is Judge in the Client's Cause Page 120 Joseph's Exaltation was Israel's Advantage Page 121 God's care of his Peoples welfare Page 122 Priv. 11. The Advocate hath all that is requisite for an Advocate to have Page 123 Last Head To shew the necessity of Christ for our Advocate Page 124 I. To vindicate the Justice of God against the cavils of the Devil Page 125 Satan charges God with unjust Words Actions Page 126 God is pleased with his design to save sinners ib. II. There is Law to be objected against us Page 128 Christ appeals to the Law it self Page 130 Christ is not ashamed to own the way of Salvation Page 132 III. Many things give our Accuser advantage Page 133 1. Many things relating to the Promises ib. 2. Many things relating to our Lives Page 134 3. The threats annexed to the Gospel Page 137 IV. To plead about our afflictions for sins Page 139 A Simile of a Man indicted at the â—ssize And his malicious Adversary ib. An allusion to Abishai and â—â—iâ—â—ain who cursed David Page 141 V. To plead the efficacy of our Law. â—â—iâ—les to our Inheritance if questionable because of new sins Page 142 Saints do not sell their Inheritance by sin Page 143 VI. Our Evidences are oft out of our hand and we recover them by our Advocate Page 147 Obj. What need all these Offices or nice Distinctions Page 150 Answ. The Wisdom of God is not to be charged with folly ib. God's People are baffled with the Devil for want of a distinct knowledge of Christ in all his Offices Page 152 Obj. 2. My Cause being bad Christ will desert me Page 153 Answ. Sin is a deadly destruction to Faith. ib. A five-fold Order observed in the exercise of Faith. Page 154 Obj â— But who shall pay the Advocate his 〈◊〉 Page 157 Answ. There is Law and Lawyers too without money ib. Christ pleads for the Poor ib. David's strange gift to God. Page 159 Obj. 4. If Christ be my Advocate once he will always be troubled with me Page 160 Answ. He is an Advocate to the utmost Page 162 Vse 1. To consider the Dignity God hath put upon Christ by Offices Places of Trust and Titles of Honour in general ib. Vse 2. To consider this Office of an Advocate in particular By which consideration these advantages come Page 168 1. To see one is not forsaken for sin ib. 2. To take courage to contend with the Devil Page 169 3. It affords relief for discouraged Faith. ib. 4. It helps to put off the Vizard Satan puts on Christ. Page 170 A Simile of a Vizaâ—â— on the Face of a Father Page 171 Study this peculiar Treasure of an Advocate 1. With reference to its peculiarity Page 172 2. Study the Nature of this Office. Page 173 3. Study its efficacy and prevalency ib. 4. Study Christ's Faithfulness in his Office. Page 174 5. Study the need of a share therein Page 175 Vse 3. To wonder at Christ's condescention in being an Advocate for the base and unworthy Page 177 Christ acts in open Court. 1. With an holy and just God. Page 179 2. Before all the Heavenly Host. Page 180 3 The Client is unconcerned for whom the Advocate is engaged Page 181 4. The Majesty of the Man that is an Advocate Page 182 Vse 4. Improve this Doctrine to strengthen Grace ib. 1. To strengthen Faith. ib. 2. To encourage to Prayer Page 184 3. To keep humble Page 186 4. To encourage to perseverance Page 188 Obj. I cannot pray My Mouth is stopped Page 189 Answ. Satan cannot silence Christ. Page 190 5. Improve this Doctrine to drive Difficulties down ib. Vse 5. If Christ pleads for us before God we should plead for him before Men. Page 191 Nine Considerations to that end Page 192 The last Resâ—â—â—e for a dead lift Page 193 Vse 6. To be wary of sin against God. Page 194 Christianity teaches Ingenuity ib. Christ is our â—â—â—ocate on free cost Page 195 A comely conclusion of a Brute Page 198 Three Considerations added ib. Vse 7. The strong are to tell the weak of an Advocate to plead their Cause Page 199 A word in season is good ib. Vse 8. All is nothing to them that have none to plead their Cause Page 202 An Instance of God's terrible Judgment Page 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 Page 204 Christ no Advocate for such as have no Sense of and Shame for sin Page 206 Obj. Is not Christ an Advocate for his Elect uncalled Page 207 Answ. He died and prayeth for all his Elect as Priest as Advocate pleads for the called only ib. ERROR Page 167. line 10. for Matter read Water 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 sly 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
saw it went well with me But alas I have waited and that a long time and have as you advise ran from Ordinance to minister and from Minister to Ordinance or as you phrase it from the Post to the Carrier and from the Carrier to the Post-house to see if I could hear ought from Heaven how Matters went about my Soul there I have also asked those that pass by the way if they saw him whom my Soul loveth and if they had any thing to communicate to me but nothing can I get or find but Generals as that I have an Advocate there and that he pleadeth the Cause of his People and that he will throughly plead their Cause but what he has done for Me of that as yet I am ignorant I doubt if my Soul shall by him effectually be secured that yet a conditional Verdict will be awarded concerning me and that much Bitter will be mixed with my Sweet and that I must drink Gall and Wormwood for my Folly For if David and Asa and Hezekiah and such good Men were so served for their Sins 2 Chron. 16.7 12. why should I look for other Dealing at the Hand of God But as to this I will endeavour to bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Isa. 39.3 8. and shall count it an infinite Mercy if this Judgment comes to me from him that I may not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 I know it is dreadful walking in Darkness but if that also shall be the Lord's Lot upon me I pray God I may have Faith enough to stay upon him till Death and then will the Clouds blow over and I shall see him in the Light of the Living Mine Enemy the Devil as you say is of an inveagling Temper and although he has accused me before the Judgment-Seat of God yet when he comes to me at any time he glavers and flatters as if he never did mean me harm But I think 't is that he might get further Advantage against me But I carry it now at a further distance than formerly and O that I was at the remotest Distance not only from him but also from that self of mine that laboureth with him for my undoing But altho I say these things now and to you yet I have my solitary hours and in them I have other strange thoughts For thus I think my Cause is bad I have sinned and I have been vile I am ashamed my self of mine own doings and have given mine Enemy the best end of the Staff. The Law and Reason and my Conscience plead for him against me and all is true he puts into his Charge against me That I have sinned more times than there he Hairs on my Head. I know not of any thing that ever I did in my Life but it had flaw or wrinkle or Spot or some such thing in it Mine Eyes have seen vileness in the best of my doings what then think you must God needs see in them Nor can I do any thing yet for all I know that I am accused by my Enemy before the Judgment seat of God better than what already is imperfect I lie down in my Shame and my Confusion covers my Face I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of Men Jer. 3.24 25. Job 7.20 Reply Well Soul I have heard what thou hast said and if all be true which thou hast said it is good and gives me Ground of Hope That Jesus Christ is become thine Advocate And if that be so no Doubt but thy Tryal will come to a good Conclusion And be not afraid because of the Holiness of God for thine Advocate has this for his Advantage that he pleads before a Judge that is just and against an Enemy that is unholy and rejected Nor let the thoughts of the badness of thy Cause terrifie thee over much Cause thou hast indeed to be humble and thou dost well to cover thy Face with Shame And 't is no matter how base and vile thou art in thine own Eyes provided that it comes not by renewed Acts of Rebellion but through a spiritual Sight of thine Imperfections Only let me advise thee here to stop let not thy Shame nor thy self-abasing Apprehension of thy self drive thee from the firm and permanent Ground of Hope 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 to 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 elder 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
of Words as to the Freeness and Conditionality of them which we are not able so well to understand and therefore when Satan dealeth with us about them we quickly fall to the Ground before him we often conclude that the Words of the Promise are too narrow and strait to comprehend us we also think verily that the Conditions of some Promises do utterly â—â—ut us out from hope of Justification and Life But our Advocate who is for us with the Father he is better acquainted with and learned in this Law than to be baâ—â—eâ— out with a bold Word or two Isa. â—0 4 or with a subtil piece of Hellish Sophistication He knows the true Purport Intent Meaning and Sense of every Promise and piece of Promise that is in the whole Bible and can tell how to plead it for Advantage against our Accuser and doth so And I gather it not only from his Contest with Satan for Joshua Zech. 3. and from his Conflict with him in the Wilderness Mat. 4. and in Heaven Rev. 14. but also from the Practice of Satan's Emissaries here For what his Angels do that doth he Now there is here nothing more apparent than that the Instruments of Satan do plead against the Church from the pretended Intricacy Ambiguity and Difficulty of the Promise whence I gather so doth Satan before the Tribunal of God but there we have one to match him we have an Advocate with the Father that knows Law and Judgment better than Satan and Statute and Commandment better than all his Angels And by the Verdict of our Advocate all the Words and Limits and Extensions of Words with all Conditions of the Promises are expounded and applyed And hence it is that it sometimes falleth so out that that very Promise that we have thought could not reach us to comfort us by any Means has at another time swallowed us up with Joy unspeakable Christ the true Prophet has the right Understanding of the Word as an Advocate has pleaded it before God against Satan and having overcome him at the common Law he hath sent to let us know it by his good Spirit to our Comfort and the Confusion of our Enemy Again 2. There are many things relating to our Lives that minister to our Accuser occasions of many Objections against our Salvation for besides our daily Infirmities there are in our Lives gross Sins many horrible Backslidings also we oft-times suck and drink in many abominable Errors and deceitful Opinions of all which Satan accuseth us before the Judgment-Seat of God and pleadeth hard that we may be damned forever for them Besides Some of these things are done after Light received against present Convictions and Disswasions to the contrary against Solemn engagement to Amendment when the Bonds of Love were upon us Jer. 2.20 These are crying Sins they have a loâ—d voice in themselves against us and give to Satan great Advantage and Boldness to sue for our Destruction before the Bar of God. Nor doth he want Skill to aggravate and to comment profoundly upon all Occasions and Circumstances that did attend us in these our Miscarriges to wit that we did it without a Cause also when we had had we had Grace to have used them many things to have helpt us against such Sins and to have kept us clean and upright There is also a Sin unto Death 1 Joh. 5. and he can tell how to labour by Argument and Slight of Speech to make our Transgressions not only to border upon but to appear in the Hue Shape and Figure of that and thereto make his Objection against our Salvation He often argueth thus with us and fastneth the Weight of his Reasons upon our Consciences to the almost utter Destruction of us and the bringing of us down to the Gates of Despair and utter Destruction The same Sins with their aggravating Circumstances as I said he pleadeth against us at the Bar of God But there he meeteth with Jesus Christ our Lord and Advocate who entereth his Plea against him unravels all his Reasons and Arguments against us and shews the guile and falshood of them he also pleadeth as to the Nature of Sin as also to all those high Aggravations and proveth that neither the Sin in it self nor yet as joined with all its advantageous Circumstances can be the Sin unto 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 Pâ—â—er 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 oâ—â— 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 them 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
25 26 27 28. also David thought it too much for all his Houshold to go to Absalom's Feast bâ—cause 't was made of free-cost Why Christ is our Advocate of free-cost we pay him neither Fee nor In-come for what he doth nor doth he desire ought of us but to accept of his free doing for us thankfully Wherefore let us put him upon this Work as little as may be and by so doing we shall show our selves Christians of the right make and stamp We count him but a Fellow of a very gross Spirit that will therefore be lavishing of what is his Friends because 't is prepared of meer Kindness for him Esau himself was loth to do this and shall Christians be disingenious I dare say if Christians were sober watchfuâ— and of a more self-denying Temper they need not put the Lord Jesus to that to which for the want of these things they do so often put him I know he is not unwilling to serve us but I know also that the â—â—ve of Christ should constrain us to live 〈…〉 Selves but to him that loved us 〈…〉 us and rose again 2 Cor. 5.14 we 〈◊〉 do that which is naught too much 〈◊〉 then when we watch and take care what we can to prevent it Our Flesh when we do our utmost Diligence to resist it will defile both us and our best Performances We need not lay the reins on its Neck and say what care we the more Sin the more Grace and the more we shall see the Kindness of Christ and what Virtue there is in his Advocates Office to save us And should there be any such here I would present them with a Scripture or two The first is this Do ye thus require the Lord O foolish People and unwise Deut. 32.6 and if this gentle check will not do then read the other Shall we say let us do evil that good may come their Damnation is just Rom. 3.8 besides as nothing so swayeth with us as Love so there is nothing so well pleasing to God as it Let a Man love tho he has Opportunity to do nothing 't is accepted of the God of Heaven But where there is no Love let a Man do what he will it is not at all regarded 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Now to be careless and negligent and that from a supposed Understanding of the Grace of Christ in the Exercise of his Advocateship for us in Heaven is as clear a Sign as can be that in thy Heart there is no Lov◠〈◊〉 â—â—rist and that consequently thou ar◠〈◊〉 nothing instead of being a Chriâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 Talk then 〈◊〉 thou wilt and profess never so largeâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ist is no Advocate of thine nor shalt thou thou so continuing be ever the better for any of those Pleas that Christ at Gods Bar puts in against the Devil for his People Christians Christ Jesus is not unwilling to lay out himself for you in Heaven nor to be an Advocate for you in the Presence of his Father But yet he is unwilling that you should render him evil for good I say that you should do so by your remissness and carelesness For want of such a thinking of things as may affect you Hearts therewith 'T would be more comely in you would please him better would better agree with your Profession and also better would prove you gracious to be sound in the Power and Nature of these Conclusions How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 Col. 3.1 3 5 6 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right Hand of God. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the Earth Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affection Evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry for which things sake the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience I say 't would be more comely for Christians to say we will not sin because God will pardon we will not commit Iniquity 'cause Christ will advocate for us I write unto you that you sin not tho if any Man sins we have an Advocate with God the Father Why the brute will conclude I will not do so 'cause my Master will beat me I will do thus for then my Master will love me And Christians should be above Men brutish Men. And for a Conclusion as to this let me present you with three Considerations 1. Know that it is the Nature of Grace to draw holy Arguments to move to goodness of Life from the Love and Goodness of of God But not thence to be remiss 1 Cor. 5.14 2 Know therefore that they have no Grace that find not these Effects of the Discoveries of the Love and Goodness of God. 3. Know also that among all the Swarms of Professors that from Age to Age make mention of the Name of Christ they only must dwell with him in Heaven that depart from Iniquity and are zealous of good Works 2 Tim. 2.19 He gave himself for these Tit. 2.11 12 13 14 not that they were so antecedent to this Gift But those that he hath redeemed to himself are thus sanctified by the Faith of him Acts 26.18 Seventhly Is it so Is Jesus Christ an Advocate with the Father for us Then this should encourage strong Christians to tell the weak ones where when they are in their Temptations and Fears through Sin they may have one to plead their Cause Thus the Apostle doth by the Text and thus we should do one to another Mark he telleth the weak of an Advocate My little Children I write unto you c. Christians when they would comfort their dejected Brethren talk too much at rovers or in generals They should be more at the Mark. A Word spoke in season how good is it I say Christians should observe and enquire that they may observe the Cause or ground of their Brothers Trouble and having first taken Notice of that in the next place consider under which of the Offices of Jesus Christ this Sin or Trouble has cast this Man and so labour to apply Christ in the Word of the Gospel to him Sometimes we are bid to consider him as an Apostle and High Priest and sometimes as a fore runner and an Advocate And he has as was said afore these divers Offices with others that we by the Consideration of him might be relieved under our manifold Temptations This as I said I perceive John teaches us here as he doth a little before of his being a Sacrifice for us for he presenteth them that after Conversion shall sin with Christ as an Advocate with the Father As who should say my Brethren are you tempted are you accused have you sinned has Satan prevailed against you We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus we should do and deliver our Brother from Death there is nothing that Satan more desires than to get