which thou hast said, it is good, and gives me ground of hope that
Jesus Christ is become thine Advocate; and if that be so, no doubt but
thy trial will come to a good conclusion. And be not afraid because of
the holiness of God; for thine Advocate has this for his advantage,
that he pleads before a judge that is just, and against an enemy that
is unholy and rejected. Nor let the thoughts of the badness of thy
cause terrify thee overmuch. Cause thou hast indeed to be humble, and
thou dost well to cover thy face with shame; and it is no matter how
base and vile thou art in thine own eyes, provided that it comes not by
renewed acts of rebellion, but through a spiritual sight of thine
imperfections. Only let me advise thee here to stop. Let not thy shame
nor thy self-abasing apprehension of thyself, drive thee from the firm
and permanent ground of hope, which is the promise, and the doctrine of
an Advocate with the Father. No; let not the apprehension of the
badness of thy cause do it, forasmuch as he did never yet take cause in
hand that was good, perfectly good of itself; and his excellency is, to
make a man stand that has a bad cause; yea, he can make a bad cause
good, in a way of justice and righteousness.
[THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE.]
FOURTHLY, And for thy further encouragement in this matter, I will here
bring in the fourth chief head-to wit, to show what excellent privilege
(I mean over and above what has already been spoken of) they have that
are made partakers of the benefit of this office:-“If any man sin, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
First Privilege. Thy Advocate pleads to a price paid, to a propitiation
made; and this is a great advantage; yea, he pleads to a satisfaction
made for all wrongs done, or to be done, by his elect-“For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb
10:10,14; 9:26). “By one offering”-that is, by the offering of
himself-by one offering once offered, once offered in the end of the
world. This, I say, thine Advocate pleads. When Satan brings in fresh
accusations for more transgressions against the law of God, he forces
not Christ to shift his first plea. I say, he puts him not to his
shifts at all; for the price once paid hath in it sufficient value,
would God impute it to that end, to take away the sin of the whole
world. There is a man that hath brethren; he is rich, and they are poor
(and this is the case betwixt Christ and us), and the rich brother
goeth to his father, and saith, Thou art related to my brethren with
me, and out of my store, I pray thee, let them have sufficient, and for
thy satisfaction I will put into thy hand the whole of what I have,
which perhaps is worth an hundred thousand pounds by the year; and this
other sum I also give, that they be not disinherited. Now, will not
this last his poor brethren to spend upon a great while? But Christ’s
worth can never be drawn dry.
Now, set the case again, that some ill-conditioned man should take
notice that these poor men live all upon the spend (and saints do so),
and should come to the good man’s house, and complain to him of the
spending of his sons, and that while their elder brother stands by,
what do you think the elder brother would reply, if he was as
good-natured as Christ? Why, he would say, I have yet with my father in
store for my brethren, wherefore then seekest thou to stop his hand? As
he is just, he must give them for their convenience; yea, and as for
their extravagances, I have satisfied for them so well, that, however
he afflicteth them, he will not disinherit them. I hope you will read
and hear this, not like them that say, “Let us do evil that good may
come,” but like those whom the love of Christ constrains to be better.
However, this is the children’s bread, that which they have need of,
and without which they cannot live; and they must have it, though Satan
should put pins into it, therewith to choke the dogs.17 And for the
further clearing of this, I will present you with these few
considerations:
1. Those that are most sanctified have yet a body of sin and death in
them, and so also it will be, while they continue in this world (Rom
7:24). 2. This body of sin strives to break out, and will break out, to
the polluting of the conversation, if saints be not the more watchful
(Rom 6:12). Yea, it has broken out in a most sad manner, and that in
the strongest saints (Gal 5:17). 3. Christ offereth no new sacrifice
for the salvation of these his people. “For, being raised from the
dead, he dieth no more” (Rom 6:9). So then, if saints sin, they must be
saved, if saved at all, by virtue of the offering already offered; and
if so, then all Christ’s pleas, as an Advocate, are grounded upon that
one offering which before, as a Priest, he presented God with, for the
taking away of sin. So then, Christians live upon this old stock; their
transgressions are forgiven for the sake of the worth, that yet God
finds in the offering that Christ hath offered. And all Christ’s
pleadings, as an Advocate, are grounded upon the sufficiency and worth
of that one sacrifice; I mean, all his pleadings with his Father, as to
the charge which the accuser brings in against them. For though thou
art a man of infirmity, and so incident to nothing [so much] as to
stumble and fall, if grace doth not prevent, and it doth not always
prevent; yet the value and worth of the price that was once paid for
thee is not yet worn out; and Christ, as an Advocate, still pleadeth,
as occasion is given, that, with success, to thy salvation. And this
privilege they have, who indeed have Christ for their Advocate; and I
put it here, in the first place, because all other do depend upon it.
Second Privilege. Thine Advocate, as he pleadeth a price already paid,
so, and therefore, he pleads for himself as for thee. We are all
concerned in one bottom; if he sinks, we sink; if we sink, he sinks. 18
Give me leave to make out my meaning.
1. Christ pleads the value and virtue of the price of his blood and
sacrifice for us. And admit of this horrible supposition a little, for
argument’s sake, that though Christ pleads the worth of what, as
Priest, he offereth, yet the soul for whom he so pleads perishes
eternally. Now, where lieth the fault? In sin, you say: true; but it is
because there was more virtue in sin to damn, than there was in the
blood pleaded by Christ to save; for he pleaded his merit, he put it
into the balance against sin; but sin hath weighed down the soul of the
sinner to hell, notwithstanding the weight of merit that he did put in
against it. Now, what is the result, but that the Advocate goes down,
as well as we; we to hell, and he in esteem? Wherefore, I say, he is
concerned with us; his credit, his honour, his glory and renown, flies
all away, if those for whom he pleads as an Advocate perish for want of
worth in his sacrifice pleaded. But shall this ever be said of Christ?
Or will it be found that any, for whom Christ as Advocate pleads, yet
perish for want of worth in the price, or of neglect in the Advocate to
plead it? No, no; himself is concerned, and that as to his own
reputation and honour, and as to the value and virtue of his blood; nor
will he lose these for want of pleading for them concerned in this
office.
2. I argue again; Christ, as Advocate, must needs be concerned in his
plea; for that every one, for whose salvation he advocates, is his own;
so, then, if he loses, he loses his own-his substance and inheritance.
Thus, if he lose the whole, and if he lose a part, one, any one of his
own, he loseth part of his all, and of his fullness; 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 a horse, though lame, and a piece of ground,
though 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
engaged in law for that which, when considered by itself, one would
think was not worth regarding; but when I have asked them, why so
concerned for a thing of so little esteem, they have answered, O, it is
some of that by which I hold a title of honour, or my right to a
greater income, and therefore I will not lose it. Why, thus is Christ
engaged; what he pleads for is his own, his all, his fullness; yea, it
is that by which he holds his royalty, for he is “King of saints” (Rev
15:3, John 6:37-39, Psa 16:5,6). It is part of his estate, and that by
which he holds some of his titles of honour (Eph 5:23, Jer 50:34, 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 those 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 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 the Father, to plead their cause; even because thou art
one, one of his own, one by whom he holdeth his glorious titles of
honour.
Objection. O, but I am but one, and a very sorry one, too; and what is
one, especially such an one as I am? Can there be a miss of the loss of
such an one?
Answer. 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 (John 6:38,39).
Besides, to lose one would encourage Satan, disparage his own wisdom,
make him incapable of giving in, at the day of account, the whole
tale19 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 on it; but none of these things must be supposed. He will
thoroughly plead the cause of his people, execute judgment for them,
bring them out to the light, and cause them to behold his righteousness
(Micah 7:9).
Third Privilege. The plea of Satan is groundless, and that is 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 superabounds; so, though there be sin,
yet there wants a foundation for a plea. Joshua was clothed with filthy
garments, but Christ had other garments provided 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 unto him he said, Behold I have caused thine
iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of
raiment” (Zech 3:4). 20
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 is 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,” and so, consequently,
“there is now no condemnation for them” (Rom 6:14, 8:1). Wherefore,
when God speaketh of his dealing with his, he saith, It shall “not be
by their covenant,” that is, not by that of the law, they then being
not under the law (Eze 16:61). 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 cognizance 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
ye 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 2:19), 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,
though 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 threatened 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? Nothing to her; she is not
who she was; she is delivered from that state by her marriage; if
anything 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 by grace, by which also I am
secured from the law, is not a law of sin and death, as that is from
under which I am brought, (Rom 8:2), but a law of grace and life; so
that Satan cannot come at me by that law; and by grace, I am by that
secured also from the hand, and mouth, and sting of all other; I mean
still, as to an eternal concern. Wherefore God saith, “If we break his
law, the law of works, he will visit our sin with a rod, and our
iniquity with stripes; but his covenant, his new covenant, will he not
break,” but will still keep close to that, and so secure us from
eternal condemnation (Psa 89:30-37).
Christ also is made the mediator of that covenant, and therefore an
Advocate by that; for his priestly office and advocateship are included
by his mediation; wherefore when Satan pleads by the old, Christ pleads
by the new covenant, for the sake of which the old one is removed. “In
that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Heb 8:13). So,
then, the ground of plea is with Jesus Christ, and not with our
accuser. Now, what doth Christ plead, and what is the ground of his
plea? Why, he pleads for exemption and freedom from condemnation,
though by the law of works his children have deserved it; and the
ground for this his plea, as to law, is the matter of the covenant
itself, for thus it runs: “For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
more” (Heb 8:12). Now here is a foundation-a foundation in law, for our
Advocate to build his plea upon; a foundation in a law not to be moved,
or removed, or made to give place, as that is forced to do, upon which
Satan grounds his plea against us. Men, when they plead before a judge,
use to plead matter of law. Now, suppose there is an old law in the
realm, by which men deserve to be condemned to death, and there is a
new law in this realm that secureth men from that condemnation which
belongs to them by the old; and suppose also, that I am completely
comprehended by all the provisos of the new law, and not by any tittle
thereof excluded from a share therein; and suppose, again, that I have
a brangling adversary that pursues me by the old law, which yet cannot
in right touch me, because I am interested in the new; my advocate also
is one that pleads by the new law, where only there is a ground of
plea; shall not now mine adversary feel the power of his plea to the
delivering of me, and the putting of him to shame? Yes, verily;
especially since the plea is good, the judge just; nor can the enemy
find any ground for a demur21 to be put in against my present discharge
in open court, and that by proclamation; especially since my Advocate
has also, by his blood, fully satisfied the old law, that he might
establish the new (Heb 10: 9, 11, 12).
Fourth Privilege. Since that which goeth before is true, it follows,
that he that entereth his plea against the children must needs be
overthrown; for always before just judges it is the right that taketh
place. Judge the right, O Lord, said David; or, “let my sentence come
forth from thy presence,” according to the law of grace. And he that
knows what strong ground, or bottom, our Advocate has for his
pleadings, and how Satan’s accusations are without sound foundation,
will not be afraid, he speaking in Christ, to say, I appeal to God
Almighty, since Christ is my Advocate by the new law, whether I ought
to be condemned to death and hell for what Satan pleads against me by
the old. Satan urgeth that we have sinned, but Christ pleads to his
propitiatory sacrifice; and so Satan is overthrown. Satan pleads the
law of works, but Christ pleads the law of grace. Further, Satan pleads
the justice and holiness of God against us; and there the accuser is
overthrown again. And to them Christ appeals, and his appeal is good,
since the law testifies to the sufficiency of the satisfaction that
Christ has made thereto by his obedience (Rom 3:22, 23). And also,
since by another covenant, God himself has given us to Jesus Christ,
and so delivered us from the old. Wherefore you read nothing as an
effect of Satan’s pleading against us, but that his mouth is stopped,
as appears by Zechariah 3; and that he is cast; yea, cast down, as you
have it in Revelation 12.
Indeed, when God admits not, when Christ wills not to be an Advocate,
and when Satan is bid stand at the right hand of one accused, to
enforce, by pleading against him, the things charged on him by the law,
then he can prevail-prevail for ever against such a wretched one (Psa
109: 6, 7). But when Christ stands up to plead, when Christ espouses
this or that man’s cause, then Satan must retreat, then he must go
down. And this necessarily flows from the text, “We have an Advocate,”
a prevailing one, one that never lost cause, one that always puts the
children’s enemy to the rout before the judgment-seat of God. 22
This, therefore, is another privilege that they have, who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate; their enemy must needs be overthrown,
because both law and justice are on their side.
Fifth Privilege. Thine advocate has pity for thee, and great
indignation against thine accuser: and these are two excellent things.
When a lawyer hath pity for a man whose cause he pleadeth, it will
engage him much; but when he has indignation also against the man’s
accuser, this will yet engage him more. Now, Christ has both these, and
that not of humour, but by grace and justice; grace to us, and justice
to our accuser. He came down from heaven that he might be a Priest, and
returned thither again to be Priest and Advocate for his; and in both
these offices he levelleth his whole force and power against thine
accuser: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8).
Cunning men will, if they can, retain such an one to be their Advocate,
who has a particular quarrel against their adversary; for thus, think
they, he that is such, will not only plead for me, but for himself, and
to right his own wrongs also; and since, if it be so, and it is so
here, my concerns and my Advocate’s are interwoven, I am like to fare
much the better for the anger that is conceived in his heart against
him. And this, I say, is the children’s case; their Advocate counteth
their accuser his greatest enemy, and waiteth for a time to take
vengeance, and he usually then takes the opportunity when he has aught
to do for his people against him. Hence he says, “The day of vengeance
is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (Isa 63:3, 4).
I do not say that this revenge of Christ is, as ofttimes is a man’s, of
spite, prejudice, or other irregular lettings out of passions; but it
ariseth from righteousness and truth; nor can it be but that Jesus must
have a desire to take vengeance on his enemy and ours, since holiness
is in him, to the utmost bounds of perfection. And I say again, that in
all his pleading as an Advocate, as well as in his offering as a
Priest, he has a hot and flaming desire and design to right himself
upon his foe and ours; hence he triumphed over him when he died for us
upon the cross, and designed the spoiling of his principality, while he
poured out his blood for us before God. We then have this advantage
more, in that Christ is our Advocate, our enemy is also his, and the
Lord Jesus counts him so (Col 2:14, 15).
Sixth Privilege. As thine Advocate, so thy judge holdeth thine accuser
for his enemy also; for it is not of love to righteousness and justice
that Satan accuseth us to God, but that he may destroy the workmanship
of God. Wherefore he also fighteth against God when he accuseth the
children; and this thy Father knows right well. He must therefore needs
distinguish between the charge and the mind that brings it; especially
when what is charged upon us is under the gracious promise of a pardon,
as I have showed it is. Shall not the Judge then hear his Son-for our
Advocate is his Son-in the cause of one that he favours, and that he
justly can, against an enemy who seeks his dishonour, and the
destruction of his eternal dishonour, and the destruction of his
eternal designs of grace?
A mention of the judge’s son goes far with countrymen; and great
striving there is with them who have great enemies and bad causes to
get the judge’s son to plead, promising themselves that the judge is as
like to hear him, and to yield a verdict to his plea, as to any other
lawyer. But what now shall we say concerning our Judge’s Son, who takes
part, not only with his children, but with him, and with law and
justice, in pleading against our accuser? Yea, what shall we say when
both Judge, and Advocate, and law, are all bent to make our persons
stand and escape, whatever, and how truly soever, the charge and
accusation is by which we are assaulted of the devil. And yet all this
is true; wherefore, here is another privilege of them that have Jesus
for their Advocate.
Seventh Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate is, that he is undaunted, and of a good
courage, as to the cause that he undertakes; for that is a requisite
qualification for a lawyer, to be bold and undaunted in a man’s cause.
Such an one is coveted, especially by him that knows he has a
brazen-faced antagonist. Wherefore, he saith that “he will set his face
like a flint,” when he stands up to plead the cause of his people (Isa
50:5-7). Lawyers, of all men, need this courage, and to be above
others, men of hard foreheads, because of the affronts that sometimes
they meet with, be their cause never so good, in the face sometimes, of
the chief of a kingdom. Now Christ is our lawyer, and stands up to
plead, not only sometimes, but always, for his people, before the God
of gods, and that not in a corner, but while all the host of heaven
stands by, both on the right hand and on the left. Nor is it to be
doubted but that our accuser brings many a sore charge against us into
the court; but, however, we have an Advocate that is valiant and
courageous, one that will not fail nor be discouraged till he has
brought judgment unto victory. Hence John asserts his name, saying, “If
any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ.”
Men love to understand a man before they commit their cause unto him-to
wit, whether he be fitly qualified for their business. Well, here is an
Advocate propounded, an Advocate to plead our cause against our foe.
But what is he? What is his name? Is he qualified for my business? The
answer is, It is Jesus Christ. How? Jesus Christ, what! That old friend
of publicans and sinners? Jesus Christ! He used never to fail, he used
to set his face like a flint against Satan when he pleaded the cause of
his people. Is it Jesus Christ? says the knowing soul; then he shall be
mine Advocate.