these great sin-breeders; I infected all the youth of the town where
I was born, with all manner of youthful vanities. The neighbours
counted me so; my practice proved me so: wherefore Christ Jesus took
me first, and taking me first, the contagion was much allayed all the
town over. When God made me sigh, they would hearken, and
enquiringly say, What is the matter with John? They also gave their
various opinions of me: but, as I said, sin cooled, and failed, as
to his full career. When I went out to seek the bread of life, some
of them would follow, and the rest be put into a muse at home. Yea,
almost the town, at first, at times would go out to hear at the place
where I found good; yea, young and old for a while had some
reformation on them; also some of them, perceiving that God had mercy
upon me, came crying to him for mercy too.

But what need I give you an instance of poor I; I will come to
Manasseh the king. So long as he was a ring-leading sinner, the
great idolater, the chief for devilism, the whole land flowed with
wickedness; for he "made them to sin," and do worse than the heathen
that dwelt round about them, or that was cast out from before them:
but when God converted him, the whole land was reformed. Down went
the groves, the idols, and altars of Baal, and up went true religion
in much of the power and purity of it. You will say, The king
reformed by power. I answer, doubtless, and by example too; for
people observe their leaders; as their fathers did, so did they; 2
Chron. xxxiii. 2.

This, therefore, is another reason why Jesus would have mercy offered
in the first place to the biggest sinners, because that is the best
way, if they receive it, most to weaken the kingdom of Satan, and to
keep it poor and low.