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 sinners.

Take therefore encouragement, man, mercy is, by the text, held forth
to the biggest sinners; yea, put thyself into the number of the
worst, by reckoning that thou mayst be one of the first, and mayst
not be put off till the biggest sinners are served; for the biggest
sinners are first invited; consequently, if they come, they are like
to be the first that shall be served. It was so with Jerusalem;
Jerusalem sinners were they that were first invited, and those of
them that came first (and there came three thousand of them the first
day they were invited; how many came afterwards none can tell), they
were first served.

Put in thy name, man, among the biggest, lest thou art made to wait
till they are served. You have some men that think themselves very