Wherefore he will not, be not afraid, he never will leave nor forsake
those who have given themselves unto him, and for whom he becomes an Advocate
with the Father, to plead their cause; even because thou art one, one of his
own, one by whom he held his glorious titles of honor.
Objection. O, but I am but one, and a very sorry one, too; and what is
one, especially such a one as I am? Can there be a miss of the loss of such a
one?
Answer. One and one make two, and so ad infinitum. Christ cannot lose
one, but as he may lose more, and so, in conclusion, lose all: but of all that
God has given him, he will lose nothing (John 6:38,39). Besides, to lose one
would encourage Satan, disparage his own wisdom, and make him incapable of giving
in, at the day of account, the whole tale to God of those that he has given
him. Further, this would dishearten sinners, and make them afraid of venturing
their cause and their souls in his hand; and would, as I said before, either
prove his propitiation in some sense ineffectual, or else himself defective in
his pleading on it; but none of these things must be supposed. He will
thoroughly plead the cause of his people, execute judgment for them, bring them
out to the light, and cause them to behold his righteousness (Micah 7:9).
Third Privilege. The plea of Satan is groundless, and that is another
privilege: for albeit thou hast sinned, yet since Christ before has paid thy
debt, and also paid for more; since thou hast not yet run beyond the price of
thy redemption; it must be concluded that Satan wants a good bottom to ground
his plea upon, and therefore must, in conclusion, fail of his design. True,
there is sin committed, there is a law transgressed, but there is also satisfaction for this transgression, and that which superabounds; so, though
there be sin, yet there wants a foundation for a plea. Joshua was clothed with
filthy garments, but Christ had other garments provided for him, change of
raiment: wherefore iniquity, as to the charge of Satan, vanishes. "And the
angel answered and said, take away the filthy garments from him" This
intimates that there was no ground, no sufficient ground, for Satan's charge;
"and unto him he said, Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from
thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment" (Zech 3:4). 20
Now, if there be no ground, no sound and sufficient ground, to build a
charge against the child upon, I mean, as to eternal condemnation; for that is
the thing contended for; then, as I said, Satan must fall "like lightning
to the ground," and be cast over the bar, as a corrupt and illegal
pleader. But this is so, as in part is proved already, and will be further made
out by that which follows. They that have indeed Christ to be their Advocate,
are themselves, by another law than that against which they have
sinned, secured from the charge that Satan brings in against them. I granted
before, that the child of God has sinned, and that there is a law that condemned
for this sin; but here is the thing, this child is removed by an act of grace
into and under another law: "For we are not under the law," and so,
consequently, "there is now no condemnation for them" (Rom 6:14,
8:1).
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