Third. As Christ, as Advocate, pleads against Satan the interest that his Father hath in his chosen, so also he pleads against him by no less authority—his own interest in them. “Holy Father,” said he, “keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me” (John 17:11). Keep them while in the world from the evil, the soul-damning evil of it. These words are directed to the Father, but they are leveled against the accusations of the enemy and were spoken here to show what Christ will do for himself, against our foe, when he is above. How I say, he will urge before his Father his own interest in us against Satan and against all his accusations when he brings them to the bar of God’s tribunal, with the design to work our utter ruin. And is there not a great deal in it? As if Christ should say, Father, my people have an adversary who will accuse them for their faults before thee; but I will be their Advocate, and as I have bought them of thee, I will plead my right against him (John 10:28). Our English proverb is, Interest will not lie; interest will make a man do that which otherwise he would not. How many thousands are there for whom Christ does not so much as once open his mouth but leaves them to the accusations of Satan and to Ahab’s judgment, or worse, because there is none to plead their cause? And why does he not concern himself with them? but because he is not interested in them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine; and all mine are thine, and I am glorified in them” (John 17:9, 10).
Suppose there are so many cattle in such a pound, and one goes by whose they are not; does he concern himself? No; he beholds them and goes his way. But suppose that at his return he should find his own cattle in that pound, would he now carry it toward them as he did unto the other? No, no; he has an interest here; they are his that are in the pound; now he is concerned, now he must know who put them there and for what cause too they are served as they are; and if he finds them rightfully there, he will fetch them by ransom; but if wrongfully, he will replevy them and stand a trial at law with him that has thus illegally pounded his cattle. And thus it is between Jesus Christ and his. He is interested in them; the cattle are his own, “his own sheep” (John 10:3,4), but pounded by some others, by the law, or by the devil. If pounded by the law, he delivered them by ransom; if pounded by the devil, he will replevy them, stand a trial at law for them, and will be, against their accuser, their Advocate himself. Nor can Satan withstand his plea, though he should against them join argument with the law; forasmuch, as has been proven before, he can and will, by what he has to produce and plead of his own, save him from all trespasses, charges, and accusations. Besides, all men know that a man’s proper goods are not therefore forfeited because he commits many and too great transgressions. And if any man sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Now, the strength of this plea thus grounded upon Christ’s interest in his people is great, and had many weighty reasons on its side; such as:
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