the jerusalem sinner saved-第3节

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world；　and　to　shew；　that　he　acteth　not　like　the　children　of　men。
This　is　that　which　he　said　of　old。　　〃I　will　not　execute　the
fierceness　of　my　wrath；　I　will　not　return　to　destroy　Ephraim；　for　I
am　God　and　not　man；〃　Hos。　xi。　9。　　This　is　not　the　manner　of　men；　men
are　shorter　winded；　men　are　soon　moved　to　take　vengeance；　and　to
right　themselves　in　a　way　of　wrath　and　indignation。　　But　God　is　full
of　grace；　full　of　patience；　ready　to　forgive；　and　one　that　delights
in　mercy。　　All　this　is　seen　in　our　text。　　The　biggest　sinners　must
first　be　offered　mercy；　they　must；　I　say；　have　the　cream　of　the
gospel　offered　unto　them。

But　we　will　a　little　proceed。　　In　the　third　chapter　we　find；　that
they　who　escaped　converting　by　the　first　sermon；　are　called　upon
again；　to　accept　of　grace　and　forgiveness；　for　their　murder　committed
upon　the　Son　of　God。　　You　have　killed；　yea；　〃you　have　denied；　the
holy　one　and　the　just；　and　desired　a　murderer　to　be　granted　unto　you；
and　killed　the　Prince　of　life。〃　　Mark；　he　falls　again　upon　the　very
men　that　actually　were；　as　you　have　it　in　the　chapters　following；　his
very　betrayers　and　murderers；　Acts　iii。　14；　15；　as　being　loath　that
they　should　escape　the　mercy　of　forgiveness；　and　exhorts　them　again
to　repent；　that　their　sins　might　〃be　blotted　out；〃　verses　19；　20。

Again；　in　the　fourth　chapter；　he　charges　them　afresh　with　this
murder；　ver。　10；　but　withal　tells　them；　salvation　is　in　no　other。
Then；　like　a　heavenly　decoy；　he　puts　himself　also　among　them；　to　draw
them　the　better　under　the　net　of　the　gospel；　saying；　〃There　is　none
other　name　under　heaven　given　among　men；　whereby　we　must　be　saved；〃
ver。　12。

In　the　fifth　chapter　you　find　them　railing　at　him；　because　he
continued　preaching　among　them　salvation　in　the　name　of　Jesus。　　But
he　tells　them；　that　that　very　Jesus　whom　they　had　slain　and　hanged　on
a　tree；　him　God　had　raised　up；　and　exalted　to　be　a　Prince　and　a
Saviour；　to　give　repentance　to　Israel；　and　forgiveness　of　sins：　　ver。
29…31。　　Still　insinuating；　that　though　they　had　killed　him；　and　to
this　day　rejected　him；　yet　his　business　was　to　bestow　upon　them
repentance　and　forgiveness　of　sins。

'Tis　true；　after　they　began　to　kill　again；　and　when　nothing　but
killing　would　serve　their　turn；　then　they　that　were　scattered　abroad
went　every　where　preaching　the　word。　　Yet　even　some　of　them　so
hankered　after　the　conversion　of　the　Jews；　that　they　preached　the
gospel　only　to　them。　　Also　the　apostles　still　made　their　abode　at
Jerusalem；　in　hopes　that　they　might　yet　let　down　their　net　for
another　draught　of　these　Jerusalem　sinners。　　Neither　did　Paul　and
Barnabas；　who　were　the　ministers　of　God　to　the　Gentiles；　but　offer
the　gospel；　in　the　first　place；　to　those　of　them　that　for　their
wickedness　were　scattered　like　vagabonds　among　the　nations；　yea；　and
when　they　rendered　rebellion　and　blasphemy　for　their　service　and
love；　they　replied；　it　was　necessary　that　the　word　of　God　should
first　have　been　spoken　to　them；　Acts　i。　8；　chap。　xiii。　46；　47。

Nor　was　this　their　preaching　unsuccessful　among　these　people：　　but
the　Lord　Jesus　so　wrought　with　the　word　thus　spoken；　that　thousands
of　them　came　flocking　to　him　for　mercy。　　Three　thousand　of　them
closed　with　him　at　the　first；　and　afterwards　two　thousand　more；　for
now　they　were　in　number　about　five　thousand；　whereas　before　sermons
were　preached　to　these　murderers；　the　number　of　the　disciples　was　not
above　〃a　hundred　and　twenty；〃　Acts　i。　15；　chap。　ii。　41；　chap。　iv。　4。

Also　among　these　people　that　thus　flocked　to　him　for　mercy；　there　was
a　〃great　company　of　the　priests；〃　chap。　vi。　7。　　Now　the　priests　were
they　that　were　the　greatest　of　these　biggest　sinners；　they　were　the
ringleaders；　they　were　the　inventors　and　ringleaders　in　the　mischief。
It　was　they　that　set　the　people　against　the　Lord　Jesus；　and　that　were
the　cause　why　the　uproar　increased；　until　Pilate　had　given　sentence
upon　him。　　〃The　chief　priests　and　elders；〃　says　the　text；　〃persuaded
（the　people）　the　multitude；〃　that　they　should　ask　Barabbas；　and
destroy　Jesus；　Matt。　xxvii。　20。　　And　yet　behold　the　priests；　yea；　a
great　company　of　the　priests；　became　obedient　to　the　faith。

Oh　the　greatness　of　the　grace　of　Christ；　that　he　should　be　thus　in
love　with　the　souls　of　Jerusalem　sinners！　that　he　should　be　thus
delighted　with　the　salvation　of　the　Jerusalem　sinners！　that　he　should
not　only　will　that　his　gospel　should　be　offered　them；　but　that　it
should　be　offered　unto　them　first；　and　before　other　sinners　were
admitted　to　a　hearing　of　it。　　〃Begin　at　Jerusalem。〃

Were　this　doctrine　well　believed；　where　would　there　be　a　place　for　a
doubt；　or　a　fear　of　the　damnation　of　the　soul；　if　the　sinner　be
penitent；　how　bad　a　life　soever　he　has　lived；　how　many　soever　in
number　are　his　sins？

But　this　grace　is　hid　from　the　eyes　of　men；　the　devil　hides　it　from
them；　for　he　knows　it　is　alluring；　he　knows　it　has　an　attracting
virtue　in　it：　　for　this　is　it　that　above　all　arguments　can　draw　the
soul　to　God。

I　cannot　help　it；　but　must　let　drop　another　word。　　The　first　church；
the　Jerusalem　church；　from　whence　the　gospel　was　to　be　sent　into　all
the　world；　was　a　church　made　up　of　Jerusalem　sinners。　　These　great
sinners　were　here　the　most　shining　monuments　of　the　exceeding　grace
of　God。

Thus　you　see　I　have　proved　the　doctrine；　and　that　not　only　by　showing
you　that　this　was　the　practice　of　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ　in　his
lifetime；　but　his　last　will　when　he　went　up　to　God；　saying；　Begin　to
preach　at　Jerusalem。

Yea；　it　is　yet　further　manifested；　in　that　when　his　ministers　first
began　to　preach　there；　he　joined　his　power　to　the　word；　to　the
converting　of　thousands　of　his　betrayers　and　murderers；　and　also　many
of　the　ringleading　priests　to　the　faith。

I　shall　now　proceed；　and　shall　show　you；

1。　　The　reasons　of　the　point：

2。　　And　then　make　some　application　of　the　whole。

The　observation；　you　know；　is　this：　　Jesus　Christ　would　have　mercy
offered；　in　the　first　place；　to　the　biggest　sinners；　to　the　Jerusalem
sinners：　　〃Preach　repentance；　and　remission　of　sins；　in　my　name；
among　all　nations；　beginning　at　Jerusalem。〃

The　reasons　of　the　point　are：

First；　Because　the　biggest　sinners　have　most　need　thereof。　　He　that
has　most　need；　reason　says；　should　be　helped　first。　　I　mean；　when　a
helping　hand　is　offered；　and　now　it　is：　　for　the　gospel　of　the　grace
of　God　is　sent　to　help　the　world；　Acts　xvi。　9。　　But　the　biggest
sinner　has　most　need。　　Therefore；　in　reason；　when　mercy　is　sent　down
from　heaven　to　men；　the　worst　of　men　should　have　the　first　offer　of
it。　　〃Begin　at　Jerusalem。〃　　This　is　the　reason　which　the　Lord　Christ
himself　renders；　why　in　his　lifetime　he　left　the　best；　and　turned　him
to　the　worst；　why　he　sat　so　loose　from　the　righteous；　and　stuck　so
close　to　the　wicked。　　〃The　whole；〃　saith　he；　〃have　no　need　of　the
physician；　but　the　sick。　　I　came　not　to　call　the　righteous；　but
sinners　to　repentance；〃　Mark　ii。　15…47。

Above　you　read；　that　the　scribes　and　pharisees　said　to　his　disciples；
〃How　is　it　that　he　eateth　and　drinketh　with　publicans　and　sinners？〃
Alas！　they　did　not　know　the　reason：　　but　the　Lord　renders　them　one；
and　such　an　one　as　is　both　natural　and　cogent；　saying；　These　have
need；　most　need。　　Their　great　necessity　requires　that　I　should　be
most　friendly；　and　show　my　grace　first　to　them。

Not　that　the　other　were　sinless；　and　so　had　no　need　of　a　Saviour；　but
the　publicans　and　their　companions　were　the　biggest　sinners；　they
were；　as　to　view；　worse　than　the　scribes；　and　therefore　in　reason
should　be　helped　first；　because　they　had　most　need　of　a　Saviour。

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　qualm。
The　publicans　and　sinners　were；　as　it　were；　in　the　mouth　of　death；
death　was　swallowing　of　them　down：　　and　therefore　the　Lord　Jesus
receives　them　first；　offers　them　mercy　first。　　〃The　whole　have　no
need　of　the　physician；　but　the　sick。　　I　came　not　to　call　the
righteous；　but　sinners　to　repentance。〃　　The　sick；　as　I　said；　is　the
biggest　sinner；　whether　he　sees　his　disease　or　not。　　He　is　stained
from　head　to　foot；　from　heart　to　life　and　conversation。　　This　man；　in
every　man's　judgment；　has　the　most　need　of　mercy。　　There　is　nothing
attends　him　from　bed　to　board；　and　from　board　to　bed　again；　but　the
visible　characters；　and　obvious　symptoms；　of　eternal　damnation。　　This
therefore　is　the　man　that　has　need；　most　need；　and　therefore　in
reason　should　be　helped　in　the　first　place。　　Thus　it　was　with　the
people　concerned　in　the　text；　they　were　the　worst　of　sinners；
Jerusalem　sinners；　sinners　of　the　biggest　size；　and　therefore　such　as
had　the　greatest　need；　wherefore　they　must　have　mercy　offered　to
them；　before　it　be　offered　any　where　else　in　the　world。　　〃Begin　at
Jerusalem；〃　offer　mercy　first　to　a　Jerusalem　sinner。　　This　man　has
most　need；　he　is　farthest　from　God；　nearest　to　hell；　and　so　one　that
has　most　need。　　This　man's　sins　are　in　number　the　most；　in　cry　the
loudest；　in　weight　the　heaviest；　and　consequently　will　sink　him
soonest：　　wherefore　he　has　most　need　of　mercy。　　This　man　is　shut　up
in　Satan's　hand；　fastest　bound　in　the　cords　of　his　si