the jerusalem sinner saved-第10节

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much　swallow　up　our　youth；　is　one　cause　of　my　thinking　so：　　for　out
of　them；　for　from　among　them；　when　God　sets　to　his　hand；　as　of　old；
you　shall　see　what　penitent　ones；　what　trembling　ones；　and　what
admirers　of　grace；　will　be　found　to　profess　the　gospel　to　the　glory
of　God　by　Christ。

Alas！　we　are　a　company　of　worn…out　Christians；　our　moon　is　in　the
wane；　we　are　much　more　black　than　white；　more　dark　than　light；　we
shine　but　a　little；　grace　in　the　most　of　us　is　decayed。　　But　I　say；
when　they　of　these　debauched　ones　that　are　to　be　saved　shall　be
brought　in；　when　these　that　look　more　like　devils　than　men　shall　be
converted　to　Christ　（and　I　believe　several　of　them　will）；　then　will
Christ　be　exalted；　grace　adored；　the　word　prized；　Zion's　path　better
trodden；　and　men　in　the　pursuit　of　their　own　salvation；　to　the
amazement　of　them　that　are　left　behind。

Just　before　Christ　came　into　the　flesh；　the　world　was　degenerated　as
it　is　now：　　the　generality　of　the　men　in　Jerusalem；　were　become
either　high　and　famous　for　hypocrisy；　or　filthy　base　in　their　lives。
The　devil　also　was　broke　loose　in　a　hideous　manner；　and　had　taken
possession　of　many：　　yea；　I　believe　that　there　was　never　generation
before　nor　since；　that　could　produce　so　many　possessed　with　devils；
deformed；　lame；　blind；　and　infected　with　monstrous　diseases；　as　that
generation　could。　　But　what　was　the　reason　thereof；　I　mean　the　reason
from　God？　　Why　one　（and　we　may　sum　up　more　in　that　answer　that　Christ
gave　to　his　disciples　concerning　him　that　was　born　blind）　was；　that
the　works　of　God　might　be　made　manifest　in　them；　and　that　the　Son　of
God　might　be　glorified　thereby；　John　ix。　2；　3；　chap。　xi。　4。

Now　if　these　devils　and　diseases；　as　they　possessed　men　then；　were　to
make　way　and　work　for　an　approaching　Christ　in　person；　and　for　the
declaring　of　his　power；　why　may　we　not　think　that　now；　even　now　also；
he　is　ready　to　come　by　his　Spirit　in　the　gospel　to　heal　many　of　the
debaucheries　of　our　age？　　I　cannot　believe　that　grace　will　take　them
all；　for　there　are　but　few　that　are　saved；　but　yet　it　will　take　some；
even　some　of　the　worst　of　men；　and　make　blessed　ones　of　them。　　But；　O
how　these　ringleaders　in　vice　will　then　shine　in　virtue！　　They　will
be　the　very　pillars　in　churches；　they　will　be　as　an　ensign　in　the
land。　　〃The　Lord　their　God　shall　save　them　in　that　day　as　the　flock
of　his　people：　　for　they　shall　be　as　the　stones　of　a　crown；　lifted　up
as　an　ensign　upon　his　land；〃　Zech。　ix。　16。　　But　who　are　these？　　Even
idolatrous　Ephraim；　and　backsliding　Judah；　ver。　13。

I　know　there　is　ground　to　fear；　that　the　iniquity　of　this　generation
will　be　pursued　with　heavy　judgments：　　but　that　will　not　hinder　what
we　have　supposed。　　God　took　him　a　glorious　church　out　of　bloody
Jerusalem；　yea；　out　of　the　chief　of　the　sinners　there；　and　left　the
rest　to　be　taken　and　spoiled；　and　sold；　thirty　for　a　penny；　in　the
nations　where　they　were　captives。　　The　gospel　working　gloriously　in　a
place；　to　the　seizing　upon　many　of　the　ringleading　sinners　thereof；
promiseth　no　security　to　the　rest；　but　rather　threateneth　them　with
the　heaviest　and　smartest　judgments；　as　in　the　instance　now　given；　we
have　a　full　demonstration；　but　in　defending；　the　Lord　will　defend　his
people；　and　in　saving；　he　will　save　his　inheritance。

Nor　does　this　speak　any　great　comfort　to　a　decayed　and　backsliding
sort　of　Christians；　for　the　next　time　God　rides　post　with　his　gospel；
he　will　leave　such　Christians　behind　him。　　But　I　say；　Christ　is
resolved　to　set　up　his　light　in　the　world；　yea；　he　is　delighted　to
see　his　graces　shine；　and　therefore　he　commands　that　his　gospel
should　to　that　end　be　offered；　in　the　first　place；　to　the　biggest
sinners；　for　by　great　sins　it　shineth　most；　therefore　he　saith；
〃Begin　at　Jerusalem。〃

Eighthly；　and　lastly；　Christ　Jesus　will　have　mercy　to　be　offered　in
the　first　place　to　the　biggest　sinners；　for　that　by　that　means　the
impenitent　that　are　left　behind　will　be　at　the　judgment　the　more　left
without　excuse。

God's　word　has　two　edges；　it　can　cut　back…stroke　and　fore…stroke：　　if
it　doth　thee　no　good；　it　will　do　thee　hurt；　it　is　the　savour　of　life
unto　life　to　those　that　receive　it；　but　of　death　unto　death　to　them
that　refuse　it；　2　Cor。　ii。　15；　16。　　But　this　is　not　all；　the　tender
of　grace　to　the　biggest　sinners　in　the　first　place；　will　not　only
leave　the　rest；　or　those　that　refuse　it；　in　a　deplorable　condition；
but　will　also　stop　their　mouths；　and　cut　off　all　pretence　to　excuse
at　that　day。　　〃If　I　had　not　come　and　spoken　unto　them；〃　saith　Christ；
〃they　had　not　had　sin；　but　now　they　have　no　cloak　for　their　sin；〃　for
their　sin　of　persevering　in　impenitence；　Job　xv。　22。

But　what　did　he　speak　to　them？　　Why；　even　that　which　I　have　told　you；
to　wit；　That　he　has　in　special　a　delight　in　saving　the　biggest
sinners。　　He　spake　this　in　the　way　of　his　doctrine；　he　spake　this　in
the　way　of　his　practice；　even　to　the　pouring　out　of　his　last　breath
before　them；　Luke　xxiii。　34。

Now；　since　this　is　so；　what　can　the　condemned　at　the　judgment　say　for
themselves；　why　sentence　of　death　should　not　be　passed　upon　them？　　I
say；　what　excuse　can　they　make　for　themselves；　when　they　shall　be
asked　why　they　did　not　in　the　day　of　salvation　come　to　Christ　to　be
saved？　　Will　they　have　ground　to　say　to　the　Lord；　Thou　wast　only　for
saving　of　little　sinners；　and　therefore　because　they　were　great　ones；
they　durst　not　come　unto　him？　or　that　thou　hadst　not　compassion　for
the　biggest　sinners；　therefore　I　died　in　despair？　　Will　these　be
excuses　for　them；　as　the　case　now　standeth　with　them？　　Is　there　not
every　where　in　God's　book　a　flat　contradiction　to　this；　in　multitudes
of　promises；　of　invitations；　of　examples；　and　the　like？　　Alas；　alas！
there　will　then　be　there　millions　of　souls　to　confute　this　plea；
ready；　I　say；　to　stand　up；　and　say；　O！　deceived　world；　heaven　swarms
with　such；　as　were；　when　they　were　in　the　world；　to　the　full　as　bad
as　you。

Now；　this　will　kill　all　plea　or　excuse；　why　they　should　perish　in
their　sins；　yea；　the　text　says；　they　shall　see　them　there。　　〃There
shall　be　weeping；　when　you　shall　see　Abraham；　and　Isaac；　and　Jacob；
and　all　the　prophets　in　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　and　you　yourselves
thrust　out。　　And　they　shall　come　from　the　east；　and　from　the　west；
and　from　the　north；　and　from　the　south；　and　shall　sit　down　in　the
kingdom　of　God；〃　Luke　xiii。　28；　29。　　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　earth。　　What　think　you　of　the　first　man；　by　whose
sins　there　are　millions　now　in　hell？　　And　so　I　may　say；　What　think
you　of　ten　thousand　more　besides？

But　if　the　world　will　not　stifle　and　gag　them　up　（I　speak　now　for
amplification's　sake）；　the　view　of　those　who　are　saved　shall。

There　comes　an　incestuous　person　to　the　bar；　and　pleads；　That　the
bigness　of　his　sins　was　a　bar　to　his　receiving　the　promise。　　But　will
not　his　mouth　be　stopped　as　to　that；　when　Lot　and　the　incestuous
Corinthian　shall　be　set　before　him；　Gen。　xix。　33…37；　1　Cor。　v。　1；　2。

There　comes　a　thief；　and　says；　Lord；　my　sin　of　theft；　I　thought；　was
such　as　could　not　be　pardoned　by　thee！　　But　when　he　shall　see　the
thief　that　was　saved　on　the　cross　stand　by；　as　clothed　with　beauteous
glory；　what　further　can　he　be　able　to　object？　　Yea；　the　Lord　will
produce　ten　thousand　of　his　saints　at　his　coming；　who　shall　after
this　manner　execute　judgment　upon　all；　and　so　convince　all　that　are
ungodly　among　them；　of　all　their　hard　speeches　which　ungodly　sinners
have　spoken　against　him。　　And　these　are　hard　speeches　against　him；　to
say　that　he　was　not　able　or　willing　to　save　men；　because　of　the
greatness　of　their　sins；　or　to　say　that　they　were　discouraged　by　his
word　from　repentance；　because　of　the　heinousness　of　their　offences。

These　things；　I　say；　shall　then　be　confuted：　　he　comes　with　ten
thousand　of　his　saints　to　confute　them；　and　to　stop　their　mouths　from
making　objections　against　their　own　eternal　damnation。

Here　is　Adam；　the　destroyer　of　the　world；　here　is　Lot；　that　lay　with
both　his　daughters；　here　is　Abraham；　that　was　sometime　an　idolater；
and　Jacob；　that　was　a　supplanter；　and　Reuben；　that　lay　with　his
father's　concubine；　and　Judah　that　lay　with　his　daughter…in…law；　and
Levi　and　Simeon　that　wickedly　slew　thee　Shechemites；　and　Aaron　that
great　backslider；　and　Manassah　that　man　of　blood　and　that　made　an
idol　to　be　worshipped；　and　that　proclaimed　a　religious　feast　unto　it。
Here　is　also　Rachab　the　harlot；　and　Bathsheba　that　bare　a　bastard　to
David。　　Here　is　Solomon　a　witch。　　Time　would　fail　me　to　tell　you　of
the　woman　of　Canaan's　daughter；　Magdalen；　of　Matthew　the　publican；
and　of　Gideon　and　Sampson；　and　many　thousands　more。

Alas！　alas！　　I　say；　what　will　these　sinners　do；　that　have；　through
their　unbelief；　eclipsed　the　glorious　largeness　of　the　mercy　of　God；
and　gave　way　to　despair　of　salvation；　because　of　the　bigness　of　their
sins？

For　all　these；　though　now　glorious　saints　in　light；　were　sometimes
sinners　of　the　biggest　size；　who　had　sins　that　were　of　a　notorious
hue；　yet　now；　I　say；　they　are　in　their　shining　and　heavenly　robes
before　the　throne　of　God　and　of　the　Lamb；