Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.123

 

[THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE.]

FOURTHLY, And for thy further encouragement in this matter, I will here bring in the fourth chief head-to-wit, to show what excellent privilege (I mean over and above what has already been spoken of) they have that are made partakers of the benefit of this office:-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

First Privilege. Thy Advocate pleads to a price paid, to a propitiation made; and this is a great advantage; yea, he pleads to a satisfaction made for all wrongs done, or to be done, by his elect: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Heb 10:10, 14; 9:26). "By one offering"-that is, by the offering of himself-by one offering once offered, once offered in the end of the world. This, I say, thine Advocate pleads. When Satan brings in fresh accusations for more transgressions against the law of God, he forces Christ to shift his first plea. I say he puts him not to his shifts at all; for the price once paid hath in it sufficient value, would God impute it to that end, to take away the sin of the whole world? There is a man that hath brethren; he is rich, and they are poor (and this is the case betwixt Christ and us), and the rich brother goeth to his father, and saith, Thou art related to my brethren with me, and out of my store, I pray thee, let them have sufficient, and for thy satisfaction, I will put into thy hand the whole of what I have, which perhaps is worth a hundred thousand pounds by the year; and this other sum I also give, that they be not disinherited. Will this last his poor brethren to spend a great while? But Christ's worth can never be drawn dry.

Now, set the case again, that some ill-conditioned man should take notice that these poor men live all upon the spend (and saints do so) and should come to the good man's house and complain to him of the spending of his sons, and that while their elder brother stands by, what do you think the elder brother would reply if he was as good-natured as Christ? Why, he would say, I have yet with my father in store for my brethren, wherefore seekest thou to stop his hand? As he is just, he must give them for their convenience; yea, and as for their extravagances, I have satisfied them so well, that, however he afflicteth them, he will not disinherit them. I hope you will read and hear this, not like them who say, "Let us do evil that good may come," but like those whom the love of Christ constrains to be better. However, this is the children's bread, that which they need and without which they cannot live, and they must have it, though Satan should put pins into it, in addition to that to choke the dogs. And for the further clarification of this, I will present you with these few considerations: