salvation of the biggest sinners in his lifetime. But join to this,
this clause, which he carefully put into the apostles' commission to
preach, when he departed hence to the Father, and then you shall see
that his heart was vehemently set upon it; for these were part of his
last words with them, Preach my gospel to all nations, but see that
you begin at Jerusalem.

Nor did the apostles overlook this clause when their Lord was gone
into heaven: they went first to them of Jerusalem, and preached
Christ's gospel to them: they abode also there for a season and
time, and preached it to no body else, for they had regard to the
commandment of their Lord.

And it is to be observed, namely, that the first sermon which they
preached after the ascension of Christ, it was preached to the very
worst of these Jerusalem sinners, even to these that were the
murderers of Jesus Christ, Acts ii. 23, for these are part of the
sermon: "Ye took him, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
him." Yea, the next sermon, and the next, and also the next to that,
was preached to the self-same murderers, to the end they might be
saved; Acts iii. 14-16; chap. iv. 10, 11; chap. v. 30; chap. vii. 52.

But we will return to the first sermon that was preached to these
Jerusalem sinners, by which will be manifest more than great grace,
if it be duly considered.

For after that Peter, and the rest of the apostles, had, in their
exhortation, persuaded these wretches to believe that they had killed
the Prince of life, and after they had duly fallen under the guilt of
their murder, saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" he