their relations bestowed on them-" And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee,” (1 Kings, xxi. 3;) no, truly will I not. Why so? Because it was my father's gift, not in common to all, but to me in special.

2. Study this office in the nature of it; for therein lies the excellency of anything, even in the nature of it. Wrong thoughts of this or that abuse it, and take its natural glory from it. Take heed, therefore, of misapprehending, while thou art seeking to apprehend, Christ as thy advocate. Men judge of Christ's offices while they are at too great a distance from them; but "let them come near," says God, "let them speak," (Isaiah, xli. 1;) or as Elihu said to his friends, when he had seen them judge amiss, "Let us choose to us judgment, let us know among ourselves what is good," Job, xxxiv. 4. So say I; study to know, rightly to know, the advocate-office of Jesus Christ. It is one of the easiest things in the world to miss of the nature, while we speak of the name and offices, of Jesus Christ; wherefore look to it that thou study the nature of the office of his advocateship, of his advocateship for, for so you ought to consider it. There is an advocate for, not against, the children of God, "Jesus Christ the righteous.”

3. Study this office with reference to its efficacy and prevalency. Job says, "After my words, they spake not again," Job, xxix. 22. And when Christ stands up to plead, all must keep silence before him. True, Satan had the first word, but Christ the last, in the business of Joshua, and such a last as brought the poor man off well, though "clothed with filthy garments," Zech. iii. Satan must be speechless after a plea of our advocate, how rampant soever he is afore; or as Elihu has it, "He was amazed; he answered no more; he left off speaking." Shall he that speaks in righteousness give place, and he who has nothing but envy and deceit be admitted to stand his ground? Behold the angels cover their faces when they speak of his glory, how then shall not Satan bend before him! In the days of his humiliation, he made him cringe and creep, how much more, then, now he is exalted to glory. to glory to be an advocate, an advocate for his people! "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

repulses while he pleads for thee at the bar against him. And all this is in very faithfulness. 5. Study also the need that thou hast of a share in the execution of the advocateship of Jesus Christ. Christians find that they have need of washing in the blood of Christ, and that they have need of being clothed with the righteousness of Christ; they also find that they have need that Christ should make intercession for them, and that by him (of necessity) they must approach God, and present their prayers and services to him; but they do not so well see that they need that Christ should also be their advocate. And the reason thereof is this: they forget that their adversary makes it his business to accuse them before the throne of God; they consider not the long scrolls and many crimes wherewith he chargeth them in the presence of the angels of God. I say, this is the cause that the advocateship of Christ is so little considered in the churches; yea, many that have been relieved by that office of his have not understood what he has thereby done for them.

But perhaps this is to be kept from many till they come to behold his face, and till all things shall be revealed, that Christ might have glory given him in the next world for doing that for them which they so little thought of in this. But do not thou be content with this ignorance, because the knowledge of his advocating it for thee will yield thee present relief. Study, therefore, thine own weakness, the holiness of the judge, the badness of thy cause, the subtlety, malice, and rage, of thine enemy; and be assured that whenever thou sinnest, by and by thou art for it accused before God at his judgment-seat. These things will, as it were, by way of necessity, instil into thy heart the need thou hast of an advocate, and will make thee look as to the blood and righteousness of Christ to justify thee, so to Christ as an advocate to plead thy cause, as did holy Job in his distresses, Job, xvi. 21.

Let

USE 3. Is Christ Jesus not only a priest of and a king over, but an advocate for his people? this make us stand and wonder, and be amazed at his humiliation and condescension. We read of his humiliation on earth when he put himself into our flesh, took upon him our sins, and made them as his own unto condemnation and death. And to be an advocate is an office reproachful to the malicious, if any man be such an one, for those that are base and unworthy. Yea, the higher and more honourable the person is that pleads for such, the more he humbles himself. The word doth often in effect count him now in heaven as a servant for us, and acts of service are acts of condescension; and I am sure some acts of service have more of that in them than others; and I think when all things are con

thing for us there of a more condescending nature than to become our advocate. True, he glories in it; but that doth not shew that the work is excellent in itself. It is also one of his titles of honour; but that is to shew how highly God esteems of and dignifies all his acts; and though this shall tend at last to the greatening of his honour and glory of his kingdom, yet the work itself is amazingly mean.

I speak after the manner of men. It is counted so in this world. How base and ignoble doth a man make himself, especially to his enemy, when he undertakes to plead a bad cause, if it happens to be the cause of the base and unworthy! And I am sure we are so in ourselves, for whom he is become an advocate with the Father. True, we are made worthy in him, but that is no thanks to us; as to ourselves and our cause, both are bad enough. Let us now leave off disputing, and stand amazed at his condescension: "He humbleth himself to behold things that are done in heaven,” (Psalm exiii. 4-6 ;) and men of old did use to wonder to think God should so much stoop as to open his eyes to look upon man, or so much as to once mind him, Job, vii. 17; xiv. 1-3; Ps. viii. 4; cxliv. 3, 4. And if these be acts that bespeak a condescension, what will you count of Christ's standing up as an advocate to plead the cause of his people? Must not that be much more so accounted? O the condescension of Christ in heaven! While cavillers quarrel at such kind of language, let the saints stay themselves and wonder at it, and be so much the more affected with his grace. The persons are base, and the crimes bad wherewith they are charged, wherefore one would think it is a great condescension of Christ to take upon him to be an advocate for such people, especially if you consider the openness of this work of Christ; for this thing is not done in a corner, but is done in open court.

1. With a holy and just God; for he is the judge of all, and his eyes are purer than to behold iniquity; yea, his very presence is a consuming fire; yet before and with his God, and that for such a people, Jesus Christ will be an advocate. For one mean man to be an advocate for the base with one that is not considerate is not so much; but for Christ to be an advocate for the base and for the base too under the basest consideration, this is to be wondered at. When Bath-sheba the queen became an advocate for Adonijah unto King Solomon, you see how he flounced at her, for that his cause was bad. "And why," saith he, "dost thou ask Abishag for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also," 1 Kings, ii. 16-23. I told you before that to be an advocate did run one upon hazards of reproach, and it may easily be thought that the queen did blush, when from the king her son she received such a repulse; nor do we hear any more of her being an advocate; I believe she had enough of this. But oh! this Christ of God, who himself is greater than Solomon, he is become an advocate, "an advocate with the Father," who is the eternally just, and holy, and righteous God; and that for a people, with respect to him far worse than could be Adonijah in the eyes of his brother Solomon. Majesty and justice are dreadful in themselves, and much more so when approached by any, especially when the cause, as to matter of fact, is bad that the man is guilty of who is concerned in the advocateship of his friend; and yet Jesus Christ is still an advocate for us, "an advocate with the Father."

2. Consider also before whom Jesus Christ doth plead as an advocate, and that is before, or

in the presence and observation of, all the heavenly host; for whilst Christ pleadeth with God for his people, "all the host of heaven stand by on the right hand and on the left," Matt. x. 32. And though as yet there may seem to be but little in this consideration, yet Christ would have us know, and account it an infinite kindness of his to us that he will confess, and not be ashamed of us before the angels of his Father, Mark, viii. 38. Angels are holy and glorious creatures, and in some respect may have a greater knowledge of the nature and baseness of sin than we while here are capable of; and so may be made to stand and wonder, while the advocate pleads with God for a people from head to foot clothed therewith. But Christ will not be ashamed to stand up for us before them, though they know how bad we are, and what vile things we have done. Let this therefore make us wonder.

3. Add to these, how unconcerned ofttimes those are with themselves, and their own desolate condition, for whom Christ as an advocate laboureth in heaven with God. Alas! the soul is as far off of knowing what the devil is doing against it at God's bar as David was when Saul was threatening to have his blood, while he was hid in the field, 1 Sam. xx. 26-32. But, O true Jonathan! how didst thou plead for David! Only here thou hadst the advantage of our advocate, thou hadst a good cause to plead; for when Saul thy father said, "David shall surely die," thy reply was, "Wherefore shall he be slain? What evil hath he done?" But Christ cannot say thus when he pleadeth for us at God's bar, nor are our present senselessness and unconcernedness about his pleading but an aggravation to our sin. Perhaps David was praying while Jonathan was playing the advocate for him before the king his father; but perhaps the saint is sleeping, yea, sinning more, whilst Christ is pleading for him in heaven. Oh! this should greatly affect us; this should make us wonder; this should be so considered by us, to heighten our souls to admiration of the grace and kindness of Christ.

4. Join to these the greatness and gravity, the highness and glorious majesty of the man that is become our advocate; says the text, it is Jesus Christ "We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ."

Now, that he should become an advocate, that he should embrace such an employ as this of his advocateship, let this be a wonder, and so be accounted. But let us come to the fourth use.

USE 4. Is it so? Is Jesus Christ the Saviour also become our advocate? Then let us labour to make that improvement of this doctrine as tendeth to strengthen our graces, and us in the management of them. Indeed, this should be the use that we should make of all the offices of Christ; but let us at this time concern ourselves about this; let, I say, the poor Christian thus expostulate with himself

1. Is Christ Jesus the Lord mine advocate with the Father? Then awake, my faith, and shake thyself like a giant; stir up thyself, and be not faint; Christ is the advocate of his people; and as for sin, which is one great stumble to thy actings, O my faith, Christ has not only died for

that as a sacrifice, nor only carried his sacrifice unto the Father, into the holiest of all, but is there to manage that offering as an advocate, pleading the efficacy and worth thereof before God against the devil for us.

Thus, I say, we should strengthen our faith, for faith has to do not only with the word, but also with the offices of Christ. Besides, considering how many the assaults are that are made upon our faith, we find all little enough to support it against all the wiles of the devil.

Christians too little concern themselves, as I have said, with the offices of Jesus Christ, and, therefore, their knowledge of him is so little, and their faith in him so weak. We are bid to have our conversation in heaven, and that a man so hath when he is there in his spirit by faith, observing how the Lord Jesus doth exercise his offices there for him. Let us often, by faith, go to the bar of God, there to hear our advocate plead our cause; we should often have our faith to God's judgment-seat, because we are concerned there; there we are accused of the devil, there we have our crimes laid open, and there we have our advocate to plead and this is suggested in the text, for it saith," We have an advocate with the Father;" therefore, thither our faith should go for help and relief in the day of our straits. I say, we should have our faith to God's judgment-seat, and shew it there by the glass of our text what Satan is doing against, and the Lord Jesus for, our souls. We should also shew it how the Lord Jesus carries away every cause from the devil, and from before the judgment-seat, to the comfort of the children, the joy of angels, and the shame of the enemy. This would strengthen and support our faith indeed, and would make us more able than for the most part we are, to apply the grace of God to ourselves, and hereafter to give more strong repulses to Satan. It is easy with a man, when he knows that his advocate has overthrown his enemy at the King's Bench bar or Court of Common Pleas, less to fear him the next time he sees him, and more boldly to answer him when he reneweth his threats again. Let faith, then, be strengthened, from its being exercised about the advocateship of Jesus Christ.

2. As we should make use of Christ's advocateship for strengthening our faith, so we should also make use thereof to encourage us to prayer. As our faith is, so is our prayer-to wit, cold, weak, and doubtful. When faith cannot apprehend our access to the Father by Christ, or that we have an advocate, when charged before God for our sins by the devil, then we lag and faint in our prayer; but when we begin to take courage to believe, (and we do so when most clearly we apprehend Christ,) then we get up in prayer. And according as a man apprehends Christ in his undertakings and offices, so he will wrestle with and supplicate God. As, suppose a man believes Christ died for his sins, why, then he will plead that in prayer with God. Suppose, also, that a man understands that Christ rose again for his justification, why, then he will also plead that in prayer; but if he knows no more, no further will he go. But when he shall know that there is also for him an advocate with the Father, and

that that advocate is Jesus Christ, and when the glory of this office of Christ shall shine in the face of this man's soul, then he prays with that courage he had not before; yea, then is his faith so supported and strengthened, that his prayer is much more fervent and importuning.

So that, I say, the knowledge of the advocateship of Christ is very useful to strengthen our graces; and, as of graces in general, so of faith and prayer in particular. Wherefore our wisdom is, so to improve this doctrine that prayer may be strengthened thereby.

3. As we should make use of this doctrine to strengthen faith and prayer, so we should make use of it to keep us humble; for the more offices Christ executeth for us with the Father, the greater sign that we are bad; and the more we see our badness, the more humble should we be. Christ gave for us the price of blood; but that is not all: Christ as a captain has conquered death and the grave for us; but that is not all: Christ as a priest intercedes for us in heaven, but that is not all. Sin is still in us, with us, and mixes itself with whatever we do, whether what we do be religious or civil; for not only our prayers and sermons, our hearing, preaching, &c., but our houses, shops, trades, and beds, are all polluted with sin. Nor doth the devil (our night and day adversary) forbear to tell our bad deeds to our Father, urging that we might for ever be disinherited for this. And what should we now do, if we had not an advocate, yea, if we had not one to plead in forma pauperis; yea, if we had not one that could prevail, and that would faithfully execute that office for us? Why, we must die. But since we are rescued by him, let us, as to ourselves, lay our hand upon our mouth, and be silent, and say, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.” And, I say again, since the Lord Jesus runs through so many offices for us before he can bring us to glory, how low, how little, how vile and base in our own eyes should we he.

It is a shame for a Christian to think highly of himself, since Christ is fain to do so much for him, and he again not at all able to make him amends; but some, whose riches consist in nothing but scabs and lice, will yet have lofty looks.

But are they not much to blame who sit lifting up of lofty eyes in the house, and yet know not how to turn their hand to do anything so but that another, their betters, must come and mend their work? I say, is it not fitter that such should look, speak, and act as such that declare a sense of their unhandiness, and their shame for their unprofitableness? yea, is it not meet that to every one they should confess what sorry ones they are? I am sure it should be thus with Christians, and God is angry when it is otherwise. Nor doth it become these helpless ones to lift up themselves. Let Christ's advocateship therefore teach them to be humble.

4. As we should improve this doctrine to strengthen faith, to encourage prayer, and keep us humble, so we should make use of it to encourage perseverance-that is, to hold out to the end; for for all those causes the apostle setteth Christ before us as an advocate. There is no

thing more discourages the truly godly than the sense of their own infirmities, (as has been hinted all along;) consequently, nothing can more encourage them to go on than to think that Christ is an advocate for them. The services, also, that Christ has for us to do in this world are full of difficulty, and so apt to discourage; but when a Christian shall come to understand that (if we do what we can) it is not a failing either in matter or manner that shall render it wholly unserviceable, or give the devil that advantage as to plead thereby to prevail for our condemnation and rejection, but that Christ, by being our advocate, saves us from falling short, as also from the rage of hell, this will encourage us to hold on, though we do but hobble in all our goings, and fumble in all our doings; for we have Christ for an advocate in case we sin in the management of any duty" If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Let us, therefore, go on in all God's ways as well as we can for our hearts; and when our foot slips, let us tell God of it, and his mercy in Christ shall hold us up, Psalm lxxxiv. 18.

Darkness, and to be shut up in prison, are also great discouragement to us; but our advocate is for giving us light, and for fetching us out of prison. True, he that Joseph chose to be his advocate with Pharaoh remembered not Joseph, but forgat him, (Gen. xl. 14, 23;) but he that has Jesus Christ to be his advocate shall be remembered before God-" He remembered us in our low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever," Micah, vii. 8-10; Psalm cxxxvi. 23. "Yea, he will say to the prisoners, Shew yourselves; and to them that are in the prison-house, Go forth." Satan sometimes gets the saints into the prison when he has taken them captive by their lusts, (Rom. vii. 23;) but they shall not be always there; and this should encourage us to go on in godly ways; for "we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of heaven."

OBJECT.-But I cannot pray, says one, therefore how should I persevere? When I go to prayer, instead of praying, my mouth is stopped. What would you have me do?

Well, soul, though Satan may baffle thee, he cannot so serve thy advocate; if thou must not speak for thyself, Christ thine advocate can speak for thee. Lemuel was to open his mouth for the dumb-to wit, for the sons of destruction, and to plead the cause of the poor and needy, Prov. xxxi. 8, 9. If we knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, so as the word reveals it, we would believe, we would hope, and would, notwithstanding all discouragements, wait for the salvation of the Lord. But there are many things that hinder, wherefore faith, perseverance, and prayer, are made difficult things to us-"But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" and, God "shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace," was once a good word to me when I could not pray.

5. As we should apply this doctrine for the improvement and encouragement of these graces, so we should improve it to the driving away difficulties before us, to the getting ground upon the enemy" Resist the devil," drive him back;

this is what the Lord Jesus is an advocate with God in heaven for, and for the sake of which thou art made a believer on earth, 1 Pet. v. 9; Heb. xii. 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, "I will not despair, though the iniquity of my heels should compass me about," Psalm xlix. 5.

USE. 5. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us with God against the devil? Let it 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 get up and 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 ?" apostle did it, and counted himself obliged to do it, saying, he "preached the gospel of God with much contention," 2 Thess. ii. 2. Nor is this the duty of apostles or preachers only, but every child of God should" earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints," Jude, 3. And, as I said, there is reason why we should do this; he standeth for us. And if we,

The

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 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 righte- | ousness 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 him his evil deeds, or when by his life he has made his salvation questionable, and has forfeited his 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, 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, (Isa. xxiv. 15; John, xxi. 19;) and since he doth his part without grudging for us, let us do ours with rejoicing for him.

USE 6. 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, 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. vi. 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 ventured his life and his all, 2 Sam. xix. 24-28. Also, Christ's care is as much for his household, yet he has neither fee nor income for it; 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 shew 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,

v. 14.

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," 2 Cor. 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. 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 by the God of heaven. But where there is no love, let a man do what he will, it is not at all regarded, 1 Cor. xiii. 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 a just 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 better agree with your profession, and also better would prove you gracious, to be found in the performances of these conclusions. "How shall they that are dead to sin live any longer therein? If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God; for ye are dead, and your life hid with Christ in God. 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 upon the children of disobedience."

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 you sin not; though if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." Why, the brute will 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 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