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 Jesus Christ too But above all the Advocateship of Jesus Christ declares us to be sorry Creatures For that Office does as it were predict that some time or other we shall basely fall and by falling be undone if the Lord Jesus stand not up to plead And as it shews this concerning us so it shews concerning God that he will not lightly or easily lose his People He has provided well for us Blood to wash us in a Priest to pray for us that we may be made to persevere and in case we foully fall an Advocate to plead our Cause and to recover us from under and out of all that danger that by Sin and Satan we at any time may be brought into But Having thus briefly passed through that in the Text that I think the Apostle must necessarily presuppose I shall now endeavour to enter into the Bowels of it and see what in a more particular Manner shall be found therein And for my more profitable doing of this work I shall chuse to observe this Method in my discourse First I shall shew you more particularly of this Advocate 's Office or what and wherein Christ's Office as Advocate doth lie Secondly After that I shall also shew you how Jesus Christ doth manage this Office of an Advocate Thirdly I shall also then shew you who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Fourthly I shall also shew you what excellent Privileges they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Fifthly And to silence Cavillers I shall also shew the necessity of this Office of Jesus Christ. Sixthly I shall come to answer some Objections And Lastly to the Use and Application To begin with the First of these namely to shew you more particularly of Christ's Office as an Advocate and wherein it lieth The which I shall do these three ways 1. Touch again upon the Nature of this Office. And then 2. Treat of the Order and Place that it hath among the rest of his Offices And 3. Treat of the Occasion of the Execution of this Office. First To touch upon the Nature of this Office. It is that which impowereth a Man to plead for a Man or one man to plead for another not in common Discourses and upon common Occasions as any man may do but at a Bar or before a Court of Judicature where a Man is accused or impleaded by his Enemy I say this Advocate 's Office is such both here and in the Kingdom of Heaven An Advocate is as one of our Attorneys at least in the general who pleads according to Law and Justice for one or other that is in trouble by Reason of some
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
suffering and merciful to us For Pity and Compassion are the Fruits of the yearning of God's Bowels towards us while he considereth us as infirm and weak and subject to Slips and Stumbles and Falls because of Weakness And that Christ our Advocate by thus pleading doth turn things to our Advantage consider 1. That God is careful that through our Weakness our Spirits do not fail before him when he chides Isa. 57.16 17 18. 2. He stays his rough Wind in the Day of his East Wind Isa. 27.7 8 9. and debates about the Measure of Affliction when for sin we should be chastened lest we should sink thereunder 3. He will not strictly mark what 's done amiss because if he should we cannot stand Psal. 130.3 4. When he threatneth to strike his Bowels are troubled and his Repentings are kindled together Hos. 11.8 9. 5. He will spin out his Patience to the utmost length because he knows we are such Bunglers at doing Jer. 9.24 6 He will accept of the Will for the Deed because he knows that Sin will make our best Performances imperfect 2 Cor. 8.12 7. He will count our little a very great deal for that he knows we are so unable to do any thing at all Job 1.21 8. He will excuse the Souls of his People and lay the Fault upon their Flesh which has greatest Affinity with Satan if through Weakness and Infirmity we do not do as we should Mat. 26.41 Rom. 7. Now as I said all these things happen unto us both Infirmities and Pity because and for that we were once in the Fire and for that the Weakness of Sin abides upon us to this Day But none of this Favour could come to us nor could we by any Means cause that our Infirmities should work for us thus advantageously But that Christ our Advocate stands our Friend and pleads for us as he doth But again before I pass this over I will for the clearing of this present you with a few more Considerations which are of another Rank to wit that Christ our Advocate as such makes mention of our Weaknesses so against Satan and before his Father as to turn all to our Advantage 1. We are therefore to be saved by Grace because by Reason of Sin we are disabled from keeping of the Law Deut. 9.5 Isa. 64.6 2. We have given unto us the Spirit of Grace to help because we can do nothing that 's good without it Eph. 2.5 Rom. 8.26 Ezek. 16.8 3. God has put Christ's Righteousness upon us to cover our Nakedness therewith because we have none of our own to do it withal Phil. 3.7 8. 4. God alloweth us to râ—â—e in the Bosom of Christ to the Grave and from thence in the Bosom of Angels to Heaven because our own Legs are not able to carry us thither Isa. 40.11 chap. 46.4 Psal. 67.17 Luk. 16.2 5. God has made his Son our Head our Priest our Advocate our Saviour our Captain that we may be delivered from all the Infirmities and all tâ—e â—iends that attend us and that plot to do us Hurt Eph. 1.22 Col. 1.18 Heb. 7.12 6. God has put the fallen Angels into Chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Rev. 20.1 2. that they might not follow us too fast and has inlarged us Psal. 34.7 and directed our Feet in the way of his Steps that we may haste us to the strong Tower and City of Refuge for Succour and Safety And has given good Angels a Charge to look to us Heb. 1 14. 7. God has promised That we at our counting days shall be spared as a Man spareth his own Son that serves him Mal. 3.17 Now from all these things it appears that we have Indulgence at God's Hand and that our Weaknesses as our Christ manages the Matter for us are so far off from laying a Block or Bar in the Way to the Enjoyment of Favour that they also work for our good Yea and Gods Foresight of them has so kindled his Bowels and Compassions to us as to put him upon devising of such things for our Relief which by no means could have been had not Sin been with us in the World And had not the best of the Saints been as a Brand plucked out of the Burning I have seen Men and yet they are worse than God take most care of and also best 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 Yeâ— 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 of 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
under these three Heads are comprehended all Men For they are either Children and so Men in Nature or young Men and so Men in Strength or else they are Fathers and so aged and of Experience Add to this by any Man that the Apostle intendeth not to enlarge himself beyond the Persons that are in Grace but to supply what was wanting by that Term little Children for since the strongest Saint may have need of an Advocate as well as the most feeble of the Flock why should the Apostle leave it to be so understood as if the Children and the Children only had an Interest in that Office Wherefore after he had said my little Children I write unto you that you sin not he then adds with Enlargement And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Yet the little Children may well be mentioned first since they most want the Knowledge of it are most feeble and so by Sin may be forced most frequently to act Faith on Christ as Advocate Besides they are most ready through Temptation to question whether they have so good a Right to Christ in all his Offices as has better and more well grown Saints and therefore they in this the Apostles Salutation are first set down in the Catalogue of Names 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 So then the Children of God are they who have the Lord Jesus an Advocate for them with the Father The least and biggest the oldest and youngest the feeblest and the strongest all the Children have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous First Since then the Children have Christ for their Advocate art thou a Child Art thou begotten of God by his Word Jam. 1.18 Hast thou in thee the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4.6 Can'st thou in Faith say Father Father to God Then is Christ thy Advocate Thine Advocate Now to appear in the Presence of God for thee Heb. 9.24 To appear there and to plead there in the Face of the Court of Heaven for thee To plead there against thine Adversary whose Accusations are dreadful whose Subtilty is great whose Malice is inconceivable and whose Rage intolerable To plead there before a just God a righteous God a Sin revenging God Before whose Face thou wouldst die if thou wast to shew thy self and at his Bar to plead thine own Cause But Secondly There is a difference in Children some are bigger than some There are Children and little Children My little Children I write unto you Little Children Some of the little Children can neither say Father nor so much as know that they themselves are Children This is true in Nature and so it is in Grace Wherefore notwithstanding what was said under the first Head it doth not follow that if I be a Child I must certainly know it and also be able to call God Father Let the first then serve to poise and balance the Confident ones and let this be for the Relief of those more feeble For they that are Children whether they know it or no have Jesus Christ for their Advocate For Christ is assigned to be our Advocate by the Judge by the King by our God and Father altho we have not known it True at present there can come from hence to them that are thus concerned in the Advocateship of Christ but little Comfort but yet it yields them great Security They have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous God knows this the Devil feels this and the Children shall have the Comfort of it afterwards I say the time is coming when they shall know that even then when they knew it not they had an Advocate with the Father An Advocate who was neither loth nor afraid nor ashamed to plead for their Defence against their proudest Foe And will not this when they know it yield them Comfort Doubtless it will yea more and of a better kind than that which flows from the Knowledge that one is born to Crowns and Kingdoms Again As he is an Advocate for the Children so he is also as afore was hinted for the strong and experienced For no Strength in this World secureth from the Rage of Hell nor can any Experience while we are 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 member 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 we come more to particulars else they can get no Comfort 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 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
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
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 or 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 wâ—â—â—e it disputeth the justness of thiâ— high Act of God against the cavils of implacable sâ—â—ners 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 that there should be Advocates for God on Earth to plead for his Justice and Holiness while he saveth sinners against the cavils of an ungodly People so it is necessary that there should be an Advocate also in Heaven that may there vindicate the same Justice and Holiness of God from all those Charges that the fallen Angels are apt to charge it with while it consenteth that we tho ungodly should be saved That the fallen Angels are bold enough to charge God to his Face with Vnjustness of Language is evident in the first and second of Job And that they should not be as bold to charge him with Unjustness of Actions nothing can be shewed to the contrary Further that God seeks to clear himself of this unjust Charge of Satan is as manifest for all the Troubles of his Servant Job were chiefly for that purpose And why he should have one also in Heaven to plead for the Justness of his Doings in the Forgiveness and Salvation of Sinners appears also as necessary even because there is one even an Advocate with the Father or on the Father's Side seeking to vindicate his Justice while he pleadeth with him for us against the Devil and his Objections God is wonderfully pleased with his Design in the saving of Sinners it pleases him at the Heart And since he also is infinitely just there is need that an Advocate should be appointed to shew how in a Way of Justice as well as Mercy the Sinner may be saved The good Angels did not at first see so far into the Mysteries of the Gospel of the Grace of God but that they needed further Light therein for the Vindication of their Lord as Servants Wherefore they yet did pry and look narrowly into it further and also bowed their Heads and Hearts to learn yet more by the Church of the manifold Wisdom of God 1 Pet. 1.12 Eph. 3.9 10. And if the standing Angels were not yet to the utmost perfect in the Knowledge of this Mistery and yet surely they must know more thereof than those that fell could do no Wonder if those Devils whose emnity could not but animate their Ignorance made and do make their Cavils against Justice insinuating that it is not impartial and exact because it as it is just justifieth the ungodly That Satan will quarrel with God I have shewed you and that he will also dispute against his Works with the holy Angels is more than intimated by the Apostle Jude Jude 9. And why not quarrel with and accuse the Justice of God as unrighteous for consenting to the Salvation of Sinners Since his best Qualifications are most profound and prodigious Attempts to dethrone the Lord God of his Power and Glory Nay all this is evident since we have an Advocate with the
13. God has no need of thy Gift nor Christ of thy Bribe to plead thy Cause Take thankfully what is offered and call for more That 's the best giving to God. God is rich enough Talk not then of giving but of receiving for thou art poor Be not too high nor think thy self too good to live by the Alms of Heaven And since the Lord Jesus is willing to serve thee freely and to maintain thy Right to Heaven against thy Foe to the saving of thy Soul without Price or Reward Let the Peace of God rule in thee to the which thou art also called as is the rest of the Body and be thou thankful Col. 3.15 This then is the Privilege of a Christian we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous One that pleadeth the Cause of his People against those that rise up against them of his Love Pity and meer good Will. Lord open the Eyes of dark Readers of disconsolate Saints that they may see who is for them and upon what Terms Obj. 4. But if Christ doth once begin to plead for me and shall become mine Advocate He will always be troubled with me unless I should of my self forsake him for I am ever in Broils and Suits of Law Action after Action is laid upon me and I am sometimes ten times in a Day summoned to answer my Doings before God. Answ. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a Cause or two nor to deliver the Godly from an Accusation or two He delivereth Israel out of all his Troubles 2 Sam. 22.28 and chuses to be an Advocate for such Therefore the Godly of old did use to make from the Greatness of their Troubles and the abundance of their Troublers an Argument to the Lord Christ to send and lend them help Have Mercy upon me said David consider my Trouble which I suffer of them that hate me Psal. 9.13 And again Many are they that rise up against me many there be that say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Psal. 3.1 2. Yea the Troubles of this Man were so many and great that his Enemies began to triumph over him saying There is no help for him in God ver 7. But could he not deliver him or did the Lord forsâ—ke him No no thou hast smitten saith he all mine Enemies upon the Cheek-bone thou hast broken the Teeth of the ungodly And as he delivereth them from their Troublers so also he pleadeth all their Causes O Lord saith the Church thou hast pleaded the Causes of my Soul thou hast redeemed my Life Lam. 3.58 Mark troubled Christian thou sayst thou hast been arrested oft times in a Day and as often summoned to appear at God's Bar there to answer to what shall be laid to thy Charge And here for thy Encouragement thou readest that the Church hath an Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her Soul that is all her Causes to deliver her He knows that so long as we are in this World we are subject to Temptation and Weakness and through them made guilty of many bad things Wherefore he hath prepared himself to our Service and to abide with the Father an Advocate for us As Solomon saith of a Man of great Wrath Prov. 19.19 so it may be said of a Man of great Weaknesses and the best of Saints are such he must he delivered again and again Yea many a time saith David did he deliver them Psal. 106.44 45. to wit more than once and twice and he will do so for thee if thou entertain him to be thine Advocate Thou talkest of leaving of him but then whither wilt thou go all else are vain things things that cannot profit 1 Sam. 12.20 21 22 23. and he will not forsake his People tho their Land be filled with Sin against the holy One of Israel Jer. 51.5 I know the modest Saint is apt to be abash'd to think what a troublesome one he is and what a make-work he has been in God's House all his Days And let him be filled with holy blushing but let him not forsake his Advocate Having thus spoken to these Objections let us now come to make some use of the whole and Vse 1. First I would exhort the Children to consider the Dignity that God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour For by how much God hath called his Son to Offices and Places of trust by so much he hath heaped Dignities upon him 'T is said of Mordecai That he was next to the King Ahasuerus And what then Why then the Greatness of Mordecai his high Advance must be written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia Esth. â—0 1 2 3. to the end his Fame might not be buried nor forgot but remembred and talked of in Generations to come Why my Brethren God hath exalted Jesus of Nazareth Hath made him the only great one having given him a Name above every Name A Name did I say a Name and Glory beyond all Names and above all Names as doth witness both his being set above all and the many Offices which he executeth for God on behalf of his People 'T is counted no little Addition to Honour when Men are not only made near to the King but also intrusted with most if not almost with all the most weighty Affairs of the Kingdom Why this is the Dignity of Christ he is 't is true the natural Son of God and so high and one that abounds with Honour but this is not all God has conferred upon him as Man all the high and most mighty Honours of Heaven He hath made him Lord Mediator betwixt him and the World. This in general And particularly he hath called him to be his high Priest forever Heb. 7.21 22 23 24. and hath sworn he shall not be changed for another he hath accepted of his Offering once forever counting that there is wholly enough in what he did once to perfect forever them that are sanctified to wit set apart to Glory Heb. 10.11 12 13. He is Captain General of all the Forces that God hath in Heaven and Earth the King and Commander of his People Chap. 9.25 26. He is Lord of all and made Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1.22 and is our Advocate with the Father O the Exaltation of Jesus Christ Let Christians therefore in the first Place consider this Nor can it but be profitable to them if withal they consider that all this Trust and Honour is put and conferred upon him in Relation to the Advantage and Advancement of Christians If Christians do but consider the nearness that is 'twixt Christ and them and withal consider how he is exalted it must needs be matter of Comfort to them He is my Flesh and my Bone that is exalted it is my Friend and Brother that is thus set up and preferred 'T was something to the Jews when Mordecai was exalted to Honour they had thereby Ground to
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
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