Some men are blood-red sinners, crimson sinners, sinners of a double
dye: dipped and dipped again before they come to Jesus Christ. Art
thou that readest these lines such a one? Speak out, man. Art thou
such a one? and art thou now coming to Jesus Christ for the mercy of
justification, that thou mightest be made white in his blood and be
covered with his righteousness? Fear not; forasmuch as this thy
coming betokeneth that thou art of the number of them that the
Father hath given to Christ; for he will in no wise cast thee out.
"Come now," saith Christ, "and let us reason together: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
I might tell you of the contests and battles that great sinners at
their conversion are engaged in, wherein they find the besettings of
Satan above any other of the saints. At which time Satan assaults
the soul with darkness, fears, frightful thoughts of apparitions;
now they sweat, pant, cry out, and struggle for life.
The angels now come down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a
bit of dust and ashes overcome principalities, and powers, and
mights, and dominions.
But whea these come to be a little settled, they are prepared for
helping others, and are great comforts unto them. Their great sins
give great encouragement to the devil to assault them; and by these
temptations Christ takes advantage to make them the more helpful to
the churches.
The biggest sinner, when he is converted and comes into the church,
says to them all by his very coming in, "Behold me, all you that are
men and women of a low and timorous spirit, you whose hearts are
narrow--for that you have never had the advantage to know, because
your sins are few, the largeness of the grace of God--behold, I say,
in me the exceeding riches of his grace. I am a pattern set forth
before your faces, on whom you may look and take heart." Christ
Jesus makes of the biggest sinners bearers and supporters to the
rest.
Christ saved the thief, to encourage thieves to come to him for
mercy; he saved Magdalen, to encourage other Magdalens to come to
him for mercy; he saved Saul, to encourage Sauls to come to him for
mercy; and this Paul himself doth say: "For this cause," saith he,
"I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth
all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting."
When Christ was crucified and hanged up between the earth and
heavens, there were two thieves crucified with him; and behold, he
lays hold of one of them and will have him away with him to glory.
Was not this a strange act and a display of unthought of grace? Were
there none but thieves there, or were the rest of that company out
of his reach? Could he not, think you, have stooped from the cross
to the ground, and have laid hold of some honester man, if he would?
Yes, doubtless. O, but then he would not have displayed his grace,
nor have so pursued his own designs, namely, to get himself a praise
and a name; but now he has done it to purpose. For who that shall
read this story but must confess that the Son of God is full of
grace? for a proof of the riches thereof he left behind him, when
upon the cross he took the thief away with him to glory.
I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement, who deemest
thyself one of the biggest sinners; and that is, thou art as it were
called by thy name, in the first place to come in for mercy. Thou
man of Jerusalem, Luke 24:47, hearken to thy call: men do so in
courts of judicature, and presently cry out, "Here, sir;" and then
shoulder and crowd, and say, "Pray give way, I am called into the
court." Why, this is thy case, thou great, thou Jerusalem sinner; be
of good cheer, he calleth thee. Why sittest thou still? Arise. Why
standest thou still? Come, man, thy call should give thee authority
to corne. "Begin at Jerusalem," is thy call and authority to come;
wherefore up and shoulder it, man; say, "Stand away, devil, Christ
calls me; stand away, unbelief, Christ calls me; stand away, all ye
discouraging apprehensions, for my Saviour calls me to him to
receive of his mercy." Men will do thus, as I said, in courts below;
and why shouldst not thou approach thus to the courts above? The
Jerusalem sinner is first in thought, first in commission, first in
the record of names; and therefore should give attendance with
expectation that he is first to receive mercy of God.
Is not this an encouragement to the biggest sinners to make their
application to Christ for mercy? "Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden," doth also confirm this thing; that is, that
the biggest sinner and he that hath the biggest burden, is he who is
first invited. Christ pointeth over the heads of thousands as he
sits on the throne of grace, directly to such a man, and says,
"Bring in hither the maimed, the halt, and the blind; let the
Jerusalem shiner that stands there hehind, come to me." Wherefore,
since Christ says to thee, Come, let the angels make a lane and let
all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may come to Christ for
mercy.