the jerusalem sinner saved-第1章

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The　Jerusalem　Sinner　Saved

or；　GOOD　NEWS　FOR　THE　VILEST　OF　MEN

by　John　Bunyan







BEGINNING　AT　JERUSALEM。Luke　xxiv。　47。

The　whole　verse　runs　thus：　　〃And　that　repentance　and　remission　of
sins　should　be　preached　in　his　name　among　all　nations；　beginning　at
Jerusalem。〃

The　words　were　spoken　by　Christ；　after　he　rose　from　the　dead；　and
they　are　here　rehearsed　after　an　historical　manner；　but　do　contain　in
them　a　formal　commission；　with　a　special　clause　therein。　　The
commission　is；　as　you　see；　for　the　preaching　of　the　gospel；　and　is
very　distinctly　inserted　in　the　holy　record　by　Matthew　and　Mark。　　〃Go
teach　all　nations；〃　&c。　　〃Go　ye　into　all　the　world；　and　preach　the
gospel　unto　every　creature。〃　　Matt。　xxviii。　19；　Mark　xvi。　15。　　Only
this　cause　is　in　special　mentioned　by　Luke；　who　saith；　That　as　Christ
would　have　the　doctrine　of　repentance　and　remission　of　sins　preached
in　his　name　among　all　nations；　so　he　would　have　the　people　of
Jerusalem　to　have　the　first　proffer　thereof。　　Preach　it；　saith
Christ；　in　all　nations；　but　begin　at　Jerusalem。

The　apostles　then；　though　they　had　a　commission　so　large　as　to　give
them　warrant　to　go　and　preach　the　gospel　in　all　the　world；　yet　by
this　clause　they　were　limited　as　to　the　beginning　of　their　ministry：
they　were　to　begin　this　work　at　Jerusalem。　　〃Beginning　at　Jerusalem。〃

Before　I　proceed　to　an　observation　upon　the　words；　I　must　（but
briefly）　touch　upon　two　things：　　namely；

I。　　Show　you　what　Jerusalem　now　was。

II。　　Show　you　what　it　was　to　preach　the　gospel　to　them。

I。　　For　the　first；　Jerusalem　is　to　be　considered；　either；

1。　　With　respect　to　the　descent　of　her　people：　　or；

2。　　With　respect　to　her　preference　and　exaltation：　　or；

3。　　With　respect　to　her　present　state；　as　to　her　decays。

First；　As　to　her　descent：　　she　was　from　Abraham；　the　sons　of　Jacob；　a
people　that　God　singled　out　from　the　rest　of　the　nations　to　set　his
love　upon　them。

Secondly；　As　to　her　preference　or　exaltation；　she　was　the　place　of
God's　worship；　and　that　which　had　in　and　with　her　the　special　tokens
and　signs　of　God's　favour　and　presence；　above　any　other　people　in　the
world。　　Hence　the　tribes　went　up　to　Jerusalem　to　worship；　there　was
God's　house；　God's　high…priest；　God's　sacrifices　accepted；　and　God's
eye；　and　God's　heart　perpetually；　Psalm　lxxvi。　1；　2；　Psalm　cxxii。；　1
Kings　ix。　3。　　But；

Thirdly；　We　are　to　consider　Jerusalem　also　in　her　decays；　for　as　she
is　so　considered；　she　is　the　proper　object　of　our　text；　as　will　be
further　showed　by　and　by。

Jerusalem；　as　I　told　you；　was　the　place　and　seat　of　God's　worship；
but　now　decayed；　degenerated；　and　apostatized。　　The　word；　the　rule　of
worship；　was　rejected　of　them；　and　in　its　place　they　had　put　and　set
up　their　own　traditions；　they　had　rejected　also　the　most　weighty
ordinances；　and　put　in　the　room　thereof　their　own　little　things；
Matt。　xv。；　Mark　vii。　　Jerusalem　was　therefore　now　greatly
backsliding；　and　become　the　place　where　truth　and　true　religion　were
much　defaced。

It　was　also　now　become　the　very　sink　of　sin　and　seat　of　hypocrisy；
and　gulf　where　true　religion　was　drowned。　　Here　also　now　reigned
presumption；　and　groundless　confidence　in　God；　which　is　the　bane　of
souls。　　Amongst　its　rulers；　doctors；　and　leaders；　envy；　malice；　and
blasphemy　vented　itself　against　the　power　of　godliness；　in　all　places
where　it　was　espied；　as　also　against　the　promoters　of　it；　yea；　their
Lord　and　Maker　could　not　escape　them。

In　a　word；　Jerusalem　was　now　become　the　shambles；　the　very　slaughter…
shop　for　saints。　　This　was　the　place　wherein　the　prophets；　Christ；
and　his　people；　were　most　horribly　persecuted　and　murdered。　　Yea；　so
hardened　at　this　time　was　this　Jerusalem　in　her　sins；　that　she　feared
not　to　commit　the　biggest；　and　to　bind　herself　by　wish　under　the
guilt　and　damning　evil　of　it；　saying；　when　she　had　murdered　the　Son
of　God；　〃His　blood　be　upon　us　and　our　children。〃

And　though　Jesus　Christ　did；　both　by　doctrine；　miracles；　and　holiness
of　life；　seek　to　put　a　stop　to　their　villanies；　yet　they　shut　their
eyes；　stopped　their　ears；　and　rested　not；　till；　as　was　hinted　before；
they　had　driven　him　out　of　the　world。　　Yea；　that　they　might；　if
possible；　have　extinguished　his　name；　and　exploded　his　doctrine　out
of　the　world；　they；　against　all　argument；　and　in　despite　of　Heaven；
its　mighty　hand；　and　undeniable　proof　of　his　resurrection；　did　hire
soldiers　to　invent　a　lie；　saying；　his　disciples　stole　him　away　from
the　grave；　on　purpose　that　men　might　not　count　him　the　Saviour　of　the
world；　nor　trust　in　him　for　the　remission　of　sins。

They　were；　saith　Paul；　contrary　to　all　men：　　for　they　did　not　only
shut　up　the　door　of　life　against　themselves；　but　forbade　that　it
should　be　opened　to　any　else。　　〃Forbidding　us；〃　saith　he；　〃to　preach
to　the　Gentiles；　that　they　might　be　saved；　to　fill　up　their　sins
alway；〃　Matt。　xxiii。　35；　chap。　xv。　7…9；　Mark　vii。　6…8；　Matt。　iii。　7…
9；　John　viii。　33；　41；　Matt。　xxvii。　18；　Mark　iii。　30；　Matt。　xxiii。　37；
Luke　xiii。　33；　34；　Matt。　xxvii。　25；　chap。　xx。　11…16；　1　Thess。　ii。　14…
16。

This　is　the　city；　and　these　are　the　people；　this　is　their　character；
and　these　are　their　sins：　　nor　can　there　be　produced　their　parallel
in　all　this　world。　　Nay；　what　world；　what　people；　what　nation；　for
sin　and　transgression；　could；　or　can　be　compared　to　Jerusalem！
especially　if　you　join　to　the　matter　of　fact　the　light　they　sinned
against；　and　the　patience　which　they　abused。　　Infinite　was　the
wickedness　upon　this　account　which　they　committed。

After　all　their　abusings　of　wise　men；　and　prophets；　God　sent　unto
them　John　Baptist；　to　reduce　them；　and　then　his　Son　to　redeem　them；
but　they　would　be　neither　reduced　nor　redeemed；　but　persecuted　both
to　the　death。　　Nor　did　they；　as　I　said；　stop　here；　the　holy　apostles
they　afterwards　persecuted　also　to　death；　even　so　many　as　they　could；
the　rest　they　drove　from　them　unto　the　utmost　corners。

II。　　I　come　now　to　show　you　what　it　was　to　preach　the　gospel　to　them。
It　was；　saith　Luke；　〃to　preach　to　them　repentance　and　remission　of
sins〃　in　Christ's　name；　or；　as　Mark　has　it；　to　bid　them　〃repent　and
believe　the　gospel；〃　Mark　i。　15；　not　that　repentance　is　a　cause　of
remission；　but　a　sign　of　our　hearty　reception　thereof。　　Repentance　is
therefore　here　put　to　intimate；　that　no　pretended　faith　of　the　gospel
is　good　that　is　not　accompanied　with　it：　　and　this　he　doth　on
purpose；　because　he　would　not　have　them　deceive　themselves：　　for　with
what　faith　can　he　expect　remission　of　sins　in　the　name　of　Christ；
that　is　not　heartily　sorry　for　them？　　Or　how　shall　a　man　be　able　to
give　to　others　a　satisfactory　account　of　his　unfeigned　subjection　to
the　gospel；　that　yet　abides　in　his　impenitency？

Wherefore　repentance　is　here　joined　with　faith　in　the　way　of
receiving　the　gospel。　　Faith　is　that　without　which　it　cannot　be
received　at　all；　and　repentance　that　without　which　it　cannot　be
received　unfeignedly。　　When　therefore　Christ　says；　he　would　have
repentance　and　remission　of　sins　preached　in　his　name　among　all
nations；　it　is　as　much　as　to　say；　I　will　that　all　men　every　where　be
sorry　for　their　sins；　and　accept　of　mercy　at　God's　hand　through　me；
lest　they　fall　under　his　wrath　in　the　judgment。　　For　as　I　had　said；
without　repentance；　what　pretence　soever　men　have　of　faith；　they
cannot　escape　the　wrath　to　come。　　Wherefore　Paul　saith；　God　commands
〃all　men　every　where　to　repent；〃　（in　order　to　their　salvation）；
〃because　he　hath　appointed　a　day　in　the　which　he　will　judge　the　world
in　righteousness　by　that　man　whom　he　hath　ordained；〃　Acts　xvii。　31。

And　now　to　come　to　this　clause；　〃Beginning　at　Jerusalem；〃　that　is；
that　Christ　would　have　Jerusalem　have　the　first　offer　of　the　gospel。

1。　　This　cannot　be　so　commanded；　because　they　had　now　any　more　right
of　themselves　thereto　than　had　any　of　the　nations　of　the　world；　for
their　sins　had　divested　them　of　all　self…deservings。

2。　　Nor　yet；　because　they　stood　upon　the　advance…ground　with　the
worst　of　the　sinners　of　the　nations；　nay；　rather；　the　sinners　of　the
nations　had　the　advance…ground　of　them：　　for　Jerusalem　was；　long
before　she　had　added　this　iniquity　to　her　sin；　worse　than　the　very
nations　that　God　cast　out　before　the　children　of　Israel；　2　Chron。
xxxiii。

3。　　It　must　therefore　follow；　that　this　clause；　Begin　at　Jerusalem；
was　put　into　this　commission　of　mere　grace　and　compassion；　even　from
the　overflowings　of　the　bowels　of　mercy；　for　indeed　they　were　the
worst；　and　so　in　the　most　deplorable　condition　of　any　people　under
the　heavens。

Whatever；　therefore；　their　relation　was　to　Abraham；　Isaac；　or　Jacob；
however　they　formerly　had　been　the　people　among　whom　God　had　placed
his　name　and　worship；　they　were　now　degenerated　from　God；　more　than
the　nations　were　from　their　idols；　and　were　become　guilty　of　the
highest　sins　which　the　people　of　the　world　were　capable　of
committing。　　Nay；　none　can　be　capable　of　committing　of　such
pardonable　sins　as　they　committed　against　their　God；　when　they　slew
his　Son；　and　persecuted　his　name　and　word。

From　these　words；　therefore；　thus　explained；　we　gain　this
observation：

That　Jesus　Christ　would　have　mercy　offered　in　the　first　place　to　the
biggest　sinners。

That　these　Jerusalem　sinners　were　the　biggest　sinners　that　ever　were
in　the　world；　I　think　none　will　deny；　that　believes　that　Christ　was
the　best　man　that　ever　was　in　the　world；　and　also　was　their　Lord　God。
And　that　they　were　to　have　the　first　offer　of　his　grace；　the　text　is
as　clear　as　the　sun；　for　it　saith；　〃Begin　at　Jerusalem。〃　　〃Preach；〃
saith　he；　〃repentance　and　remission　of　sins〃　to　the　Jerusalem
sinners：　　to　the　Jerusalem　sinners　in　the　first　place。

One　would　a…thought；　since　the　Jerusalem　sinners　were　the　worst　and
greatest　sinners；　Christ's　greatest　enemies；　and　those　that　not　only
despised　his　person；　doctrine；　and　miracles；　but　that　a　little　before
had　had　their　hands　up　to　the　elbows　in　his　heart…blood；　that　he
should　rather　have　said；　Go　into　all　the　world；　and　preach　repentance
and　remission　of　sins　among　all　nations；　and　after　that　offer　the
same　to　Jerusalem；　yea；　it　had　been　infinite　grace；　if　he　had　said
so。　　But　what　grace　is　this；　or　what　name　shall　we　give　it；　when　he
commands　that　this　repentance　and　remission　of　sins；　which　is
designed　to　be　preached　in　all　nations；　should　first　be　offered　to
Jerusalem；　in　the　first　place　to　the　worst　of　sinners！

Nor　was　this　the　first　time　that　the　grace　which　was　in　the　heart　of
Christ　thus　shewed　itself　to　the　world。　　For　while　he　was　yet　alive；
even　while　he　was　yet　in　Jerusalem；　and　perceived　even　among　these
Jerusalem　sinners；　which　was　the　most　vile　amongst　them；　he　still　in
his　preaching　did　signify　that　he　had　a　desire　that　the　worst　of
these　worst　should　in　the　first　place　come　unto　him。　　The　which　he
showeth；　where　he　saith　to　the　better　sort　of　them；　〃The　publicans
and　harlots　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　God　before　you；〃　Matt。　xxi。　31。
Also　when　he　compared　Jerusalem　with　the　sinners　of　the　nations；　then
he　commands　that　the　Jerusalem　sinners　should　have　the　gospel　at
present　confined　to　them。　　〃Go　not；〃　saith　he；　〃into　the　way　of　the
Gentiles；　and　into　any　of　the　cities　of　the　Samar