Answ. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a Cause or two, nor to deliver the Godly from an Accusation or two: He delivereth Israel out of all his Troubles, 2 Sam. 22.28. and chooses to be an Advocate for such. Therefore the Godly of old, did use to make from the Greatness of their Troubles and the abundance of their Troublers, an Argument to the Lord Christ to send, and lend them help. Have Mercy upon me, said David, consider my Trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, Psal. 9.13. And again, Many are they that rise up against me, many there be that say of my Soul, there is no help for him in God, Psal. 3.1, 2. Yea the Troubles of this Man were so many and great that his Enemies began to triumph over him, saying, There is no help for him in God, ver. 7. But could he not deliver him, or did the Lord fors•ke him? No no; thou hast smitten, saith he, all mine Enemies upon the Cheek-bone, thou hast broken the Teeth of the ungodly. And as he delivereth them from their Troublers, so al•o ⟨p. 161⟩he pleadeth all their Causes: O Lord, •aith the Church, thou hast pleaded the Causes •f my Soul, thou hast redeemed my Life, Lam. •.58. Mark, troubled Christian, thou •ayst thou hast been arrested oft times in a Day, and as often summoned to appear at God's Bar, there to answer to what shall be •aid to thy Charge: And here for thy Encouragement thou readest that the Church hath •n Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her •oul, that is, all her Causes, to deliver her. He knows that so long as we are in this World, we are subject to Temptation and Weakness, and through them made guilty, •f many bad things: Wherefore he hath prepared himself to our Service, and to abide •ith the Father an Advocate for us. As Solomon saith of a Man of great Wrath, Prov. 19.•9. so it may be said of a Man of great Weaknesses (and the best of Saints are such) he •ust he delivered again, and again. Yea ma•y a time saith David did he deliver them, Psal. •06.44, 45. to wit, more than once and twice; •nd he will do so for thee, if thou entertain […] to be thine Advocate. Thou talkest of •aving of him, but then whither wilt thou […]? all else are vain things, things that cannot profit, 1 Sam. 12.20, 21, 22, 23. and he •ill not forsake his People tho their Land be […] with Sin against the holy One of Israel, ⟨p. 162⟩Jer. 51.5.
Answ. Christ is not an Advocate to plead a Cause or two, nor to deliver the Godly from an Accusation or two: He delivereth Israel out of all his Troubles, 2 Sam. 22.28. and chuses to be an Advocate for such. Therefore the Godly of old, did use to make from the Greatness of their Troubles and the abundance of their Troublers, an Argument to the Lord Christ to send, and lend them help. Have Mercy upon me, said David, consider my Trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, Psal. 9.13. And again, Many are they that rise up against me, many there be that say of my Soul, there is no help for him in God, Psal. 3.1, 2. Yea the Troubles of this Man were so many and great that his Enemies began to triumph over him, saying, There is no help for him in God, ver. 7. But could he not deliver him, or did the Lord fors•ke him? No no; thou hast smitten, saith he, all mine Enemies upon the Cheek-bone, thou hast broken the Teeth of the ungodly. And as he delivereth them from their Troublers, so al•o ⟨p. 161⟩he pleadeth all their Causes: O Lord, •aith the Church, thou hast pleaded the Causes •f my Soul, thou hast redeemed my Life, Lam. •.58. Mark, troubled Christian, thou •ayst thou hast been arrested oft times in a Day, and as often summoned to appear at God's Bar, there to answer to what shall be •aid to thy Charge: And here for thy Encou•agement thou readest that the Church hath •n Advocate that pleadeth the Causes of her •oul, that is, all her Causes, to deliver her. He knows that so long as we are in this World, we are subject to Temptation and Weakness, and through them made guilty, •f many bad things: Wherefore he hath pre•ared himself to our Service, and to abide •ith the Father an Advocate for us. As Solo•on saith of a Man of great Wrath,
