above that, or more tolerable tormenting places than the most exquisite torments there, God, and they that are there, know best; but degrees without doubt there are; and the term 'lowest' shows the utmost and most exquisite distress; so the chambers of death, the second death in hell, for so I think the words should be understood-Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.' Pr. vii. 27. These are the chambers that the chambers in the temple, or that the dwelling places in the house in heaven, are opposed to; and this opposition shows, that as there will be degrees of glory in heaven, so there will of torments in hell; and there is all reason for it, since the punishment must be inflicted by God, the infinitely just. Why should a poor, silly, ignorant man, though damned, be punished with the same degree of torment that he that has lived a thousand times worse shall be punished with? It cannot be; justice will not admit it; guilt, and the quality of the transgression, will not admit it; yea, the tormenting fire of hell itself will not admit it; for if hell fire can kindle upon nothing but sin, and the sinner for the sake of it, and if sin be as oil to that fire, as the Holy Ghost seems to intimate, saying, 'Let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.' Ps. cix. 18. Then as the quantity of the oil is, so will the fire burn, and so will the flaming flame ascend, and the smoke of their torment, for ever and ever. Suppose a piece of timber a little bedaubed with oil, and another that has been soaking in it many a year, which of these two, think you, would burn fiercest? and from whence would the flaming flame ascend highest, and make the most roaring noise? Suppose two vessels filled with oil, one containing the quantity of a pint, the other containing the quantity of a hogshead, and suppose that in one place they were both set on fire, yet so that they might not intermix flames; nay, though they did, yet all would conclude that the most amazing roaring flame would be upon the biggest vessel, and would be the effect of the greatest quantity of oil; so it will be with the wicked in hell. The lowest hell is for the biggest sinners, and theirs will be the greater damnation, and the more intolerable torment, though he that has least of this oil of sin in his bones, and of the kindlings of hell fire upon him, will find he has hell enough, and will be weary enough thereof, for still he must struggle with flames that are everlasting; for sin is such a thing, that it can never be burned out of the soul and body of a damned sinner.

But again; having treated thus of hell, we will now speak a word or two of sin, for that is it upon which hell fire seizes, and so on the soul by that. Sin! it is the sting of hell-the sting of death is sin. 1 Co. xv. 56. By 'death' in this place we must not understand that which is natural, but that

which is in hell, the second death, even everlasting damnation; for natural death the saints die, yea, and also many sinners, without the least touch of a sting from that; but here is a death that has a sting to hurt, to twinge, and wound the sinner with, even then when it has the utmost mastery of him. And this is the death that the saved are delivered from; not that which is natural, for that is the end of them as of others. 1 Co. xv. 55. Ec. ii. 15, 16. But the second death, the death in hell, for that is the portion of the damned, and it is from that that the saints have a promise of deliverance-He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.' Re. ii. 11. And again, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.' Re. xx. 6. It is this death, then, that hath the chambers to hold each damned soul in; and sin is the twining, winding, biting, poisoning sting of this death, or of these chambers of hell, for sinners to be stricken, stung, and pierced with. The sting of death is sin.' Sin, in the general of it, is the sting of hell, for there would be no such thing as torment even there, were it not that sin is there with sinners; for, as I have hinted already, the fire of hell, the indignation and wrath of God, can fasten and kindle upon nothing but for or because of sin; sin, then, as sin, is the sting and the hell of hells, of the lowest and upmost hells. Sin, I say, in the nature of it, simply as it is concluded both by God and the damned to be a breach of his holy law, so it is the sting of the second death, which is the worm of hell. But then, as sin is such a sting in itself, so it is heightened, sharpened, and made more keen and sharp by those circumstances that as concomitants attend it in every act; for there is not a sin at any time committed by man, but there is some circumstance or other attends it, that makes it, when charged home by God's law, bigger and sharper, and more venom and poisonous to the soul than if it could be committed without them; and this is the sting of the hornet, the great sting. I sinned without a cause to please a base lust, to gratify the devil; here is the sting! Again; I preferred sin before holiness, death before life, hell before heaven, the devil before God, and damnation before a Saviour; here is the sting! Again, I preferred moments before everlastings, temporals before eternals, to be racked and always slaying before the life that is blessed and endless; here is the sting! Also, this I did against light, against convictions, against conscience, against persuasion of friends, ministers, and the godly lives which I beheld in others; here is the sting! Also, this I

*Sin 'in the general of it,' or sin wherever it may be found.

did against warnings, forewarnings, yea, though I saw others fall before my face by the mighty hand of God for committing of the same; here is the sting!

Sinners, would I could persuade you to hear me out! A man cannot commit a sin, but, by the commission of it, he doth, by some circumstance or other, sharpen the sting of hell, and that to pierce himself through and through, and through, with many sorrows. 1 Ti. vi. 10. Also, the sting of hell to some will be, that the damnation of others stand upon their score, for that by imitating of them, by being deluded by them, persuaded by them, drawn in by them, they perish in hell for ever; and hence it is that these principal sinners must die all these deaths in themselves, that those damned ones that they have drawn into hell are also to bear in their own souls for ever. And this God threatened to the prince of Tyrus, that capital sinner, because by his pride, power, practice, and policy, he cast down others into the pit; therefore saith God to him, 'They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.' And again; Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.' Eze. xxviii. 8, 10. Ah! this will be the sting of them, of those that are principal, chief, and, as I

may call them, the captain and ringleading sinners. Vipers will come out of other men's fire and flames, and settle upon, seize upon, and for ever abide upon their consciences; and this will be the sting of hell, the great sting of hell to them.

I will yet add to all this; how will the fairness of some for heaven, even the thoughts of that, sting them when they come to hell! It will not be so much their fall into the pit, as from whence they fell into it, that will be to them the buzzing noise and sharpened sting of the great and terrible hornet. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer!' there is the sting. Is. xiv. 12. Thou that art exalted up to heaven shalt be thrust down to hell, though thou hast made thy nest among the stars,' from thence will I fetch thee down; there

is a sting. Mat. xi. 23. Ob. 4. To be pulled, for and through love to some vain lust, from the everlasting gates of glory, and caused to be swallowed up for it in the belly of hell, and made to lodge for ever in the darksome chambers of death, there is the piercing sting!

But again, as there is the sting of hell, so there is the strength of that sting; for a sting, though never so sharp, or venom, yet if it wanteth strength to force it to the designed execution, it doth but little hurt. But this sting has strength to cause it to pierce into the soul; the sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.' 1 Co. xv. 56. Here then is the strength of the sting of hell; it is the law in the perfect penalty of it; 'for without the law, sin is dead.' Ro. vii. 8. Yea, again he saith, where no law is, there is no transgression.' Ro. iv. 15. The law then followeth, in the executive part of it, the soul into hell, and there strengtheneth sin, that sting of hell, to pierce by its unutterable charging of it on the conscience, the soul for ever and ever; nor can the soul justly murmur or repine at God or at his law, for that then the sharply apprehensive soul will well discern the justness, righteousness, reasonableness, and goodness of the law, and that nothing is done by the law unto it, but that which is just and equal.*

This, therefore, will put great strength and force into sin to sting the soul, and to strike it with the lashes of a scorpion. Add yet to these the abiding life of God, the Judge and God of this law, will never die. When princes die, the law may be altered by the which at present transgressors are bound in chains; but oh! here is also that which will make this sting so sharp and keen, the God that executes it will never die. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' He. x. 30, 31.

*The law is a transcript of the mind of God; it is holy, just, and good-so that he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all. The law convicts and shows the sinner that God is all

eye to see, and all fire to consume, every unclean thing. Thus the law gives sin its strength, and death its warrant, to arrest and execute the sinner.-Mason.

COURTEOUS REader,

OF all the excellent offices which God the Father has conferred upon Jesus Christ our Lord, this of his being an Advocate with him for us is not the least, though, to the shame of saints it may be spoken, the blessed benefits thereof have not with that diligence and fervent desire been inquired after as they ought.

Christ, as sacrifice, priest, and king, with the glories in, and that flow from, him as such, has, God be thanked, in this our day, been much discovered by our seers, and as much rejoiced in by those who have believed their words; but as he is an Advocate with the Father, an Advocate for us, I fear the excellency of that doth still too much lie hid; though I am verily of opinion that the people of God in this age have as much need of the knowledge thereof, if not more need, than had their brethren that are gone before them.

These words, if not more need,' perhaps may seem to some to be somewhat out of joint; but let the godly wise consider the decays that are among us as to the power of godliness, and what abundance of foul miscarriages the generality of professors now stand guilty of, as also how diligent their great enemy is to accuse them at the bar of God for them, and I think they will conclude, that, in so saying, I indeed have said some truth. Wherefore, when I thought on this, and had somewhat considered also the transcendent excellency of the advocateship of this our Lord; and again, that but little of the glory thereof has by writing been, in our day, communicated to the church, I adventured to write what I have seen thereof, and do, by what doth follow, present it unto her for good.

to be called in question by their enemy, at the bar of the Judge of all.

These, I say, will read, and be glad to hear, that they have an Advocate at court that will stand up to plead for them, and that will yet secure to them a right to the heavenly kingdom. Wherefore, it is more particularly for those that at present, or that hereafter, may be in this dreadful plight, that this my book is now made public; because it is, as I have showed, for such that Jesus Christ is Advocate with the Father.

Of the many and singular advantages, therefore, that such have by this their Advocate in his advocating for them, this book gives some account; as, where he pleads, how he pleads, what he pleads, when he pleads, with whom he pleads, for whom he pleads, and how the enemy is put to shame and silence before their God and all the holy angels.

Here is also showed to those herein concerned, how they indeed may know that Jesus is their Advocate; yea, and how their matters go before their God, the Judge; and particularly that they shall well come off at last, yea, though their cause, as it is theirs, is such, in justification of which, themselves do not dare to show their heads.

Nor have I left the dejected souls without direc tions how to entertain this Advocate to plead their cause; yea, I have also shown that he will be with ease prevailed with, to stand up to plead for such, as one would think, the very heavens would blush to hear them named by him. Their comfort also is, that he never lost a cause, nor a soul, for whom he undertook to be an Advocate with God.

Fut, reader, I will no longer detain thee from the perusal of the discourse. Read and think; read, and compare what thou readest with the Word of God. If thou findest any benefit by what thou readest, give the Father and his Son the glory; and also pray for me. If thou findest me short in this, or to exceed in that, impute all such things to my weakness, of which I am always full. Farewell. I am thine to serve thee what I JOHN BUNYAN.

The apostle's Divine policy, to beget a due regard to his Divine doctrine of eternal life.-The apostle's explication of this expression, viz., The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.-The apostle's exhortation to separation from sin, as a good effect of a good cause, viz., Forgiveness.-The apostle's addition, to prevent misunderstanding, viz., We have an advocate with the Father This brings to the text, in which are two great truths contained: I. A supposition, viz., That men in Christ may sin.

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II. An expression, by way of consolation, in case of sin, viz., We have an Advocate with the Father Two things for inquiry in these truths: First, An inquiry into what our apostle means by sin; in which is considered, A difference in the person and in the sin. And, Second, An inquiry into what it is for Christ to be an Advocate, viz., To plead for another in a court of judicature Seven things supposed in the office of an advocate: 1. That God, as judge, is on the throne of judgment. 2. That saints

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are concerned at that bar. 3. That Christians have an accuser. 4. That sinuing saints dare not appear at this bar to plead their own cause. 5. That Christians are apt to forget their Advocate, and remember their Judge. 6. To remember our Advocate is the way to support faith and hope. -7. That if our advocate plead our cause (though that be never so black) he is able to bring us off The apostle's triumph in Christ on this account.-An exhortation to the difficult task of believing.-Christ's advocateship declares us to be sorry creatures

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THE METHOD OBSERVED IN THE DISCOURSE. FIRST, TO SPEAK OF THIS ADVOCATE'S OFFICE First, By touching on the nature of this office Second, By treating of the order or place of this office Third, The occasion of this office, viz., some great sin.Christ, as Advocate, pleads a bad cause.-A good cause will plead for itself.-A bad man may have a good cause, and a good man may have a bad cause.-Christ, the righteous, pleading a bad cause, is a mystery.-The best saints are most sensible of their sins.-A pestilent passage of a preacher 159,160 SECOND, TO SHOW HOW CHRIST DOES MANAGE HIS 160

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First, How he manages his office of Advocate with the Father.-1. ALONE, not by any proxy or deputy.-2. Christ pleads at God's bar; the cause cannot be removed into another court.-If removed from heaven, we have no advocate on earth-3. In pleading, Christ observes these rules: (1.) He granteth what is charged on us.-(2.) He pleads his own goodness for us.-He payeth all our debts down.All mouths stopped, who would not have the sinner delivered.-(3.) Christ requires a verdict in order to our deliverance. The sinner is delivered, God contented, Satan confounded, and Christ applauded

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Second, How Christ mauages his office of an Advocate against the adversary by argument.-1. He pleads the pleasure of his Father in his merits.-Satan rebuked for finding fault therewith.-2. He pleads God's interest in his people.-Haman's mishap in being engaged against the king's queen.-N.B. It seems a weak plea, because of man's unworthiness; but it is a strong plea, because of God's worthiness.-The elect are bound to God by a sevenfold cord.-The weight of the plea weighed.

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Third, Christ pleads his own interest in them.--A paralle! between cattle in a pound and Christ's own sheep-Six weighty reasons in this plea.-1. They are Christ's own.-2. They cost him dear.-3. He hath made them near to himself.-(a.) They are his spouse, his love, his dove; they are members of his body.-(b.) A man cannot spare a hand, a foot, a finger.-Nor can Christ spare any member.-4. Christ pleads his right in heaven to give it to whom he will.Christ will; Satan will not; Christ's will stands.-5. Christ pleads Satan's enmity against the godly.-Satan is the cause of the crimes he accuses us of -A simile of a weak-witted child.-6. Christ can plead those sins of saints for them for which Satan would have them damned.-Eight considerations to clear that.-Seven more considerations to the same end.-Men care most for children that are infirm.A father offended hath been appeased by a brother turning advocate 164-169 THIRD HEAD.-TO SHOW WHO HAVE CHRIST FOR AN ADVOCATE; WHEREIN ARE THREE THINGS CONTAINED

First, This office of advocate differs from that of a priest. -1. They differ in name.-2. They differ in nature.-3. They differ as to their extent.-4. They differ as to the persons with whom they have to do.-5. They differ as to the matter about which they are employed.-6. Christ, as Priest, precedes; Christ, as Advocate, succeeds

Second, How far this office of an advocate is extended; in five particulars

Third, Who have Christ for their Advocate.-1. În general, all adopted children.-Object. The text saith, If any man sin.-Answ. Any man,' is not any of the world; but any of the children of God.-A difference in children; some bigger than some.-Christ an Advocate for strong men.2. In particular, to show if Christ be our Advocate.-(1.) If one have entertained Christ to plead a cause.-Quest. How shall I know that ?-Answ. By being sensible of an action commenced against thee in the high court of justice.-(2.) If one have revealed a cause to Christ.-An example of one revealing his cause to Christ, in a closet. In order to this, one must know Christ, (a.) To be a friend.-(b) To be faithful.-(3.) If one have committed a cause to Christ. -In order to this, one must be convinced, (a.) Of Christ's ability to defend him.-(b.) Of Christ's courage to plead a

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cause. (c.) Of Christ's will for this work.-(d.) Of Christ's tenderness in case of his client's dulness.-(e.) Of Christ's unweariedness-(4.) If one wait till things come to a legal issue.-Quest. What is it thus to wait ?-Answ. (a.) To be of good courage; look for deliverance.-(b.) To keep his way in waiting. (c.) To observe his directions.-(d.) To hearken to further directions which may come from the advocate.(e.) To come to no ill conclusion in waiting, viz., that the cause is lost; because one hears not from court-(f.) To wait waking, not sleeping.-Ordinances and ministers compared to a post house and carriers of letters.-The client's comfortable conclusion about his advocate and cause.-But yet doubting and desponding.-The author's reply to, and compliance with, the client's conclusion; and his counsel in the case 169-176 FOURTH HEAD.-TO SHOW THE CLIENT'S PRIVILEGES, BY THE BENEFIT OF THIS OFFICE OF ADVOCATE

First Privilege.-The Advocate pleads a price paid.-Of a rich brother and his poor brethren.-Of the ill-conditioned man, their enemy.-Further cleared by three considerations

Second Privilege. The client's Advocate pleads for himself also; both concerned in one bottom.-1. He pleads the price of his own blood.-2. He pleads it for his own.A simile of a lame horse.-Of men going to law for a thing of little worth.-Object. I am but one.-Answ. Christ cannot lose one

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Third Privilege. The plea of Satan is groundless.-Satan must be cast over the bar.-A simile of a widow owing a sum of money.—Of an old law nulled* by a new law.-Satan pleads by the old law; Christ by the new 177, 178 Fourth Privilege.-Is consequential; the client's accuser must needs be overthrown.-The client's solemn appeal to the Almighty.-In case the accused have no advocate, Satan prevails

Fifth Privilege. The Advocate hath pity for his client, and indignation against the accuser.-Men choose an advocate who hath a quarrel against their adversary

Sixth Privilege. The judge counts the accuser his enemy. -To procure the judge's son to plead, is desirable

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Seventh Privilege. The client's Advocate hath good courage; he will set his face like a flint. He pleads before the God, and all the host, of heaven.-He is the old friend of publicans and sinners.-He pleads a cause bad enough to make angels blush.-Love will do, and bear, and suffer much 180 Eighth Privilege.-The Advocate is always ready in court. -He appears NOW in the presence of God 180, 181 Ninth Privilege.-The Advocate will not be blinded with bribes

Sixth.-Our evidences are oft out of our hand, and we recover them by our Advocate SIXTH-OBJECTIONS REMOVED

First Object.-What need all these offices or nice distinctions. Answ. The wisdom of God is not to be charged with folly.-God's people are baffled with the devil for want of a distinct knowledge of Christ in all his offices 188, 189 Second Object.-My cause being bad, Christ will desert me.-Answ. Sin is deadly destruction to faith.-A five-fold order observed in the exercise of faith 189, 190 Third Object.-But who shall pay the Advocate his fee?

* Nulled;' repealed or annulled.-Ed.

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