[WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE]
THIRDLY, And I shall come now to the third head, to wit, to show you more particularly who they are that have Jesus Christ for their Advocate.
In my handling of this head, I shall show, First, that the office of an advocate differs from that of a priest, and how. Second, I shall show you how far Christ extends this office of advocateship—I mean, in matters concerning the people of God—and then, Third, I shall come more directly to show who they are that have Christ for their Advocate.
First, For the first of these, That this office of Christ, as an Advocate, is different from that of a Priest. That he is a Priest, a Priest forever, I heartily acknowledge; but that his priesthood and advocateship should be one and the self-same office, I cannot believe.
1. Because they differ in name. We may as well say a father, as such, is a son, or that father and son are the self-same relation, as say a priest and an advocate, as to office, are but one and the same thing. They differ in name as much as priest and sacrifice do: a priest is one, and a sacrifice is another; and though Christ is Priest and Sacrifice too, yet, as a Priest, he is not a Sacrifice, nor, as a Sacrifice, a Priest.
2. As they differ in name, so they differ in the nature of office. A priest is to slay a sacrifice; an advocate is to plead a cause; a priest is to offer his sacrifice, to the end that, by the merit thereof, he may appease; an advocate is to plead according to law; a priest is to make intercession, by virtue of his sacrifice; an advocate is to plead law because amends is made.
3. As they differ in name and nature, they also differ as to their extent. The priesthood of Christ extends itself to the whole of God's elect, whether called or in their sins; but Christ, as Advocate, pleaded only for the children.
4. As they differ in name, nature, and extent, so they differ as to the persons with whom they have to do. We read not anywhere that Christ, as Priest, has to do with the devil as an antagonist, but, as an Advocate, he has.
5. As they differ in these, so they differ as to the matters about which they are employed. Christ, as Priest, concerns himself with every wry thought, and, also, with the least imperfection or infirmity that attends our most holy things; but Christ, as Advocate, doth not so, as I have already shown.
6. So that Christ, as Priest, goes before, and Christ, as an Advocate, comes after; Christ, as Priest, continually intercedes; Christ, as Advocate, in case of great transgressions, pleads: Christ, as Priest, has need to act always, but Christ, as Advocate, sometimes only. Christ, as Priest, acts in times of peace; but Christ, as Advocate, in times of broils, turmoils, and sharp contentions; wherefore, Christ, as Advocate, is, as I may call him, a reserve, and his time is then to arise, to stand up and plead, when HIS are clothed with some filthy sin that of late they have fallen into, as David, Joshua, or Peter. When some such thing is committed by them, as ministereth to the enemy, a show of ground to question the truth of their grace; or when it is a question and to be debated, whether it can stand with the laws of heaven, with the merits of Christ, and the honor of God, that such a one should be saved. Now let an advocate come forth; now let him have time to plead, for this is a fitting occasion for the saints' Advocate to stand up to plead for the salvation of his people. But,
Second, I come next to show you how far this office of an advocate is extended. I hinted at this before, so now I will be more brief. 1. By this office he offers no sacrifice; he only, as to matters of justice, pleads for the sacrifice offered. 2. By this office he obtains the conversion of none; he only thereby secures the converted from the damnation which their adversary, for sins after light, professed to bring them to.
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