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

5. The Apostle also supposeth by the Text, That there is an aptness in Christians, when they have sinned, to forget that they have an Advocate with the Father. Wherefore this is written to put them in Remembrance; If any Man sin, let him remember, we have an Advocate. We can think of all other things well enough, namely that God is a just Judge, that the Law is perfectly holy, that my Sin is an horrible and an abominable thing, and that I am certainly there of accused before God by Satan.

These things I say, we readily think of, and forget them not. Our Conscience puts as in mind of these, our Guilt puts us in mind of these, the Devil puts us in mind of these, and our Reason and Sense holdeth the Knowledge and Remembrance of these close to us; all that we forget, is, that we have an Advocate, an Advocate with the Father; that is, one ⟨p. 11⟩that is appointed to take in hand in open Court, before all the Angels of Heaven, my cause; and to plead it by such Law and Arguments, as will certainly fetch me off, tho I am clothed with filthy Garments. But this I say, we are apt to forget, as Job, when he said, Oh that one might plead for a Man with God, as one pleads for his Neighbour, Job 16.21. Such an one Job had, but he had almost at this time forgot it, as he seems to intimate also, where he wisheth for a days-man that might lay his Hand upon them both. Chap. 9.33. But our Mercy i•, we have one to plead our cause; an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who will not suffer our Soul to be spilt, and spoiled before the Throne, but will surely plead our Cause.

These things I say, we readily think of, and forget them not. Our Conscience puts as in mind of these, our Guilt puts us in mind of these, the Devil puts us in mind of these, and our Reason and Sense holdeth the Knowledge and Remembrance of these close to us; all that we forget, is, that we have an Advocate, an Advocate with the Father; that is, one