-jar in   

his hand1 as being loth as yet to bolt  
it against him4    #d4  ,art thou       
followed with affliction1 and dost thou 
hear ,god's angry  voice in thy         
afflictions8  ,doth he send with thy    
affliction an  interpreter to shew thee 
thy vileness2 and why1 or wherefore1 the
 hand of  ,god is upon thee1 and upon   
what thou hast2 to wit1 that it is for  
thy  sinning against him1 and that thou 
mightest be turned to him8  ,if so1 thy 
summer is not quite ended2 thy harvest  
is not quite over and gone4  ,take      
heed1 stand out no longer1 lest he cause
 darkness1 and lest thy feet  stumble   
upon the dark mountains2 and lest1 while
 you look for light1 he  turn it into   
the shadow of death1 and make it gross  
darkness2 ,jer4 viii4  #bj2 chap4 xiii4 
#ae-ag4    #e4  ,art thou crossed1      
disappointed1 and way-laid1 and         
overthrown in all  thy foolish ways and 
doings8  ,this is a sign ,god has not   
quite left thee1  but that he still     
waits upon thee to turn thee4           

,consider1 ,i say1 has he  made a hedge 
and a wall to stop thee8  ,has he       
crossed thee in all thou  puttest thy   
hand unto8  ,take it as a call to turn  
to him1 for1 by his  thus doing1 he     
shews he has a mind to give thee a      
better portion4  ,for  usually when ,god
 gives up men1 and resolves to let them 
alone in the  broad way1 he gives them  
rope1 and lets them have their desires  
in all  hurtful things2 ,hos4 ii4 #f-ae2
 ,psalm lxxiii4 #c-ac2 ,rom4 xi4 #i4    
,therefore take heed to this also1 that 
thou strive not against this hand  of   
,god2 but betake thyself to a serious   
inquiry into the causes of this  hand of
 ,god upon thee1 and incline to think1  
it is because the ,lord would  have thee
 look to that1 which is better than what
 thou wouldst satisfy  thyself withal4  
,when ,god had a mind to make the       
prodigal go home to his  father1 he sent
 a famine upon him1 and denied him a    
bellyful of the husks  which the swine  
did eat4  ,and observe it1 now he was in

 a strait1 he  betook him to            
consideration of the good that there was
 in his father's  house2 yea1 he        
resolved to go home to his father1 and  
his father dealt  well with him2 he     
received him with music and dancing1    
because he had  received him safe and   
sound2 ,luke xv4 #ad-cb4    #f4  ,hast  
then any enticing thoughts of the word  
of ,god upon thy mind8  ,doth1 as it    
were1 some holy word of ,god give a     
glance upon thee1 cast a  smile upon    
thee1 let fall1 though it be but one    
drop of its savour upon  thy spirit2    
yea1 though it stays but one moment with
 thee8  ,o then the  day of grace is not
 past6  ,the gate of heaven is not shut6
 nor ,god's  heart and bowels withdrawn 
from thee as yet4  ,take heed1          
therefore1 and  beware that thou make   
much of the heavenly gift1 and of that  
good word of  ,god of the which he has  
made thee taste4  ,beware1 ,i say1 and  
take heed2  there may be a falling away 
for all this2 but1 ,i say1 as yet ,god  

has not  left thee1 as yet he has not   
cast thee off2 ,heb4 vi4 #a-i4          
,secondly1 ,with respect to thy desires1
 what are they8  ,wouldst thou be       
saved6  ,wouldst thou be saved with a   
thorough salvation8  ,wouldst thou be   
saved from guilt and filth too8         
,wouldst thou be the servant of thy     
,saviour8  ,art thou indeed weary of the
 service of thy old master the  devil1  
sin1 and the world8  ,and have these    
desires put thy soul to  flight8  ,hast 
thou through desires betaken thyself to 
thy heels8  ,dost  fly to him that is a 
,saviour from the wrath to come1 for    
life8  ,if these  be thy desires1 and if
 they be unfeigned1 fear not4  ,thou art
 one of  those runaways which ,god has  
commanded our ,lord to receive1 and not 
to  send thee back to the devil thy     
master again1 but to give thee a place  
in  his house1 even the place which     
liketh thee best4  8,thou shalt not     
deliver to his master10 says he1 8the   
servant which is escaped from his       

master unto thee4  ,he shall dwell with 
thee1 even among you in that place      
which he shall choose1 in one of thy    
gates where it liketh him best2 thou    
shalt not oppress him20 ,deut4 xxiii4   
#ae1 #af4    ,this is a command to the  
church1 consequently to the ,head of the
 church2  for all commands from ,god    
come to her through her ,head4  ,whence 
,i  conclude1 that as ,israel of old was
 to receive the runaway servant who     
escaped from a heathen master to them1  
and should not dare to send him  back to
 his master again1 so ,christ's church  
now1 and consequently ,christ  himself1 
may not1 will not1 refuse that soul that
 has made his escape  from sin1 ,satan1 
the world1 and hell1 unto him1 but will 
certainly let  him dwell in his house1  
among his saints1 in that place which he
 shall  choose1 even where it liketh him
 best4  ,for he says in another place1  
8,and him that cometh to me1 ,i will in 
no wise cast out40  ,in no wise1 let    
his crimes be what they will1 either for

 nature1 multitude1 or the  attendance  
of aggravating circumstances4           
,wherefore1 if thy desires be firm1     
sound1 and unfeigned to become the      
saved of ,christ1 and his servant1 fear 
not1 he will not1 he will in no  wise   
put thee away1 or turn thee over to thy 
old master again4    ,thirdly1 ,as to   
they fears1 whatever they are1 let that 
be supposed  which is supposed before1  
and they are groundless1 and so of no   
weight4    ,object4  ,but ,i am afraid  
,i am not elected1 or chosen to         
salvation1  though you called me fool a 
little before for so fearing4    ,ans4  
,though election is1 in order1 before   
calling1 as to ,god1 yet the  knowledge 
of calling must go before the belief of 
my election as to  myself4  ,wherefore1 
souls that doubt of the truth of their  
effectual  calling1 do but plunge       
themselves into a deeper labyrinth of   
confusion  that concern themselves with 
their election2 ,i mean1 while they     
labour to  know it before they prove    

their calling4  8,make your calling1 and
 so your  election1 sure20 #b ,pet4 i4  
#d-aa4    ,wherefore1 at present1 lay   
the thoughts of thy election by1 and ask
  thyself these questions3 ,do ,i see my
 lost condition8  ,do ,i see salvation  
is nowhere but in ,christ8  ,would ,i   
share in this salvation by faith in     
him8  ,and would ,i1 as was said before1
 be thoroughly saved1 to wit1 from  the 
filth as from the guilt8  ,do ,i love   
,christ1 his ,father1 his saints1  his  
words1 and ways8  ,this is the way to   
prove we are elect4  ,wherefore1        
sinner1 when ,satan1 or thine own heart 
seeks to puzzle thee with  election1 say
 thou1 ,i cannot attend to talk of this 
point now1 but stay  till ,i know that  
,i am called of ,god to the fellowship  
of his ,son1 and  then ,i will shew you 
that ,i am elect1 and that my name is   
written in the  book of life4    ,if    
poor distressed souls would observe this
 order1 they might save  themselves the 
trouble of an unprofitable labour under 

these unreasonable  and soul-sinking    
doubts4    ,let us therefore1 upon the  
sight of our wretchedness1 fly and      
venturously  leap into the arms of      
,christ1 which are now as open to       
receive us into  his bosom1 as they were
 when nailed to the cross4  ,this is    
coming to  ,christ for life aright2 this
 is right running away from thy master  
to  him1 as was said before4  ,and for  
this we have multitudes of scriptures   
to support1 encourage1 and comfort us in
 our so doing4    ,but now1 let him that
 doth thus be sure to look for it1 for  
,satan will be  with him to-morrow1 to  
see if he can get him again to his old  
service2  and if he cannot do that1 then
 will he enter into dispute with him1 to
  wit1 about whether he be elect to     
life1 and called indeed to partake of   
this ,christ1 to whom he is fled for    
succour1 or whether he comes to him  of 
his own presumptuous mind4  ,therefore  
we are bid1 as to come1 so to  arm      
ourselves with that armour which ,god   

has provided2 that we may  resist1      
quench1 stand against1 and withstand all
 the fiery darts of the  devil2 ,eph4   
vi4 #aa-ah4    ,if1 therefore1 thou     
findest ,satan in this order to march   
against thee1  remember then thou hadst 
this item about it2 and betake thyself  
to faith  and good courage2 and be      
sober1 and hope to the end4    ,object4 
,but how if ,i should have sinned the   
sin unpardonable1 or that  called the   
sin against the ,holy ,ghost8           
,answer4  ,if thou hast1 thou art lost  
for ever2 but yet before it is          
concluded by thee that thou hast so     
sinned1 know that they that would be    
saved by ,jesus ,christ through faith in
 his blood1 cannot be counted for  such4
    #a4  ,because of the promise1 for   
that must not be frustrated3 and that   
says1 8,and him that cometh to ,christ1 
he will in no wise cast out40  ,and     
again1 8,whoso will1 let him take of the
 water of life freely20 ,john vi4  #cg2 
,rev4 xxi4 #f2 chap4 xxii4 #ag4    ,but 

,i say1 how can these scriptures be     
fulfilled1 if he that would indeed  be  
saved1 as before1 has sinned the sin    
unpardonable8  ,the scriptures  must not
 be made void1 nor their truth be cast  
to the ground4  ,here is a  promise1 and
 here is a sinner2 a promise that says  
he shall not be cast  out that comes2   
and the sinner comes1 wherefore he must 
be received3  consequently he that comes
 to ,christ for life1 has not1 cannot   
have  sinned that sin for which there is
 no forgiveness4    ,and this might     
suffice for an answer to any coming     
soul1 that fears1  though he comes1 that
 he has sinned the sin against the ,holy
 ,ghost4    #b4  ,but again1 he that has
 sinned the sin against the ,holy ,ghost
 cannot  come1 has no heart to come1 can
 by no means be made willing to come to 
,jesus ,christ for life2 for that he has
 received such an opinion of him1  and  
of his things1 as deters and holds him  
back4    #a4  ,he counteth this blessed 
person1 the ,son of ,god1 a magician1 a 

conjuror1 a witch1 or one that did1 when
 he was in the world1 what he did  by   
the power and spirit of the devil2      
,matt4 ix4 #cd2 chap4 xii4 #bd1 #be1    
c42 ,mark iii4 #bb-cj4  ,now he that has
 this opinion of this ,jesus1 cannot  be
 willing to cast himself at his feet for
 life1 or to come to him as the  only   
way to ,god and to salvation4  ,and     
hence it is said again1 that such  an   
one puts him to open shame1 and treadeth
 him under foot1 that is1 by            
contemning1 reproaching1 vilifying1 and 
despising of him1 as if he were  the    
vilest one1 or the greatest cheat in the
 world3 and has therefore1 as  to his   
esteem of him1 called him accursed1     
crucified him to himself1 or  counted   
him one hanged1 as one of the worst of  
malefactors2 ,heb4 vi4 #f2  chap4 x4    
#bi2 #a ,cor4 xii4 #c4    #b4  ,his     
blood1 which is the meritorious cause of
 man's redemption1 even  the blood of   
the everlasting covenant1 he counteth an
 unholy thing1 or  that which has no    

more virtue in it to save a soul from   
sin than has the  blood of a dog2 ,heb4 
x4 #bi4  ,for when the ,apostle says1   
8he counts it an  unholy thing10 he     
means1 he makes it of less value than   
that of a sheep  or cow1 which were     
clean according to the law2 and         
therefore must mean1  that his blood was
 of no more worth to him in his account 
than was the  blood of a dog1 an ass1 or
 a swine1 which always was1 as to       
sacrifices1  rejected by the ,god of    
heaven1 as unholy or unclean4    ,now he
 who has no better esteem of ,jesus     
,christ1 and of his death and  blood1   
will not be persuaded to come to him for
 life1 or to trust in him  for          
salvation4    #c4  ,but further1 all    
this must be done against manifest      
tokens to prove  the contrary1 or after 
the shining of gospel light upon the    
soul1 or some  considerable profession  
of him as the ,messiah1 or that he was  
the ,saviour  of the world4    #a4  ,it 
must be done against manifest tokens to 

prove the contrary2 and  thus the       
reprobate ,jews committed it when they  
saw the works of ,god1  which put forth 
themselves in him1 and called them the  
works of the devil  and ,beelzebub4     
#b4  ,it must be done against some      
shining light of the gospel upon them4  
,and thus it was with ,judas1 and with  
those who1 after they were  enlightened1
 and had tasted1 and had felt something 
of the powers of the  world to come1    
fell away from the faith of him1 and put
 him to open shame  and disgrace2 ,heb4 
vi4 #e1 #f4    #c4  ,it must also be    
done after1 and in opposition to one's  
own open  profession of him4  8,for if  
after they have escaped the pollution of
 the  world1 through the knowledge of   
our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1  
they  are again entangled therein1 and  
overcome1 the latter end is worse with  
them than the beginning2 for it had been
 better for them not to have  known the 
way of righteousness1 than after they   
have known it1 to turn  from the holy   

commandment 7which is the word of faith7
 delivered unto  them40    #d4  ,all    
this must be done openly1 before        
witnesses1 in the face1 sight1  and view
 of the world1 by word and act4  ,this  
is the sin that is  unpardonable2 and he
 that hath thus done1 can never1 it is  
impossible he  ever should be renewed   
again to repentance1 and that for a     
double reason2  for such an one doth    
say1 he will not2 and of him ,god says1 
he shall not  have the benefit of       
salvation by him4    ,object4  ,but if  
this be the sin unpardonable1 why is it 
called the sin  against the ,holy       
,ghost1 and not rather the sin against  
the ,son of ,god8    ,answ4  ,it is     
called 8the sin against the ,holy       
,ghost10 because such  count the works  
he did1 which were done by the ,spirit  
of ,god1 the works  of the spirit of the
 devil4  ,also because all such as so   
reject ,christ  ,jesus the ,lord1 they  
do it in despite of that testimony which
 the ,holy  ,ghost has given of him in  

the holy scriptures2 for the scriptures 
are the  breathings of the ,holy ,ghost1
 as in all other things1 so in that     
testimony they bear of the person1 of   
the works1 sufferings1  resurrection1   
and ascension of ,jesus ,christ4        
,sinner1 this is the sin against the    
,holy ,ghost4  ,what sayst thou8  ,hast 
thou committed it8  ,nay1 ,i know thou  
hast not2 if thou wouldst be saved  by  
,christ4  ,yea1 it is impossible that   
thou shouldst have done it1 if  indeed  
thou wouldst be saved by him4    ,no man
 can desire to be saved by him1 whom he 
yet judgeth to be an  impostor1 a       
magician1 a witch4  ,no man can hope for
 redemption by that  blood which he yet 
counteth an unholy thing4  ,nor will    
,god ever suffer  such an one to repent1
 who has1 after light and profession of 
him1 thus  horribly and devil-like      
contemned and trampled upon him4        
,true1 words and wars and blasphemies   
against this ,son of man are            
pardonable2 but then they must be done  

ignorantly and in unbelief4  ,also  all 
blasphemous thoughts are likewise such  
as may be passed by1 if the  soul       
afflicted with them indeed is sorry for 
them2 #a ,tim4 i4 #ac-ae2 ,mar4  iii4   
#bh4    ,all but this1 sinner1 all but  
this6  ,if ,god had said1 he will       
forgive one  sin1 it had been undeserved
 grace2 but when he says he will pardon 
all  but one1 this is grace to the      
height4    ,nor is that one unpardonable
 otherwise1 but because the ,saviour    
that  should save them is rejected and  
put away4    ,we read of ,jacob's       
ladder2 ,christ is ,jacob's ladder that 
reacheth up to  heaven1 and he that     
refuseth to go by this ladder thither1  
will scarce by  other means get up so   
high4    ,there is none other name given
 under heaven among men whereby we must 
be  saved4  ,there is none other        
sacrifice for sin than this2 he also1   
and he  only1 is the ,mediator that     
reconcileth men to ,god4  ,and1 sinner1 
if thou  wouldst be saved by him1 his   

benefits are thine2 yea1 though thou art
 a  great and ,jerusalem transgressor4