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 supposeth that there is a Judge and Crimes of Saints So it supposeth that there is an Accuser one that will carefully gather up the Faults of good Men and that will plead them at this Bar against them Hence we read of the Accuser of the Brethren that accuseth them before God day and night Rev. 12.10 11 12. For Satan doth not only tempt the godly Man to sin but having prevailed with him and made him guilty he packs away to the Court to God the Judge of all and there addresses himself to accuse that Man and to lay to his charge the heinousness of his offence pleading against him the Law that he has broken the light against which he did it and the like But now for the relief and support of such poor People the Apostle by the Text presents them with an Advocate That is with one to plead for them while Satan pleads against them With one that pleads for Pardon while Satan by accusing seeks to pull Judgment and Vengeance upon our Heads If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That 's the Third thing 4. As the Apostle supposeth a Judge crimes and an Accuser So he also supposeth that those here-in concerned to wit the sinning Children neither can nor dare attempt to appear at this Bar themselves to plead their own Cause before this Judge and against this Accuser For if they could or durst do this what need they have an Advocate for an Advocate is of use to them whose cause themselves neither can nor dare appear to plead Thus Job pray'd for an Advocate to plead his Cause with God Job 16.20.21 And David cries out Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant O God for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Psal. 143.1 2 3. Wherefore 't is evident that Saints neither can nor dâ—re adventure to plead their cause Alas the Judge is the Almighty and Eternal God. The Law broken is the holy and perfect Rule of God in it self a consuming Fire The Sin is so odious and a thing so abominable that 't is enough to make all the Angels blush to hear it but so much as once mentioned in so holy a place as that is where this Great God doth sit to judge This Sin now hangs about the neck of him that hath committed it yea it covereth him as doth a mantle The Adversary is bold cunning and audacious and can word a thousand of us into an utter Silence in less than half a quarter of an hour What then should the Sinner if he could come there do at this Bar to plead Nothing nothing for his own Advantage But now comes in his Mercy he has an Advocate to plead his Cause If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That 's the fourth thing But again 5. The Apostle also supposeth by the Text That there is an aptness in Christians when they have sinned to forget that they have an Advocate with the Father Wherefore this is written to put them in Remembrance If any Man sin let him remember we have an Advocate We can think of all other things well enough namely that God is a just Judge that the Law is perfectly holy that my Sin is an horrible and an abominable thing and that I am certainly there of accused before God by Satan These things I say we readily think of and forget them not Our Conscience puts as in mind of these our Guilt puts us in mind of these the Devil puts us in mind of these and our Reason and Sense holdeth the Knowledge and Remembrance of these close to us all that we forget is that we have an Advocate an Advocate with the Father that is one that is appointed to take in hand in open Court before all the Angels of Heaven my cause and to plead it by such Law and Arguments as will certainly fetch me off tho I am cloathed with filthy Garments But this I say we are apt to forget as Job when he said Oh that one might plead for a Man with God as one pleads for his Neighbour Job 16.21 Such an one Job had but he had almost at this time forgot it as he seems to intimate also where he wisheth for a days-man that might lay
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
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
John Bunnyon THE ADVOCATESHIP OF JESUS CHRIST Clearly Explained AND Largely Improved FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS FROM 1 John 2.1 And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous By JOHN BVNYAN Author of the Pilgrim's Progress London Printed for Dorman Newman at the King's Arms in the Poultry 1688. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader OF all the excellent 〈…〉 God the Father haâ— conferred upon 〈◊〉 Châ—iâ—t ouâ— Lord this of his being an Advocate with him for us is not the least tho to the shame of Saints it may be spoken the blessed benefits thereof have not with that diligence and fervenâ— desire been enquired after as they ought Christ as Sacrifice Priest and King with the glories in and thaâ— flow from him as such has God be thanked in this our day been much discovered by our Seers and as much rejoiced in by those who have believed their words but as he is an Advocate with the Father an Advocate for us I fear the excellency of that doth still too much lie hid Tho I am verily of opinion that the Peâ—ple of God in this Age have as much need of the knowledge thereoâ— if not more need than had their Brethren that are gone before them These words if not more need Perhaps may seem to some to be 〈◊〉 what out of Joint but let the Godly-wise consider the Decays that are amongst us as to the Power of Godliness And what abundance of foul miscarriages the generality of Professors now stand guilty of as also how diligent their great Enemy is to accuse them at the Bar of God for them And I think they will conclude that in so saying I indeed have said some truth Wherefore when I have thoughâ— on this and have somewhat conâ—idered also the transcendent excellency of the Advocateship oâ— this our Lord And again that but little of the Glory thereof has by writing been in our day communicated to the Chuâ—ch I adventured to write what I have seen thereof and do by â—hat doth follow present it unto her for good I count not my self sufficient for this or for any other truth as it is in Jesus But yet I say I have told you somewhat of it accordding to the proportion of Faith. And I believe that some will thank God for what I here have said about it but it will be chiefly those whose Right and Title to the Kingdom of Heaven and Glory doth seem to themselves to be called in question by their Enemy at the Bar of the judge of all These I say will read and be glad to hear that they have an Advocate at Court that will stand up to plead for them and that will yet secure to them a right to the heavenly Kingdom Wherefore it is more particularly for those that at present or that hereafter may be in this dreadful plight that this my Book is now made publick Because it is as I have shewed for such that Jesus Christ is Advocate with the Father Of the many and singular advantages therefore that such have by this their Advocate in his Advocating for them this Book gives some account As where he pleads how he pleads what he pleads when he pleads with whom he pleads for whom he pleads and how the Enemy is put to shame and silence before their God and all the holy Angels Here is also shewed to those herein concerned how they indeed may know that Jesus is their Advocate Yea and how their matâ—ers go before their God the Judge And particularly that they shall well come off at last Yea tho their Cause as 't is theirâ— is such in Justification of which themselves don 't dare to shew their Heads Nor have I left the dejected Souls without Directionâ— how to entertain this Advocate to plead their Cause Yea I have also shewn that he will be with ease prevailed with to stand up to plead for such as one would think the very Heavens would blush to hear them named by him Their comfort also is that he never lost a Cause nor a Soul for whom he undertook to be an Advocate with God. But Reader I will on longer detain thee from the perusal of the Discourse Read and think read and compare what thou readest with the Word of God. If thou findest any benefit by what thou readest give the Father and his Son the Glory and also pray for me If thou findest me short in this or to exceed in that impute all such things to my weakness of which I am always full Fare-wel I am thine to serve thee what I may JOHN BUNYAN The Contents of this Treatise Page THe Apostles divine Policy to beget a due regard to his divine Doctrine of Eternal Life 1 The Apostles Explication of this Expression viz. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin 2 The Apostles Exhortation to separation from sin as a good effect of a good cause Viz. forgiveness ib. The Apostlâ—s addition to prevent misunderstanding viz. we have an Advocate with the Father 3 This brings to the Text in which are two great truths contained 1. A Supposition viz. that Men in Christ may sin ib. 2. An Expression by way of Consolation in case of Sin viz. we have an Advocate with the Father ib. An Enquiry into the First Viz. what our Apostle means by Sin In which is considered a difference in the Person and in the Sin. 4 5 An Enquiry into the Second viz what it is for Christ to be an Advocate viz. To plead for another in a Court of Judicature 6 Seven things supposed in the Office of Advocate 1. That God as Judge is on the Throne of Judgment ib. 2. That Saints are concerned at that Bar. 7 3. That Christians have an Accuser 8 4. That sinning Saints dare not appear at this Bar to plead their own Cause 9 5. That Christians are apt to forget their Advocate and remember their Judge 10 6. To remember our Advocate is the way to support Faith and Hope 11 7. That if our Advocate plead our Cause tho that be never so black he is able to bring us off 12 The Apostles triumph in Christ on this account 13 An Exhortation to the difficult task of believing 14 Christ's Advocateship declares us to be sorry creatures 16 The Method observed in the ensuing discourse 17 First To speak of this Advocate 's Office. ib. 1. By touching on the Nature of this Office. 18 2. By treating of the Order or Place of this Office. 19 3. The occasion of this Office viz. some great Sin. 21 Christ as Advocate pleads a Bad Cause 23 A good Cause will plead for it self 24 A pestilent passage of a Preacher 25 A bad man may have a Good Cause and a good man may have a Bad Cause 26 Christ the righteous pleading a Bad Cause is a mystery ib. The best Saints are most sensible of their Sins 27 Second To shew how Christ does manage his
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
Jesus Christ too But above all the Advocateship of Jesus Christ declares us to be sorry Creatures For that Office does as it were predict that some time or other we shall basely fall and by falling be undone if the Lord Jesus stand not up to plead And as it shews this concerning us so it shews concerning God that he will not lightly or easily lose his People He has provided well for us Blood to wash us in a Priest to pray for us that we may be made to persevere and in case we soully fall an Advocate to plead our Cause and to recover us from under and out of all that danger that by Sin and Satan we at any time may be brought into But Having thus briefly passed through that in the Text that I think the Apostle must necessarily presuppose I shall now endeavour to enter into the Bowels of it and see what in a more particular Manner shall be found therein And for my more profitable doing of this work I shall chuse to observe this Method in my discourse First I shall shew you more particularly of this Advocate 's Office or what and wherein Christ's Office as Advocate doth lie Secondly After that I shall also shew you how Jesus Christ doth manage this Office of an Advocate Thirdly I shall also then shew you who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Fourthly I shall also shew you what excellent Privileges they have who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate Fifthly And to silence Cavillers I shall also shew the necessity of this Office of Jesus Christ. Sixthly I shall come to answer some Objections And Lastly to the Use and Application To begin with the First of these namely to shew you more particularly of Christ's Office as an Advocate and wherein it lieth The which I shall do these three ways 1. Touch again upon the Nature of this Office. And then 2. Treat of the Order and Place that it hath among the rest of his Offices And 3. Treat of the Occasion of the Execution of this Office. First To touch upon the Nature of this Office. It is that which impowereth a Man to plead for a Man or one man to plead for another not in common Discourses and upon common Occasions as any man may do but at a Bar or before a Court of Judicature where a Man is accused or impleaded by his Enemy I say this Advocate 's Office is such both here and in the Kingdom of Heaven An Advocate is as one of our Attorneys at least in the general who pleads according to Law and Justice for one or other that is in trouble by Reason of some Miscarriage or of the naughty Temper of some that are about him who trouble and vex and labour to bring him into danger of the Law. This is the Nature of this Office as I said on Earth and this is the Office that Christ executeth in Heaven Wherefore he saith If any Man sin we have an Advocate one to stand up for him and to plead for his deliverance before the Bar of God Joel 3.2 Isa. 66.16 Ezek. 38.22 Jer. 2. For tho in some Places of the Scripture Christ is said to plead for his with Men and that by terrible Arguments as by Fire and Sword and Famine and Pestilence yet this is not that which is intended by this Text for the Apostle here saith he is an Advocate with the Father or before the Father to plead for those that there or that to the Fathers Face shall be accused for their Transgressions If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous So then this is the imploy of Jesus Christ as he is for us an Advocate He has undertaken to stand up for his People at God's Bar and before that great Court there to plead by the Law and Justice of Heaven for their Deliverance when for their Faults they are accused indicted or impleaded by their Adversary 2. And now to treat of the Order or Place that this Office of Christ hath among the rest of his Offices which he doth execute for us while we are here in a State of Imperfection And I think it is an Office that is to come â—ehind as a Reserve or for an Help at last when all other Means shall seem to fail Men do not use to go to Law upon every Occasion or if they do the Wisdom of the Judge the Jury and the Court will not admit that every Brangle and foolish Quarrel shall come before them but an Advocate doth then come into Place and then to the Exercise of his Office when a Cause is counted worthy to be taken notice of by the Judge and by the Court. Wherefore he I say comes in the last Place as a reserve or help at last to plead and by pleading to set that right by Law which would otherwise have caused an increase to more doubts and to further Dangers Christ as Priest doth always works of Service for us because in our most spiritual things there may faults and Spots be found and these he taketh away of Course by the Exercise of that Office. For he always wears that Plate of Gold upon his Fore-head before the Father whereon is written Holiness to the Lord. But now besides these common Infirmities there are Faults that are highly gross and foul that oft are found in the Skirts of the Children of God. Now these are they that Satan taketh hold on these are they that Satan draweth up a Charge against us for And to save us from these it is that the Lord Jesus is made an Advocate When Joshua was cloathed with filthy Garments then Satan stood at his right Hand to resist him and then the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus pleaded for his Help Zech. 3. By all which it appears that this Office comes behind is provided as a Reserve that we may have help at a pinch and then be lifted out when we sink in mire where there is no standing This is yet further hinted at by the several Postures that Christ is said to be in as he exerciseth his Priestly and Advocate 's Office. As a Priest he sits as an Advocate he stands Isa. 3.13 The Lord stands up when he pleads His sitting is more constant and of Course Sit thou c. but his standing is occasional when Joshua is indicted or when Hell and Earth is broken loose against his Servant Stephen For as Joshua was accused by the Devil and as then the Angel of the Lord stood by so when Stephen was accused by men on Earth and that Charge seconded by the fallen Angels before the Face of God 't is said the Lord Jesus stood on the Right Hand of God Act. 7.55 wit to plead for so I take it because standing is his Posture as an Advocate Heb. 10. not as a Priest for as a Priest he must sit down but he standeth as an Advocate as has been shew'd afore
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
I say is a great Mystery and deserves to be pry'd into by all the godly both because much of the Wisdom of Heaven is discovered in it and because the best Saint is or may be concerned with it Nor must we by any means let this truth be lost because it is the truth the Text has declared it so And to say otherwise is to belye the Word of God to thwart the Apostle to sooth up Hypocrites and to rob Christians of their Privilege and to take the Glory from the Head of Jesus Christ Luk. 18.11 12. The best Saints are most sensible of their Sins and most apt to make Mountains of their Mole-hills Satan also as has been already hinted doth labour greatly to prevail with them to sin and to provoke their God against them Job 2.9 by pleading what is true or by surmising evilly of them to the end they may be left with him to be try'd that they may be accused by him Great is his malice towards them great is his Diligence in seeking their Destruction wherefore greatly doth he desire to sift to try and winnow them if perhaps he may work in their Flesh to answer his Design that is to break out in sinful Acts that he may have by Law to accuse them to their God and Father Wherefore for their Sakes this Text abides that they may see that when they have sinned they have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And thus have I shew'd you the Nature the Order and Occasion of this Office of our blessed Lord Jesus I come now to shew you How Jesus Christ doth manage this his Office of an Advocate for us And that I may do this to your Edification I shall choose this Method for the opening of it First shew you how he manages this Office with his Father Secondly I shall shew you how he manages it before him against our Adversary How he manages this his Office of Advocate with his Father First He doth it by himself by no other as Deputy under him No Angel no Saint no Work has place here but Jesus and Jesus only This the Text implies we have an Advocate speaking of one but one one alone without an Equal or an Inferior We have but one and he is Jesus Christ. Nor is it for Christ's Honour nor for the Honour of the Law or of the Justice of God that any but Jesus Christ should be an Advocate for a sinning Saint Besides to assert the contrary what doth it but lessen Sin and make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous It would lessen Sin should it be removed by a Saint or Angel It would make the Advocateship of Jesus Christ superfluous yea needless should it be possible that Sin could be removed from us by either Saint or Angel. Again If God should admit of more Advocates than one and yet make mention of never an one but Jesus Christ or if John should allow another and yet speak nothing but of Jâ—sus only Yea that an Advocate under that title should be mentioned but once but once only in all the Book of God and yet that divers should be admitted stands neither with the Wisdom or Love of God nor with the Faithfulness of the Apostle But Saints have but one Advocate if they will use him or improve their Faith in that Office for their Help so if not they must take what follows This I thought good to hint at because the times are corrupt and because Ignorance and Superstition always waits for a Countenance with uâ— and these things have a natural tendency as to darken all truth so especially this which bringeth to Jesus Christ so much Glory and yieldeth to the Godly so much Help and Relief Secondly As Jesus Christ alone is Advocate so God's Bar and that alone is that before which he pleads For God is Judge himself Deut. 32 36. Heb. 13.23 Nor can the Cause which now he is to plead be removed into any other Court either by appeals or otherwise Could Satan remove us from Heaven to aâ—other Court he would certainly be too hard for us because there we should want our Jesus our Advocate to plead our Cause Indeed sometimes he impleads us before Men and they are glad of the Occasion for they and he are often one but then we have Leave to remove our Cause and to pray for a Tryal in the highest Court Saying Let my Sentence comeforth from thy Presence and let thine eyes behold the things that are Equal Psal. 17.2 This wicked World doth sentence us for our good Deeds but how then would they sentence us for our bad ones But we will never appeal from Heaven to Earth for Right For here we have no Advocate our Advocate is with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Thirdly As he pleadeth by himself alone and no where else but in the Court of Heaven with the Father So as he pleadeth with the Father for us he observeth this Rule 1. He granteth and confesseth whatever can rightly be charged upon us Yet so as that he taketh the whole Charge upon himself acknowledging the Crimes to be his own O God says he thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins my Guiltiness is not hid from thee Psal. 69.5 And this he must do or else he can do nothing If he hides the Sin or lesseneth it he is faulty If he leaves it still upon us we die He must then take our Iniquity to himself make it his own and so deliver us For having thus taken the Sin upon himself as he lawfully may and lovingly doth for we are Members of his Body so 't is his Hand 't is his Foot 't is his Ear that hath sinned It followeth that we live if he lives and who can desire more This then must be thorowly considered if ever we will have Comfort in a day of Trouble and Distress for Sin. And thus far there is in some kind a harmony betwixt his being a Sacrifice a Priest and an Advocate as a Sacrifice our Sins were laid upon him Isa. 53. as a Priest he beareth them Exod. 28.38 and as an Advocate he acknowledgeth them to be his own Psal. 69.5 Now having acknowledged them to be his own the Quarrel is no more 'twixt us and Satan For the Lord Jesus has espoused our Quarrel and made it his All then that we in this matter have to do is to stand at the Bar by Faith among the Angels and see how the business goes O Blessed God! What a Lover of Mankind art thou and how gracious is our Lord Jesus in his thuâ— managing matters for us 2. The Lord Jesus having thus taken ouâ— Sins upon himself next pleads his own Goodness to God on our Behalf Saying Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of Hosts be ashamed for my Sake Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my Sake O God of Israel Because for thy Sake I have born Reproach Shame hath covered
is part of the Plea of our Advocate against Satan for his Servant Joshua when he said The Lord rebuke thee O Satan Zech. 3.2 Now to be a Brand pluckt out of the Fiâ—e is to be a Saint impared weakned defiled and made imperfect by Sin. For so also the Apostle means when he saith And others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire hateâ—ng even the Garment spotted by the Flesh Jude 23. By Fire in both these Places we are to understand Sin For that it burns and consumes as Fire Rom. 1.27 Wherefore a Man is said to burn when his Lusts are strong upon him and to burn in Lusts to others when his wicked Heart runs wickedly after them 1 Cor. â— 9 Also when Abraham said I am but Dust and Ashes Gen. 18.27 he means he was but what Sin had left Yea he had something of the Smutch and besmearings of Sin yet upon him Wherefore it was a Custom with Israel in Days of old when they set Days apart for Coâ—fession of Sin and Humiliation for the same to sprinkle themselves with or to wallow in Dust and Ashes Est. 4.1 3. Jer. 6.26 Job 30.9 chap. 42.6 as a token that they did confess that they were but what Sin had left and that they also were defiled weakned and polluted by it This then is the next Plea of our goodly Advocate for us O Satan This is a Brand plucked out of the Fire As who should say thou objectest against my Servant Joshua That he is black like a Coal or that the Fire of Sin at times is still burning in him And what then the Reason why he is not totally extinct as tow is not thy Pity but my Father's Mercy to him I have plucked him out of the Fire yet not so out but that the smell thereof is yet upon him and my Father and I we consider his Weakness and pity him For since he is as a Brand pulled out can it be expected by my Father or me that he should appear before us as clear and do our biddings as well as if he had never been there This is a Brand plucked out of the Fire and must be considered as such and must be born with as such Thus as Mephibosheth pleaded for his Excuse His Lameness 2 Sam. 17.24 25 26. So Christ pleads the Infirm and indigent Condition of his People against Satan for their Advantage Wherefore Christ by such Pleas as these for his People doth yet further shew the Malice of Satan for all this Burning comes through him yea and by it he moveth the Heart of God to pity us and yet to be gentle and long suffering and merciful to us For Pity and Compassion are the Fruits of the yearning of God's Bowels towards us while he considereth us as infirm and weak and subject to Slips and Stumbles and Falls because of Weakness And that Christ our Advocate by thus pleading doth turn things to our Advantage consider 1. That God is careful that through our Weakness our Spirits do not fail before him when he chides Isa. 57.16 17 18. 2. He stays his rough Wind in the Day of his East Wind Isa. 27.7 8 9. and debates about the Measure of Affliction when for sin we should be chastened lest we should sink thereunder 3. He will not strictly mark what 's done amiss because if he should we cannot stand Psal. 130.3 4. When he threatneth to strike his Bowels are troubled and his Repentings are kindled together Hos. 11.8 9. 5. He will spin out his Patience to the utmost length because he knows we are such Bunglers at doing Jer. 9.24 6 He will accept of the Will for the Deed because he knows that Sin will make our best Performances imperfect 2 Cor. 8.12 7. He will count our little a very great deal for that he knows we are so unable to do any thing at all Job 1.21 8. He will excuse the Souls of his People and lay the Fault upon their Flesh which has greatest Affinity with Satan if through Weakness and Infirmity we do not do as we should Mat. 26.41 Rom. 7. Now as I said all these things happen unto us both Infirmities and Pity because and for that we were once in the Fire and for that the Weakness of Sin abides upon us to this Day But none of this Favour could come to us nor could we by any Means cause that our Infirmities should work for us thuâ— advantageously But that Christ our Advocate stands our Friend and pleads for us as he doth But again before I pass this over I will for the clearing of this present you with a few more Considerations which are of anoâ—her Rank to wit that Christ our Advocate as such makes mention of our Weaknesses so against Satan and before his Father as to turn all to our Advantage 1. We are therefore to be saved by Grace because by Reason of Sin we are disabled from keeping of the Law Deut. 9.5 Isa. 64.6 2. We have given unto us the Spirit of Grace to help because we can do nothing that 's good without it Eph. 2.5 Rom. 8.26 Ezek. 16.8 3. God has put Christ's Righteousness upon us to cover our Nakedness therewith because we have none of our own to do it withal Phil. 3.7 8. 4. God alloweth us to ride in the Bosom of Christ to the Grave and from thence in the Bosom of Angels to Heaven because our own Legs are not able to carry us thâ—ther Isa. 40.11 chap. 46.4 Psal. 67.17 Luk. 16.22 5. God has made his Son our Head our Priest our Advocate our Saviour our Captain that we may be delivered from all the Infirmities and all the Fiends that attend us and that plot to do us Hurt Eph. 1.22 Col. 1.18 Heb. 7.12 6. God has put the fallen Angels into Chains 2 Pet. 2.4 Rev. 20.1 2. that they night not follow us too fast and has inlarged us Psal. 34.7 and directed our Feet in the way of his Steps that we may haste us to the strong Tower and City of Refuge for Succour and Safety And has given good Angels a Charge to look to us Heb. 1 14. 7. God has promised That we at our counting days shall be spared as a Man spareth his own Son that serves him Mal. 3.17 Now from all these things it appears that we have Indulgence at God's Hand and that our Weaknesses as our Christ manages the Matter for us are so far off from laying a Block or Bar in the Way to the Enjoyment of Favour that they also work for our good Yea and Gods Foresight of them has so kindled his Bowels and Compassions to us as to put him upon devising of such things for our Relief which by no means could have been had not Sin been with us in the World And had not the best of the Saints been as a Brand plucked out of the Burning I have seen Men and yet they are worse than God take most care of and also best
then the Children the Children by Adoption that are the Persons concerned in the Advocateship of Jesus Christ. The Priesthood of Christ extendeth it self to the whole Body of the Elect but the Advocateship of Christ doth not so this is further cleared by this Apostle and that in this very Text if you consider what immediately follows We have an Advocate says he and he is also the Propitiation for our Sins He is our Advocate and also our Priest. As an Advocate ours only but as a Propitiation not ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World to be sure for the Elect throughout the World and they that will extend iâ— further let them And I say again had he not intended that there should have been a straighter Limit put to the Advocateship of Christ than he would have us put to his Priestly Office What needed he when he speaketh of the Propitiation which relates to Christ as Priest have added And not for ours only As an Advocate then he ingageth for us that are Children and as a Priest too he hath appeased God's Wrath for our Sins But as an Advocate his Offices are confined to the Children only but as a Priest he is not so He is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only The Sense therefore of the Apostle should I think be this That Christ as a Priest hath offered a Propitiatory Sacrifice for all but as an Advocate he pleadeth only for the Children Children we have an Advocate to our selves and he is also our Priest but as he is a Priest he is not ours only but maketh as such amends for all that shall be saved The Elect therefore have the Lord Jesus for their Advocate then and only then when they are by calling put among the Children because as Advocate he is peculiarly the Childrens My little Children we have an Advocate Object But he also saith if any Man sin we have an Advocate Any Man that sinneth seems by the Text notwithstanding what you say to have an Advocate with the Father Answ. By any Man must not be meant any of the World nor any of the Elect but any Man in Faith and Grace For he still limits this general Term of any Man with this Restriction we Children if any Man sin we have an Advocate We any Man of us And this is yet further made appear since he saith that it is to them he writes not only here but further in this Chapter I write unto you little Children I write unto you Fathers I write unto you young Men ver 12 13 14. These are the Persons intended in the Text. For under these three Heads are comprehended all Men For they are either Children and so Men in Nature or young Men and so Men in Strength or else they are Fathers and so aged and of Experience Add to this by any Man that the Apostle intendeth not to enlarge himself beyond the Persons that are in Grace but to supply what was wanting by that Term little Children for since the strongest Saint may have need of an Advocate as well as the most feeble of the Flock why should the Apostle leave it to be so understood as if the Children and the Children only had an Interest in that Office Wherefore after he had said my little Children I write unto you that you sin not he then adds with Enlargement And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Yet the little Children may well be mentioned first since they most want the Knowledge of it are most feeble and so by Sin may be forced most frequently to act Faith on Christ as Advocate Besides they are most ready through Temptation to question whether they have so good a Right to Christ in all his Offices as has better and more well grown Saints and therefore they in this the Apostles Salutation are first set down in the Catalogue of Names My little Children I write unto you that ye sin not And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous So then the Children of God are they who have the Lord Jesus an Advocate â—or them with the Father The least and biggest the oldest and youngest the feeblest and the strongest all the Children have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous First Since then the Children have Christ for their Advocate art thou a Child Art thou begotten of God by his Word Jam. 1.18 Hast thou in thee the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4.6 Can'st thou in Faith say Father Father to God Then is Christ thy Advocate Thine Advocate Now to appear in the Presence of God for thee Heb. 9.24 To appear there and to plead there in the Face of the Court of Heaven for thee To plead there against thine Adversary whose Accusations are dreadful whose Subtilty is great whose Malice is inconceivable and whose Rage intolerable To plead there before a just God a righteous God a Sin revenging God Before whose Face thou wouldst die if thou wast to shew thy self and at his Bar to plead thine own Cause But Secondly There is a difference in Children some are bigger than some There are Children and little Children My little Children I write unto you Little Children Some of the little Children can neither say Father nor so much as know that they themselves are Children This is true in Nature and so it is in Grace Wherefore notwithstanding what was said under the first Head it doth not follow that if I be a Child I must certainly know it and also be able to call God Father Let the first then serve to poise and balance the Confident ones and let this be for the Relief of those more feeble For they that are Children whether they know it or no have Jesus Christ for their Advocate For Christ is assigned to be our Advocate by the Judge by the King by our God and Father altho we have not known it True at present there can come from hence to them that are thus concerned in the Advocateship of Christ but little Comfort but yet it yields them great Seâ—urity They have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous God knows this the Devil feels this and the Children shall have the Comfort of it afterwards I say the time is coming when they shall know that even then when they knew it not they had an Advocate with the Father An Advocate who was neither loth nor afraid nor ashamed to plead for their Defence against their proudest Foe And will not this when they know it yield them Comfort Doubtless it will yea more and of a better kind than that which flows from the Knowledge that one is born to Crowns and Kingdoms Again As he is an Advocate for the Children so he is also as afore was hinted for the strong and experienced For no Strength in this World secureth from the Rage of Hell nor can any Experience while we are
mine Advocate the Judge of the Nature of the Crime for which I am accused and of matter of Law by which I am accused to wit whether it is in Force against me to Condemnation or whether by the Law of Grace I am set free specially since before my Advocate has espoused my Cause promised me Deliverance and pleaded my Right to the State of eternal Life must it not now go well with me Yes verily The Judge then making thine Advocate the Judgâ— for he hath committed all Judgment unto the Son Joh. 5.22 hath done it also for thy Sake who hast chosen him to be thine Advocate 'T was a great thing that happened to Israel when Joseph was become their Advocate and when Pharoah had made him a Judge Thou says he shall be over my House and according to thy Word shall all my People be ruled See I have set thee over all the Land of Egypt and without thee shall no Man lift up his Hand or Foot in all the Land of Aegypt Only in the Throne I will be greater than thou Gen. 41.39 40 44. Joseph in this was a type of Christ and his Goverment here of the Government of Christ for his Church Kings seldom make a Man's Judge his Advocate they seldom leave the Issue of the whole Affair to the Arbitration of the poor Man's Lawyer But when they do methinks it should even go to the Hearts desire of the Client whose the Advocate is Specially when as I said before the Cause of the Client is become the Concern of the Advocate and that they are both wrapt up in the self same Interest yea when the Judge himself also iâ— therein concerned And yet thus it is with that Soul who has Jesus Christ for his Advocate What sayst thou poor Heart to this The Judge to wit the God of Heaven has made thy Advocate Arbitrator in thy Business He is to judge God has referred the Matter to him and he has a Concern in thy Concern an Interest in thy good speed Christian Man dost thou hear Thou hast put thy Cause into the Hand of Jesus Christ and hast chosen him to be thine Advocate to plead for thee before God and against thy Adversary and God has referred the Judgment of that Matter to thy Advocate so that he has Power to determine the Matter I know Satan is not pleased with this he had rather things should have been referred to himself and then woe had been to the Child of God But I say God has referred the Business to Jesus Christ has made him Vmpire and Judge in thine Affair Art thou also willing that he should decide the Matter Canst thou say unto him as David Judge me and plead my Cause O Lord Psal. 43.1 O the Care of God towards his People and the Desire of their Welfare He has provided them an Advocate and he has referred all Causes and things that may by Satan be objected and brought in against us to the Judgment and Sentence of Christ our Advocate But to come to a Conclusion for this and therefore Priv. 11. Eleventhly The Advantage that he has that has the Lord Jesus for his Advocate therefore is very great Thy Advocate has the Cause has the Law has the Judge has the Purse and so consequently has all that is requisite for an Advocate to have Since together with these he has Heart he has Wisdom he has Courage and Loves to make the best Improvement of his Advantages for the benefit of his Client And that which adds to all is he can prove the Debt paid about which Satan makes such ado a Price given for the Ramsom of my Soul and for the Pardon of my Sins Lawyers do use to make a great Matter of it when they can prove That that very Debt is paid for which their Client is sued at the Law. Now this Christ Jesus himself is Witness to Yea he himself has paid it and that out of his own Purse for us with his own Hands before and upon the Mercy-Seat according as the Law requireth Lev. 16.13 14 15. Heb. 9.11.14.15 16 23 24. what then can accrue to our Enemy or what Advantage can he get by his thus vexing and troubling of the Children of the most High Certainly nothing but as has been said already to be cast down For the Kingdom of our God which is a Kingdom of Grace and the Power of his Christ will prevail Sampson's Power lay in his Hair but Christ's Power his Power to deliver us from the Accusation and Charge of Satan lieth in the Worth of his Undertakings And hence it is said again and they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.10 11 12. and he was cast out and down And thus much for the Privileges that those are made Pertakers of who have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate I come now to the Sixth last thing which is to shew you what Necessity there is that Christ should be our Advocate That Christ should be a Priest to offer Sacrifice a King to rule and a Prophet to teach All seeing Men acknowledge is of Necessity but that he should be an Advocate a Pleader for his People few see the Reason of it But he is an Advocate and as an Advocate has a Work and Imploy distinct from his Priestly Kingly of prophetical Office John says he is our Advocate and signifieth also the Nature of his Work as such in that very Place where he asserteth his Office. As also I have shew'd you in that which goes before But having already shewed you the Nature I will now shew you the Necessity of this Office. First it is necessary for the more full and ample Vindication of the Justice of God against all the Cavils of the infernal Spirits Christ died on Earth to declare the Justice of God to Men in his justifying of the ungodly God standeth upon the Vindication of his Justice as well as upon the Act thereof Hence the Holy Ghost by the Prophets and Apostles so largely disputeth for the Vindication thereof Rom. 3.24 Isa. Jer. Mal. While it asserteth the reality of the pardon of sin the justification of the unworthy and their glorification with God Rom. 3. chap. 4. chap. 8. Gal. 3 and 4. I say while it disputeth the justness of this high Act of God against the cavils of implacable sinners Now the Prophets and Apostles in those Disputes by which they seek to vindicate the Justice of God in the Salvation of sinners are not only Ministers of God to us but Advocates for him Since as Elihu has it They speak on God's behalf Job 36.2 Or as the Margent has it I will shew thee that there are yet Words for God Words to be spoken and pleaded against his Enemies for the justification of his Actions Now as it is necessary thaâ— there should be Advocates for God on Earth to plead for his Justice and Holiness while he saveth sinners against the cavils of
by the Law and the Prophets who consent that it should be unto all and upon all them that believe for their Justification Rom. 3.20 21. And that the mighty God suffereth the Prince of the Devils to do with the Law what he can against this most wholesome and godly Doctrine it is to shew the Truth Goodness and Permanency thereof For this is as who should say Devil do thy worst When the Law is in the Hand of an easie Pleader tho the Cause that he pleadeth be good a crafty Opposer may overthrow the right but here is the Salvation of the Children in debate and whether it can stand with Law and Justice The Opposer of this is the Devil his Argument against it is the Law he that defends the Doctrine is Christ the Advocate who in his Plea must justifie the Justice of God defend the Holiness of the Law and save the Sinner from all the Arguments Pleas Cavils Stops and Demurrs that Satan is able to put in against it And this he must do fairly righteously simply Pleading the Voice of the self-same Law for the Justification of what he standeth for which Satan pleads against it For tho it is by the new Law that our Salvation comes yet by the old Law is the new Law approved of and the way of Salvation thereby by it consented to This shews therefore that Christ is not ashamed to own the way of our Justification and Salvation no not before Men and Devils It shews also that he is resolved to dispute and plead for the same tho the Devil himself shall oppose it And since our Adversary pretends a Plea in Law against it 't is meet that there should be an open Hearing before the Judge of all about it But for as much as we neither can nor dare appear to plead for our selves our good God has thought fit we should do it by an Advocate we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous This therefore is the second thing that shews the need that we have of an Advocate to wit our Adversary pretends that he has a Plea in Law against us and that by Law we should be otherwise disposed of than to be made Possessors of the Heavenly Kingdom But Thirdly There are many things relating to the Promise to our Life and to the Threatnings that minister Matter of Question and Doubt and give the Advantage of Objections unto him that so eargerly desireth to be putting in Cavils against our Salvation all which it hath pleased God to refel by Jesus Christ our Advocate 1. There are many things relating to the Promises as to the largeness and straitness 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 sâ—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 bafled out with a bold Word or two Isa. 50.4 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 gâ—ve 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
our Heavenly Inheritance made good by our Advocate against the thwartings and branglings of the Devil nor can our new Sins make it invalid but it abideth safe to us at last notwithstanding our Weaknesses Tho if we sin we may have but little Comfort of it or but little of its present Profits while we live in this World. A Spend-thrift tho he loses not his Title may yet lose the present Benefit But the Principal will come again at last for we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Sixthly the Necessity of the Advocateship of Jesus Christ for us further appears in this to wit for that our Evidences which declare that we have a Right to the eternal Inheritance are often out of our own Hand yea and also sometimes kept long from us The which we come not at the Sight or Comfort of again but by our Advocate Specially when our Evidences are taken from us because of a present forfeiture of this Inheritance to God by this or that most foul Offence Evidencâ—s when they are thus taken away as in David's Case Psal. 51.12 they were why then they are in the Hand of God laid up I say from the sight of them to whom they belong till they even forget the Contents thereof 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9. Now when Writings and Evidences are out of the Hand of the Owners and laid up in the Court where in Justice they ought to be kept they are not ordinarily got thence again but by the Help of a Lawyer an Advocate Thus it is with the Children of God. We do often forfeit our Interest in eternal Life but the Mercy is the Forfeit falls into the Hand of God not of the Law â—or of Satan wherefore he taketh away also so our Evidences if not all yet some of them as he saith I will take away my Peace from this People even loving Kindness and Mercy Jer. 16.5 This he took from David 1 Châ—on 17.13 Psal. 51.12 yet not as he took it from him that went before him and he entreats for the Restauration of it saying Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit And Lord Turn us again cause thy Face to shine and we shall be saved Psal. 80.3 7 19. Satan now also hath an opportunity to plead against us and to help forward the Affliction as his Servants did of old when God was but a little angry Zech 1.15 But Jesus Christ our Advocate is ready to appear against him and to send us from Heaven our old Evidences again or to signifie to us that they are yet good 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 â—s 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 â—ighteous 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 â—ecause 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 and stumbleth thereat And says Christ because I tell you the truth ye â—â—lieve me not Joh. 8.45 Hence believing is called labouring Heb. 4.11 and 't is the sorest Labour at times that any Man can take in Hand because assaulted with the greatest Oppositions but believe thou must be the Labour never so hard and that not only in Christ in a general way but in him as to his several Offices and as to this of his being an Advocate in particular else some Sins and some Temptations will not in their Guilt nor vexatious Trouble easily depart from thy Conscience no not by Promise nor by thy Attempts to apply the same by Faiâ—h And this the Text insinuateth by it's setting forth of Christ as Advocate as the only or best and most speedy Way of Relief to the Soul in certain Cases There is then an Order that thou must observe in the Exercise of thy Soul in a way of believing 1. Thou must believe unto Justification in general and for this thou must direct thy Soul to the Lord Christ as he is a Sacrifice for Sin and as a Priest offering that Sacrifice So as a Sacrifice thou shalt see him appeasing Divine Displeasure for thy Sin and as a Priest spreading the Skirt of his Garment over thee for the covering of thy Nakedness thus being cloathed thou shalt not be found naked 2. This when thou hast done as well as thou canst thou must in the next Place keep thine Eye upon the Lord Christ as improving as Priest in Heaven the Sacrifice which he offered on Earth for the continuing of thee in a state of Justification thy Life time notwithstanding those common Infirmities that attend thee and to which thou art incident in all thy holy Services or best of thy Performances Rom. 5.10 Exod. 28.31 38. For therefore is he a Priest in Heaven and by his Sacrifice interceding for thee 3. But if thy Foot slippeth if it slippeth gâ—eatly then know thou 't will not be long â—efore a Bill be in Heaven preferred against thee by the Accuser of the Brethren wherefore then thou must have Recourse to Christ as Advocate to plead before God thy Judge against the Devil thine Adversary for thee 4. And as to the badness of thy Cause let that nothing move thee save to Humility and self-Abasement For Christ is glorified by being concerned for thee Yea the Angels will shout aloud to see him bring thee off For what greater Glory can we conceive Christ to obtain as Advocate than to bring off his People when they have sinned noâ—withstanding Satans so charging of them for them as he doth He gloried when he was going to the Cross to die he went up with a Shout and the Sound of Trumpet to make Intercession for us And shall we think that by his being an Advocate he receives no additional Glory 'T is Glory to him doubtless to bear the Title of an Advocate and much more to plead and prosper for us against our Adversary as he doth 5. And I say again for thee to think that Christ will reject thee for that thy Cause is bad is a kind of thinking Blasphemy against this his Office and his Word For what doth such a Man but side with Satan while Christ is pleading against him I say 't is as the Devil would have it for it puts Strength unto his Plea against us by increasing our Sin and Wickedness But shall Christ take our Cause in Hand and shall we doubt of good Success This is to count Satan stronger than Christ and that he can longer abide to oppose than Christ can to plead for us Wherefore away with it not only as to the Notion but also as to the Heart and Root thereof Oh! When shall Jesus Christ our Lord be honoured by us as he oughâ— this dastardly Heart of ours when shall it be more subdued and trodden underfoot of Faith when shall Christ ride Lord and King and Advocate upon the Faith of his People as he should He is exalted before God before Angels and above all the Power of the Enemy there is nothing comes behind but the Faith of his People Obj. 3. But since you follow the Metaphor so close I will suppose if an Advocate be entertained some Recompence must be given him His Fee who shall pay him his Fee I have nothing
〈◊〉 his Son to save Joh. 19.34 1 Joh. 5.5 â— 7 8 9. Gal. 3.17 Rom. 4.9 10 11 â—2 When I have considered that the very timâ—â—g of Scripture Expressions and the Season â—f administring of Ordinances has been arguâ—entative to the promoting of the Faith and â—ay of Justification by Christ it has made â—e think that both my self and the most of â—he People of God look over the Scriptures â—oo slightly and take too little Notice of that â—r of those many Honours that God for our â—ood has conferr'd upon Christ. Shall he be calâ—ed a King a Priest a Prophet a Sacrifice an Altar a Captain a Head a Husband a Father a Fountain a Door a Rock a Lyon â— Saviour c. and shall we not consider these things And shall God to all these add moreover that he is an Advocate and shall we take no Notice thereof or jumble things so together that we lose some of his Titles and Offices or so be concerned with one as not to think we have need of the Benefit of the rest Let 's be ashamed thus to do or think and let 's give to him that is thus exalted thâ— Glory due unto his Name Vse 2. Secondly As we should consideâ— the Titles and Offices of Christ in general So we should consider this of his being an Advocate in particular for this is one of thâ— Reasons which induced the Apostle to presenâ— him here under that very Notion to us namely that we should have Faith about it and consider of it to our Comfort If anâ— Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous An Advocate Aâ— Advocate as I said is one that hath Power tâ— plead for another in this or that or anâ— Court of Judicature Be much therefore iâ— the Meditation of Christ as executing of thiâ— his Office for thee For many Advantage will come to thee thereby As 1. This will give thee to see that thou aâ—â— not forsaken when thou hast sinned and thâ—â— has not in it a little Relief only but yieldeth Consolation in time of need There is nothing that we are more prone unto than to think we are forsaken when we have sinned when for this very thing to wit to keep us from thinking so is the Lord Jesus become our Advocate If any Man sin we have an Advocate Christian thou that hast sinned and that with the Guilt of thy Sin art driven to the brink of Hell I bring thee news from God thou shalt not die but live for thou hast an Advocate with the Father Let this therefore be considered by thee because it yieldeth this Fruit. 2. The Study of this Truth will give thee ground to take Courage to contend with the Devil concerning the largeness of Grace by Faith since thy Advocate is contending for thee against him at the Bar of God. 'T is a great Encouragement to a Man to hoâ—d up his Head in the Country when he knows he has a special Friend at the Court. Why our Advocate is a Friend at Court a Friend there ready to give the onset to Satan come he when he will. We have an Advocaâ—e with the Father An Advocate or one to plead against Satan for us 3. This Consideration will yield Relif when by Satan's â—buse of some other of the Offices of Christ thy Faith is discouâ—aged and made afraid Christ as a Prophet pronounces many a dreadful Sentence against Sin and Christ as a King is of Power to execute them And Satan as an Enemy has Subtilty enough to abuse both these to the almost utter Overthrow of the Faith of the Children of God. But what will he do with him as he is an Advocate Will he urge that he will plead against us He cannot he has no such Office. Will he plead against thee with his great Power No but he would put Strength into thee Job 23.3 4 5 6. Wherefore Satan doth all he may to keep thee ignorant of this Office for he knows that as Advocate when he is so apprehended the Saints are greatly relieved by him even by a believing thought of that Office. 4. This Consideration or the Consideration of Christ as exercising of this Office will help thee to put by that vizor wherewith Christ by Satan is misrepresented to thee to the weakning and affrighting of thee There is nothing more common among Saints than thus to be wronged by Satan For as he will labour to fetch Fire out of the Offices of Christ to burn us so to present him to us with so dreadful and so ireful a Countenance that a Man in Temptation and under Guilt shall hardly be able to lift up his Face to God. But now to think really that he is my Advocate this heals all Put a Vizor upon the Face of a Father and it may perhaps for a while fright the Child but let the Father speak let him speak in his own Fatherly Dialect to the Child and the Vizor is gone if not from the Father's Face yet from the Child's Mind Yea the Child notwithstanding that Vizor will adventure to creep into it's Fathers Bosom Why thus it is with the Saints when Satan deludes and abuses them by disfiguring of the Countenance of Christ to their view Let them but hear their Lord speak in his own natural Dialect and then he doth so indeed when we hear him speak as an Advocate and their Minds are calmed their Thoughts settled their Guilt made to vanish and their Faith to revive Indeed the Advocateship of Jesus Christ is not much mentioned in the Word And because it is no oftner made mention of therefore perhâ—ps it is that some Christians do so lightly pass it over when on the contrary the rarity of the thing should make it the more admirable And perhaps it is therefore so little made mention of in the Bible because it should not by the common sort be abused But is as it were privately dropt in a corner to be found by them that are fâ—r finding Relief for their Soul by a diligeâ—t search of the Scriptures For Christ in this Office of Advocateship is only designed for the Child of God. The World hath nothing therewith to do Methinks that which alone is proper to Saints and that which by God is peculiarly designed for them they should be mightily taken withal The peculiar Treasure of Kings the peculiar Privilege of Saints Oh! This should be affecting to us Why Christ as an Advocate is such Remember me O Lord said the Psalmist with the Favour that thou bearest to thy People O visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine Inheritance Psal. 106.4 5. The Psalmist you see here is crying out for a share in and the Knowledge of the peculiar Treasure of Saints And this of Christ as Advocate is such wherefore study it and prize it so much the more