Fellowship with God, Sermon 26
SERMON XXVI·
1 Joh. 2.1.
— We have an advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous.
THere i… no settlement to the spirit of a sinner, that is once touched with the … of his sin…, and apprehen…ion of the j…stice and w…ath of God, but in some clea…, and dist…ct understanding the grounds of consolation in the Gospel, and the method of sal…ation …e…ealed in it. There i… no solid peace-giving answer to the challenge… of the Law, and thy own conscience, but in the advocation of Iesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners, and therefore, the Apostle propone… it here, …or the comfort of believers, who …re incident to be su…prized, through the suddennesse of sin, and often deceived by the subtilty of …atan, wh…se souls desires, and sincere ende…vours are, to be kept from iniquity, and therefore, they are made to groan within themselves, and sometimes sadly to conclude again… themselves, upon the prevailing of sin, here i… the cordial (I say) he presents to them, Iesus Christ standing before the Bar o… Heaven, and pleading his …atisfaction, in the name of such souls, and so suiting forth an exemption and discharge for them from their sins; so he presents us with the most comfo…table a…pect, Christ standing between us and Justice, the Mediator interposed between us and the Father, so that there can come no harm to such poor sinners, except it come through his sides first, and no sentence can passe against them, unlesse he succumb in his righteous cause in Heaven.
The strength of Christs Advocation for believers, consists partly, in his qualification …or the office, partly in the ground and …oundation of his cause. His qualification we have in this vers. the ground and …oundation of his pleading in the next vers. in that he is a propitiation for our sins, and upon this very ground, his Advocation is both just and effectual.
Every word holds out some fitnesse, and therefore every word drops out consolation to a troubled soul. [With the Father, speaks out the relation he and we stand in to the Judge, he hath not to do with an austere and rigid Judge, that is implacable, and unsatisfiable, who will needs adhere peremptorily to the letter of the Law, for then we should be all undone, if there were not some pate…nal affection, and fatherly clemency and moderation in the Judge, if he were not so disposed, as to make some candid interpretation upon it, and in some manner to relax the sentence, as to our personal suffering, we could never stand before him, nor needed any Advocate appear for us: But here is the great comfort, he is Christs Father, and our Father, so himself told us, Ioh. 20.17. I go to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God. And therefore we may be perswaded that he will not take advantage, even that he hath in justic… of us, and though we be apprehensive of his anger, in our failings and offences, and this makes us often to be both affraid and …shamed to come to him, measuring him after the manner of men, who are soon angry, and often implacably angry, we imagine that he cannot but repell and put back our petition…, and therefore we have not the boldnesse to offer them; yet he ceaseth not to be our Father, and Christs Father, and if ye would have the character of a father, look Ier. 31.18. how he stands affected towards ashamed and confounded Ephraim, how his bowels move, and his compassions yearn towards him, as his pleasant child: The truth is, in such a case in which we …re captives against our will, and stumbles against our purpose, be pities us, as a Father doth hi… children, knowing that we are but dust and grasse, Psal. 103.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. See the excellent and sweet application of this relation, by the Psalmist, if it stir him, it stirs up rather the affection of pity, then the passion of anger, he pities his poor child when he cryes out, of violence and opp…ession. And therefore, there is great hopes that our Advocate Iesus Christ, shall prevail in his suits for us, because he with whom he deals, the Father, he loves him, and loves us, and will not stand upon strict terms of justice, but rather attemper all with mercy and love. He will certainly hear his welbeloved Son, for in him he is well pleased, his soul rests and takes complacency in him, and for his sake he …dopts us to be his children; and therefore he will both hear him in our behalf, and our prayers too, for his Names sake.
But this is superadded to qualifie our Advocate, he is the Christ of God, anointed for thi… ve…y pu…pose, and so hath a fair and lawful calling to this office, he takes not this honour to himself, but was called thereto of his Father, Heb. 5.4. As he did not make himself a Priest, so he did not int…ude upon the Advocat…ship, but he that said, Thou art my Son, called him to it. If a man had never so great ability to plead in the Law, yet except he be licenciat and graduat, he may not take upon him to plead a cause. But our Lord Iesus hath both skill and authority, he hath both the ability and the office, was not … self-intruder, or usurper, but the Council of Heaven did licenciat him, and graduat him for the whole office of Mediatorship: In which there i… the greatest stay and support for a sinking soul, to know that all this frame and fabrick of the Gospel was contrived by God the Father, and that he is master-builder in it, since it is so, there can nothing controll it, or shake it, since it is th… very will of God, with whom we have to do, that a Mediator should st…nd between him and u…: and he hath such a mind to clear poor souls, th…t he freely chooseth and giveth them …n able Advocate, it is a great token that he hath a mind to s…ve as many as come and submit to him, and that he is ready to pardon, when he prepares so fit an Advocate for us, and hath not left us alone to plead our own cause.
But the anointing of Christ for it, implyes both foreign and foreign, potentium, & potestatem, the gifts for it, as well as the authority, and the ability, as well …s the office; for God h…th singularly qualified him for it, given him the Spirit above measure, Isai. 61.1. He received gifts not only to distribute to men, but to exercise for men, and their advantage, Psal. 68.18. And therefore the Father seems to interess himself in the cause, as it were his own, he furnisheth our Advocate, as if it were to ple…d the c…use of his own justice against us, he upholds and strengthens Christ in our cause, a… really a… if it were his own, Isai. 42.1.6. which expresseth to us the admirable harmony and consent of Heaven to the salvation of as many as make Christ their refuge, …nd desire not to live in sin, though they be often soiled, yet there is no hazard of the f…iling of their c…use above, because our Advocate hath both exc…ll…nt …kill, and undoubit…ble …uthority.
Yea, he i… so fully q…alified for this, that …e is called Iesus, the Saviour, he is such an Advocate, that he saves all …e pleads for. The best Advocate may losse the cause, either through the weaknesse of its self, or the iniquity of the Judge, but he is the Advocate and the Saviour, th… never s…ccumb'd in his undertaking for any soul, be their sins never so h…inous, their accusation never so just and true, their accuser never so powerful, yet they who put their cause in his hand, who flee in hither for refuge, being we… ried of the bond…ge of sin …nd Sat…n, he ha…h such … prevalency with the Father, th…t their c…use cannot miscarry, even when Justice it self seems to be the opposite party, yet he h…th such m…rvellous successe in his office, that justice shall …ather meet amicably with mercy and peace, and salute them kindly, Psal. 85.10, 11. a… being s… tisfied by him▪ then he come short in his undert…king.
But there is …nother personal qualification needful, or all should be in vain, Iesus the righteous. If he were not righteous in himself, he had need of an Advocate for himself, and might not ple…d for sinners, but he is righteous and holy, no guile found in his mouth, without sin, an unblameable and u…spotted high Priest, else he could not mediate for others, and such an Advocate too, else he could not plead for others, Heb. 7.26. As this perfected his s…crifice, that he offered not for his own sins, neither needed, so thi… compleats his Advocatship, and gives it a mighty i…fluence …or his poor Clients, that he needs not ple…d for himself. If then the Law cannot attatch our Lord and Saviour, can lay no claim …o him, or cha…ge against him, then ce…tainly, …ll that he did, behoved to be for others, and so he stands in a good capacity to plead for us before the Father, and to sue out a pardon to us, though guilty; for if the just was delivered for the unjust, and the righteous suffered for the unrighteous, much more is it consistent with the justice of the Father, to deliver and save the unrighteous and unjust sinner, for the …ighteous Advocats sake. If ye seek me, then let these go free, saith he, Ioh. 18.8. So he in effect pleads with God his Father, O Father, if thou deal with me the righteous One, as with an unrighteous man, then, in all reason and justice, thou must deal with my poor Clients, though unrighteous, as with righteous men; If justice thought she did me no wrong to punish me the righteous, then let it not be thought a wrong to justice to pardon, absolve, and justifie the unrighteous.
Now, if he be so righteous a person, it follows necessarily, that he hath a righteous cause, for an honest man will not Advocate for an unjust cause. But, how can the cause of believers be said to be righteous, when justice it self, and the Law, indites the accusation against them? Can they plead, Not guilty? Or he for them? There is a twofold righ…eousnesse, in relation to a twofold rule, a righteousnesse of strict justice, in relation to the first Covenant, and this cannot be pleaded, that our cause is exactly conformable to the Covenant of Wo…ks, we cannot, nor Christ in our name, plead any thing from that, which holds …orth nothing but per…onal obedience, or else personal satisfaction. But yet, our cause may be …ound to be righteous, in relation to the second Covenant, and the rule and terms of it, in as f…r as God h…th revealed his acceptance of … surety in our stead, and hath dispensed with the rigour of the Law, according to that new Law of grace and righteousnesse contempered together; The cause of a desperat lost sinner may sustain before the righteous Judge, and it is upon this new account, that he pleads for us, because he hath satisfied in our stead; and now it is as righteous and equitable with Go… ▪ to shew mercy and forgivenesse to believing sinners, as it is to reveal wrath and anger against impenitent sinners.
I know there will be some secret whisperings in your hearts upon the hearing of this, Oh, its true, it is a most comfortable thing for them whose Advocate he is, there is no fear of the miscarrying of their cause above, but as for me, I know not if he be an Advocate for me, whether I may come into that sentence, We have an Advocate, &c. I confesse it is true, he is not an Advocate for every one, for while he was here, be prayed not for the world, but them that were given him out of the world, Joh. 17. much more will he not plead for the world, w…en he is above; He is …ather witnessing against the unbelieving world. But yet, I believe his Advocation is not restrained only to them that actually believe, … neither his supplication was, Ioh. 17. But … he prayed for them who should …e…eafter believe, so he still pleads for all the elect, not only to procure remission to the penitent, but repentance to the impenitent. There is one not…ble ef…ect of the Advocation and intercession of Christ, which indeed is common …o the world, but particularly intended for the elect, that is, the present suspension of the execution of the curse of the …aw, by vertue whereof there is liberty to offer the Gospel, and c…ll sinners to repentance: No question, the spa…ing of the world, the forbe…nce and long-suff…ing of God tow…rd sinner…, is the result and f…uit of our Lords intercession and advocation in He…ven, and so even the e…ct have the benefit of it before they believe, but it i… so provided, that they shall never sensibly know this, nor have any special comfort …om it, till they believe, and …o Christ doth not plead for pardon to their sins till they repent▪ He pl…ad… even befo…e we repent, but we cannot know it, yet, he pleads not that pardon he bestowed befo…e they …epent, and so the saving effi…acy of hi… Advoc…tion is peculiar and proper in the applic…tion to believing …ouls.
Now, consider (I say) whether or not thou be one that find… the power of that perswasion, my little children, I write to you that you sin not, &c. Can thou unfeignedly s…y, that its th… desire and indeavour of thy soul, not to sin, and that thou art perswaded to this, not only from the fear and terrour of God, but especially from his mercy and goodnesse in the Gospel, this is one part of the character of such as Christ… advocation is actually extended to. Moreover, being surprised with sin, and overcome beside thy purpose, and against thy desire, dost thou apprehend sin as thy greatest misery, and …rr…ign thy self before the T…ibunal of God, or art thou attached in thy own conscience, and the L…w pleaded …gainst thee, before the bar of thy own conscience, then, I say, according to this Scripture, thou art the soul unto whom this comfort belongs, thou art called of God, to decide the controversy in thy own conscience, by flying up, …nd apealing to that higher Tribunal, where Christ is advocate, thou may safely give over, and trust thy cause to him.
But on the other hand, O, how deplorable and irremedilesse is the condition of these souls, who have no cause of this kind stated within there our conscience, who are not pursued by Satan and sin, but rather at peace with them, amic…bly agreeing with them, acting their lusts …nd will; you who have no bonds upon you, to restrain you from sin, neither the terrour of the Lord perswadeth you, nor the love of Christ constrains you; you can be kept from no beloved sin, nor pressed to any serious and spiritual labour in Gods service, and then, when you sin, you have no accuser within, or such an one as you suppres…, and suffers not to plead it out against you, o… cite you before Gods Tribunal. I say unto you, and al…s, many of you are such, you do not, you can not know, that you have an interest in this Advocate. You can have no benefit, nor saving advantage from Christ… pleading, while you remain thu… in your sin…. Alas, poor soul…, what will ye do? Can you m…nn…ge your own cause alone … though you defraud and deceive your own consciences now, though ye offer violence to them, do you think so to carry it above? nay, perswade your selves, you must one day appear, and none to speak for you; God you… Judge, your conscience your accuser, and S…tan your tormentor standing by; and then, …o to him that is alone, when the advoc…te becomes judge▪ in that day blest are all those that have trusted in him, and used him formerly as an Advocate against sin and Satan. But wo to them for ever, who would never suffer this cause to be pleaded, while there was an Advocate.