The advocateship of Jesus Christ clearly explained, and largely improved, for the benefit of…

For my part, I have often wondered, when I have considered, what sad Causes Jesus ⟨p. 114⟩Christ sometimes takes in Hand, and for what sad Souls he sometimes pleads with God his Father; he had need of a Face as hard as Flint, else how could he bear up in that Work, in which, for us, sometimes he is employed. A work enough to make Angels blush Some, indeed, will lightly put off this, and say, it is his Office, but I say, his Office notwithstanding, the Work in it self is hard, exceeding hard; when he went to die, had he not despised the Shame, he had turned his Back upon the Cross, and left us in our Blood: And now it is his turn to plead, the Case would be the same, only he can make Argument upon that, which to us seems to yield no Argument at all, to take Courage to plead for a Joshua, for a Joshua clothed, clothed with filthy Garments. He, saith he, that is ashamed of me and my Words in this adulterous Generation, of him will I be ashamed, &c. Mark 8.38. Hence it follows that Christ will be ashamed of some, but why not ashamed of others? It is not because their Cause is good, but because they are kept from denying of him professedly; wherefore, for such, he will force himself and will set his Face like a Flint, and will, without Shame, own, plead, and improve his Interest with God for them, even for them, whose Cause is so horribly bad and gross, that themselves do blush while they think thereof.

For my part, I have often wondred, when I have considered, what sad Causes Jesus ⟨p. 114⟩Christ sometimes takes in Hand, and for what sad Souls he sometimes pleads with God his Father; he had need of a Face as hard as Flint, else how could he bear up in that Work, in which, for us, sometimes he is employed. A work enough to make Angels blush Some, indeed, will lightly put off this, and say, it is his Office, but I say, his Office notwithstanding, the Work in it self is hard, exceeding hard; when he went to die, had he not despised the Shame, he had turned his Back upon the Cross, and left us in our Blood: And now it is his turn to plead, the Case would be the same, only he can make Argument upon that, which to us seems to yield no Argument at all, to take Courage to plead for a Joshua, for a Joshua cloathed, cloathed with filthy Garments. He, saith he, that is ashamed of me and my Words in this adulterous Generation, of him will I be ashamed, &c.