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 Spirits 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 all or any one of the all of them that Christ hath redeemed and forgiven are incident to Sin. By may I mean not a Toleration but a Possibility For there is not a Man not a Just Man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles. 7.20 1 Kin. 8.46 Secondly the other thing with which we are presented is an Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate with the 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 If 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 Man 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 is 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 as to make himself uncapable of Forgiveness For he that is born of God keepeth 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 consideration 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 Advocate An Advocate is one who pleadeth for another at any bar or before any Court of Judicature but of this more in its place So then we have in the Text a Christian as supposed committing Sin and a Declaration of an Advocate prepared to plead for him If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And this leads me first to enquire into what by these words the Apostle must of necessity presuppose For making use here of the Similitude or Office of an Advocate thereby to shew the preservation of the sinning Christian He must 1. Suppose That God as Judge is now upon the Throne of his Judgment For an Advocate is to plead at a Bar before a Court of Judicature Thus it is among Men and for as much as our Lord Jesus is said to be an Advocate with the Father it is clear that there is a Throne of Judgment also This the Prophet Micaiah affirms saying I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by him on the Right hand and on the Left 1 Kin. 22.19 20. Sitting upon a Throne for Judgment for from the Lord as then sitting upon that Throne proceeded that Sentence against King Ahab that he should go and fall at Ramah gilead And he did go and did fall there as the award or fruit of that Judgment That 's the First 2. The Text also supposeth that the Saints as well as Sinners are concerned at that Bar for the Apostle saith plainly That there we have an Advocate And the Saints are concerned at that Bar because they transgress as well as others and because the Law is against the Sin of Saints as well as against the Sins of other Men. If the Saints were not capable of committing of Sin what need would they have of an Advocate 1 Chr. 21.3 4 5 6. 1 Sam. 12.13 14. Yea though they did sin yet if they were by Christ so set free from the Law as that it could by no means take cognisance of their Sins what need would they have of an Advocate none at all If there be twenty places where there are Assizes kept in this Land yet if I have offended no Law what need have I of an Advocate specially if the Judge be Just and knows me altogether as the God of Heaven does But here 's a Judge that 's just and here 's an Advocate also an Advocate for the Children an Advocate to plead for an Advocate as such is not of use but before a Bar to plead therefore here is an Offence and so a Law broken by the Saints as well as others That 's the Second thing 3. As the Text
my Brethren Wherefore then seekest thou to stop his hand As he is just he must give them for their Conveniency yea and as for 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 oâ—â— 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 lâ—â—e upon this old Stock their Tâ—â—â—sgressions are forgiven for the Sake of 〈◊〉 â—oâ—th that ye◠〈◊〉 â—inds in the Offering that Christ hath oâ—â—â—red And all Christ's Pleadingâ— as an Advocate are grounded upon the Sufficiency 〈◊〉 Worth of that one Sacrifice I mean all his Pleadings with his Father as to the Charge which the Accuser brings in agai◠〈◊〉 â—hem For tho thou art a Man of Infirmity and so incident to nothing as to stumble and fall if Grace doth not prâ—â—â—â— and it always preventeth not yet the 〈…〉 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 〈◊〉 thy Salvation And this Privilege they 〈…〉 indeed have Christ for their Advoâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 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 〈◊〉 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 truâ—â— but it is because there was more Virtue in Sin to damn than there wâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Blood pleaded by Christ to save 〈…〉 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 pâ—â— iâ— 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 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 concerned with his People and therefore will thoroughly plead their Cause Suppose a Man should have an Horse tho â—ame 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 itself 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. 15 3. 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 lâ—y 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 the Father to plead their Cause Even because 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
and Authentick and that cannot be gainsaid Gabriel saith he make this Man understand the Vision Dan. 8.16 And again saith he to another Run speak to this young Man saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as Towns without Walls Jerusalem had been in Captivity had lost many Evidences of God's Favour and Love by Reason of her Sin and her Enemy stept in to augment her Sin and Sorrow But there was a Man among the Myrtle trees that were in the bottom that did prevail with her God to say I am returned to Jerusalem with Mercies And then commands it to be proclaimed That his Cities through Prosperity should yet be spread abroad Zech. 1.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Thus by Virtue of our Advocate we are either made to receive our old Evidences for Heaven again or else are made to understand that they yet are good and stand valid in the Court of Heaven nor can they be made ineffectual but shall abide the test at last because our Advocate is also concerned in the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. Christians know what it is to lose their Evidences for Heaven and to receive them again or to hear that they hold their Title by them But perhaps they know not how they come at this Privilege Therefore the Apostle tells them they have an Advocate And that by him as Advocate they enjoy all these Advantages is manifest because his Advocates Office is appointed for our Help when we sin that is commit Sins that are great and heinous If any Man sin we have an Advocate By him the Justice of God is vindicated the Law answered the Threatnings taken off the Measure of Afflicton that for Sin we undergo determined our Titles to eternal Life preserved and our comfort of them restored notwithstanding the Wit and Rage and Envy of Hell. So then Christ gave himself for us as a Priest died for us as a Sacrifice but pleadeth Justice and Righteousness in a way of Justice and Righteousness for such is his Sacrifice for our Salvation from the Death that is due to our soul or high Transgressions as an Advocate Thus have I given you thus far an Account of the Nature End and Necessity of the Advocateship of Jesus Christ And should now come to the use and Application only I must first remove an Objection or two Obj. But what need all these Offices of Jesus Christ or what need you trouble us with these nice Distinctions 't is enough for us to believe in Christ in the general without considering him under this and that Office. Answ. The Wisdom of God is not to be charged with needless doing when it giveth to Jesus Christ such Variety of Offices and calleth him to so many sundry Imployments for us They are all thought necessary by Heaven and therefore should not be counted superfluous by Earth And to put a Question upon thy Objection What 's a Sacrifice without a Priest and what 's a Priest without a Sacrifice And the same I say of his Advocates Office what 's an Advocate without the Exercise of his Office And what need of an Advocates Office to be exercised if Christ as Sacrifice and Priest by God was thought sufficient Each of these Offices are sufficient for the perfecting of the Work for which they are designed but they are not all designed for the self same particular thing Christ as Sacrifice offereth not himself 't is Christ as Priest does that Christ as Priest dieth not for our Sins 't is Christ as Sacrifice does so Again Christ as a Sacrifice and a Priest limits himself to those two Imploies but as an Advocate he lances out into a third And since these are not confounded in Heaven nor by the Scriptures they should not be confounded in our Apprehensions nor accounted useless 'T is not therefore enough for us that we exercise our thoughts upon Christ in an undistinct and general way but we must learn to know him in all his Offices and to know the Nature of his Offices also Our Condition requires this It requireth it I say as we are guilty of Sin as we have to do with God and with our Enemy the Devil As we are guilty of Sin so we need a Sacrifice and because we are also Sinners we need one perfect to present our Sacrifice for us to God We have need also of him as Priest to present our Persons and Services to God. And since God is just and upon the Judgment-Seat and since also we are subject to sin grievously and again since we have an Accuser who will by Law plead at this Bar of God our Sins against us to the end we might be condemned we have need of and also have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Alas How many of God's precious People for the want of a distinct Knowledge of Christ in all his Offices are at this day sadly baffled with the Sophistications of the Devil To instance no more than this one thing When they have committed some heinous Sin after Light received How are they I say tossed and tumbled and distressed with many Perplexities They cannot come to any Anchor in this their troubled Sea. They go from Promise to Promise from Providence to Providence from this to that Office of Jesus Christ but forget that he is or else understand not what it is for this Lord Jesus to be an Advocate for them Hence they so often sink under the Fears that their Sin is unpardonable and that therefore their Condition is desperate Whereas if they could but consider that Christ is their Advocate and that he is therefore made an Advocate to save them from those high Transgressions that are committed by them and that he waits upon this Office continually before the Judgment-Seat of God they would conceive Relief and be made hold up their Head and would more strongly twist themselves from under that Guilt and Burden those Ropes and Cords wherewith by their Folly they have so strongly bound themselves than commonly they have done or do Obj. 2. But notwithstanding what you have said this Sin is a deadly stick in my way It will not out of my Mind my Cause being bad but Christ will desert me Answ. 'T is true Sin is and will be a deadly stick and stop to Faith attempt to exercise it upon Christ as considered under which of his Offices or Relations you will And above all the Sin of Vnbelief is the Sin that doth so or most easily beset us Heb. 12.1 2. And no marvel for it never acteth alone but is backed not only with Guilt and Ignorance but also with carnal Sense and Reason He that is ignorant of this knows but little of himself or of what believing is He that undertaketh to believe sets upon the hardest Task that ever was proposed to Man not because the things imposed upon us are unreasonable or unaccountable but because the Heart of Man the more true any thing is the more it sticketh