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
his All for them 2 Cor. 8.9 when a Man shall give his All for this or that then that which he so hath purchased is become his All. Now Christ has given his all for us he made himself poor for us Eph. 1.23 Wherefore we are become his All his Fulness and so the Church is called Nay further Christ likes well enough of his Purchace though it hath cost him his All. The Lines says he are fallen to me in pleasant Places I I have a goodly Heritage Psal. 16. Now put all these things together and there is a strong Plea in them Interest such an Interest will not be easily parted with But this is not all for Thirdly As they cost him dear so he hath made them near to himself near by way of Relation Now that which did not only cost dear but that by way of Relation is made so That a Man will plead heartily for Said David to Abner Thou shalt not see my Face except thou first bring Michal Saul's Daughter when thou comest to see my Face 2 Sam. 3.13 14. Saul's Daughter cost me dear I bought her with the jeopardy of my Life Saul's Daughter is near to me she is my beloved Wife He pleaded hard for her because she was dear and near unto him Now I say the same is true in Christ. His People cost him dear and he hath made them near unto him wherefore to plead Interest in them is to hold by an Argument that is strong 1. They are his Spouse and he hath made them so They are his Love his Dove his Darling and he accounts them so Now should a wretch attempt in open Court to take a Man's Wife away from him how would this cause the Man to plead Yea and what Judge that is just and knows that the Man has this Interest in the Woman pleaded for would yield to or give a Verdict for the Wretch against the Man whose Wife the Woman is Thus Christ in pleading Interest in pleading thou gavest them me pleads by a strong Argument an Argument that the Enemy cannot invalidate True were Christ to plead this before a Saul 1 Sam. 25.44 or before Sampson's Wives Father the Philistian Judg. 14.20 perhaps such treacherous Judges would give it against all Right But I have told you the Court in which Christ pleads is the Highest and the Justest and that from which there can be no Appeal Wherefore Christ his Cause and so the Cause of the Children of God must be tryed before their Father from whose Face to be sure just Judgment shall proceed But 2. As they are called his Spouse so they are called his Flesh and Members of his Body 1 Cor. 12.27 Now said Paul to the Church Ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular Eph. 5.30 This Relation also makes a Man plead hard Were a Man so plead far a Limb or a Member of his own how would he plead What Arguments would he use and what Sympathy and feeling would his Arguments flow from I cannot lose a Hand I cannot lose a Foot cannot lose a Finger Why Saints are Christ's Members his Members are of himself With what Strength of Argument would a Man plead the Necessaryness of his Members to him and the Vnnaturalness of his Adversary in seeking the Destruction of his Members and the Deformity of his Body Yea a Man would shuck and cringe and weep and intreat and make Demurrs and Halts and Delays to a thousand Years if possible before he would lose his Members or any one of them But I say how would he plead and Advocate it for his Members if Judge and Law and Reason and Equity were all on his side and if by the Adversary there could be nothing urged but that against which the Advocate had long before made Provision for the effectual Overthrow thereof And all this is true as to the Case that lies before us Thus we see what Strength there lieth in this second Argument that our Advocate bringeth for us against the Enemy They are his Flesh and Bones his Members He cannot spare them He cannot spare this because nor that because nor another because nor any because they are his Members As such they are lovely to him as such they are useful to him as such they are an Ornament to him Yea tho in themselves they are feeble weak and through Infirmity much disabled from doing as they should Thus If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ â—he righteous But Fourthly As Christ as Advocate pleads for us against Satan his Fathers Interest in us â—nd his own So he pleadeth against him â—hat Right and property that he hath in Heaven to give it to whom he will. He has a Right to Heaven as Priest and King it is â—is also by Inheritance And since he will be â—o good a Benefactor to bestow this House â—n some Body but not for their Deserts â—ut not for their Goodness And since again â—e has to that end spilt his Blood for and taâ—en a Generation into Covenant-Relation to â—im that it might be bestowed on them it â—â—all be bestowed on them And he will â—ead this if there be need if his People sin 〈◊〉 if their Accuser seeks by their Sin their Ruin and Destruction Father saith he I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory Joh. 17.24 Which thou hast given me Christ's Will is the Will of Heaven the Will of God shall not Christ then prevail I will saith Christ I will saith Satan But whose Will shall stand 'T is true Christ in the Text speaks more like an Arbitrator than an Advocate More like a Judge than one pleading at a Bar. I will have it so I judge that so it ought to be and must But there is also something of Plea in the Words both before his Father and against our Enemy And therefore he speaketh like one that can plead and determine also yea like one that has Power so to do But shall the Will of Heaven stoop to the Will of Hell Or the Will of Christ to the Will of Satan Or the Will of Righteousness to the Will of Sin Shall Satan who is God's Enemy and whose Charge wherewith he chargeth us for Sin and which is grounded not upon Love to Righteousness but upon Malice against God's Designs of Mercy against the Blood of Christ and the Salvation of his People I say shall this Enemy and this charge prevail with God against the well-grounded Plea of Christ and against the Salvation of God's Elect and so keep us out of Heaven No no Christ will have it otherwise He is the great Donator and his Eye is good True Satan was turned out of Heaven for that he sinned there and we must be taken into Heaven tho we have sinned here this is the Will of Christ and as Advocate he pleads it against the Face and Accusation of our Adversary
provide for those of their Children that have been most infirm and helpless And our Advocate shall gather his Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom Yea and I know that there is such an Art in shewing and making mention of Weaknesses as shall make the Tears stand in a Parents Eyes and as shall make him search to the bottom of his Purse to find out what may do his Weakling good Christ also has that excellent Art as he is an Advocate with the Father for us He can so make mention of us and of our Infirmities while he pleads afore God against the Devil for us that he can make the Bowels of the Almighty yearn towards us and to wrap us up in their Compassions You read much of the pity Compassion and of the yearning of the Bowels of the mighty God towards his People All which I think is kindled and made burn towards us by the pleading or our Advocate I have seen Fathers offended with their Children but when a Brother has turned a skilful Advocate the Anger has been appeased and the means have been concealed We read but little of this Advocate 's Office of Jesus Christ yet much of the Fruit of it is extended to the Churches But as the Cause of Smiles after Offences committed is made manifest afterward so at the Day when God will open all things we shall see how many times our Lord as an Advocate pleaded for us and redeemed us by his so pleading into the injoyment of Smiles and Imbraces who for Sin but a while before were under Frowns and Chastisements And thus much for the making out how Christ doth manage his Office of being an Advocate for us with the Father If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And I shall come now to the Third Head to wit To shew you more particularly who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate In my handling of this Head I shall shew 1. That this Office of an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest and how 2. I shall shew yout how far Christ extendeth this his Office of Advocateship I mean in Matters concerning the People of God And then 3. I shall come more directly to shew who they are that have Christ for their Advocate For the first of these That this Office of Christ as an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest. That he is a Priest a Priest for ever I heartily acknowledge But that his Priesthood and Advocateship should be one and the self-same Office I cannot believe 1. Because they differ in Name We may as well say a Father as such is a Son or That Father and Son is the self same Relation as say a Priest and an Advocate as to Office are but one and the same thing They differ in Name as much as Priest and Sacrifice do A Priest is one and a Sacrifice is another and tho Christ is Priest and Sacrifice too yet as a Priest he is not a Sacrifice nor as a Sacrifice a Priest. 2. As they differ in Name so they differ in the Nature of Office. A Priest is to slay a Sacrifice an Advocate is to plead a Cause A Priest is to offer his Sacrifice to the end that by the Merit thereof he may appease An Advocate is to plead to plead according to Law. A Priest is to make Intercession by Virtue of his Sacrifice an Advocate is to plead Law because Amends is made 3. As they differ in Name and Nature so they also differ as to their Extent The Priesthood of Christ extendeth it self to the whole of God's Elect whether called or in their Sins But Christ as Advocate pleadeth only for the Children 4. As they differ in Name in Nature and Extent so they differ as to the Persons with whom they have to do We read not any where that Christ as Priest has to do with the Devil as an Antagonist But as an Advocate he hath 5. As they differ in these so they differ as to the Matters about which they are imployed Christ as Priest concerns himself with every wry thought and also with the least Imperfection or Infirmity that attends our most holy things but Christ as Advocate doth not so as I have already shewed 6. So that Christ as Priest goes before and Christ as an Advocate comes after Christ as Priest continually interceeds Christ as Advocate in Case of great Transgression pleads Christ as Priest has need to act always but Christ as Adâ—ocate sometimes only Christ as Priest acts in times of Peace but Christ as Advocate in times of Broils Turmoils and sharp Contentions Wherefore Christ as Advocate is as I may call him a Reserve And his time is then to arise to stand up and plead when his are cloathed with some filthy Sin that of late they have fallen into as David Joshua or Peter When some such thing is committed by them as ministreth to the Enemy a shew of Ground to question the truth of their Grace Or when 't is a Question and to be bebated whether it can stand with the Laws of Heaven with the Merits of Christ and the Honour of God that such an one should be saved Now let an Advocate come forth now let him have time to plead for this is a fit Occasion for the Saints Advocate to stand up to plead for the Salvation of his People But Secondly I come next to shew you How far this Office of an Advocate is extended I hinted at this before so now shall be the more brief 1. By this Office he offereth no Sacrifice he only as to Matter of Justice pleads the Sacrifice offered 2. By this Office he obtains the Conversion of none He only thereby secureth the converted from the Damnation which their Adversary for Sins after Light and Profession endeavoureth to bring them to 3. By this Office he prevents not temporal Punishment But by it he chiefly preserveth the Soul from Hell. 4. Be this Office he brings in no justifiing Righteousness for us he only thereby prevaileth to have the Dispose of that brought in by himself as Priest for the justifiing of those by a new and fresh Act who had made their Justification doubtful by new Falls into Sin. And this is plain in the History of our Joshua Zech. 3. o often mentioned before 5. As Priest he hath obtained eternal Redemption for us and as Advocate he by Law maintaineth our Right thereto against the Devil and all his Angels I come now to shew you Who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate And this I shall do first more generally and then shall be more particular and distinct about First more generally They are all the truly Gracious those that are the Children by Adoption And this the Text affirmeth I wriâ—e unto you little Children that you sin not And if any Man sin we have on Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous They are