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