here fortifie us against his Assaults There is also an Incidency in the best to sin and the bigger Man the bigger Fall for the more hurt and the greater Damage Wherefore it is of as absolute Necessity that an Advocate be provided for the strong as for the weak Any Man He that is most holy most reformed most refined and most purified may as soon be in the Dirt as the weakest Christian. And so far as I can see Satan's Design is against them most I am sure the greatest Sins have been committed by the biggest Saints This way-faring Man came to David's House and when he stood up against Israel he provoked David to number the People 2 Sam. 12.4 7. 1 Chr. 21.1 wherefore they have as much need of an Advocate as have the youngest and most feeble of the Flock What a Mind had he to try a Fall with Peter and how quickly did he break the Neck of Judas The like without Doubt he had done to Peter had not Jesus by stepping in prevented As long as Sin is in our Flesh there is danger Indeed he saith of the young Men that they are strong and that they have overcome the wicked one but he doth not say they have kill'd him as long as the Devil is alive there is Danger and though a strong Christian may be too hard for and may overcome him in one thing he may be too hard for yea and may overcome him two for one afterwards Thus he served David and thus he served Peter and thus he in our Day has served many more The strongest are weak the wisest are Fools when suffered to be sifted as Wheat in Satan's Sieve Yea and have often times been so proved to the wounding of their great Hearts and the Dishonour of Religion To conclude this God of his Mercy hath sufficiently declared the Truth of what I say by preparing for the best the strongest and most sanctified as well as for the least weakest and most feeble Saint an Advocate My little Children I write unto you that you sin not And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Obj. But some may object That what has been said as to discovering for whom Christ is an Advocate has been too general and therefore would have me come more to particulars else they can get no Comfoâ—t Ans. Well inquiring Soul so I will and therefore harken to what I say First Wouldest thou know whether Christ is thine Advocate or no I ask Hast thou entertain'd him so to be When men have Sutes of Law depending in any of the King's Courts above they entertain their Attorney or Advocate to plead their Cause and so he pleads for them I say hast thou entertained Jesus Christ for thy Lawyer to plead thy Cause Plead my Cause O God said David Psal. 35.1 and again Lord plead thou my Cause Psal. 43.1 This therefore is the first thing that I would propound to thee Hast thou with David entertained him for thy Lawyer or with good Hezekiah cried out O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Isa. 38.14 What sayst thou Soul Hast thou been with him and prayed him to plead thy Cause and cryed unto him to undertake for thee This I call entertaining of him to be thine Advocate And I chuse to follow the Similitude both because the Scripture seems to smile upon such a way of Discourse and because thy question doth naturally lead me to it Wherefore I ask again hast thou been with him Hast thou entertained him Hast thou desired him to plead thy Cause Quest. Thou wilt say unto me How should I know that I have done so Answ. I answer art thou sensible that thou hast an Action commenced against thee in that high Court of Justice that is above I say art thou sensible of this For the Defendants and all Gods People are Defendants do not use to entertain their Lawyers but from Knowledge That an Action either is or may be commenced against them before the God of Heaven If thou sayst yea then I ask who told thee that thou standest accused for Transgression before the Judgment-Seat of God I say who told thee so hath the holy Ghost hath the World or hath thy Conscience For nothing else as I know off can bring such Tidings to thy Soul. Again hast thou found a Failure in all others that might have been entertained to plead thy Cause Some make their Sighs their Tears their Prayers and their Reformations their Advocates Hast thou tryed these and found them wanting Hast thou seen thy state to be desperate if the Lord Jesus doth not undertake to plead thy Cause for Jesus is not entertained so long as Men can make shift without him But when it comes to this Point I perish for-ever notwithstanding the Help of all if the Lord Jesus steps not in Then Lord Jesus Lord Jesus good Lord Jesus undertake for me Hast thou therefore been with Jesus Christ as concerned in thy Soul as heartily concerned about the Action that thou perceivest to be commenced against thee Quest. You will say how should I know that Answ. I answer Hast thou well considered the Nature of the Crime wherewith thou standest charged at the Bar of God Hast thou also considered the Justness of the Judge Again I ask hast thou considered what Truth as to Matter of Fact there is in the things whereof thou standest accused Also hast thou considered the Cunning the Malice and Diligence of thine Adversary with the Greatness of the Loss thou art like to sustain Shouldst thou with Ahab in the Book of Kings 1 King. 22.17 18 19 20 21 22. or with the Hypocrites in the sixth of Isaiah Isa. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. have the Verdict of the Lord God go out from the Throne against thee I ask thee these Questions because if thou art in the Knowledge of these things to seek or if thou art not deeply concerned about the Greatness of the Damage that will certainly over-take thee and that for-ever shouldest thou be indeed accused before God and have none to plead thy Cause Thou hast not nor canst not let what will come upon thee have been with Jesus Christ to plead thy Cause and so let thy Case be never so desperate thou standest alone and hast no Helper Job 30.13 chap. 9.13 or if thou hast they not being the Advocate of God's appointing must needs fall with thee and with thy Burden Wherefore consider of this seriously and return thy Answer to God who can tell if Truth shall be found in thy Answers better by far than any For 't is he that tries the Reins and the Heart and therefore to him I referr thee But Secondly Wouldest thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine Advocate Then I ask again hast thou Revealed thy Cause unto him I say hast thou Revealed thy Cause unto him For he that goeth to Law for his Right must not only go to a Lawyer
mine Advocate the Judge of the Nature of the Crime for which I am accused and of matter of Law by which I am accused to wit whether it is in Force against me to Condemnation or whether by the Law of Grace I am set free specially since before my Advocate has espoused my Cause promised me Deliverance and pleaded my Right to the State of eternal Life must it not now go well with me Yes verily The Judge then making thine Advocate the Judgâ— for he hath committed all Judgment unto the Son Joh. 5.22 hath done it also for thy Sake who hast chosen him to be thine Advocate 'T was a great thing that happened to Israel when Joseph was become their Advocate and when Pharoah had made him a Judge Thou says he shall be over my House and according to thy Word shall all my People be ruled See I have set thee over all the Land of Egypt and without thee shall no Man lift up his Hand or Foot in all the Land of Aegypt Only in the Throne I will be greater than thou Gen. 41.39 40 44. Joseph in this was a type of Christ and his Goverment here of the Government of Christ for his Church Kings seldom make a Man's Judge his Advocate they seldom leave the Issue of the whole Affair to the Arbitration of the poor Man's Lawyer But when they do methinks it should even go to the Hearts desire of the Client whose the Advocate is Specially when as I said before the Cause of the Client is become the Concern of the Advocate and that they are both wrapt up in the self same Interest yea when the Judge himself also iâ— therein concerned And yet thus it is with that Soul who has Jesus Christ for his Advocate What sayst thou poor Heart to this The Judge to wit the God of Heaven has made thy Advocate Arbitrator in thy Business He is to judge God has referred the Matter to him and he has a Concern in thy Concern an Interest in thy good speed Christian Man dost thou hear Thou hast put thy Cause into the Hand of Jesus Christ and hast chosen him to be thine Advocate to plead for thee before God and against thy Adversary and God has referred the Judgment of that Matter to thy Advocate so that he has Power to determine the Matter I know Satan is not pleased with this he had rather things should have been referred to himself and then woe had been to the Child of God But I say God has referred the Business to Jesus Christ has made him Vmpire and Judge in thine Affair Art thou also willing that he should decide the Matter Canst thou say unto him as David Judge me and plead my Cause O Lord Psal. 43.1 O the Care of God towards his People and the Desire of their Welfare He has provided them an Advocate and he has referred all Causes and things that may by Satan be objected and brought in against us to the Judgment and Sentence of Christ our Advocate But to come to a Conclusion for this and therefore Priv. 11. Eleventhly The Advantage that he has that has the Lord Jesus for his Advocate therefore is very great Thy Advocate has the Cause has the Law has the Judge has the Purse and so consequently has all that is requisite for an Advocate to have Since together with these he has Heart he has Wisdom he has Courage and Loves to make the best Improvement of his Advantages for the benefit of his Client And that which adds to all is he can prove the Debt paid about which Satan makes such ado a Price given for the Ramsom of my Soul and for the Pardon of my Sins Lawyers do use to make a great Matter of it when they can prove That that very Debt is paid for which their Client is sued at the Law. Now this Christ Jesus himself is Witness to Yea he himself has paid it and that out of his own Purse for us with his own Hands before and upon the Mercy-Seat according as the Law requireth Lev. 16.13 14 15. Heb. 9.11.14.15 16 23 24. what then can accrue to our Enemy or what Advantage can he get by his thus vexing and troubling of the Children of the most High Certainly nothing but as has been said already to be cast down For the Kingdom of our God which is a Kingdom of Grace and the Power of his Christ will prevail Sampson's Power lay in his Hair but Christ's Power his Power to deliver us from the Accusation and Charge of Satan lieth in the Worth of his Undertakings And hence it is said again and they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.10 11 12. and he was cast out and down And thus much for the Privileges that those are made Pertakers of who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate I come now to the Sixth last thing which is to shew you what Necessity there is that Christ should be our Advocate That Christ should be a Priest to offer Sacrifice a King to rule and a Prophet to teach All seeing Men acknowledge is of Necessity but that he should be an Advocate a Pleader for his People few see the Reason of it But he is an Advocate and as an Advocate has a Work and Imploy distinct from his Priestly Kingly of prophetical Office John says he is our Advocate and signifieth also the Nature of his Work as such in that very Place where he asserteth his Office. As also I have shew'd you in that which goes before But having already shewed you the Nature I will now shew you the Necessity of this Office. First it is necessary for the more full and ample Vindication of the Justice of God against all the Cavils of the infernal Spirits Christ died on Earth to declare the Justice of God to Men in his justifying of the ungodly God standeth upon the Vindication of his Justice as well as upon the Act thereof Hence the Holy Ghost by the Prophets and Apostles so largely disputeth for the Vindication thereof Rom. 3.24 Isa. Jer. Mal. While it asserteth the reality of the pardon of sin the justification of the unworthy and their glorification with God Rom. 3. chap. 4. chap. 8. Gal. 3 and 4. I say while it disputeth the justness of this high Act of God against the cavils of implacable sinners Now the Prophets and Apostles in those Disputes by which they seek to vindicate the Justice of God in the Salvation of sinners are not only Ministers of God to us but Advocates for him Since as Elihu has it They speak on God's behalf Job 36.2 Or as the Margent has it I will shew thee that there are yet Words for God Words to be spoken and pleaded against his Enemies for the justification of his Actions Now as it is necessary thaâ— there should be Advocates for God on Earth to plead for his Justice and Holiness while he saveth sinners against the cavils of
his Hand upon them both Chap. 9.33 But our Mercy iâ— we have one to plead our cause an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who will not suffer our Soul to be spilt and spoiled before the Throne but will surely plead our Cause 6. Another thing that the Apostle would have us learn from the words is this That to remember and to believe that Jesus Christ is an Advocate for us when we have sinned is the next way to support and strengthen our Faith and Hope Faith and Hope are very apt to faint when our sins in their Guilt do return upon us nor is there any more proper way to relieve our Souls than to understand that the Son of God is our Advocate in Heaven True Christ died for our Sins as a Sacrifice and as a Priest he sprinkleth with his Blood the Mercy-seat Ay but here is one that has sinned after Profession of Faith that has sinned grievously so grievously that his Sins are come up before God yea are at his Bar pleaded against him by the Accuser of the Brethren by the Enemy of the godly What shall he do now Why let him believe in Christ. Believe that 's true but how now must he conceive in his mind of Christ for the encouraging of him so to do Why let him call to mind that Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father and as such he meeteth the Accuser at the Bar of God pleads for this Man that has sinned against this Accuser and prevaileth for ever against him Here now tho Satan be turned Lawyer tho he accuseth yea tho his charge against us is true for suppose that we have sinned yet our Advocate is with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus is Faith encouraged thus is Hope strengthened thus is the Spirit of the sinking Christian revived and made to wait for a good deliverance from a bad cause and a cunning Adversary Specially if you consider 7. That the Apostle also doth further suppose by the Text That Jesus Christ as Advocate if he will but plead our Cause let that be never so black is able to bring us off even before Gods Judgment-Seat to our Joy and the confounding of our Adversary For when he saith we have an Advocate he speaks nothing if he means not thus But he doth mean thus he must mean thus because he seeketh here to comfort and support the Fallen Has any Man sinned we have an Advocate But what of that if yet he be unable to fetch us off when charged for Sin at the Bar and before the Face of a righteous Judge But he is able to do this the Apostle says so in that he supposeth a Man has sinned as any Man among the Godly ever did for so we may understand it and if he giveth us not leave to understand it so he saith nothing to the purpose neither For it will be objected by some But can he fetch me off tho I have done as David as Solomon as Peter or the like It must be answered yes the openness of the terms anyman the indefiniteness of the word Sin doth naturally allow us to take him in the largest Sense besides he brings in this Saying as the chief most apt and fittest to relieve one crush'd down to Death and Hell by the Guilt of Sin and a wounded Conscience Further methinks by these words the Apostle seems to triumph in his Christ Saying my Brethren I would have you study to be holy but if your Adversary the Devil should get the Advantage of you and besmear you with the filth of Sin you have yet besides all that you have heard already an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Who is as to his Person interest with God his Wisdom and Worth able to bring you off to the comforting of your Souls Let me therefore for a Conclusion as to this give you an exhortation to believe to hope and expect that though you have sinned for I now speak to the fallen Saint that Jesus Christ will make a good end with thee trust I say in him and he shall bring it to pass I know I put thee upon a hard and difficult task for believing and expecting Good when my guilty Conscience doth nothing but clog burden and terrifie me with the Justice of God the Greatness of my Sins and the burning Torments is hard and Sweating work But it must be the Text calls for it thy case calls for it and thou must do it if thou wouldst glorifie Christ. And this is the way to hasten the issue of thy Cause in Hand for believing daunts the Devil pleaseth Christ and will help thee before-hand to sing that Song of the Church saying O Lord thou hast pleaded the Causes of my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. 3.55 56 57 58 59. Yea believe and hear thy pleading Lord say to thee Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the Cause of his People Behold I have taken out of thy Hand the Cup of trembling even the dregs of the Cup of my Fury thou shalt no more drink it again Isa. 51.20 21 22. I am not here discoursing of the sweetness of Christ's Nature but of the Excellency of his Offices and of his Office of Advocateship in particular which as a Lawyer for his Client he is to execute in the Presence of God for us Love may be where there is no Office and so where no Power is to do us good but now when Love and Office shall meet they will surely both combine in Christ to do the fallen Christian good But of his Love we have treated elsewhere we will here discourse of the Office of this loving One. And for thy further Information let me tell thee That God thy Father counteth that thou wilt be when compared with his Law but a poor one all thy Days Yea the Apostle tells thee so in that he saith there is an Advocate provided for thee When a Father provides Crutches for his Child he doth as good as say I count that my Child will be yet Infirm And when God shall provide an Advocate he doth as good as say my People are subject to Infirmities Do not therefore think of thy self above what by plain Texts and fair Inferences drawn from Christ's Offices thou art bound to think What doth it bespeak concerning thee That Christ is always a Priest in Heaven and there ever lives to make Intercession for thee Heb. 7.24 but this that thou art at thy best in thy self yea and in thy best exercising of all thy Graces too but a poor pitiful sorry sinful Man. A Man that would when yet most holy be certainly cast away did not thy high-Priest take away for thee the iniquity of thy holy things The Age we live in is a wanton Age the Godly are not so humble and low and base in their own Eyes as they should Tho their daily experience calls for it and the Priest-hood of
Wherefore Secondly The Occasion of his exercising of this Office of Advocate is as hath been hinted already when a Child of God shall be found guilty before God of some heinous Sin of some grievous thing in his Life and Conversation For as for those Infirmities that attend the best in their most spiritual Sacrifices if a Child of God were guilty of ten thousand of them they are of Course purged through the much Incense that is always mixed with those Sacrifices in the golden Censer that is in the Hand of Christ And so he kept clean and counted upright notwithstanding those Infirmities And therefore you shall find that notwithstanding those common Faults the the Children of God are counted good and upright in Conversation and not charged as Offenders David saith the Text did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his Life save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite 1 Kin. 15.5 But was David in a strict Sense without Fault in all things else No verily But that was foul in a higher degree than the rest and therefore there God sets a blot Ay and doubtless for that he was accused by Satan before the Throne of God For here is Adultery and Murder and Hypocrisie in David â—s doings Here is notorious matter a great Sin and so a great Ground for Satan to draw up an Indictment against the King and a thundering one to be sure shall be preferred against him This is the time then for to Christ stand up to plead For now there is room for such a Question can David's Sin stand with Grace or is it possible that a Man that has done as he has should yet be found a Saint and so in a Saved State Or can God repute him so and yet be Holy and Just Or can the Merits of the Lord Jesus reach according to the Law of Heaven a Man in this Condition Here is a Case dubious here 's a Man whose Salvation by his foul Offences is made doubtful Now we must to Law and Judgment wherefore now let Christ stand up to plead I say now was David's Case dubious Psal. 51. he was afraid that God would cast him away and the Devil hoped that he would and to that end charged him before God's Face if perhaps he might get Sentence of Damnation to pass upon his Soul. But this was David's Mercy he had an Advocate to plead his Cause by whose Wisdom and Skill in Matters of Law and Judgment he was brought off of those heavy Charges from those gross Sins and delivered from that eternal Condemnation that by the Law of Sin and Death was due thereto This is then the occasion that Christ taketh to plead as Advocate for the Salvation of his People to wit the Cause he pleadeth the Cause of his People Not every Cause but such and such a Cause the Cause that is very bad and by the which they are involved not only in Guilt and Shame but also in danger of Death and Hell. I say the Cause is bad if the Text be true if Sin can make it bad yea if Sin it Self be bad If any Man sin we have an Advocate An Advocate to plead for him for him as considered guilty and so consequently as considered in a bad Condition 'T is true we must distinguish between the Person and the Sin and Christ pleads for the Person not the Sin but yet he cannot be concerned with the Person but he must be with the Sin for tho the Person and the Sin may be distinguished yet they cannot be separated He must plead then not for a Person only but for a guilty Person for a Person under the worst of Circumstances If any Man sin we have an Advocate for him as so considered When a Man's Cause is good it will sufficiently plead for it self yea and for its Master too specially when it is made appear so to be before a Just and Righteous Judge Here therefore needs no Advocate the Judge himself will pronounce him righteous This is evidently seen in Job Thou movest me against him this said God to Satan to destroy him without a Cause Job 2.3 Thus far Job's Cause was good wherefore he did not need an Advocate his Cause pleaded for its self and for its owner also But if it was to plead good Causes for which Christ is appointed Advocate then the Apostle should have written thus If any Man be righteous we have an Advocate with the Father Indeed I never heard but one in all my Life preach from this Text and he when he came to handle the Cause for which he was to plead pretended it must be good and therefore said to the People see that your Cause be good else Christ will not undertake it But when I heard it Lord thought I if this be true what shall I do and what will become of all this People yea and of this Preacher too Besides I saw that by the Text the Apostle supposeth an other Cause a Cause bad exceeding bad if Sin can make it so And this was one Cause why I undertook this work When we speak of a Cause we speak not of a Person simply as so considered For as I said before Person and Cause must be distinguished Nor can the person make the Cause good but as he regulates his Action by the Word of God If then a good a righteous man doth what the Law condemns that thing is bad and if he be indicted for so doing he is indicted for a bad Cause and he that will be his Advocate must be concerned in and about a bad Matter and how he will bring his Client off therein doth lie the Mystery I know that a bad Man may have a good Cause depending before the Judge and so also good Men have Job 31. but then they are bold in their own Cause and fear not to make mention of it and in Christ to plead their Innocency before the God of Heaven as well as before Men Psal. 71.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 1.23 Gal. 1.20 Phil. 1.8 But we have in the Text a Cause that all Men are afraid of a Cause that the Apostle concludes so bad that none but Jesus Christ himself can save the Christian from it It is not only sinful but Sin it self If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Wherefore there is in this Place handled by the Apostle one of the greatest Mysteries under Heaven To wit That an innocent and holy Jesus should take in hand to plead for one before a just and righteous God that has defiled himself with Sin. Yea that he should take in Hand to plead for such an one against the fallen Angels and that he should also by his Plea effectually rescue and bring them off from the Crimes and Curse whereof they were verily guilty by the Verdict of the Law and Approbation of the Judge This
provide for those of their Children that have been most infirm and helpless And our Advocate shall gather his Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom Yea and I know that there is such an Art in shewing and making mention of Weaknesses as shall make the Tears stand in a Parents Eyes and as shall make him search to the bottom of his Purse to find out what may do his Weakling good Christ also has that excellent Art as he is an Advocate with the Father for us He can so make mention of us and of our Infirmities while he pleads afore God against the Devil for us that he can make the Bowels of the Almighty yearn towards us and to wrap us up in their Compassions You read much of the pity Compassion and of the yearning of the Bowels of the mighty God towards his People All which I think is kindled and made burn towards us by the pleading or our Advocate I have seen Fathers offended with their Children but when a Brother has turned a skilful Advocate the Anger has been appeased and the means have been concealed We read but little of this Advocate 's Office of Jesus Christ yet much of the Fruit of it is extended to the Churches But as the Cause of Smiles after Offences committed is made manifest afterward so at the Day when God will open all things we shall see how many times our Lord as an Advocate pleaded for us and redeemed us by his so pleading into the injoyment of Smiles and Imbraces who for Sin but a while before were under Frowns and Chastisements And thus much for the making out how Christ doth manage his Office of being an Advocate for us with the Father If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And I shall come now to the Third Head to wit To shew you more particularly who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate In my handling of this Head I shall shew 1. That this Office of an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest and how 2. I shall shew yout how far Christ extendeth this his Office of Advocateship I mean in Matters concerning the People of God And then 3. I shall come more directly to shew who they are that have Christ for their Advocate For the first of these That this Office of Christ as an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest. That he is a Priest a Priest for ever I heartily acknowledge But that his Priesthood and Advocateship should be one and the self-same Office I cannot believe 1. Because they differ in Name We may as well say a Father as such is a Son or That Father and Son is the self same Relation as say a Priest and an Advocate as to Office are but one and the same thing They differ in Name as much as Priest and Sacrifice do A Priest is one and a Sacrifice is another and tho Christ is Priest and Sacrifice too yet as a Priest he is not a Sacrifice nor as a Sacrifice a Priest. 2. As they differ in Name so they differ in the Nature of Office. A Priest is to slay a Sacrifice an Advocate is to plead a Cause A Priest is to offer his Sacrifice to the end that by the Merit thereof he may appease An Advocate is to plead to plead according to Law. A Priest is to make Intercession by Virtue of his Sacrifice an Advocate is to plead Law because Amends is made 3. As they differ in Name and Nature so they also differ as to their Extent The Priesthood of Christ extendeth it self to the whole of God's Elect whether called or in their Sins But Christ as Advocate pleadeth only for the Children 4. As they differ in Name in Nature and Extent so they differ as to the Persons with whom they have to do We read not any where that Christ as Priest has to do with the Devil as an Antagonist But as an Advocate he hath 5. As they differ in these so they differ as to the Matters about which they are imployed Christ as Priest concerns himself with every wry thought and also with the least Imperfection or Infirmity that attends our most holy things but Christ as Advocate doth not so as I have already shewed 6. So that Christ as Priest goes before and Christ as an Advocate comes after Christ as Priest continually interceeds Christ as Advocate in Case of great Transgression pleads Christ as Priest has need to act always but Christ as Adâ—ocate sometimes only Christ as Priest acts in times of Peace but Christ as Advocate in times of Broils Turmoils and sharp Contentions Wherefore Christ as Advocate is as I may call him a Reserve And his time is then to arise to stand up and plead when his are cloathed with some filthy Sin that of late they have fallen into as David Joshua or Peter When some such thing is committed by them as ministreth to the Enemy a shew of Ground to question the truth of their Grace Or when 't is a Question and to be bebated whether it can stand with the Laws of Heaven with the Merits of Christ and the Honour of God that such an one should be saved Now let an Advocate come forth now let him have time to plead for this is a fit Occasion for the Saints Advocate to stand up to plead for the Salvation of his People But Secondly I come next to shew you How far this Office of an Advocate is extended I hinted at this before so now shall be the more brief 1. By this Office he offereth no Sacrifice he only as to Matter of Justice pleads the Sacrifice offered 2. By this Office he obtains the Conversion of none He only thereby secureth the converted from the Damnation which their Adversary for Sins after Light and Profession endeavoureth to bring them to 3. By this Office he prevents not temporal Punishment But by it he chiefly preserveth the Soul from Hell. 4. Be this Office he brings in no justifiing Righteousness for us he only thereby prevaileth to have the Dispose of that brought in by himself as Priest for the justifiing of those by a new and fresh Act who had made their Justification doubtful by new Falls into Sin. And this is plain in the History of our Joshua Zech. 3. o often mentioned before 5. As Priest he hath obtained eternal Redemption for us and as Advocate he by Law maintaineth our Right thereto against the Devil and all his Angels I come now to shew you Who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate And this I shall do first more generally and then shall be more particular and distinct about First more generally They are all the truly Gracious those that are the Children by Adoption And this the Text affirmeth I wriâ—e unto you little Children that you sin not And if any Man sin we have on Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous They are
and say Sir I am in Trouble and am to have a Tryal at Law with mine Enemy pray undertake my Cause but he must also Reveal to his Lawyer his Cause He must go to him and tell him what is the Matter how things stand where the shooe pinches and so Thus did the Church of old and thus doth every true Christian now For tho nothing can be hid from him yet he will have things out of thine own Mouth He will have thee to Reveal thy Matters unto him Mat. 20.32 O Lord of Hosts said Jeremy that judgest righteously and tryest the Reins and the Heart let me see thy Vengeance on them for unto thee have I revealed my Cause Jer. 11.20 And again But O Lord of Hosts that tryest the righteous and seest the Reins and the Heart let me see thy Vengeance on them for unto thee have I opened my Cause Chap. 20.12 Seest thou here how Saints of old were wont to do How they did not only in a general way intreat Christ to plead their Cause but in a particular way go to him and Reveal or open their Cause unto him O 't is excellent to behold how some Sinners will do this when they get Christ and themselves in a Closet alone When they upon their bare Knees are pouring out of their Souls before him Or like the Woman in the Gospel telling of him all the Truth Mark 5. O Saith the Soul Lord I am come to thee upon an earnest Business I am arrested by Satan the Bailiff was mine own Conscience and I am like to be accused before the Judgment-Seat of God my Salvation lies at Stake I am questioned for my Interest in Heaven I am afraid of the Judge my Heart condemns me 1 Joh. 3.20 Mine Enemy is subtil and wanteth not Malice to prosecute me to Death and then to Hell. Also Lord I am sensible the Law is against me for indeed I have horribly sinned and thus and thus have I done Here I lie open to Law and there I lie open to Law Here I have given the Adversary Advantage and there he will surely have a hank against me Lord I am distressed undertake for me And there are some things that thou must be acquainted with about thine Advocate before thou wilt venture to go thus far with him As 1. Thou must know him to be a Friend and not an Enemy unto whom thou openest thy Heart and until thou comest to know That Christ is a Friend to thee or to Souls in thy Condition thou wilt never reveal thy Cause unto him Not thy whole Cause unto him And it is from this That so many that have Soul-Causes hourly depending before the Throne of God and that are in Danger every day of eternal Damnation forbear to entertain Jesus Christ for their Advocate and so wickedly conceal their Matters from him But he that hideth his Sins shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 This therefore must first be believed by thee before thou wilt reveal thy Cause unto him 2. A Man When his Estate is called into Question I mean his Right and Title thereto will be very cautious specially if he also questions his Title to it himself unto whom he reveals that Affair He must know him to be one that is not only friendly but faithful to whom he reveals such a Secret as this Why thus it is with Christ and the Soul. If the Soul is not somewhat perswaded of the Faithfulness of Christ to wit that if he can do him no good he will do him no harm he will never reveal his Cause unto him But will seek to hide his Counsel from the Lord. This therefore is another thing by which thou mayst know that thou hast Christ for thine Advocate If thou hast heartily and in very Deed revealed thy Cause unto him Now they that do honestly reveal their Cause to their Lawyer will endeavour to possess him as I hinted before with the worst They will with Words make it as bad as they may for think they by that Means I shall prepare him for the worst that mine Enemy can do And thus Souls deal with Jesus Christ. See the fifty first Psalm also the thirty eighth with several others that might be named and see if God's People have not done so I said saith David That I would confess my Transgressions against my self and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. But Thirdly Hast thou Jesus Christ for thine Advocate Or wouldst thou know if thou hast Then I ask again hast thou committed thy Cause to him When a Man entertains his Lawyer to stand for him and to plead his Cause he doth not only reveal but commit his Cause unto him I would seek unto him says Eliphas to Job and unto him would I commit my Cause Job 5.8 Now there is a Difference betwixt revealing my Cause and committing of it to a Man. To reveal my Cause is to open it to one and to commit it to him is to trust it in his Hand Many a Man will reveal his Cause to him unto whom he will yet be afraid to commit it But now he that entertains a Lawyer to plead his Cause doth not only reveal but commit his Cause unto him As suppose Right to his Estate be called into Question why then he not only reveals his Cause to his Lawyer but puts into his Hands his Evidences Deeds Leases Mortgages Bonds or what else he hath to shew a Title to his Estate by And thus doth the Christians deal with Christ They deliver up all unto him to wit all their Signs Evidences Promises and Assurances which they have thought they have had for Heaven and the Salvation of their Souls and have desired him to peruse to search and try them every one Psal. 139.23 And if there be Iniquity in me lead me in the way everlasting This is committing of thy Cause to Christ and this is the hardest Task of all For the Man that doth thus he trusteth Christ with all and and implyeth that he will live and die stand and fall lose and win according as Christ will manage his Business thus did Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 and thus Peter admonisheth us to do Now he that doth this must be convinced 1. Of the Ability of Jesus Christ to defend him For a Man will not commit so great a Concern as his All is to his Friend no not to his Friend be he never so faithful if he perceives not in him Ability to save him and to preserve what he hath against all the Cavils of an Enemy And hence it is that the Ability of Jesus Christ as to the saving of his People is so much insisted on in the Scripture As I have laid Help upon one that is mighty Psal. 89.19 I that speak in Righteousness mighty to save Isa. 63.1 And again I will send them a Saviour and a great one Chap. 19.20 2. As they must be convinced of his Ability to help them so they must of his Courage
A Man that has Parts sufficient may yet fail his Friend for want of Courage Wherefore the Courage and Greatness of Christ's Spirit as to his undertaking of the Cause of his People is also amply set out in Scripture He shall not fail nor be discouraged until he hath set Judgment in the Earth Vntil he hath brought Judgment into Victory Isa. 42.4 Mat 12.20 3. They must also be convinced of his Willingness to do this for them for tho one be able and of Courage sufficient yet if he is not willing to undertake ones Cause what is it the better Wherefore he declareth his Willingness also and how ready he is to stand up to plead the Cause of the Poor and of them that are in want The Lord will plead their Cause and spoil the Soul of those that spoiled them Prov. 22.23 4. They must also be convinced of this That Christ is tender and will not be offended at the Dulness of his Client Some Men can reveal their Cause to their Lawyers better than some and are more serviceable and handy in that Affair than others but saith the Christian I am dull and sorry that way will not Christ be shuff and shy of me because of this Honest Heart he hath a Supply of thy Defects in himself and knoweth what thou wantest and where the Shooe pinches though thou art not able distinctly to open Matters to him The Child is prickt with a Pin and lies crying in the Mothers Lap but cannot shew to its Mother where the Pin is but there is pity enough in the Mother to supply this Defect of the Child Wherefore she undresses it opens it searches every Clout from Head to the Foot of the Child and so finds where the Pin is Thus will thy Lawyer do he will search and find out thy Difficulties and where Satan seeketh an Advantage of thee accordingly will provide his Remedy 5. O but will he not be weary The Prophet complains of some that they weary God Isa. 7.13 And mine is a very cross and intricate Cause I have wearied many a good Man while I have been telling my tale unto him And I am afraid That I shall also weary Jesus Christ. Answer Soul he suffered and did bear with the manners of Israel forty Years in the Wilderness Acts 13.18 and hast thou tryed him half so long The good Souls that have gone before thee have found him a tryed Stone a sure one to be trusted to as to this Isa. 28.16 and the Prophet saith positively That he fainteth not neither is weary and that there is no searching of his Vnderstanding chap. 40.28 let all these things prevail with thee to believe that if thou hast committed thy Cause unto him he will bring it to pass to a good pass to so good a pass as will glorifie God honour Christ save thee and shame the Devil Fourthly But fourthly wouldest thou know whether Jesus Christ is thine Advocate whether he has taken in hand to plead thy Cause Then I ask Dost thou together with what has been mentioned before wait upon him according to his Counsel until things shall come to a legal Issue Thus must Clients do There is a great many Turnings and Windings about Sutes and Tryals at Law the Enemy also with his Supersedes Cavils and Motions often deferrs a speedy Issue Wherefore the Man whose is the concern must wait as the Prophet said I will look said he unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation But how long Prophet wilt thou wait Why says he until he plead my Cause and execute Judgment for me Mich. 7.7 8 9 10. Perhaps When thy Cause is tryed things for the present are upon this Issue Thy Adversary indeed is cast but whether thou shalt have an absolute Discharge as Peter had or a conditional one as David 2 Sam. 12.10 11 14. and as the Corinthians had that 's the Question True thou shalt be compleatly saved at last but yet whether 't is not best to leave to thee a Memento of God's Displeasure against thy Sin by awarding that the Sword shall never depart from thy House or that some sore Sickness or other Distresses shall haunt thee as long as thou livest or perhaps that thou shalt walk without the Light of Godâ—s Countenance for several Years and a Day Now if any of these three things happen unto thee thou must exercise Patience and wait Thus did David I waited patiently And again He exercises his Soul in this Vertue saying My Soul wait thou only upon him for my Expectation is from him Psal 62.5 For now we are Judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the World And by this Judgment though it sets us free from their Damnation yet we are involved in many Troubles And perhaps must wait many a Day before we can know That as to the maâ—n the Verdict hath gone on our Side Thus therefore in order to thy waiting upon him without fainting it is meet that thou shouldest know the Methods of him that manages thy Cause for thee in Heaven And suffer not Mistrust to bâ—eak in and bear sway in thy Soul For he will at length bring thee forth to the Light and thou shalt behold his Righteousness She also that is thine Enemy shall see it and Shame shall cover her that said unto thee where is thy God But what is it to wait upon him according to his Counsel Answ. 1. To wait is to be of good Couâ—age â—o live in Expectation and to look for Deliâ—erance tho thou hast sinned against thy God. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he â—hall strenâ—then thy Heart Wait I say on the Lord Psal. 27.14 Psal. 31.24 2. To wait upon him is to keep his way To walk humbly in his Appointments Wait â—n the Lord and keep his Way and he shall exalt â—hee to inherit in the Land Psal. 37.3 3. To wait upon him is to observe and â—eep those Directions which he giveth thee â—o observe even while he stands up to plead â—hy Cause For without this or not doing â—his a Man may further marr his Cause in â—he Hand of him that is to plead it Whereâ—ore keep thee far from an evil Matter have â—o Correspondence with thine Enemy walk â—umbly for the Wickedness that thou hast â—ommitted and loath and abhor thy self â—or it in Dust and Ashes To these things â—oth the Scripture every where direct us 4. To wait is also to encline to harken to â—hose further Directions which thou mayst receive â—rom the Mouth of thine Advocate as to any â—resh Matters that may forward and expedite 〈◊〉 good issue of thine Affair in the Court of Heaven The want of this was the Reason â—hat the Deliverance of Israel did linger so â—ong in former times O! Says he that my People had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways I should soon have subdueâ— their Enemies and turned mine Hand againsâ— their Adversaries The
Haters of the Lorâ— should soon have submitted themselves But theiâ— Time should have endured forever Psal. 81.13 14 1â— 5. Also if it tarry long wait for it Dâ— not conclude that thy Cause is lost because at present thou dost not hear from Court Cry if thou wilt O when wilt thou come unto me But never let such a wicked thoughâ— pass through thy Heart saying This Evil iâ— of the Lord why should I wait upon the Lord anâ— longer 2 King. 6.33 6. But take heed that thou turnest no thy Waiting into Sleeping Wait thou must and wait patiently too but yet wait witâ— much longing and Earnestness of Spirit tâ— see or hear how Matters go above Yoâ— may observe that when a Man that dwells faâ— down in the Country and has some Busineâ— at the Term in this or another of the Kingâ— Courts though he will wait his Lawyeâ— time and conveniency yet he will so waiâ— as still to enquire at the Post-house or at thâ— Carriers or if a Neighbour comes dowâ— from Term at his Mouth for Letters oâ— any other Intelligence if possibly he maâ— arrive to know how his Cause speeds anâ— â—hether his Adversary or he has the â—ay Thus I say thou must wait upon thine â—dvocate His Ordinances are his Post-house â—is Ministers are his Carriers where Tidings â—â—om Heaven are to be had and where those â—hat are sued in that Court by the Devil â—ay at one time or another hear from â—heir Lawyer their Advocate how things â—re like to go Wherefore I say wait at â—he Posts of Wisdom's House go to Ordiâ—ances with Expectation to hear from thy Adâ—ocate there For he will send in due time â—ho it tarry wait for it because it will surely â—â—me and will not tarry Hab. 2.1 2 3. And â—ow Soul I have answered thy Request â—nd let me hear what thou sayst unto me Soul. Truly says the Soul methinks â—â—at by what you have said I may have this â—lessed Jesus to be mine Advocate for I â—â—ink verily I have entertained him to be â—ine Advocate I have also revealed my Cause â—nto him yea committed both it and my self â—nto him And as you say I wait O I â—ait And my Eyes fail with looking upâ—ard Fain would I hear how my Soul â—â—andeth in the Sight of God and whether â—â—y Sins which I have committed Since â—ight and Grace was given unto me be by â—ine Advocate taken out of the Hand of the Devil and by mine Advocate removed 〈◊〉 far from me as the Ends of the Earth are asunder Whether the Verdict has gone oâ— my side And what a Shout there was among the Angels when they saw it went weâ—â— with me But alas I have waited and thaâ— a long time and have as you advise raâ— from Ordinance to minister and from Minister to Ordinance or as you phrase it from the Post to the Carrier and from thâ— Carrier to the Post-house to see if I coulâ— hear ought from Heaven how Matters wenâ— about my Soul there I have also asked thoâ—â— that pass by the way if they saw him whom 〈◊〉 Soul loveth and if they had any thing to coâ—municate to me but nothing can I get 〈◊〉 find but Generals as that I have an Advocaâ—â— there and that he pleadeth the Cause of 〈◊〉 People and that he will throughly pleâ—â— their Cause but what he has done for 〈◊〉 of that as yet I am ignorant I doubt my Soul shall by him effectually be secure that yet a conditional Verdict will be awarâ—ded concerning me and that much Bitter 〈◊〉 be mixed with my Sweet and that I 〈◊〉 drink Gall and Wormwood for my Follâ— For if David and Asa and Hezekiah 〈◊〉 such good Men were so served for their 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 16.7 12. why should I look for ther Dealing at the Hand of God But as â—his I will endeavour to bear the Indignation of â—he Lord because I have sinned against him Isa. 39.3 8. and shall count it an infinite Mercy if this Judgment comes to me from him that I may not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 I know it is dreadful walking in Darkness but if that also shall be the Lord's Lot upon me I pray God I may have Faith enough to stay upon him till Death and then will the Clouds blow over and I shall see him in the Light of the Living Mine Enemy the Devil as you say is of an inveagling Temper and although he has accused me before the Judgment-Seat of God yet when he comes to me at any time he glavers and flatters as if he never did mean me harm But I think 't is that he might get further Advantage against me But I carry it now at a further distance than formerly and O that I was at the remotest Distance not only from him but also from that self of mine that laboureth with him for my undoing But altho I say these things now and to you yet I have my solitary hours and in them I have other strange thoughts For thus I think my Cause is bad I have sinned and I have been vite I am ashamed my self of mine own doings and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff. The Law anâ— Reason and my Conscience plead for hiâ— against me and all is true he puts into hiâ— Charge against me That I have sinned more time than there be Hairs on my Head. I know not oâ— any thing that ever I did in my Life but it haâ— flaw or wrinkle or Spot or some such thing in it Mine Eyes have seen vileness in the best of my doings what then think you must God needs see in them Nor can I do any thing yet for all I know that I am accused by my Enemy before the Judgment-seat of God better than what already is imperfect I lie down in my Shame and my Confusion covers my Face I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of Men Jer. 3.24 25. Job 7.20 Reply Well Soul I have heard what thou hast said and if all be true which thou hast said it is good and gives me Ground of Hope That Jesus Christ is become thine Advocate And if that be so no Doubt but thy Tryal will come to a good Conclusion And be not afraid because of the Holiness of God for thine Advocate has this for his Advantage that he pleads before a Judge that is just and against an Enemy that is unholy and rejected Nor let the thoughts Of the badness of thy Cause terrifie thee over much Cause thou hast indeed to be humble and thou dost well to cover thy Face with Shame And 't is no matter how base and vile thou art in thine own Eyes provided that it comes not by renewed Acts of Rebellion but through a spiritual Sight of thine Imperfections Only let me advise thee here to stop let not thy Shame nor thy self-abasing Apprehension of thy self drive thee from the firm and permanent Ground of Hope
could I do any thing to make this Advocate part of Amends I could think I might have Benefit from him but I have nothing what say you to this Answ. Similitudes must not be strained too far but yet I have an Answer for this Objection Theâ—e is in some Cases Law for them that have no Money ay Law and Lawyers too And this is called a suing in Forma Pauperis and such Lawyers are appointed by Authority for that Purpose Indeed I know not that it is thus in every Nation but 't is sometimes so with us in England and this is the way altogether in the Kingdom of Heaven before the Bar of God. All is done there for us in Forma Pauperis on free cost For our Advocate or Lawyer is thereto designed and appointed of his Father Hence Christ is said to plead the Cause not of the rich and wealthy but of the Poor and Needy not of those that have many Friends but of the Fatherless and Widow not of them that are fat and strong but of those under sore Afflictions Prov. 22 2â— 23. chap. 23.10 11. chap. 31.9 He shall stand at the right Hand of the Poor to save him from them that condemn his Soul Psal. 109.31 or as it is in the Margent from the Judges of his Soul. This then is the manner of Jesus Christ with Men He doth freely what he doth not for Price nor Reward I have raised him up says God And I will direct all his Ways he shall build my City and he shall let go my Captives not for Price nor Reward Isa. 45.13 This I say is the manner of Jesus Christ with Men he pleads he sues in Forma Pauperis gratis and of meer Compassion And hence it is that you have his Clients give him thanks for that is all the Poor can give I will greatly praise the Lord with my Mouth I will praise him among the Multitude for he shall stand at the right Hand of the Poor to save him from them that condemn his Soul Psal. 109.30 They know but little that talk of giving to Christ except they mean they would give him Blessing and Praise He bids us come freely take freely and tells us that he will give and do freely Rev. 22.17 chap. 21.6 Let him have that which is his own to wit thy self for thou art the Price of his Blood. David speaks very strangely of giving to God for Mercy bestowed on him I call it strangely because indeed 't is so to Reason What says he shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits I will take this Cup and call for more Psal. 116.12 13. God has no need of thy Gift nor Christ of thy Bribe to plead thy Cause Take thankfully what is offered and call for more That 's the best giving to God. God is rich enough Talk not then of giving but of receiving for thou art poor Be not too high nor think thy self too good to live by the Alms of Heaven And since the Lord Jesus is willing to serve thee freely and to maintain thy Right to Heaven against thy Foe to the saving of thy Soul without Price or Reward Let the Peace of God rule in thee to the which thou art also called as is the rest of the Body and be thou thankful Col. 3.15 This then is the Privilege of a Christian we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous One that pleadeth the Cause of his People against those that rise up against them of his Love Pity and meer good Will. Lord open the Eyes of dark Readers of disconsolate Saints that they may see who is for them and upon what Terms Obj. 4. But if Christ doth once begin to plead for me and shall become mine Advocate He will always be troubled with me unless I should of my self forsake him for I am ever in Broils and Suits of Law Action after Action is laid upon me and I am sometimes ten times in a Day summoned to answer my Doings before God. Answ. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a Cause or two nor to deliver the Godly from an Accusation or two He delivereth Israel out of all his Troubles 2 Sam. 22.28 and chuses to be an Advocate for such Therefore the Godly of old did use to make from the Greatness of their Troubles and the abundance of their Troublers an Argument to the Lord Christ to send and lend them help Have Mercy upon me said David consider my Trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Psal. 9.13 And again Many are they that rise up against me many there be that say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Psal. 3.1 2. Yea the Troubles of this Man were so many and great that his Enemies began to triumph over him saying There is no help for him in God ver 7. But could he not deliver him or did the Lord forsâ—ke him No no thou hast smitten saith he all mine Enemies upon the Cheek-bone thou hast broken the Teeth of the ungodly And as he delivereth them from their Troublers so alâ—o he pleadeth all their Causes O Lord â—aith the Church thou hast pleaded the Causes â—f my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. â— 58 Mark troubled Christian thou â—ayst thou hast been arrested oft times in a Day and as often summoned to appear at God's Bar there to answer to what shall be â—aid to thy Charge And here for thy Encouâ—agement thou readest that the Church hath â—n Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her â—oul that is all her Causes to deliver her He knows that so long as we are in this World we are subject to Temptation and Weakness and through them made guilty â—f many bad things Wherefore he hath preâ—ared himself to our Service and to abide â—ith the Father an Advocate for us As Soloâ—on saith of a Man of great Wrath Prov. 19. â—9 so it may be said of a Man of great Weakâ—esses and the best of Saints are such he â—ust he delivered again and again Yea maâ—y a time saith David did he deliver them Psal. â—06 44 45. to wit more than once and twice â—nd he will do so for thee if thou entertain 〈◊〉 to be thine Advocate Thou talkest of â—aving of him but then whither wilt thou 〈◊〉 all else are vain things things that cannot â—rofit 1 Sam. 12.20 21 22 23. and he â—ill not forsake his People tho their Land be 〈◊〉 with Sin against the holy One of Israel Jer. 51.5 I know the modest Saint is apt to be abash'd to think what a troublesome one he is and what a make-work he has been in God's House all his Days And let him be filled with holy blushing but let him not forsake his Advocate Having thus spoken to these Objections let us now come to make some use of thâ— whole and Vse 1. First I would exhort the Children 〈◊〉 consider the Dignity that God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour For
Honour But that is to shew how highly God esteems of and dignifies all his Acts and tho this shall tend at last to the greatning of his Honour and Glory in his Kingdom yet the Work it self is amazingly mean. I speak after the manner of Men It is accounted so in this World How ignoble and unrespectful doth a Man make himself specially to his Enemy when he undertaketh to plead a bad Cause if it also happeneth to be the Cause of the base and unworthy And I am sure we are every one so in our selves for whom he is become an Advocate with the Father True we are made worthy in him but that 's no thanks to us as to our selves and our Cause both are yet bad enough And let us now leave off disputing and stand amazed at his Condescention He humbleth himself to behold things that are in Heaven Psal. 113.4 5 6. and Men of old did use to wonder to think that God should so much stoop as to open his Eyes to look upon Man or once so much as to mind him Job 14.1 2 3. Psal. 144.3 4. Job 7.17 Psal. 8.4 And if these be Acts that bespeak a Condescension what will you count of Christ's standing up as an Advocate to plead the Cause of his People Must not that be much more so accounted Oh the Condescention of Christ in Heaven While Cavillers quarrel at such kind of Language let the Saints stay themselves and wonder at it and be so much the more affected with his Grace The Persons are base the Crimes are base with which the Persons are charged wherefore one would think that has but the Reason to think that it is a great Condescention of Christ now in Heaven to take upon him to be an Advocate for such a People Specially if you consider the openness of this Work of Christ for this thing is not done in a Corner This is done in open Court. First with an holy and just God for he is the Judge of all and his Eyes are purer than to behold Iniquity yea his very Essence and Presence is a consuming Fire yet before and with this God and that for such a People Jesus Christ the King will be an Advocate For one mean Man to be an Advocate for the base with one that is not considerable is not so much But for Christ to be an Advocate for the base and for the base too under the basest Consideration this is to be wondred at When Bathsheba the Queen became an Advocate for Adonijah unto King Solomon you see how he flounced at her for that his Cause was bad And why saith he dost thou ask Abishai for Ad nijah Ask for him the Kingdom also 1 Kin. 2.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. I told you before that to be an Advocate did run one upon Hazards of Reproach and it may easily be thought that the Queen did blush when from the King her Son she received such a Repulse Nor do we hear any more of her being an Advocate I believe she had enough of this But oh this Christ of God who himself is greater than Solomon he is become an Advocate an Advocate with the Father who is the eternally just and holy and righteous God And that for a People with Respect to him far worse than could be Adonijah in the Eyes of his Brother Solomon Majesty and Justice are dreadful in themselves and much more so when approached by any specially when the Cause as to matter of Fact is bad that the Man is guilty of who is concerned in the Advocateship of his Friend And yet Jesus Christ is still an Advocate for us an Advocate with the Father Secondly Consider also before whom Jesus Christ doth plead as an Advocate and that is before or in the Presence and Observation of all the heavenly Host. For while Christ pleadeth with God for his People all the Host of Heaven stands by on the right Hand and on the Left Mat. 10.32 And tho as yet there may seem to be but little in this Consideration yet Christ would have us know and account it an Infinite Kindness of his to us that he will confess and not be ashamed of us before the Angels of his Father Mark 8.38 Angels are holy and glorious Creatures and in some Respect may have a greater Knowledge of the Nature and baseness of Sin than we while here are capable of and so may be made to stand and wonder while the Advocate pleads with God for a People from Head to Foot cloathed therewith But Christ will not be ashamed to stand up for us before them though they know how bad we are and what vile things we have done Let this therefore make us wonder Thirdly Add to these how unconcerned oft-times those are with themselves and their own desolate Condition for whom Christ as an Advocate laboureth in Heaven with God. Alas the Soul is as far off of knowing what the Devil is doing against it at God's Bar as David was when Saul was threatning to have his Blood while he was hid in the Field 1 Sam. 20.26 27 28 29 30 31 32. But O true Jonathan How didst thou plead for David Only here thou hadst the Advantage of our Advocate thou hadst a good Cause to plead for when Saul thy Father said David shall surely die Thy Reply was wherefore shall he be slâ—in What evil hath he done But Christ cannot say thus when he pleadeth for us at God's Bar nor is our present Senselessness and unconcernedness about his pleading but an Aggravation to our Sin. Perhaps David was praying while Jonathan was playing the Advocate for him before the King his Father But perhaps the Saint is sleeping yea sinning more while Christ is pleading for him in Heaven Oh! This should greatly affect us this should make us wonder this should be so considered by us as to heighten our Souls to Admiration of the Grace and Kindness of Christ. Fourthly join to these the Greatness and Gravity the highness and glorious Majesty of the Man that is become our Advocate says the Text 't is Jesus Christ we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ. Now that he should become an Advocate that he should embrace such an Imploy as this of his Advocateship let this be a wonderment and so be accounted But let us come to the fourth Use. Vse 4. Fourthly Is it so is Jesus Christ the Saviour also become our Advocate Then let us labor to make that Improvement of this Doctrine as tendeth to strengthen our Graces and us in the management of them Indeed this should be the Use that we should make of all the Offices of Christ but let us at this time concern our sâ—lves about this Let I say the poor Christian thus expostulate with himself 1. Is Christ Jesus the Lord mine Advocate with the Father Then awake my Faith and shake thy self like a Gyant Stir up thy self and be not faint Christ is the Advocate of his
and to keep us humble So we should make Vse of it to encourage to Perseverance that is to hold on to hold out to the end For for all those Causes the Apostle setteth Christ before us as an Advocate There is nothing doth more discourage the truly Godly thaâ— the Sense of their own Infirmities as haâ— been hinted at all along consequently nâ—thing can more encourage them to go on than to think that Christ is an Advocate foâ— them The Services also that Christ haâ— for us to do in this World are full of Difficulty and so apt discourage But wheâ— a Christian shall come to understand that iâ— we do what we can 't is not a failing eitheâ— in Matter or Manner that shall render it wholly unserviceable or give the Devil that Aâ—vantage as to plead thereby to prevail foâ— our Condemnation and Rejection but thaâ— Christ by being our Advocate saves us froâ— our falling short and also from the Rage 〈◊〉 Hell This will encourage us to hold oâ— though we do but hobble in all our goings anâ— fumble in all our doings For we have Chriâ—â— for an Advocate in case we sin in the Managâ—ment of any Duty If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Let us therefore go on in all God's Ways as well as we can for our Hearts and when our Foot slips let us tell God of it and his Mercy in Christ shall hold us up Psal. 84.18 Darkness and to be shut up in Prison is also a great Discouragement to us But our Advocate is for giving us Light and for fetching us out of our Prison True he that Joseph chose to be his Advocate to Pharaoh remembred not Joseph but forgat him Gen. 40.14 23. but he that has Jesus Christ to be his Advocate shall be remembered before God. He remembred us in our low Estate for his Mercy endureth forever Mich. 7.8 9 10. Psal. 136.23 Yea he will say to the Prisoners shew your selves and to them that are in the Prison-House go forth Satan sometimes gets the Saints into the Prison when he has taken them Captive by their Lusts Rom. 7.23 but they shall not be always there and this should encourage us to go on in godly Ways For we must through many Tribulations enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Obj. But I cannot pray says one therefore how should I persevere When I go to Prayer instead of praying my Mouth is stopt What would you have me do Well Soul tho Satan may baffle thee he cannot so serve thine Advocate If thou must not speak for thy self Christ thine Advocate can speak for thee Lemuel was to open his Mouth for the Dumb to wit for the Sons of Destruction and to plead the Cause of the poor and needy Prov. 31.8 9. If we knew the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ so as the Word reveals it we would believe we would hope and would notwithstanding all Discouragements wait for the Salvation of the Lord. But there are many things that hinder wherefore Faith and Prayer and Perseverance are made difficult things unto us But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And God shall fight 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. 12.4 wherefore â—as God put this Sword we have an Advoâ—ate into thy Hand but to fight thy way â—hrough 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 tâ—e base Reason therefore requireth that we stand up to plead for him tho there can be but little rendereâ— why he should stand up to plead for us 3. He standeth up to plead for us in thâ— most Holy Place tho we are vile Anâ— why should we not stand up for him in thiâ— vile World since he is holy 4. He pleads for us though our Cause iâ— 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 beforâ— 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