own the way of Salvation 132 III. Many things give our Accuser advantage 1. Many things relating to the Promises 133 2. Many things relating to our Lives 134 3. The threats annexed to the Gospel 137 IV. To plead about our afflictions for Sins 139 A Simile of a Man indicted at the Assize And his malicious Adversary ib. An allusion to Abishai and Shimei who cursed David 141 V. To plead the efficacy of our Old Titles to our Inheritance if questionable because of New Sins 142 Saints do not sell their Inheritance by Sin. 143 VI. Our Evidences are oft out of our hand And we recover them by our Advocate 147 Obj. 1. What need all these Offices or nice distinctions 150 Answ. The Wisdom of God is not to be charged with folly ib. God's People are baffled with the Devil for want of a distinct knowledge of Christ in all his Offices 152 Obj. 2. My Cause being bad Christ will desert me 153 Answ. Sin is a deadly obstruction to Faith. ib. A five-fold Order observed in the exercise of Faith. 154 Obj. 3. But who shall pay the Advocate his Fee 157 Answ. There is Law and Lawyers too without money ib. Christ pleads for the Poor ib. David's strange gift to God. 159 Obj. 4. If Christ be my Advocate once he will always be troubled with me 160 Answ. He is an Advocate to the utmost Vse 1. To consider the Dignity God hath put upon Christ by Offices Places of trust and Titles of honour in general 162 Vse 2. To consider this Office of an Advocate in particular By which consideration these advantages come 168 1. To see one is not forsaken for Sin. ib. 2. To take Courage to contend with the Devil 169 3. It affords relief for discouraged Faith. ib. 4. It helps to put off the Vizard Satan puts on Christ. 170 A Simile of a Vizard on the Face of a Father 171 Study this peculiar Treasure of an Advocate 1. With reference to it's peculiarity 172 2. Study the Nature of this Office. 173 3. Study its efficacy and prevalency ib. 4. Study Christ's Faithfulness in his Office. 174 5. Study the need of a share therein 175 Vse 3. To wonder at Christ's condescention in being an Advocate for the base and unworthy 177 Christ's acts in open Court. 1. With an holy and just God. 179 2. Before all the heavenly Host. 180 3. The Client is unconcerned for whom the Advocate is engaged 181 4. The Majesty of the Man that is an Advocate 182 Vse 4. Improve this Doctrine to strengthen Grace ib. 1. To strengthen Faith. ib. 2. To encourage to Prayer 184 3. To keep humble 186 4. To encourage to perseverance 188 Obj. I cannot pray My Mouth is stopp'd 189 Answ. Satan cannot silence Christ. 190 5. Improve this Doctrine to drive Difficulties down ib. Vse 5. If Christ pleads for us before God we should plead for him before Men. 191 Nine Considerations to that end 192 The last Reserve for a dead lift 193 Vse 6. To be wary of Sin against God. 194 Christianity teaches Ingenuity ib. Christ is our Advocate on free-cost 195 A comely conclusion of a Brute 198 Three Considerations added ib. Vse 7. The strong are to tell the weak of an Advocate to plead their Cause 199 1. Many things relating to the Promises 133 2. Many things relating to our Lives 134 3. The threats annexed to the Gospel 137 IV. To plead about our afflictions for Sins 139 A Simile of a Man indicted at the Assize And his malicious Adversary ib. An allusion to Abishai and Shimei who cursed David 141 V. To plead the efficacy of our Old Titles to our Inheritance if questionable because of New Sins 142 Saints do not sell their Inheritance by Sin. 143 VI. Our Evidences are oft out of our hand And we recover them by our Advocate 147 Obj. 1. What need all these Offices or nice distinctions 150 Answ. The Wisdom of God is not to be charged with folly ib. God's People are baffled with the Devil for want of a distinct knowledge of Christ in all his Offices 152 Obj. 2. My Cause being bad Christ will desert me 153 Answ. Sin is a deadly obstruction to Faith. ib. A five-fold Order observed in the exercise of Faith. 154 Obj. 3. But who shall pay the Advocate his Fee 157 Answ. There is Law and Lawyers too without money ib. Christ pleads for the Poor ib. David's strange gift to God. 159 Obj. 4. If Christ be my Advocate once he will always be troubled with me 160 Answ. He is an Advocate to the utmost Vse 1. To consider the Dignity God hath put upon Christ by Offices Places of trust and Titles of honour in general 162 Vse 2. To consider this Office of an Advocate in particular By which consideration these advantages come 168 1. To see one is not forsaken for Sin. ib 2. To take Courage to contend with the Devil 16â— 3. It affords relief for discouraged Faith. ib 4. It helps to put off the Vizard Satan puts on Christ. 170 A Simile of a Vizard on the Face of a Father 171 Study this peculiar Treasure of an Advocate 1. With reference to it's peculiarity 172 2. Study the Nature of this Office. 173 3. Study its efficacy and prevalency ib. 4. Study Christ's Faithfulness in his Office. 174 5. Study the need of a share therein 175 Vse 3. To wonder at Christ's condescention in being an Advocate for the base and unworthy 177 Christ acts in open Court. 1. With an holy and just God. 179 2. Before all the heavenly Host. 180 3. The Client is unconcerned for whom the Advocate is engaged 181 4. The Majesty of the Man that is an Advocate 182 Vse 4. Improve this Doctrine to strengthen Grace ib. 1. To strengthen Faith. ib. 2. To encourage to Prayer 184 3. To keep humble 186 4. To encourage to perseverance 188 Obj. I cannot pray My Mouth is stopp'd 189 Answ. Satan cannot silence Christ. 190 5. Improve this Doctrine to drive Difficulties down ib. Vse 5. If Christ pleads for us before God we should plead for him before Men. 191 Nine Considerations to that end 192 The last Reserve for a dead lift 193 Vse 6. To be wary of Sin against God. 194 Christianity teaches Ingenuity ib. Christ is our Advocate on free-cost 195 A comely conclusion of a Brute 198 Three Considerations added ib. Vse 7. The strong are to tell the weak of an Advocate to plead their Cause 199 A word in season is good ib. Vse 8. All is nothing to them that have none to plead their Cause 202 A doleful cry of a Doctor of great note for godliness when on the Bier in the Church to be buried viz. I am accused at the Judgment of God. The People ran all away amazed The next day he arose again and cried I am judged at the just Judgment of God. The People ran away again fearfully frighted The third day he arose and cried more dolefully I
John Bunnyon THE ADVOCATESHIP OF JESUS CHRIST Clearly Explained AND Largely Improved FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS FROM 1 John 2.1 And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous By JOHN BVNYAN Author of the Pilgrim's Progress London Printed for Dorman Newman at the King's Arms in the Poultry 1688. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader OF all the excellent 〈…〉 God the Father haâ— conferred upon 〈◊〉 Châ—iâ—t ouâ— Lord this of his being an Advocate with him for us is not the least tho to the shame of Saints it may be spoken the blessed benefits thereof have not with that diligence and fervenâ— desire been enquired after as they ought Christ as Sacrifice Priest and King with the glories in and thaâ— flow from him as such has God be thanked in this our day been much discovered by our Seers and as much rejoiced in by those who have believed their words but as he is an Advocate with the Father an Advocate for us I fear the excellency of that doth still too much lie hid Tho I am verily of opinion that the Peâ—ple of God in this Age have as much need of the knowledge thereoâ— if not more need than had their Brethren that are gone before them These words if not more need Perhaps may seem to some to be 〈◊〉 what out of Joint but let the Godly-wise consider the Decays that are amongst us as to the Power of Godliness And what abundance of foul miscarriages the generality of Professors now stand guilty of as also how diligent their great Enemy is to accuse them at the Bar of God for them And I think they will conclude that in so saying I indeed have said some truth Wherefore when I have thoughâ— on this and have somewhat conâ—idered also the transcendent excellency of the Advocateship oâ— this our Lord And again that but little of the Glory thereof has by writing been in our day communicated to the Chuâ—ch I adventured to write what I have seen thereof and do by â—hat doth follow present it unto her for good I count not my self sufficient for this or for any other truth as it is in Jesus But yet I say I have told you somewhat of it accordding to the proportion of Faith. And I believe that some will thank God for what I here have said about it but it will be chiefly those whose Right and Title to the Kingdom of Heaven and Glory doth seem to themselves to be called in question by their Enemy at the Bar of the judge of all These I say will read and be glad to hear that they have an Advocate at Court that will stand up to plead for them and that will yet secure to them a right to the heavenly Kingdom Wherefore it is more particularly for those that at present or that hereafter may be in this dreadful plight that this my Book is now made publick Because it is as I have shewed for such that Jesus Christ is Advocate with the Father Of the many and singular advantages therefore that such have by this their Advocate in his Advocating for them this Book gives some account As where he pleads how he pleads what he pleads when he pleads with whom he pleads for whom he pleads and how the Enemy is put to shame and silence before their God and all the holy Angels Here is also shewed to those herein concerned how they indeed may know that Jesus is their Advocate Yea and how their matâ—ers go before their God the Judge And particularly that they shall well come off at last Yea tho their Cause as 't is theirâ— is such in Justification of which themselves don 't dare to shew their Heads Nor have I left the dejected Souls without Directionâ— how to entertain this Advocate to plead their Cause Yea I have also shewn that he will be with ease prevailed with to stand up to plead for such as one would think the very Heavens would blush to hear them named by him Their comfort also is that he never lost a Cause nor a Soul for whom he undertook to be an Advocate with God. But Reader I will on longer detain thee from the perusal of the Discourse Read and think read and compare what thou readest with the Word of God. If thou findest any benefit by what thou readest give the Father and his Son the Glory and also pray for me If thou findest me short in this or to exceed in that impute all such things to my weakness of which I am always full Fare-wel I am thine to serve thee what I may JOHN BUNYAN The Contents of this Treatise Page THe Apostles divine Policy to beget a due regard to his divine Doctrine of Eternal Life 1 The Apostles Explication of this Expression viz. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin 2 The Apostles Exhortation to separation from sin as a good effect of a good cause Viz. forgiveness ib. The Apostlâ—s addition to prevent misunderstanding viz. we have an Advocate with the Father 3 This brings to the Text in which are two great truths contained 1. A Supposition viz. that Men in Christ may sin ib. 2. An Expression by way of Consolation in case of Sin viz. we have an Advocate with the Father ib. An Enquiry into the First Viz. what our Apostle means by Sin In which is considered a difference in the Person and in the Sin. 4 5 An Enquiry into the Second viz what it is for Christ to be an Advocate viz. To plead for another in a Court of Judicature 6 Seven things supposed in the Office of Advocate 1. That God as Judge is on the Throne of Judgment ib. 2. That Saints are concerned at that Bar. 7 3. That Christians have an Accuser 8 4. That sinning Saints dare not appear at this Bar to plead their own Cause 9 5. That Christians are apt to forget their Advocate and remember their Judge 10 6. To remember our Advocate is the way to support Faith and Hope 11 7. That if our Advocate plead our Cause tho that be never so black he is able to bring us off 12 The Apostles triumph in Christ on this account 13 An Exhortation to the difficult task of believing 14 Christ's Advocateship declares us to be sorry creatures 16 The Method observed in the ensuing discourse 17 First To speak of this Advocate 's Office. ib. 1. By touching on the Nature of this Office. 18 2. By treating of the Order or Place of this Office. 19 3. The occasion of this Office viz. some great Sin. 21 Christ as Advocate pleads a Bad Cause 23 A good Cause will plead for it self 24 A pestilent passage of a Preacher 25 A bad man may have a Good Cause and a good man may have a Bad Cause 26 Christ the righteous pleading a Bad Cause is a mystery ib. The best Saints are most sensible of their Sins 27 Second To shew how Christ does manage his
his Hand upon them both Chap. 9.33 But our Mercy iâ— we have one to plead our cause an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who will not suffer our Soul to be spilt and spoiled before the Throne but will surely plead our Cause 6. Another thing that the Apostle would have us learn from the words is this That to remember and to believe that Jesus Christ is an Advocate for us when we have sinned is the next way to support and strengthen our Faith and Hope Faith and Hope are very apt to faint when our sins in their Guilt do return upon us nor is there any more proper way to relieve our Souls than to understand that the Son of God is our Advocate in Heaven True Christ died for our Sins as a Sacrifice and as a Priest he sprinkleth with his Blood the Mercy-seat Ay but here is one that has sinned after Profession of Faith that has sinned grievously so grievously that his Sins are come up before God yea are at his Bar pleaded against him by the Accuser of the Brethren by the Enemy of the godly What shall he do now Why let him believe in Christ. Believe that 's true but how now must he conceive in his mind of Christ for the encouraging of him so to do Why let him call to mind that Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father and as such he meeteth the Accuser at the Bar of God pleads for this Man that has sinned against this Accuser and prevaileth for ever against him Here now tho Satan be turned Lawyer tho he accuseth yea tho his charge against us is true for suppose that we have sinned yet our Advocate is with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus is Faith encouraged thus is Hope strengthened thus is the Spirit of the sinking Christian revived and made to wait for a good deliverance from a bad cause and a cunning Adversary Specially if you consider 7. That the Apostle also doth further suppose by the Text That Jesus Christ as Advocate if he will but plead our Cause let that be never so black is able to bring us off even before Gods Judgment-Seat to our Joy and the confounding of our Adversary For when he saith we have an Advocate he speaks nothing if he means not thus But he doth mean thus he must mean thus because he seeketh here to comfort and support the Fallen Has any Man sinned we have an Advocate But what of that if yet he be unable to fetch us off when charged for Sin at the Bar and before the Face of a righteous Judge But he is able to do this the Apostle says so in that he supposeth a Man has sinned as any Man among the Godly ever did for so we may understand it and if he giveth us not leave to understand it so he saith nothing to the purpose neither For it will be objected by some But can he fetch me off tho I have done as David as Solomon as Peter or the like It must be answered yes the openness of the terms anyman the indefiniteness of the word Sin doth naturally allow us to take him in the largest Sense besides he brings in this Saying as the chief most apt and fittest to relieve one crush'd down to Death and Hell by the Guilt of Sin and a wounded Conscience Further methinks by these words the Apostle seems to triumph in his Christ Saying my Brethren I would have you study to be holy but if your Adversary the Devil should get the Advantage of you and besmear you with the filth of Sin you have yet besides all that you have heard already an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Who is as to his Person interest with God his Wisdom and Worth able to bring you off to the comforting of your Souls Let me therefore for a Conclusion as to this give you an exhortation to believe to hope and expect that though you have sinned for I now speak to the fallen Saint that Jesus Christ will make a good end with thee trust I say in him and he shall bring it to pass I know I put thee upon a hard and difficult task for believing and expecting Good when my guilty Conscience doth nothing but clog burden and terrifie me with the Justice of God the Greatness of my Sins and the burning Torments is hard and Sweating work But it must be the Text calls for it thy case calls for it and thou must do it if thou wouldst glorifie Christ. And this is the way to hasten the issue of thy Cause in Hand for believing daunts the Devil pleaseth Christ and will help thee before-hand to sing that Song of the Church saying O Lord thou hast pleaded the Causes of my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. 3.55 56 57 58 59. Yea believe and hear thy pleading Lord say to thee Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the Cause of his People Behold I have taken out of thy Hand the Cup of trembling even the dregs of the Cup of my Fury thou shalt no more drink it again Isa. 51.20 21 22. I am not here discoursing of the sweetness of Christ's Nature but of the Excellency of his Offices and of his Office of Advocateship in particular which as a Lawyer for his Client he is to execute in the Presence of God for us Love may be where there is no Office and so where no Power is to do us good but now when Love and Office shall meet they will surely both combine in Christ to do the fallen Christian good But of his Love we have treated elsewhere we will here discourse of the Office of this loving One. And for thy further Information let me tell thee That God thy Father counteth that thou wilt be when compared with his Law but a poor one all thy Days Yea the Apostle tells thee so in that he saith there is an Advocate provided for thee When a Father provides Crutches for his Child he doth as good as say I count that my Child will be yet Infirm And when God shall provide an Advocate he doth as good as say my People are subject to Infirmities Do not therefore think of thy self above what by plain Texts and fair Inferences drawn from Christ's Offices thou art bound to think What doth it bespeak concerning thee That Christ is always a Priest in Heaven and there ever lives to make Intercession for thee Heb. 7.24 but this that thou art at thy best in thy self yea and in thy best exercising of all thy Graces too but a poor pitiful sorry sinful Man. A Man that would when yet most holy be certainly cast away did not thy high-Priest take away for thee the iniquity of thy holy things The Age we live in is a wanton Age the Godly are not so humble and low and base in their own Eyes as they should Tho their daily experience calls for it and the Priest-hood of
Wherefore Secondly The Occasion of his exercising of this Office of Advocate is as hath been 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 Hittite 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 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 Judge 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
A Man that has Parts sufficient may yet fail his Friend for want of Courage Wherefore the Courage and Greatness of Christ's Spirit as to his undertaking of the Cause of his People is also amply set out in Scripture He shall not fail nor be discouraged until he hath set Judgment in the Earth Vntil he hath brought Judgment into Victory Isa. 42.4 Mat 12.20 3. They must also be convinced of his Willingness to do this for them for tho one be able and of Courage sufficient yet if he is not willing to undertake ones Cause what is it the better Wherefore he declareth his Willingness also and how ready he is to stand up to plead the Cause of the Poor and of them that are in want The Lord will plead their Cause and spoil the Soul of those that spoiled them Prov. 22.23 4. They must also be convinced of this That Christ is tender and will not be offended at the Dulness of his Client Some Men can reveal their Cause to their Lawyers better than some and are more serviceable and handy in that Affair than others but saith the Christian I am dull and sorry that way will not Christ be shuff and shy of me because of this Honest Heart he hath a Supply of thy Defects in himself and knoweth what thou wantest and where the Shooe pinches though thou art not able distinctly to open Matters to him The Child is prickt with a Pin and lies crying in the Mothers Lap but cannot shew to its Mother where the Pin is but there is pity enough in the Mother to supply this Defect of the Child Wherefore she undresses it opens it searches every Clout from Head to the Foot of the Child and so finds where the Pin is Thus will thy Lawyer do he will search and find out thy Difficulties and where Satan seeketh an Advantage of thee accordingly will provide his Remedy 5. O but will he not be weary The Prophet complains of some that they weary God Isa. 7.13 And mine is a very cross and intricate Cause I have wearied many a good Man while I have been telling my tale unto him And I am afraid That I shall also weary Jesus Christ. Answer Soul he suffered and did bear with the manners of Israel forty Years in the Wilderness Acts 13.18 and hast thou tryed him half so long The good Souls that have gone before thee have found him a tryed Stone a sure one to be trusted to as to this Isa. 28.16 and the Prophet saith positively That he fainteth not neither is weary and that there is no searching of his Vnderstanding chap. 40.28 let all these things prevail with thee to believe that if thou hast committed thy Cause unto him he will bring it to pass to a good pass to so good a pass as will glorifie God honour Christ save thee and shame the Devil Fourthly But fourthly wouldest thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine Advocate whether he has taken in hand to plead thy Cause Then I ask Dost thou together with what has been mentioned before wait upon him according to his Counsel until things shall come to a legal Issue Thus must Clients do There is a great many Turnings and Windings about Sutes and Tryals at Law the Enemy also with his Supersedes Cavils and Motions often deferrs a speedy Issue Wherefore the Man whose is the concern must wait as the Prophet said I will look said he unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation But how long Prophet wilt thou wait Why says he until he plead my Cause and execute Judgment for me Mich. 7.7 8 9 10. Perhaps When thy Cause is tryed things for the present are upon this Issue Thy Adversary indeed is cast but whether thou shalt have an absolute Discharge as Peter had or a conditional one as David 2 Sam. 12.10 11 14. and as the Corinthians had that 's the Question True thou shalt be compleatly saved at last but yet whether 't is not best to leave to thee a Memento of God's Displeasure against thy Sin by awarding that the Sword shall never depart from thy House or that some sore Sickness or other Distresses shall haunt thee as long as thou livest or perhaps that thou shalt walk without the Light of Godâ—s Countenance for several Years and a Day Now if any of these three things happen unto thee thou must exercise Patience and wait Thus did David I waited patiently And again He exercises his Soul in this Vertue saying My Soul wait thou only upon him for my Expectation is from him Psal 62.5 For now we are Judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World And by this Judgment though it sets us free from their Damnation yet we are involved in many Troubles And perhaps must wait many a Day before we can know That as to the maâ—n the Verdict hath gone on our Side Thus therefore in order to thy waiting upon him without fainting it is meet that thou shouldest know the Methods of him that manages thy Cause for thee in Heaven And suffer not Mistrust to bâ—eak in and bear sway in thy Soul For he will at length bring thee forth to the Light and thou shalt behold his Righteousness She also that is thine Enemy shall see it and Shame shall cover her that said unto thee where is thy God But what is it to wait upon him according to his Counsel Answ. 1. To wait is to be of good Couâ—age â—o live in Expectation and to look for Deliâ—erance tho thou hast sinned against thy God. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he â—hall strenâ—then thy Heart Wait I say on the Lord Psal. 27.14 Psal. 31.24 2. To wait upon him is to keep his way To walk humbly in his Appointments Wait â—n the Lord and keep his Way and he shall exalt â—hee to inherit in the Land Psal. 37.3 3. To wait upon him is to observe and â—eep those Directions which he giveth thee â—o observe even while he stands up to plead â—hy Cause For without this or not doing â—his a Man may further marr his Cause in â—he Hand of him that is to plead it Whereâ—ore keep thee far from an evil Matter have â—o Correspondence with thine Enemy walk â—umbly for the Wickedness that thou hast â—ommitted and loath and abhor thy self â—or it in Dust and Ashes To these things â—oth the Scripture every where direct us 4. To wait is also to encline to harken to â—hose further Directions which thou mayst receive â—rom the Mouth of thine Advocate as to any â—resh Matters that may forward and expedite 〈◊〉 good issue of thine Affair in the Court of Heaven The want of this was the Reason â—hat the Deliverance of Israel did linger so â—ong in former times O! Says he that my People had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways I should soon have subdueâ— their Enemies and turned mine Hand againsâ— their Adversaries The
Haters of the Lorâ— should soon have submitted themselves But theiâ— Time should have endured forever Psal. 81.13 14 1â— 5. Also if it tarry long wait for it Dâ— not conclude that thy Cause is lost because at present thou dost not hear from Court Cry if thou wilt O when wilt thou come unto me But never let such a wicked thoughâ— pass through thy Heart saying This Evil iâ— of the Lord why should I wait upon the Lord anâ— longer 2 King. 6.33 6. But take heed that thou turnest no thy Waiting into Sleeping Wait thou must and wait patiently too but yet wait witâ— much longing and Earnestness of Spirit tâ— see or hear how Matters go above Yoâ— may observe that when a Man that dwells faâ— down in the Country and has some Busineâ— at the Term in this or another of the Kingâ— Courts though he will wait his Lawyeâ— time and conveniency yet he will so waiâ— as still to enquire at the Post-house or at thâ— Carriers or if a Neighbour comes dowâ— from Term at his Mouth for Letters oâ— any other Intelligence if possibly he maâ— arrive to know how his Cause speeds anâ— â—hether his Adversary or he has the â—ay Thus I say thou must wait upon thine â—dvocate His Ordinances are his Post-house â—is Ministers are his Carriers where Tidings â—â—om Heaven are to be had and where those â—hat are sued in that Court by the Devil â—ay at one time or another hear from â—heir Lawyer their Advocate how things â—re like to go Wherefore I say wait at â—he Posts of Wisdom's House go to Ordiâ—ances with Expectation to hear from thy Adâ—ocate there For he will send in due time â—ho it tarry wait for it because it will surely â—â—me and will not tarry Hab. 2.1 2 3. And â—ow Soul I have answered thy Request â—nd let me hear what thou sayst unto me Soul. Truly says the Soul methinks â—â—at by what you have said I may have this â—lessed Jesus to be mine Advocate for I â—â—ink verily I have entertained him to be â—ine Advocate I have also revealed my Cause â—nto him yea committed both it and my self â—nto him And as you say I wait O I â—ait And my Eyes fail with looking upâ—ard Fain would I hear how my Soul â—â—andeth in the Sight of God and whether â—â—y Sins which I have committed Since â—ight and Grace was given unto me be by â—ine Advocate taken out of the Hand of the Devil and by mine Advocate removed 〈◊〉 far from me as the Ends of the Earth are asunder Whether the Verdict has gone oâ— my side And what a Shout there was among the Angels when they saw it went weâ—â— with me But alas I have waited and thaâ— a long time and have as you advise raâ— from Ordinance to minister and from Minister to Ordinance or as you phrase it from the Post to the Carrier and from thâ— Carrier to the Post-house to see if I coulâ— hear ought from Heaven how Matters wenâ— about my Soul there I have also asked thoâ—â— that pass by the way if they saw him whom 〈◊〉 Soul loveth and if they had any thing to coâ—municate to me but nothing can I get 〈◊〉 find but Generals as that I have an Advocaâ—â— there and that he pleadeth the Cause of 〈◊〉 People and that he will throughly pleâ—â— their Cause but what he has done for 〈◊〉 of that as yet I am ignorant I doubt my Soul shall by him effectually be secure that yet a conditional Verdict will be awarâ—ded concerning me and that much Bitter 〈◊〉 be mixed with my Sweet and that I 〈◊〉 drink Gall and Wormwood for my Follâ— For if David and Asa and Hezekiah 〈◊〉 such good Men were so served for their 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 16.7 12. why should I look for ther Dealing at the Hand of God But as â—his I will endeavour to bear the Indignation of â—he Lord because I have sinned against him Isa. 39.3 8. and shall count it an infinite Mercy if this Judgment comes to me from him that I may not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 I know it is dreadful walking in Darkness but if that also shall be the Lord's Lot upon me I pray God I may have Faith enough to stay upon him till Death and then will the Clouds blow over and I shall see him in the Light of the Living Mine Enemy the Devil as you say is of an inveagling Temper and although he has accused me before the Judgment-Seat of God yet when he comes to me at any time he glavers and flatters as if he never did mean me harm But I think 't is that he might get further Advantage against me But I carry it now at a further distance than formerly and O that I was at the remotest Distance not only from him but also from that self of mine that laboureth with him for my undoing But altho I say these things now and to you yet I have my solitary hours and in them I have other strange thoughts For thus I think my Cause is bad I have sinned and I have been vite I am ashamed my self of mine own doings and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff. The Law anâ— Reason and my Conscience plead for hiâ— against me and all is true he puts into hiâ— Charge against me That I have sinned more time than there be Hairs on my Head. I know not oâ— any thing that ever I did in my Life but it haâ— flaw or wrinkle or Spot or some such thing in it Mine Eyes have seen vileness in the best of my doings what then think you must God needs see in them Nor can I do any thing yet for all I know that I am accused by my Enemy before the Judgment-seat of God better than what already is imperfect I lie down in my Shame and my Confusion covers my Face I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of Men Jer. 3.24 25. Job 7.20 Reply Well Soul I have heard what thou hast said and if all be true which thou hast said it is good and gives me Ground of Hope That Jesus Christ is become thine Advocate And if that be so no Doubt but thy Tryal will come to a good Conclusion And be not afraid because of the Holiness of God for thine Advocate has this for his Advantage that he pleads before a Judge that is just and against an Enemy that is unholy and rejected Nor let the thoughts Of the badness of thy Cause terrifie thee over much Cause thou hast indeed to be humble and thou dost well to cover thy Face with Shame And 't is no matter how base and vile thou art in thine own Eyes provided that it comes not by renewed Acts of Rebellion but through a spiritual Sight of thine Imperfections Only let me advise thee here to stop let not thy Shame nor thy self-abasing Apprehension of thy self drive thee from the firm and permanent Ground of Hope
come Isa. 63.3 4. I do not say that this Revenge of Christ is as oft times is a Mans of Spite Prejudice or other irregular lettings out of Passions but it ariseth from Righteousness and Truth Nor can it be but that Jesus must have a Desire to take Vengeance on his Enemy and ours since Holiness is in him to the utmost bounds of Perfection And I say again that in all his Pleading as an Advocate as well as in his offering as a Priest he has a hot and flaming Desire and Design to right himself upon his Foe and ours Hence he triumphed over him when he died for us upon the Cross and designed the spoiling of his Principality while he poured out his Blood for us before the Face of God Col. 2.14 15. we then have this Advantage more in that Christ is our Advocate our Enemy is also his and the Lord Jesus counts him so Priv. 6. Sixthly As thine Advocate so thy Judge holdeth thine Accuser for his Enemy also For it is not of Love to Righteousness and Justice that Satan accuseth us to God but that he may destroy the Workmanship of God. Wherefore he also fighteth against God when he accuseth the Children And this thy Father knows right well He must therefore needs distinguish between the Charge and the Mind that brings it Specially when what is charged upon us is under the gracious Promise of a Pardon as I have shewed it is Shall not the Judge then hear his Son for our Advocate is his Son in the Cause of one that he favours and that he justly can against an Enemy who seeks his Dishonour and the Destruction of his eternal Designs of Grace A Mention of the Judges Son goes far with Country-men and great striving there is with them who have great Enemies and bad Causes to get the Judges Son to plead promising themselves that the Judge is as like to hear him and to yield a Verdict to his Plea as to any other Lawyer But what now shall we say concerning our Judge's Son who takes part not only with his Children but with him and with Law and Justice in pleading against our Accuser Yea what shall we say when both Judge and Advocate and Law are all bent to make our Persons stand and escape whatever and how truly soever the Charge and Accusation is by which we are assaulted of the Devil And yet all this is true wherefore here is another Privilege of them that have Jesus for their Advocate Priv. 7. Seventhly Another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate is That he is undaunted and of a good Courage as to the Cause which he undertakes For that 's a requisite Qualification for a Lawyer to be bold and undaunted in a Man's Cause Such an one is coveted especially by him that knows he has a brazen-faced Antagonist Wherefore he saith that he will set his Face like a Flint Isa. 50.5 6 7. when he stands up to plead the Cause of his People Lawyers of all Men need this Courage and to be above others Men of hard Fore-heads because of the Affronts that sometimes they meet with be their Cause never so good in the Face sometimes of the chief of a Kingdom Now Christ is our Lawyer and stands up to plead not only sometimes but always for his People before the God of Gods and that not in a Corner but while all the Host of Heaven stands by both on the right Hand and on the Left. Nor is it to be doubted but that our Accuser brings many a sore Charge against us into the Court But however we have an Advocate that is valiant and courageous One that will not fail nor be discouraged till he has brought Judgment into Victory Hence John inserts his Name saying If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ. Men love to understand a Man before they commit their Cause unto him to wit whether he be fitly qualified for their Business Well here 's an Advocate propounded an Advocate to plead our Cause against our Foe But what is he What 's his Name Is he qualified for my Business The Answer is 't is Jesus Christ. How Jesus Christ What that old Friend of Publicans and Sinners Jesus Christ He used never to fail he used to set his Face like a Flint against Satan when he pleadeth the Cause of his People Is it Jesus Christ says the knowing Soul then he shall be mine Advocate For my part I have often wondred when I have considered what sad Causes Jesus Christ sometimes takes in Hand and for what sad Souls he sometimes pleads with God his Father he had need of a Face as hard as Flint else how could he bear up in that Work in which for us sometimes he is employed A work enough to make Angels blush Some indeed will lightly put off this and say it is his Office but I say his Office notwithstanding the Work in it self is hard exceeding hard when he went to die had he not despised the Shame he had turned his Back upon the Cross and left us in our Blood And now it is his turn to plead the Case would be the same only he can make Argument upon that which to us seems to yield no Argument at all to take Courage to plead for a Joshua for a Joshua cloathed cloathed with filthy Garments He saith he that is ashamed of me and my Words in this adulterous Generation of him will I be ashamed c. Mark 8.38 Hence it follows that Christ will be ashamed of some but why not ashamed of others It is not because their Cause is good but because they are kept from denying of him professedly wherefore for such he will force himself and will set his Face like a Flint and will without Shame own plead and improve his Interest with God for them even for them whose Cause is so horribly bad and gross that themselves do blush while they think thereof But what will not Love do What will not Love bear with And what will not Love suffer Of all the Offices of Jesus Christ I think this tryeth him as much as any True his offering himself in Sacrifice tryed him greatly but that was but for a while his grapling as a Captain with the Curse and Death and Hell tryed him much but that also was but for a while But this Office of being an Advocate tho it meeteth not with such sudden Depths of Trouble yet what it wants in Shortness it may meet with in length of time I know Christ being raised from the Dead dies no more Yet he has not left off tho in Heaven to do some works of Service for his Saints on Earth For there he pleads as an Advocate or Lawyer for his People Heb. 8.1 2. And let it be that he has no Cause of Shame when he standeth thus up to plead for so vile a Wretch as I who have so vilely sinned yet I
mine Advocate the Judge of the Nature of the Crime for which I am accused and of matter of Law by which I am accused to wit whether it is in Force against me to Condemnation or whether by the Law of Grace I am set free specially since before my Advocate has espoused my Cause promised me Deliverance and pleaded my Right to the State of eternal Life must it not now go well with me Yes verily The Judge then making thine Advocate the Judgâ— for he hath committed all Judgment unto the Son Joh. 5.22 hath done it also for thy Sake who hast chosen him to be thine Advocate 'T was a great thing that happened to Israel when Joseph was become their Advocate and when Pharoah had made him a Judge Thou says he shall be over my House and according to thy Word shall all my People be ruled See I have set thee over all the Land of Egypt and without thee shall no Man lift up his Hand or Foot in all the Land of Aegypt Only in the Throne I will be greater than thou Gen. 41.39 40 44. Joseph in this was a type of Christ and his Goverment here of the Government of Christ for his Church Kings seldom make a Man's Judge his Advocate they seldom leave the Issue of the whole Affair to the Arbitration of the poor Man's Lawyer But when they do methinks it should even go to the Hearts desire of the Client whose the Advocate is Specially when as I said before the Cause of the Client is become the Concern of the Advocate and that they are both wrapt up in the self same Interest yea when the Judge himself also iâ— therein concerned And yet thus it is with that Soul who has Jesus Christ for his Advocate What sayst thou poor Heart to this The Judge to wit the God of Heaven has made thy Advocate Arbitrator in thy Business He is to judge God has referred the Matter to him and he has a Concern in thy Concern an Interest in thy good speed Christian Man dost thou hear Thou hast put thy Cause into the Hand of Jesus Christ and hast chosen him to be thine Advocate to plead for thee before God and against thy Adversary and God has referred the Judgment of that Matter to thy Advocate so that he has Power to determine the Matter I know Satan is not pleased with this he had rather things should have been referred to himself and then woe had been to the Child of God But I say God has referred the Business to Jesus Christ has made him Vmpire and Judge in thine Affair Art thou also willing that he should decide the Matter Canst thou say unto him as David Judge me and plead my Cause O Lord Psal. 43.1 O the Care of God towards his People and the Desire of their Welfare He has provided them an Advocate and he has referred all Causes and things that may by Satan be objected and brought in against us to the Judgment and Sentence of Christ our Advocate But to come to a Conclusion for this and therefore Priv. 11. Eleventhly The Advantage that he has that has the Lord Jesus for his Advocate therefore is very great Thy Advocate has the Cause has the Law has the Judge has the Purse and so consequently has all that is requisite for an Advocate to have Since together with these he has Heart he has Wisdom he has Courage and Loves to make the best Improvement of his Advantages for the benefit of his Client And that which adds to all is he can prove the Debt paid about which Satan makes such ado a Price given for the Ramsom of my Soul and for the Pardon of my Sins Lawyers do use to make a great Matter of it when they can prove That that very Debt is paid for which their Client is sued at the Law. Now this Christ Jesus himself is Witness to Yea he himself has paid it and that out of his own Purse for us with his own Hands before and upon the Mercy-Seat according as the Law requireth Lev. 16.13 14 15. Heb. 9.11.14.15 16 23 24. what then can accrue to our Enemy or what Advantage can he get by his thus vexing and troubling of the Children of the most High Certainly nothing but as has been said already to be cast down For the Kingdom of our God which is a Kingdom of Grace and the Power of his Christ will prevail Sampson's Power lay in his Hair but Christ's Power his Power to deliver us from the Accusation and Charge of Satan lieth in the Worth of his Undertakings And hence it is said again and they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.10 11 12. and he was cast out and down And thus much for the Privileges that those are made Pertakers of who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate I come now to the Sixth last thing which is to shew you what Necessity there is that Christ should be our Advocate That Christ should be a Priest to offer Sacrifice a King to rule and a Prophet to teach All seeing Men acknowledge is of Necessity but that he should be an Advocate a Pleader for his People few see the Reason of it But he is an Advocate and as an Advocate has a Work and Imploy distinct from his Priestly Kingly of prophetical Office John says he is our Advocate and signifieth also the Nature of his Work as such in that very Place where he asserteth his Office. As also I have shew'd you in that which goes before But having already shewed you the Nature I will now shew you the Necessity of this Office. First it is necessary for the more full and ample Vindication of the Justice of God against all the Cavils of the infernal Spirits Christ died on Earth to declare the Justice of God to Men in his justifying of the ungodly God standeth upon the Vindication of his Justice as well as upon the Act thereof Hence the Holy Ghost by the Prophets and Apostles so largely disputeth for the Vindication thereof Rom. 3.24 Isa. Jer. Mal. While it asserteth the reality of the pardon of sin the justification of the unworthy and their glorification with God Rom. 3. chap. 4. chap. 8. Gal. 3 and 4. I say while it disputeth the justness of this high Act of God against the cavils of implacable sinners Now the Prophets and Apostles in those Disputes by which they seek to vindicate the Justice of God in the Salvation of sinners are not only Ministers of God to us but Advocates for him Since as Elihu has it They speak on God's behalf Job 36.2 Or as the Margent has it I will shew thee that there are yet Words for God Words to be spoken and pleaded against his Enemies for the justification of his Actions Now as it is necessary thaâ— there should be Advocates for God on Earth to plead for his Justice and Holiness while he saveth sinners against the cavils of
of him as Priest to present our Persons and Services to God. And since God is just and upon the Judgment-Seat and since also we are subject to sin grievously and again since we have an Accuser who will by Law plead at this Bar of God our Sins against us to the end we might be condemned we have need of and also have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the â—ighteous Alas How many of God's precious People for the want of a distinct Knowledge of Christ in all his Offices are at this day sadly baffled with the Sophistications of the Devil To instance no more than this one thing When they have committed some heinous Sin after Light received How are they I say tossed and tumbled and distressed with many Perplexities They cannot come to any Anchor in this their troubled Sea. They go from Promise to Promise from Providence to Providence from this to that Office of Jesus Christ but forget that he is or else understand not what it is for this Lord Jesus to be an Advocate for them Hence they so often sink under the Fears that their Sin is unpardonable and that therefore their Condition is desperate Whereas if they could but consider that Christ is their Advocate and that he is therefore made an Advocate to save them from those high Transgressions that are committed by them and that he waits upon this Office continually before the Judgment-Seat of God they would conceive Relief and be made hold up their Head and would more strongly twist themselves from under that Guilt and Burden those Ropes and Cords wherewith by their Folly they have so strongly bound themselves than commonly they have done or do Obj. 2. But notwithstanding what you have said this Sin is a deadly stick in my way It will not out of my Mind my Cause being bad but Christ will desert me Answ. 'T is true Sin is and will be a deadly stick and stop to Faith attempt to exercise it upon Christ as considered under which of his Offices or Relations you will And above all the Sin of Vnbelief is the Sin that doth so or most easily beset us Heb. 12.1 2. And no marvel for it never acteth alone but is backed not only with Guilt and Ignorance but also with carnal Sense and Reason He that is ignorant of this knows but little of himself or of what believing is He that undertaketh to believe sets upon the hardest Task that ever was proposed to Man not â—ecause the things imposed upon us are unreasonable or unaccountable but because the Heart of Man the more true any thing is the more it sticketh and stumbleth thereat And says Christ because I tell you the truth ye â—â—lieve me not Joh. 8.45 Hence believing is called labouring Heb. 4.11 and 't is the sorest Labour at times that any Man can take in Hand because assaulted with the greatest Oppositions but believe thou must be the Labour never so hard and that not only in Christ in a general way but in him as to his several Offices and as to this of his being an Advocate in particular else some Sins and some Temptations will not in their Guilt nor vexatious Trouble easily depart from thy Conscience no not by Promise nor by thy Attempts to apply the same by Faiâ—h And this the Text insinuateth by it's setting forth of Christ as Advocate as the only or best and most speedy Way of Relief to the Soul in certain Cases There is then an Order that thou must observe in the Exercise of thy Soul in a way of believing 1. Thou must believe unto Justification in general and for this thou must direct thy Soul to the Lord Christ as he is a Sacrifice for Sin and as a Priest offering that Sacrifice So as a Sacrifice thou shalt see him appeasing Divine Displeasure for thy Sin and as a Priest spreading the Skirt of his Garment over thee for the covering of thy Nakedness thus being cloathed thou shalt not be found naked 2. This when thou hast done as well as thou canst thou must in the next Place keep thine Eye upon the Lord Christ as improving as Priest in Heaven the Sacrifice which he offered on Earth for the continuing of thee in a state of Justification thy Life time notwithstanding those common Infirmities that attend thee and to which thou art incident in all thy holy Services or best of thy Performances Rom. 5.10 Exod. 28.31 38. For therefore is he a Priest in Heaven and by his Sacrifice interceding for thee 3. But if thy Foot slippeth if it slippeth gâ—eatly then know thou 't will not be long â—efore a Bill be in Heaven preferred against thee by the Accuser of the Brethren wherefore then thou must have Recourse to Christ as Advocate to plead before God thy Judge against the Devil thine Adversary for thee 4. And as to the badness of thy Cause let that nothing move thee save to Humility and self-Abasement For Christ is glorified by being concerned for thee Yea the Angels will shout aloud to see him bring thee off For what greater Glory can we conceive Christ to obtain as Advocate than to bring off his People when they have sinned noâ—withstanding Satans so charging of them for them as he doth He gloried when he was going to the Cross to die he went up with a Shout and the Sound of Trumpet to make Intercession for us And shall we think that by his being an Advocate he receives no additional Glory 'T is Glory to him doubtless to bear the Title of an Advocate and much more to plead and prosper for us against our Adversary as he doth 5. And I say again for thee to think that Christ will reject thee for that thy Cause is bad is a kind of thinking Blasphemy against this his Office and his Word For what doth such a Man but side with Satan while Christ is pleading against him I say 't is as the Devil would have it for it puts Strength unto his Plea against us by increasing our Sin and Wickedness But shall Christ take our Cause in Hand and shall we doubt of good Success This is to count Satan stronger than Christ and that he can longer abide to oppose than Christ can to plead for us Wherefore away with it not only as to the Notion but also as to the Heart and Root thereof Oh! When shall Jesus Christ our Lord be honoured by us as he oughâ— this dastardly Heart of ours when shall it be more subdued and trodden underfoot of Faith when shall Christ ride Lord and King and Advocate upon the Faith of his People as he should He is exalted before God before Angels and above all the Power of the Enemy there is nothing comes behind but the Faith of his People Obj. 3. But since you follow the Metaphor so close I will suppose if an Advocate be entertained some Recompence must be given him His Fee who shall pay him his Fee I have nothing
Honour But that is to shew how highly God esteems of and dignifies all his Acts and tho this shall tend at last to the greatning of his Honour and Glory in his Kingdom yet the Work it self is amazingly mean. I speak after the manner of Men It is accounted so in this World How ignoble and unrespectful doth a Man make himself specially to his Enemy when he undertaketh to plead a bad Cause if it also happeneth to be the Cause of the base and unworthy And I am sure we are every one so in our selves for whom he is become an Advocate with the Father True we are made worthy in him but that 's no thanks to us as to our selves and our Cause both are yet bad enough And let us now leave off disputing and stand amazed at his Condescention He humbleth himself to behold things that are in Heaven Psal. 113.4 5 6. and Men of old did use to wonder to think that God should so much stoop as to open his Eyes to look upon Man or once so much as to mind him Job 14.1 2 3. Psal. 144.3 4. Job 7.17 Psal. 8.4 And if these be Acts that bespeak a Condescension what will you count of Christ's standing up as an Advocate to plead the Cause of his People Must not that be much more so accounted Oh the Condescention of Christ in Heaven While Cavillers quarrel at such kind of Language let the Saints stay themselves and wonder at it and be so much the more affected with his Grace The Persons are base the Crimes are base with which the Persons are charged wherefore one would think that has but the Reason to think that it is a great Condescention of Christ now in Heaven to take upon him to be an Advocate for such a People Specially if you consider the openness of this Work of Christ for this thing is not done in a Corner This is done in open Court. First with an holy and just God for he is the Judge of all and his Eyes are purer than to behold Iniquity yea his very Essence and Presence is a consuming Fire yet before and with this God and that for such a People Jesus Christ the King will be an Advocate For one mean Man to be an Advocate for the base with one that is not considerable is not so much But for Christ to be an Advocate for the base and for the base too under the basest Consideration this is to be wondred at When Bathsheba the Queen became an Advocate for Adonijah unto King Solomon you see how he flounced at her for that his Cause was bad And why saith he dost thou ask Abishai for Ad nijah Ask for him the Kingdom also 1 Kin. 2.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. I told you before that to be an Advocate did run one upon Hazards of Reproach and it may easily be thought that the Queen did blush when from the King her Son she received such a Repulse Nor do we hear any more of her being an Advocate I believe she had enough of this But oh this Christ of God who himself is greater than Solomon he is become an Advocate an Advocate with the Father who is the eternally just and holy and righteous God And that for a People with Respect to him far worse than could be Adonijah in the Eyes of his Brother Solomon Majesty and Justice are dreadful in themselves and much more so when approached by any specially when the Cause as to matter of Fact is bad that the Man is guilty of who is concerned in the Advocateship of his Friend And yet Jesus Christ is still an Advocate for us an Advocate with the Father Secondly Consider also before whom Jesus Christ doth plead as an Advocate and that is before or in the Presence and Observation of all the heavenly Host. For while Christ pleadeth with God for his People all the Host of Heaven stands by on the right Hand and on the Left Mat. 10.32 And tho as yet there may seem to be but little in this Consideration yet Christ would have us know and account it an Infinite Kindness of his to us that he will confess and not be ashamed of us before the Angels of his Father Mark 8.38 Angels are holy and glorious Creatures and in some Respect may have a greater Knowledge of the Nature and baseness of Sin than we while here are capable of and so may be made to stand and wonder while the Advocate pleads with God for a People from Head to Foot cloathed therewith But Christ will not be ashamed to stand up for us before them though they know how bad we are and what vile things we have done Let this therefore make us wonder Thirdly Add to these how unconcerned oft-times those are with themselves and their own desolate Condition for whom Christ as an Advocate laboureth in Heaven with God. Alas the Soul is as far off of knowing what the Devil is doing against it at God's Bar as David was when Saul was threatning to have his Blood while he was hid in the Field 1 Sam. 20.26 27 28 29 30 31 32. But O true Jonathan How didst thou plead for David Only here thou hadst the Advantage of our Advocate thou hadst a good Cause to plead for when Saul thy Father said David shall surely die Thy Reply was wherefore shall he be slâ—in What evil hath he done But Christ cannot say thus when he pleadeth for us at God's Bar nor is our present Senselessness and unconcernedness about his pleading but an Aggravation to our Sin. Perhaps David was praying while Jonathan was playing the Advocate for him before the King his Father But perhaps the Saint is sleeping yea sinning more while Christ is pleading for him in Heaven Oh! This should greatly affect us this should make us wonder this should be so considered by us as to heighten our Souls to Admiration of the Grace and Kindness of Christ. Fourthly join to these the Greatness and Gravity the highness and glorious Majesty of the Man that is become our Advocate says the Text 't is Jesus Christ we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ. Now that he should become an Advocate that he should embrace such an Imploy as this of his Advocateship let this be a wonderment and so be accounted But let us come to the fourth Use. Vse 4. Fourthly Is it so is Jesus Christ the Saviour also become our Advocate Then let us labor to make that Improvement of this Doctrine as tendeth to strengthen our Graces and us in the management of them Indeed this should be the Use that we should make of all the Offices of Christ but let us at this time concern our sâ—lves about this Let I say the poor Christian thus expostulate with himself 1. Is Christ Jesus the Lord mine Advocate with the Father Then awake my Faith and shake thy self like a Gyant Stir up thy self and be not faint Christ is the Advocate of his
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 severally 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— lump 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 on 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 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 enquiry 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 aâ—e so far off from Sense of and Shame for 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 â—or 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 righâ—eous FINIS ERRATA PAge 31 Line 22 for acknowledgeth read acknowledged p. 65 l. 13. f. yout 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 r. 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
Office. 28 1. ALONE Not by any Proxy or Deputy No Virgin Mary Or Saint or Angel. ib. 2. Christ pleads at Gods Bar the Cause cannot be removed into another Court. 29 If removed from Heaven we have no Advocate on Earth 30 In pleading Christ observes these Rules 1. He granteth what is charged on us ib. 2. He pleads his own goodness for us 32 He payeth all our debt down 33 All mouths stopped who would not have the Sinner delivered 34 Christ requires a Verdict in order to our deliverance ib. The Sinner is delivered God contented Satan confounded and Christ applauded 35 II. How Christ manages his Office of an Advocate against the Adversary by Argument ib. 1. He pleads the pleasure of his Father in his Merits 37 Satan rebuked for finding fault therewith 38 2. He pleads God's Interest in his People 39 Haman's mishap in being ingaged against the Kings Queen N B. 40 It seems a weak Plea because of Man's unworthiness But it 's a strong Plea because of God's worthiness 41 The Elect are bound to God by a seven-fold cord 42 43 The weight of this Plea weighed 44 3. Christ pleads his own Interest in them 45 A Parallel between Cattel in a Pound and Christ's own Sheep 46 Six weighty Reasons in this Plea. 1. They are Christ's own 47 2. They cost him dear ib. 3. He hath made them near to himself 48 They are his Spouse his Love his Dove They are Members of his Body 49 A Man cannot spare a Hand a Foot a Finger 50 Nor can Christ spare any Member 51 4. Christ pleads his right in Heaven to give it to whom he will. ib. Christ will Satan will not Christ's Will stands 52 5. Christ pleads Satan's enmity against the godly 53 Satan is the Cause of the Crimes he accuses us of 55 A Simile of a weak-witted Child ib. 6. Christ can plead those Sins of Saints for them for which Satan would have them damned 58 Eight Considerations to clear that 60 61 Seven more Considerations to the same end 62 63 Men care most for Children that are infirm ib. A Father offended hath been appeased by a Brother turning Advocate 64 Third Head To shew who have Christ for an Advocate Wherein are three things contained 65 I. This Office of Advocate differs from that of a Priest. ib. 1. They difer in Name ib. 2. They differ in Nature 66 3. They differ as to their Extent ib. 4. They differ as to the Persons with whom they have to do ib. 5. They differ as to the Matter about which they are employed ib. 6. Christ as Priest preceeds Christ as Advocate succeeds 67 II. How far this Office of an Advocate is extended In five Particulars 68 III. Who have Christ for their Advocate ib. 1. In general All adopted Children 69 Obj. The Text saith if any Man sin 70 Ans. Any Man is not any of the World But any of the children of God. A difference in Children some bigger than some 73 Christ an Advocate for strong men 74 75 2. In particular to shew if Christ be our Advocate 76 I. If one have entertained Christ to plead a Cause ib. Que. How shall I know that 77 Answ. By being sensible of an Action commenced against thee in the high Court of Justice ib. II. If one have revealed a Cause to Christ. 79 An example of one revealing his Cause to Christ in a Closet 80 â—n Order to this one must know Christ. â— To be a Friend 81 â— To be faithful 82 â—II If one have committed a Cause to Christ. 83 â—n order to this one must be convinced Of Christ's Ability to defend him 84 Of Christ's Courage to plead a Cause ib. Of Christ's Will for this work 85 Of Christ's tenderness in case of his Clients dulness ib. Of Christ's unweariedness 86 IV. If one wait till things come to a legal Issue 87 Que. What is it thus to wait 88 Answ. 1. To be of good Courage Look for deliverance 89 2. To keep his way in waiting ib. 3. To observe his Directions ib. 4. To hearken to future Directions which may come from the Advocate ib. 5. To come to no ill conclusion in waiting viz. that the Cause is lost because one hears not from Court. 90 6. To wait waking Not sleeping ib. Ordinances and Ministers compar'd to a Post-house and Carriers of Letters 91 The Clients comfortable conclusion about his Advocate and Cause ib. But yet doubting and desponding 92 93 The Authors reply to and comply with the Clients conclusion And his Council in the case 94 Fourth Head. To shew the Clients Privileges by the benefit of this Office of Advocate 95 Priv. 1. The Advocate pleads a price paid ib. Of a rich Brother and his poor Brethren 96 Of the ill-conditioned Man their Enemy ib. Farther cleared by three considerations 97 Priv. 2. The Clients Advocate pleads for himseâ—f also both concerned in one bottom 99 1. He pleads the price of his own Blood. ib. 2. He pleads it for his Own. 100 A Simile of a lame Horse ib. Of Men going to Law for a thing of little worth ib. Obj. I am but one 101 Answ. Christ cannot lose one 102 Priv. 3. The Plea of Satan is groundless ib. Satan must be cast over the Bar. 103 A Simile of a Widow owing a Sum of Money 105 Of an Old Law nulled by a New Law. 106 Satan pleads by the Old Law Christ by the New. ib. Priv. 4. Is consequential The Clients Accuser must need be overthrown 107 The Clients solemn appeal to the Almighty 108 In case the accused have no Advocate Satan prevails ib. Priv. 5. The Advocate hath pity for his Client And indignation against the Accuser 109 Men chuse an Advocate who hath a Quarrel against their Adversary 110 Priv. 6. The Judge counts the Accuser his Enemy 111 To procure the Judges Son to plead is desirable ib. Priv. 7. The Clients Advocate hath good courage He will set his Face like a Flint 112 He pleads before the God and all the Host of Heaven 113 He is the Old Friend of Publicans and Sinners ib. He pleads a Cause bad enough to make Angels blush 114 Love will Do and Bear and Suffer much 115 Priv. 8. The Advocate is alway ready in Court. 116 He appears NOW in the Presence of God. 117 Priv. 9. The Advocate will not be blinded with Bribes 118 Priv. 10. The Advocate is Judge in the Clients Cause 120 Joseph's Exaltation was Israel's advantage 121 God's care of his Peoples welfare 122 Priv. 11. The Advocate hath all that is requisite for an Advocate to have 123 Last Head. To shew the necessity of Christ for our Advocate 124 I. To vindicate the Justice of God against the cavils of the Devil 125 Satan charges God with unjust Words Actions 126 God is pleased with his design to save Sinners ib. II. There is Law to be objected against us 128 Christ appeals to the Law it Self 130 Christ is not ashamed to
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 Mat. 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 it 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 Goâ— 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 Col. 2.13 Eph. 4.32 The Devil cannot his Mouth is stopp'd as is plain in the Case of Joshua Zech. 3. The Law cannot for that approveth of what Christ has done This then is the way of Christ's pleading You must know That when Christ pleads with God he pleads with a just and righteous God and therefore he must plead Law and nothing but Law And this he pleaded in both these Pleas. First in confessing of the Sin he justified the Sentence of the Law in pronouncing of it evil and then in his laying of himself his whole self before God for that Sin he vindicated the Sanction and Perfection of the Law. Thus therefore he magnifies the Law and makes it Honorable and yet brings off the Client safe and sound in the view of all the Angels of God. Thirdly the Lord Jesus having thus taken our Sins upon himself and presented God with all the Worthiness that is in his whole self for them in the next place he calleth for Justice or a just Verdict upon the Satisfaction he hath made to God and to his 〈◊〉 Then Proclamation is made in open Court saying take away the filthy Garments from him from him that hath offended and cloath him with Change of Raiment Zech. 3. Thus the Soul is preserved that hath sinned thus the God of Heaven is content that he should be saved thus Satan is put to Confusion and Jesus applauded and cried up by the Angels of Heaven and by the Saints on Earth Thus haveâ— shewed you how Christ doth Advocate it with God and his Father for us and I have been the more particular in this because the Glory of Christ and the Comfort of the Dejected is greatly concerned and wrapt up in it Look then to Jesus if thou hast sinned to Jesus as an Advocate pleading with the Father for thee Look to nothing else for he can tell how and that by himself to deliver thee yea and will do it in a way of Justice which is a Wonder and to the Shame of Satan which will be his Glory and also to thy compleat Deliverance which will be thy Comfort and Salvation But to pass this and to come to the Second thing which is to shew you how the Lord Jesus manages this his Office of an Advocate before his Father against the Adversary For he pleadeth with the Father but pleadeth 〈◊〉 â—â—e Devil he pleadeth with the Faâ—her Law and Justice but against the Adversary he letteth out himself I say as he pleadeth against the Adversary so he enlargeth himself with Arguments over and besides those which he pleadeth with God his Father Nor is it meet or needful that our Advocate when he pleads against Satan should so limit himself to matter of Law as when he pleadeth with his Father The Saint by sinning oweth Satan nothing no Law of his is broken thereby why then should he plead for the saving of his People justifying Righteousness to him Christ when he died died not to satisfie Satan but his Father not to appease the Devil but to answer the Demands of the Justice of God nor did he Design when he hanged on the Tree to triumph over his Father but over Satan He redeemed us therefore from the Curse of the Law by his Blood Gal. 3.13 and from the Power of Satan by his Resurrection Heb. 2.14 He delivered us from righteous Judgment by Price and Purchase but from the Rage of Hell by Fight and Conquest And as he acted thus diversly in the Work of our Redemption even so he also doth in the Execution of his Advocate 's Office. When he pleadeth with God he pleadeth so And when he pleadeth against Satan he pleadeth so And how he pleadeth with God when he dealeth with Law and Justice I have shewed you and now I will shew you how he pleadeth before him against the Accuser of the Brethren First He pleads against him the well-Pleasedness that his Father has in his Merits saying This shall please the Lord. Or this doth or will please the Lord better than any thing that can be propounded Psal. 69.31 Now this Plea being true as it is being established upon the liking of God Almighty Whatever Satan can say to obtain our everlasting Destruction is without Ground and so unreasonable I am well pleased saith God Mat. 3.17 and
here fortifie us against his Assaults There is also an Incidency in the best to sin and the bigger Man the bigger Fall for the more hurt and the greater Damage Wherefore it is of as absolute Necessity that an Advocate be provided for the strong as for the weak Any Man He that is most holy most reformed most refined and most purified may as soon be in the Dirt as the weakest Christian. And so far as I can see Satan's Design is against them most I am sure the greatest Sins have been committed by the biggest Saints This way-faring Man came to David's House and when he stood up against Israel he provoked David to number the People 2 Sam. 12.4 7. 1 Chr. 21.1 wherefore they have as much need of an Advocate as have the youngest and most feeble of the Flock What a Mind had he to try a Fall with Peter and how quickly did he break the Neck of Judas The like without Doubt he had done to Peter had not Jesus by stepping in prevented As long as Sin is in our Flesh there is danger Indeed he saith of the young Men that they are strong and that they have overcome the wicked one but he doth not say they have kill'd him as long as the Devil is alive there is Danger and though a strong Christian may be too hard for and may overcome him in one thing he may be too hard for yea and may overcome him two for one afterwards Thus he served David and thus he served Peter and thus he in our Day has served many more The strongest are weak the wisest are Fools when suffered to be sifted as Wheat in Satan's Sieve Yea and have often times been so proved to the wounding of their great Hearts and the Dishonour of Religion To conclude this God of his Mercy hath sufficiently declared the Truth of what I say by preparing for the best the strongest and most sanctified as well as for the least weakest and most feeble Saint an Advocate My little Children I write unto you that you sin not And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Obj. But some may object That what has been said as to discovering for whom Christ is an Advocate has been too general and therefore would have me come more to particulars else they can get no Comfoâ—t Ans. Well inquiring Soul so I will and therefore harken to what I say First Wouldest thou know whether Christ is thine Advocate or no I ask Hast thou entertain'd him so to be When men have Sutes of Law depending in any of the King's Courts above they entertain their Attorney or Advocate to plead their Cause and so he pleads for them I say hast thou entertained Jesus Christ for thy Lawyer to plead thy Cause Plead my Cause O God said David Psal. 35.1 and again Lord plead thou my Cause Psal. 43.1 This therefore is the first thing that I would propound to thee Hast thou with David entertained him for thy Lawyer or with good Hezekiah cried out O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Isa. 38.14 What sayst thou Soul Hast thou been with him and prayed him to plead thy Cause and cryed unto him to undertake for thee This I call entertaining of him to be thine Advocate And I chuse to follow the Similitude both because the Scripture seems to smile upon such a way of Discourse and because thy question doth naturally lead me to it Wherefore I ask again hast thou been with him Hast thou entertained him Hast thou desired him to plead thy Cause Quest. Thou wilt say unto me How should I know that I have done so Answ. I answer art thou sensible that thou hast an Action commenced against thee in that high Court of Justice that is above I say art thou sensible of this For the Defendants and all Gods People are Defendants do not use to entertain their Lawyers but from Knowledge That an Action either is or may be commenced against them before the God of Heaven If thou sayst yea then I ask who told thee that thou standest accused for Transgression before the Judgment-Seat of God I say who told thee so hath the holy Ghost hath the World or hath thy Conscience For nothing else as I know off can bring such Tidings to thy Soul. Again hast thou found a Failure in all others that might have been entertained to plead thy Cause Some make their Sighs their Tears their Prayers and their Reformations their Advocates Hast thou tryed these and found them wanting Hast thou seen thy state to be desperate if the Lord Jesus doth not undertake to plead thy Cause for Jesus is not entertained so long as Men can make shift without him But when it comes to this Point I perish for-ever notwithstanding the Help of all if the Lord Jesus steps not in Then Lord Jesus Lord Jesus good Lord Jesus undertake for me Hast thou therefore been with Jesus Christ as concerned in thy Soul as heartily concerned about the Action that thou perceivest to be commenced against thee Quest. You will say how should I know that Answ. I answer Hast thou well considered the Nature of the Crime wherewith thou standest charged at the Bar of God Hast thou also considered the Justness of the Judge Again I ask hast thou considered what Truth as to Matter of Fact there is in the things whereof thou standest accused Also hast thou considered the Cunning the Malice and Diligence of thine Adversary with the Greatness of the Loss thou art like to sustain Shouldst thou with Ahab in the Book of Kings 1 King. 22.17 18 19 20 21 22. or with the Hypocrites in the sixth of Isaiah Isa. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. have the Verdict of the Lord God go out from the Throne against thee I ask thee these Questions because if thou art in the Knowledge of these things to seek or if thou art not deeply concerned about the Greatness of the Damage that will certainly over-take thee and that for-ever shouldest thou be indeed accused before God and have none to plead thy Cause Thou hast not nor canst not let what will come upon thee have been with Jesus Christ to plead thy Cause and so let thy Case be never so desperate thou standest alone and hast no Helper Job 30.13 chap. 9.13 or if thou hast they not being the Advocate of God's appointing must needs fall with thee and with thy Burden Wherefore consider of this seriously and return thy Answer to God who can tell if Truth shall be found in thy Answers better by far than any For 't is he that tries the Reins and the Heart and therefore to him I referr thee But Secondly Wouldest thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine Advocate Then I ask again hast thou Revealed thy Cause unto him I say hast thou Revealed thy Cause unto him For he that goeth to Law for his Right must not only go to a Lawyer
and say Sir I am in Trouble and am to have a Tryal at Law with mine Enemy pray undertake my Cause but he must also Reveal to his Lawyer his Cause He must go to him and tell him what is the Matter how things stand where the shooe pinches and so Thus did the Church of old and thus doth every true Christian now For tho nothing can be hid from him yet he will have things out of thine own Mouth He will have thee to Reveal thy Matters unto him Mat. 20.32 O Lord of Hosts said Jeremy that judgest righteously and tryest the Reins and the Heart let me see thy Vengeance on them for unto thee have I revealed my Cause Jer. 11.20 And again But O Lord of Hosts that tryest the righteous and seest the Reins and the Heart let me see thy Vengeance on them for unto thee have I opened my Cause Chap. 20.12 Seest thou here how Saints of old were wont to do How they did not only in a general way intreat Christ to plead their Cause but in a particular way go to him and Reveal or open their Cause unto him O 't is excellent to behold how some Sinners will do this when they get Christ and themselves in a Closet alone When they upon their bare Knees are pouring out of their Souls before him Or like the Woman in the Gospel telling of him all the Truth Mark 5. O Saith the Soul Lord I am come to thee upon an earnest Business I am arrested by Satan the Bailiff was mine own Conscience and I am like to be accused before the Judgment-Seat of God my Salvation lies at Stake I am questioned for my Interest in Heaven I am afraid of the Judge my Heart condemns me 1 Joh. 3.20 Mine Enemy is subtil and wanteth not Malice to prosecute me to Death and then to Hell. Also Lord I am sensible the Law is against me for indeed I have horribly sinned and thus and thus have I done Here I lie open to Law and there I lie open to Law Here I have given the Adversary Advantage and there he will surely have a hank against me Lord I am distressed undertake for me And there are some things that thou must be acquainted with about thine Advocate before thou wilt venture to go thus far with him As 1. Thou must know him to be a Friend and not an Enemy unto whom thou openest thy Heart and until thou comest to know That Christ is a Friend to thee or to Souls in thy Condition thou wilt never reveal thy Cause unto him Not thy whole Cause unto him And it is from this That so many that have Soul-Causes hourly depending before the Throne of God and that are in Danger every day of eternal Damnation forbear to entertain Jesus Christ for their Advocate and so wickedly conceal their Matters from him But he that hideth his Sins shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 This therefore must first be believed by thee before thou wilt reveal thy Cause unto him 2. A Man When his Estate is called into Question I mean his Right and Title thereto will be very cautious specially if he also questions his Title to it himself unto whom he reveals that Affair He must know him to be one that is not only friendly but faithful to whom he reveals such a Secret as this Why thus it is with Christ and the Soul. If the Soul is not somewhat perswaded of the Faithfulness of Christ to wit that if he can do him no good he will do him no harm he will never reveal his Cause unto him But will seek to hide his Counsel from the Lord. This therefore is another thing by which thou mayst know that thou hast Christ for thine Advocate If thou hast heartily and in very Deed revealed thy Cause unto him Now they that do honestly reveal their Cause to their Lawyer will endeavour to possess him as I hinted before with the worst They will with Words make it as bad as they may for think they by that Means I shall prepare him for the worst that mine Enemy can do And thus Souls deal with Jesus Christ. See the fifty first Psalm also the thirty eighth with several others that might be named and see if God's People have not done so I said saith David That I would confess my Transgressions against my self and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. But Thirdly Hast thou Jesus Christ for thine Advocate Or wouldst thou know if thou hast Then I ask again hast thou committed thy Cause to him When a Man entertains his Lawyer to stand for him and to plead his Cause he doth not only reveal but commit his Cause unto him I would seek unto him says Eliphas to Job and unto him would I commit my Cause Job 5.8 Now there is a Difference betwixt revealing my Cause and committing of it to a Man. To reveal my Cause is to open it to one and to commit it to him is to trust it in his Hand Many a Man will reveal his Cause to him unto whom he will yet be afraid to commit it But now he that entertains a Lawyer to plead his Cause doth not only reveal but commit his Cause unto him As suppose Right to his Estate be called into Question why then he not only reveals his Cause to his Lawyer but puts into his Hands his Evidences Deeds Leases Mortgages Bonds or what else he hath to shew a Title to his Estate by And thus doth the Christians deal with Christ They deliver up all unto him to wit all their Signs Evidences Promises and Assurances which they have thought they have had for Heaven and the Salvation of their Souls and have desired him to peruse to search and try them every one Psal. 139.23 And if there be Iniquity in me lead me in the way everlasting This is committing of thy Cause to Christ and this is the hardest Task of all For the Man that doth thus he trusteth Christ with all and and implyeth that he will live and die stand and fall lose and win according as Christ will manage his Business thus did Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 and thus Peter admonisheth us to do Now he that doth this must be convinced 1. Of the Ability of Jesus Christ to defend him For a Man will not commit so great a Concern as his All is to his Friend no not to his Friend be he never so faithful if he perceives not in him Ability to save him and to preserve what he hath against all the Cavils of an Enemy And hence it is that the Ability of Jesus Christ as to the saving of his People is so much insisted on in the Scripture As I have laid Help upon one that is mighty Psal. 89.19 I that speak in Righteousness mighty to save Isa. 63.1 And again I will send them a Saviour and a great one Chap. 19.20 2. As they must be convinced of his Ability to help them so they must of his Courage
which is the Promise and the Doctrine of an Advocate with the Father No let not the Apprehension of the Badness of thy Cause do it for as much as he did never yet take Cause in Hand that was good perfectly good of it self And his Excellency is to make a Man stand that has a bad Cause yea he can make a bad Cause good in a way of Justice and Righteousness And for thy further Encouragement in this Matter I will here bring in the fourth chief Head to wit to shew what excellent Privileges I mean over and above what has already been spoke of they have that are made Partakers of the Benefit of this Office. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous First Priv. 1. Thy Advocate pleads to a Price paid to a Propitiation made and this is a great Advantage Yea he pleads to a Satisfaction made for all Wrongs done or â—o be done by his Elect For by one Offering he hath perfected for-ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 ver 10. chap. 9.26 By one Offering That is by the Offering of himself by one Offering once offered once offered in the end of the World. This I say thine Advocate pleads When Satan brings in fresh Accusations for more Transgressions against the Law of God he forceth not Christ to shift his first Plea I say he puts him not to his Shifts at all For the Price once paid hath in it sufficient Value would God impute it to that end to take away the Sin of the whole World. There is a Man that hath Brethren he is rich and they are poor and this is the Case 'twixt Christ and us and the rich Brother goeth to his Father and saith thou art related to my Brethren with me and out of thy Store I pray thee let them have sufficient and for thy Satisfaction I will put into thy Hand the whole of what I have which perhaps is worth an hundred thousand Pounds by the Year and this other Sum I also give that they be not disinherited Now will not this last his poor Brethren to spend upon a good while But Christ's Worth can never be drawn dry Now set the Case again that some ill conditioned Man should take Notice that these poor Men live all upon the spend and Saints do so and should come to the good Man's House and complain to him of the spending of his Sons and that while their eldâ—r Brother stands by What do you think the elder Brother would reply if he was as good-natured as Christ Why he would say I have yet with my Father in store for my Brethren Wherefore then seekest thou to stop his hand As he is just he â—ust give them for their Conveniency yea and as â—or their Extravagancies I have satisfied for them so well that however he afflicteth them he will not disinherit them I hope you will read and hear this not like them that say let us do evil that Good may come but like those whom the Love of Christ constrains to be better however this is the Childrens Bread that which they have need of and without which they cannot live and they must have it tho Satan should put Pins into it therewith to choak the Dogs And for the further clearing of this I will present you with these few Considerations 1. Those that are most sanctified have yet a Body of Sin and Death in them Rom. 7.24 and so also it will be while they continue in this World. 2. This Body of Sin strives to break out and will break out to the polluting of the Conversation if Saints be not the more watchful Chap. 6.12 yea it has broke out in most sad Manner and that in the strongest Saints Gal. 5.17 3. Christ offereth no new Sacrifice for the Salvation of these his People for being raised from the Dead he dies no more Rom 6.9 So then if Saints sin they must be saved if saved at all by Virtue of the Offering already offered and if so then all Christ's Pleas as an Advocate are grounded upon that one Offering which before as a Priest he presented God with for the taking away of Sin. So then Christians live upon this old Stock their Transgressions are forgiven for the Sake of the Worth that yet God finds in the Offering that Christ hath offered And all Christ's Pleadings as an Advocate are grounded upon the Sufficiency and Worth of that one Sacrifice I mean all his Pleadings with his Father as to the Charge which the Accuser brings in against them For tho thou art a Man of Infirmity and so incident to nothing as to stumble and fall if Grace doth not prevent and it always preventeth not yet the Value and Worth of the Price that was once paid for thee is not yet worn out and Christ as an Advocate still pleadeth as Occasion is given that with Success to thy Salvation And this Privilege they have who indeed have Christ for their Advocate And I put it here in the first Place because all other do depend upon it Priv. 2. Secondly Thine Advocate as he pleadeth a Price already paid so and therefore he pleads for himself as for thee We are all concerned in one bottom if he sinks we sink if we sink he sinks Give me leave to make out my meaning 1. Christ pleads the Value and Virtue of the Price of his Blood and Sacrifice for us And admit of this horrible Supposition a little for Argument's Sake That tho Christ pleads the Worth of what as Priest he offereth yet the Soul for whom he so pleads perishes eternally Now where lieth the Fault In Sin you say true but it is because there was more Virtue in Sin to damn than there was in the Blood pleaded by Christ to save For he pleaded his Merit he put it into the Balance against Sin but Sin hath weighed down the Soul of the Sinner to Hell notwithstanding the Weight of Merit that he did put in against it Now what 's the Result but that the Advocate goes down as well as we we to Hell and he in Esteem Wherefore I say he is concerned with us his Credit his Honour his Glory and Renown flies all away if those for whom he pleads as an Advocate perish for want of Worth in his Sacrifice pleaded But shall this ever be said of Christ or will it be found that any for whom Christ as Advocate pleads yet perish for want of Worth in the Price or of Neglect in the Advocate to plead it No no himself is concerned and that as to his own Reputation and Honour and as to the Value and Virtue of his Blood nor will he lose these for want of pleading for them concerned in this Office. 2. I argue again Christ as Advocate must needs be concerned in his Plea for that every one for whose Salvation he advocates is his own So then if he loses he loses his own his Substance Inheritance
Thus if he lose the whole and if he lose a part one any one of his own he loseth part of his All and of his Fulness Wherefore we may well think that Christ as Advocate is concerned even concerned with his People and therefore will thoroughly plead their Cause Suppose a Man should have an Horse tho lame and a piece of Ground tho somewhat barren yet if any should attempt to take these away he would not sit still and so lose his own No saith he since they are mine own they shall cost me five times more than they are worth but I will maintain my Right I have seen Men sometimes strongly ingaged in Law for that which when considered by it self one would think was not worth regarding But when I have asked them why so concerned for a thing of so little Esteem They have answered O! 'T is some of that by which I hold a Title of Honour or my Right to a greater in come and therefore I will not lose it Why thus is Christ engaged what he pleads for is his own his All his Fulness yea 't is that by which he holds his Royalty for he is King of Saints Rev. 153. Joh. 6.37 38 39. Psal. 16.5 6. 'T is part of his Estate and that by which he holds some of his Titles of Honour Eph. 5.6 Jer. 51.34 Rom. 11.26 Heb. 2.10 Saviour Redeemer Deliverer and Captain are some of his Titles of Honour But if he loseth any of those upon whose Account he weareth these Titles of Honour for want of Virtue in his Plea or for want of Worth in his Blood he loseth his own and not only so but also Part of his Royalty and does also diminish and lay a blot upon his glorious Titles of Honour And he is jealous of his Honour his Honour he will not give to another Wherefore he will not be not afraid he never will leave nor forsake those who have given themselves unto him and for whom he is become an Advocate with tâ—e Father to plead their Cause Even becauâ—e thou art one one of his own one by whom he holdeth his glorious Titles of Honour Obj. O but I am but one and a very sorry one too And what 's one specially such an one as I am Can there be a miss of the Loss of such an one Answ. One and one makes two and so ad infinitum Christ cannot lose one but as he may lose more and so in Conclusion lose all But of all that God has given him he will lose nothing Joh. 6.38 39. Besides to lose one would encourage Satan disparage his own Wisdom make him uncapable of giving in at the Day of Account the whole tale to God of those that he has given him Further this would dishearten Sinners and make them afraid of venturing their Cause and their Souls in his Hand and would as I said before either prove his Propitiation in some Sense ineffectual or else himself defective in his pleading of it But none of these things must be supposed He will throughly plead the Cause of his People Mic. 7. execute Judgment for them bring them out to the Light and cause them to behold his Righteousness Priv. 3. Thirdly The Plea of Satan is groundess and that 's another Privilege For albeit thou hast sinned yet since Christ before has paid thy Debt and also paid for more since thou hast not yet run beyond the Price of thy Redemption it must be concluded That Satan wants a good bottom to ground his Plea upon and therefore must in Conclusion fail of his Design True there is Sin committed there is a Law transgressed but there is also a Satisfaction for this Transgression and that which super-abounds So tho there be Sin yet there wants a Foundation for a Plea. Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments but Christ had other Garments prepared for him Change of Raiment Wherefore Iniquity as to the Charge of Satan vanishes And the Angel answered and said Take away the filthy Garments from him This intimates that there was no Ground no sufficient Ground for Satan's Charge and to him he said behold I have caused thine Iniquity to pass from thee and will cloath thee with Change of Raiment Josh. 3.4 Now if there be no Ground no sound and sufficient Ground to build a Charge against the Child upon I mean As to Eternal Condemnation for that 's the thing contended for then as I said Satan must fall like Lightning to the Ground and be cast over the Bar as a corrupt and illegal Pleader But this is so as in part is proved already and will be further made out by that which follows They that have indeed Christ to be their Advocate are themselves by Virtue of another Law than that against which they have sinned secured from the Charge that Satan brings in against them I granted before that the Child of God has sinned and that there is a Law that condemneth for this Sin But here is the thing this Child is removed by an Act of Grace into and under another Law. For we are not under the Law Rom. 6.14 chap. 8.1 and so consequently there is now no Condemnation for them Wherefore when God speaketh of his dealing with his he saith it shall not be by their Covenant Ezek. 16.61 That is not by that of the Law they then being not under the Law. What if a Plea be commenced against them a Plea for Sin and they have committed Sin a Plea grounded upon the Law and the Law takes Cognisance of their Sin Yet I say the Plea wants a good bottom for that the Person thus accused is put under another Law. Hence he says Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law. If the Child was under the Law Satan's Charge would be good because it would have a substantial Ground of Support but since the Child is dead to the Law Gal. 2.16 and that also dead to him for both are true as to Condemnation Rom. 7.6 how can it be that Satan should have a sufficient Ground for his Charge tho he should have Matter of Fact sufficient Matter of Fact that is Sin for by his change of Relation he is put out of the reach of that Law. There is a Woman a Widow that oweth a Sum of Money and she is threatned to be sued for the Debt now what doth she but marrieth so when the Action is commenced against her as a Widow the Law finds her a married Woman what now can be done Noâ—hing to her she is not who she was she is delivered from that State by her Marriage If any thing be done it must be done to her Husband But if Satan will sue Christ for my Debt he oweth him nothing And as for what the Law can claim of me while I was under it Christ has delivered me by Redemption from that Curse being made a Curse for me Gal. 3.13 Now the Covenant into which I am brought
could I do any thing to make this Advocate part of Amends I could think I might have Benefit from him but I have nothing what say you to this Answ. Similitudes must not be strained too far but yet I have an Answer for this Objection Theâ—e is in some Cases Law for them that have no Money ay Law and Lawyers too And this is called a suing in Forma Pauperis and such Lawyers are appointed by Authority for that Purpose Indeed I know not that it is thus in every Nation but 't is sometimes so with us in England and this is the way altogether in the Kingdom of Heaven before the Bar of God. All is done there for us in Forma Pauperis on free cost For our Advocate or Lawyer is thereto designed and appointed of his Father Hence Christ is said to plead the Cause not of the rich and wealthy but of the Poor and Needy not of those that have many Friends but of the Fatherless and Widow not of them that are fat and strong but of those under sore Afflictions Prov. 22 2â— 23. chap. 23.10 11. chap. 31.9 He shall stand at the right Hand of the Poor to save him from them that condemn his Soul Psal. 109.31 or as it is in the Margent from the Judges of his Soul. This then is the manner of Jesus Christ with Men He doth freely what he doth not for Price nor Reward I have raised him up says God And I will direct all his Ways he shall build my City and he shall let go my Captives not for Price nor Reward Isa. 45.13 This I say is the manner of Jesus Christ with Men he pleads he sues in Forma Pauperis gratis and of meer Compassion And hence it is that you have his Clients give him thanks for that is all the Poor can give I will greatly praise the Lord with my Mouth I will praise him among the Multitude for he shall stand at the right Hand of the Poor to save him from them that condemn his Soul Psal. 109.30 They know but little that talk of giving to Christ except they mean they would give him Blessing and Praise He bids us come freely take freely and tells us that he will give and do freely Rev. 22.17 chap. 21.6 Let him have that which is his own to wit thy self for thou art the Price of his Blood. David speaks very strangely of giving to God for Mercy bestowed on him I call it strangely because indeed 't is so to Reason What says he shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits I will take this Cup and call for more Psal. 116.12 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 alâ—o he pleadeth all their Causes O Lord â—aith the Church thou hast pleaded the Causes â—f my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. â— 58 Mark troubled Christian thou â—ayst 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 â—aid to thy Charge And here for thy Encouâ—agement thou readest that the Church hath â—n Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her â—oul 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 â—f many bad things Wherefore he hath preâ—ared himself to our Service and to abide â—ith the Father an Advocate for us As Soloâ—on saith of a Man of great Wrath Prov. 19. â—9 so it may be said of a Man of great Weakâ—esses and the best of Saints are such he â—ust he delivered again and again Yea maâ—y a time saith David did he deliver them Psal. â—06 44 45. to wit more than once and twice â—nd he will do so for thee if thou entertain 〈◊〉 to be thine Advocate Thou talkest of â—aving of him but then whither wilt thou 〈◊〉 all else are vain things things that cannot â—rofit 1 Sam. 12.20 21 22 23. and he â—ill not forsake his People tho their Land be 〈◊〉 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 thâ— whole and Vse 1. First I would exhort the Children 〈◊〉 consider the Dignity that God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour For
This Advocate is ours 1. Study it with reference to its Peculiarity It is for the Children and no body else For the Children little and great This is Childrens Bread this is a mess for Benjamin This is to be eaten in the holy Place Children use to make much of that which by way of speciality is by their Relations bestowed on them And Naboth said to Ahab the Lord forbid it me that I should give tâ—e Inheritance of my Father to thee 1 Kin. 21 3. no truly will I not Why so because it was my Father's Gift not in common to all but to me in special Secondly Study this Office in the Nature of it For therein lies the Excellency of any thing even in the Nature of it Wrong thoughts of this or that abuses it and takes its natural Glory from it take heed therefore of misapprehending while thou art seeking to apprehend Christ as thy Advocate Men judge of Christ's Offices while they are at too great a distance from them but Let them come near says God then let them speak Isa. 41.1 or as Elihu said to his Friends when he had seen them judge amiss Let us chuse to us Judgment let us know among our selves what is good Job 34.4 So say I study to know rightly to know the Advocate-Office of Jesus Christ. It is one of the easiest things in the World to miss of the Nature while we speak of the Name and Offices of Jesus Christ. Wherefore look to it that thou study the Nature of the Office of his Advocateship Of his Avocateship for for so you ought to consider it there is an Advocate for not against the Children of God Jesus Christ the righteous Thirdly Study this Office with reference to its efficacy and prevalency Job says After my Words they spake not again Job 29.22 And when Christ stands up to plead all must keep silence before him True Satan had the first Word but Christ the last in the Business of Joshua and such a last as brought the poor Man off well tho cloathed with filthy Garments Zech. 3. Satan must be speechless after a Plea of our Advocate how rampant soever he is afore or as Elihu has it He was amazed he answered no more he left off speaking Shall he that speaks in Righteousness give place and he who has nothing but Envy and Deceit be admitted to stand his Ground Behold the Angels cover their Faces when they speak of his Glory How then shall not Satan bend before him In the Days of his Humiliation he made him cringe and creep how much more then now he is exalted to Glory to glory to be an Advocate an Advocate for his People If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Fourthly Study The Faithfulness of Châ—ist in his Execution of this Office For he will not fail nor forsake them that have entertained him for their Advocate He will thorowly plead their Cause Jer. 50.34 Faithful and true is one of his Titles and you shall faithfully be served by him You may boldly commit your Cause unto him nor shall the badness of it make him fail or discourage him in his work for it is not the badness of a Cause that can hinder him from prevailing because he hath wherewith to answer for all thy Sins and a new Law to plead by through which he will make thee a Conqueror He is also for sticking to a Man to the End if he once engages for him Joh. 13.1 2. He will threaten and love he will chastise and love he will kill and love and thou shalt find it so And he will make this appear at the last and Satan knows it is so now for he finds the Power of his Repulses while he pleadeth for us at the Bar against him And all this is in very Faithfulness Fifthly Study also the need that thou hasâ— of a Share in the Execution of the Advocateship of Jesus Christ. Christians find that they have need of washing in the Blood of Christ and that they have need of being cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ They also find that they have need that Christ shoulâ— make Intercession for them and that by hiâ— of Necessity they must approach God anâ— present their Prayers and Services to him But they do not so well see that they neeâ— that Christ should also be their Advocatâ— And the Reason thereof is this They forgeâ— that their Adversary makes it his Business tâ— accuse them before the Throne of God the consider not the long Scrowls and many Crimes wherewith he chargeth them in the Presence of the Angels of God I say this is the Cause that the Advocateship of Christ is so little considered in the Churches Yea many that have been relieved by that Office of his have not understood what thereby he has done for them But perhaps this is to be kept from many till they come to behold his Face and until all things shall be revealed that Christ might have Glory given him in the next World for doing of that for them which they so little thought of in this But do not thou be content with this Ignorance because the Knowledge of his advocating of it for thee will yield thee present Relief Study therefore thine own Weakness the Holiness of the Judge the badness of thy Cause the Subtilty Malice and Rage of thine Enemy and be assured that when-ever thou sinnest by and by thou art for it accused before God at his Judgment-Seat These things will as it were by way of Necessity instil into thy Heart the need that thou hast of an Advocate and will make thee look as to the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus Christ to justifie thee so to Christ as an Advocate to plead thy Cause as did holy Job in his Distresses Job 16.21 1 Vse 3. Thirdly Is Christ Jesus not only a Priest of and a King over but an Advocate for his People Let this make us stand and wonder and be amazed at his Humiliation and Condescention We read of his Humiliation on Earth when he put himself into our Flesh took upon him our Sins And made them as his own unto Condemnation and Death And to be an Advocate is an Office reproachful to the malicious if any Man be such an one for those that are base and unworthy Yea and the higher and more honourable the Person is that pleads for such the more he humbles himself The Word doth often in effect account him now in Heaven as a Servant for us and Acts of Service are Acts of Condescention And I am sure some Acts of Service have more of that in them than some And I think when all things are considered that Christ neither doth nor can do any thing for us there of a more condescending Nature than to become our Advocate True he glories in it but that doth not shew that the work is excellent in it self It is also one of his Titles of
do thus for then my Master will love me And Christians should be above Men brutish Men. And for a Conclusion as to this let me present you with three Considerations 1. Know that it is the Nature of Grace to draw holy Arguments to move to goodness of Life from the Love and Goodness of of God But not thence to be remiss 1 Cor. 5.14 2 Know therefore that they have no Grace that find not these Effects of the Discoveries of the Love and Goodness of God. 3. Know also that among all the Swarms of Professors that from Age to Age make mention of the Name of Christ they only must dwell with him in Heaven that depart from Iniquity and are zealous of good Works 2 Tim. 2.19 He gave himself for these Tit. 2.11 12 13 14 not that they were so antecedent to this Gift But those that he hath redeemed to himself are thus sanctified by the Faith of him Acts 26.18 Seventhly Is it so Is Jesus Christ an Advocate with the Father for us Then this should encourage strong Christians to tell the weak ones where when they are in their Temptations and Fears through Sin they may have one to plead their Cause Thus the Apostle doth by the Text and thus we should do one to another Mark he telleth the weak of an Advocate My little Children I write unto you c. Christians when they would comfort their dejected Brethren talk too much at rovers or in generals They should be more at the Mark. A Word spoke in season how good is it I say Christians should observe and enquire that they may observe the Cause or ground of their Brothers Trouble and having first taken Notice of that in the next place consider under which of the Offices of Jesus Christ this Sin or Trouble has cast this Man and so labour to apply Christ in the Word of the Gospel to him Sometimes we are bid to consider him as an Apostle and High Priest and sometimes as a fore runner and an Advocate And he has as was said afore these divers Offices with others that we by the Consideration of him might be relieved under our manifold Temptations This as I said I perceive John teaches us here as he doth a little before of his being a Sacrifice for us for he presenteth them that after Conversion shall sin with Christ as an Advocate with the Father As who should say my Brethren are you tempted are you accused have you sinned has Satan prevailed against you We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus we should do and deliver our Brother from Death there is nothing â—hat Satan more desires than to get 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 Furâ—her 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 flee out of his Hand Men shall clap their Hands at him and shall hiss him out of his Place Job 27.20 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 his 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