CHAPTER IV.

OUR ADVOCATE.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 JOHN ii. 1.

You will easily perceive that the text I have selected alludes almost in word to the sins of ignorance of which we have been reading in the fourth chapter of the Book of Leviticus. The provision, as I explained, in that chapter, is for sins committed in ignorance; the provision in the text I have quoted is, "If any man sin”—whether he know it or not; be it a sin of ignorance, or a sin of wilfulness-"we have an advocate with the Father," who is, what the sacrifice in Leviticus was typically-"the propitiation," the atonement "for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

I know nothing so satisfactory to the Christian, or so precious, as the truths enunciated by the Evangelist John. And whether we take his beautiful gospel called "the Gospel of the Father," because it is the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of believers that that personation of love mostly dwells on-or,

whether we take his Three Epistles-one general, and the other special, to an Elect Lady—we find in all these precious truths which make miserable hearts happy, lead sinful souls to the knowledge of forgiveness, and the victims of despair to be the inheritors of a blessed hope beyond the sky. How precious the sentiment in the first chapter here-"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son,"not once cleansed, and has now lost its efficacy, but cleanseth-the present tense-in 1854 just as fully as 1800 years ago! And it cleanseth, not from some sins; not from trivial ones, or what are called venial ones; but from all sin. What a truth to live with! What a hope to die in! Not the literal blood-as it was literal in the case of the slain bullock-but the precious efficacy of it. Christ is sacrificed for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour; meaning that the sacrifice burned upon the altar is thus presented amid incense in the holy of holies, and, as the ceaseless perfume of that deed that was done on Calvary 1800 years ago, it rises to heaven like aromatic incense, and spreads to the skies, exhilarating to all that are there, and acceptable like a sweet savour of perfume before the Most High.

"If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves." There is no perfection upon earth; we cannot have on earth the innocence that Adam had-it is gone; we cannot have on earth the perfection that saints in glory have-it is not come. Our condition upon earth is a law in our members warring against the law of our spirit; the ascendancy obtained through struggle; imperfection upon earth; the Christian life, like the April day, sunshine and showers in succession, cloud and brightness alternating, but ending

at length in a bright sky that never shall be clouded. If any man say, "I have no sin," that man is either trying to deceive me, or he deceives himself. Then what does he say? "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but ". beautiful addition!" if we confess our sins," -not to the priest, because we have not sinned against him; but to God, of whom he is speaking,-"if we confess our sins, God is "-not merciful; that you could easily suppose-but he is faithful to his promise to forgive"he is faithful and just." God is just while justifying the believer. How beautiful, that the two attributes of God that human nature would quote against forgiveness, as it imagines, the apostle quotes as the very two that seal, and sanction, and proclaim our complete forgiveness" He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins!" And then again, lest poor human nature should forget this precious resource, he repeats, "If any man sin"-whether the high priest, or the ruler of the people, or one of the common people, or one of the congregation-" if any man sin,"—whatever he be, whatever his age, his position, or rank—“ if any man sin, we have ”'—we have, not hope for-" an advocate with the Father; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only," but it is available to all the ends of the earth, for all that will accept it.

Thus, we see how much of the Gospel is in this beautiful epistle, even on its very preface. He begins the second chapter with this remark, "My little children." When John wrote this epistle, he was very nearly ninety years of age; the Book of Revelation was written in Patmos when he was nearly a hundred;

but he was at least ninety when he wrote this epistle. Pause to imagine, that beautiful grey hair, resplendent with the first beams of the approaching glory; and think of that venerable saint, ripe in grace, and consecrated, not otherwise, by years, addressing believers as his "little children,"-his family, his flock-and saying, "I write unto you," not that you may reverence me, or do anything for me; but "I write unto you that ye sin not." And what does he teach by this? That the whole strain and tendency of Christianity, the whole scope of God's revealed Word, is to put an end to sin. Its promises, its precepts, its hopes, its requirements, its thoughts, all go to put an end to sin. Nobody can deny, whatever else he may assert, that the Bible's tendency is to make man holier and happier even upon earth; and if we did not see its tendency, it so frequently asserts it, that we cannot possibly deny it. "Ye are a chosen generation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, to show forth the praises of him who hath called you from darkness into his marvellous light." "The grace of God teacheth us to live soberly, righteously, godly, in this present world, looking for that blessed hope." The best evidence of Christianity is its fruits. I do not say there may not be noble, honourable, impressive traits in human character without Christianity; but I do say that wherever Christianity is, those traits will be, and not only will they be, but they will be beautified, and inspired, and covered with a richer glory. When we assert that man is fallen and corrupt, we do not mean to say that earth has become a Pandemonium, and that men are become demons. This is not true. There are still on the surface of humanity the linger

ing rays of Paradise; there are still in the hearts of humanity the feelings that were first felt in Paradise ; there is much that is beautiful in human nature developed by its finest specimens ; but we must also admit that there is much that is degraded and desperately wicked in these, and developed by its worst; and we still more maintain that the only power that can lift human nature to that table-land on which it will shine most beautiful, and bear its most fragrant fruit, is the Gospel of the Son of God.

"Little children, I write unto you that ye sin not." This is the end and object of my writing. But he says, "If any man sin." He says, it is quite plain that while this is what we ought not to do, it is right that there should be a provision made for what will occur in the case of every man, in every age, and under every circumstance. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." And then this is connected with the previous passage that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." But the phrase, “if any man sin," implies that purity and holiness will be the spontaneous fruits of Christian character, and that the sin will be incidental or accidental. He assumes throughout the whole passage, that not to sin is the polarity or the tendency of a true Christian; but he also admits the possibility, nay, the probability, nay, the certainty, of a flaw in the best-sin in the holiest; and therefore he states the provision, "If any man sin." Man breathes an infected air; he has a law in his members still warring against the law of his soul: and he that knows his own heart best will be the first to sympathize with the infirmities, the sins, as well as the fears of