think you Peter I am to preach Repentance and Remission of Sins to every one of you says Peter Object But I was one of them that did spit in his face when he stood before his Accusers I also was one that mocked him when in anguish he hanged bleeding on the tree Is there room for me Peter For every one of you says Peter Object But I was one of them that in his extremity said Give him Gall and Vinegar to drink why may not I expect the same when anguish and guilt is upon me Peter Repent of these your wickednesses and here is remission of sins for every one of you Object But I railed on him I reviled him I hated him I rejoyced to see him mocked at by others Can there be hopes for me Peter There is for every one of you Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost Oh! what a blessed Every one of you iâ— here How willing was Peter and the Lord Jesus by his Ministry to catch these Murderers with the Word of the Gospel that they might be made Monuments of the Grace of God! How unwilling I say was he that any of these should escape the hand of Mercy Yea what an amazing wonder is it to think that above all the World and above every body in it These should have the first offer of Mercy Beginning at Jerusalem But was there not something of moment in this Clause of the Commission Did not Peter think you see a great deal in it that he should thus begin with these men and thus offer so particularly this Grace to each particular man of them But as I told you This is not all These Jerusalem-sinners must have this offer again and again Every one of them must be offered it over and over Christ would not take their first rejection for a denial nor their second repulse for a denial But he will have Grace offered once and twice and thrice to these Jerusalem-sinners Is not this amazing Grace Christ will not be put off These are the Sinners that are sinners indeed They are Sinners of the biggest sort consequently such as Christ can if they convert and be saved best serve his ends and designs upon Of which more anon But what a pitch of Grace is this Christ is minded to amaze the World and to shew that he acteth not like the Children of men This is that which he said of old I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not Man Hos. 11.9 This is not the manner of Men Men are shorter winded Men are soon moved to take Vengeance and to right themselves in a way of Wrath and Indignation But God is full of Grace full of Patience ready to Forgive and one that delights in Mercy All this is seen in our Text. The biggest sinners must First be offered Mercy They must I say have the Cream of the Gospel offered unto them But we will a little proceed In the Third Câ—apter we find that they who escaped Converting by the first Sermon are called upon again to accept of Grace and Forgiveness for their Murder committed upon this Son of God. You have killed yea you have denyed the Holy one and the Just and desired a Murderer to be granted unto you And killed the Prince of Life Mâ—rk He falls again upon the very Men that actually were as you have it in the Chapters following his very Betrayers and Murderers Acts 3.14 15. As being loth that they should escape the mercy of Forgiveness And Exhorts them again to repent that their sins might be blotted out Ver. 19.20 Agâ—in in the Fourth Chapter he charges them afresh with this Murder Ver. 10. But withall tells them Salvation is in no other Then like a heavenly Decoy he puts himself also among them to draw them the better under the Net of the Gospel saying There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Ver. 12. In the fifth Chapter you find them railing at him because he continued preaching among them Salvation in the Name of Jesus But he tells them That that very Jesus whom they had slain and hanged on a Tree him God had raised up and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israâ—l and Forgiveness of Sins Vir. 29.30 31. Still insinuating that tho they had killed him and to this day rejected him yet his business was to bestow upon them Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins 'T is true after they began to kill again and when nothing but killing would serve their turn then they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word Yet even some of them to hankered after the Conversion of the Jews that they preached the Gospel only to them Also the Apostles still made their abode at Jerusalem in hopes that they might yet let down their Net for another draught of these Jerusalem-sinners Neither did Paul and Barnabas who were the Ministers of God to the Gentiles but offer the Gospel in the first place to those of them that for their wickedness were scattered like Vagabonds among the Nations Yea and when they rendred Rebellion and Blasphemy for their Service and Love they replied It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to them Acts 1.8 chap. 13.46 47. Nor was this their Preaching unsuccessful among these People But the Lord Jesus so wrought with the Word thus spoken that thousands of them came flocking to him for Mercy Three thousand of them closed with him at the first and afterwards two thousand more for now they were in number about five thousand whereas before Sermons was preached to these Murderers the number of the Disciples were not above a hundred and twenty Acts 1.15 chap. 2.41 chap. 4 4. Also among these People that thus flocked to him for Mercy there was a great company of the Priests chap. 6.7 Now the Priests were they that were the greatest of these biggest Sinners they were the Ringleaders they were the Inventors and Ringleaders in the mischief ' Tâ—as they that set the People against the Lord Jesus and that was the cause why the uproâ—r increased until Pilate had given Sentence upon him The chief Priests and Elders says the Text perswaded the People the multitude that they should ask Barabas and destroy Jesus Mat. 27.20 And yet behold the Priests yea a great company of the Priests became obedient to the Faith. Oh the Greatness of the Grace of Christ That he should be thus in love with the Souls of Jerusalem-sinners That he should be thus delighted with the Salvation of the Jerusalem-sinners That he should not only will that his Gospel should be offered them but that it should be offered unto them first and before other Sinners were admitted to a hearing of it
to wit because such sinners when converted are apt to love him most The Jerusalem-sinners were they that out-stript when they were Converted in some things all the Churches of the Gentiles They were of one heart and of one soul neither said any of â—hem that ought of the things that they possâ—ssed was their own neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of Lands or Houses sold them and brought the price of the things that were sold and laid them down at the Apostles feet c. Acts 4.32 33 34 35. Now show me such another Pattern if you can But why did these do thus Oh! they were Jerusalem-sinners These were the Men that but a little before had killed the Prince of Life and those to whom he did that notwithstanding send the first offer of Grace and Mercy And the sense of this took them up betwixt the Earth and the Heaven and carried them on in such ways and methods as could never be trodden by any since They talk of the Church of Rome and set hâ—r in her Primitive state as a Pattern and Mother of Churches when the Truth is they were the Jerusalem-sinners when Converts that out-did all the Churches that ever was Seventhly Christ Jesus would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners beacause Grace when it is received by such finds matter to kindle upon more freely than it finds in other sinners Great Sinners are like the dry Wood or like great Candles which burns best and shines with biggest light I lay not this down as I did those Reasons before to shew that when great Sinners are Converted they will be encouragement to others though that is true but to shew that Christ has a delight to see Grace the Grace we receive to shine We love to see things that bear a good gloss yea we chuse to buy such kind of matter to work upon as will if wrought up to what we intend cast that lustre that we desire Candles that burn not bright we like not Wood that is green will rather smother and spuâ—ter and smoak and orâ—ok and flounce than cast a brave light and pleasant heat Wherefore great Folks care not much not so much for such kind of things as for them that will better answer their ends Hence Christ desires the biggest Sinner in him there is Matter to work by to wit a great deal of sin for as by the Tallow of the Candle the Fire takes occasion to burn the brighter so by the sin of the Soul Grace takes occasion to shine the clearer Little Candles shine but little for there wanteth matter for the Fire to work upon but in the great Sinner here is more matter for Grace to work by Faith shines when it worketh towards Christ through the sides of many and great Transgressors and so does Love for that much is forgiven And what matter can be found in the Soul for Humility to work by so well as by a sight that I have been and am an abominable Sinner And the same is to be said of Patience Meekness Gentleness Self-denial or of any other Grace Grace takes occasion by the vileness of the man to shine the more even as by the ruggidness of a very strong Distemper or Disease the vertue of the Medicine is best made manifest Where Sin abounds Grace much more abounds Rom. 5.20 A black string makes the Grace burn clear Some say when Grace and a good Nature meet together they do make shinning Christians but I say when Grace and a great Sinner meets and when Grace shall subdue that great Sinner to it self and shall operate after its kind in the Soul of that great Sinner then we have a shinning Christian Witness all those of whom mention was made before Abraham was among the Idolaters when in the Land of Assyria and served Idols with his Kindred on the other side of the Flood Jos. 24.2 Gen. 11.31 but who when called was there in the World in whom Grace shone so bright as in him The Thessalonians were Idolaters before the Word of God came to them but when they had received it they became examples to all that did believe in Macedonia and Achaia 1 Thess. 1.6 7 8 9 10. God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son are for having things seen for having the Word of Life held forth They light not a Candle that it might be put under a Bushel or under a Bed but on a Candlestick that all that come in may see the light Matt. 5.15 Mar. 4.21 Luk. 8.16 chap. 11.33 And I say as I said before in whom is it like so to shine as in the Souls of great sinners When the Jewish Pharisees dallied with the Gospel Christ threatned to take it from them and to give it to the barbarous Heathens and Idolaters Why so For they saith he will bring forth the Friends thereof in their season Therefore I say unto you The Kingdom of God Shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Mat. 21.41 43. I have often marvelled at our Youth and said in my heart What should be the reason that they should be so generally at this day debauched as they are For they are now Profane to amazement And sometimes I have thought one thing and sometimes another That is why God should suffer it so to be At last I have thought of this How if the God whose ways are past finding out should suffer it so to be now that he might make of some of them the more glorious Saints hereafter I know Sin is of the Devil but it cannot work in the world without permission and if it happens to be as I have thought it will not be the first time that God the Lord hath caught Satan in his own design For my part I believe that the time is at hand that we shall see better Saints in the World than has been seen in â—t this many aday And this Vileness that at present does so much swallow up out Youth is one cause of my thinking so For out of them for from among them when God sets to his Hand as of old you shall see what penitent ones what trembling ones and what â—dmirers of Grace will be found to profess the Gospel to the glory of God by Christ. Alas We are a company of worn-out Christians our Moon is in the Ware we are much more black than white more dark than light we shine but a little Grace in the most of us is dâ—cayed But I say when they of theâ—e debauched ones that are to be saved shall be brought in when these that look more like Devils than Men shall be Converted to Christ and I believe sâ—veral of them will then will Christ be exâ—lted Grace adored the World prized Sions Paths better trodden and Men in the pursuite of their own Salvation to the amazement of them that are left behind Just before Christ came
rejoyceth against Judgment Wherefore believe All and Mercy will to thy Conscience weigh Judgment down and so minister Comfort to thy Soul. Thâ— Lord take the Yoke from off thy Jaws since he has set Meat before thee Hâ—s 11.4 And help thee to remember that he is pleased in the first place to offer Mercy to the biggest sinners Sixthly Since Jesus Christ would have Mercy offered in the first place to the biggest sinners Let Souls see that they lay right hold thereof lest they notwithstanding indeed come short thereof Faith only knows how to deal with Mercy wherefore put not in the place thereof Presumption I have observed that as there are Herbs and Flowers in our Gardenâ— so there are their Counterfeits in the Field only they are distinguiâ—hed from the other by the Name of Wild Ones Why there is Faith and Wild Faiâ—h and Wild Faith is this Presumption I call it Wild Faith because God never placed â—t in his Garden his Church 't is only to be found in the Field the World. I also call it Wild Faith because it only grows up and is nourished where other wild notions abounds Wherefore take heed of this and all may be well For this presumptuousness is a very heinous thing in the eyes of God The Soul saith he that shall do ought presumptuously â—hether born in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord And that Soul shall be cut off from among his people Num 15.30 The thoughts of this made David tremble and pray That God would hold him back from presumptuous sins and not suffer them to have dominion over him Psal. 19.13 Now this Presumption Then put its self in the place of Faith when it tampereth with the promise for Life while the Soul is a stranger to Repentance Wherefore you have in the Text to prevent doing thus both Repentance and Remission of Sins to be offered to Jerusalem not Remission without Repentance For all that repent not shall perish let them presume on Grace and the Promise while they will Luk. 13.1 2 3. Presumption then is that which severeth Faith and Repentance concluding that the Soul shall be saved by Grace though the man was never made sorry for his sins nor the love of the Heart turned therefrom This is to be sâ—lf-willed as Peter has it And this is a despising the Word of the Lord for that has put Repentance and Faith together Mark 1.15 And because he hath despisâ—d the Word of the Lord and hath broken the Commandment that Soul shall utterly be cut off his iniquities shall be upon him Numb 15.31 Let such therefore look it who yet are and abide in their sins for such if they hope as they are to be saved presume upon the grace of God. Wherefore Presumption and not hearkning to God's Word are put together Dâ—ut 17.12 Again Then men presume when they are resolved to abide in their sins and sins yet expect to be saved by God's grace through Christ. This is as much as to say God liketh of Sin as well as I do and careth not how men live if so be they lean upon his Son. Of this sort are they that build up Zion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity That Judge for reward and teach for hire and Divine for mony and lean upon the Lord Mic. 3.10 11. This is doing things with an high hand against the Lord our God and a taking him as it were at the Catch This is as we lay among men to seek to put a trick upon God as if he had not sufficiently fortified his Proposals of Grace by his holy Word against all such kind of fools as these But look to it Such will be found at the day of God not among that great company of Jerusalem-sinners that shall be saved by Grace but among those that have been the great abusers of the grace of God in the World. These that say Let us sin that Grace may abound and let us do Evil that Good may come their Damnation is just And if so they are a great way off of that Salvation that is by Jesus Christ presented to the Jerusalem sinners I have therefore these things to propound to that Jerusalem-sinner that would know if he may be so bold to venture himself upon this Grace First Dost thou see thy sins Secondly Art thou weary of them Thirdly Wouldst thou with all thy heart be saved by Jesus Christ I dare say no less I dare say no more But if it be truly thus with thee how great soever thy sins have been how bad soever thou feelest thy heart how far soever thou art from thinking that God has mercy for thee thou art the Man the Jerusalem-sinner that the Word of God has conquered and to whom it offereth free Remission of sins by the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ. When the Jayler cried out Sirs What must I do to be saved The answer was Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved He that sees his sins aright is brought to his wits-end by them and he that is so is willing to part from them and to be saved by the grace of God. If this be thy Case fear not give no way to Despair thou presumest not if thou believest to life everlasting in Jesus Christ. Yea Christ is prepared for such as thou art Therefore take good courage and believe The design of Satan is to tell the Presumptuous that their presuming on Mercy is good but to perswade the Believer that his believing is impudent bold dealing with God. I never heard a presumptuous man in my life say that he was afraid that he presumed but I have heard many an honest humble Soul say that they have been afraid that their Faith has been Presumption Why should Satan molest those whose ways he knows will bring them to him And who can think that he should be quiet when men take the right course to escape his hellish snares This therefore is the reason why the truly humbled is opposed while the Presumptuous goes on by Wind and Tide The truly humble Satan hates but he laughs to see the foolery of the other Does thy hand and heart tremble Upon thee the Promise smiles To this man will I look says God even to him that is poor and of a coâ—trite sâ—irit and trembles at my Word Isa. 66.2 What therefore I have said of Presumption concerns not the humble in Spirit at all I therefore am for gaâ—hering up the Sâ—ones and for taking the Stumbling-blocks out of the way of God's People and fore-warning of them that they lay the stumbling block of their Iniquity before their faces and that are for presuming upon God's mercy and let them look to themselves Ezekiel 14.6 7 8. Also our Text stands firm as ever it did and our Observation is still of force That Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the biggest Sinners So then let none Desâ—air let none Presume Let
their Children also to come to him and to partake of the same Grace thorow Christ Jesus But what was Paul and the Ephesian-Sinners of Paul we will speak anon These Ephesian-Sinners They were men dead in Sins men that walked according to the dictates and motions of the Devil worshippers of Diana that Effeminate Goddâ—ss Men far off from God aliens and strangers to all good things such as were far off from that as I sâ—id and consâ—quently in a most deplorable condition As the Jerusalem-Sinners were of the highest sort among the Jews so these Ephesian-Sinners were of the highest sort among the Gentiles Ephes. 2.1 2 3. Acts 19.35 Ephes. 2.11 12. Wâ—erefore as by the Jerusalem-Sinners in saving them first he had a design to provoke others to come to him for Mercy so The same design is here set on foot again in his calling and converting the Ephesian-Sinners that in the Ages to come he might shew the â—xceeding Riches of his Grace says he in his kindness towards us thorow Christ Jesus Tâ—ere is yet one hint behind 'T is said that God saved these FOR his love That is as I think for the setting forth for the commendations of his love for the advance of his love in the Hearts and minds of them that should come after As who should say God has had Mercy upon and been Gracious to you that he might shew to others for their encouragement that they have ground to come to him to be saved When God saves one great Sinner 't is to encourage another great Sinner to come to him for Mercy He saved the Thief to encourage Thieves to come to him for Mercy He saved Magdalen to encourage other Magdalens to come to him for Mercy He saved Saul to encourage Sauls to come to him for Mercy And this Paul himself doth say For this cause saith he I obtained Mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a Pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 1.16 How plain are the words Christ in saving of me has given to the World a Patern of his Grace that they might see and believe and come and be saved That they that are to be born hereafter might believe on Jesus Christ to life everlasting But what was Paul Why he tells you himself I am says he the chief of Sinners I was says he a Blasphemer a Persâ—cutor an injurious Person but I obtained Mercy 1 Tim. 1.14 15. Ay that 's well for you Paul but what advantage have we thereby Oh very much saith he For for this cause I obtained Mâ—rcy that in me First Jesus Christ might shew all long suffering for a pattern to 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 Mâ—rcy It may well therefore be said to God Thou delightâ—st in Mercy and Mercy pleases thee Mich. 7.18 But who believes that this was Gods 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 Hypocrisie Do it O Lorâ— saith he do it And then will I teach Transâ—ressors thy ways and Sinners shall be Converted unto thee Psal. 51.7 8 9 10 11 12 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 my self for that I have been a horriâ—le Sinner wherefore if thou shâ—lt forgive my great Transgressions I shâ—ll be a fit man to tell of thy wonderous 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'â— And there is nothing so suiteth with the hearing Sinner as Mercy and to be inform'd that God is willing to bestow it upon him I will teach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shâ—ll be Converted unto thee Nor will Christ Jesus miss of his design in profering 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 Adultress 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 her self believed on him for the saying of the woman which testified saying He told me all that ever I did John 4.39 That word He told me all that ever I did was a great Argument with them for by that they gathered That tho 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 fiâ—st 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 verse 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 tâ—e Grace of Christ. And she did the work to purpose Many and many more of the Samaritans believed on him Verse 40 41 42. The Heart of man tho set on Sin will when it comes once to a perswasion that God is willing to have Mercy upon us incline to come to Jesus Christ for life witness those turn-a-ways 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 Fâ—therless find mercy Jer. 3.22 Hos. 14.1 2 3. Mercy and the revelation thereof is the only Antidote against Sin.
render hatred for love and contempt for forgiveness so 't would be as ridiculous to think that the reception of a little kindness should lay the same obligations upon the heart to love as the reception of a great deal I would not disparage the love of Christ I know the least dram of it when it reaches to forgiveness is great above all the world But comparatively there iâ— greater extentions of the love of Chrisâ— to one than to another He that has most sin it forgiven is partaker of the greatest love of the greatest forgiveness I know also that there are some that from this very Doctrine say Let us do evil that good may come and that turn the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness But I speak not of these These will neither be ruled by Grace nor Reason Grace would teach them if they know it to deny Ungodly Courses and so would Reason too if it could truly sense the Love of God Tim. 2 11 1â— Rom. 11.1 Doth it look like what hath any Coherence with Reason or Mercy for a man to abuse his Friend Because Christ died for men shall I therefore Spit in his Face The Bread and Water that was given by Elisha to his Enemies that came the Land of Israel to take him had so mucâ— influence upon their Minds tho Heathens that they returned to their homes without hurting him Yea it kept them from coming again in a hostile manner into the Coasts of Israel 2 Kings 6.19 20 21 22 23. But to forbear to Illustrate till anon one reason why Châ—ist Jesus shews Mercy to Sinners is that he might obtain their Love that he may remove their base affections firm base objects to himself Now if he loves to be loved a little he loves to be loved much but there is not any that are capable of loving much save those that have much forgiven them Hence 't is said of Paul That he laboured more than them all to wit with a labour of love because he had been by Sin more vile against Christ than they all 1 Cor. 15. He it was that persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Gal. 1.13 He of them all was the only raving Bedlam against the Saints And being exceeding mad says he against them I persecuted them even to strange Cities Acts 26.11 This raving Bedlam that once was so is he that now says I laboured more than them all more for Christ than them all But Paul what moved thee thus to do The love of Christ says he It was not I but the grace of God that was with me As who should say O Grace 'T was such Grace to save me 'T was such marvelous Grace for God to look down from Heaven upon me and that secured me from the wrath to come that I am captivated with the sense of the richâ—s of it Hence I act hence I labour For how can I otherwise do since God not only separated me from my Sins and Companions but separated all the powers of my Soul and Body to his Service I am therefore prompted on by this exceeding love to labour as I have done yet not I but the grace of God with me Oh! I shall never forget his love nor the circumstances under which I was when his love laid hold upon me I was going to Damascus with Letters from the High Priest to make Havock of God's People there as I had made Havock of them in other places These bloody Letters was not imposed upon me I went to the High Priest and desired them of him Acts 9.1 2. And yet he saved me I was one of the men of the chief men that had a hand in the Blood of his Martyr Stephen yet he had mercy on me When I was at Damasâ—us I stunck so horribly like a Blood-sucker that I became a Terrour to all thereabout Yea Ananias good man made intercession to my Lord against me yet he would have mercy upon me Yea joyned mercy to mercy until he had made me a monument of Grace He made a Saint of the land perswaded me that my transgressions were forgiven me When I began to preach those that heard me were amazed and said Is not this he that destroyed them that called on tâ—is Name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound to the High Pâ—iest Hell doth know that I was a Sinner Heaven doth know that I was a Singer Thâ— World also knows that I was a Sinner a Sinner of the greatest size but I obtained mercy Acts 9.20 21. Shall not this lay Obliâ—ation upon me Is not Love of the greatest force to oblige Is it not strong as Death Cruel as the Grave and hotter than the Coals of Juniper Hath it not a most vehement flame Can the Waters quench it Can the Floods drown it I am under the force of it and this is my continual cry What shall I render to the Lord for all the Benefits which he has bestowâ—d upon me Ay! Paul this is something thou speakest like a Man like a man affected and carried away with the love and graâ—e of God. Now this sense and this affection and this labour giveth to Christ the love that he looks for But he might have converted twenty little sinners and yet not found for grace bestowed â—o â—uch love in them all I wonder how far a man might go among the Converted Sinners of the smaller size before one could find one that so much as look any thing this wayward Where is he that is thus under pangs of love for the Grace bestowed upon him by Jesus Christ Excepting only some few you may walk to the Worlds end and find none But as I sail some there are and so there has been in every age of the Church great sinners that have had much forgiven them And they love much upon this account Jesus Christ therefore knows what he doth when he lays hold on the hearts of sinners of the biggest size He knows that such an one will love more than many that have not sinned half their sins I will tell you a Story that I have â—ead of Martha and Mary the Name of the Book I have forgot I mean of the Book in which I found the Relation but the thing was thus Martha saith my Author was a very holy Woman much like Lazarus her Brother but Mary was a loose and wanâ—on creature Martha did seldom miss good Sermons â—nd Lectures when she could come at them in Jerusalem but Mary would frequent the house of Sports and the company of the vilest of Men for lust And though Martha had often desired that her Sister would go with her to hear her Preachers Yea had often entreated her with Tears to do it yet could she never prevail for still Many would make her excuse or reject her with disdain for her Zeal and Preciseness in Religion After Martha had waited long tried many ways to bring her Sister to good and all