The Jerusalem Sinner Saved; or Good News for the Vilest of Men by John Bunyan 1689

commandment, that mercy should in the first place be offered to the
biggest sinners. “Begin,” saith he, “at Jerusalem.” And thus I end the
third reason.
Fourthly, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered in the first place to the
biggest sinners, because that is the way, if they receive it, most to
weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to keep it lowest in every age of the
world. The biggest sinners, they are Satan’s colonels and captains, the
leaders of his people, and they that most stoutly make head against the
Son of God. Wherefore let these first be conquered, and his kingdom
will be weak. When Ishbosheth had lost his Abner, his kingdom was
made weak: nor did he sit but tottering then upon his throne. So when
Satan loseth his strong men, them that are mighty to work iniquity, and
dexterous to manage others in the same, then is his kingdom weak; 2
Sam. iii. Therefore, I say, Christ doth offer mercy in the first place to
such, the more to weaken his kingdom. Christ Jesus was glad to see
Satan fall like lightning from heaven, that is, suddenly or head long;
and it was, surely, by casting of him out of strong possessions, and by
recovering of some notorious sinners out of his clutches; Luke x. 17–19.
Samson, when he would pull down the Philistines temple, took hold of
the two main pillars of it, and breaking them, down came the house.
Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and to destroy by
converting grace, as well as by redeeming blood. Now sin swarms, and
lieth by legions, and whole armies, in the souls of the biggest sinners, as
in garrisons: wherefore the way, the most direct way to destroy it, is
first to deal with such sinners by the word of his gospel, and by the
merits of his passion.
For example, though I shall give you but a homely one: suppose a family
to be troubled with vermin, and one or two of the family to be in chief
the breeders, the way, the quickest way to clear that family, or at least to
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