Charlotte M. Yonge - "The Pillars of the House, V1"

Thornton W. Burgess - "Lightfoot the Deer"

Emile Zola - "The Three Cities Trilogy: Lourdes, Vol. 3"

Arthur M. Winfield - "The Rover Boys in the Jungle"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1




Here is Adam, the destroyer of the world; here is Lot, that lay
with both his daughters; here is Abraham, that was sometime an
idolater; and Jacob, that was a supplanter; and Reuben, that lay with
his father's concubine; and Judah, that lay with his daughter-in-law;
and Levi and Simeon, that wickedly slew the Shechemites; and Aaron,
that made an idol to be worshipped, and that proclaimed a religious
feast unto it. Here is also Rahab the harlot, and Bathsheba, that
bare a bastard to David. Here is Solomon, that great backslider;
and Manasseh, that man of blood and a witch. Time would fail to
tell you of the woman of Canaan's daughter, of Mary Magdalene, of
Matthew the publican, and of Gideon and Samson, and many thousands
more.

Alas! alas! I say, what will these sinners do, that have, through
their unbelief, eclipsed the glorious largeness of the mercy of
God, and gave way to despair of salvation, because of the bigness
of their sins? For all these, though now glorious saints in light,
were sometimes sinners of the biggest size, who had sins that were
of a notorious hue; yet now, I say, they are in their shining and
heavenly robes before the throne of God and of the Lamb, blessing
for ever and ever that Son of God for their salvation, who died for
them upon the tree; admiring that ever it should come into their
hearts once to think of coming to God by Christ; but above all,
blessing God for granting of them light to see those encouragements
in his Testament; without which, without doubt, they had been
daunted, and sunk down under guilt of sin and despair, as their
fellow-sinners have done. But now they also are witnesses for God,
and for his grace, against an unbelieving world; for, as I said,
they shall come to convince the world of their speeches, their hard
and unbelieving words, that they have spoken concerning the mercy
of God, and the merits of the passion of his blessed Son, Jesus
Christ.

But will it not, think you, strangely put to silence all such
thoughts, and words, and reasons of the ungodly before the bar
of God? Doubtless it will; yea, and will send them away from his
presence also, with the greatest guilt that possibly can fasten
upon the consciences of men.

For what will sting like this?--'I have, through mine own foolish,
narrow, unworthy, undervaluing thoughts, of the love and ability
of Christ to save me, brought myself to everlasting ruin. It is
true, I was a horrible sinner; not one in a hundred did live so
vile a life as I. But this should not have kept me from closing
with Jesus Christ. I see now that there are abundance in glory
that once were as bad as I have been; but they were saved by faith,
and I am damned by unbelief. Wretch that I am! why did not I give
glory to the redeeming blood of Jesus? Why did I not humbly cast
my soul at his blessed footstool for mercy? Why did I judge of
his ability to save me by the voice of my shallow reason, and the
voice of a guilty conscience? Why betook not I myself to the holy
Word of God? Why did I not read and pray that I might understand,
since now I perceive that God said then, He giveth liberally to
them that pray, and upbraideth not' (James 1:5).

It is rational to think, that by such cogitations as these, the
unbelieving world will be torn in pieces before the judgment of
Christ; especially those that have lived where they did or might
have heard the gospel of the grace of God. Oh! that saying, 'It
shall be more tolerable for Sodom at the judgment than for them,'
will be better understood (Luke 10:8-12). This reason, therefore,
standeth fast; namely, that Christ, by offering mercy, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners now, will stop all the mouths
of the impenitent at the day of judgment, and cut off all excuse that
shall be attempted to be made, from the thoughts of the greatness
of their sins, why they came not to him.

I have often thought of the day of judgment, and how God will
deal with sinners at that day; and I believe it will be managed
with that sweetness, with that equitableness, with that excellent
righteousness, as to every sin, and circumstance and aggravation
thereof, that men that are damned, shall, before the judgment is over,
receive such conviction of the righteous judgment of God upon them,
and of their deserts of hell-fire, that they shall in themselves
conclude, that there is all the reason in the world that they should
be shut out of heaven, and go to hell-fire: 'These shall go away
into everlasting punishment' (Matt 25:46).24

Only this will tear [them,] that they have missed of mercy and
glory, and obtained everlasting damnation, through their unbelief;
but it will tear but themselves, but their own souls; they will
gnash upon themselves, for that mercy was offered to the chief of
them in the first place, and yet they were damned for rejecting of
it; they were damned for forsaking what they had a propriety in;
for forsaking their own mercy.

And thus much for the reasons. Second, I will conclude with a word
of application.

THE APPLICATION.

First, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then this shows us how to make a right
judgment of 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
use of his dying for us, but it shows 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 so 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 shows 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.25 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 blood. True, say such, God has mercy, but he
is loath to part with it; you must please him well, if you get any
from him; he is not so free as many suppose, nor is he so willing
to save as some pretended gospellers imagine. But I ask such, if
the Father and Son be not unspeakably free to show mercy, why was
this clause put into our commission to preach the gospel? Yea, why
did he say, 'Begin at Jerusalem': for when men, through the weakness
of their wits, have attempted to show other reasons why they would
have the first proffer of mercy; yet I can prove, by many undeniable
reasons, that they of Jerusalem, to whom the apostles made the first
offer, according as they were commanded, were the biggest sinners
that ever did breathe upon the face of God's earth (set the
unpardonable sin aside); upon which [fact] my doctrine stands like
a rock, that Jesus the Son of God would have mercy, in the first
place, offered to the biggest sinners. And if this doth not show the
heart of the Father and the Son to be infinitely free in bestowing
forgiveness of sins, I confess myself mistaken.

Neither is there, set this aside, another argument like it, to
show us the willingness of Christ to save sinners; for, as was said
before, all the rest of the signs of Christ's mercifulness might
have been limited to sinners that are so and so qualified; but when
he says, 'Begin at Jerusalem,' the line is stretched out to the
utmost; no man can imagine beyond it; and it is folly here to pinch
and spare, to narrow, and seek to bring it within scanty bounds;
for he plainly saith, 'Begin at Jerusalem,' the biggest sinner is
the biggest sinner; the biggest is the Jerusalem sinner.

It is true, he saith, that repentance and remission of sins must
go together, but yet remission is sent to the chief, the Jerusalem
sinner; nor doth repentance lessen at all the Jerusalem sinner's
crimes; it diminisheth none of his sins, nor causes that there
should be so much as half an one the fewer; it only puts a stop to
the Jerusalem sinner's course, and makes him willing to be saved
freely by grace; and for time to come to be governed by that blessed
word that has brought the tidings of good things to him. Besides,
no man shows himself willing to be saved that repenteth not of his
deeds; for he that goes on still in his trespasses, declares that
he is resolved to pursue his own damnation further.

Learn then to judge of the largeness of God's heart, and of
the heart of his Son Jesus Christ, by the Word; judge not thereof
by feeling, nor by the reports of thy conscience; conscience is
ofttimes here befooled, and made to go quite beside the Word. It
was judging without the Word that made David say, I am cast off
from God's eyes, and 'shall perish one day by the hand of Saul' (Psa
31:22; 1 Sam 27:1). The Word had told him another thing; namely,
that he should be king in his stead. Our text says also, that Jesus
Christ bids preachers, in their preaching repentance and remission
of sins, begin first at Jerusalem; thereby declaring most truly
the infinite largeness of the merciful heart of God and his Son,
to the sinful children of men. Judge thou, I say, therefore, of
the goodness of the heart of God and his Son, by this text, and by
others of the same import; so shalt thou not dishonour the grace
of God, nor needlessly fright thyself, nor give away thy faith,
nor gratify the devil, nor lose the benefit of God's Word. I speak
now to weak believers.

Second, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners, to the Jerusalem sinners? Then, by this
also, you must learn to judge of the sufficiency of the merits of
Christ; not that the merits of Christ can be comprehended, for that
they are beyond the conceptions of the whole world, being called
'the unsearchable riches of Christ'; but yet they may be apprehended
to a considerable degree. Now, the way to apprehend them most, is,
to consider what offers, after his resurrection, he makes of his
grace to sinners; for to be sure he will not offer beyond the virtue
of his merits; because, as grace is the cause of his merits, so his
merits are the basis and bounds upon and by which his grace stands
good, and is let out to sinners. Doth he then command that his
mercy should be offered, in the first place, to the biggest sinners?
It declares, that there is a sufficiency in his blood to save the
biggest sinners. 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all
sin.' And again, 'Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren,
that through this man [this man's merits] is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law
of Moses' (Acts 13:38).

Observe, then, thy rule to make judgment of the sufficiency of
the blessed merits of thy Saviour. If he had not been able to have
reconciled the biggest sinners to his Father by his blood, he would
not have sent to them, have sent to them in the first place, the
doctrine of remission of sins; for remission of sins is through
faith in his blood. We are justified freely by the grace of God,
through the redemption that is in the blood of Christ. Upon the
square, as I may call it, of the worthiness of the blood of Christ,
grace acts, and offers forgiveness of sin to men (Eph 1:7; 2:13,14;
Col 1:20-22). Hence, therefore, we must gather, that the blood
of Christ is of infinite value, for that he offereth mercy to the
biggest of sinners. Nay, further, since he offereth mercy, in the
first place, to the biggest sinners, considering also, that this
first act of his is that which the world will take notice of, and
expect it should be continued unto the end. Also it is a disparagement
to a man that seeks his own glory in what he undertakes, to do that
for a spurt, which he cannot continue and hold out in. This is our
Lord's own argument, He began to build, saith he, but was not able
to finish (Luke 14:30).

Shouldst thou hear a man say, I am resolved to be kind to the
poor, and should begin with giving handfuls of guineas, you would
conclude, that either he is wonderful rich, or must straiten his
hand, or will soon be at the bottom of his riches. Why, this is
the case: Christ, at his resurrection, gave it out that he would
be good to the world; and first sends to the biggest sinners, with
an intent to have mercy on them. Now, the biggest sinners cannot
be saved but by abundance of grace; it is not a little that will
save great sinners (Rom 5:17). And I say again, since the Lord Jesus
mounts thus high at the first, and sends to the Jerusalem sinners,
that they may come first to partake of his mercy, it follows, that
either he has unsearchable riches of grace and worth in himself,
or else he must straiten his hand, or his grace and merits will
be spent before the world is at an end. But let it be believed,
as surely as spoken, he is still as full as ever. He is not a jot
the poorer for all the forgiveness tha the has given away to great
sinners. Also he is still as free as at first; for he never yet
called back this word, Begin at the Jerusalem sinners. And, as
I said, since his grace is extended according to the worth of his
merits. I conclude, that there is the same virtue in his merits
to save now, as there was at the very beginning, Oh! the riches of
the grace of Christ! Oh! the riches of the blood of Christ!

Third, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered in the first place to
the biggest sinners? Then here is encouragement for you that think,
for wicked hearts and lives, you have not your fellows in the world,
yet to come to him.

There is a people that therefore fear lest they should be rejected
of Jesus Christ, because of the greatness of their sins; when, as
you see here, such are sent to, sent to by Jesus Christ, to come
to him for mercy: 'Begin at Jerusalem.' Never did one thing answer
another more fitly in this world, than this text fitteth such a
kind of sinners. As face answereth face in a glass, so this text
answereth the necessities of such sinners. What can a man say more,
but that he stands in the rank of the biggest sinners? let him
stretch himself whither he can, and think of himself to the utmost,
he can but conclude himself to be one of the biggest sinners. And
what then? Why, the text meets him in the very face, and saith,
Christ offereth mercy to the biggest sinners, to the very Jerusalem
sinners. What more can be objected? Nay, he doth not only offer to
such his mercy, but to them it is commanded to be offered in the
first place: 'Begin at Jerusalem.' 'Preach repentance and remission
of sins among all nations: beginning at Jerusalem.' Is not here
encouragement for those that think, for wicked hearts and lives,
they have not their fellows in the world?

Objection. But I have a heart as hard as a rock.

Answer. Well, but this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner.

Objection. But my heart continually frets against the Lord.

Answer. Well, this doth but prove thee a biggest sinner.

Objection. But I have been desperate in sinful courses.

Answer. Well, stand thou with the number of the biggest sinners.

Objection. But my gray head is found in the way of wickedness.

Answer. Well, thou art in the rank of the biggest sinners.

Objection. But I have not only a base heart, but I have lived a
debauched life.

Answer. Stand thou also among those that are called the biggest
sinners. And what then? Why, the text swoops you all; you cannot
object yourselves beyond the text. It has a particular message to
the biggest sinners. I say, it swoops you all.26

Objection. But I am a reprobate.

Answer. Now thou talkest like a fool, and meddlest with what thou
understandest not: no sin, but the sin of final impenitence, can
prove a man a reprobate; and I am sure thou hast not arrived as
yet unto that; therefore thou understandest not what thou sayest,
and makest groundless conclusions against thyself. Say thou art
a sinner, and I will hold with thee; say thou art a great sinner,
and I will say so too; yea, say thou art one of the biggest sinners,
and spare not; for the text yet is beyond thee, is yet betwixt hell
and thee; 'Begin at Jerusalem' has yet a smile upon thee; and thou
talkest as if thou wast a reprobate, and that the greatness of
thy sins do prove thee so to be, when yet they of Jerusalem were
not such, whose sins, I dare say, were such, both for bigness and
heinousness, as thou art not capable of committing beyond them;
unless now, after thou hast received conviction that the Lord
Jesus is the only Saviour of the world, thou shouldst wickedly and
despitefully turn thyself from him, and conclude he is not to be
trusted to for life, and so crucify him for a cheat afresh. This,
I must confess, will bring a man under the black rod, and set him
in danger of eternal damnation (Heb 6:7,8; 10:8,9). This is trampling
under foot the Son of God, and counting his blood an unholy thing.
This did they of Jerusalem; but they did it ignorantly in unbelief,
and so were yet capable of mercy; but to do this against professed
light, and to stand to it, puts a man beyond the text indeed (Acts
3:14-17; 1 Tim 1:13).

But I say, what is this to him that would fain be saved by Christ?
His sins did, as to greatness, never yet reach to the nature of
the sins that the sinners intended by the text had made themselves
guilty of. He that would be saved by Christ, has an honourable
esteem of him; but they of Jerusalem preferred a murderer before
him; and as for him, they cried, Away, away with him, it is not fit
that he should live. Perhaps thou wilt object, That thyself hast a
thousand times preferred a stinking lust before him: I answer, Be
it so; it is but what is common to men to do; nor doth the Lord
Jesus make such a foolish life a bar to thee, to forbid thy coming
to him, or a bond to his grace, that it might be kept from thee;
but admits of thy repentance, and offereth himself unto thee freely,
as thou standest among the Jerusalem sinners.

Take therefore encouragement, man; mercy is, by the text, held
forth to the biggest sinners; yea, put thyself into the number of
the worst, by reckoning that thou mayest be one of the first, and
mayest not be put off till the biggest sinners are served; for
the biggest sinners are first invited; consequently, if they come,
they are like to be the first that shall be served. It was so with
Jerusalem; Jerusalem sinners were they that were first invited,
and those of them that came first--and there came three thousand
of them the first day they were invited; how many came afterwards
none can tell--they were first served.

Put in thy name, man, among the biggest, lest thou art made to wait
till they are served. You have some men that think themselves very
cunning, because they put up their names in their prayers among
them that feign it, saying, God, I thank thee I am not so bad as
the worst. But believe it, if they be saved at all, they shall be
saved in the last place. The first in their own eyes shall be served
last; and the last or worst shall be first. The text insinuates
it, 'Begin at Jerusalem'; and reason backs it, for they have most
need. Behold ye, therefore, how God's ways are above ours; we are
for serving the worst last, God is for serving the worst first. The
man at the pool, that to my thinking was longest in his disease,
and most helpless as to his cure, was first healed; yea, he only
was healed; for we read that Christ healed him, but we read not then
that he healed one more there! (John 5:1-10). Wherefore, if thou
wouldst soonest be served, put in thy name among the very worst
of sinners. Say, when thou art upon thy knees, Lord, here is a
Jerusalem sinner! a sinner of the biggest size! one whose burden
is of the greatest bulk and heaviest weight! one that cannot stand
long without sinking into hell, without thy supporting hand! 'Be
not thou far from me, O Lord! O my strength, haste thee to help
me!' (Psa 22:19).

I say, put in thy name with Magdalene, with Manasseh, that thou
mayest fare as the Magdalene and the Manasseh sinners do. The man
in the gospel made the desperate condition of his child an argument
with Christ to haste his cure: 'Sire, come down,' saith he, 'ere
my child die' (John 4:49), and Christ regarded his haste, saying,
'Go thy way; thy son liveth' (verse 50). Haste requires haste. David
was for speed; 'Deliver me speedily'; 'Hear me speedily'; 'Answer
me speedily' (Psa 31:2; 69:17; 102:2). But why speedily? I am in
'the net'; 'I am in trouble'; 'My days are consumed like smoke'
(Psa 31:4; 69:17; 102:3). Deep calleth unto deep, necessity calls
for help; great necessity for present help. Wherefore, I say, be
ruled by me in this matter; feign not thyself another man, if thou
hast been a filthy sinner, but go in thy colours to Jesus Christ,
and put thyself among the most vile, and let him alone to 'put thee
among the children' (Jer 3:19). Confess all that thou knowest of
thyself; I know thou wilt find it hard work to do thus: especially
if thy mind be legal; but do it, lest thou stay and be deferred
with the little sinners, until the great ones have had their alms.
What do you think David intended when he said, his wounds stunk and
were corrupted, but to hasten God to have mercy upon him, and not
to defer his cure? 'Lord,' says he, 'I am troubled; I am bowed
down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.' 'I am feeble and sore
broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart'
(Psa 38:3-8). David knew what he did by all this; he knew that his
making the worst of his case, was the way to speedy help, and that
a feigning and dissembling the matter with God, was the next way
to a demur as to his forgiveness.

I have one thing more to offer for thy encouragement, who deemest
thyself one of the biggest sinners; and that is, thou art as it
were called by thy name, in the first place, to come in for mercy.
Thou man of Jerusalem, hearken to thy call; men do so in courts
of judicature, and presently cry out, 'Here, Sire'; and then they
shoulder and crowd, and say, 'Pray give way, I am called into the
court.' Why, this is thy case, thou great, thou Jerusalem sinner;
be of good cheer, he calleth thee (Mark 10:46-49). Why sittest thou
still? arise: why standest thou still? come, man, thy call should
give thee authority to come. 'Begin at Jerusalem,' is thy call and
authority to come; wherefore up and shoulder it, man; say, 'Stand
away, devil, Christ calls me; stand away unbelief, Christ calls me;
stand away, all ye my discouraging apprehensions, for my Saviour
calls me to him to receive of his mercy.' Men will do thus, as I
said, in courts below; and why shouldst not thou approach thus to
the court above? The Jerusalem sinner is first in thought, first
in commission, first in the record of names; and therefore should
give attendance, with the expectation that he is first to receive
mercy of God.

Is not this an encouragement to the biggest sinners to make their
application to Christ for mercy? 'Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden,' doth also confirm this thing; that is, that
the biggest sinner, and he that has the biggest burden, is he who
is first invited. Christ pointeth over the heads of thousands, as
he sits on the throne of grace, directly to such a man; and says,
'Bring in hither the maimed, the halt, and the blind; let the
Jerusalem sinner that stands there behind come to me.' Wherefore,
since Christ says, 'Come,' to thee, let the angels make a lane,
and let all men give place, that the Jerusalem sinner may come to
Jesus Christ for mercy.

Fourth, Would Jesus Christ have mercy offered, in the first place,
to the biggest sinners? Then come, thou profane wretch, and let me
a little enter into an argument with thee. Why wilt thou not come
to Jesus Christ, since thou art a Jerusalem sinner? How canst thou
find in thy heart to set thyself against grace, against such grace
as offereth mercy to thee? What spirit possesseth thee, and holds
thee back from a sincere closure with thy Saviour? Behold, God
groaningly complains of thee, saying, 'But Israel would none of
me.' 'When I called, none did answer' (Psa 81:11; Isa 66:4).