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."