encouragement of these graces, so we should improve it to the driving
of difficulties down before us, to the getting of ground upon the
enemy-“Resist the devil,” drive him back; this is it for which thy Lord
Jesus is an Advocate with God in heaven; and this is it for the sake of
which thou art made a believer on earth (I Peter 5:9; Heb 12:4).
Wherefore has God put this sword, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE, into thy hand,
but to fight thy way through the world? “Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life,” and say, “I will go in the strength of the
Lord God.” And since I have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous, I will not despair, though “the iniquity of my heels
shall compass me about” (Psa 49:5).
Use Fifth. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us with God, to
plead with him for us against the devil? Let this teach us to stand up
to plead for him before men, to plead for him against the enemies of
his person and gospel. This is but reasonable; for if Christ stands up
to plead for us, why should not we stand up to plead for him? He also
expects this at our hands, saying, “Who will rise up for me against the
evil doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”
(Psa 94:16). The apostle did it, and counted himself engaged to do it,
where he saith, he preached “the gospel of God with much contention” (I
Thess 2:2). Nor is this the duty of apostles or preachers only, but
every child of God should “earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
And, as I said, there is reason why we should do this; he standeth for
us. And if we, (1.) Consider the disparity of persons to plead, it will
seem far more reasonable. He stands up to plead with God, we stand up
to plead with men. The dread of God is great, yea, greater than the
dread of men. (2.) If we consider the persons pleaded for. He pleads
for sinners, for the inconsiderable, vile, and base; we plead for
Jesus, for the great, holy, and honourable. It is an honour for the
poor to stand up for the great and mighty; but what honour is it for
the great to plead for the base? Reason, therefore, requireth that we
stand up to plead for him, though there can be but little rendered why
he should stand up to plead for us. (3.) He standeth up to plead for us
in the most holy place, though we are vile; and why should we not stand
up for him in this vile world, since he is holy? (4.) He pleads for us,
though our cause is bad; why should not we plead for him, since his
cause is good? (5.) He pleads for us, against fallen angels; why should
we not plead for him against sinful vanities? (6.) He pleads for us to
save our souls; why should not we plead for him to sanctify his name?
(7.) He pleads for us before the holy angels; why should not we plead
for him before princes? (8.) He is not ashamed of us, though now in
heaven; why should we be ashamed of him before this adulterous and
sinful generation? (9.) He is unwearied in his pleading for us; why
should we faint and be dismayed while we plead for him?
My brethren, is it not reasonable that we should stand up for him in
this world? Yea, is it not reason that in all things we should study
his exaltation here, since he in all things contrives our honour and
glory in heaven? A child of God should study in every of his relations
to serve the Lord Christ in this world, because Christ, by the
execution of every one of his offices, seeks our promotion hereafter.
If these be not sufficient arguments to bow us to yield up our members,
ourselves, our whole selves to God, that we may be servants of
righteousness unto him; yea, if by these and such like we are not made
willing to stand up for him before men, it is a sign that there is but
little, if any, of the grace of God in our hearts.
Yea, further, that we should have now at last in reserve Christ as
authorized to be our Advocate to plead for us; for this is the last of
his offices for us while we are here, and is to be put in practice for
us when there are more than ordinary occasions. This is to help, as we
say, at a dead lift, even then when a Christian is taken for a captive,
or when he sinks in the mire where is no standing, or when he is
clothed with filthy garments, or when the devil doth desperately plead
against us our evil deeds, or when by our lives we have made our
salvation questionable, and have forfeited our evidences for heaven.
And why then should not we have also in reserve for Christ? And when
profession and confession will not do, when loss of goods and a prison
will not do, when loss of country and of friends will not do, then to
bring it in, then to bring it in as the reserve, and as that which will
do-to wit, willingly to lay down our lives for his name; and since he
doth his part without grudging for us, let us do ours with rejoicing
for him (Isa 24:15; John 21:19).
Use Sixth. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us, and that of his
mere grace and love? Then this should teach Christians to be watchful
and wary how they sin against God. This inference seems to run
retrograde; but whoso duly considers it, will find it fairly fetched
from the premises. Christianity teaches ingenuity, 36 and aptness to be
sensible of kindnesses, and doth instruct us to a loathness to be
overhard upon him from whom we have all at free cost. “Shall we-sin
that grace may abound? God forbid. Shall we do evil that good may come?
God forbid. Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid” (Rom 6:1, 2, 15).
It is the most disingenuous thing in the world not to care how
chargeable we are to that friend that bestows all upon us gratis. When
Mephibosheth had an opportunity to be yet more chargeable to David, he
would not, because he had his life and his all from the mere grace of
the king (II Sam 19:24-28). Also David thought it too much for all his
household to go to Absalom’s feast, because it was made of free cost.
Why, Christ is our Advocate of free cost, we pay him neither fee nor
income for what he doth; nor doth he desire aught of us, but to accept
of his free doing for us thankfully; wherefore let us put him upon this
work as little as may be, and by so doing we shall show ourselves
Christians of the right make and stamp. We count him but a fellow of a
very gross spirit that will therefore be lavishing of what is his
friend’s, because it is prepared of mere kindness for him; Esau himself
was loath to do this; and shall Christians be disingenuous?
I dare say, if Christians were sober, watchful, and of a more
self-denying temper, they need not put the Lord Jesus to that to which
for the want of these things they do so often put him. I know he is not
unwilling to serve us, but I know also that the love of Christ should
constrain us to live not to ourselves, but to him that loved us, that
died for us, and rose again (II Cor 5:14, 15). We shall do that which
is naught too much, even then when we watch and take care what we can
to prevent it. Our flesh, when we do our utmost diligence to resist, it
will defile both us and our best performances. We need not lay the
reins on its neck and say, What care we? the more sin the more grace,
and the more we shall see the kindness of Christ, and what virtue there
is in his Advocate’s office to save us. And should there be any such
here, I would present them with a scripture or two; the first is this,
“Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?” (Deut
32:6). And if this gentle check will not do, then read the other, Shall
we say, Let us do evil that good may come? their damnation is just (Rom
3:8). Besides, as nothing so swayeth with us as love, so there is
nothing so well pleasing to God as it. Let a man love, though he has
opportunity to do nothing, it is accepted of the God of heaven. But
where there is no love, let a man do what he will, it is not at all
regarded (I Cor 13:1-3). Now to be careless and negligent, and that
from a supposed understanding of the grace of Christ in the exercise of
his advocateship for us in heaven, is as clear sign as can be, that in
thy heart there is no love to Christ, and that consequently thou art
just a nothing, instead of being a Christian. Talk, then, what thou
wilt, and profess never so largely, Christ is no Advocate of thine, nor
shalt thou, thou so continuing, be ever the better for any of those
pleas that Christ, at God’s bar, puts in against the devil, for his
people.
Christians, Christ Jesus is not unwilling to lay out himself for you in
heaven, nor to be an Advocate for you in the presence of his Father;
but yet he is unwilling that you should render him evil for good; I
say, that you should do so by your remissness and carelessness for want
of such a thinking of things as may affect your hearts therewith. It
would be more comely in you, would please him better, would agree with
your profession, and also better would prove you gracious, to be found
in the power and nature of these conclusions. “How shall we that are
dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 6:2).” If ye be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the
right hand of God; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things’
sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience” (Col
3:1-6).
I say, it would be more comely for Christians to say, We will not sin
because God will pardon; we will not commit iniquity because Christ
will advocate for us. “I write unto you that ye sin not; though if any
man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.” Why, the brute would
conclude, I will not do so, because my master will beat me; I will do
thus, for then my master will love me. And Christians should be above
[such] men, brutish men.
And for a conclusion as to this, let me present you with three
considerations-(1.) Know that it is the nature of grace to draw holy
arguments to move to goodness of life from the love and goodness of
God, but not thence to be remiss (II Cor 5:14). (2.) Know therefore
that they have no grace that find not these effects of the discoveries
of the love and goodness of God. (3.) Know also that among all the
swarms of professors that from age to age make mention of the name of
Christ, they only must dwell with him in heaven that do part from
iniquity, and are zealous of good works (II Tim 2:19). He gave himself
for these (Titus 2:11-14). Not that they were so antecedent to this
gift. But those that he hath redeemed to himself are thus sanctified by
the faith of him (Acts 26:18).
Use Seventh. Is it so? Is Jesus Christ an Advocate with the Father for
us? Then this should encourage strong Christians to tell the weak ones
where, when they are in their temptations and fears through sin, they
may have one to plead their cause. Thus the apostle doth by the text;
and thus we should do one to another. Mark, he telleth the weak of an
Advocate: “My little children, I write unto you that ye sin not; though
if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.”
Christians, when they would comfort their dejected brethren, talk too
much at rovers37 or in generals; they should be more at the mark: “A
word spoken in season, how good is it?” I say, Christians should
observe and inquire, that they may observe the cause or ground of their
brother’s trouble; and having first taken notice of that, in the next
place consider under which of the offices of Jesus Christ this sin or
trouble has cast this man; and so labour to apply Christ in the word of
the gospel to him. Sometimes we are bid to consider him as an Apostle
and High Priest, and sometimes as a forerunner and an Advocate. And he
has, as was said afore, these divers offices, with others, that we by
the consideration of him might be relieved under our manifold
temptations. This, as I said, as I perceive John teaches us here, as he
doth a little before of his being a sacrifice for us; for he presenteth
them that after conversion shall sin with Christ as an Advocate with
the Father. As who should say, My brethren, are you tempted, are you
accused, have you sinned, has Satan prevailed against you? “We have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Thus we should do, and deliver our brother from death. There is nothing
that Satan more desires than to get good men in his sieve to sift them
as wheat, that if possible he may leave them nothing but bran; no
grace, but the very husk and shell of religion. And when a Christian
comes to know this, should Christ as Advocate be hid, what could bear
him up? But let him now remember and believe that “we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” and he forthwith
conceiveth comfort; for an advocate is to plead for me according as has
been showed afore, that I may be delivered from the wrath and
accusation of my adversary, and still be kept safe under grace.
Further, by telling of my brother that he hath an Advocate, I put
things into his mind that he has not known, or do bring them into
remembrance which he has forgotten-to wit, that though he hath sinned,
he shall be saved in a way of justice; for an advocate is to plead
justice and law, and Christ is to plead these for a saint that has
sinned; yea, so to plead them that he may be saved. This being so, he
is made to perceive that by law he must have his sins forgiven him;
that by justice he must be justified. For Christ as an Advocate
pleadeth for justice, justice to himself; and this saint is of
himself-a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Nor has Satan so good a right to plead justice against us, though we
have sinned, that we might be damned, as Christ has to plead it, though
we have sinned, that we might be saved; for sin cannot cry so loud to
justice as can the blood of Christ; and he pleads his blood as
Advocate, by which he has answered the law; wherefore the law having
nothing to object, must needs acquit the man for whom the Lord Jesus
pleads. I conclude this with that of the Psalmist, “Surely his
salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness
shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is
good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go
before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps” (Psa 85:9-13).
Use Eighth. But what is all this to you that are not concerned in this
privilege? The children, indeed, have the advantage of an advocate; but
what is this to them that have none to plead their cause? (Jer 30:12,
13); they are, as we say, left to the wide world, or to be ground to
powder between the justice of God and the sins which they have
committed. This is the man that none but the devil seeks after; that is
pursued by the law, and sin, and death, and has none to plead his
cause. It is sad to consider the plight that such an one is in. His
accuser is appointed, yea, ordered to bring in a charge against
him-“Let Satan stand at his right hand,” in the place where accusers
stand. “And when he shall be judged, let him be condemned,” let there
be none to plead for his deliverance. If he cries, or offereth to cry
out for mercy or forgiveness, “let his prayer become sin” (Psa
109:6-7). This is the portion of a wicked man: “terrors take hold on
him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night, the east wind
carrieth him away, and he departeth, and as a storm hurleth him out of
his place; for God shall cast upon him, and not spare; he would fain
flee out of his hand. Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss
him out of his place” (Job 27:20-23). And what shall this man do? Can
he overstand the charge, the accusation, the sentence, and
condemnation? No, he has none to plead his cause. I remember that
somewhere I have read, as I think, concerning one who, when he was
being carried upon men’s shoulders to the grave, cried out as he lay
upon the bier, I am accused before the just judgment of God; and a
while after, I am condemned before the just judgment of God. Nor was
this man but strict as the religion that was then on foot in the world;
but all the religion of the world amounts to no more than nothing. I
mean as to eternal salvation, if men be denied an Advocate to plead
their cause with God. Nor can any advocate save Jesus Christ the
righteous avail anything at all, because there is none appointed but
him to that work, and therefore not to be admitted to enter a plea for
their client at the bar of God.
Objection. But some may say, There is God’s grace, the promise,
Christ’s blood, and his second part of priesthood now in heaven. Can
none of these severally, nor all of them jointly, save a man from hell,
unless Christ also become our Advocate?
Answer. All these, his Advocate’s office not excluded, are few enough,
and little enough, to save the saints from hell; for the righteous
shall scarcely be saved (I Peter 4:18). There must, then, be the
promise, God’s grace, Christ’s blood, and him to advocate too, or we
cannot be saved. What is the promise without God’s grace, and what is
that grace without a promise to bestow it on us? I say, what benefit
have we thereby? Besides, if the promise and God’s grace, without
Christ’s blood, would have saved us, wherefore then did Christ die?
Yea, and again I say, if all these, without his being an Advocate,
would have delivered us from all those disadvantages that our sins and
infirmities would bring us to and into; surely in vain and to no
purpose was Jesus made an Advocate. But, soul, there is need of all;
and therefore be not thou offended that the Lord Jesus is of the Father
made so much to his, but rather admire and wonder that the Father and
the Son should be so concerned with so sorry a lump of dust and ashes
as thou art. And I say again, be confounded to think that sin should be
a thing so horrible, of power to pollute, to captivate, and detain us
from God, that without all this ado (I would speak with reverence of
God and his wisdom) we cannot be delivered from the everlasting
destruction that it hath brought upon the children of men.
But, I say, what is this to them that are not admitted to a privilege
in the advocate-office of Christ? Whether he is an Advocate or no, the
case to them is the same. True, Christ as a Saviour is not divided; he
that hath him not in all, shall have him in none at all of his offices
in a saving manner. Therefore, he for whom he is not an Advocate, he is
nothing as to eternal life.
Indeed, Christ by some of his offices is concerned for the elect,
before by some others of them he is; but such shall have the blessing
of them all before they come to glory. Nor hath man ground to say
Christ is here or there mine, before he hath ground to say, he also is
mine Advocate; though that office of his, as has been already showed,
stands in the last place, and comes in as a reserve. But can any
imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom he will not
plead as Advocate? or that he will speak for them to God for whom he
will not plead against the devil? No, no; they are his own, that he
loveth to the end, (John 13:1), to the end of their lives, to the end
of their sins, to the end of their temptations, to the end of their
fears, and of the exercise of the rage and malice of Satan against
them. To the end may also be understood, even until he hath given them
the profit and benefit of all his offices in their due exercise and
administration. But, I say, what is all this to them that have him not
for their Advocate?
You may remember that I have already told you that there are several
who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate-to wit, those that are
still in their sins, pursuing of their lusts; those that are ashamed of
him before men; and those that are never otherwise but lukewarm in
their profession. And let us now, for a conclusion, make further
inquiry into this matter.
Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus for their Advocate
to plead their cause; who despise and reject his person, his Word, and
ways? or those either who are so far off from sense of, and shame for,
sin, that it is the only thing they hug and embrace? True, he pleadeth
the cause of his people both with the Father and against the devil, and
all the world besides; but open profaneness, shame of good, and without
heart or warmth in religion, are no characters of his people. It is
irrational to think that Christ is an Advocate for, or that he pleadeth
the cause of such, who, in the self-same hour, and before his enemies,
are throwing dirt in his face by their profane mouths and unsanctified
lives and conversations.
If he pleads as an Advocate for any, he must plead against Satan for
them, and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground his
plea upon; I say, a bottom better than that upon which the carnal man
stands; which bottom is either some special relation that this man
stands in to God, or some special law he hath privilege by, that he may
have some ground for an appeal, if need be, to the justice and
righteousness of God; but none of these things belong to them that are
dead in trespasses and sins; they stand in no special relation to God:
they are not privileged by the law of grace.
Objection.-But doth not Christ as Advocate plead for his elect, though
not called as yet?
Answer.-He died for all his elect, he prayeth for all his elect as a
Priest, but as an Advocate he pleadeth only for the children, the
called only. Satan objecteth not against God’s election, for he knows
it not; but he objecteth against the called-to wit, whether they be
truly godly or no, or whether they ought not to die for their
transgressions (Job 1:9, 10; Zech 3). And for these things he has some
colour to frame an accusation against us, and now it is time enough for
Christ to stand up to plead. I say, for these things he has some colour
to frame a plea against us; for there is sin and a law of works, and a
judge too, that has not respect of persons. Now to overthrow this plea
of Satan, is Jesus Christ our Advocate; yea, to overthrow it by
pleading law and justice; and this must be done with respect to the
children only-“My little children, these things write I unto you, that
ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.”
FOOTNOTES:
1 “Nulled”; repealed or annulled.-ED.
2 “Ingenuity”; ingenuousness, frankness, sincerity.-ED.
3 How deeply important is this essential doctrine of Christianity-a
personal investigation. We must hear and see for ourselves, handle the
word of life, and not trust to others, however holy and capable they
may appear to be; we must search the Scriptures, and pray for
ourselves, or we have not the slightest claim to the name of
Christian.—ED.
4 The sin here referred to was numbering the people of Israel; see I
Chronicles 21:1-ED..
5 This is the great mystery of godliness-God manifest in the flesh,
making sinful creatures the members of his own body, and becoming a
sin-offering for them. It is a holy, a heavenly, a soul-comforting
mystery, which should influence the Christian to an intense hatred to
sin, as the cause of his Saviour’s sufferings; and a still more intense
love to him, who redeemed us at such a sacrifice.-ED.
6 Altered, by a typographical error, in editions after the author’s
death, to “the heathens beheld.”-ED.
7 “Replevy”: a form of law by which goods that are proved to have been
wrongfully seized are re-delivered to the owner.-ED.
8 “Donator”; giver, donor; now obsolete.-ED.
9 “Prevented”; gone before, so as to be seen. “Let thy grace, O Lord,
always prevent and follow us.”-Common Prayer.-ED.
10This may refer to Bunyan’s own feelings, which are so passionately
expressed in his Grace Abounding, No. 327, when he was dragged from his
home, his wife, and his children, to be shut up in Bedford jail, for
obedience to God. He exclaims, “My poor blind child, who lay nearer my
heart than all I had besides, thou must be beaten, must beg, suffer
hunger, cold, nakedness, and a thousand calamities, though I cannot now
endure that the wind should blow upon thee. I thought this would break
my heart to pieces.”-ED.
11 “A hank”; a check, an influence over; obsolete.-ED.
12 “Entertains his lawyer”; hires or retains. So Shakespeare-“Sweet
lady, entertain him, To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship.”
Gentleman of Verona, Scene IV.-ED.
13 “Shuff”; from the old Saxon word schufan, to reject, cast away.-ED.
14 “Supply of thy defects”; a sufficiency in himself to supply all thy
defects and deficiencies.-ED.
15 “Supersedeas”; a writ to stay proceedings, for reasons expressed in
it. “Cavils and motions”; quibbles or quirks of special pleading, and
moving a court of law to occasion delay and weary out an honest suitor;
much of this nuisance has been abated, but enough remains to render a
lawsuit uncertain, vexatious, tedious, and expensive.-ED.
16 “Glaver;” to wheedle, flatter, or fawn upon; now obsolete.-ED.