knowledge of the nature of thy Sin and so no true sense of the nature or need of Mercy Little Sinner when therefore thou goest to God though thou knowest in thy Conscience that thou as to acts art no Thief no Murderer no Whore no Liar no false Swearer or the like and in reason must needs understand that thus thou art not so profanely vile as others yet when thou goest to God for Merey know no mans sins but thine own make mention of no mans sins but thine own Also labour not to lessen thy own but magnifie and greaten them by all just Circumstances and be as if there was never a Sinner in the World but thy self Also cry out as if thou wast the only undone Man and that is the way to obtain God's Mercy It is one of the comeliest Sights in the world to see a little Sinner commenting upon the greatness of his sins multiplying and mulâ—iplying them to himself till he makes them in his own eyes bigger and higher than he seeth any other man's sins to be in the World and as base a thing it is to see a man do otherwise and as basely will come on 't Luk. 18.10 11 12 13. As therefore I said to the great Sinner before let him take heed lest he presumes I say now to the little Sinner let him take heed that he don't dissemble For there is as great an aptness in the little Sinner to dissemble as there is in the great one He that hideth his sins shall not prosper be he a sinner little or great Prov. 28.13 Eighthly Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners Then this shews the true cause why Satan makes such head as he doth against him The Father and the holy Spirit are well spâ—kâ—n of by all Deluders and deceived Persons Christ only is the Rock of Offence Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling-Stone and a Rock of Offence Rom. 9.33 Not that Satan careth for the Father or the Spirit more than he careth for the Son but he can let men alone with their notions of the Father and the Spirit for he knows they shall never enjoy the Father or the Spirit if indeed they receive not the Merits of the Son. He that hath the Son hath Life he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life however they may boast themselves of the Father and the Spirit 1 Jâ—hn 5.12 Again Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son 2 John 9. Christ and Christ only is he that can make us capâ—ble to enjoy God with Life and Joy to all eternity Hence he calls himself The Way to the Father The true and lâ—ving Way Joh. 14.6 Heb. 10.19.20 For we cannot come to the Father but by him Satan knows this therefore he hates him Deluded Persons are ignorant of this and therefore they are so led up and down by Satan by the nose as they are Tâ—ere are many things by which Satan has taken occasion to greaten his rage against Jesus Christ. As first His love to Man and then the many expressions of that love He hath taken Man's nature upon him he hath in that nature fulfilled the Lâ—w to bring in Righteousness for Man and hath spilt his Blood for the Reconciling of Man to God he hath broke the neck of Death put away Sin destroyed the works of the Devil and got into his own hands the Keys of Death and all these are heinous things to Satan He cannot abide Christ for this Besides he hath eternal Life in himself and that to bestow upon us and we in all liklihood are to possess the very places from which the Satans by transgression fell if not places more glorious Wherefore he must neâ—ds be angry And is it not a vexatious thing to him that we should be admitted to the Throne of Grace by Christ while he stands bound over in Chains of Darkness to answer for his Rebellions against God and his Son at the terrible day of Judgment Yea we poor Dust and Ashes must become his Judges and triumph over him for ever and all this long of Jâ—sus Christ for he is the Meritorious Cause of all this Now though Satan seeks to be revenged for this yet he knows it is in vain to attack the Person of Christ he has overcome him therefore he tampers with a company of silly Men that he may Villifie him by them And they bold fools as they are will not spare to spit in his face They will rail at his Person and deny the very Being of it they will rail at his Blood and deny the Merit and Worth of it They will deny the very end why he accomplished the Law and by figgs and tricks and quiâ—ks which he helpeth them to they set up fond Nâ—mes and Images in his plâ—ce and give the glory of a Saviour to them Thus Satan workeâ—h under the Name of Christ and his Ministers under the name of the Ministers of Righteousness And by his Wiles and Stratagems he undoes a world of men But there is a Seâ—d and they shall serve him and it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation Tâ—ese shall see their sins and thâ—t Câ—rist is the Way to Happiness These shâ—ll venture themselves both Body and Soul upon his Worthiness All this Satan Knows and therefore his rage is kindleâ— the more Wherefore acâ—ording to his ability and allowance he assaulteth tempteth abuseth and stirs up what he can to be hurtful to these poor People that he may while his time shall last make it as hard and difficult for them to go to eternal Glory as he can Often-times he abuses them with wrong appreheâ—sions of God and with wrong apprehensions of Christ. He also casts them into the Mire to the reproach of Religion the shame of their Brethren the derision of the World and dishonour of God. He holds our hands while the World buffets us he puts Bear-skins upon us and then sets the Dogs at us He bedawbeth us with his own Fome and then tempts us to believe that that bedawding comes from ourselves Oh! the rage and the roaring of this Lion and the hatred that he manifests against the Lord Jâ—sus and against them that are purchased with his Blood But yet in the midst of all this the Lord Jesus sends forth his Herrald to proclaim in the Nations his love to the World and to invite them to come in to him for Life Yea his Invitation is so large that it offereth his Mercy in the first place to thâ—â—iggest Sinners of every Age which augments the Devils rage the more wherefore as I said before fret he sume he the Lord Jesus will divide the Spoil with this great one yea he shall divide the Spoil with the strong because he hâ—th poured out his Soul unto death and was numbred with the Transgressiors and
High Priest God's Sacrifices accepted and God's Eye and God's Heart perpetually Psâ—l 76.1 2. Psal. 122.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 1 King. 9.3 But Thirdly We are to consider Jerusâ—lem also in her Decays for as she is to considered she is the proper object of our Text as will be fâ—rther shewed by and by Jerusâ—lem as I toId you â—as the place and feaâ— of God's Worship but now decayed degâ—nâ—rated and apostatizâ—d The Word the Rule of Worship was rejected of them and in its place they had put and set up their own Traditions They had rejected also the most weighty Ordinances and put in the room thereof their own little things Mat. 15. Mark 7. Jerusalem was therefore now greatly backslidden and become the place where Truth and true Religion was much defaced It was also now become the very sink of Sin and seat of Hypocrisie and gulf where true Religion was drowned Here also now reigned Presumption and groundless Confidence in God which is the bane of Souls Amongst its Rulers Doctors and Leaders Envy Malice and Blasphemy vented it self against the Power of Godliness in all places where it was espied As also against the Promoters of it yea their Lord and Maker could not escape them In a Word Jerusalem was now become the Shambles the very Slaughter-shop for Saints This was the place wherein the Prophets Christ and his People were most horribly persecuted and murdered Yea. so hardned at this time was this Jerusalem in her Sins that she feared not to commit the biggest and to bind her self by Wish under the guilt and damning evil of it saying when the had murdered the Son of God His Blood be upon us and our Children And though Jesus Christ did both by Doctrine Miracles and Holiness of Life seek to put a stop to their Villanies yet they shut their eyes stopt their ears and rested not till as was hinted before they had driven him out of the World. Yea that they might if possible have extinguished his Name and exploded his Doctrine out of the World they against all Argument and in despite of Heaven its mighty hand and undeniable proof of his Resurrection did hire Souldiers to invent a Lye saying His Disciples stole him away from the Grave on purpose that Men might not count him the Saviour of the World nor trust in him for the Remission of Sins They were saith Paul contrary to all Men For they did not only shut up the Door of Life against themselves but forbad that it should be opened to any else Forbidding us saith he to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sin alway Matt. 23.35 chap. 15.7 8 9. Mar. 7. â— 7 8 Mat. 3 7.8 9. Joh. 8.33 41. Mat. 27.18 Mar. 3.30 Luk. 265. Mat. 23. 37. Luk. 13 33 34. Psal. 2.22 23. Chap. 4.10 Mat. 27.25 Chap. 20.11 12 13 14 15. 1 Thes. 2.14 15 16. This is the City and these are the People This is their Character and thâ—se are their Sins Nor can there be produced their parallel in all this World. Nay what World what People what Nation for Sin and Transgression could or can be compâ—red to Jerusalem Especially if you joyn to the matter of fact the Light they sinned against and the Patience which they abused Infinite was the Wickedness upon this account which they committed After all their abusings of wise Men and Prophets God sent unto them John Baptist to reduce them and then his Son to redeem them but they would be neither reduced nor redeemed but persecuted both to the Death Nor did they as I said stop here the Holy Apostles they afterwards persecuted also to Death even so many as they could the rest â—he drove from them unto the utmost Corners Secondly I come now to shew you what it was to preach the Gospel to them It was saith Luke to preach to them Repentance and remission of Sins in Christs Name Or as Mark has it to bid thâ—m repent and believe the Gospel Mar. 1.15 Not that Repentance is a cause of Remission but a sign of our hearty reception thereof Repentance is therefore here put to intimate that no pretended Faith of the Gospel is good that is not accompanied with it And this he doth on purpose 'cause he would not have them deceive themselves For with what Faith can he expect remission of Sins in the Name of Christ that is not heartily sorry for them Or how shall a man be able to give to others a satisfactory account of his unseigned subjection to the Gospel that yet abides in his impenitency Wherefore Repentance is here joined with Faith in the way of receiving the Gospel Faith is that without which it cannot be received at all And Repentance that without which it cannot be received unseignedly When therefore Christ says he would have Repentance and Remission of Sins preached in his Name among all Nations it is as much as to say I will that all men every where be sorry for their sins and accept of mercy at Gods hand thorow me lest they fall under his wrath in the Judgment For as I said without Repentance what pretence soever men have of Faith they cannot escape the wrath to come Wherefore Paul saith God commands all men evâ—ry where to repent in order to their Salvation because he hath appointed a day in the which he will Judge the World in Righteâ—usness by that man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.30 And now to come to this Clause Beginning at Jerusalem That is that Christ would have Jerusalem have the first offer of the Gospel 1. This cannot be so commanded because they had now any more right of themselves thereto than had any of the Nations of the World for their Sins had divested them of all self-deservings 2. Nor yet because they stood upon the advance ground with the worst of the Sinners of the Nations Nay rather the Sinners of the Nations had the advancâ—-ground of them For Jerusalem was long before she had added this Iniquity to her sin worse than the very Nations that God cast out before the Children of Israel 2 Chron. 33. 3. It must therefore follow that this Clâ—use Bâ—gin at Jerusalem was put into this Commission of meer Grace and Compassion Even from the overflowings of the Bowels of Mercy For indeed they were the worst and so in the most deplorable condition of any People under the Heavens Whatever therefore their relation was to Abraham Isaac or Jacob however they formerly had been the People among whom God had placed his Name and Worship they were now degenerated from God more than the Nations were from their Idols and were become guilty of the highest Sins which the People of the World were capable of committing Nay none can be capable of committing of such pardonable Sins as they committed against their God when they slew his Son and persecuted his Name and Word From these Words therefore thus explained we gain this
15 16. 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 Sâ—ints to confute them and to stop their mouths from making objections against their own eternal damnation Here is Adam the destroyer of the World heâ—e is Lot that lay with both his Daughters here is Abraham that was sometimes an Idolater and Jacob that was a Supplanter and Ruben that lay with his Fathers Concubine and Judah that lay â—ith his Daughter-in-Law and Levy and Simeon that wickedly slew the Sechemites and Aaron that made an Idol to be Worshipped and that proclaimed a Religious Feast unto it Here is also Rahab the Harlot and Bathsheba that bare a Bâ—stard to David Here is Solomon that great Backslider and Manasseh that man of Blood and a Witch Time would fail to tell you of the Woman of Canaans Daughter of Mary 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 Blessing for ever and every that Son of God for their Salvation who dyed for them upon the Tree admiring that ever it should come into their Hearts once to think of coming to God by Chirst But above all blessing God for granting of them light to see those incouragements in his Testament without which without doubt they had beâ—n daunted and sunk down under guilt of Sin and Despair as their fellow sinnâ—rs have done Bâ—t now they also are all Witnessâ—s for God and for his Grace against an unbâ—lieving World for as I said they shall come to convince the World of their Speeches their hard and unbelieving words that they have spoken concerning the mercy of God and the merits of the Passion of his blessed Son Jesus Christ. But will it not think you strangely put to silence all such thonghts and words and reasonings of the Ungodly before the Barr of God doubtless it will yea and will send them away from his presence also with the greatest guilt that possibly can fallen upon the Consciences of Men. For what will sting like this I have through mine own foolish narrow unworthy undervaluing thoughts of the love and ability of Christ to save me brought my self to everlasting ruine 'T is true I was a horrible sinner not one in a hundred did live so vile a life as I but this should not have kept me from closing with Jesus Christ I see now that there are abundance in Glory that once were as bad as I have been but they were saved by Faith and I am damned by Unbelief Wrâ—tch that I am why did not I give glory to the Redeeming Blood of Jesus Why did I not humbly cast my Soul at his blessâ—d foot stool for Mercy Why did I judge of his ability to save me by the voice of my shallow reason and the voice of a guilty Conscience Why betook not I my self to the holy Word of God Why did I not read and pray that I might understand since now I perceive that God said then He giveth liberally to them that pray and upbraideth not Jam. 1.5 'T is rational to think that by such Cogitations as these the unbelieving World will be torn in pieces before the Judgment of Christ Especially those that have lived where they did or might have heard the Gospel of the Grace of God. Oh! that saying It shall be more tolerable for Sodom at the Judgment than for them will be better understood See Luke 10.8 9 10 11 12. This Reason therefore standeth fast Namely That Christ by offering mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners now will stop all mouths of the impenitent at the day of Judgment and cut off all excuse that shall be attempted to be made from the thoughts of 〈◊〉 greatness of their sins why they caâ—â— not to him I have often thought of the day of Judgement and how God will deal with sinners at that day And I believe it will be managed with that sweetness with that equitableness with that excellent Righteousness as to every sin and circumstance and aggravation thereof that men that are damned before the Judgment is over shall receive such conviction of the righteous Judgment of God upon them and of their deserts of Hell fire that they shall in themselves conclude that there is all the reason in the world that they should be shut out of Heaven and go to Hell-fire These shall go away into everlasting fire Matt. 25.46 Only this will tare That they have mist of Mercy and Glory and obtained everlasting damnation through their unbelief But it will tare but themsâ—lves but their own Souls they will gnash upon themselves For in that Mercy was offered to the chief of them in the first place and yet they were damned for rejecting of it They were damned for forsaking what they had a propriety in for forsaking their Own Mercy And thus much for the Reasons I will conclude with a word of Application The APPLICATION FIrst Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners Then this shews us how to make a right judgment of the heart of Christ to Men. Indeed we have advantage to guess at the goodness of his Heart by many things as by his taking our nature upon him his dying for us his sending his Word and Ministers to us and all that we might be saved But this of beginning to offer mercy to Jerusalem is that which heightens all the rest for this doth not only confirm to us that Love was the cause of his dying for us but it shews us yet more the depth of that Love He might have dyed for us and yet have extended the benefit of his death to a few as one might call them of the best-conditioned sinners to those who though they were weak and so could not but sin yet made not a trade of sinning To those that sinned not lavishingly There are in the World as one may call them the moderate Sinners the sinners that mix Righteousness with their Pollutions the sinners that though they be sinners do what on their part lies some that are blind would think so that they might be saved I say it had been Love great Love if he had dyed for none but such and sent his love to such But that he should
he that would indeed be saved as before has sinned the sin unpardonable The Scriptures must not be made void nor their truth be cast to the ground Here 's a Promise and here 's a Sinner a Promise that saies he shall not be cast out that comes and the sinner comes wherefore he must be received Consequently he that comes to Christ for life has not cannot have sinned that sin for which there is no forgiveness And this might suffice for an answer to any coming soul that fears though he comes that he has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost 2. But again He that has sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost cannot come has no heart to come can by no means be made willing to come to Jesus Christ for life for that he has received such an opinion of him and of his things as deters and holds him back 1. He counteth this blessed Person this Son of God a Magician a Conjurer a Witch or one that did when he was in the World what he did by the power and spirit of the Devil Mat. 9.34 Mat. 12.24 25 c. Mar. 3.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. Now he that has this opinion of this Jesus cannot be willing to cast himself at his foot for life or to come to him as the only way to God and to Salvation And hence 't is said again that such an one puts him to open shame and treadeth him under foot that is by contemning reproaching vilifying and despising of him as if he were the vilest one or the greatest Cheat in the World and has therefore as to his esteem of him called him accursed crucified him to himself or counted him one hanged as one of the worst of Malefactors Heb. 6.6 and chap. 10.29 1 Cor. 12.3 2. His Blood which is the meritorious cause of mans redemption even the blood of the everlasting Covenant he counteth an unholy thing or that which has no more vertue in it to save a Soul froâ— sin than has the blood of a Dog Heb. 10.29 For when the Apostle saies he counts it an unholy thing he means he makes it of less value than that of a Sheep or Cow which were clean according to the Law. And therefore must mean that his blood was of no more worth to him in his account than was the blood of Dog an Ass or a Swine which always was as to sacrifices rejected by the God of Heaven as unholy or unclean Now he who has no better esteem of Jesus Christ and of his Death and Blood will not be perswaded to come to him for Life or to trust in him for Salvation 3. But further all this mâ—st be done against manifest Tokens to prove the contrary or after the shining of Gospel Light upon the soul or some considerable profession of him as the Mâ—ssias or that he was the Sâ—viour of the World. 1. It must be done against manifest tokens to prove the contrary and thus the reprobate Jews committed it when they saw the works of God which put forth themselves in him and called them the works of the Devil and Beelzebub 2. It must be done against some sâ—ining light of the Gospel upon them And thus it was with Judas and with those who after they were enlightned and had tasted and had felt something of the powers of the World to come fell away from the Faith of him and put him to open shame and disgrace Heb. 6.5 6. 3. It must also be done after and in opposition to ones own open profession of him For if after they have escaped the pollution of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment which is the Word of Faith delivered unto them 4. All this must be done openly before witnâ—sses in the Face Sight and View of the World by Word and Act. This is the sin that is unpardonable and he that hath thus done can never 't is impossible he ever should be renewed again to repentance and that for a double reason first such an one doth say he will not and of him God saies he shall not have the benefit of Salvation by him Object But if this be the sin unpardonable why is it called the sin against the Holy Ghost and not rather the sin against the Son of God Answ. It is called the sin against the Holy Ghost because such count the works he did which were done by the Spirit of God the works of the spirit of the Devil Also because all such as so reject Christ Jesus the Lord they do it in despight of that testimony which the Holy Ghost has given of him in the Holy Scriptures for the Scriptures are the breathings of the Holy Ghost as in all other things so in that testimony they bear of the Person of the Works Sufferings Resurrection and Ascention of Jesus Christ. Sinner This is the sin against the Holy Ghost What saist thou Hast thou committed it nay I know thou hast not if thou wouldst be saved by Christ. Yea 't is impossible thou shouldst have done it if indeed thou wouldst be saved by him No man can desire to be saved by him whom he yet judgeth to be an Impostor a Magician a Witch No man can hope for redemption by that Blood which he yet counteth an unholy thing Nor will God ever suffer such an one to repent who has after light and profession of him thus horribly and Devil-like contemned and trampled upon him True Words and Wars and Blasphemies against this Son of Man are pardonable but then they must be done ignorantly and in unbelief Also all blasphemous thoughts are likewise such as may be passed by if the Soul afflicted with them indeed is sorry for them 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. Mar. 3.28 All but this Sinner all but this If God had said he will forgive one sin it had been undeserved Grace But when he saies he will pardon all but one this is grace to the height Nor is that one unpardonable otherwise but because the Saviour that should save them is rejected and put away Jacob's Ladder Christ is Jacob's Ladder that reacheth up to Heaven and he that refuseth to go by this Ladder thither will scarce by other means get up so high There is none other name given under Heaven among men whereby we must be saved There is none other Sacrifice for sin than his he also and he only is the Mediator that reconcileth men to God. And Sinner if thou wouldst be saved by him his Benefits are thine yea though thou art a great and Jerusalem Transgressor FINIS
bare the sin of many and made Intercâ—ssion for the transgressors Isa. 53.12 Ninthly Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners Let the Tempted harp upon This string for their hâ—lp and consolation The Tempted wherever he dwells always thinks himself the biggest Sinner one most unworthy of eternal Life This is Satans master Argument Thou art a horrible Sinner a Hypocrite one that has a profane heart and one that is an utter stranger to a work of Grace I say this is his Maul his Clâ—h his Master-piece He doth with this as some do by their most inchanting Songs sings them every where I believe there are but few Saints in the World that have not had this temptation sounding in their Ears But were they but aware Satan by all this does but drive them to the Gaâ— out at which they should go and so escape his roaring Saith he Thou art a great Sinner a horrible Sinner a profane hearted Wretch one that cannot be matchâ— for a Vile one in the Country And all this while Christ says to his Ministers offer Mercy in the first place to the biggest Sinners So that this Temptation drives thee directly into the Arms of Jesus Christ. Was therefore the Tempted but aware he might say Ay Satan so I am I am a Sinner of the biggest size and therefore have most need of Jesus Christ Yea because I am such a wretch therefore Jesus Christ calls me yea he calls me first The first proffer of the Gospel is to be made to the Jerusalem sinner I am he wherefore stâ—nd back Satan make a lane my right is first to come to Jesus Christ. This now would be like for like This would foil the Devil This would make him say I must not deal with this man thus for then I put a Sword into his hand to cut off my head And this is the meaning of Peter when he saith Resist him stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 And of Paul when he saith Take the Shiâ—ld of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked Ephes. 6.16 Wherefore is it said Begin at Jerusalem if the Jerusalem sinner is not to have the benefit of it And if I am to have the benefit of it let me call it to mind when Satan haunts me with the continual remembrance of my sins of my Jerusalem-sins Satan and my Conscience says I am the biggest sinner Christ offereth Mercy in the first place to the biggest sinners Nor is the manner of the Offer other but such as suiteth with my mind I am sorry for my sin yea sorry at my heart that ever sinful Thought did enter or find the least entertainment in my wicked mind And might I obtain my Wish I would never more that my heart should be a place for ought but the Grace and Spirit and Faith of the Lord Jesus I speak not this to lessen my Wickedness I would not for all the World but be placed by mine own Conscience in the very front of the biggest Sinners that I might be one of the first that are beckoned by the gracious Hand of Jesus the Saviour to come to him for Mercy Well Sinner thou now speakest like a Christian but say thus in a stronâ— Spirit in the hour of Temptation and then thou wilt to thy commendation and comfort quit thy self well This improving of Christ in dark hours is the Life though the hardest part of our Christianity We should neither stop at Darkness nor at the raging of our Lusts but go on in a way of venturing and casting the whole of our Affair for the next World at the foot of Jesus Christ. This is the way to make the Darkness Light and also to alay the raging of our Corruption Tâ—e first time the Passover â—as eaten was in the night and when Israel took Courage to go forward though the Sea stood in their way like a devouring Gulf and the Host of the Aegyptians follow them at the heels yet the Sea gives place and their Enemies were as still as a stone till they were gone over Exod. 12.8 chap. 14.13 14 21 21 22. chap. 15 16. There is nothing like Faith to help at a pinch Faith dissolves Doubts as the Sun drives away the Mists And that you may not be put out know your time as I said of believing is always There are times when some Graces may be out of use but there is no time wherein Faith can be said to be so Wherefore Faith must be always in exercise Faith is the eye is the mouth is the hand and one of these is of use all day long Faith is to see to receive to work on to eat and a Christian should be seeing or receiving or working or feeding all day long Let it rain let it blow let it thunder let it lighten a Christian must still believe At what time said the good man I am afraid I will trust in thee Psal. 56.2 3. Nor can we have a better encouragement to do this than is by the Text set before us even an open heart for a Jerusalem Sinner And if for a Jerusalem-Sinner to come then for such an one when come If such a one To Be saved then for such a one that Is saved If for such a one To be pardoned his great transgressions then for such a one who Is pardoned these to come daily to Jesus Christ too to be cleansed and set free from his common Infirmities and from the Iniquities of his holy things 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 Sins Tengthly Would Jesus Christ have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners Let those men consider this that have or may in a day of trial have spoken or done what their Profession or Conscience told them they should not and that have the guilt and burden thereof upon their Consciences Whether a thing be wrong or right Guilt may pursue him that doth contrary to his Conscience But suppose a man should deny his God or his Christ or relinquish a good Profession and be under the real guilt thereof Shall he therefore conclude he is gone for ever Let him come again with Peter's tears and no doubt but he shall obtain Peter's Forgiveness For the Text includes the biggest sinners And 't is observable That before this Glâ—use was put into this Commission Peter was pardoned his horrible Revolt from his Master He that Revolteth in the day of Trial if he is not shot quite dead upon the place but is sensible of his Wound and calls out for a Chyrurgion shall find his Lord at hand to pour Wine and Oyl into his Wounds that he may again be healed And to incourage him to think that there may be Mercy for him Besides what we find Recorder of Peter you read