And do you not think now, that if God would but take hold of the
hearts of some of the most notorious in your town, in your family, or
country, that this thing would be verified before your faces? It
would, it would, to the joy of you that are godly, to the making of
hell to sigh, to the great suppressing of sin, the glory of Christ,
and the joy of the angels of God. And ministers should, therefore,
that this work might go on, take advantages to persuade with the
biggest sinners to come into Christ, according to my text, and their
commissions; "Beginning at Jerusalem."

Fifthly, Jesus Christ would have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners; because such, when converted, are usually the
best helps in the church against temptations, and fittest for the
support of the feeble-minded there. Hence, usually, you have some
such in the first plantation of churches, or quickly upon it.
Churches would do but sorrily, if Christ Jesus did not put such
converts among them: they are the monuments and mirrors of mercy.
The very sight of such a sinner in God's house, yea, the very thought
of him, where the sight of him cannot be had, is ofttimes greatly for
the help of the faith of the feeble.

"When the churches (said Paul) that were in Judea, heard this
concerning me, that he which persecuted them in time past, now
preached the faith which once he destroyed, they glorified God in
me;" Gal. i. 20-24.

"Glorified God." How is that? Why, they praised him, and took
courage to believe the more in the mercy of God; for that he had had
mercy on such a great sinner as he. They glorified God "in me;" they