N03023:167
The Jerusalem-sinner saved: or, Good news for the vilest of men, being a help…
The Jerusalem-sinner saved: or, Good news for the vilest of men, being a help for despairing souls: showing that Jesus Christ would have mercy in the first place offered to the biggest sinners. : In which is added, an answer to those grand objections that lie in the ways of them that would believe: for the comfort of those that fear they have sinned against the Holy Ghost / by John Bunyan of Bedford.The Jerusalem-sinner saved: or, Good news for the vilest of men, being a help for despairing souls: shewing that Jesus Christ would have mercy in the first place offered to the biggest sinners. : In which is added, an answer to those grand objections that lie in the ways of them that would believe: for the comfort of those that fear they have sinned against the Holy Ghost / by John Bunyan of Bedford.
Boston: printed for J. Edwards and H. Foster, 1733
Title page typeset from the transcription.
GOOD NEWS For the Vilest of Men: OR A Help for Despairing SOULS.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Angels now come down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a b•t of Dust and Ashes to overcome Principalities and Powers, and Dominions. But as I said, when these come a little to be settled, ⟨p. 49⟩they are prepared for Help for others, and are great Comforts unto them. Their great Sins give encouragement to the Devil to assault them, and by these Temptations Christ takes Advantage to make them the more helpful to the Churches.
The biggest Sinner, when he is Converted and come into the Church, says to them all, by his very coming in, Behold me, all you that are Men and Women of a low and timorous Spirit; you whose hearts are narrow, for that you never had the advantage to know (because your Sins are few) the largeness of God. Behold I say, in me the exceeding Riches of his Grace; I am a pattern set forth before your Faces, on whom you may look and take Heart. This I say, the great Sinner can say, to the exceeding Comfort of all the rest.
The biggest Sinner, when he is Converted and come into the Church, says to them all, by his very coming in, Behold me, all you that are Men and Women of a low and timerous Spirit; you whose hearts are narrow, for that you never had the advantage to know (because your Sins are few) the largeness of God. Behold I say, in me the exceeding Riches of his Grace; I am a pattern set forth before your Faces, on whom you may look and take Heart. This I say, the great Sinner can say, to the exceeding Comfort of all the rest.
Wherefore as I have hinted before, when God intends to stock a place with Saints, and to make that Place excellently to flourish with the Riches of his Grace, he usually begins with the Conversion of some of the most notorious thereabouts, and lays them as an Example to allure others, and to build them up when they are converted.