his Son Jesus Christ, by the word; judge not thereof by feeling, nor by
the reports of thy conscience; conscience is oftentimes here befooled and
made to go quite beside the word. It was judging without the word that
made David say, I am cast off from God’s eyes, and shall perish one day
by the hand of Saul; Psalm xxxi. 22; 1 Sam. xxvii. 1.
The word had told him another thing; namely, that he should be king in
his stead. Our text says also, that Jesus Christ bids preachers, in
their preaching repentance and remission of sins, begin first at
Jerusalem, thereby declaring most truly the infinite largeness of the
merciful heart of God and his Son, to the sinful children of men.
Judge thou, I say, therefore, of the goodness of the heart of God and his
Son, by this text, and by others of the same import; so shalt thou not
dishonour the grace of God, nor needlessly fright thyself, nor give away
thy faith, nor gratify the devil, nor lose the benefit of his word. I
speak now to weak believers.
_Secondly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to
the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem sinners? then, by this also, you
must learn to judge of the sufficiency of the merits of Christ; not that
the merits of Christ can be comprehended, for that they are beyond the
conceptions of the whole world, being called the unsearchable riches of
Christ; but yet they may be apprehended to a considerable degree. Now,
the way to apprehend them most, is, to consider what offers, after his
resurrection, he makes of his grace to sinners; for to be sure he will
not offer beyond the virtue of his merits; because, as grace is the cause
of his merits, so his merits are the basis and bounds upon and by which
his grace stands good, and is let out to sinners.
Doth he then command that his mercy should be offered in the first place
to the biggest sinners? It declares, that there is sufficiency in his
blood to save the biggest sinners. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth
from all sin. And again, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and
brethren, that through this man (this man’s merits) is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from
all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses;”
Acts xiii. 38.
Observe then thy rule to make judgment of the sufficiency of the blessed
merits of thy Saviour. If he had not been able to have reconciled the
biggest sinners to his Father by his blood, he would not have sent to
them, have sent to them in the first place, the doctrine of remission of
sins; for remission of sins is through faith in his blood. We are
justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in
the blood of Christ. Upon the square, as I may call it, of the
worthiness of the blood of Christ, grace acts, and offers forgiveness of
sin to men; Eph. i. 7; chap. ii. 13, 14; Col. i. 20–22.
Hence, therefore, we must gather, that the blood of Christ is of infinite
value, for that he offereth mercy to the biggest of sinners. Nay,
further, since he offereth mercy in the first place to the biggest
sinners, considering also, that this first act of his is that which the
world will take notice of and expect it should be continued unto thee
end. Also it is a disparagement to a man that seeks his own glory in
what he undertakes, to do that for a sport, which he cannot continue and
hold out in. This is our Lord’s own argument, “He began to build,” saith
he, “but was not able to finish;” Luke xiv. 28.
Shouldst thou hear a man say, I am resolved to be kind to the poor, and
should begin with giving handfuls of guineas, you would conclude, that
either he is wonderful rich, or must straiten his hand, or will soon be
at the bottom of his riches. Why, this is the case: Christ, at his
resurrection, gave it out that he would be good to the world; and first
sends to the biggest sinners, with an intent to have mercy on them. Now,
the biggest sinners cannot be saved but by abundance of grace; it is not
a little that will save great sinners; Rom. v. 17. And I say again,
since the Lord Jesus mounts thus high at the first, and sends to the
Jerusalem sinners, that they may come first to partake of his mercy, it
follows, that either he has unsearchable riches of grace and worth in
himself, or else he must straiten his hand, or his grace and merits will
be spent before the world is at an end. But let it be believed, as
surely as spoken, he is still as full as ever. He is not a jot the
poorer for all the forgivenesses that he has given away to great sinners.
Also he is still as free as at first; for he never yet called back this
word, Begin at the Jerusalem sinners. And, as I said before, since his
grace is extended according to the worth of his merits, I conclude, that
there is the same virtue in his merits to save now, as there was at the
very beginning.
Oh! the riches of the grace of Christ! Oh! the riches of the blood of
Christ!
_Thirdly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to
the biggest sinners, then here is encouragement for you that think, for
wicked hearts and lives, you have not your fellows in the world, yet to
come to him.
There is a people that therefore fear lest they should be rejected of
Jesus Christ, because of the greatness of their sins; when, as you see
here, such are sent to, sent to by Jesus Christ to come to him for mercy,
“Begin at Jerusalem.” Never did one thing answer another more fitly in
this world, than this text fitteth such kind of sinners. As face
answereth face in a glass, so this text answereth the necessities of such
sinners. What can a man say more, but that he stands in the rank of the
biggest sinners? let him stretch himself whither he can, and think of
himself to the utmost, he can but conclude himself to be one of the
biggest sinners. And what then? Why the text meets him in the very
face, and saith, Christ offereth mercy to the biggest sinners, to the
very Jerusalem sinners. What more can be objected? Nay, he doth not
only offer to such his mercy, but to them it is commanded to be offered
in the first place; “Begin at Jerusalem.” Preach repentance and
remission of sins among all nations. “Begin at Jerusalem.” Is not here
encouragement for those that think, for wicked hearts and lives, they
have not their fellows in the world?
_Object_. But I have a heart as hard as a rock.
_Answ_. Well, but this doth but prove thee a bigger sinner.
_Object_. But my heart continually frets against the Lord.
_Answ_. Well, this doth but prove thee a bigger sinner.
_Object_. But I have been desperate in sinful courses.
_Answ_. Well, stand thou with the number of the biggest sinners.
_Object_. But my grey head is found in the way of wickedness.
_Answ_. Well, thou art in the rank of the biggest sinners.
_Object_. But I have not only a base heart, but I have lived a debauched
life.
_Answ_. Stand thou also among those that are called the biggest sinners.
And what then? Why the text swoops you all; you cannot object yourselves
beyond the text. It has a particular message to the biggest sinners. I
say, it swoops you all.
_Object_. But I am a reprobate.
_Answ_. Now thou talkest like a fool, and of that thou understandest
not: no sin, but the sin of final impenitence, can prove a man a
reprobate; and I am sure thou hast not arrived as yet unto that;
therefore thou understandest not what thou sayest, and makest groundless
conclusions against thyself. Say thou art a sinner, and I will hold with
thee; say thou art a great sinner, and I will say so too; yea, say thou
art one of the biggest sinners, and spare not; for the text yet is beyond
thee, is yet betwixt he and thee; “Begin at Jerusalem,” has yet a smile
upon thee; and thou talkest as if thou wast a reprobate, and that the
greatness of thy sins do prove thee so to be, when yet they of Jerusalem
were not such, whose sins, I dare say, were such, both for bigness and
heineousness, as thou art incapable of committing beyond them; unless
now, after thou hast received conviction that the Lord Jesus is the only
Saviour of the world, thou shouldst wickedly and despitefully turn
thyself from him, and conclude he is not to be trusted to for life, and
so crucify him for a cheat afresh. This, I must confess, will bring a
man under the black rod, and set him in danger of eternal damnation; Heb.
vi. 6: chap. x. 29. This is trampling under foot the Son of God, and
counting his blood an unholy thing. This did they of Jerusalem; but they
did it ignorantly in unbelief; and so were yet capable of mercy: but to
do this against professed light, and to stand to it, puts a man beyond
the text indeed; Acts iii. 14–17; 1 Tim. i. 13.
But I say, what is this to him that would fain be saved by Christ? His
sins did, as to greatness, never yet reach to the nature of the sins that
the sinners intended by the text, had made themselves guilty of. He that
would be saved by Christ, has an honourable esteem of him; but they of
Jerusalem preferred a murderer before him; but as for him, they cried,
Away, away with him, it is not fit that he should live. Perhaps thou
wilt object, That thyself hast a thousand times preferred a stinking lust
before him: I answer, Be it so; it is but what is common to men to do;
nor doth the Lord Jesus make such a foolish life a bar to thee, to forbid
thy coming to him, or a bond to his grace, that it might be kept from
thee; but admits of thy repentance, and offereth himself unto thee
freely, as thou standest among the Jerusalem sinners.
Take therefore encouragement, man, mercy is, by the text, held forth to
the biggest sinners; yea, put thyself into the number of the worst, by
reckoning that thou mayst be one of the first, and mayst not be put off
till the biggest sinners are served; for the biggest sinners are first
invited; consequently, if they come, they are like to be the first that
shall be served. It was so with Jerusalem; Jerusalem sinners were they
that were first invited, and those of them that came first (and there
came three thousand of them the first day they were invited; how many
came afterwards none can tell), they were first served.
Put in thy name, man, among the biggest, lest thou art made to wait till
they are served. You have some men that think themselves very cunning,
because they put up their names in their prayers among them that feign
it, saying, God, I thank thee I am not so bad as the worst. But believe
it, if they be saved at all, they shall be saved in the last place. The
first in their own eyes shall be served last; and the last or worst shall
be first. The text insinuates it, “Begin at Jerusalem;” and reason backs
it, for they have most need. Behold ye, therefore, how God’s ways are
above ours; we are for serving the worst last, God is for serving the
worst first. The man at the pool, that to my thinking was longest in his
disease, and most helpless as to his cure, was first healed; yea, he only
was healed; for we read that Christ healed him, but we read not then that
he healed one more there! John v. 1–10.
Wherefore, if thou wouldst soonest be served, put in thy name among the
very worst of sinners. Say, when thou art upon thy knees, Lord, here is
a Jerusalem sinner! a sinner of the biggest size! one whose burden is of
the greatest bulk and heaviest weight! one that cannot stand long without
sinking into hell, without thy supporting hand! “Be not thou far from
me, O Lord! O my strength, haste thou to help me!”
I say, put in thy name with Magdalen, with Manasseh, that thou mayst fare
as the Magdalen and the Manasseh sinners do. The man in the gospel made
the desperate condition of his child an argument with Christ to haste his
cure: “Sir, come down,” saith he, “ere my child die;” John iv. 49, and
Christ regarded his haste, saying, “Go thy way; thy son liveth;” ver. 50.
Haste requires haste. David was for speed; “Deliver me speedily;” “Hear
me speedily;” “Answer me speedily;” Psalm xxxi. 2; lxix. 17; cii. 2. But
why speedily? I am in “the net;” “I am in trouble;” “My days are
consumed like smoke;” Psalm xxxi. 4; lxix. 17; cii. 3. Deep calleth unto
deep, necessity calls for help; great necessity for present help.
Wherefore, I say, be ruled by me in this matter; feign not thyself
another man, if thou hast been a filthy sinner, but go in thy colours to
Jesus Christ, and put thyself among the most vile, and let him alone to
put thee among the children; Jer. iii. 19. Confess all that thou knowest
of thyself; I know thou wilt find it hard work to do thus; especially if
thy mind be legal; but do it, lest thou stay and be deferred with the
little sinners, until the great ones have had their alms. What do you
think David intended when he said, his wounds stunk and were corrupted,
but to hasten God to have mercy upon him, and not to defer his cure?
“Lord,” says he, “I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning
all the day long.” “I am feeble and sore broken, by reason of the
disquietness of my heart;” Psalm xxxviii. 3–8.
David knew what he did by all this; he knew that his making the worst of
his case, was the way to speedy help, and that a feigning and dissembling
the matter with God, was the next way to a demur as to his forgiveness.
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, hearken to thy call; men do so in courts of judicature, and
presently cry out, Here, Sir; and then they shoulder and crowd, and say,
Pray give way, I am called into the court. Why, this thy case, thou
great, thou Jerusalem sinner; be of good cheer, he calleth thee; Mark x.
46–49. Why sitttest thou still? arise: why standest thou still? come
man, thy call should give thee authority to come. “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 my 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 court 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 labour and are
heavy laden,” doth also confirm this thing; that is, that the biggest
sinner, and he that has 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 sinner that stands there behind
come to me. Wherefore, since Christ says, Come, to thee, let thee angels
make a lane, and let all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may
come to Jesus Christ for mercy.
_Fourthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place, to
the biggest sinners? Then come thou profane wretch, and let me a little
enter into an argument with thee. Why wilt thou not come to Jesus
Christ, since thou art a Jerusalem sinner? How canst thou find in thy
heart to set thyself against grace, against such grace as offereth mercy
to thee? What spirit possesseth thee, and holds thee back from a sincere
closure with thy Saviour? Behold God groaningly complains of thee,
saying, “But Israel would none of me.” “When I called, none did answer;”
Psl. lxxxi. 11; Isa. lxvi. 4.
Shall God enter this complaint against thee? Why dost thou put him off?
Why dost thou stop thine ear? Canst thou defend thyself? When thou art
called to an account for thy neglects of so great salvation, what canst
thou answer? or doest thou think thou shalt escape the judgment? Heb.
ii. 3.
No more such Christs! There will be no more such Christs, sinner! Oh,
put not the day, the day of grace, away from thee! if it be once gone, it
will never come again, sinner.
But what is it that has got thy heart, and that keeps it from thy
Saviour? “Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the
sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?” Psl. lxxxix. 6. Hast
thou, thinkest thou, found anything so good as Jesus Christ?
Is there any among thy sins, thy companions, and foolish delights, that
like Christ can help thee in the day of thy distress? Behold, the
greatness of thy sins cannot hinder; let not the stubbornness of thy
heart hinder thee, sinner.
_Object_. But I am ashamed.
_Answ_. Oh! Do not be ashamed to be saved, sinner.
_Object_. But my old companions will mock me.
_Answ_. Oh! Do not be mocked out of eternal life, sinner.
Thy stubbornness affects, afflicts the heart of thy Saviour. Carest thou
not for this? Of old he beheld the city, and wept over it. Canst thou
hear this, and not be concerned? Luke xix. 41, 42. Shall Christ weep to
see thy soul going on to destruction, and wilt thou sport thyself in that
way? Yea, shall Christ, that can be eternally happy without thee, be
more afflicted at the thoughts of the loss of thy soul, than thyself, who
art certainly eternally miserable if thou neglectest to come to him.
Those things that keep thee and thy Saviour, on thy part asunder, are but
bubbles; the least prick of an affliction will let out, as to thee, what
now thou thinkest is worth the venture of heaven to enjoy.
Hast thou not reason? Canst thou not so much as once soberly think of
thy dying hour, or of whither thy sinful life will drive thee then? Hast
thou no conscience? or having one, is it rocked so fast asleep by sin, or
made so weary with an unsuccessful calling upon thee, that it is laid
down, and cares for thee no more? Poor man! thy state is to be lamented.
Hast no judgment? Art not able to conclude, that to be saved is better
than to burn in hell? and that eternal life, with God’s favour, is better
than a temporal life in God’s displeasure? Hast no affection but what is
brutish? what, none at all? no affection for the God that made thee?
what! none for his loving Son that has shewed his love, and died for
thee? Is not heaven worth thy affection? O poor man! which is strongest
thinkest thou, God or thee? If thou art not able to overcome him, thou
art a fool for standing out against him; Matt. v. 25, 26. “It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” He will gripe
hard; his fist is stronger than a lion’s paw; take heed of him, he will
be angry if you despise his Son; and will you stand guilty in your
trespasses, when he offereth you his grace and favour? Exod. xxxiv. 6,
7; Heb. x. 29–31.
Now we come to the text, “Beginning at Jerusalem.” This text, though it
be now one of the brightest stars that shineth in the Bible, because
there is in it, as full, if not the fullest offer of grace that can be
imagined, to the sons of men; yet to them that shall perish from under
this word, even this text will be to such, one of the hottest coals in
hell.
This text, therefore, will save thee or sink thee: there is no shifting
of it: if it saves thee, it will set thee high; if it sinks thee, it will
set thee low.
But, I say, why so unconcerned? Hast no soul? or dost think thou mayst
lose thy soul, and save thyself? Is it not pity, had it otherwise been
the will of God, that ever thou wast made a man, for that thou settest so
little by thy soul?
Sinner, take the invitation; thou art called upon to come to Christ: nor
art thou called upon but by order from the Son of God though thou
shouldst happen to come of the biggest sinners; for he has bid us offer
mercy, as to all the world in general, so, in the first place, to the
sinners of Jerusalem, or to the biggest sinners.
_Fifthly_, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in thee first place, to
the biggest sinners? then this shews how unreasonable a thing it is for
men to despair of mercy: for those that presume, I shall say something to
them afterward.
I now speak to them that despair.
There are four sorts of despair. There is the despair of devils; there
is the despair of souls in hell; there is the despair that is grounded
upon men’s deficiency; and there is the despair that they are perplexed
with that are willing to be saved, but are too strongly borne down with
the burthen of their sins.
The despair of devils, the damned’s despair, and that despair that a man
has of attaining of life because of his own deficiency, are all
unreasonable. Why should not devils and damned souls despair? yea, why
should not man despair of getting to heaven by his own abilities? I
therefore am concerned only with the fourth sort of despair, to wit, with
the despair of those that would be saved, but are too strongly borne down
with the burden of their sins.
I say, therefore, to thee that art thus, And why despair? Thy despair,
if it were reasonable, should flow from thee, because found in the land
that is beyond the grave, or because thou certainly knowest that Christ
will not, or cannot save thee.
But for the first, thou art yet in the land of the living; and for the
second, thou hast ground to believe the quite contrary; Christ is able to
save to the uttermost them that come to God by him; and if he were not
willing, he would not have commanded that mercy, in the first place,
should be offered to the biggest sinners. Besides, he hath said, “And
let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely;” that is, with all my heart. What ground now is here for
despair? If thou sayst, The number and burden of my sins; I answer, Nay;
that is rather a ground for faith: because such an one, above all others,
is invited by Christ to come unto him, yea, promised rest and forgiveness
if they come; Matt. xi. 28. What ground then to despair? Verily none at
all. Thy despair then is a thing unreasonable and without footing in the
word.
But I have no experience of God’s love; God hath given me no comfort, or
ground of hope, though I have waited upon him for it many a day.
Thou hast experience of God’s love, for that he has opened thine eyes to
see thy sins: and for that he has given thee desires to be saved by Jesus
Christ. For by thy sense of sin thou art made to see thy poverty of
spirit, and that has laid thee under a sure ground to hope that heaven
shall be thine hereafter.
Also thy desires to be saved by Christ, has put thee under another
promise, so there is two to hold thee up in them, though thy present
burden be never so heavy, Matt. v. 3, 6. As for what thou sayst, as to
God’s silence to thee, perhaps he has spoken to thee once or twice
already, but thou hast not perceived it; Job xxxiii. 14, 15.
However, thou hast Christ crucified, set forth before thine eyes in the
Bible, and an invitation to come unto him, though thou be a Jerusalem
sinner, though thou be the biggest sinner; and so no ground to despair.
What, if God will be silent to thee, is that ground of despair? Not at
all, so long as there is a promise in the Bible that God will in no wise
cast away the coming sinner, and so long as he invites the Jerusalem
sinner to come unto him John vi. 37.
Build not therefore despair upon these things; they are no sufficient
foundations for it, such plenty of promises being in the Bible, and such
a discovery of his mercy to great sinners of old; especially since we
have withal a clause in the commission given to ministers to preach, that
they should begin with the Jerusalem sinners in their offering of mercy
to the world.
Besides, God says, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; but perhaps it may
be long first. “I waited long,” saith David, “and did seek the Lord;”
and at length his cry was heard: wherefore he bids his soul wait on God,
and says, For it is good so to do before thy saints; Psalm xl. 1; lxii.
5; lii. 9.
And what if thou waitest upon God all thy days? Is it below thee? And
what if God will cross his book, and blot out the hand-writing that is
against thee, and not let thee know it as yet? Is it fit to say unto
God, Thou art hard-hearted? Despair not; thou hast no ground to despair,
so long as thou livest in this world. It is a sin to begin to despair
before one sets his foot over the threshold of hell-gates. For them that
are there, let them despair and spare not; but as for thee, thou hast no
ground to do it. What! despair of bread in a land that is full of corn!
despair of mercy when our God is full of mercy! despair of mercy, when
God goes about by his ministers, beseeching of sinners to be reconciled
unto him! 2 Cor. v. 18–20.