them　which　shall　believe　on　him　to　life　everlasting。〃
  Thus；　therefore；　you　see　that　this　third　reason　is　of　strength；
  namely；　that　Jesus　Christ　would　have　mercy　offered　in　the　first　place
  to　the　biggest　sinners；　because；　by　their　forgiveness　and　salvation；
  others；　hearing　of　it；　will　be　encouraged　the　more　to　come　to　him　for
  mercy。
  It　may　well　therefore　be　said　to　God；　Thou　delightest　in　mercy；　and
  mercy　pleases　thee；　Mich。　vii。　18。
  But　who　believes　that　this　was　God's　design　in　shewing　mercy　of　old
  namely；　that　we　that　come　after　might　take　courage　to　come　to　him　for
  mercy；　or　that　Jesus　Christ　would　have　mercy　offered　in　the　first
  place　to　the　biggest　sinners；　to　stir　up　others　to　come　to　him　for
  life？　　This　is　not　the　manner　of　men；　O　God！
  But　David　saw　this　betimes；　therefore　he　makes　this　one　argument　with
  God；　that　he　would　blot　out　his　transgressions；　that　he　would　forgive
  his　adultery；　his　murders；　and　horrible　hypocrisy。　　Do　it；　O　Lord；
  saith　he；　do　it；　and　〃then　will　I　teach　transgressors　thy　ways；　and
  sinners　shall　be　converted　unto　thee；〃　Psalm　li。　7…13。
  He　knew　that　the　conversion　of　sinners　would　be　a　work　highly
  pleasing　to　God；　as　being　that　which　he　had　designed　before　he　made
  mountain　or　hill：　　wherefore　he　comes；　and　he　saith；　Save　me；　O　Lord；
  if　thou　wilt　but　save　me；　I　will　fall　in　with　thy　design；　I　will　help
  to　bring　what　sinners　to　thee　I　can。　　And；　Lord；　I　am　willing　to　be
  made　a　preacher　myself；　for　that　I　have　been　a　horrible　sinner：
  wherefore；　if　thou　shalt　forgive　my　great　transgressions；　I　shall　be
  a　fit　man　to　tell　of　thy　wondrous　grace　to　others。　　Yea；　Lord；　I　dare
  promise；　that　if　thou　wilt　have　mercy　upon　me；　it　shall　tend　to　the
  glory　of　thy　grace；　and　also　to　the　increase　of　thy　kingdom；　for　I
  will　tell　it；　and　sinners　will　hear　on't。　　And　there　is　nothing　so
  suiteth　with　the　hearing　sinner　as　mercy；　and　to　be　informed　that　God
  is　willing　to　bestow　it　upon　him。　　〃I　will　teach　transgressors　thy
  ways；　and　sinners　shall　be　converted　unto　thee。〃
  Nor　will　Christ　Jesus　miss　of　his　design　in　proffering　of　mercy　in
  the　first　place　to　the　biggest　sinners。　　You　know　what　work　the　Lord；
  by　laying　hold　of　the　woman　of　Samaria；　made　among　the　people　there。
  They　knew　that　she　was　a　town　sinner；　an　adulteress；　yea；　one　that
  after　the　most　audacious　manner　lived　in　uncleanness　with　a　man　that
  was　not　her　husband：　　but　when　she；　from　a　turn　upon　her　heart；　went
  into　the　city；　and　said　to　her　neighbours；　〃Come；〃　Oh　how　they　came！
  how　they　flocked　out　of　the　city　to　Jesus　Christ！　　〃Then　they　went
  out　of　the　city；　and　came　to　him。〃　　〃And　many　of　the　Samaritans
  （people　perhaps　as　bad　as　herself）　believed　on　him；　for　the　saying　of
  the　woman；　which　testified；　saying；　he　told　me　all　that　ever　I　did；〃
  John　iv。　39。
  That　word；　〃He　told　me　all　that　ever　I　did；〃　was　a　great　argument
  with　them；　for　by　that　they　gathered；　that　though　he　knew　her　to　be
  vile；　yet　he　did　not　despise　her；　nor　refuse　to　shew　how　willing　he
  was　to　communicate　his　grace　unto　her；　and　this　fetched　over；　first
  her；　then　them。
  This　woman；　as　I　said；　was　a　Samaritan　sinner；　a　sinner　of　the　worst
  complexion：　　for　the　Jews　abhorred　to　have　ought　to　do　with　them；
  ver。　9；　wherefore　none　more　fit　than　she　to　be　made　one　of　the　decoys
  of　heaven；　to　bring　others　of　these　Samaritan　wild…fowls　under　the
  net　of　the　grace　of　Christ。　　And　she　did　the　work　to　purpose。　　Many；
  and　many　more　of　the　Samaritans　believed　on　him；　ver。　40…42。　　The
  heart　of　man；　though　set　on　sin；　will；　when　it　comes　once　to　a
  persuasion　that　God　is　willing　to　have　mercy　upon　us；　incline　to　come
  to　Jesus　Christ　for　life。
  Witness　those　turn…aways　from　God　that　you　also　read　of　in　Jeremiah；
  for　after　they　had　heard　three　or　four　times　over；　that　God　had　mercy
  for　backsliders；　they　broke　out；　and　said；　〃Behold；　we　come　unto
  thee；　for　thou　art　the　Lord　our　God。〃　　Or　as　those　in　Hosea　did；　〃For
  in　thee　the　fatherless　find　mercy；〃　Jer。　iii。　22；　Hos。　xiv。　1…3。
  Mercy；　and　the　revelation　thereof；　is　the　only　antidote　against　sin。
  It　is　of　a　thawing　nature；　it　will　loose　the　heart　that　is　frozen　up
  in　sin；　yea；　it　will　make　the　unwilling　willing　to　come　to　Jesus
  Christ　for　life。　　Wherefore；　do　you　think；　was　it　that　Jesus　Christ
  told　the　adulterous　woman；　and　that　before　so　many　sinners；　that　he
  had　not　condemned　her；　but　to　allure　her；　with　them　there　present；　to
  hope　to　find　favour　at　his　hands？　　（As　he　also　saith　in　another
  place；　〃I　came　not　to　judge；　but　to　save　the　world。〃）　　For　might　they
  not　thence　most　rationally　conclude；　that　if　Jesus　Christ　had　rather
  save　than　damn　an　harlot；　there　was　encouragement　for　them　to　come　to
  him　for　mercy。
  I　heard　once　a　story　from　a　soldier；　who　with　his　company　had　laid
  siege　against　a　fort；　that　so　long　as　the　besieged　were　persuaded
  their　foes　would　shew　them　no　favour；　they　fought　like　madmen；　but
  when　they　saw　one　of　their　fellows　taken；　and　received　to　favour；
  they　all　came　tumbling　down　from　their　fortress；　and　delivered
  themselves　into　their　enemies'　hands。
  I　am　persuaded；　did　men　believe　that　there　is　that　grace　and
  willingness　in　the　heart　of　Christ　to　save　sinners；　as　the　word
  imports　there　is；　they　would　come　tumbling　into　his　arms：　　but　Satan
  has　blinded　their　minds；　that　they　cannot　see　this　thing。　　Howbeit；
  the　Lord　Jesus　has；　as　I　said；　that　others　might　take　heart　and　come
  to　him；　given　out　a　commandment；　that　mercy　should　in　the　first　place
  be　offered　to　the　biggest　sinners。　　〃Begin；〃　saith　he；　〃at
  Jerusalem。〃　　And　thus　I　end　the　third　reason。
  Fourthly；　Jesus　Christ　would　have　mercy　offered　in　the　first　place　to
  the　biggest　sinners；　because　that　is　the　way；　if　they　receive　it；
  most　to　weaken　the　kingdom　of　Satan；　and　to　keep　it　lowest　in　every
  age　of　the　world。　　The　biggest　sinners；　they　are　Satan's　colonels　and
  captains；　the　leaders　of　his　people；　and　they　that　most　stoutly　make
  head　against　the　Son　of　God。　　Wherefore　let　these　first　be　conquered；
  and　his　kingdom　will　be　weak。　　When　Ishbosheth　had　lost　his　Abner；
  his　kingdom　was　made　weak：　　nor　did　he　sit　but　tottering　then　upon
  his　throne。　　So　when　Satan　loseth　his　strong　men；　them　that　are
  mighty　to　work　iniquity；　and　dexterous　to　manage　others　in　the　same；
  then　is　his　kingdom　weak；　2　Sam。　iii。　　Therefore；　I　say；　Christ　doth
  offer　mercy　in　the　first　place　to　such；　the　more　to　weaken　his
  kingdom。　　Christ　Jesus　was　glad　to　see　Satan　fall　like　lightning　from
  heaven；　that　is；　suddenly　or　head　long；　and　it　was；　surely；　by
  casting　of　him　out　of　strong　possessions；　and　by　recovering　of　some
  notorious　sinners　out　of　his　clutches；　Luke　x。　17…19。
  Samson；　when　he　would　pull　down　the　Philistines　temple；　took　hold　of
  the　two　main　pillars　of　it；　and　breaking　them；　down　came　the　house。
  Christ　came　to　destroy　the　works　of　the　devil；　and　to　destroy　by
  converting　grace；　as　well　as　by　redeeming　blood。　　Now　sin　swarms；　and
  lieth　by　legions；　and　whole　armies；　in　the　souls　of　the　biggest
  sinners；　as　in　garrisons：　　wherefore　the　way；　the　most　direct　way　to
  destroy　it；　is　first　to　deal　with　such　sinners　by　the　word　of　his
  gospel；　and　by　the　merits　of　his　passion。
  For　example；　though　I　shall　give　you　but　a　homely　one：　　suppose　a
  family　to　be　troubled　with　vermin；　and　one　or　two　of　the　family　to　be
  in　chief　the　breeders；　the　way；　the　quickest　way　to　clear　that
  family；　or　at　least　to　weaken　the　so　swarming　of　those　vermin；　is；　in
  the　first　place；　to　sweeten　the　skin；　head；　and　clothes　of　the　chief
  breeders；　and　then；　though　all　the　family　should　be　apt　to　breed
  them；　the　number　of　them；　and　so　the　greatness　of　that　plague　there；
  will　be　the　more　impaired。
  Why；　there　are　some　people　that　are　in　chief　the　devil's　sin…breeders
  in　the　towns　and　places　where　they　live。　　The　place；　town；　or　family
  where　they　live；　must　needs　be　horribly　verminous；　as　it　were；　eaten
  up　with　vermin。　　Now；　let　the　Lord　Jesus；　in　the　first　place；　cleanse
  these　great　breeders；　and　there　will　be　given　a　nip　to　those　swarms
  of　sins　that　used　to　be　committed　in　such　places　throughout　the　town；
  house；　or　family；　where　such　sin…breeding　persons　used　to　be。
  I　speak　by　experience：　　I　was　one　of　these　verminous　ones；　one　of
  these　great　sin…breeders；　I　infected　all　the　youth　of　the　town　where
  I　was　born；　with　all　manner　of　youthful　vanities。　　The　neighbours
  counted　me　so；　my　practice　proved　me　so：　　wherefore　Christ　Jesus　took
  me　first；　and　taking　me　first；　the　contagion　was　much　allayed　all　the
  town　over。　　When　God　made　me　sigh；　they　would　hearken；　and
  enquiringly　say；　What　is　the　matter　with　John？　　They　also　gave　their
  various　opinions　of　me：　　but；　as　I　said；　sin　cooled；　and　failed；　as
  to　his　full　career。　　When　I　went　out　to　seek　the　bread　of　life；　some
  of　them　would　follow；　and　the　rest　be　put　into　a　muse　at　home。　　Yea；
  almost　the　town；　at　first；　at　times　would　go　out　to　hear　at　the　place
  where　I　found　good；　yea；　young　and　old　for　a　while　had　some
  reformation　on　them；　also　some　of　them；　perceiving　that　God　had　mercy
  upon　me；　came　crying　to　him　for　mercy　too。
  But　what　need　I　give　you　an　instance　of　poor　I；　I　will　come　to
  Manasseh　the　king。　　So　long　as　he　was　a　ring…leading　sinner；　the