causes Jesus Christ sometimes takes in hand, and for what sad souls he
sometimes pleads with God his Father. He had need of a face as hard as
flint, else how could he bear up in that work in which for us sometimes
he is employed-a work enough to make angels blush. Some, indeed, will
lightly put off this, and say, “It is his office”; but, I say, his
office, notwithstanding the work in itself is hard, exceeding hard,
when he went to die, had he not despised the shame, he had turned his
back upon the cross, and left us in our blood. And now it is his turn
to plead, the case would be the same, only he can make argument upon
that which to us seems to yield no argument at all, to take courage to
plead for a Joshua, for a Joshua clothed, clothed with filthy garments.
He, saith he, that “shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation: of him shall the Son of man be
ashamed,” &C (Mark 8:38). Hence it follows that Christ will be ashamed
of some; but why not ashamed of others? It is not because their cause
is good, but because they are kept from denying of him professedly;
wherefore, for such he will force himself, and will set his face like a
flint, and will, without shame, own, plead, and improve his interest
with God for them, even for them whose cause is so horribly bad and
gross that themselves do blush while they think thereof. But what will
not love do? What will not love bear with? And what will not love
suffer? Of all the offices of Jesus Christ, I think this trieth him as
much as any! True, his offering himself in sacrifice tried him greatly,
but that was but for awhile; his grappling, as a captain, with the
curse, death, and hell, tried him much, but that also was but for
awhile; but this office of being an Advocate, though it meeteth not
with such sudden depths of trouble, yet what is wants in shortness it
may meet with in length of time. I know Christ, being raised from the
dead, dies no more; yet he has not left off, though in heaven, to do
some works of service for his saints on earth; for there he pleads as
an Advocate or lawyer for his people (Heb 8:1, 2). And let it be that
he has no cause of shame when he standeth thus up to plead for so vile
a wretch as I, who have so vilely sinned, yet I have cause to think
that well he may, and to hold my hands before my face for shame, and to
be confounded with shame, while he, to fetch me off from condemnation
for my transgressions, sets his face like a flint to plead for me with
God, and against my accuser. But thus much for the seventh privilege
that they have by Christ who have him for their Advocate.
Eighth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate is this, He is always ready, always in
court, always with the judge, then and there to oppose, if our accuser
comes, and to plead against him what is pleadable for his children. And
this the text implies where it saith, “We have an Advocate with the
Father,” always with the Father. Some lawyers, though they are
otherwise able and shrewd, yet not being always in court and ready, do
suffer their poor clients to be baffled and nonsuited23 by their
adversary; yea, it so comes to pass because of this neglect, that a
judgment is got out against them for whom they have undertaken to
plead, to their great perplexity and damage: but no such opportunity
can Satan have of our Advocate, for he is with the Father, always with
the Father; as to be a Priest, so to be an Advocate-“We have an
Advocate with the Father.” It is said of the priests, they wait at the
altar, and that they give attendance there, (I Cor 9:13); also of the
magistrate, that as to his office, he should attend “continually on
this very thing” (Rom 13:6). And as these, so Christ, as to his office
of an Advocate, attends continually upon that office with his Father.
“We have an Advocate with the Father,” always with the Father. And
truly such an Advocate becomes the children of God, because of the
vigilance of their enemy; for it is said of him, that “he accuseth us
day and night,” so unweariedly doth he both seek and pursue our
destruction (Rev 12:10). But behold how we are provided for him-“We
have an Advocate with the Father.” If he come a-days, our Advocate is
with the Father; if he come a-nights, our Advocate is with the Father24
Thus, then, is our Advocate ready to put check to Satan, come he when
he will or can, to accuse us to the Father. Wherefore these two texts
are greatly to be minded, one of them, for that it shows us the
restlessness of our enemy, the other, for that it shows us the
diligence of our Advocate.
That, also, in the Hebrews shows us the carefulness of our Advocate,
where it saith, He is gone “into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us” (Heb 9:24). Now, just the time present; NOW,
the time always present; NOW, let Satan come when he will! Nor is it to
be omitted that this word that thus specifies the time, the present
time, doth also conclude it to be that time in which we are imperfect
in grace, in which we have many failings, in which we are tempted and
accused of the devil to God; this is the time, and in it, and every
whit of it, he now appeareth in the presence of God for us. Oh, the
diligence of our enemy; oh, the diligence of our friend!-the one
against us, the other for us, and that continually-“If any man sin, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” This,
then, that Jesus Christ is always an Advocate with the Father for us,
and so continually ready to put a check to every accusation that Satan
brings into the presence of God against us, is another of the
privileges that they have, who have Jesus Christ for their Advocate.
Ninth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ
to be their Advocate is this, he is such an one that will not, by
bribes, by flattery, nor fair pretenses, be turned aside from pursuing
of his client’s business. This was the fault of lawyers in old time,
that they would wrest judgment for a bribe. Hence the Holy One
complained, that a bribe did use to blind the eyes of the wise, and
pervert the judgment of the righteous (I Sam 12:3; Amos 5:12; Deut
16:19).
There are three things in judgment that a lawyer must take heed of-one
is the nature of the offence, the other is the meaning and intendment
of the law-makers, and a third is to plead for them in danger, without
respect to affection or reward; and this is the excellency of our
Advocate, he will not, cannot be biased to turn aside from doing
judgment. And this the apostle intendeth when he calleth our Advocate
“Jesus Christ the righteous.” “We have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous”; or, as another prophet calls him, to wit,
“The just Lord-one that will not do iniquity”-that is, no
unrighteousness in judgment (Zeph 3:5). He will not be provoked to do
it, neither by the continual solicitations of thine enemy; nor by thy
continual provocations wherewith, by reason of thy infirm condition,
thou dost often tempt him to do it. And remember that thy Advocate
pleads by the new covenant, and thine adversary accuses by the old; and
again, remember that the new covenant is better and more richly
provided with grounds of pleading for our pardon and salvation, than
the old can be with grounds for a charge to be brought in by the devil
against us, suppose our sin be never so heinous. It is a better
covenant, established upon better promises.
Now, put these two together-namely, that Jesus Christ is righteous, and
will not swerve in judgment; also, that he pleads for us by the new
law, with which Satan hath nothing to do, nor, had he, can he by it
bring in a plea against us, because that law, in the very body of it,
consists in free promises of giving grace unto us, and of an
everlasting forgiveness of our sin (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:25-30; Heb
8:8-13) O children, your Advocate will stick to the law, to the new
law, to the new and everlasting covenant, and will not admit that
anything should be pleaded by our foe that is inconsistent with the
promise of the gift of grace, and of the remission of all sin. This,
therefore, is another privilege that they are made partakers of who
have Jesus Christ to be their Advocate. He is just, he is righteous, he
is “Jesus Christ the righteous”; he will not be turned aside to judge
awry, either of the crime or the law, for favour or affection. Nor is
there any sin but what is pardonable committed by those that have
chosen Jesus Christ to be their Advocate.
Tenth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus Christ
to be their Advocate, is this, the Father has made him, even him that
is thine Advocate, the umpire and judge in all matters that have, do,
or shall fall out betwixt him and us. Mark this well; for when the
judge himself, before whom I am accused, shall make 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,
especially since my Advocate has espoused my cause, promised me
deliverance, and pleaded my right to the state of eternal life-must it
not go well with me? Yes, verily. The judge, then, making thine
Advocate the judge, for he “hath committed all judgment unto the Son,”
hath done it also for thy sake who hast chosen him to be thine Advocate
(John 5:22) It was a great thing that happened to Israel when Joseph
was become their advocate, and when Pharaoh had made him a judge.
“Thou,” says he, “shalt be over my house, and according unto 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 Egypt-only in the throne will I be greater than thou” (Gen
41:40,44). Joseph in this was a type of Christ, and his government 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 heart’s desire of the client whose the advocate
is, especially when, as I said before, the cause of the client is
become the concern of the advocate, and that they are both wrapped up
in the self-same interest; yea, when the judge himself also is therein
concerned; and yet thus it is with that soul who has Jesus Christ for
his Advocate. What sayest 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
umpire and judge in thine affair. Art thou also willing that he should
decide the matter? Canst thou say unto him as David, “Judge me, O God,
and plead my cause” (Psa 43:1)? Oh, 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,
Eleventh Privilege. The advantage that he has that has the Lord Jesus
for his Advocate 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 ransom 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 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 16:13-15; Heb 9:11-24). What then can accrue to our
enemy? or what advantage can he get by his thus vexing and troubling
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. Samson’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,” and he was cast out and down (Rev 12:10-12). And
thus much for the privileges that those are made partakers of, who have
Jesus Christ to be their Advocate.
[THE NECESSITY OF HAVING CHRIST FOR OUR ADVOCATE.]
Fifthly, I come now to the fifth thing, which is, to show 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
employ distinct from his priestly, kingly, or prophetical offices. 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 showed you in that which goes before. But having already showed
you the nature, I will now show 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
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, while it
asserteth the reality of the pardon of sin, the justification of the
unworthy, and their glorification with God (Rom 3:24; Isa, Jer, Mal;
Rom 3, 4, 8; Gal 3,4). 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,” or, as the margin has it, “I will show
thee that there are yet words for God,” words to be spoken and pleaded
against his enemies for the justification of his actions (Job 36:2).
Now, as it is necessary that there should be advocates for God on earth
to plead for his justice and holiness, while he saveth sinners, against
the cavils of an ungodly people, so it is necessary that there should
be an Advocate also in heaven, that may there vindicate the same
justice and holiness of God from all those charges that the fallen
angels are apt to charge it with, while it consenteth that we, though
ungodly, should be saved.
That the fallen angels are bold enough to charge God to his face with
unjustness of language, is evident in the 1st and 2nd of Job; and that
they should not be as bold to charge him with unjustness of actions,
nothing can be showed to the contrary. Further, that God seeks to clear
himself of this unjust charge of Satan is as manifest; for all the
troubles of his servant Job were chiefly for that purpose. And why he
should have one also in heaven to plead for the justness of his doing
in the forgiveness and salvation of sinners appears also as necessary,
even because there is one, even an Advocate with the Father, or on the
Father’s side, seeking to vindicate his justice, while he pleadeth with
him for us, against the devil and his objections. God is wonderfully
pleased with his design in saving of sinners; it pleases him at the
heart. And since he also is infinitely just, there is need that an
Advocate should be appointed to show how, in a way of justice as well
as mercy, a sinner may be saved.
The good angels did not at first see so far into the mysteries of the
gospel of the grace of God, but that they needed further light therein
for the vindication of their Lord as servants. Wherefore they yet did
pry and look narrowly into it further, and also bowed their heads and
hearts to learn yet more, by the church, of “the manifold wisdom of
God” (I Peter 1:12; Eph 3:9,10). And if the standing angels were not
yet, to the utmost, perfect in the knowledge of this mystery, and yet
surely they must know more thereof than those that fell could do, no
wonder if those devils, whose enmity could not but animate their
ignorance, made, and do make, their cavils against justice, insinuating
that it is not impartial and exact, because it, as it is just,
justifieth the ungodly.
That Satan will quarrel with God I have showed you, and that he will
also dispute against his works with the holy angels, is more than
intimated by the apostle Jude, verse 9, and why not quarrel with, and
accuse the justice of God as unrighteous, for consenting to the
salvation of sinners, since his best qualifications are most profound
and prodigious attempts to dethrone the Lord God of his power and
glory.
Nay, all this is evident, since “we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.” And again, I say, it is evident that one
part of his work as an Advocate, is to vindicate the justice of God
while he pleadeth for our salvation, because he pleadeth a
propitiation; for a propitiation respects God as well as us; the
appeasing his wrath, and the reconciling of his justice to us, as well
as the redeeming us from death and hell; yea, it therefore doth the
one, because it doth the other. Now, if Christ, as an Advocate,
pleadeth a propitiation with God, for whose conviction doth he plead
it? Not for God’s; for he has ordained it, allows it, and gloriously
acquiesces therein, because he knows the whole virtue thereof. It is
therefore for the conviction of the fallen angels, and for the
confounding of all those cavils that can be invented and objected
against our salvation by those most subtle and envious ones. But,
Second. There is matter of law to be objected, and that both against
God and us; at least, there seems to be so, because of the sanction
that God has put upon the law, and also because we have sinned against
it. God has said, “In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely
die”; and, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” God also standeth
still upon the vindication of his justice, he also saveth sinners. Now,
in comes our accuser, and chargeth us of sin, of being guilty of sin,
because we have transgressed the law. God also will not be put out of
his way, or steps of grace, to save us; also he will say, he is just
and righteous still. Ay, but these are but say-so’s. How shall this be
proved? Why, now, here is room for an advocate that can plead to matter
of law, that can preserve the sanction of the law in the salvation of
the sinner-“He will magnify the law, and make it honourable” (Isa
42:21). The margin saith, “and make him honourable25”—that is, he shall
save the sinner, and preserve the holiness of the law, and the honour
of his God. But who is this that can do this? “It is the servant of
God,” saith the prophet, (Isa 42:1, 13), “the Lord, a man of war.” But
how can this be done by him? The answer is, It shall be done, “for God
is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake”; for it is by that he
magnifies the law, and makes his Father honourable-that is, he, as a
public person, comes into the world under the law, fulfills it, and
having so done, he gives that righteousness away, for he, as to his own
person, never had need thereof; I say, he gives that righteousness to
those that have need, to those that have none of their own, that
righteousness might be imputed to them. This righteousness, then, he
presenteth to God for us, and God, for this righteousness’ sake, is
well pleased that we should be saved, and for it can save us, and
secure his honour, and preserve the law in its sanction. And this
Christ pleadeth against Satan as an Advocate with the Father for us; by
which he vindicates his Father’s justice, holdeth the child of God,
notwithstanding his sins, in a state of justification, and utterly
overthroweth and confoundeth the devil.
For Christ, in pleading thus, appeals to the law itself, if he has not
done it justice, saying, “Most mighty law, what command of thine have I
not fulfilled? What demand of thine have I not fully answered? Where is
that jot or tittle of the law that is able to object against my doings
for want of satisfaction?” Here the law is mute; it speaketh not one
word by way of the least complaint, but rather testifies of this
righteousness that it is good and holy, (Rom 3:22, 23; 5:15-19). Now,
then, since Christ did this as a public person, it follows that others
must be justified thereby; for that was the end and reason of Christ’s
taking on him to do the righteousness of the law. Nor can the law
object against the equity of this dispensation of heaven; for why might
not that God, who gave the law his being and his sanction, dispose as
he pleases of the righteousness which it commendeth? Besides, if men be
made righteous, they are so; and if by a righteousness which the law
commendeth, how can fault be found with them by the law? Nay, it is
“witnessed 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 show 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
easy pleader, though the cause that he pleadeth be good, a crafty
opposer may overthrow the right; but here is the salvation of the
children in debate, 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 justify the justice of God, defend the holiness of the law, and
save the sinner from all the arguments, pleas, stops and demurs 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 though 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 shows, therefore, that Christ is not ashamed to own the way of our
justification and salvation, no, not before men and devils. It shows
also that he is resolved to dispute and plead for the same, though the
devil himself shall oppose it. And since our adversary pretends a plea
in law against it, it is meet that there should be an open hearing
before the Judge of all about it; but, forasmuch as we neither can nor
dare appear to plead for ourselves, 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
shows 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,
Third. There are many things relating to the promise, to our life, and
to the threatenings, that minister matter of question and doubt, and
give the advantage of objections unto him that so eagerly desireth to
be putting in cavils against our salvation, all which it hath pleased
God to repel by Jesus Christ our Advocate.