Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Of The Intercession Of Christ 162.

  

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

2. By Christ's intercession, I gather that awakened men and women, such as the godly, dare not, after offense given, come in their own names to make unto God an application for mercy. God, in himself, is a consuming fire, and sin has made the best of us as stubble is to fire; therefore, they may not, they cannot, and they dare not approach God's presence for help but by and through a mediator and intercessor. When Israel saw the fire, the blackness, and darkness and heard the thunder, the lightning, and the terrible sound of the trumpet, 'they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.' (Exo 20:19, Deut 18:16) Guilt and a sense of the disparity that exists between God and us will make us lookout for a man who may lay his hand upon us both and who may set us right in the eyes of our Father again. This, I say, I infer from the intercession of Christ, for if there had been a possibility of our ability to have approached God with advantage without, what need had there been of the intercession of Christ?

Absalom does not approach—no, not the presence of his father—by himself, without a mediator and intercessor; therefore, he sends Joab to go to the king and make intercession for him. (2 Sam 13, 14:32, 33) Also, Joab did not go upon that errand himself but by the mediation of another. Sin is a fearful thing; it will quash and quail the courage of a man and make him afraid to approach the presence of him whom he has offended, though the offended is a man. How much more, then, shall it discourage a man, when once loaded with guilt and shame, from attempting to approach the presence of a holy and sin-avenging God, unless he can come to him through, and in the name of, an intercessor? But here now is the help and comfort of the people of God—there is to help them under all their infirmities an intercessor prepared, and at work. 'He ever liveth to make intercession.'

3. I also infer that should we, out of ignorance and presumption, attempt, when we have offended ourselves, to approach the presence of God, God would not accept us. He told Eliphaz so. What Eliphaz thought or was about to do, I know not; but God said unto him, 'My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the right thing, as my servant Job has. Therefore, take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves [that is, by him] a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept; lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the right thing, like my servant Job.' See here, an offense is a bar and an obstruction to acceptance with God, but by a mediator, but by an intercessor. He that comes to God by himself, God will answer him by himself—that is, without an intercessor; and I will tell you, such are not like to get any pleasant or comfortable answer will answer him that so cometh according to the multitude of his idols. 'And I will set my face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.' (Eze 14:7,8)

He that intercedes for another with a holy and just God had to clean himself, lest he with whom he so busieth himself say to him, First clear yourself, and then come and speak for your friend. Wherefore, this is the very description and qualification of this our High Priest and blessed Intercessor: 'For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,' &c. (Heb 7:26,27) Had we not had such an intercessor, we would have been, but in a very poor case; but we have one that becomes us, one that fits us to the purpose, one against whom our God hath nothing, can object nothing, and one in whose mouth no guile could be found.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Of The Intercession Of Christ 161.

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

(4.) He also, in the last place, in this his intercession, urges a reason why he will have it so, namely, 'That they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' (verse 24) And this is a reason to the purpose; it is as if he had said, Father, these have continued with me in my temptations; these have seen me under all my disadvantages; these have seen me in my poor, low, contemptible condition; these have seen what scorn, reproach, slanders, and disgrace I have borne for thy sake in the world; and now I will have them also be where they shall see me in my glory. I have told them that I am thy Son, and they have believed that; I have told them that thou lovest me, and they have believed that; I have also told them that thou wouldest take me again to glory, and they have believed that; but they have not seen my glory, nor can they but be like the Queen of Sheba; they will but believe by the halves unless their own eyes do behold it. Besides, Father, these are they that love me, and it will be an increase of their joy if they may but see me in glory; it will be as heaven to their hearts to see their Saviour in glory. I will, therefore, that those whom 'thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.' This, therefore, is a reason why Christ Jesus, our Lord, intercedes to have his people with him in glory.

Third, I come now to the third thing, namely, to show you what is to be inferred from Christ's making intercession for us.

1. This is to be inferred from hence, that saints—for I will here say nothing of those of the elect uncalled—do ofttimes give occasion of offense to God, even they that have received grace; for intercession is made to continue one in the favour of another and to make up those breaches that, at any time, shall happen to be made by one to the alienating of the affections of the other. And thus he makes reconciliation for iniquity, for reconciliation may be made for iniquity in two ways: first, by paying a price; second, by insisting upon the price paid for the offender by way of intercession. Therefore you read that as the goat was to be killed, so his blood was, by the priest, to be brought within the veil, and, in a way of intercession, to be sprinkled before and upon the mercy seat: 'Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is, for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them, amid their uncleanness.' (Lev 16:15,16) This was to be done, as you see, that the tabernacle, which was the place of God's presence and graces, might yet remain among the children of Israel, notwithstanding their uncleannesses and transgressions. This, too, is the effect of Christ's intercession; it is that the signs of God's presence and his grace might remain among his people, notwithstanding that they have, by their transgressions, so often provoked God to depart from them.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; The Intercession of Christ, And Who Are Priviledged.160

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

3. In his intercession, he also prays that those graces that we receive at conversion may be maintained and supplied. This is clear when he saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' (Luke 22:31,32) Ay, may some say, he is said to pray here for the support and supply of faith, but does it therefore follow that he prayed for the maintenance and supply of all our graces? Yes, in that he prayed for the preservation of our faith, he prayed for the preservation of all our graces; for faith is the mother grace, the root grace, the grace that hath all others in the bowels of it, and that from the which all others flow; yea, it is that which gives being to all our other graces, and that by which all the rest do live. Let, then, faith be preserved, and all graces continue and live—that is, according to the present state, health, and degree of faith. So, then, Christ prayed for the preservation of every grace when he prayed for the preservation of faith. That text also has the same tendency where he says, 'Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given men.' (John 17:11) Keep them in thy fear, in the faith, in the true religion, in the way of life by thy grace, by thy power, by thy wisdom, &c. This must be much of the meaning of this place, and whoever excludes this sense will make poor work of another exposition.

4. He also in his intercession prayeth that our persons be preserved, and brought safe unto his heavenly kingdom. And this he doth, (1.) By pleading interest in them. (2.) By pleading that he had given, by promise, glory to them. (3.) By pleading his own resolution to have it so. (4.) By pleading the reason why it must be so.

(1.) He prays that their persons may come to glory, for that they are his, and that by the best of titles: 'Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' (John 17:6) Father, I will have them; Father, I will have them, for they are mine: 'Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' What is mine, my wife, my child, my jewel, or my joy? Sure, I may have it with me. Thus, therefore, he pleads or cries in his intercession that our persons might be preserved to glory: They are mine, 'and thou gavest them me.'

(2.) He also pleads that he had given—given already, that is, in the promise—glory to them, and therefore they must not go without it. 'And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.' (John 17:22) Righteous men, when they give a good thing by promise, they design the performance of that promise; nay, they more than design it, they purpose, they determine it. As the mad prophet also saith of God, in another case, 'Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?' (Num 23:19) Hath Christ given us glory, and shall we not have it? Yea, hath the truth itself bestowed it upon us, and shall those to whom it is given, even given by Scripture of truth, be yet deprived thereof?

(3.) He pleads in his interceding that they might have glory—his own resolution to have it so. 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.' (John 17:24) Behold, you are here; he is resolved to have it so. It must be so. It shall be so. I will have it so. We read of Adonijah that his father never denied him anything. He never said to him, 'Why hast thou done so?' (1 Kings 1:6) Indeed, he denied him the kingdom, for his brother was the heir of that from the Lord. How much more will our Father let our Lord Jesus have his mind and will in this since he is also as willing to have it as is the Son himself? 'Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.' (Luke 12:32) Resolution will drive things far, especially resolution to do that which none but they that cannot hinder shall oppose. Why is this the case? The resolution of our intercessor is that we be preserved to glory; yes, and this resolution he pleads in his intercession: 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,' &c. (John 17:24) Must it not, therefore, now be so?

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; The Intercession of Christ, and Who Are Privileged In It. 159

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

I. OF THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST.

FIRST, We will begin with HIS INTERCESSION, and will show you, First, What that is; Second, For what he intercedes; and, Third, What is also to be inferred from Christ's intercession for us.

First, I begin, then, with the first, that is, to show you what intercession is. Intercession is prayer, but all prayer is not intercession. Intercession, then, is a prayer that is made by a third person about the concerns that are between the two. And it may be made either to set them at further difference or to make them friends; for intercession may be made against, as well as for, a person or people. 'Wot ye not what the Scripture says of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel.' (Rom 11:2) But the intercession that we are now to speak of is not an intercession of this kind, not an intercession against, but an intercession for a people. 'He ever liveth to make intercession for them.' The high priest is ordained for, but not to be against, the people. 'Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things about God,' to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; or 'that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.' (Heb 5:1) This, then, is intercession; and the intercession of Christ is to be between two, between God and man, for man's good. And it extends itself to these: 1. To pray that the elect may be brought all home to him—that is, to God. 2. To pray that their sins committed after conversion may be forgiven. 3. To pray that their graces, which they receive at conversion, may be maintained and supplied. 4. To pray that their persons may be preserved unto his heavenly kingdom.

Second, This is the intercession of Christ or that for which he does make intercession.

1. He prays for all the elect, that they may be brought home to God, and so into the unity of the faith, &c. This is clear, for that he saith, 'Neither pray I for these alone'; that is, for those only that are converted; 'but for them also which shall believe on me through their word'; for all them that shall, that are appointed to believe; or, as you have it a little above, 'for them which thou hast given me.' (John 17:9,20, Isa 53:12) And the reason is that he hath paid a ransom for them. Christ, therefore, when he maketh intercession for the ungodly, and all the unconverted elect are such, doth but petitionarily ask for his own, his purchased ones, those for whom he died before, that they might be saved by his blood.

2. When any of them are brought home to God, he still prays for them, namely, that the sins that, through infirmity, they may commit after conversion may also be forgiven.

This is shown to us by the intercession of the high priest under the law, that was to bear away the iniquities of the holy things of the children of Israel; yea, and also by his atonement for them that sinned; for that it saith, 'And the priest shall make an atonement for him, for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.' (Lev 5:10) This is also intimated even where our Lord doth intercession, saying, 'I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.' (John 17:15) That Christ prayed that the converted should be kept from all manner of commission of sin, must not be supposed, for that is the way to make his intercession, at least in some things, invalid, and to contradict himself; for, saith he, 'I know that thou hearest me always.' (John 11:42) But the meaning is, I pray that thou wouldest keep them from soul-damning delusions, such as are unavoidably such; also that thou wouldest keep them from the soul-destroying evil of every sin, of every temptation. Now this he doth by his prevailing and by his pardoning grace.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Christ A Complete Savior.158

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT.

'Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them..'—HEBREWS 7:25.

The apostle, in this chapter, presents us with two things: the greatness of the person and of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus.

First, He presents us with the greatness of his person, in that he preferreth him before Abraham, who is the father of us all; yea, in that he preferreth him before Melchisedec, who was above Abraham, and blessed him who had the promises.

Second, As to his priesthood, he shows the greatness of that, in that he was made a priest not by the law of a carnal commandment but by the power of an endless life. Not without, but with an oath, by him that said, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec'; wherefore, 'this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.' Now my text is drawn from this conclusion, namely, that Christ abideth a priest continually. 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that comes unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' In the words, I take notice of four things: FIRST, Of the intercession of Christ—He maketh intercession. SECOND, Of the benefit of his intercession—'Wherefore he can save to the uttermost,' &c. THIRD, We have also here set before us the persons interested in this intercession of Christ—And they are those 'that come unto God by him.' Fourth, We have here the certainty of their reaping this benefit by him, to wit, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them—'Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; Christ A Complete Savior.157

 

THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT.

However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact that the heart of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature will not suffer it to fall, helpless and utterly undone, into the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial savior—one who has done so much that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be completed. No such were the opinions of John Bunyan; the furnace of sharp conviction had burned up this proud dross; he believed the testimony of Scripture, that from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet all nature is corrupted; so that out of the unsanctified heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murders, and the sad catalogue of crimes which our Lord enumerates, and which defile our best efforts after purity of heart and life.

No sinner will ever totally rely upon the Saviour until he is sensible of his own perishing state; hanging by the brittle thread of life over the yawning gulf of perdition; sinking in that sin which will swallow him up in those awful torments that await the transgressor; feeling that sin has fitted him as stubble for the fire; then it is that the cry proceeds from his heart, Lord, save, I perish; and then, and not till then, are we made willing to receive 'Christ as a complete Saviour' to the uttermost, not of his ability, but of our necessity. This was the subject of all of Mr. Bunyan's writings and, doubtless, of all his preaching. It was to direct sinners to the Lamb of God, who alone can take away sin. This little treatise was one of those ten 'excellent manuscripts' that, at Bunyan's demise, were found prepared for the press. It was first published in 1692 by his friends E. Chandler, J. Wilson, and C. Doe.

It is limited to a subject that is too often lost sight of because it is within the veil—the intercession of Christ as the finishing work of a sinner's salvation. Many persons limit the 'looking unto Jesus' to beholding him upon the cross, a common popish error; but this is not enough; we must, in our minds, follow him to the unseen world and thus ascend to a risen Saviour, at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for our daily sins. And he is our ONLY intercessor, and it is a rejection of him for us to seek the aid of another. Whoever was mad enough to ask Moses to intercede for him, surely he is as able as Mary or any other saint?

To atone for sin calls for the amazing price of the blood of Christ, who was 'God manifest in the flesh.' He undertook the work by covenant, and all the'slaves form part of his mystical body, thus perfectly obeying the law in him. He poured out his life to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness; as they are liable to pollution in their passage through the world, he is only able, and he ever liveth, to make intercession for their transgressions. Thus he becomes a complete Saviour, and will crown, with an eternal weight of glory, all those who put their trust in him. Beautiful, soul-softening, and heart-warming thoughts abound in this little work, which cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the reader. Bunyan disclaims 'the beggarly art of complimenting' in things of such solemnity. He describes the heart as unweldable, a remarkable expression drawn from his father's trade as a blacksmith; nothing but grace can so heat it as to enable the hammer of conviction to weld it to Christ, and when thus welded, it becomes one with him.

There is hope for a returning backslider in a complete Saviour; he combines the evidence of two men, the coming and the returning sinner; he has been, like Jonah, in the belly of hell; his sins, like talking devils, have driven him back to the Saviour. Sin brings its own punishment, from which we escape by keeping on the narrow path. Good works save us from temporal miseries, whichever follow an indulgence in sin; but if we fall, we have an Advocate and Intercessor to lift us up; still, if thou lovest thy soul, slight not the knowledge of hell, for that, with the law, are the spurs which Christ useth to prick souls forward to himself. Gather up your heels and mend your pace, or those spurs will be in your sides. Take heed, O persecutor; like Saul, thou art exceeding mad, and hell is thy bedlam. Take heed of a false faith; none is true but that which is acquired by kneeling, searching, and seeking truth as for hidden treasure. Death is God's bailiff; he will seize you without warning, but with the saints, the grave's mouth is the final parting place between grace and sin. Forget that a good improvement will make your little grace thrive. Reader, may Divine grace indelibly fix these wholesome truths in our minds.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.156

 

THE USE AND APPLICATION

But, I say, what is this to them that they are not admitted to a privilege in the advocate office of Christ? Whether he is an Advocate or not, the case for them is the same. True, Christ as a Saviour is not divided; he that hath him not in all shall have him in none at all of his offices in a saving manner. Therefore, he, for whom he is not an Advocate, is nothing as to eternal life.

Indeed, Christ by some of his offices is concerned for the elect, before by some others of them he is; but such shall have the blessing of them all before they come to glory. Nor hath man ground to say Christ is here or there mine; before he hath ground to say, he also is mine Advocate; though that office of his, as has already been shown, stands in the last place and comes in as a reserve. But can anyone imagine that Christ will pray for them as Priest for whom he will not plead as advocates? or that he will speak for them to God, for whom he will not plead against the devil? No, no; they are his own, that he loveth to the end (John 13:1), to the end of their lives, to the end of their sins, to the end of their temptations, to the end of their fears, and of the exercise of the rage and malice of Satan against them. The end may also be understood, even until he has given them the profit and benefit of all his offices in their due exercise and administration. But, I say, what is all this to them that makes him not their Advocate?

You may remember that I have already told you that there are several who have not the Lord Jesus for their Advocate-to wit, those that are still in their sins, pursuing of their lusts; those that are ashamed of him before men; and those that are never otherwise but lukewarm in their profession. And let us now, for a conclusion, make further inquiry into this matter.

Is it likely that those should have the Lord Jesus as their Advocate to plead their cause? Who despises and rejects his person, his Word, and his ways? or those either who are so far off from a sense of, and shame for, sin that it is the only thing they hug and embrace? True, he pleaded the cause of his people both with the Father and against the devil, and all the world besides; but open profaneness, shame of good, and without heart or warmth in religion are no characters of his people. It is irrational to think that Christ is an Advocate for, or that he pleaded for, the cause of such, who, in the same hour and before his enemies, are throwing dirt in his face by their profane mouths and unsanctified lives and conversations.

If he pleads as an Advocate for any, he must plead against Satan for them, and so consequently must have some special bottom to ground his plea upon; I say, a bottom better than that upon which the carnal man stands; which bottom is either some special relation that this man stands into God or some special law he hath privilege by, that he may have some ground for an appeal, if need be, to the justice and righteousness of God; but none of these things belong to them that are dead in trespasses and sins; they stand in no special relation to God; they are not privileged by the law of grace.

Objection: But doth not Christ as Advocate pleads for his elect, though not called yet?

Answer: He died for all his elect; he prays for all his elect as a Priest, but as an Advocate he pleaded only for the children, the called. Satan objecteth not against God's election, for he knows it not; but he objecteth against the called-to wit, whether they be truly godly or not, or whether they ought not to die for their transgressions (Job 1:9, 10; Zech 3). And for these things, he has some colour to frame an accusation against us, and now it is time enough for Christ to stand up to plead. I say, for these things, he has some colour to frame a plea against us; for there is sin and law of works, and a judge too, that has no respect for persons. Now to overthrow this plea of Satan, is Jesus Christ our Advocate; yea, to overthrow it by pleading law and justice, and this must be done for the children only: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.155

 

THE USE AND APPLICATION

Use Eighth. But what is all this to you that is not concerned with this privilege? The children, indeed, have the advantage of an advocate; but what is this to them that have none to plead their cause? (Jer 30:12, 13); they are, as we say, left to the wide world, or to be ground to powder between the justice of God and the sins which they have committed. This is the man that none but the devil seeks after; that is pursued by the law, sin, and death, and has none to plead his cause. It is sad to consider the plight that such a person is in. His accuser is appointed, yea, ordered to bring in a charge against him: Let Satan stand at his right hand," in the place where accusers stand. "And when he shall be judged, let him be condemned." Let there be none to plead for his deliverance. If he cries or offers to cry out for mercy or forgiveness, "let his prayer become sin" (Psa 109:6-7). This is the portion of a wicked man: "Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealthy him away in the night, the east wind carried him away, and he departed, and as a storm hurled him out of his place, for God shall cast upon him and not spare; he would fain flee out of his hand. Men shall clap their hands at him and shall hiss him out of his place" (Job 27:20–23). And what shall this man do?

Can he overcome the charge, the accusation, the sentence, and condemnation? No, he has none to plead his cause. I remember that somewhere I have read, as I think, concerning one who, when he was being carried upon men's shoulders to the grave, cried out as he lay upon the bed. I am accused before the just judgment of God, and a while later, I am condemned before the just judgment of God. Nor was this man as strict as the religion that was then on foot in the world, but all the religion of the world amounts to no more than nothing. I mean as to eternal salvation if men be denied an Advocate to plead their cause with God. Nor can any advocate save Jesus Christ the righteous avail anything at all, because there is none appointed but him to that work, and therefore not to be admitted entering a plea for their client at the bar of God.

Objection. But some may say, There is God's grace, the promise,
Christ's blood and his second part of the priesthood are now in heaven.
Can none of these severally, nor all of them jointly, save a man
from hell, unless Christ also becomes our Advocate?

Answer. All these, his Advocate's office not excluded, are few enough, and little enough, to save the saints from hell; for the righteous shall scarcely be saved (I Peter 4:18). There must, then, be the promise, God's grace, Christ's blood, and him to advocate too, or we cannot be saved. What is the promise without God's grace, and what is that grace without a promise to bestow it on us? I say, what benefit have we thereby? Besides, if the promise and God's grace, without Christ's blood, would have saved us, wherefore then did Christ die? Yea, and again I say, if all these, without his being an Advocate, would have delivered us from all those disadvantages that our sins and infirmities would bring us to and into; surely in vain and to no purpose was Jesus made an Advocate. But, soul, there is need of all, and therefore be not thou offended that the Lord Jesus is of the Father made so much to his, but rather admire and wonder that the Father and the Son should be so concerned with so sorry a lump of dust and ashes as thou art. And I say again, be confounded to think that sin should be a thing so horrible, of power to pollute, to captivate, and detain us from God, that without all this ado (I would speak with reverence of God and his wisdom) we cannot be delivered from the everlasting destruction that it hath brought upon the children of men.

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.154

 

THE USE AND APPLICATION

Use Seventh. Is it so? Is Jesus Christ an Advocate with the Father for us? Then this should encourage strong Christians to tell the weak ones that, when they are in their temptations and fears through sin, they may have one to plead their cause. Thus the apostle doth by the text, and thus we should do one to another. Mark, he telleth the weak of an Advocate: "My little children, I write unto you that ye sin not; though if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father."

Christians, when they would comfort their dejected brethren, talk too much at rovers37 or in generals; they should be more at the mark: "A word spoken in season, how good is it?" I say, Christians should observe and inquire, that they may observe the cause or ground of their brother's trouble, and having first taken notice of that, in the next place consider under which of the offices of Jesus Christ this sin or trouble has cast this man, and so labor to apply Christ in the word of the gospel to him. Sometimes we are bid to consider him as an Apostle and High Priest, and sometimes as a forerunner and an Advocate. And he has, as was said afore, these diverse offices, with others, that we, by his consideration, might be relieved of our manifold temptations. This, as I said, as I perceive John teaches us here, as he doth a little before of his being a sacrifice for us; for he presenteth them that after conversion shall sin with Christ as an Advocate with the Father. As who should say, My brethren, are you tempted, are you accused, have you sinned, has Satan prevailed against you? "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Thus, we should do so and deliver our brother from death. There is nothing that Satan more desires than to get good men in his sieve to sift them as wheat, so that if possible, he may leave them nothing but bran—no grace, but the very husk and shell of religion. And when a Christian comes to know this, should Christ, as an Advocate be hidden? What could bear him up? But let him now remember and believe that "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." He forthwith conceiveth comfort, for an advocate is to plead for me according to what has been shown afore, that I may be delivered from the wrath and accusation of my adversary and still be kept safe under grace.

Further, by telling of my brother that he hath an Advocate, I put things into his mind that he has not known, or do bring them into remembrance which he has forgotten-to wit, that though he hath sinned, he shall be saved in the way of justice; for an advocate is to plead justice and law, and Christ is to plead these for a saint that has sinned; yea, so to plead them that he may be saved. This being so, he is made to perceive that by law he must have his sins forgiven him and that by justice he must be justified. For Christ, as an Advocate pleaded for justice, justice to himself, and this saint is of himself a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Nor has Satan so good a right to plead justice against us, though we have sinned, that we might be damned, as Christ has to plead it, though we have sinned, that we might be saved; for sin cannot cry so loud to justice as can the blood of Christ; and he pleads his blood as Advocate, by which he has answered the law; wherefore the law, having nothing to object, must need to acquit the man for whom the Lord Jesus pleads. I conclude this with that of the Psalmist: "Surely his salvation is near them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps" (Psa 85:9–13).

Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness 0f the Loss Thereof; How Christ Manages The Office Of An Advocate.153

 

THE USE AND APPLICATION

Use Sixth. Doth Jesus Christ stand up to plead for us, and that of his mere grace and love? Then this should teach Christians to be watchful and wary of how they sin against God. This inference seems to run retrograde, but whoever duly considers it will find it fairly far-fetched from the premises. Christianity teaches ingenuity and the aptness to be sensible of kindnesses, and it does instruct us to a loathness to be overheard upon him from whom we have all at free cost. "Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Shall we do evil so that good may come? God forbid. Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (Rom 6:1, 2, 15).

It is the most disingenuous thing in the world not to care how chargeable we are to that friend who bestows all upon us gratis. When Mephibosheth had an opportunity to be yet more chargeable to David, he would not, because he had his life and his all from the mere grace of the king (II Sam 119:24–28) Also, David thought it was too much for all of his household to go to Absalom's feast because it was free. Why, Christ is our Advocate of free cost, we pay him neither fee nor income for what he doth; nor doth he desire aught of us, but to accept of his free doing for us thankfully; wherefore let us put him upon this work as little as may be, and by so doing we shall show ourselves Christians of the right make and stamp. We count him but a fellow of a very gross spirit that will therefore be lavishing what is his friend's because it is prepared of mere kindness for him; Esau himself was loath to do this; and shall Christians be disingenuous?

I dare say, if Christians were sober, watchful, and of a more self-denying temper, they need not put the Lord Jesus to that to which for the want of these things they do so often put him. I know he is not unwilling to serve us, but I also know that the love of Christ should constrain us to live not to ourselves but to him who loved us, died for us, and rose again (II Cor 5:14, 15). We shall do that which is naught too much, even then when we watch and take care of what we can to prevent it. Our flesh, when we do our utmost diligence to resist, will defile both us and our best performances. We need not lay the reins on its neck and say, What are we? the more sin the more grace, and the more we shall see the kindness of Christ and what virtue there is in his Advocate's office to save us. And should there be any such here, I would present them with a scripture or two; the first is this: "Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" (Deut 32:6). And if this gentle check will not do, then read the other. Shall we say, Let us do evil that good may come? Their damnation is just (Rom 3:8). Besides, as nothing so swayed us as love, there is nothing so well pleasing to God as it. Let a man love, though he has the opportunity to do nothing, it is accepted by the God of heaven. But where there is no love, let a man do what he will, it is not at all regarded (I Cor 13:1-3). Now to be careless and negligent, and that from a supposed understanding of the grace of Christ in the exercise of his advocateship for us in heaven, is as clear sign as can be, that in thy heart there is no love to Christ, and that consequently thou art just a nothing, instead of being a Christian. Talk, then, what thou wilt, and profess never so largely, Christ is no Advocate of thine, nor shalt thou, thou so continuing, be ever the better for any of those pleas that Christ, at God's bar, puts in against the devil, for his people.

Christians, Christ Jesus is not unwilling to lay himself out for you in heaven, nor to be an Advocate for you in the presence of his Father; but yet he is unwilling that you should render him evil for good; I say that you should do so by your remissness and carelessness for want of such thinking of things as may affect your hearts therewith. It would be more comely in you, would please him better, would agree with your profession, and also prove you gracious, to be found in the power and nature of these conclusions. "How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom 6:2)."If ye have risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sited on the right hand of God; for ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Col 3:1–6).

I say it would be more common for Christians to say, We will not sin because God will pardon; we will not commit iniquity because Christ will advocate for us. "I write unto you that ye sin not; though if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. "Why, the brute would conclude, I will not do so, because my master will beat me; I will do thus, for then my master will love me. And Christians should be above such men, brutish men.

And for a conclusion as to this, let me present you with three considerations: (1.) Know that it is the nature of grace to draw holy arguments to move to goodness of life from the love and goodness of God, but not thence to be remiss (II Cor 5:14). (2.) Know therefore that they have no grace that find not these effects of the discoveries of the love and goodness of God. (3.) Know also that among all the swarms of professors that from age to age make mention of the name of Christ, they only must dwell with him in heaven that do part from iniquity, and are zealous of good works (II Tim 2:19). He gave himself for these (Titus 2:11-14). Not that they were so antecedent to this gift. But those that he has redeemed to himself are thus sanctified by his faith (Acts 26:18).