are forgiven or shall we not much matter what manner of Lives we live because we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death God forbid Let Grace teach us another Lesson and lay other Obligations upon our Spirits My little Children saith he these things I write unto you that you sin not What things why tidings of Pardon and Salvation and of that nearness to God to which you are brought by the precious Blood of Christ. Now lest also by this last exhortation he should yet be misunderstood he adds and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous I say he addeth this to prevent desponding in those weak and sensible Christians that are so quick of feeling and of decerning the Corruptions of their Natures For these cry out continually That there is nothing that they do but it is attended with sinful Weaknesses Wherefore in the Words we are presented with two great truths First with a Supposition that Men in Christ while in this World may Sin. If any man sin any man none are excluded for all or any one of the all of them that Christ hath redeemed and forgiven are incident to Sin. By may I mean not a Toleration but a Possibility For there is not a Man not a Just Man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles. 7.20 1 Kin. 8.46 Secondly the other thing with which we are presented is an Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Now there lieth in these two truths two things to be enquired into as 1 What the Apostle should here mean by sin 2. And also what he here doth mean by an Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate There is ground to enquire after the first of these because tho here he saith they that sin have an Advocate yet in the very next Chapter he saith such are of the Devil have not seen God neither know him nor are of him There is ground also to enquire after the Second because an Advocate is supposed in the Text to be of use to them that sin If any Man sin we have an Advocate 1. For the First of these to wit what the Apostle should here mean by Sin If any Man Sin. I answer since there is a difference in the Persons there must be a difference in the Sin. That there is a difference in the Persons is shewed before one is called a Child of God the other is said to be of the wicked One. Their Sin differ also in their Degree at least for no Child of God sins to that Degree as to make himself uncapable of Forgiveness For he that is born of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not Chap. 5.17 18. Hence the Apostle says there is a sin unto Death Mat. 12.32 which is the Sin from which he that is born of God is kept The sins therefore are thus distinguished The Sins of the People of God are said to be sins that Men commit the others are counted those which are the Sins of Devils First the Sins of God's People are said to be Sins which Men commit and for which they have an Advocate tho they who sin after the example of the wicked one have none When a Man or a Woman saith Moses shall commit a Sin which Men commit they shall confess their Sin and an atonment shall be made for them Numb 5.5 6 7. Mark It is when they commit a Sin which Men commit Or as Hosea has it when they transgress the Commandment like Adam Hos. 6.7 Now these are the Sins under consideration by the Apostle and to deliver us from which we have an Advocate with the Father But for the Sins mentioned in the third Chapter since the Persons sinning go here under another Character they also must be of another Stamp to wit a making Head against the Person Merits and Grace of Jesus Christ these are the Sins of Devils in the World and for these there is no Remission These they also that are of the wicked one commit and therefore sin after the similitude of Satan and so fall into the Condemnation of the Devil Secondly but what is it for Jesus to be an Advocate for these If any Man sin we have an Advocate An Advocate is one who pleadeth for another at any bar or before any Court of Judicature but of this more in its place So then we have in the Text a Christian as supposed committing Sin and a Declaration of an Advocate prepared to plead for him If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And this leads me first to enquire into what by these words the Apostle must of necessity presuppose For making use here of the Similitude or Office of an Advocate thereby to shew the preservation of the sinning Christian He must 1. Suppose That God as Judge is now upon the Throne of his Judgment For an Advocate is to plead at a Bar before a Court of Judicature Thus it is among Men and for as much as our Lord Jesus is said to be an Advocate with the Father it is clear that there is a Throne of Judgment also This the Prophet Micaiah affirms saying I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by him on the Right hand and on the Left 1 Kin. 22.19 20. Sitting upon a Throne for Judgment for from the Lord as then sitting upon that Throne proceeded that Sentence against King Ahab that he should go and fall at Ramah gilead And he did go and did fall there as the award or fruit of that Judgment That 's the First 2. The Text also supposeth that the Saints as well as Sinners are concerned at that Bar for the Apostle saith plainly That there we have an Advocate And the Saints are concerned at that Bar because they transgress as well as others and because the Law is against the Sin of Saints as well as against the Sins of other Men. If the Saints were not capable of committing of Sin what need would they have of an Advocate 1 Chr. 21.3 4 5 6. 1 Sam. 12.13 14. Yea though they did sin yet if they were by Christ so set free from the Law as that it could by no means take cognisance of their Sins what need would they have of an Advocate none at all If there be twenty places where there are Assizes kept in this Land yet if I have offended no Law what need have I of an Advocate specially if the Judge be Just and knows me altogether as the God of Heaven does But here 's a Judge that 's just and here 's an Advocate also an Advocate for the Children an Advocate to plead for an Advocate as such is not of use but before a Bar to plead therefore here is an Offence and so a Law broken by the Saints as well as others That 's the Second thing 3. As the Text
of Words as to the Freeness and Conditionality of them which we are not able so well to understand and therefore when Satan dealeth with us about them we quickly fall to the Ground before him we often conclude that the Words of the Promise are too narrow and strait to comprehend us we also think verily that the Conditions of some Promises do utterly â—â—ut us out from hope of Justification and Life But our Advocate who is for us with the Father he is better acquainted with and learned in this Law than to be baâ—â—eâ— out with a bold Word or two Isa. â—0 4 or with a subtil piece of Hellish Sophistication He knows the true Purport Intent Meaning and Sense of every Promise and piece of Promise that is in the whole Bible and can tell how to plead it for Advantage against our Accuser and doth so And I gather it not only from his Contest with Satan for Joshua Zech. 3. and from his Conflict with him in the Wilderness Mat. 4. and in Heaven Rev. 14. but also from the Practice of Satan's Emissaries here For what his Angels do that doth he Now there is here nothing more apparent than that the Instruments of Satan do plead against the Church from the pretended Intricacy Ambiguity and Difficulty of the Promise whence I gather so doth Satan before the Tribunal of God but there we have one to match him we have an Advocate with the Father that knows Law and Judgment better than Satan and Statute and Commandment better than all his Angels And by the Verdict of our Advocate all the Words and Limits and Extensions of Words with all Conditions of the Promises are expounded and applyed And hence it is that it sometimes falleth so out that that very Promise that we have thought could not reach us to comfort us by any Means has at another time swallowed us up with Joy unspeakable Christ the true Prophet has the right Understanding of the Word as an Advocate has pleaded it before God against Satan and having overcome him at the common Law he hath sent to let us know it by his good Spirit to our Comfort and the Confusion of our Enemy Again 2. There are many things relating to our Lives that minister to our Accuser occasions of many Objections against our Salvation for besides our daily Infirmities there are in our Lives gross Sins many horrible Backslidings also we oft-times suck and drink in many abominable Errors and deceitful Opinions of all which Satan accuseth us before the Judgment-Seat of God and pleadeth hard that we may be damned forever for them Besides Some of these things are done after Light received against present Convictions and Disswasions to the contrary against Solemn engagement to Amendment when the Bonds of Love were upon us Jer. 2.20 These are crying Sins they have a loâ—d voice in themselves against us and give to Satan great Advantage and Boldness to sue for our Destruction before the Bar of God. Nor doth he want Skill to aggravate and to comment profoundly upon all Occasions and Circumstances that did attend us in these our Miscarriges to wit that we did it without a Cause also when we had had we had Grace to have used them many things to have helpt us against such Sins and to have kept us clean and upright There is also a Sin unto Death 1 Joh. 5. and he can tell how to labour by Argument and Slight of Speech to make our Transgressions not only to border upon but to appear in the Hue Shape and Figure of that and thereto make his Objection against our Salvation He often argueth thus with us and fastneth the Weight of his Reasons upon our Consciences to the almost utter Destruction of us and the bringing of us down to the Gates of Despair and utter Destruction The same Sins with their aggravating Circumstances as I said he pleadeth against us at the Bar of God But there he meeteth with Jesus Christ our Lord and Advocate who entereth his Plea against him unravels all his Reasons and Arguments against us and shews the guile and falshood of them he also pleadeth as to the Nature of Sin as also to all those high Aggravations and proveth that neither the Sin in it self nor yet as joined with all its advantageous Circumstances can be the Sin unto Death Col. 2.19 because we hold the Head and have not made Ship wrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 but still as David and Solomon we confess and are sorry for our Sins Thus tho we seem through our Falls to come short of the Promise with Pâ—â—er Heb. 4.3 and leave our Transgressions as stumbling Blocks to the World with Solomon and minister Occasion of a Question of our Salvation among the Godly Yet our Advocate fetches us oâ—â— before God and we shall be found safe and in Heaven at last by them in the next World who was afraid they had lost us in this But all these Points must be managed by Christ for us against Satan as a Lawyer an Advocate who to that end now appears in the Presence of God for us And wisely handleth the very Crisis of the Word and of the Failings of his People together with all those nice and critical Juggles by which our Adversary laboureth to bring us down to the Confusion of his Face 3. There is also the Threatnings that are annexed to the Gospel and they fall now under our Consideration They are of two sorts such as respect those who altogether neglect and reject the Gospel or those that profess it yet fall in or from that Profession thereof The first sort of threatning cannot be pleaded against the Professors of the Gospel as against those that never profess'd it Wherefore he betaketh himself to manage those Threatnings against us that belong to those that have professed and that have fallen in or from that Profession Psal. 109.6 Joshua fell in it Zech. 3.1 2. Judas fell from it And the Accuser stands at the Right Hand of them both to resist them before the Judgment of God. To resist them by pleading the Threatnings against them To wit that God's Soul should have no Pleasure in them If any Man draws back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in them Here 's a Plea for Satan both against one and t'other they are both Apostatized both drawn back and he is subtil enough to manage it Ay but Satan here is also Matter sufficient for a Plea for our Advocate against thee for as much as the next Words distinguish betwixt drawing back and drawing back unto Perdition every one that draws back doth not draw back unto Perdition Heb. 10.38 39. Some of them draw back from and some in the Profession of the Gospel Judas drew back from and Peter in the Profession of his Faith Wherefore Judas perishes but Peter turns again because Judas drew back unto Perdition but Peter yet believed to the saving of the Soul. Nor doth Jesus Christ when he seeth
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 thus 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 another 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 râ—â—e 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 thither Isa. 40.11 chap. 46.4 Psal. 67.17 Luk. 16.2 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 tâ—e â—iends 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 might 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 provide for those of their Children that have been most infirm and helpless And our Advocate shall gather his Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom Yeâ— and I know that there is such an Art in shewing and making mention of Weaknesses as shall make the Tears stand in a Parents Eyes and as shall make him search to the bottom of his Purse to find out what may do his Weakling good Christ also has that excellent Art as he is an Advocate with the Father for us He can so make mention of us and of our Infirmities while he pleads afore God against the Devil for us that he can make the Bowels of the Almighty yearn towards us and to wrap us up in their Compassions You read much of the pity Compassion and of the yearning of the Bowels of the mighty God towards his People All which I think is kindled and made burn towards us by the pleading of our Advocate I have seen Fathers offended with their Children but when a Brother has turned a skilful Advocate the Anger has been appeased and the means have been concealed We read but little of this Advocate 's Office of Jesus Christ yet much of the Fruit of it is extended to the Churches But as the Cause of Smiles after Offences committed is made manifest afterward so at the Day when God will open all things we shall see how many times our Lord as an Advocate pleaded for us and redeemed us by his so pleading into the injoyment of Smiles and Imbraces who for Sin but a while before were under Frowns and Chastisements And thus much for the making out how Christ doth manage his Office of being an Advocate for us with the Father If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And I shall come now to the Third Head to wit To shew you more particularly who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate In my handling of this Head I shall shew 1. That this Office of an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest and how 2. I shall shew yout how far Christ extendeth this his Office of Advocateship I mean in Matters concerning the People of God And then 3 I shall come more directly to shew who they are that have Christ for their Advocate For the first of these That this Office of Christ as an Advocate differeth from that of a Priest. That he is a Priest a Priest for ever I heartily acknowledge But that his Priesthood and Advocateship should be one and the self-same Office I cannot believe 1. Because they differ in Name We may as well say
'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 so secure him by Virtue of his Advocation from the Sting and Lash of the Threatning that is 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 this Office Christ fully takes us off from the Condemnation that the Unbelievers go down to 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 appeâ—l 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 enquiâ—ing 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 will not 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. 11.32 that we should not 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 sore but he hath not given me over unto Death Psal. 118.18 Satan's Plea was that the Lord would give David over to his Will and to the Tyranny of Death No says our Advocate that must not be to do so would be an Affront to the Covenant under which Grace has put them that would be to deal with them by a Covenant of Works under which they are not There is a Rod for Children and Stripes for those of them that transgress this Rod is in the Hand of a Father and must be used according to the Law of that Relation not for the Destruction but Correction of the Children Not to satisfie the Rage of Satan but to vindicate the Holiness of my Father Not to drive them further from but to bring them nearer to their God. But Fifthly The Necessity of the Advocateship of Jesus Christ is also manifest in this For that there is need of one to plead the efficacy of old Titles to our eternal Inheritance when our Interest thereunto seems questionable by reason of new Transgressions That God's People may by their new and repeated Sins as to Reason at least indanger their Interest in the eternal Inheritance is manifest by such Groanings of theirs as these Why dost thou cast me off Psal. 43.2 Psal. 51.11 Cast me not away from thy Presence Psal. 60.1 and O God why hast thou cast us off forever Psal. 74.1 Yet I find in the book of Leviticus that tho any of the children of Israel should have sold morgaged or made away with their Inheritance they did not thereby utterly make void their title to an Interest therein but it should again return to them and they again enjoy the Possession of it in the Year of Jubilee In the Year of Jubilee saith God you shall return every Man to his Possession The Land shall not be sold â—â—r ever not be quite cut off for the Land is mine for ye are Strangers and Sojourners with me In all the Land of your Possession you shall grant a Redemption for the Land Levit. 25.23 24 25. The Man in Israel that by waxing Poor did sell his Land in Canaan was surely a type of the Christian who by Sin and Decays in Grace has forfeited his Place and Inheritance in Heaven But as the ceremonial Law provided that the poor Man in Canaan should not by his Poverty lose his Portion in Canaan forever but that it should return to him in the Year of Jubilee So the Law of Grace has provided that the Children shall not for their Sin lose their Inheritance in Heaven forever but that it shall return to them in the