Condemnation that by the Law of Sin and Death was due thereto This is then the occasion that Christ taketh to plead as Advocate for the Salvation of his People to wit the Cause he pleadeth the Cause of his People Not every Cause but such and such a Cause the Cause that is very bad and by the which they are involved not only in Guilt and Shame but also in danger of Death and Hell. I say the Cause is bad if the Text be true if Sin can make it bad yea if Sin it Self be bad If any Man sin we have an Advocate An Advocate to plead for him for him as considered guilty and so consequently as considered in a bad Condition 'T is true we must distinguish between the Person and the Sin and Christ pleads for the Person not the Sin. but yet he cannot be concerned with the Person but he must be with the Sin for tho the Person and the Sin may be distinguished yet they cannot be separated He must plead then not for a Person only but for a guilty Person for a Person under the worst of Circumstances If any Man sin we have an Advocate for him as so considered When a Man's Cause is good it will sufficiently plead for it self yea and for its Master too specially when it is made appear so to be before a Just and Righteous Judge Here therefore needs no Advocate the Juâ—ge himself will pronounce him righteous This is evidently seen in Job Thou movest me against him this said God to Satan to destroy him without a Cause Job 2.3 Thus far Job's Cause was good wherefore he did not need an Advocate his Cause pleaded for its self and for its owner also But if it was to plead good Causes for which Christ is appointed Advocate then the Apostle should have written thus If any Man be righteous we have an Advocate with the Father Indeed I never heard but one in all my Life preach from this Text and he when he came to handle the Cause for which he was to plead pretended it must be good and therefore said to the People see that your Cause be good else Christ will not undertake it But when I heard it Lord thought I if this be true what shall I do and what will become of all this People yea and of this Preacher too Besides I saw that by the Text the Apostle supposeth an other Cause a Cause bad exceeding bad if Sin can make it so And this was one Cause why I undertook this work When we speak of a Cause we speak not of a Person simply as so considered For as I said before Person and Cause must be distinguished Nor can the person make the Cause good but as he regulates his Action by the Word of God If then a good a righteous man doth what the Law condemns that thing is bad and if he be indicted for so doing he is indicted for a bad Cause and he that will be his Advocate must be concerned in and about a bad Matter and how he will bring his Client off therein doth lie the Mystery I know that a bad Man may have a good Cause depending before the Judge and so also good Men have Job 31. but then they are bold in their own Cause and fear not to make mention of it and in Christ to plead their Innocency before the God of Heaven as well as before Men Psal. 71.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 1.23 Gal. 1.20 Phil. 1.8 But we have in the Text a Cause that all Men are afraid of a Cause that the Apostle concludes so bad that none but Jesus Christ himself can save the Christian from it It is not only sinful but Sin it self If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Wherefore there is in this Place handled by the Apostle one of the greatest Mysteries under Heaven To wit That an innocent and holy Jesus should take in hand to plead for one before a just and righteous God that has defiled himself with Sin. Yea that he should take in Hand to plead for such an one against the fallen Angels and that he should also by his Plea effectually rescue and bring them off from the Crimes and Curse whereof they were verily guilty by the Verdict of the Law and Approbation of the Judge This I say is a great Mystery and deserves to be pry'd into by all the godly both because much of the Wisdom of Heaven is discovered in it and because the best Saint is or may be concerned with it Nor must we by any means let this truth be lost because it is the truth the Text has declared it so And to say otherwise is to belye the Word of God to thwart the Apostle to sooth up Hypocrites and to rob Christians of their Privilege and to take the Glory from the Head of Jesus Christ Luk. 18.11 12. The best Saints are most sensible of their Sins and most apt to make Mountains of their Mole-hills Satan also as has been already hinted doth labour greatly to prevail with them to sin and to provoke their God against them Job 2.9 by pleading what is true or by surmising evilly of them to the end they may be left with him to be try'd that they may be accused by him Great is his malice towards them great is his Diligence in seeking their Destruction wherefore greatly doth he desire to sift to try and winnow them if perhaps he may work in their Flesh to answer his Design that is to break out in sinful Acts that he may have by Law to accuse them to their God and Father Wherefore for their Sakes this Text abides that they may see that when they have sinned they have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And thus have I shew'd you the Nature the Order and Occasion of this Office of our blessed Lord Jesus I come now to shew you How Jesus Christ doth manage this his Office of an Advocate for us And that I may do this to your Edification I shall choose this Method for the opening of it First shew you how he manages this Office with his Father Secondly I shall shew you how he manages it before him against our Adversary How he manages this his Office of Advocate with his Father First He doth it by himself by no other as Deputy under him No Angel no Saint no Work has place here but Jesus and Jesus only This the Text implies we have an Advocate speaking of one but one one alone without an Equal or an Inferior We have but one and he is Jesus Christ. Nor is it for Christ's Honour nor for the Honour of the Law or of the Justice of God that any but Jesus Chrisâ— should be an Advoâ—â—â—e for a sinning Saint Besides to assert 〈◊〉 contrary what doth it but lessen Sin and make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous It would lessen Sin should it be removed by a Saint or Angel It would
feel the Power of his Plea to the delivering of me and the putting of him to Shame Yes verily specially since the Plea is good the Judge just nor can the Enemy find any Ground for a Demâ—â— to be put in against my present Discharge in open Court and that by Proclamation Specially since my Advocate has also by his Blood fully satisfied the old Law that he might establish the New Heb. 10 9 10 11 12. Priv. 4. Fourthly Since that which goeth before is true it follows That he that entereth his Plea against the Children must needs be overthrown For always before just Judges 't is the Right that taketh place Judge the right O Lord said David or let my Sentence come forth from thee according to the Law of Grace And he that knows what strong Ground or bottom our Advocate has for his Pleadings and how Satan's Accusations are without sound Foundation will not be afraid he speaking in Christ to say I appeal to God Almighty since Christ is my Advocate by the new Law whether I ought to be condemned to Death and Hell for what Satan pleads against me by the Old. Satan urgeth that we have sinned but Christ pleads to his propitiatory Sacrifice and so Satan is over-thrown Satan pleads the Law of Works but Christ pleads the Law of Grace Further Satan pleads the Justice and Holiness of God against us there the Accuser is over-thrown again And to them Christ appeals and his Appeal is good since the Law testifies to theâ— sufficiency of the Satisfaction that Christ has made thereto by his Obedience Rom. 3.22 â—3 also since by another Covenant God himself has given us to Jesus Christ so delivered us from the Old. Wherefore you read nothing as an effect of Satans pleading against us but that his Mouth is stopp'd as appears by the 3. of Zechariah and that he is cast yea cast down as you have it in the 12. of the Revelations Indeed when God admits not when Christ wills not to be an Advocate and when Satan is bid stand at the right Hand of one accused Psal. 109.6 7. to inforce by pleading against him the things charged on him by the Law then he can prevail prevail for-ever against such a wretched one But when Christ stands up to plead when Christ espouses this or that Man's Cause then Satan must retreat then he must go down And this necessarily flows from the Text we have an Advocate a prevailing one one that never lost Cause one that always puts the Childrens Enemy to the rout before the Judgment-seat of God. This therefore is another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Their Enemy must nâ—eds be overthrown because both Law and Justice is on the other side Priv. 5 Fifthly Thine Advocate has pity for thee and gâ—eat Indignation against thine Accuser And these are two excellent things When a Lawyer hath pity for a Man whose Cause he pleadeth it will ingage him much but when he has Indignation also against the Man's Accuser this will yet engage him more Now Christ has both these and that not of Humour but by Grace and Justice Grace to us and Justice to our Accuser He came down from Heaven that he might be a Priest and returned thither again to be Priest and Advocate for his And in both these Offices he levelleth his whole Force and Power against thine Accuser For this Cause was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Joh. 3.8 Cunning Men will if they can entertain such an one to be their Advocate who has a particular Quarrel against their Adversary For thus think they he that is such will not only plead for me but for himself and to right his own Wrongs also and since if it be so and it is so here my Concerns and my Advocate 's are interwoven I am like to fare much the better for the Anger that is conceived in his Heart against him And this I say is the Childrens Case their Advocate counteth their Accuser his greatest Enemy aâ—d waiteth for a time to take Vengeance and he usually then takes the opportunity when he has ought to do for his People against him Hence he says The Dâ—y of Vengeance is in my Heart and the Year of my redeemed is 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 slaming Desire and Design to â—ight himself upon his Fâ—â— 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 sighteth 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 Prâ—mise 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 otheâ—s 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 have Cause to think that well he may and to hold my Hands before my Face for Shame and to be confounded with Shame while he to fetch me off from Condemnation for my Transgressions sets his Face like a Flint to plead for me with God and against my Accuser But thus much for the Seventh Privilege that they have by Christ who have him for their Advocate Priv. 8. Eightly Another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate is this He is always ready always in Court always with the Judge then and there to oppose if our Accuser comes and to plead against him what is pleadable for his Children And this the Text implies where it saith we have an Advocate with the Father Always with the Father Some Lawyers tho they are otherwise able and shrewd yet not being always in Court and ready do suffer their poor Clients to be baffled and nonsuited by their Adversary yea it so comes to pass because of this Neglect that a Judgment is got out against them for whom they have undertaken to plead to their great Perplexity and Damage But no such opportunity can Satan have of our Advocate for he is with the Father always with the Father as to be a Priest so to be an Advocate We have an Advocate with the Father It is said of the Priests they wait at the Altar and that they give Attendance there 1 Cor. 9.13 also of the Magistrate that as to his Office he should attend continually on this very thing And as these so Christ as to his Office of an Advocate attends continually upon that Office with his Father Rom. 13.6 we have an Advocate with the Father always with the Father And truly such an Advocate becomes the Children of God because of the Vigilancy of their Enemy For 't is said of him that he accuseth us Day and Night Rev. 12.10 So unweariedly doth he both seek and pursue our Destruction But behold how we are provided for him we have an Advocate with the Father If he comes a-Days our Advocate is with the Father if he comes a-Nights our Advocate is with the Father Thus then is our Advocate ready to put check to Satan come he when he will or can to accuse us to the Father Wherefore these two Texts are greatly to be minded one of them for that it shews us the Restlessness of our Enemy the other for that it shews us the Diligence of our Advocate That also in the Hebrews shews us the Carefulness of our Advocate where it saith He is gone into Heaven Now to appear in the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 Now
John Bunnyon THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST AS AN ADVOCATE 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 Bunyan Author of the Pilgrims 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 Offices which God the Father has conferred upon Jesus Christ our Lord this of his being an Advocate with him for us is not the least though to the shame of Saints it may be spoken the blessed benefits thereof have not with that diligence and fervent desire been enquired after as they ought Christ as Sacrifice Priest and King with the glories in and that 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 Though I am verily of opinion that the People of God in this Age have as much need of the knowledge thereof if not more need than had their Brethren that are gone befoâ—â—â—â—em Tâ—â—â—â— words if not more need perhaps may seem to some to be somewhat 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 thought on this and have somewhat considered also the transcendent excellency of the Advocateship of this our Lord And again that but little of the Glory thereof has by writing been in our day communicated to the Church I adventured to write what I have seen thereof and do by what 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 according 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 matters go before their God the Judge And particularly that they shall well come off at last Yea though their Cause as 't is theirs is such in Justification of which themselves don 't dare to shew their Heads Nor have I left the dejected Souls without Directions how to entertain this Advocate to plead their Cause Yea I have also shewen that he will be with case 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 no 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 alwayâ— full Farewel I am thine to serve thee what I may JOHN BUNYAN THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE THe Apostle's divine Policy to beget a due regard to his divine Doctrine of Eternal Life Page 1 The Apostle's Explication of this Expression viz. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin Page 2 The Apostle's Exhortation to separation from sin as a good effect of a good Cause Viz. forgiveness ib. The Apostle's Addition to prevent misunderstanding viz. we have an Advocate with the Father Page 3 This brings to the Text in which are two great Truths contained ib. 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 Page 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 Page 6 Seven things supposed in the Office of Advocate ib. 1. That God as Judge is on the Throne of Judgment ib. 2. That Saints are concerned at that Bar. Page 7 3. That Christians have an Accuser Page 8 4. That sinning Saints dare not appear at this Bar to plead their own Cause Page 9 5. That Châ—istians are apt to forget their Advocate and remember their Judge Page 10 6. To remember our Advocate is the way to support Faith and Hope Page 11 7. That if our Advocate plead our Cause though that be never so black he is able to bring us off Page 12 The Apostle's triumph in Christ on this account Page 13 An Exhortation to the difficult task of Believing Page 14 Christ's Advocateship declares us to be sorry creatures Page 16 The Method observed in the ensuing discourse Page 17 First To speak of this Advocate 's Office. ib. 1. By touching on the Nature of this Office. Page 18 2. By treating of the Order or Place of this Office Page 19 3. The occasion of this Office viz. some great sin Page 21 Christ as Advocate pleads a bad Cause Page 23 A good Cause will plead for it self Page 24 A pestilent passage of a Preacher Page 25 A bad man may have a good Cause and a good man may have a bad Cause Page 26 Christ the righteous
pleading a bad Cause is a Mystery ib. The best Saints are most sensible of their sins Page 27 Second To shew how Christ does manage his Office. Page 28 1. ALONE Not by any Proxy or Deputy ib. 2. Christ pleads at God's Bar the Cause cannot be removed into another Court. Page 29 If removed from Heaven we have no Advocate on Earth Page 30 In pleading Christ observes these Rules 1. He granteth what is charged on us ib. 2. He pleads his own goodness for us Page 32 He payeth all our debt down Page 33 All mouths stopped who would not have the sinner delivered Page 34 Christ requires a Verdict in order to our deliverance ib. The sinner is delivered God contented Satan confounded and Christ applauded Page 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 Page 37 Satan rebuked for finding fault therewith Page 38 2. He pleads God's Interest in his People Page 39 Haman's mishap in being ingaged against the King's Queen NB. Page 40 It seems a weak Plea because of Man's unworthiness But it 's a strong Plea because of God's worthiness Page 41 The Elect are bound to God by a seven-fold cord Page 42 43 The weight of the Plea weighed Page 44 3. Christ pleads his own Interest in them Page 45 A Parallel between Cattel in a Pound and Christ's own Sheep Page 46 Six weighty Reasons in this Plea. Page 47 1. They are Christ's own ib. 2. They cost him dear ib. 3. He hath made them near to himself Page 48 They are his Spouse his Love his Dove They are Members of his Body Page 49 A Man cannot spare a Hand a Foot a Finger Page 50 Nor can Christ spare any Member Page 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 Page 52 5. Christ pleads Satan's enmity against the godly Page 53 Satan is the Cause of the Crimes he accuses us of Page 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 Page 58 Eight Considerations to clear that Page 60 61 Seven more Considerations to the same end Page 62 63 Men care most for Children that are infirm ib. A Father offended hath been appeased by a Brother turning Advocate Page 64 Third Head To shew who have Christ for an Advocate Wherein are three things contained Page 65 I. This Office of Advocate differs from that of a Priest. ib. 1. They differ in Name ib. 2. They differ in Nature Page 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 Page 67 II. How far this Office of an Advocate is extended In five Particulars Page 68 III. Who have Christ for their Advocate ib. 1. In general All adopted Children Page 69 Obj. The Text saith if any Man sin Page 70 Answ. Any Man is not any of the Woâ—ld But any of the children of God. A difference in Children some bigger than some Page 73 Christ an Advocate for strong men Page 74 75 2. In particular to shew if Christ be our Advocate Page 76 I. If one have entertained Christ to plead a Cause ib. Quest. How shall I know that Page 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. Page 79 An Example of one revealing his Cause to Christ in a Closet Page 80 In Order to this one must know Christ 1. To be a Friend Page 81 2. To be faithful Page 82 III. If one have committed a Cause to Christ. Page 83 In order to this one must be convinced 1. Of Christ's Ability to defend him Page 84 2. of Christ's Courage to plead a Cause ib. 3. Of Christ's Will for this Work. Page 85 4. Of Christ's tenderness in case of his Clients dulness ib. 5. Of Christ's unweariedness Page 86 IV. If one wait till things come to a legal Issue Page 87 Quest. What is it thus to wait Page 88 Answ. 1. To be of good Courage Look for deliverance Page 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. Page 90 6. To wait waking Not sleeping ib. Ordinances and Minister compared to a Post-house and Carriers of Letters Page 91 The Clients comfortable conclusion about his Advocate and Cause ib. But yet doubting and desponding Page 92 93 The Author's reply to and comply with the Clients conclusion And his Council in the case Page 94 Fourth Head To shew the Clients Privileges by the benefit of this Office of Advocate Page 95 Priv. 1. The Advocate pleads a price paid ib. Of a rich Brother and his poor Brethren Page 96 Of the ill-conditioned Man their Enemy ib. Farther cleared by three considerations Page 97 Priv. 2. The Clients Advocate pleads for himself also both concerned in one bottom Page 99 1. He pleads the price of his own Blood. ib. 2. He pleads it for his own Page 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 Page 101 Answ. Christ cannot lose one Page 102 Priv. 3. The Plea of Satan is groundless ib. Satan must be cast over the Bar. Page 103 A Simile of a Widow owing a Sum of Money Page 105 Of an old Law nulled by a new Law. Page 106 Satan pleads by the Old Law Christ by the New. ib. Priv. 4. Is consequential The Clients Accuser must need be overthrown Page 107 The Clients solemn Appeal to the Almighty Page 108 In case the accused have no Advocate Satan prevails ib. Priv. 5. The Advocate hath pity for his Client And indignation against the Aâ—cuser Page 109 Men chuse an Advocate who hath a Quarrel against their Adversary Page 110 Priv. 6. The Judge counts the Accuser his Enemy Page 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 Page 112 He pleads before the God and all the Host of Heaven Page 113 He is the old Friend of Publicans and sinners ib. He pleads a Cause bad enough to make Angels blush Page 114 Love will do and bear and suffer much Page 115 Priv. 8. The Advocate is alway ready in Court. Page 116 He appears consider the Presence of God. Page 117 Priv. 9. Tâ—â— Christ â—â—â—â—cate will not be blinded with Bribes â—â— Page 118 Priv. 10. The Advocate
is Judge in the Client's Cause Page 120 Joseph's Exaltation was Israel's Advantage Page 121 God's care of his Peoples welfare Page 122 Priv. 11. The Advocate hath all that is requisite for an Advocate to have Page 123 Last Head To shew the necessity of Christ for our Advocate Page 124 I. To vindicate the Justice of God against the cavils of the Devil Page 125 Satan charges God with unjust Words Actions Page 126 God is pleased with his design to save sinners ib. II. There is Law to be objected against us Page 128 Christ appeals to the Law it self Page 130 Christ is not ashamed to own the way of Salvation Page 132 III. Many things give our Accuser advantage Page 133 1. Many things relating to the Promises ib. 2. Many things relating to our Lives Page 134 3. The threats annexed to the Gospel Page 137 IV. To plead about our afflictions for sins Page 139 A Simile of a Man indicted at the â—ssize And his malicious Adversary ib. An allusion to Abishai and â—â—iâ—â—ain who cursed David Page 141 V. To plead the efficacy of our Law. â—â—iâ—les to our Inheritance if questionable because of new sins Page 142 Saints do not sell their Inheritance by sin Page 143 VI. Our Evidences are oft out of our hand and we recover them by our Advocate Page 147 Obj. What need all these Offices or nice Distinctions Page 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 Page 152 Obj. 2. My Cause being bad Christ will desert me Page 153 Answ. Sin is a deadly destruction to Faith. ib. A five-fold Order observed in the exercise of Faith. Page 154 Obj â— But who shall pay the Advocate his 〈◊〉 Page 157 Answ. There is Law and Lawyers too without money ib. Christ pleads for the Poor ib. David's strange gift to God. Page 159 Obj. 4. If Christ be my Advocate once he will always be troubled with me Page 160 Answ. He is an Advocate to the utmost Page 162 Vse 1. To consider the Dignity God hath put upon Christ by Offices Places of Trust and Titles of Honour in general ib. Vse 2. To consider this Office of an Advocate in particular By which consideration these advantages come Page 168 1. To see one is not forsaken for sin ib. 2. To take courage to contend with the Devil Page 169 3. It affords relief for discouraged Faith. ib. 4. It helps to put off the Vizard Satan puts on Christ. Page 170 A Simile of a Vizaâ—â— on the Face of a Father Page 171 Study this peculiar Treasure of an Advocate 1. With reference to its peculiarity Page 172 2. Study the Nature of this Office. Page 173 3. Study its efficacy and prevalency ib. 4. Study Christ's Faithfulness in his Office. Page 174 5. Study the need of a share therein Page 175 Vse 3. To wonder at Christ's condescention in being an Advocate for the base and unworthy Page 177 Christ acts in open Court. 1. With an holy and just God. Page 179 2. Before all the Heavenly Host. Page 180 3 The Client is unconcerned for whom the Advocate is engaged Page 181 4. The Majesty of the Man that is an Advocate Page 182 Vse 4. Improve this Doctrine to strengthen Grace ib. 1. To strengthen Faith. ib. 2. To encourage to Prayer Page 184 3. To keep humble Page 186 4. To encourage to perseverance Page 188 Obj. I cannot pray My Mouth is stopped Page 189 Answ. Satan cannot silence Christ. Page 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. Page 191 Nine Considerations to that end Page 192 The last Resâ—â—â—e for a dead lift Page 193 Vse 6. To be wary of sin against God. Page 194 Christianity teaches Ingenuity ib. Christ is our â—â—â—ocate on free cost Page 195 A comely conclusion of a Brute Page 198 Three Considerations added ib. Vse 7. The strong are to tell the weak of an Advocate to plead their Cause Page 199 A word in season is good ib. Vse 8. All is nothing to them that have none to plead their Cause Page 202 An Instance of God's terrible Judgment Page 203 Obj. There is Grace the Promise the Blood of Christ cannot these save except Christ be Advocate ib. Answ. These and Advocate and all little enough Page 204 Christ no Advocate for such as have no Sense of and Shame for sin Page 206 Obj. Is not Christ an Advocate for his Elect uncalled Page 207 Answ. He died and prayeth for all his Elect as Priest as Advocate pleads for the called only ib. ERROR Page 167. line 10. for Matter read Water 1 Joh. II. 1 And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous THat the Apostle might obtain due regard from those to whom he wrote touching the things about which he wrote he tells them That he received not his Message to them at second or third hand but was himself an Eye and Ear-Witness thereof That which was from the Beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life for the Life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the father and was manifest unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Having thus told them of his ground for what he said he proceeds to tell them also the matter contained in his Errand to wit That he brought them news of Eternal Life as freely offered in the Word of the Gospel to them or rather that that Gospel which they had received would certainly usher them in at the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven were their Reception of it sincere and in truth For saith he then The Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth you from all sin Having thus far told them what was his Errand he sets upon an Explication of what he had said specially touching our being cleansed from all sin not saith he from a Being of Sin For should we say so we should deceive our selves and should prove that we have no truth of God in us but by cleansing I mean a being delivered from all sin so as that none at all shall have the dominion over you to bring you down to Hell for that for the sake of the Blood of Christ all trespasses are forgiven you This done he exhorts them to shun or sly Sin and not to consent to the Motions Workings Inticeings or the Allurements thereof saying I write unto you that you sin not Let not Forgiveness have so bad an effect upon you as to cause you to be remiss in Christian Duties or as to tempt you to give way to Evil. Shall we sin because we
supposeth that there is a Judge and Crimes of Saints So it supposeth that there is an Accuser one that will carefully gather up the Faults of good Men and that will plead them at this Bar against them Hence we read of the Accuser of the Brethren that accuseth them before God day and night Rev. 12.10 11 12. For Satan doth not only tempt the godly Man to sin but having prevailed with him and made him guilty he packs away to the Court to God the Judge of all and there addresses himself to accuse that Man and to lay to his charge the heinousness of his offence pleading against him the Law that he has broken the light against which he did it and the like But now for the relief and support of such poor People the Apostle by the Text presents them with an Advocate That is with one to plead for them while Satan pleads against them With one that pleads for Pardon while Satan by accusing seeks to pull Judgment and Vengeance upon our Heads If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That 's the Third thing 4. As the Apostle supposeth a Judge crimes and an Accuser So he also supposeth that those here-in concerned to wit the sinning Children neither can nor dare attempt to appear at this Bar themselves to plead their own Cause before this Judge and against this Accuser For if they could or durst do this what need they have an Advocate for an Advocate is of use to them whose cause themselves neither can nor dare appear to plead Thus Job pray'd for an Advocate to plead his Cause with God Job 16.20.21 And David cries out Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O God for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal. 14.3.1 2 3. Wherefore 't is evident that Saints neither can nor dare adventure to plead their cause Alas the Judge is the Almighty and Eternal God. The Law broken is the holy and perfect Rule of God in it self a consuming Fire The Sin is so odious and a thing so abominable that 't is enough to make all the Angels blush to hear it but so much as once mentioned in so holy a place as that is where this Great God doth sit to judge This Sin now hangs about the neck of him that hath committed it yea it covereth him as doth a mantle The Adversary is bold cunning and audacious and can word a thousand of us into an utter Silence in less than half a quarter of an hour What then should the Sinner if he could come there do at this Bar to plead Nothing nothing for his own Advantage But now comes in his Mercy he has an Advocate to plead his Cause If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That 's the fourth thing But again 5. The Apostle also supposeth by the Text That there is an aptness in Christians when they have sinned to forget that they have an Advocate with the Father Wherefore this is written to put them in Remembrance If any Man sin let him remember we have an Advocate We can think of all other things well enough namely that God is a just Judge that the Law is perfectly holy that my Sin is an horrible and an abominable thing and that I am certainly there of accused before God by Satan These things I say we readily think of and forget them not Our Conscience puts as in mind of these our Guilt puts us in mind of these the Devil puts us in mind of these and our Reason and Sense holdeth the Knowledge and Remembrance of these close to us all that we forget is that we have an Advocate an Advocate with the Father that is one that is appointed to take in hand in open Court before all the Angels of Heaven my cause and to plead it by such Law and Arguments as will certainly fetch me off tho I am cloathed with filthy Garments But this I say we are apt to forget as Job when he said Oh that one might plead for a Man with God as one pleads for his Neighbour Job 16.21 Such an one Job had but he had almost at this time forgot it as he seems to intimate also where he wisheth for a days-man that might lay his Hand upon them both Chap. 9.33 But our Mercy is 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
make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous yea needless should it be possible that Sin could be removed from us by either Saint or Angel. Again If God should admit of more Advocates than one and yet make mention of never an one but Jesus Christ or if John should allow another and yet speak nothing but of Jesus only Yea that an Advocate under that title should be mentioned but once but once only in all the Book of God and yet that divers should be admitted stands neither with the Wisdom or Love of God nor with the Faithfulness of the Apostle But Saints have but one Advocate if they will use him or improve their Faith in that Office for their Help so if not they must take what follows This I thought good to hint at because the times are corrupt and because Ignorance and Superstition always waits for a Countenance with uâ— and these things have a natural tendency as to darken all truth so especially this which bringeth to Jesus Christ so much Glory and yieldeth to the Godly so much Help and Relief Secondly As Jesus Christ alone is Advocate so God's Bar and that alone is that before which he pleads For God is Judge himself Deut. 32 36. Heb. 13 23. Nor can the Cause which now he is to plead be removed into any other Court either by appeals or otherwise Could Satan remove us from Heaven to another Court he would certainly be too hard for us because there we should want our Jesus our Advocate to plead our Cause Indeed sometimes he impleads us before Men and they are glad of the Occasion for they and he are often one but then we have Leave to remove our Cause and to pray for a Tryal in the highest Court Saying Let my Sentence come forth from thy Presence and let thine eyes behold the things that are Equal Psal. 17.2 This wicked World doth sentence us for our good Deeds but how then would they sentence us for our bad ones But we will never appeal from Heaven to Earth for Right For here we have no Advocate our Advocate is with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Thirdly As he pleadeth by himself alone and no where else but in the Court of Heaven with the Father So as he pleadeth with the Father for us he observeth this Rule 1. He granteth and confesseth whatever can rightly be charged upon us Yet so as that he taketh the whole Charge upon himself acknowledging the Crimes to be his own O God says he thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins my Guiltiness is not hid from thee Psal. 69.5 And this he must do or else he can do nothing If he hides the Sin or lesseneth it he is faulty If he leaves it still upon us we die He must then take our Iniquity to himself make it his own and so deliver us For having thus taken the Sin upon himself as he lawfully may and lovingly doth for we are Members of his Body so 't is his Hand 't is his Foot 't is his Ear that hath sinned It followeth that we live if he lives and who can desire more This then must be thorowly considered if ever we will have Comfort in a day of Trouble and Distress for Sin. And thus far there is in some kind a harmony betwixt his being a Sacrifice a Priest and an Advocate as a Sacrifice our Sins were laid upon him Isa. 53. as a Priest he beareth them Exod. 28.38 and as an Advocate he acknowledgeth them to be his own Psal. 69.5 Now having acknowledged them to be his own the Quarrel is no more 'twixt us and Satan For the Lord Jesus has espoused our Quarrel and made it his All then that we in this matter have to do is to stand at the Bar by Faith among the Angels and see how the business goes O Blessed God! What a Lover of Mankind art thou and how gracious is our Lord Jesus in his thus managing matters for us 2. The Lord Jesus having thus taken our Sins upon himself next pleads his own Goodness to God on our Behalf Saying Let not theâ— that wait on thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my Sake Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my Sake O God of Israel Because for thy Sake I have born Reproach Shame hath covered my Face Psal. 69.6 7 Mark let them not be ashamed for my Sake let them not be confounded for my Sake Shame and Confusion are the Fruits of Guilt or of a Charge for Sin Jer. 3.25 and are but an enterance into Condemnation Dan. 12.2 Joh. 5.29 But behold how Christ pleads saying Let not that be for my Sake for the Merit of my Blood for the Perfection of my Righteousness for the Prevalency of my Intercession Let them not be ashamed for my Sake O Lord God of Hosts And let no Man object because this Text is in the Psalms as if it were not spoke by the Prophet of Christ for both John and Paul yea and Christ himself do make this Psalm a Prophecy of him Compare ver 9. with Joh. 2.17 and ver 9 with Rom. 15.3 And ver 21. with Matth. 27.48 and Mâ—t. 15.25 But is not this a wonderful thing That Christ should first take our Sins and account them his own and then plead the value and worth of his whole self for our Deliverance For by these Words for my Sake he pleadeth his own self his whole self and all that he is and has And thus he puts us in good Estate again tho our Cause was very bad To bring this down to weak Capacities Suppose a Man should be indebted twenty thousand Pounds but has not twenty thousand farthings wherewith to pay And suppose also that this Man be arrested for this Debt and that the Law also by which he is sued will not admit of a penny bate This Man may yet come well enough off if his Advocate or Attorney will make the Debt his own and will in the Presence of the Judges out with his Bags and pay down every Farthing Why this is the way of our Advocate Our Sins are called Debts Matth. 6.12 we are sued for them at the Law Luk. 12.59 and the Devil is our Accuser but behold the Lord Jesus comes out with his Worthiness pleads it at the Bar making the Debt his own Mark 12.42 2 Cor. 3.5 and saith now let them not be ashamed for my Sake O Lord God of Hosts let them not be confounded for my Sake O God of Israel And hence as he is said to be an Advocate so he is said to be a Propitiation or a mends-Maker or one that appeaseth the Justice of God for our Sins If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins And who can now object against the Deliverance of the Child of God God cannot for he for Christ's Sake according as he pleaded hath forgiven us all Trespasses
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 â— 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. Miâ—e 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 giâ—en 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 thâ—t 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 wouâ—dst thou know if thou hâ—â—â— 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 râ—â—eals his Cause to his Lawyer but puts into his Hands his Evidences Deeds Leases Mortgages Bonds or what else he hatâ— 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 A Man that has Parts sufficient may yet fail â—is 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 main 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 break in and bear sway in thy Soul For he will at length bring thâ—e 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 Courage to live in Expectation and to look for Deliverance tho thou hast sinnâ—â— against thy God. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thy Heart Wait I say on the Lord Psal. 7.14 Psal. 31.24 2. To wait upon him is to keep his way To walk humbly in his Appointments Wait on the Lord and keep his Way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Psal. 37.3 3. To wait upon him is to observe and keep those Directions which he giveth thee to observe even while he stands up to plead thy Cause For without this or not doing this a Man may further marr his Cause in the Hand of him that is to plead it Wherefore keep thee far from an evil Matter have no Correspondence with thine Enemy walk humbly for the Wickedness that thou hast committed and loath and abhor thy self for it in Dust and Ashes To these things doth the Scripture every where direct us 4. To wait is also to encline to harken to those further Directions which thou mayst receive from the Mouth of thine Advocate as to any fresh Matters that may forward and expedite a good issue of thine Affair in the Court of Heaven The want of this was the Reason that the Deliverance of Israel did linger so long in former times O! Says he that my People had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways I should soon have subdued their Enemies and turned mine Hand against their Adversaries The Haters of the Lord should soon have submitted themselves But their Time should have endâ—â—ed forever Psal. 81.13 14 15. 5. Also if it tarry long wait for it Do 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 thought pass through thy Heart saying This Evil is of the Lord why should I wait upon the Lord any longer 2 King. 6.33 6. But take heed that thou turnest not thy Waiting into Sleeping Wait thou must and wait patiently too but yet wait with much longing and Earnestness of Spirit to see or hear how Matters go above You may observe that when a Man that dwells far down in the Country and has some Business at the Term in this or another of the Kings Courts though he will wait his Lawyers time and conveniency yet he will so wait as still to enquire at the Post-house or at the Carriers or if a Neighbour comes down from Term at his Mouth for Letters or any other Intelligence if possibly he may arrive to know how his Cause speeds and whether his Adversary or he has the day Thus I say thou must wait upon thine Advocate His Ordinances are his Post-house his Ministers are his Carriers where Tidings from Heaven are to be had and where those that are sued in that Court by the Devil may at one time or another hear from their Lawyer their Advocate how things are like to go Wherefore I say wait at the Posts of Wisdom's House go to Ordinances with Expectation to hear from thy Advocate there For he will send in due time Tho it tarry wait for it because it will surely come and will not tarry Hab. 2.1 2 3. And now Soul I have answered thy Request and let me hear what thou sayst unto me Soul. Truly says the Soul methinks that by what you have said I may have this blessed Jesus to be mine Advocate for I think verily I have entertained him to be mine Advocate I have also revealed my Cause unto him yea committed both it and my self unto him And as you say I wait O I wait And my Eyes fail with looking upward Fain would I hear how my Soul standeth in the Sight of God and whether my Sins which I have committed Since Light and Grace was given unto me be by mine Advocate taken out of the Hand of the Devil and by mine Advocate removed as far from me as the Ends of the Earth are asunder Whether the Verdict has gone on my side And what a Shout there was among the Angels when they
saw it went well with me But alas I have waited and that a long time and have as you advise ran from Ordinance to minister and from Minister to Ordinance or as you phrase it from the Post to the Carrier and from the Carrier to the Post-house to see if I could hear ought from Heaven how Matters went about my Soul there I have also asked those that pass by the way if they saw him whom my Soul loveth and if they had any thing to communicate to me but nothing can I get or find but Generals as that I have an Advocate there and that he pleadeth the Cause of his People and that he will throughly plead their Cause but what he has done for Me of that as yet I am ignorant I doubt if my Soul shall by him effectually be secured that yet a conditional Verdict will be awarded concerning me and that much Bitter will be mixed with my Sweet and that I must drink Gall and Wormwood for my Folly For if David and Asa and Hezekiah and such good Men were so served for their Sins 2 Chron. 16.7 12. why should I look for other Dealing at the Hand of God But as to this I will endeavour to bear the Indignation of the 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 vile I am ashamed my self of mine own doings and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff. The Law and Reason and my Conscience plead for him against me and all is true he puts into his Charge against me That I have sinned more times than there he Hairs on my Head. I know not of any thing that ever I did in my Life but it had 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 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 to 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 elder 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
just the time present Now the time always present Now let Satan come when he will. Nor is it to be omitted that this Word that thus specifies the time the present time doth also conclude it to be that time in which we are imperfect in Grace in which we have many failings in which we are tempted and accused of the Devil to God This is the time and in it and every whit of it he now appeareth in the Presence of God for us O the Diligence of our Enemy O the Diligence of our Friend the one against us the other for us and that continually If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous This then that Jesus Christ is always an Advocate with the Father for us and so continually ready to put a check to every Accusation that Satan brings into the Presence of God against us is another of the Privileges that they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Priv. 9. Ninthly Another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate is this He is such an one that will not by Bribes by Flattery nor fair Pretences be turned aside from pursuing of his Clients Business This was the Fault of Lawyers in old time that they would wrest Judgment for a Bribe Hence the holy one complained That a Bribe did use to blind the Eyes of the Wise and pervert the Judgment of the Righteous 1 Sam. 12.3 Amos 5.12 Deut. 16.19 There are three things in Judgment that a Lawyer must take heed of One is the Nature of the Offence the other is the meaning and intendment of the Law-makers and a third is to plead for them in Danger without Respect to Affliction or Reward And this is the Excellency of our Advocate he will not cannot be byassed to turn aside from doing Judgment And this the Apostle intendeth when he calleth our Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Or as another Prophet calls him to wit The Just Lord one that will do no Iniquity that is no Unrighteousness in Judgment Zeph. 3.5 He will not be provoked to do it neither by the continual Sollicitations of thine Enemy nor by thy continual Provocations wherewith by Reason of thy infirm Condition thou dost often tempt him to do it And remember that thy Advocate pleads by the new Covenant and thine Adversary accuses by the Old and again remember that the new Covenant is better and more richly provided with Grounds of pleading for our Pardon and Salvation than the old can be with Grounds for a Charge to be brought in by the Devil against us suppose our Sin be never so heinous 'T is a better Covenant established upon better Promises Now put these two together namely that Jesus Christ is righteous and will not swerve in Judgment Also that he pleads for us by the new Law with which Satan hath nothing to do nor had he can he by it bring in a Plea against us Jer. 31.29 30 31 32 33 34. Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28 29 30. Heb. 8.8 9 10 11 12 13. because that Law in the very body of it consists in free Promises of giving Grace unto us and of an everlasting Forgiveness of our Sin. O Children your Advocate will stick to the Law to the new Law to the new and everlasting Covenant and will not admit that any thing should be pleaded by our Foe that is inconsistent with the Promise of the Gift of Grace and of the Remission of all Sin. This therefore is another Privilege that they are made Pertakers of who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate He is just he is righteous he is Jesus Christ the righteous He will not be turned aside to judge awry either of the Crime the Law or for Favour or Affection Nor is there any sin but what is pardonable committed by those that have chosen Jesus Christ to be their Advocate Priv. 10. Tenthly Another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate is this The Father has made him even him that is thine Advocate the Vmpire and Judge in all Matters that have do or shall fall out 'twixt him and us Mark this well For when the Judge himself before whom I am accused shall make 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 Judge 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 shalt 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 4â— 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 is 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
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 Christ 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 hast 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 should make Intercession for them and that by him of Necessity they must approach God and present their Prayers and Services to him But they do not so well see that they need that Christ should also be their Advocate And the Reason thereof is this They forget that their Adversary makes it his Business to accuse them before the Throne of God they 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 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 Honour But that is to â—â—ew 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 fâ—â— 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
Adonijah 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 Majestly 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 slain 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 selves 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 People and pleadeth the Cause of the poor and needy And as for Sin which is one great stumble to thine actings O my Faith Christ has not only died for that as a Sacrifice nor only carried his Sacrifice unto the Father into the holiest of all but is there to manage that Offering as an Advocate pleading the efficacy and Worth thereof before God against the Devil for us Thus I say we should strengthen our Faith for Faith has to do not only with the Word but also with the Offices of Christ. Besides considering how many the Assaults are that are made upon our Faith we find all little enough to support it against all the Wiles of the Devil Christians too little concern themselves as I have said with the Offices of Jesus Christ and therefore their Knowledge of him is so little and their Faith in him so weak We are bid to have our Conversation in Heaven and then a Man so hath when he is there in his Spirit by Faith observing how the Lord Jesus doth exercise his Offices there for him Let us often by Faith go to the Bar of God there to hear our Advocate plead our Cause we should often have our Faith to God's Judgment-seat because we are concerned there There we are accused of the Devil there we have our Crimes laid open and there we have our Advocate to plead And this is suggested in the Text for it saith we have an Advocate with the Father Therefore thither our Faith should go for help and relief in the Day of our straits I say we should have our Faith to God's Judgment-Seat and shew it there by the Glass of our Text what Satan is doing against and the Lord Jesus for our Souls we should also shew it how the Lord Jesus carries away every Cause from the Devil and from before the Judgment-Seat to the Comfort of the Children the Joy of Angels and the Shame of the Enemy This would strengthen and support our Faith indeed And would make us more able than for the most part we are to apply the Grace of God to our selves And hereafter to give more strong Repulses to Satan 'T is easie with a Man when he knows that his Advocate has overthrown his Enemy at the King's Bench Bar or Court of common Pleas less to fear him the next time he sees him and more boldly to answer him when he reneweth his Threats upon him Let Faith then be strengthened from its being exercised about the Advocateship of Jesus Christ. Secondly As we should make use of Christ's Advocateship for the strengthening of our Faith so we also should make use thereof to the encouraging of us
open his Mouth for the Dumb to wit for the Sons of Destruction and to plead the Cause of the poor and needy Prov. 31.8 9. If we knew the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so as the Word reveals it we would believe we would hope and would notwithstanding all Discouragements wait for the Salvation of the Lord. But there are many things that hinder wherefore Faith and Prayer and Perseverance are made difficult things unto us But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And God shall sight for you and you shall hold your Peace was once a good Word to me when I could not pray Fifthly As we should improve this Doctrine for the Improvement and Encouragement of these Graces So we should improve it to the Driving of Difficulties down before us to the getting of Ground upon the Enemy Resist the Devil drive him back this is it for which thy Lord Jesus is an Advocate with God in Heaven and this is it for the Sake of which thou art made a Believer on Earth 1 Pet. 5.9 Heb. 13.4 wherefore has God put this Sword we have an Advocate into thy Hand but to fight thy way through the World. Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on eternal Life And say I will go in the Strength of the Lord God And since I have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous I will not despair tho the Iniquity of mine Heels should compass me about Psal. 49.5 Vse 5. Fifthly Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us with God to plead with him for us against the Devil Let this teach us to stand up to plead for him before Men to plead for him against the Enemies of his Person and Gospel This is but reasonable For if Christ stands up to plead for us why should not we stand up to plead for him He also expecteth this at our Hands saying who will rise up for me against the evil Doers Who will stand up for me against the Workers of Iniquity The Apostle did it and counted himself engaged to do it where he saith he preached the Gospel of God with much Contention 2 Thes. 2.2 Nor is this the Duty of Apostles or Preachers only but every Child of God should earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. And as I said there is Reason why we should do this He standeth for us And if we 1. Consider the Disparity of Persons to plead it will seem far more reasonable He stands up to plead with God we stand up to plead with Men. The Dread of God is great yea greater than the Dread of Men. 2. If we consider the Persons pleaded for He pleads for Sinners for the inconsiderable vile and base We plead for Jesus for the Great Holy and Honourable 'T is an Honour for the Poor to stand up for the Great and Mighty But what Honour is it for the Great to plead for the base Reason therefore requireth that we stand up to plead for him tho there can be but little rendered why he should stand up to plead for us 3. He standeth up to plead for us in the most Holy Place tho we are vile And why should we not stand up for him in this vile World since he is holy 4. He pleads for us though our Cause is bad why should not we plead for him since his Cause is good 5. He pleads for us against fallen Angels why should we not plead for him against sinful Vanities 6. He pleads for us to save our Souls why should not we plead for him to sanctifie his Name 7. He pleads for us before the Holy Angels why should not we plead for him before Princes 8. He is not ashamed of us tho now in Heaven why should we be ashamed of him before this Adulterous and sinful Generation 9. He is unwearied in his pleading for us why should we faint and be dismayed while we plead for him My Brethren is it not reasonable that we should stand up for him in this World Yea is it not Reason that in all things we should study his Exaltation here since he in all things contrives our Honour and Glory in Heaven A Child of God should study in every of his Relations to serve the Lord Christ in this World because Christ by the Execution of every one of his Offices seeks our Promotion hereafter If these be not sufficient Arguments to bow us to yield up our Members our selves our whole selves to God that we may be Servants of Righteousness unto him Yea if by these and such like we are not made willing to stand up for him before Men 't is a Sign that there 's but little if any of the Grace of God in our Hearts Yea further that we should have now at last in Reserve Christ as authorized to be our Advocate to plead for us for this is the lâ—st of his Offices for us while we are here And is to be put in practice for us when there are more than ordinary Occasions This is to 〈…〉 we say at a dead lift Even then 〈…〉 a Christian is taken for a Captive Or when he sinks in the mire where is no standing or when he is cloathed in filthy Garments or when the Devil doth desperately plead against us our evil Deeds or when by our Lives we have made our Salvation questionable and have forfeited our Evidences for Heaven And why then should not we have also in reserve for Christ And when Profession and Confession will not do When Loss of Goods and a Prison will not do When Loss of Country and of Friends will not do Then to bring it in then to bring it in as the Reserve and as that which will do To wit willingly to lay down our Lives for his Name Isa. 24.15 Joh. 21.19 and since he doth his part without grudging for us let us do ours with rejoicing for him Vse 6. Sixthly Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us and that of his meer Grace and Love Then this should teach Christians to be watchful and wary how they sin against God. This Inference seems to run Retrograde but whoso duly considers it will find it fairly fetch'd from the Premises Christianity teaches Ingenuity and aptness to be sensible of Kindnesses and doth instruct us to a lothness to be over-hard upon him from whom we have all a free-cost Shall we sin that Grace 〈◊〉 abound God foâ—bid Shall we do evil 〈◊〉 good may come God forbid Shall we sin 〈◊〉 cause we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Rom. 6.1 2 15. It is the most disingenious thing in the World not to care how chargeable we are to that Friend that bestows all upon us gratis When Mephibosheth had an Opportunity to be yet more chargeable to David he would not because he had his Life and his All from the meer Grace of the King 2 Sam. 19.24
25 26 27 28. also David thought it too much for all his Houshold to go to Absalom's Feast bâ—cause 't was made of free-cost Why Christ is our Advocate of free-cost we pay him neither Fee nor In-come for what he doth nor doth he desire ought of us but to accept of his free doing for us thankfully Wherefore let us put him upon this Work as little as may be and by so doing we shall show our selves Christians of the right make and stamp We count him but a Fellow of a very gross Spirit that will therefore be lavishing of what is his Friends because 't is prepared of meer Kindness for him Esau himself was loth to do this and shall Christians be disingenious I dare say if Christians were sober watchfuâ— and of a more self-denying Temper they need not put the Lord Jesus to that to which for the want of these things they do so often put him I know he is not unwilling to serve us but I know also that the â—â—ve of Christ should constrain us to live 〈…〉 Selves but to him that loved us 〈…〉 us and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 we 〈◊〉 do that which is naught too much 〈◊〉 then when we watch and take care what we can to prevent it Our Flesh when we do our utmost Diligence to resist it will defile both us and our best Performances We need not lay the reins on its Neck and say what care we the more Sin the more Grace and the more we shall see the Kindness of Christ and what Virtue there is in his Advocates Office to save us And should there be any such here I would present them with a Scripture or two The first is this Do ye thus require the Lord O foolish People and unwise Deut. 32.6 and if this gentle check will not do then read the other Shall we say let us do evil that good may come their Damnation is just Rom. 3.8 besides as nothing so swayeth with us as Love so there is nothing so well pleasing to God as it Let a Man love tho he has Opportunity to do nothing 't is accepted of the God of Heaven But where there is no Love let a Man do what he will it is not at all regarded 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Now to be careless and negligent and that from a supposed Understanding of the Grace of Christ in the Exercise of his Advocateship for us in Heaven is as clear a Sign as can be that in thy Heart there is no Lov◠〈◊〉 â—â—rist and that consequently thou ar◠〈◊〉 nothing instead of being a Chriâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 Talk then 〈◊〉 thou wilt and profess never so largeâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ist is no Advocate of thine nor shalt thou thou so continuing be ever the better for any of those Pleas that Christ at Gods Bar puts in against the Devil for his People Christians Christ Jesus is not unwilling to lay out himself for you in Heaven nor to be an Advocate for you in the Presence of his Father But yet he is unwilling that you should render him evil for good I say that you should do so by your remissness and carelesness For want of such a thinking of things as may affect you Hearts therewith 'T would be more comely in you would please him better would better agree with your Profession and also better would prove you gracious to be sound in the Power and Nature of these Conclusions How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 Col. 3.1 3 5 6 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right Hand of God. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affection Evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry for which things sake the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience I say 't would be more comely for Christians to say we will not sin because God will pardon we will not commit Iniquity 'cause Christ will advocate for us I write unto you that you sin not tho if any Man sins we have an Advocate with God the Father Why the brute will conclude I will not do so 'cause my Master will beat me I will 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 that 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 Further by telling of my Brother that he hath an Advocate I put things into his Mind that he has not known or do bring them to Remembrance which he has forgot To wit that tho he hath sinned he shall be saved in a way of Justice For an Advocate is to plead Justice and Law and Christ is to plead these for a Saint that has sinned Yea so to plead them that he may be saved This being so he is made to perceive that by Law he must have his Sins forgiven him That by Justice he must be justified For Christ as an Advocate pleadeth for Justice Justice to himself and this Saint is of himself a Member of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones Nor has Satan so good a Right to plead Justice against us tho we have sinned that we might be damned as Christ has to plead it tho we have sinned that we might be saved For Sin cannot cry so loud to Justice as can the Blood of Christ And he pleads his Blood as Advocate by which he has answered the Law wherefore the Law having nothing to object must needs acquit the Man for whom the Lord Jesus pleads I conclude this with that of the Psalmist Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land. Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her Increase Righteousness shall go before him and shall lead us the Way of his Steps Vse 8. Eighthly But what is all this to you that are â—ot concerned in this Privilege The Children indeed have the Advantage of an Advocate but what is this to them that have none to plead their Cause Jer. 30.12 13. They are as we say left to the wide World or to be ground to Powder between the Justice of God and the Sins which they have committed This is the Man that none but the Devil seeks after that is pursued by the Law and Sin and Death and has none to plead his Cause 'T is sad to consider the plight that such an one is in His Accuser is appointed yea ordered to bring in a Charge against him let Satan stand at his right Hand Ps. 109 6 7. in the Place where Accusers stand And when he shall be judged let him be condemned let there be none to plead for his Deliverance If he cries or offereth to cry out for Mercy or Forgiveness let his Prayer become Sin This is the Portion of a wicked Man. Terrors take hold on him as Waters a Tempest stealeth him away in the Night the East Wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a Storm hurleth him out of his Place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain free out of his Hand Men shall clap their Hands at him and shall hiss him out of his Place Job 27. â—0 21 22 23. And what shall this Man do Can he over-stand the Charge the Accusation the Sentence and Condemnation No he has none to plead hâ—s Cause I remember that somewhere I have read as I think concerning one who when he was carrying upon Mens Shoulders to the Grave cried out as he lay upon the Bier I am accused before the just Judgment of God and a while after I am condemned before the just Judgment of God. Nor was this Man but strict as to the Religion that was then on Foot in the World but all the Religion of the World amounts to no more than nothing I mean as to eternal Salvation if Men be denyed an Advocate to plead their Cause with God. Nor can any Advocate save Jesus Christ the righteous avail any thing at all Because there is none appointed but him to that Work and therefore not to be admitted to enter a Plea for their Client at the Bar of God. Obj. But some may say there is God's Grace the Promise Christ's Blood and his second Part of Priesthood now in Heaven Can none of these â—everally nor all of them jointly save a Man from Hell unless Christ also become our Advocate Answer All these his Advocates Office not excluded are few enough and little enough to save the Saints from Hell For the righteous shall scarcely be saved 1 Pet. 4.18 There must then be the Promise God's Grace Christ's Blood and him to advocate too or we cannot be saved What 's the Promise without God's Grace and what 's that Grace without a Promise to bestow it on us I say what Benefit have we thereby Besides if the Promise and God's Grace without Christ's Blood would have saved us wherefore then did Christ die Yea and again I say if all these without his being for us an Advocate would have delivered us from all those Disadvantages that our Sins and Infirmities would bring us to and into surely in vain and to no purpose was Jesus made an Advocate But Soul there is need of all and therefore be not thou offended that the Lord Jesus is of the Father made so much to his but rather admire and wonder that the Father and the Son should be so concerned with so sorry â—â—ump of Dust and ashes as thou art And I say again be confounded to think that Sin should be a thing so horrible of Power to pollute to captivate and detain us from God that without all this ado I would speak with Reverence of God and his Wisdom we cannot be delivered from the everlasting Destruction that it hath brought upon the Children of Men. But I say what is this to them that are not admitted to a Privilege in the Advocates Office of Christ Whether he is an Advocate or no the Case to them is the same True Christ as a Saviour is not divided He that hath him not in all shall have him in none at all of his Offices in a saving manner Therefore he for whom he is not an Advocate he is nothing as to eternal Life Indeed Christ by some of his Offices is concerned for the Elect before by some of them he is But such shall have the Blessing of them all before they come to Glory Nor hath a Man ground to say Christ is here or there mine before he hath ground
to say he also is mine Advocate Tho that Office of his as has been already shewed stands in the last place and comes in as a Reserve But can any imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom he will not plead as Advocate Or that he will speak for them to God for whom he will not plead against the Devil No no they are his own that he loveth to the end Joh. 13. to the end of their Lives to the end of their Sins to the end of their Temptations to the end of their Fears and of the Exercise of the Rage and Malice of Satan against them To the end may also be understood even until he had given them the Profit and Benefit of all his Offices in their due Exercise and Administration But I say what is all this to them that have him not for their Advocate You may remember that I have already told you that there are several who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate To wit those that are still in their Sins pursuing of their Lusts those that are ashamed of him before Men and those that are never otherwise but lukewarm in their Profession And let us now for a Conclusion make further enquity into this matter Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus for their Advocate to plead their Cause who despise and reject his Person his Word and Ways Or those either who are so far off from Sense of and Shame fâ—r Sin that it is the only thing they hug and embrace True he pleadeth the Cause of his People both with the Father and against the Devil and all the World besides but open Profaneness Shame of good and without Heart or Warmth in Religion are no Characters of his People It is irrational to think that Christ is an Advocate for or that he pleadeth the Cause of such who in the self same Hour and before his Enemies are throwing dirt in his Face by their profane Mouths and unsanctified Lives and Conversations If he pleads as an Advocate for any he must plead against Satan for them and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground his Plea upon I say a bottom better than that upon which the carnal Man stands Which bottom is either some special Relation that this Man stands in to God or some special Law he hath Privilege by That he may have some ground for an Appeal if need be to the Justice and Righteousness of God But none of these things belong to them that are dead in Trespasses and Sins They stand in no special Relation to God they are not privileged by the Law of Grace Obj. But doth not Christ as Advocate plead for his Elect tho not called as yet Answ. He died for all his Elect he prayeth for all his Elect as a Priest But as an Advocate he pleadeth only for the Children the called only Satan objecteth not against God's Election for he knows it not But be objecteth against the called to wit whether he be truly godly or no Job 1.9 10. Zech 3. or whether they ought not to die for their Transgressions And for these things he has some colour to frame an Accusation against us And now 't is time enough for Christ to stand up to plead I say for these things he has some Colour to frame a Plea against us for there is Sin and a Law of Works and a Judge too that has not respect of Persons Now to overthrow this Plea of Satan is Jesus Christ our Advocate Yea to overthrow it by pleading Law and Justice and this must be done with respect to the Children only My little Children I write unto you that ye sin not And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous FINIS ERRATA PAge 31 Line 22 for acknowledgeth read acknowledged p. 65 l. 13 f. your r. you p 70. l. 2 r. his Office is p 77. l 19 f. world r. word p. 87 l. 13 f. deferrs r. defers p. 102 l. 24 f groundess r. groundless p. 108 l. 15 f. thes v. the p. 118. l. 27 f. affliction r. affection p. 127 l. 10 f. matter r. water A Catalogue of Books Printed for and sold by Dorman Newman at the Sign of the Kings Arms in the Poultrey THere is likewise Published by this Author An useful Book entitled The Holy War made by Christ upon the Devil for the regaining of Man or the losing and taking again of the Town of Man-Soul The Pilgrims Progress from this World to that which is to come delivered in the Similitude of a Dream wherein is discovered the manner of his setting out his dangerous Journey and safe Arrival at the desired Country the First part Price 1 s. The Pilgrims Progress from this World to that which is to come the Second part delivered in the Similtude of a Dream wherein is set forth the manner of the setting out of Christians Wife and Children their dangerous Journey and safe Arrival at the desired Country Price 1 s. A Treatise of the Fear of God shewing what it is and how distinguished from that which is not so Also whence it comes Who has it What are the effects And what the Privileges of those that have it in their Hearts Price 1 s. 6 d. The Life and Death of Mr. Badman presented in a familiar Dialogue between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive Price 1 s. 6 d. The Doctrine of the Law and Grace unfolded or a discourse touching the Law and Grace the Nature of the one and the Nature of the other shewing what they are as they are the two Covenants and likewise who they be and what their conditions are that be under either of these two Covenants Very easie to be read and as easie to be understood by those that are the Sons of Wisdom the Children of the Second Covenant Price 1 s. 6 d. Grace abounding to the chief of Sinners Or a brief and faithful Relation of the exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to his poor Servant John Bunyan Namely in his taking him out of the Dunghil and Converting of him to the Faith of his Blessed Son Jesus Christ. Here is also particularly shewed what sight of and what trouble he had for sin and also what various Temptations he hath met with and how God hath carried him through them Corrected and much inlargged in this Edition Price 1 s. Questions about the Nature and perpetuity of the Seventh Day-Sabbath and proof that the First day of the Week is the true Christian Sabbath Price 6 d. A Book for Boys and Girls or Country Rhimes for Children Price 6 d. Sighs from Hell or the Groans of a damn'd Soul. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ. A Discourse upon the Pharisee and Publican Seasonable Counsel or Advice to Sufferers The barren Fig-tree The Greatness of the Soul. A Discourse of Prayer or I will pray with my Spirit and with my Understanding also Questions about