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

the heart of Christ to men. Indeed we have advantage to guess at the
goodness of his heart, by many things; as by his taking our nature upon
him, his dying for us, his sending his word and ministers to us, and all
that we might be saved. But this of beginning to offer mercy to
Jerusalem, is that which heightens all the rest; for this doth not only
confirm to us, that love was the cause of his dying for us, but it shews us
yet more the depth of that love. He might have died for us, and yet have
extended the benefit of his death to a few, as one might call them, of the
best conditioned sinners, to those who, though they were weak, and
could not but sin, yet made not a trade of sinning; to those that sinned
not lavishingly. There are in the world, as one may call them, the
moderate sinners; the sinners that mix righteousness with their
pollutions; the sinners that though they be sinners, do what on their
part lies (some that are blind would think so) that they might be saved. I
say, it had been love, great love, if he had died for none but such, and
sent his love to such: but that he should send out conditions of peace to
the biggest of sinners; yea, that they should be offered to them first of
all; (for so he means when he says, “Begin at Jerusalem;”) this is
wonderful! this shews his heart to purpose, as also the heart of God his
Father, who sent him to do thus.
There is nothing more incident to men that are awake in their souls,
than to have wrong thoughts of God; thoughts that are narrow, and that
pinch and pen up his mercy to scanty and beggarly conclusions, and
rigid legal conditions; supposing that it is rude, and an intrenching
upon his majesty, to come ourselves, or to invite others, until we have
scraped and washed, and rubbed off as much of our dirt from us as we
think is convenient, to make us somewhat orderly and handsome in his
sight. Such never knew what these words meant, “Begin at Jerusalem:”
yea, such in their hearts have compared the Father and his Son to
niggardly rich men, whose money comes from them like drops of
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