good Men into his Sive to sift them as Wheat that if possible he may leave them nothing but bran no Grace but the very husk and shell of Religion And when a Christian comes to know this should Christ as Priest or Advocate be hid from him what could bear him up But let him now remember and believe that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and â—e forthwith conceiveth Comfort For an Advocate is to plead for me according as has been shewed afore that I may be delivered from the Wrath and Accusation of my Adversary and still be kept safe under Grace Further by telling of my Brother that he hath an Advocate I put things into his Mind that he has not known or do bring them to Remembrance which he has forgot To wit that tho he hath sinned he shall be saved in a way of Justice For an Advocate is to plead Justice and Law and Christ is to plead these for a Saint that has sinned Yea so to plead them that he may be saved This being so he is made to perceive that by Law he must have his Sins forgiven him That by Justice he must be justified For Christ as an Advocate pleadeth for Justice Justice to himself and this Saint is of himself a Member of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Nor has Satan so good a Right to plead Justice against us tho we have sinned that we might be damned as Christ has to plead it tho we have sinned that we might be saved For Sin cannot cry so loud to Justice as can the Blood of Christ And he pleads his Blood as Advocate by which he has answered the Law wherefore the Law having nothing to object must needs acquit the Man for whom the Lord Jesus pleads I conclude this with that of the Psalmist Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land. Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her Increase Righteousness shall go before him and shall lead us the Way of his Steps Vse 8. Eighthly But what is all this to you that are â—ot concerned in this Privilege The Children indeed have the Advantage of an Advocate but what is this to them that have none to plead their Cause Jer. 30.12 13. They are as we say left to the wide World or to be ground to Powder between the Justice of God and the Sins which they have committed This is the Man that none but the Devil seeks after that is pursued by the Law and Sin and Death and has none to plead his Cause 'T is sad to consider the plight that such an one is in His Accuser is appointed yea ordered to bring in a Charge against him let Satan stand at his right Hand Ps. 109 6 7. in the Place where Accusers stand And when he shall be judged let him be condemned let there be none to plead for his Deliverance If he cries or offereth to cry out for Mercy or Forgiveness let his Prayer become Sin This is the Portion of a wicked Man. Terrors take hold on him as Waters a Tempest stealeth him away in the Night the East Wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a Storm hurleth him out of his Place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain free out of his Hand Men shall clap their Hands at him and shall hiss him out of his Place Job 27. â—0 21 22 23. And what shall this Man do Can he over-stand the Charge the Accusation the Sentence and Condemnation No he has none to plead hâ—s Cause I remember that somewhere I have read as I think concerning one who when he was carrying upon Mens Shoulders to the Grave cried out as he lay upon the Bier I am accused before the just Judgment of God and a while after I am condemned before the just Judgment of God. Nor was this Man but strict as to the Religion that was then on Foot in the World but all the Religion of the World amounts to no more than nothing I mean as to eternal Salvation if Men be denyed an Advocate to plead their Cause with God. Nor can any Advocate save Jesus Christ the righteous avail any thing at all Because there is none appointed but him to that Work and therefore not to be admitted to enter a Plea for their Client at the Bar of God. Obj. But some may say there is God's Grace the Promise Christ's Blood and his second Part of Priesthood now in Heaven Can none of these â—everally nor all of them jointly save a Man from Hell unless Christ also become our Advocate Answer All these his Advocates Office not excluded are few enough and little enough to save the Saints from Hell For the righteous shall scarcely be saved 1 Pet. 4.18 There must then be the Promise God's Grace Christ's Blood and him to advocate too or we cannot be saved What 's the Promise without God's Grace and what 's that Grace without a Promise to bestow it on us I say what Benefit have we thereby Besides if the Promise and God's Grace without Christ's Blood would have saved us wherefore then did Christ die Yea and again I say if all these without his being for us an Advocate would have delivered us from all those Disadvantages that our Sins and Infirmities would bring us to and into surely in vain and to no purpose was Jesus made an Advocate But Soul there is need of all and therefore be not thou offended that the Lord Jesus is of the Father made so much to his but rather admire and wonder that the Father and the Son should be so concerned with so sorry â—â—ump of Dust and ashes as thou art And I say again be confounded to think that Sin should be a thing so horrible of Power to pollute to captivate and detain us from God that without all this ado I would speak with Reverence of God and his Wisdom we cannot be delivered from the everlasting Destruction that it hath brought upon the Children of Men. But I say what is this to them that are not admitted to a Privilege in the Advocates Office of Christ Whether he is an Advocate or no the Case to them is the same True Christ as a Saviour is not divided He that hath him not in all shall have him in none at all of his Offices in a saving manner Therefore he for whom he is not an Advocate he is nothing as to eternal Life Indeed Christ by some of his Offices is concerned for the Elect before by some of them he is But such shall have the Blessing of them all before they come to Glory Nor hath a Man ground to say Christ is here or there mine before he hath ground
Condemnation that by the Law of Sin and Death was due thereto This is then the occasion that Christ taketh to plead as Advocate for the Salvation of his People to wit the Cause he pleadeth the Cause of his People Not every Cause but such and such a Cause the Cause that is very bad and by the which they are involved not only in Guilt and Shame but also in danger of Death and Hell. I say the Cause is bad if the Text be true if Sin can make it bad yea if Sin it Self be bad If any Man sin we have an Advocate An Advocate to plead for him for him as considered guilty and so consequently as considered in a bad Condition 'T is true we must distinguish between the Person and the Sin and Christ pleads for the Person not the Sin. but yet he cannot be concerned with the Person but he must be with the Sin for tho the Person and the Sin may be distinguished yet they cannot be separated He must plead then not for a Person only but for a guilty Person for a Person under the worst of Circumstances If any Man sin we have an Advocate for him as so considered When a Man's Cause is good it will sufficiently plead for it self yea and for its Master too specially when it is made appear so to be before a Just and Righteous Judge Here therefore needs no Advocate the Juâ—ge himself will pronounce him righteous This is evidently seen in Job Thou movest me against him this said God to Satan to destroy him without a Cause Job 2.3 Thus far Job's Cause was good wherefore he did not need an Advocate his Cause pleaded for its self and for its owner also But if it was to plead good Causes for which Christ is appointed Advocate then the Apostle should have written thus If any Man be righteous we have an Advocate with the Father Indeed I never heard but one in all my Life preach from this Text and he when he came to handle the Cause for which he was to plead pretended it must be good and therefore said to the People see that your Cause be good else Christ will not undertake it But when I heard it Lord thought I if this be true what shall I do and what will become of all this People yea and of this Preacher too Besides I saw that by the Text the Apostle supposeth an other Cause a Cause bad exceeding bad if Sin can make it so And this was one Cause why I undertook this work When we speak of a Cause we speak not of a Person simply as so considered For as I said before Person and Cause must be distinguished Nor can the person make the Cause good but as he regulates his Action by the Word of God If then a good a righteous man doth what the Law condemns that thing is bad and if he be indicted for so doing he is indicted for a bad Cause and he that will be his Advocate must be concerned in and about a bad Matter and how he will bring his Client off therein doth lie the Mystery I know that a bad Man may have a good Cause depending before the Judge and so also good Men have Job 31. but then they are bold in their own Cause and fear not to make mention of it and in Christ to plead their Innocency before the God of Heaven as well as before Men Psal. 71.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 1.23 Gal. 1.20 Phil. 1.8 But we have in the Text a Cause that all Men are afraid of a Cause that the Apostle concludes so bad that none but Jesus Christ himself can save the Christian from it It is not only sinful but Sin it self If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Wherefore there is in this Place handled by the Apostle one of the greatest Mysteries under Heaven To wit That an innocent and holy Jesus should take in hand to plead for one before a just and righteous God that has defiled himself with Sin. Yea that he should take in Hand to plead for such an one against the fallen Angels and that he should also by his Plea effectually rescue and bring them off from the Crimes and Curse whereof they were verily guilty by the Verdict of the Law and Approbation of the Judge This I say is a great Mystery and deserves to be pry'd into by all the godly both because much of the Wisdom of Heaven is discovered in it and because the best Saint is or may be concerned with it Nor must we by any means let this truth be lost because it is the truth the Text has declared it so And to say otherwise is to belye the Word of God to thwart the Apostle to sooth up Hypocrites and to rob Christians of their Privilege and to take the Glory from the Head of Jesus Christ Luk. 18.11 12. The best Saints are most sensible of their Sins and most apt to make Mountains of their Mole-hills Satan also as has been already hinted doth labour greatly to prevail with them to sin and to provoke their God against them Job 2.9 by pleading what is true or by surmising evilly of them to the end they may be left with him to be try'd that they may be accused by him Great is his malice towards them great is his Diligence in seeking their Destruction wherefore greatly doth he desire to sift to try and winnow them if perhaps he may work in their Flesh to answer his Design that is to break out in sinful Acts that he may have by Law to accuse them to their God and Father Wherefore for their Sakes this Text abides that they may see that when they have sinned they have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And thus have I shew'd you the Nature the Order and Occasion of this Office of our blessed Lord Jesus I come now to shew you How Jesus Christ doth manage this his Office of an Advocate for us And that I may do this to your Edification I shall choose this Method for the opening of it First shew you how he manages this Office with his Father Secondly I shall shew you how he manages it before him against our Adversary How he manages this his Office of Advocate with his Father First He doth it by himself by no other as Deputy under him No Angel no Saint no Work has place here but Jesus and Jesus only This the Text implies we have an Advocate speaking of one but one one alone without an Equal or an Inferior We have but one and he is Jesus Christ. Nor is it for Christ's Honour nor for the Honour of the Law or of the Justice of God that any but Jesus Chrisâ— should be an Advoâ—â—â—e for a sinning Saint Besides to assert 〈◊〉 contrary what doth it but lessen Sin and make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous It would lessen Sin should it be removed by a Saint or Angel It would
make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous yea needless should it be possible that Sin could be removed from us by either Saint or Angel. Again If God should admit of more Advocates than one and yet make mention of never an one but Jesus Christ or if John should allow another and yet speak nothing but of Jesus only Yea that an Advocate under that title should be mentioned but once but once only in all the Book of God and yet that divers should be admitted stands neither with the Wisdom or Love of God nor with the Faithfulness of the Apostle But Saints have but one Advocate if they will use him or improve their Faith in that Office for their Help so if not they must take what follows This I thought good to hint at because the times are corrupt and because Ignorance and Superstition always waits for a Countenance with uâ— and these things have a natural tendency as to darken all truth so especially this which bringeth to Jesus Christ so much Glory and yieldeth to the Godly so much Help and Relief Secondly As Jesus Christ alone is Advocate so God's Bar and that alone is that before which he pleads For God is Judge himself Deut. 32 36. Heb. 13 23. Nor can the Cause which now he is to plead be removed into any other Court either by appeals or otherwise Could Satan remove us from Heaven to another Court he would certainly be too hard for us because there we should want our Jesus our Advocate to plead our Cause Indeed sometimes he impleads us before Men and they are glad of the Occasion for they and he are often one but then we have Leave to remove our Cause and to pray for a Tryal in the highest Court Saying Let my Sentence come forth from thy Presence and let thine eyes behold the things that are Equal Psal. 17.2 This wicked World doth sentence us for our good Deeds but how then would they sentence us for our bad ones But we will never appeal from Heaven to Earth for Right For here we have no Advocate our Advocate is with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Thirdly As he pleadeth by himself alone and no where else but in the Court of Heaven with the Father So as he pleadeth with the Father for us he observeth this Rule 1. He granteth and confesseth whatever can rightly be charged upon us Yet so as that he taketh the whole Charge upon himself acknowledging the Crimes to be his own O God says he thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins my Guiltiness is not hid from thee Psal. 69.5 And this he must do or else he can do nothing If he hides the Sin or lesseneth it he is faulty If he leaves it still upon us we die He must then take our Iniquity to himself make it his own and so deliver us For having thus taken the Sin upon himself as he lawfully may and lovingly doth for we are Members of his Body so 't is his Hand 't is his Foot 't is his Ear that hath sinned It followeth that we live if he lives and who can desire more This then must be thorowly considered if ever we will have Comfort in a day of Trouble and Distress for Sin. And thus far there is in some kind a harmony betwixt his being a Sacrifice a Priest and an Advocate as a Sacrifice our Sins were laid upon him Isa. 53. as a Priest he beareth them Exod. 28.38 and as an Advocate he acknowledgeth them to be his own Psal. 69.5 Now having acknowledged them to be his own the Quarrel is no more 'twixt us and Satan For the Lord Jesus has espoused our Quarrel and made it his All then that we in this matter have to do is to stand at the Bar by Faith among the Angels and see how the business goes O Blessed God! What a Lover of Mankind art thou and how gracious is our Lord Jesus in his thus managing matters for us 2. The Lord Jesus having thus taken our Sins upon himself next pleads his own Goodness to God on our Behalf Saying Let not theâ— that wait on thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my Sake Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my Sake O God of Israel Because for thy Sake I have born Reproach Shame hath covered my Face Psal. 69.6 7 Mark let them not be ashamed for my Sake let them not be confounded for my Sake Shame and Confusion are the Fruits of Guilt or of a Charge for Sin Jer. 3.25 and are but an enterance into Condemnation Dan. 12.2 Joh. 5.29 But behold how Christ pleads saying Let not that be for my Sake for the Merit of my Blood for the Perfection of my Righteousness for the Prevalency of my Intercession Let them not be ashamed for my Sake O Lord God of Hosts And let no Man object because this Text is in the Psalms as if it were not spoke by the Prophet of Christ for both John and Paul yea and Christ himself do make this Psalm a Prophecy of him Compare ver 9. with Joh. 2.17 and ver 9 with Rom. 15.3 And ver 21. with Matth. 27.48 and Mâ—t. 15.25 But is not this a wonderful thing That Christ should first take our Sins and account them his own and then plead the value and worth of his whole self for our Deliverance For by these Words for my Sake he pleadeth his own self his whole self and all that he is and has And thus he puts us in good Estate again tho our Cause was very bad To bring this down to weak Capacities Suppose a Man should be indebted twenty thousand Pounds but has not twenty thousand farthings wherewith to pay And suppose also that this Man be arrested for this Debt and that the Law also by which he is sued will not admit of a penny bate This Man may yet come well enough off if his Advocate or Attorney will make the Debt his own and will in the Presence of the Judges out with his Bags and pay down every Farthing Why this is the way of our Advocate Our Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 we are sued for them at the Law Luk. 12.59 and the Devil is our Accuser but behold the Lord Jesus comes out with his Worthiness pleads it at the Bar making the Debt his own Mark 12.42 2 Cor. 3.5 and saith now let them not be ashamed for my Sake O Lord God of Hosts let them not be confounded for my Sake O God of Israel And hence as he is said to be an Advocate so he is said to be a Propitiation or a mends-Maker or one that appeaseth the Justice of God for our Sins If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins And who can now object against the Deliverance of the Child of God God cannot for he for Christ's Sake according as he pleaded hath forgiven us all Trespasses
Secondly As Christ as Advocate pleads against Satan the Interest that his Father hath in his chosen So also he pleads against him by no less Authority his own Interest in them Holy Father saith he keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me Joh. 17. 11. Keep them while in the World from the Evil the Soul-damning Evil of it These Words are directed to the Father but they are levelled against the Accusations of the Enemy and were spoken here to shew what Christ will do for his against our Foe when he is above How I say he will urge before his Father his own Interest in us against Satan and against all his Accusations when he brings them to the Bar of God's Tribunal with Design to work our utter Ruin. And is there not a great deal in it As if Christ should say Father my People have an Adversary who will accuse them for their Fault before thee but I will be their Advocate and as I have bought them of thee I will plead my Right against him Joh. 10.28 Our English Proverb is Interest will not lye Interest will make a man do that which otherwise he would not How many thousands are there for whom Christ doth not so much as once open his Mouth but leaves them to the Accusations of Satan and to Ahab's Judgment nay a worse because there is none to plead their Cause And why doth not he concern himself with them but because he is not interested in them I pray not for the World but for those thou hast given me for they are thine And all mine are thine and I am glorified in them Joh. 17.9 10. Suppose so many Cattel in such a Pound and one goes by whose they are not doth he concern himself No he beholds them and goes his way But suppose that at his Return he should find his own Cattel in that Pound would he now carry it toward them as he did unto the other No no. He has Interest here they are his that are in the Pound Now he is concerned now he must know who put them there and for what Cause too they are served as they are And if he finds them rightfully there he will fetch them thence by Ransom but if wrongfully he will replevy them and stand a Tryal at Law with him that has thus illegally pounded his Cattel And thus it is 'twixt Jesus Christ and his he is interested in them the Cattel are his own his own Sheep Joh. 10.3 4. but poundded by some other by the Law or by the Devil If pounded by the Law he delivereth them by Ransom if pounded by the Devil he will replevy them stand a Tryal at Law for them and will be against their Accuser their Advocate himself Nor can Satan withstand his Plea though â—e should against them join Argument with the Law for as much as has been prov'd before he can and will by what he has to produce and plead of his own save his from all Trespasses Charges and Accusations Besides all Men know that a Man's proper Goods are not therefore forfeited because they commit many and them too great Transgressions And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Now the Strength of this Plea thus grounded upon Christ's Interest in his People is great And hath many weighty Reasons on it's side as First They are mine Therefore in Reason at my Dispose not at the Dispose of an Adversary For while a thing can properly be called mine no Man has therewith to do but my self nor doth a Man nor Christ lose his Right to what he has by the Weakness of that thing which is his proper Right He therefore as an Advocate pleadeth Interest his own Interest in his People and Right must with the Judge of all the Earth take Place Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Gen. 18.25 Secondly They cost him dear and that which is dear bought is not easily parted with 1 Cor. 6.20 They were bought with his Blood Eph. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.18 19. they were given him for his Blood and therefore are dear Children Eph. 5.1 For they are his by the highest Price And this Price he as Advocate pleadeth against the Enemy of our Salvation Yea I will add they are his because he gave his All for them 2 Cor. 8.9 when a Man shall give his All for this or that then that which he so hath purchased is become his All. Now Christ has given his all for us he made himself poor for us Eph. 1.23 Wherefore we are become his All his Fulness and so the Church is called Nay further Christ likes well enough of his Purchace though it hath cost him his All. The Lines says he are fallen to me in pleasant Places I I have a goodly Heritage Psal. 16. Now put all these things together and there is a strong Plea in them Interest such an Interest will not be easily parted with But this is not all for Thirdly As they cost him dear so he hath made them near to himself near by way of Relation Now that which did not only cost dear but that by way of Relation is made so That a Man will plead heartily for Said David to Abner Thou shalt not see my Face except thou first bring Michal Saul's Daughter when thou comest to see my Face 2 Sam. 3.13 14. Saul's Daughter cost me dear I bought her with the jeopardy of my Life Saul's Daughter is near to me she is my beloved Wife He pleaded hard for her because she was dear and near unto him Now I say the same is true in Christ. His People cost him dear and he hath made them near unto him wherefore to plead Interest in them is to hold by an Argument that is strong 1. They are his Spouse and he hath made them so They are his Love his Dove his Darling and he accounts them so Now should a wretch attempt in open Court to take a Man's Wife away from him how would this cause the Man to plead Yea and what Judge that is just and knows that the Man has this Interest in the Woman pleaded for would yield to or give a Verdict for the Wretch against the Man whose Wife the Woman is Thus Christ in pleading Interest in pleading thou gavest them me pleads by a strong Argument an Argument that the Enemy cannot invalidate True were Christ to plead this before a Saul 1 Sam. 25.44 or beâ—ore Sampson's Wives Father the Philistian Judg. 14.20 perhaps such treacherous Judges would give it against all Right But I have told you the Court in which Christ pleads is the Highest and the Justest and that from which there can be no Appeal Wherefore Christ his Cause and so the Cause of the Children of God must be tryed before their Father from whose Face to be sure just Judgment shall proceed But 2. As they are called his Spouse so they are called his Flesh
13. God has no need of thy Gift nor Christ of thy Bribe to plead thy Cause Take thankfully what is offered and call for more That 's the best giving to God. God is rich enough Talk not then of giving but of receiving for thou art poor Be not too high nor think thy self too good to live by the Alms of Heaven And since the Lord Jesus is willing to serve thee freely and to maintain thy Right to Heaven against thy Foe to the saving of thy Soul without Price or Reward Let the Peace of God rule in thee to the which thou art also called as is the rest of the Body and be thou thankful Col. 3.15 This then is the Privilege of a Christian we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous One that pleadeth the Cause of his People against those that rise up against them of his Love Pity and meer good Will. Lord open the Eyes of dark Readers of disconsolate Saints that they may see who is for them and upon what Terms Obj. 4. But if Christ doth once begin to plead for me and shall become mine Advocate He will always be troubled with me unless I should of my self forsake him for I am ever in Broils and Suits of Law Action after Action is laid upon me and I am sometimes ten times in a Day summoned to answer my Doings before God. Answ. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a Cause or two nor to deliver the Godly from an Accusation or two He delivereth Israel out of all his Troubles 2 Sam. 22.28 and chuses to be an Advocate for such Therefore the Godly of old did use to make from the Greatness of their Troubles and the abundance of their Troublers an Argument to the Lord Christ to send and lend them help Have Mercy upon me said David consider my Trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Psal. 9.13 And again Many are they that rise up against me many there be that say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Psal. 3.1 2. Yea the Troubles of this Man were so many and great that his Enemies began to triumph over him saying There is no help for him in God ver 7. But could he not deliver him or did the Lord forsâ—ke him No no thou hast smitten saith he all mine Enemies upon the Cheek-bone thou hast broken the Teeth of the ungodly And as he delivereth them from their Troublers so also he pleadeth all their Causes O Lord saith the Church thou hast pleaded the Causes of my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. 3.58 Mark troubled Christian thou sayst thou hast been arrested oft times in a Day and as often summoned to appear at God's Bar there to answer to what shall be laid to thy Charge And here for thy Encouragement thou readest that the Church hath an Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her Soul that is all her Causes to deliver her He knows that so long as we are in this World we are subject to Temptation and Weakness and through them made guilty of many bad things Wherefore he hath prepared himself to our Service and to abide with the Father an Advocate for us As Solomon saith of a Man of great Wrath Prov. 19.19 so it may be said of a Man of great Weaknesses and the best of Saints are such he must he delivered again and again Yea many a time saith David did he deliver them Psal. 106.44 45. to wit more than once and twice and he will do so for thee if thou entertain him to be thine Advocate Thou talkest of leaving of him but then whither wilt thou go all else are vain things things that cannot profit 1 Sam. 12.20 21 22 23. and he will not forsake his People tho their Land be filled with Sin against the holy One of Israel Jer. 51.5 I know the modest Saint is apt to be abash'd to think what a troublesome one he is and what a make-work he has been in God's House all his Days And let him be filled with holy blushing but let him not forsake his Advocate Having thus spoken to these Objections let us now come to make some use of the whole and Vse 1. First I would exhort the Children to consider the Dignity that God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour For by how much God hath called his Son to Offices and Places of trust by so much he hath heaped Dignities upon him 'T is said of Mordecai That he was next to the King Ahasuerus And what then Why then the Greatness of Mordecai his high Advance must be written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia Esth. â—0 1 2 3. to the end his Fame might not be buried nor forgot but remembred and talked of in Generations to come Why my Brethren God hath exalted Jesus of Nazareth Hath made him the only great one having given him a Name above every Name A Name did I say a Name and Glory beyond all Names and above all Names as doth witness both his being set above all and the many Offices which he executeth for God on behalf of his People 'T is counted no little Addition to Honour when Men are not only made near to the King but also intrusted with most if not almost with all the most weighty Affairs of the Kingdom Why this is the Dignity of Christ he is 't is true the natural Son of God and so high and one that abounds with Honour but this is not all God has conferred upon him as Man all the high and most mighty Honours of Heaven He hath made him Lord Mediator betwixt him and the World. This in general And particularly he hath called him to be his high Priest forever Heb. 7.21 22 23 24. and hath sworn he shall not be changed for another he hath accepted of his Offering once forever counting that there is wholly enough in what he did once to perfect forever them that are sanctified to wit set apart to Glory Heb. 10.11 12 13. He is Captain General of all the Forces that God hath in Heaven and Earth the King and Commander of his People Chap. 9.25 26. He is Lord of all and made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1.22 and is our Advocate with the Father O the Exaltation of Jesus Christ Let Christians therefore in the first Place consider this Nor can it but be profitable to them if withal they consider that all this Trust and Honour is put and conferred upon him in Relation to the Advantage and Advancement of Christians If Christians do but consider the nearness that is 'twixt Christ and them and withal consider how he is exalted it must needs be matter of Comfort to them He is my Flesh and my Bone that is exalted it is my Friend and Brother that is thus set up and preferred 'T was something to the Jews when Mordecai was exalted to Honour they had thereby Ground to
open his Mouth for the Dumb to wit for the Sons of Destruction and to plead the Cause of the poor and needy Prov. 31.8 9. If we knew the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so as the Word reveals it we would believe we would hope and would notwithstanding all Discouragements wait for the Salvation of the Lord. But there are many things that hinder wherefore Faith and Prayer and Perseverance are made difficult things unto us But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And God shall sight for you and you shall hold your Peace was once a good Word to me when I could not pray Fifthly As we should improve this Doctrine for the Improvement and Encouragement of these Graces So we should improve it to the Driving of Difficulties down before us to the getting of Ground upon the Enemy Resist the Devil drive him back this is it for which thy Lord Jesus is an Advocate with God in Heaven and this is it for the Sake of which thou art made a Believer on Earth 1 Pet. 5.9 Heb. 13.4 wherefore has God put this Sword we have an Advocate into thy Hand but to fight thy way through the World. Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on eternal Life And say I will go in the Strength of the Lord God And since I have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous I will not despair tho the Iniquity of mine Heels should compass me about Psal. 49.5 Vse 5. Fifthly Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us with God to plead with him for us against the Devil Let this teach us to stand up to plead for him before Men to plead for him against the Enemies of his Person and Gospel This is but reasonable For if Christ stands up to plead for us why should not we stand up to plead for him He also expecteth this at our Hands saying who will rise up for me against the evil Doers Who will stand up for me against the Workers of Iniquity The Apostle did it and counted himself engaged to do it where he saith he preached the Gospel of God with much Contention 2 Thes. 2.2 Nor is this the Duty of Apostles or Preachers only but every Child of God should earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. And as I said there is Reason why we should do this He standeth for us And if we 1. Consider the Disparity of Persons to plead it will seem far more reasonable He stands up to plead with God we stand up to plead with Men. The Dread of God is great yea greater than the Dread of Men. 2. If we consider the Persons pleaded for He pleads for Sinners for the inconsiderable vile and base We plead for Jesus for the Great Holy and Honourable 'T is an Honour for the Poor to stand up for the Great and Mighty But what Honour is it for the Great to plead for the base Reason therefore requireth that we stand up to plead for him tho there can be but little rendered why he should stand up to plead for us 3. He standeth up to plead for us in the most Holy Place tho we are vile And why should we not stand up for him in this vile World since he is holy 4. He pleads for us though our Cause is bad why should not we plead for him since his Cause is good 5. He pleads for us against fallen Angels why should we not plead for him against sinful Vanities 6. He pleads for us to save our Souls why should not we plead for him to sanctifie his Name 7. He pleads for us before the Holy Angels why should not we plead for him before Princes 8. He is not ashamed of us tho now in Heaven why should we be ashamed of him before this Adulterous and sinful Generation 9. He is unwearied in his pleading for us why should we faint and be dismayed while we plead for him My Brethren is it not reasonable that we should stand up for him in this World Yea is it not Reason that in all things we should study his Exaltation here since he in all things contrives our Honour and Glory in Heaven A Child of God should study in every of his Relations to serve the Lord Christ in this World because Christ by the Execution of every one of his Offices seeks our Promotion hereafter If these be not sufficient Arguments to bow us to yield up our Members our selves our whole selves to God that we may be Servants of Righteousness unto him Yea if by these and such like we are not made willing to stand up for him before Men 't is a Sign that there 's but little if any of the Grace of God in our Hearts Yea further that we should have now at last in Reserve Christ as authorized to be our Advocate to plead for us for this is the lâ—st of his Offices for us while we are here And is to be put in practice for us when there are more than ordinary Occasions This is to 〈…〉 we say at a dead lift Even then 〈…〉 a Christian is taken for a Captive Or when he sinks in the mire where is no standing or when he is cloathed in filthy Garments or when the Devil doth desperately plead against us our evil Deeds or when by our Lives we have made our Salvation questionable and have forfeited our Evidences for Heaven And why then should not we have also in reserve for Christ And when Profession and Confession will not do When Loss of Goods and a Prison will not do When Loss of Country and of Friends will not do Then to bring it in then to bring it in as the Reserve and as that which will do To wit willingly to lay down our Lives for his Name Isa. 24.15 Joh. 21.19 and since he doth his part without grudging for us let us do ours with rejoicing for him Vse 6. Sixthly Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us and that of his meer Grace and Love Then this should teach Christians to be watchful and wary how they sin against God. This Inference seems to run Retrograde but whoso duly considers it will find it fairly fetch'd from the Premises Christianity teaches Ingenuity and aptness to be sensible of Kindnesses and doth instruct us to a lothness to be over-hard upon him from whom we have all a free-cost Shall we sin that Grace 〈◊〉 abound God foâ—bid Shall we do evil 〈◊〉 good may come God forbid Shall we sin 〈◊〉 cause we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Rom. 6.1 2 15. It is the most disingenious thing in the World not to care how chargeable we are to that Friend that bestows all upon us gratis When Mephibosheth had an Opportunity to be yet more chargeable to David he would not because he had his Life and his All from the meer Grace of the King 2 Sam. 19.24
to say he also is mine Advocate Tho that Office of his as has been already shewed stands in the last place and comes in as a Reserve But can any imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom he will not plead as Advocate Or that he will speak for them to God for whom he will not plead against the Devil No no they are his own that he loveth to the end Joh. 13. to the end of their Lives to the end of their Sins to the end of their Temptations to the end of their Fears and of the Exercise of the Rage and Malice of Satan against them To the end may also be understood even until he had given them the Profit and Benefit of all his Offices in their due Exercise and Administration But I say what is all this to them that have him not for their Advocate You may remember that I have already told you that there are several who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate To wit those that are still in their Sins pursuing of their Lusts those that are ashamed of him before Men and those that are never otherwise but lukewarm in their Profession And let us now for a Conclusion make further enquity into this matter Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus for their Advocate to plead their Cause who despise and reject his Person his Word and Ways Or those either who are so far off from Sense of and Shame fâ—r Sin that it is the only thing they hug and embrace True he pleadeth the Cause of his People both with the Father and against the Devil and all the World besides but open Profaneness Shame of good and without Heart or Warmth in Religion are no Characters of his People It is irrational to think that Christ is an Advocate for or that he pleadeth the Cause of such who in the self same Hour and before his Enemies are throwing dirt in his Face by their profane Mouths and unsanctified Lives and Conversations If he pleads as an Advocate for any he must plead against Satan for them and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground his Plea upon I say a bottom better than that upon which the carnal Man stands Which bottom is either some special Relation that this Man stands in to God or some special Law he hath Privilege by That he may have some ground for an Appeal if need be to the Justice and Righteousness of God But none of these things belong to them that are dead in Trespasses and Sins They stand in no special Relation to God they are not privileged by the Law of Grace Obj. But doth not Christ as Advocate plead for his Elect tho not called as yet Answ. He died for all his Elect he prayeth for all his Elect as a Priest But as an Advocate he pleadeth only for the Children the called only Satan objecteth not against God's Election for he knows it not But be objecteth against the called to wit whether he be truly godly or no Job 1.9 10. Zech 3. or whether they ought not to die for their Transgressions And for these things he has some colour to frame an Accusation against us And now 't is time enough for Christ to stand up to plead I say for these things he has some Colour to frame a Plea against us for there is Sin and a Law of Works and a Judge too that has not respect of Persons Now to overthrow this Plea of Satan is Jesus Christ our Advocate Yea to overthrow it by pleading Law and Justice and this must be done with respect to the Children only My little Children I write unto you that ye sin not And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous FINIS ERRATA PAge 31 Line 22 for acknowledgeth read acknowledged p. 65 l. 13 f. your r. you p 70. l. 2 r. his Office is p 77. l 19 f. world r. word p. 87 l. 13 f. deferrs r. defers p. 102 l. 24 f groundess r. groundless p. 108 l. 15 f. thes v. the p. 118. l. 27 f. affliction r. affection p. 127 l. 10 f. matter r. water A Catalogue of Books Printed for and sold by Dorman Newman at the Sign of the Kings Arms in the Poultrey THere is likewise Published by this Author An useful Book entitled The Holy War made by Christ upon the Devil for the regaining of Man or the losing and taking again of the Town of Man-Soul The Pilgrims Progress from this World to that which is to come delivered in the Similitude of a Dream wherein is discovered the manner of his setting out his dangerous Journey and safe Arrival at the desired Country the First part Price 1 s. The Pilgrims Progress from this World to that which is to come the Second part delivered in the Similtude of a Dream wherein is set forth the manner of the setting out of Christians Wife and Children their dangerous Journey and safe Arrival at the desired Country Price 1 s. A Treatise of the Fear of God shewing what it is and how distinguished from that which is not so Also whence it comes Who has it What are the effects And what the Privileges of those that have it in their Hearts Price 1 s. 6 d. The Life and Death of Mr. Badman presented in a familiar Dialogue between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive Price 1 s. 6 d. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace unfolded or a discourse touching the Law and Grace the Nature of the one and the Nature of the other shewing what they are as they are the two Covenants and likewise who they be and what their conditions are that be under either of these two Covenants Very easie to be read and as easie to be understood by those that are the Sons of Wisdom the Children of the Second Covenant Price 1 s. 6 d. Grace abounding to the chief of Sinners Or a brief and faithful Relation of the exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to his poor Servant John Bunyan Namely in his taking him out of the Dunghil and Converting of him to the Faith of his Blessed Son Jesus Christ. Here is also particularly shewed what sight of and what trouble he had for sin and also what various Temptations he hath met with and how God hath carried him through them Corrected and much inlargged in this Edition Price 1 s. Questions about the Nature and perpetuity of the Seventh Day-Sabbath and proof that the First day of the Week is the true Christian Sabbath Price 6 d. A Book for Boys and Girls or Country Rhimes for Children Price 6 d. Sighs from Hell or the Groans of a damn'd Soul. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ. A Discourse upon the Pharisee and Publican Seasonable Counsel or Advice to Sufferers The barren Fig-tree The Greatness of the Soul. A Discourse of Prayer or I will pray with my Spirit and with my Understanding also Questions about
Miscarriage or of the naughty Temper of some that are about him who trouble and vex and labour to bring him into danger of the Law. This is the Nature of this Office as I said on Earth and this is the Office that Christ executeth in Heaven Wherefore he saith If any Man sin we have an Advocate one to stand up for him and to plead for his deliverance before the Bar of God Joel 3.2 Isa. 66.16 Ezek. 38.22 Jer. 2. For tho in some Places of the Scripture Christ is said to plead for his with Men and that by terrible Arguments as by Fire and Sword and Famine and Pestilence yet this is not that which is intended by this Text for the Apostle here saith he is an Advocate with the Father or before the Father to plead for those that there or that to the Fathers Face shall be accused for their Transgressions If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous So then this is the imploy of Jesus Christ as he is for us an Advocate He has undertaken to stand up for his People at God's Bar and before that great Court there to plead by the Law and Justice of Heaven for their Deliverance when for their Faults they are accused indicted or impleaded by their Adversary 2. And now to treat of the Order or Place that this Office of Christ hath among the rest of his Offices which he doth execute for us while we are here in a State of Imperfection And I think it is an Office that is to come behind as a Reserve or for an Help at last when all other Means shall seem to fail Men do not use to go to Law upon every Occasion or if they do the Wisdom of the Judge the Jury and the Court will not admit that every Brangle and foolish Quarrel shall come before them but an Advocate doth then come into Place and then to the Exercise of his Office when a Cause is counted worthy to be taken notice of by the Judge and by the Court. Wherefore he I say comes in the last Place as a reserve or help at last to plead and by pleading to set that right by Law which would otherwise have caused an increase to more doubts and to further Dangers Christ as Priest doth always works of Service for us because in our most spiritual things there may faults and Spots be found and these he taketh away of Course by the Exercise of that Office. For he always wears that Plate of Gold upon his Fore-head before the Father whereon is written Holiness to the Lord. But now besides these common Infirmities there are Faults that are highly gross and foul that oft are found in the Skirts of the Children of God. Now these are they that Satan taketh hold on these are they that Satan draweth up a Charge against us for And to save us from these it is that the Lord Jesus is made an Advocate When Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments then Satan stood at his right Hand to resist him and then the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus pleaded for his Help Zech. 3. By all which it appears that this Office comes behind is provided as a Reserve that we may have help at a pinch and then be lifted out when we sink in mire where there is no standing This is yet further hinted at by the several Postures that Christ is said to be in as he exerciseth his Priestly and Advocate 's Office. As a Priest he sits as an Advocate he stands Isa. 3.13 The Lord stands up when he pleads His sitting is more constant and of Course Sit thou c. but his standing is occasional when Joshua is indicted or when Hell and Earth is broken loose against his Servant Stephen For as Joshua was accused by the Devil and as then the Angel of the Lord stood by so when Stephen was accused by men on Earth and that Charge seconded by the fallen Angels before the Face of God 't is said the Lord Jesus stood on the Right Hand of God Act. 7.55 to wit to plead for so I take it because standing is his Posture as an Advocate Heb. 10. not as a Priest for as a Priest he must sit down but he standeth as an Advocate as has been shew'd afore Wherefore Secondly The Occasion of his exercising of this Office of Advocate is as hath beeâ— hinted already when a Child of God shall be found guilty before God of some heinous Sin of some grievous thing in his Life and Conversation For as for those Infirmities that attend the best in their most spiritual Sacrifices if a Child of God were guilty of ten thousand of them they are of Course purged through the much Incense that is always mixed with those Sacrifices in the golden Censer that is in the Hand of Christ And so he kept clean and counted upright notwithstanding those Infirmities And therefore you shall find that notwithstanding those common Faults the the Children of God are counted good and upright in Conversation and not charged as Offenders David saith the Text did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his Life save only in the matter of Uriah the Hiâ—â—ite 1 Kin. 15.5 But was David in a strict Sense without Fault in all things else No verily But that was foul in a higher degree than the rest and therefore there God sets a blot Ay and doubtless for that he was accused by Satan before the Throne of God For here is Adultery and Murder and Hypocrisie in David â—s doings Here is notorious matter a great Sin and so a great Ground for Satan to draw up an Indictment against the King and a thundering one to be sure shall be preferred against him This is the time then for to Christ stand up to plead For now there is room for such a Question can David's Sin stand with Grace or is it possible that a Man that has done as he has should yet be found a Saint and so in a Saved State Or can God repute him so and yet be Holy and Just Or can the Merits of the Lord Jesus reach according to the Law of Heaven a Man in this Condition Here is a Case dubious here 's a Man whose Salvation by his foul Offences is made doubtful Now we must to Law and Judgment wherefore now let Christ stand up to plead I say now was David's Case dubious Psal. 51. he was afraid that God would cast him away and the Devil hoped that he would and to that end charged him before God's Face if perhaps he might get Sentence of Damnation to pass upon his Soul. But this was David's Mercy he had an Advocate to plead his Cause by whose Wisdom and Skill in Matters of Law and Judgment he was brought off of those heavy Charges from those gross Sins and delivered from that eternal