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 saved 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.

We

Behold, therefore, how God's ways are above ours. 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. 1-9. 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 hasten his cure. "Sir, come down," saith he, ere my child die," and Christ regarded his haste, saying, "Go thy way, thy son liveth." 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 consume 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

HEARKEN TO THY CALL.

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not thyself another man, if thou hast been a filthy sinner; but go in thy true colors to Jesus Christ, and put thyself among the most vile, and let him alone 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." heart." 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.

David

Why sittest thou

I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement, who deemest thyself one of the greatest 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 is thy case, thou great, thou Jerusalem sinner; be of good cheer, he calleth thee. Mark x. 46-49. still? Arise. Why standest thou still? call should give thee authority to come. lem," is thy call and authority to come. shoulder it, man. Say, 'Stand away, me; stand away unbelief, Christ calls 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

Come man, thy "Begin at JerusaWherefore up and devil, Christ calls me; stand away all

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 greatest 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 greatest 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 to thee 'Come;' let the 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 greatest 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 complains of thee, saying, "But Israel would none of "When I called, none did answer.”

me."

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 dost 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.

THE CALL OF CHRIST URGED.

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But what is it that has got thy heart, and that keeps it from thy Saviour? "Who in the heavens can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?" Hast thou, thinkest thou, found any thing 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 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 thou no judgment? Art thou not able to conclude, that to be saved is better than to burn in hell? and that eternal life, with God's favor, is better than a tem

poral life in God's displeasure? Hast thou 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 showed his love, and died for thee? Is not heaven worth thy affection?

He

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." 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 favor? Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7; Heb. x. 29–31.

Now we come back 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 thou not a soul? or dost thou 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 greatest 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 greatest sinners.