Fourth Objection. But if Christ doth once begin to plead for me and shall become mine Advocate, he will always be troubled with me, unless I should, of myself, forsake him; for I am ever in broils and suits of law, action after action is laid upon me, and I am sometimes summoned ten times in a day to answer my doings before God.
Answer: Christ is not an Advocate to plead a cause or two, nor to deliver the godly from an accusation or two. "He delivered Israel out of all his troubles" (Psa 25:22; II Sam 22:28); and chooses to be an Advocate for such; therefore, the godly of old did use to make, from the greatness of their troubles and the abundance of their troublers, an argument to the Lord Christ to send and lend them help-"Have mercy upon me," saith David; "consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me" (Psa 9:13).
And again, "Many are they that rise up against me; many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God" (Psa 3:1,2). Yea, the troubles of this man were so many and great, that his enemies began to triumph over him, saying, "There is no help for him in God." But could he not deliver him, or did the Lord forsake him? No, no; "Thou hast smitten," saith he, "all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly." And as he delivered them from their troubles, so also he pleaded all their causes; "O Lord," saith the church, "thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life" (Lam 3:58).
Mark, troubled Christian, thou sayest thou hast been arrested ofttimes in a day, and as often summoned to appear at God's bar, there to answer to what shall be laid to thy charge. And here, for thy encouragement, thou readiest that the church hath an Advocate that pleaded the causes of her soul; that is, all her causes, to deliver her. He knows that, so long as we are in this world, we are subject to temptation and weakness and, through them, made guilty of many bad things; therefore, he has prepared himself to our service and to abide with the Father, an Advocate for us.
As Solomon saith of a man of great wrath, so it may be said of a man of great weakness, and the best of saints are such—he must be delivered again and again, (Prov 19:19); yea, "many a time," saith David, "did he deliver them," (Psa 106:43); to wit, more than once or twice; and he will do so for thee if thou entertain him to be thine Advocate. Thou talks of leaving him, but then whither wilt thou go? All else are vain things, things that cannot profit, and he will not forsake his people, (I Sam 12:20-23), "though their land be filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel" (Jer 51:5). I know the modest saint is apt to be abashed to think what a troublesome one he is, and what a make-work he has been in God's house all his days; and let him be filled with holy blushing; but let him not forsake his Advocate.
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