The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

THat the Apostle might obtain due regard from those to whom he wrote, touching the things about which he wrote, he tells them, That he received not his Message to them, at second or third hand, but was himself an Eye and Ear-Witness thereof. That which was from the Beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our Eyes, which we have looked upon, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life, (for the Life was manifest, and we have seen it, and bear witness; and shew unto you, that eternal Life which was with the father, and was manifest unto us:) That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you. Having thus told them of his ground for what he said, he proceeds to tell them also the matter contained in his Errand; to wit, That he brought them news of Eternal Life, as freely offered in the Word of the Gospel p. 2to them; or rather that that Gospel which they had received, would certainly usher them in at the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, were their Reception of it sincere, and in truth. For, saith he, then The Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth you from all sin.

Having thus far told them what was his Errand, he sets upon an Explication of what he had said, specially touching our being cleansed from all sin; not, saith he, from a Being of Sin: For should we say so, we should deceive our selves, and should prove that we have no truth of God in us; but by cleansing, I mean a being delivered from all sin, so, as that none at all shall have the dominion over you, to bring you down to Hell; for that for the sake of the Blood of Christ, all trespasses are forgiven you.

This done he exhorts them to shun, or sly Sin, and not to consent to the Motions, Workings, Inticeings, or the Allurements thereof, saying, I write unto you that you sin not. Let not Forgiveness have so bad an effect upon you, as to cause you to be remiss in Christian Duties, or as to tempt you to give way to Evil. Shall we sin, because we are forgiven? or shall we not much matter what manner of Lives we live, because we are set free from the Law of Sin and Death? God forbid! p. 3Let Grace teach us another Lesson; and lay other Obligations upon our Spirits. My little Children, saith he, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. What things? why, tidings of Pardon and Salvation, and of that nearness to God, to which you are brought by the precious Blood of Christ. Now lest also by this last exhortation, he should yet be misunderstood, he adds, and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I say he addeth this to prevent desponding in those weak and sensible Christians, that are so quick of feeling, and of decerning the Corruptions of their Natures. For these cry out continually, That there is nothing that they do, but it is attended with sinful Weaknesses. Wherefore in the Words we are presented with two great truths.

p. 3First, with a Supposition, that Men in Christ, while in this World, may Sin. If any man sin; any man, none are excluded; for all, or any one of the all of them that Christ hath redeemed and forgiven, are incident to Sin. By may, I mean not a Toleration, but a Possibility. For there is not a Man, not a Just Man upon the Earth, that doth good and sinneth not, Eccles. 7.20. 1 Kin. 8.46.

Secondly, the other thing with which we are presented, is, an Advocate: If any man sin, p. 4we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Now there lieth in these two truths, two things to be enquired into; as,

1, What the Apostle should here mean by sin.

2. And also what he here doth mean by an Advocate. If any man sin, we have an Advocate.

There is ground to enquire after the first of these, because, tho here he saith, they that sin have an Advocate; yet in the very next Chapter, he saith, such are of the Devil, have not seen God, neither know him, nor are of him.

There is ground also to enquire after the Second, because an Advocate is supposed in the Text, to be of use to them that sin. If any Man sin, we have an Advocate.

1. For the First of these, to wit, what the Apostle should here mean by Sin, If any Man Sin.

I answer, since there is a difference in the Persons, there must be a difference in the Sin. That there is a difference in the Persons, is shewed before; one is called a Child of God, the other is said to be of the wicked One. Their Sin differ also in their Degree at least, for no Child of God sins to that Degree as to make himself uncapable of Forgiveness: p. 5For he that is born of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one, toucheth him not, Chap. 5.17, 18. Hence the Apostle says there is a sin unto Death, Mat. 12.32. which is the Sin from which he that is born of God is kept.

The sins therefore are thus distinguished, The Sins of the People of God, are said to be sins that Men commit, the others are counted those, which are the Sins of Devils.

First, the Sins of God's People, are said to be Sins which Men commit; and for which they have an Advocate, tho they, who sin after the example of the wicked one, have none.

p. 5When a Man or a Woman, saith Moses, shall commit a Sin, which Men commit; they shall confess their Sin, and an atonment shall be made for them, Numb. 5.5, 6, 7. Mark, It is when they commit a Sin, which Men commit. Or as Hosea has it, when they transgress the Commandment like Adam, Hos. 6.7. Now these are the Sins under consideration by the Apostle, and to deliver us from which we have an Advocate with the Father. But for the Sins mentioned in the third Chapter, since the Persons sinning, go here under another Character; they also must be of another Stamp, to wit, a making Head against the Person, Merits and Grace of Jesus Christ: these are the Sins of Devils in the World; p. 6and for these there is no Remission: These they also, that are of the wicked one, commit; and therefore sin after the similitude of Satan, and so fall into the Condemnation of the Devil.