wherefore up and shoulder it, man; say, Stand away, devil, Christ
calls me; stand away unbelief, Christ calls me; stand away all 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 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 biggest sinners to make their
application to Christ for mercy? "Come unto me all ye that labour and
are heavy laden," doth also confirm this thing; that is, that the
biggest 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,. Come, to thee, let thee 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 biggest 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 groaningly
complains of thee, saying, "But Israel would none of me." "When I
called, none did answer;" Psl. lxxxi. 11; Isa. lxvi. 4.