by Grace by which also I am secured from the Law is not a Law of Sin and Death as that is from under which I am brought Rom. 8.2 but a Law of Grace and Life so that Satan cannot come at me by that Law and by Grace I am by that secured also from the Hand and Mouth and Sting of all other I mean still as to an eternal Concern Wherefore God saith if we break his Law the Law of Works he will visit our Sin with a Rod and our Iniquity with Stripes but his Covenant his new Covenant will he not break Psal. 89.30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37. but will still keep close to that and so secure us from eternal Condemnation Christ also is made the Mediator of tha Covenant and therefore an Advocate by that For his Priestly Office and Advocateship are included by his Mediation Wherefore when Satan pleads by the Old Christ pleads by the new Covenant for the Sake of which the Old one is removed In that he saith A new Covenant he hath made the first Old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb 8.13 So then the Ground of Plea is with Jesus Christ and not with our Accuser Now what doth Christ plead and what is the Ground of his Plea Why he pleads for Exemption and Freedom from Condemnation tho by the Law of Works his Children have deserved it And the Ground for this his Plea as to Law is the Matter of the Covenant it self For thus it runs For I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more ver 12. Now here is a Foundation a Foundation in Law for our Advocate to build his Plea upon a Foundation in a Law not to be moved or removed or made to give Place as that is forced to do upon which Satan grounds his Plea â—gainst us Men when they plead before a Judge use to plead matter of Law. Now suppose there is an old Law in the Realm by which Men deserve to be condemned to Death and there is a new Law in this Realm that secureth Men from that Condemnation which belongs to them by the old and suppose also that I am compleatly comprehended by all the Provisoes of the new Law and not by any tittle thereof excluded from a share therein And suppose again that I have a brangling Adversary that pursues me by the old Law which yet cannot in Right touch me because I am Interested in the New my Advocate also is one that pleads by the new Law where only there is a Ground of Plea Shall not now mine Adversary feel the Power of his Plea to the delivering of me and the putting of him to Shame Yes verily specially since the Plea is good the Judge just nor can the Enemy find any Ground for a Demurr to be put in against my present Discharge in open Court and that by Proclamation Specially since my Advocate has also by his Blood fully satisfied the old Law that he might establish the New Heb. 10 9 10 11 12. Priv. 4. Fourthly Since that which goeth before is true it follows That he that entereth his Plea against the Children must needs be overthrown For always before just Judges 't is the Right that taketh place Judge the right O Lord. said David or let my Sentence come forth from thee according to the Law of Grace And he that knows what strong Ground or bottom our Advocate has for his Pleadings and how Satan's Accusations are without sound Foundation will not be afraid he speaking in Christ to say I appeal to God Almighty since Christ is my Advocate by the new Law whether I ought to be condemned to Death and Hell for what Satan pleads against me by the Old. Satan urgeth that we have sinned but Christ pleads to his propitiatory Sacrifice and so Satan is over-thrown Satan pleads the Law of Works but Christ pleads the Law of Grace Further Satan pleads the Justice and Holiness of God against us there the Accuser is overthrown again And to them Christ appeals and his Appeal is good since the Law testifies to thes sufficiency of the Satisfaction that Christ has made thereto by his Obedience Rom. 3.22 23. also since by another Covenant God himself has given us to Jesus Christ so delivered us from the Old. Wherefore you read nothing as an effect of Satans pleading against us but that his Mouth is stopp'd as appears by the 3. of Zechariah and that he is cast yea cast down as you have it in the 12. of the Revelations Indeed when God admits not when Christ wills not to be an Advocate and when Satan is bid stand at the right Hand of one accused Psal. 109.6 7. to inforce by pleading against him the things charged on him by the Law then he can prevail prevail for-ever against such a wretched one But when Christ stands up to plead when Christ espouses this or that Man's Cause then Satan must retreat then he must go down And this necessarily flows from the Text we have an Advocate a prevailing one one that never lost Cause one that always puts the Childrens Enemy to the rout before the Judgment-seat of God. This therefore is another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Their Enemy must nâ—eds be overthrown because both Law and Justice is on the other side Priv. 5. Fifthly Thine Advocate has pity for thee and great Indignation against thine Accuser And these are two excellent things When a Lawyer hath pity for a Man whose Cause he pleadeth it will ingage him much but when he has Indignation also against the Man's Accuser this will yet engage him more Now Christ has both these and that not of Humour but by Grace and Justice Grace to us and Justice to our Accuser He came down from Heaven that he might be a Priest and returned thither again to be Priest and Advocate for his And in both these Offices he levelleth his whole Force and Power against thine Accuser For this Cause was the Son of God manifest that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Joh. 3.8 Cunning Men will if they can entertain such an one to be their Advocate who has a particular Quarrel against their Adversary For thus think they he that is such will not only plead for me but for himself and to right his own Wrongs also and since if it be so and it is so here my Concerns and my Advocate 's are interwoven I am like to fare much the better for the Anger that is conceived in his Heart against him And this I say is the Childrens Case their Advocate counteth their Accuser his greatest Enemy and waiteth for a time to take Vengeance and he usually then takes the opportunity when he has ought to do for his People against him Hence he says The Dâ—y of Vengeance is in my Heart and the Year of my redeemed is
am condemned at the just Judgment of God. Vide vitam Brunonis 203 Obj. There is Grace the Promise the Blood of Christ cannot these save except Christ be Advocate ib. Answ. These and Advocate and all little enough 204 Christ no Advocate for such as have no Sense of and Shame for Sin. 206 Obj. Is not Christ an Advocate for his Elect uncalled 207 Answ. He died and prayeth for all his Elect as Priest as Advocate pleads for the called only ib. 1 Joh. II. 1. And if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous THat the Apostle might obtain due regard from those to whom he wrote touching the things about which he wrote he tells them That he received not his Message to them at second or third hand but was himself an Eye and Ear-Witness thereof That which was from the Beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life for the Life was manifest and we have seen it and bear witness and shew unto you that eternal Life which was with the father and was manifest unto us That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Having thus told them of his ground for what he said he proceeds to tell them also the matter contained in his Errand to wit That he brought them news of Eternal Life as freely offered in the Word of the Gospel to them or rather that that Gospel which they had received would certainly usher them in at the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven were their Reception of it sincere and in truth For saith he then The Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth you from all sin Having thus far told them what was his Errand he sets upon an Explication of what he had said specially touching our being cleansed from all sin not saith he from a Being of Sin For should we say so we should deceive our selves and should prove that we have no truth of God in us but by cleansing I mean a being delivered from all sin so as that none at all shall have the dominion over you to bring you down to Hell for that for the sake of the Blood of Christ all trespasses are forgiven you This done he exhorts them to shun or fly Sin and not to consent to the Motions Workings Inticeings or the Allurements thereof saying I write unto you that you sin not Let not Forgiveness have so bad an effect upon you as to cause you to be remiss in Christian Duties or as to tempt you to give way to Evil. Shall we sin because we are forgiven or shall we not much matter what manner of Lives we live because we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death God forbid Let Grace teach us another Lesson and lay other Obligations upon our Spiritâ— My little Children saith he these things I write unto you that you sin not What things why tidings of Pardon and Salvation and of that nearness to God to which you are brought by the precious Blood of Christ. Now lest also by this last exhortation he should yet be misunderstood he adds and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous I say he addeth this to prevent desponding in those weak and sensible Christians that are so quick of feeling and of decerning the Corruptions of their Natures For these cry out continually That there is nothing that they do but it is attended with sinful Weaknesses Wherefore in the Words we are presented with two great truths First with a Supposition that Men in Christ while in this World may Sin. If any man sin any man none are excluded for â—ll or any one of the all of them that Christ â—ath redeemed and forgiven are incident to â—in By may I mean not a Toleration but 〈◊〉 Possibility For there is not a Man not a â—ust Man upon the Earth that doth good and â—â—nneth not Eccles. 7.20 1 Kin. 8.46 Secondly the other thing with which we 〈◊〉 presented is an Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate with Father Jesus Christ the righteous Now there lieth in these two truths two things to be enquired into as 1 What the Apostle should here mean by sin 2. And also what he here doth mean by an Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate There is ground to enquire after the first of these because tho here he saith they that sin have an Advocate yet in the very next Chapter he saith such are of the Devil have not seen God neither know him nor are of him There is ground also to enquire after the Second because an Advocate is supposed in the Text to be of use to them that sin Iâ— any Man sin we have an Advocate 1. For the First of these to wit what the Apostle should here mean by Sin If any Maâ— Sin. I answer since there is a difference in the Persons there must be a difference in the Sin That there is a difference in the Persons iâ— shewed before one is called a Child of God the other is said to be of the wicked One Their Sin differ also in their Degree at least for no Child of God sins to that Degree aâ— to make himself uncapable of Forgiveness For he that is born of God kâ—â—peth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Chap. 5.17 18. Hence the Apostle says there is a sin unto Death Mat. 12.32 which is the Sin from which he that is born of God is kept The sins therefore are thus distinguished The Sins of the People of God are said to be sins that Men commit the others are counted those which are the Sins of Devils First the Sins of God's people are said to be Sins which Men commit and for which they have an Advocate tho they who sin after the example of the wicked one have none When a Man or a Woman saith Moses shall commit a Sin which Men commit they shall confess their Sin and an atonment shall be made for them Numb 5.5 6 7. Mark It is when they commit a Sin which Men commit Or as Hosea has it when they transgress the Commandment like Adam Hos. 6.7 Now these are the Sins under considerâ—tion by the Apostle and to deliver us from which we have an Advocate with the Father But for the Sins mentioned in the third Chapter since the Persons sinning go here under another Character they also must be of another Stamp to wit a making Head against the Person Merits and Grace of Jesus Christ these are the Sins of Devils in the World and for these there is no Remission These they also that are of the wicked one commit and therefore sin after the similitude of Satan and so fall into the Condemnation of the Devil Secondly but what is it for Jesus to be an Advocate for these If any Man sin we have an
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
which is the Promise and the Doctrine of an Advocate with the Father No let not the Apprehension of the Badness of thy Cause do it for as much as he did never yet take Cause in Hand that was good perfectly good of it self And his Excellency is to make a Man stand that has a bad Cause yea he can make a bad Cause good in a way of Justice and Righteousness And for thy further Encouragement in this Matter I will here bring in the fourth chief Head to wit to shew what excellent Privileges I mean over and above what has already been spoke of they have that are made Partakers of the Benefit of this Office. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous First Priv. 1. Thy Advocate pleads to a Price paid to a Propitiation made and this is a great Advantage Yea he pleads to a Satisfaction made for all Wrongs done or â—o be done by his Elect For by one Offering he hath perfected for-ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 ver 10. chap. 9.26 By one Offering That is by the Offering of himself by one Offering once offered once offered in the end of the World. This I say thine Advocate pleads When Satan brings in fresh Accusations for more Transgressions against the Law of God he forceth not Christ to shift his first Plea I say he puts him not to his Shifts at all For the Price once paid hath in it sufficient Value would God impute it to that end to take away the Sin of the whole World. There is a Man that hath Brethren he is rich and they are poor and this is the Case 'twixt Christ and us and the rich Brother goeth to his Father and saith thou art related to my Brethren with me and out of thy Store I pray thee let them have sufficient and for thy Satisfaction I will put into thy Hand the whole of what I have which perhaps is worth an hundred thousand Pounds by the Year and this other Sum I also give that they be not disinherited Now will not this last his poor Brethren to spend upon a good while But Christ's Worth can never be drawn dry Now set the Case again that some ill conditioned Man should take Notice that these poor Men live all upon the spend and Saints do so and should come to the good Man's House and complain to him of the spending of his Sons and that while their eldâ—r Brother stands by What do you think the elder Brother would reply if he was as good-natured as Christ Why he would say I have yet with my Father in store for my Brethren Wherefore then seekest thou to stop his hand As he is just he â—ust give them for their Conveniency yea and as â—or their Extravagancies I have satisfied for them so well that however he afflicteth them he will not disinherit them I hope you will read and hear this not like them that say let us do evil that Good may come but like those whom the Love of Christ constrains to be better however this is the Childrens Bread that which they have need of and without which they cannot live and they must have it tho Satan should put Pins into it therewith to choak the Dogs And for the further clearing of this I will present you with these few Considerations 1. Those that are most sanctified have yet a Body of Sin and Death in them Rom. 7.24 and so also it will be while they continue in this World. 2. This Body of Sin strives to break out and will break out to the polluting of the Conversation if Saints be not the more watchful Chap. 6.12 yea it has broke out in most sad Manner and that in the strongest Saints Gal. 5.17 3. Christ offereth no new Sacrifice for the Salvation of these his People for being raised from the Dead he dies no more Rom 6.9 So then if Saints sin they must be saved if saved at all by Virtue of the Offering already offered and if so then all Christ's Pleas as an Advocate are grounded upon that one Offering which before as a Priest he presented God with for the taking away of Sin. So then Christians live upon this old Stock their Transgressions are forgiven for the Sake of the Worth that yet God finds in the Offering that Christ hath offered And all Christ's Pleadings as an Advocate are grounded upon the Sufficiency and Worth of that one Sacrifice I mean all his Pleadings with his Father as to the Charge which the Accuser brings in against them For tho thou art a Man of Infirmity and so incident to nothing as to stumble and fall if Grace doth not prevent and it always preventeth not yet the Value and Worth of the Price that was once paid for thee is not yet worn out and Christ as an Advocate still pleadeth as Occasion is given that with Success to thy Salvation And this Privilege they have who indeed have Christ for their Advocate And I put it here in the first Place because all other do depend upon it Priv. 2. Secondly Thine Advocate as he pleadeth a Price already paid so and therefore he pleads for himself as for thee We are all concerned in one bottom if he sinks we sink if we sink he sinks Give me leave to make out my meaning 1. Christ pleads the Value and Virtue of the Price of his Blood and Sacrifice for us And admit of this horrible Supposition a little for Argument's Sake That tho Christ pleads the Worth of what as Priest he offereth yet the Soul for whom he so pleads perishes eternally Now where lieth the Fault In Sin you say true but it is because there was more Virtue in Sin to damn than there was in the Blood pleaded by Christ to save For he pleaded his Merit he put it into the Balance against Sin but Sin hath weighed down the Soul of the Sinner to Hell notwithstanding the Weight of Merit that he did put in against it Now what 's the Result but that the Advocate goes down as well as we we to Hell and he in Esteem Wherefore I say he is concerned with us his Credit his Honour his Glory and Renown flies all away if those for whom he pleads as an Advocate perish for want of Worth in his Sacrifice pleaded But shall this ever be said of Christ or will it be found that any for whom Christ as Advocate pleads yet perish for want of Worth in the Price or of Neglect in the Advocate to plead it No no himself is concerned and that as to his own Reputation and Honour and as to the Value and Virtue of his Blood nor will he lose these for want of pleading for them concerned in this Office. 2. I argue again Christ as Advocate must needs be concerned in his Plea for that every one for whose Salvation he advocates is his own So then if he loses he loses his own his Substance Inheritance
Thus if he lose the whole and if he lose a part one any one of his own he loseth part of his All and of his Fulness Wherefore we may well think that Christ as Advocate is concerned even concerned with his People and therefore will thoroughly plead their Cause Suppose a Man should have an Horse tho lame and a piece of Ground tho somewhat barren yet if any should attempt to take these away he would not sit still and so lose his own No saith he since they are mine own they shall cost me five times more than they are worth but I will maintain my Right I have seen Men sometimes strongly ingaged in Law for that which when considered by it self one would think was not worth regarding But when I have asked them why so concerned for a thing of so little Esteem They have answered O! 'T is some of that by which I hold a Title of Honour or my Right to a greater in come and therefore I will not lose it Why thus is Christ engaged what he pleads for is his own his All his Fulness yea 't is that by which he holds his Royalty for he is King of Saints Rev. 153. Joh. 6.37 38 39. Psal. 16.5 6. 'T is part of his Estate and that by which he holds some of his Titles of Honour Eph. 5.6 Jer. 51.34 Rom. 11.26 Heb. 2.10 Saviour Redeemer Deliverer and Captain are some of his Titles of Honour But if he loseth any of those upon whose Account he weareth these Titles of Honour for want of Virtue in his Plea or for want of Worth in his Blood he loseth his own and not only so but also Part of his Royalty and does also diminish and lay a blot upon his glorious Titles of Honour And he is jealous of his Honour his Honour he will not give to another Wherefore he will not be not afraid he never will leave nor forsake those who have given themselves unto him and for whom he is become an Advocate with tâ—e Father to plead their Cause Even becauâ—e thou art one one of his own one by whom he holdeth his glorious Titles of Honour Obj. O but I am but one and a very sorry one too And what 's one specially such an one as I am Can there be a miss of the Loss of such an one Answ. One and one makes two and so ad infinitum Christ cannot lose one but as he may lose more and so in Conclusion lose all But of all that God has given him he will lose nothing Joh. 6.38 39. Besides to lose one would encourage Satan disparage his own Wisdom make him uncapable of giving in at the Day of Account the whole tale to God of those that he has given him Further this would dishearten Sinners and make them afraid of venturing their Cause and their Souls in his Hand and would as I said before either prove his Propitiation in some Sense ineffectual or else himself defective in his pleading of it But none of these things must be supposed He will throughly plead the Cause of his People Mic. 7. execute Judgment for them bring them out to the Light and cause them to behold his Righteousness Priv. 3. Thirdly The Plea of Satan is groundess and that 's another Privilege For albeit thou hast sinned yet since Christ before has paid thy Debt and also paid for more since thou hast not yet run beyond the Price of thy Redemption it must be concluded That Satan wants a good bottom to ground his Plea upon and therefore must in Conclusion fail of his Design True there is Sin committed there is a Law transgressed but there is also a Satisfaction for this Transgression and that which super-abounds So tho there be Sin yet there wants a Foundation for a Plea. Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments but Christ had other Garments prepared for him Change of Raiment Wherefore Iniquity as to the Charge of Satan vanishes And the Angel answered and said Take away the filthy Garments from him This intimates that there was no Ground no sufficient Ground for Satan's Charge and to him he said behold I have caused thine Iniquity to pass from thee and will cloath thee with Change of Raiment Josh. 3.4 Now if there be no Ground no sound and sufficient Ground to build a Charge against the Child upon I mean As to Eternal Condemnation for that 's the thing contended for then as I said Satan must fall like Lightning to the Ground and be cast over the Bar as a corrupt and illegal Pleader But this is so as in part is proved already and will be further made out by that which follows They that have indeed Christ to be their Advocate are themselves by Virtue of another Law than that against which they have sinned secured from the Charge that Satan brings in against them I granted before that the Child of God has sinned and that there is a Law that condemneth for this Sin But here is the thing this Child is removed by an Act of Grace into and under another Law. For we are not under the Law Rom. 6.14 chap. 8.1 and so consequently there is now no Condemnation for them Wherefore when God speaketh of his dealing with his he saith it shall not be by their Covenant Ezek. 16.61 That is not by that of the Law they then being not under the Law. What if a Plea be commenced against them a Plea for Sin and they have committed Sin a Plea grounded upon the Law and the Law takes Cognisance of their Sin Yet I say the Plea wants a good bottom for that the Person thus accused is put under another Law. Hence he says Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law. If the Child was under the Law Satan's Charge would be good because it would have a substantial Ground of Support but since the Child is dead to the Law Gal. 2.16 and that also dead to him for both are true as to Condemnation Rom. 7.6 how can it be that Satan should have a sufficient Ground for his Charge tho he should have Matter of Fact sufficient Matter of Fact that is Sin for by his change of Relation he is put out of the reach of that Law. There is a Woman a Widow that oweth a Sum of Money and she is threatned to be sued for the Debt now what doth she but marrieth so when the Action is commenced against her as a Widow the Law finds her a married Woman what now can be done Noâ—hing to her she is not who she was she is delivered from that State by her Marriage If any thing be done it must be done to her Husband But if Satan will sue Christ for my Debt he oweth him nothing And as for what the Law can claim of me while I was under it Christ has delivered me by Redemption from that Curse being made a Curse for me Gal. 3.13 Now the Covenant into which I am brought
come Isa. 63.3 4. I do not say that this Revenge of Christ is as oft times is a Mans of Spite Prejudice or other irregular lettings out of Passions but it ariseth from Righteousness and Truth Nor can it be but that Jesus must have a Desire to take Vengeance on his Enemy and ours since Holiness is in him to the utmost bounds of Perfection And I say again that in all his Pleading as an Advocate as well as in his offering as a Priest he has a hot and flaming Desire and Design to right himself upon his Foe and ours Hence he triumphed over him when he died for us upon the Cross and designed the spoiling of his Principality while he poured out his Blood for us before the Face of God Col. 2.14 15. we then have this Advantage more in that Christ is our Advocate our Enemy is also his and the Lord Jesus counts him so Priv. 6. Sixthly As thine Advocate so thy Judge holdeth thine Accuser for his Enemy also For it is not of Love to Righteousness and Justice that Satan accuseth us to God but that he may destroy the Workmanship of God. Wherefore he also fighteth against God when he accuseth the Children And this thy Father knows right well He must therefore needs distinguish between the Charge and the Mind that brings it Specially when what is charged upon us is under the gracious Promise of a Pardon as I have shewed it is Shall not the Judge then hear his Son for our Advocate is his Son in the Cause of one that he favours and that he justly can against an Enemy who seeks his Dishonour and the Destruction of his eternal Designs of Grace A Mention of the Judges Son goes far with Country-men and great striving there is with them who have great Enemies and bad Causes to get the Judges Son to plead promising themselves that the Judge is as like to hear him and to yield a Verdict to his Plea as to any other Lawyer But what now shall we say concerning our Judge's Son who takes part not only with his Children but with him and with Law and Justice in pleading against our Accuser Yea what shall we say when both Judge and Advocate and Law are all bent to make our Persons stand and escape whatever and how truly soever the Charge and Accusation is by which we are assaulted of the Devil And yet all this is true wherefore here is another Privilege of them that have Jesus for their Advocate Priv. 7. Seventhly Another Privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate is That he is undaunted and of a good Courage as to the Cause which he undertakes For that 's a requisite Qualification for a Lawyer to be bold and undaunted in a Man's Cause Such an one is coveted especially by him that knows he has a brazen-faced Antagonist Wherefore he saith that he will set his Face like a Flint Isa. 50.5 6 7. when he stands up to plead the Cause of his People Lawyers of all Men need this Courage and to be above others Men of hard Fore-heads because of the Affronts that sometimes they meet with be their Cause never so good in the Face sometimes of the chief of a Kingdom Now Christ is our Lawyer and stands up to plead not only sometimes but always for his People before the God of Gods and that not in a Corner but while all the Host of Heaven stands by both on the right Hand and on the Left. Nor is it to be doubted but that our Accuser brings many a sore Charge against us into the Court But however we have an Advocate that is valiant and courageous One that will not fail nor be discouraged till he has brought Judgment into Victory Hence John inserts his Name saying If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ. Men love to understand a Man before they commit their Cause unto him to wit whether he be fitly qualified for their Business Well here 's an Advocate propounded an Advocate to plead our Cause against our Foe But what is he What 's his Name Is he qualified for my Business The Answer is 't is Jesus Christ. How Jesus Christ What that old Friend of Publicans and Sinners Jesus Christ He used never to fail he used to set his Face like a Flint against Satan when he pleadeth the Cause of his People Is it Jesus Christ says the knowing Soul then he shall be mine Advocate For my part I have often wondred when I have considered what sad Causes Jesus Christ sometimes takes in Hand and for what sad Souls he sometimes pleads with God his Father he had need of a Face as hard as Flint else how could he bear up in that Work in which for us sometimes he is employed A work enough to make Angels blush Some indeed will lightly put off this and say it is his Office but I say his Office notwithstanding the Work in it self is hard exceeding hard when he went to die had he not despised the Shame he had turned his Back upon the Cross and left us in our Blood And now it is his turn to plead the Case would be the same only he can make Argument upon that which to us seems to yield no Argument at all to take Courage to plead for a Joshua for a Joshua cloathed cloathed with filthy Garments He saith he that is ashamed of me and my Words in this adulterous Generation of him will I be ashamed c. Mark 8.38 Hence it follows that Christ will be ashamed of some but why not ashamed of others It is not because their Cause is good but because they are kept from denying of him professedly wherefore for such he will force himself and will set his Face like a Flint and will without Shame own plead and improve his Interest with God for them even for them whose Cause is so horribly bad and gross that themselves do blush while they think thereof But what will not Love do What will not Love bear with And what will not Love suffer Of all the Offices of Jesus Christ I think this tryeth him as much as any True his offering himself in Sacrifice tryed him greatly but that was but for a while his grapling as a Captain with the Curse and Death and Hell tryed him much but that also was but for a while But this Office of being an Advocate tho it meeteth not with such sudden Depths of Trouble yet what it wants in Shortness it may meet with in length of time I know Christ being raised from the Dead dies no more Yet he has not left off tho in Heaven to do some works of Service for his Saints on Earth For there he pleads as an Advocate or Lawyer for his People Heb. 8.1 2. And let it be that he has no Cause of Shame when he standeth thus up to plead for so vile a Wretch as I who have so vilely sinned yet I
Death Col. 2.19 because we hold the Head and have not made Ship-wrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 but still as David and Solomon we confess and are sorry for our Sins Thus tho we seem through our Falls to come short of the Promise with Peter Heb. 4.3 and leave our Transgressions as stumbling Blocks to the World with Solomon and minister Occasion of a Question of our Salvation among the Godly Yet our Advocate fetches us off before God and we shall be found safe and in Heaven at last by them in the next World who was afraid they had lost us in this But all these Points must be managed by Christ for us against Satan as a Lawyer an Advocate who to that end now appears in the Presence of God for us And wisely handleth the very Crisis of the Word and of the Failings of his People together with all those nice and critical Juggles by which our Adversary laboureth to bring us down to the Confusion of his Face 3. There is also the Threatnings that are annexed to the Gospel and they fall now under our Consideration They are of two sorts such as respect those who altogether neglect and reject the Gospel or those that profess it yet fall in or from that Profession thereof The first sort of threatning cannot be pleaded against the Professors of the Gospel as against those that never profess'd it Wherefore he betaketh himself to manage those Threatnings against us that belong to those that have professed and that have fallen in or from that Profession Psal. 109.6 Joshua fell in it Zech. 3.1 2. Judas fell from it And the Accuser stands at the Right Hand of them both to resist them before the Judgment of God. To resist them by pleading the Threatnings against them To wit that God's Soul should have no Pleasure in â—hem If any Man draws back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in them Here 's a Plea for Satan both against one and t'other they are both Apostatized both drawn back and he is subtil enough to manage it Ay but Satan here is also Matter sufficient for a Plea for our Advocate against thee for as much as the next Words distinguish betwixt drawing back and drawing back unto Perdition every one that draws back doth not draw back unto Perdition Heb. 10.38 39. Some of them draw back from and some in the Profession of the Gospel Judas drew back from and Peter in the Profession of his Faith Wherefore Judas perishes but Peter turns again because Judas drew back unto Perdition but Peter yet believed to the saving of the Soul. Nor doth Jesus Christ when he seeth 't is to no boot at any time step in to endeavour to save the Soul. Wherefore as for Judas for his backsliding from the Faith Christ turneth him up to Satan and leaveth him in his Hand Saying when he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his Prayer become Sin Psal. 109.7 But he will not serve Peter so The Lord will not leave him in his Hand nor condemn him when he is judged Psal. 37.33 He will pray for him before and plead for him after he hath been in the Temptation and â—o secure him by Virtue of his Advocation from the Sting and Lash of the Threatning that â—s made against final Apostacy But Fourthly The Necessity of the Advocate 's Office of Jesus Christ appears namely in this To plead about the Judgments Distresses Afflictions and Troubles that we meet withal in this Life for our Sins For though by Virtue of his Office Christ fully takes us off from the Condemnation that the Unbelievers go down â—o for their Sins Yet he doth not thereby exempt us from temporal Punishments for we see and feel that they daily overtake us But for the proportioning of the Punishment or Affliction for Transgression seeing that Comes under the Sentence of the Law 't is fit that we should have an Advocate that understands both Law and Judgment to plead for equal Distribution of Chastisement according I say as the Law of Grace And this the Lord Jesus doth Suppose a Man for Transgression be indicted at the Assizes his Adversary is also full of Malice and would have him punished sorely beyond what by the Law is provided for such Offence And he pleads that the Judge will so afflict and punish as he in his malicious Mind desireth But the Man has an Advocate there And he enters his Plea against the Cruelty of his Clients Accuser Saying My Lord it cannot be as our Enemy would have it The Punishment for these Transgressions are prescribed by that Law that we here ground our Plea upon Nor may it be declined to satisfie his Envy we stand here upon Matters of Law and appeal to the Law. And this is the work of our Advocate in Heaven Punishments for the Sin of the Children come not headlong not without Measure as our Accuser would have them nor yet as they fall upon those who have none to plead their Cause Hath he smote the Children according to the Stroke wherewith he hath smitten others No In Measure when it shooteth forth or seeks to exceed due Bounds thou wilt debate with it He stayeth his rough Wind in the Day of his East Wind Isa. 27.7 8 9. Thou wilt debate with it enquiring and reasoning by the Law whether the shootings forth of the Affliction now going out for the Offence committed be not too strong too heavy too hot and of too long a time admitted to Distress and break the Spirit of this Christian. And if it be he applies himself to the Rule to measure it by he fetches forth his Plum-Line and sets his Plum-line in the middest of his People Amos 7.7 8. Isa. 28.17 and lays Righteousness to that and willnot suffer it to go further but according to the Quality of the Transgression and according to the Terms Bounds Limits and Measures which the Law of Grace admits So shall the Punishment be Satan often saith of us When we have sinned as Abishai said of Shimei after he had cursed David Shall not this Man die for this 2 Sam 19.21 But Jesus our Advocate answers as David what have I to do with thee O Satan thou this Day art an Enemy to me Thou seekest for a Punishment for the Transgressions of my People above what is allotted to them by the Law of Grace under which they are and beyond what their Relation that they stand in to my Father and my self will admit Wherefore as Advocate be pleadeth against Satan when he brings in against us a Charge for Sins committed for the regulating of Punishments both as to the Nature Degree and Continuation of Punishment And this is the Reason why when we are judged we are not condemned but chastened 1 Cor. 1â— 32 that we shouldnot be condemned with the World. Hence David says the Lord had not given him over to the Will of his Enemy Psal. 27.12 And again The Lord hath chastned me
People and pleadeth the Cause of the poor and needy And as for Sin which is one great stumble to thine actings O my Faith Christ has not only died for that as a Sacrifice nor only carried his Sacrifice unto the Father into the holiest of all but is there to manage that Offering as an Advocate pleading the efficacy and Worth thereof before God against the Devil for us Thus I say we should strengthen our Faith for Faith has to do not only with the Word but also with the Offices of Christ. Besides considering how many the Assaults are that are made upon our Faith we find all little enough to support it against all the Wiles of the Devil Christians too little concern themselves as I have said with the Offices of Jesus Christ and therefore their Knowledge of him is so little and their Faith in him so weak We are bid to have our Conversation in Heaven and then a Man so hath when he is there in his Spirit by Faith observing how the Lord Jesus doth exercise his Offices there for him Let us often by Faith go to the Bar of God there to hear our Advocate plead our Cause we should often have our Faith to God's Judgment-seat because we are concerned there There we are accused of the Devil there we have our Crimes laid open and there we have our Advocate to plead And this is suggested in the Text for it saith we have an Advocate with the Father Therefore thither our Faith should go for help and relief in the Day of our straits I say we should have our Faith to God's Judgment-Seat and shew it there by the Glass of our Text what Satan is doing against and the Lord Jesus for our Souls we should also shew it how the Lord Jesus carries away every Cause from the Devil and from before the Judgment-Seat to the Comfort of the Children the Joy of Angels and the Shame of the Enemy This would strengthen and support our Faith indeed And would make us more able than for the most part we are to apply the Grace of God to our selves And hereafter to give more strong Repulses to Satan 'T is easie with a Man when he knows that his Advocate has oveâ—thrown his Enemy at the King's Bench Bar or Court of common Pleas less to fear him the next time he sees him and more boldly to answer him when he reneweth his Threats upon him Let Faith then be strenghthened from its being exercised about the Advocateship of Jesus Christ. Secondly As we should make use of Christ's Advocateship for the strengthening of our Faith so we also should make use thereof to the encouraging of us to Prayer As our Faith is so is our Prayer to wit cold weak and doubtful if our Faith be so When â—aith cannot apprehend that we have access â—o the Father by Christ or that we have an Advocate when charged before God for our â—ins by the Devil then we flag and faint in â—ur Prayer But when we begin to take Couâ—age to believe and then we do so when most â—learly we apprehend Christ then we get up â—n Prayer And according as a Man appreâ—ends Christ in his Undertakings and Offices â—o he will wrestle with and supplicate God. â—s suppose a Man believes that Christ died â—or his Sins why then he will plead that in â—rayer with God. Suppose also that a Man â—nderstands that Christ rose again for his â—ustification why then he will also plead that 〈◊〉 Prayer But if he knows no further no â—â—rther will he go But when he shall know â—â—at there is for him also an Advocate with â—â—e Father and that that Advocate is Jesus â—hrist And when the Glory of this Office of â—hrist shall shine in the Face of this Man's â—â—ul Oh then he takes Courage to pray â—ith that Courage he had not before â—â—a then is his Faith so supported and made â—rong that his Prayer is more fervent and â—â—portuning abundance So that I say the Knowledge of the Adâ—â—cateship of Christ is very useful to strengthen then our Graces and as of Graces in generaâ— so of Faith and Prayer in particular Wherefore our Wisdom is so to improve this Doctrine that Prayer may be strengthened thereby Thirdly As we should make use of thiâ— Doctrine to strenghthen Faith and Prayer So we should make use of it to keep us humblâ— For the more Offices Christ executeth for uâ— with the Father the greater Sign that we aâ—â— bad And the more we see our badness thâ— more humble should we be Christ gave foâ— us the Price of Blood but that is not 〈◊〉 Christ as a Captain has conquered Death anâ— the Grave for us but that is not all Chriâ—â— as a Priest intercedes for us in Heaven 〈◊〉 that is not all Sin is still in us and with uâ— and mixes it self with what-ever we do whether what we do be religious or civiâ— For not only our Prayers and our Sermoâ— our Hearings and Preaching and so 〈◊〉 our Houses our Shops our Trades and 〈◊〉 Beds are all polluted with Sin. Nor doâ—â— the Devil our Night and Day Adversaâ—â— forbear to tell our bad Deeds to our Fathâ—â— urging that we might forever be disinheritâ— for this But what should we now do if 〈◊〉 had not an Advocate Yea if we had not 〈◊〉 who would plead in Forma Pauperis yea we had not one that could prevail and 〈◊〉 would faithfully execute that Office for us Why we must die But since we are rescued by him let us as to our selves lay our Hand upon our Mouth and be silent or say not unto us Lord not unto us but to thy Name give Glory And I say again since the Lord Jesus is fain to run through so many Offices for us before he can bring us to Glory O! How low how little how vile and base in our own Eyes should we be 'T is a Shame for a Christian to think highly of himself since Christ is fain to do so much for him and he again not at all able to make him Amends but some whose Riches consist in nothing but Scabs and Lice will yet have lofty looks But are not they much to blame who sit lifting up of lofty Eyes in the House and yet know not how to turn their Hand to do any â—hings so but that another their betters must come and mend their Work. I say is it â—ot more meet that those that are such â—hould look and speak and act as such that â—eclare their Sense of their Vnhandiness and â—heir Shame and the like for their Unprofiâ—ableness Yea is it not meet that to every â—ne they should confess what sorry ones â—hey are I am sure it should be thus with â—hristians and God is angry when it is otherâ—ise Nor doth it become these helpless ones to lift up themselves on high Let Christ's Advocateship therefore teach us to be humble Fourthly as we should improve this Doctrine to strengthen Faith to encourage Prayer