you that this was the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ in his
lifetime, but his last will when he went up to God; saying, Begin to
preach at Jerusalem.

Yea, it is yet further manifested, in that when his ministers first
began to preach there, he joined his power to the word, to the
converting of thousands of his betrayers and murderers, and also many
of the ringleading priests to the faith.

I shall now proceed, and shall show you,

1. The reasons of the point:

2. And then make some application of the whole.

The observation, you know, is this: Jesus Christ would have mercy
offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem
sinners: "Preach repentance, and remission of sins, in my name,
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

The reasons of the point are:

First, Because the biggest sinners have most need thereof. He that
has most need, reason says, should be helped first. I mean, when a
helping hand is offered, and now it is: for the gospel of the grace
of God is sent to help the world; Acts xvi. 9. But the biggest
sinner has most need. Therefore, in reason, when mercy is sent down
from heaven to men, the worst of men should have the first offer of
it. "Begin at Jerusalem." This is the reason which the Lord Christ
himself renders, why in his lifetime he left the best, and turned him