I. A. R. Wylie - "The Native Born"

Jean de La Fontaine - "The Tales and Novels, v21: The Spectacles &c."

Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne - "Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, v1"

Euripedes - "The Iphigenia in Tauris"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1

J >> John Bunyan >> The Works of John Bunyan Volume 1




1. Christ pleads the value and virtue of the price of his blood and
sacrifice for us. And admit of this horrible supposition a little,
for argument's sake, that though Christ pleads the worth of what,
as Priest, he offereth, yet the soul for whom he so pleads perishes
eternally. Now, where lieth the fault? In sin, you say: true; but
it is because there was more virtue in sin to damn, than there was
in the blood pleaded by Christ to save; for he pleaded his merit,
he put it into the balance against sin; but sin hath weighed down
the soul of the sinner to hell, notwithstanding the weight of merit
that he did put in against it. Now, what is the result, but that
the Advocate goes down, as well as we; we to hell, and he in esteem?
Wherefore, I say, he is concerned with us; his credit, his honour,
his glory and renown, flies all away, if those for whom he pleads
as an Advocate perish for want of worth in his sacrifice pleaded.
But shall this ever be said of Christ? Or will it be found that
any, for whom Christ as Advocate pleads, yet perish for want of
worth in the price, or of neglect in the Advocate to plead it? No,
no; himself is concerned, and that as to his own reputation and
honour, and as to the value and virtue of his blood; nor will he
lose these for want of pleading for them concerned in this office.

2. I argue again; Christ, as Advocate, must needs be concerned in
his plea; for that every one, for whose salvation he advocates,
is his own; so, then, if he loses, he loses his own-his substance
and inheritance. Thus, if he lose the whole, and if he lose a
part, one, any one of his own, he loseth part of his all, and of
his fullness; wherefore we may well think, that Christ, as Advocate,
is concerned, even concerned with his people, and therefore will
thoroughly plead their cause.

Suppose a man should have a horse, though lame, and a piece of
ground, though somewhat barren, yet if any should attempt to take
these away, he would not sit still, and so lose his own; no, saith
he, "since they are mine own, they shall cost me five times more
than they are worth, but I will maintain my right." I have seen men
sometimes strongly engaged in law for that which, when considered
by itself, one would think was not worth regarding; but when I have
asked them, why so concerned for a thing of so little esteem, they
have answered, O, it is some of that by which I hold a title of
honour, or my right to a greater income, and therefore I will not
lose it. Why, thus is Christ engaged; what he pleads for is his
own, his all, his fullness; yea, it is that by which he holds his
royalty, for he is "King of saints" (Rev 15:3, John 6:37-39, Psa
16:5,6). It is part of his estate, and that by which he holds some
of his titles of honour (Eph 5:23, Jer 50:34, Rom 11:26, Heb 2:10).
Saviour, Redeemer, Deliverer, and Captain, are some of his titles
of honour; but if he loseth any of those, upon whose account he
weareth those titles of honour, for want of virtue in his plea, or
for want of worth in his blood, he loseth his own, and not only so,
but part of his royalty, and does also diminish and lay a blot upon
his glorious titles of honour; and he is jealous of his honour;
his honour he will not give to another.

Wherefore he will not, be not afraid, he never will leave nor
forsake those who have given themselves unto him, and for whom he
is become an Advocate with the Father, to plead their cause; even
because thou art one, one of his own, one by whom he holdeth his
glorious titles of honour.

Objection. O, but I am but one, and a very sorry one, too; and what
is one, especially such an one as I am? Can there be a miss of the
loss of such an one?

Answer. One and one makes two, and so ad infinitum. Christ cannot
lose one, but as he may lose more, and so, in conclusion, lose
all: but of all that God has given him, he will lose nothing (John
6:38,39). Besides, to lose one would encourage Satan, disparage
his own wisdom, make him incapable of giving in, at the day of
account, the whole tale19 to God of those that he has given him.
Further, this would dishearten sinners, and make them afraid of
venturing their cause and their souls in his hand; and would, as I
said before, either prove his propitiation in some sense ineffectual,
or else himself defective in his pleading on it; but none of these
things must be supposed. He will thoroughly plead the cause of his
people, execute judgment for them, bring them out to the light,
and cause them to behold his righteousness (Micah 7:9).

Third Privilege. The plea of Satan is groundless, and that is
another privilege: for albeit thou hast sinned, yet since Christ
before has paid thy debt, and also paid for more; since thou
hast not yet run beyond the price of thy redemption; it must be
concluded that Satan wants a good bottom to ground his plea upon,
and therefore must, in conclusion, fail of his design. True, there
is sin committed, there is a law transgressed, but there is also a
satisfaction for this transgression, and that which superabounds;
so, though there be sin, yet there wants a foundation for a plea.
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, but Christ had other
garments provided for him, change of raiment: wherefore iniquity,
as to the charge of Satan, vanishes. "And the angel answered and
said, Take away the filthy garments from him" [this intimates that
there was no ground, no sufficient ground, for Satan's charge];
"and unto him he said, Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass
from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment" (Zech
3:4). 20

Now, if there be no ground, no sound and sufficient ground, to build
a charge against the child upon, I mean, as to eternal condemnation;
for that is the thing contended for; then, as I said, Satan must
fall "like lightning to the ground," and be cast over the bar, as
a corrupt and illegal pleader. But this is so, as in part is proved
already, and will be further made out by that which follows. They
that have indeed Christ to be their Advocate, are themselves, by
virtue of another law than that against which they have sinned,
secured from the charge that Satan brings in against them. I granted
before, that the child of God has sinned, and that there is a law
that condemneth for this sin; but here is the thing, this child is
removed by an act of grace into and under another law: "For we are
not under the law," and so, consequently, "there is now no condemnation
for them" (Rom 6:14, 8:1). Wherefore, when God speaketh of his
dealing with his, he saith, It shall "not be by their covenant,"
that is, not by that of the law, they then being not under the law
(Eze 16:61). What if a plea be commenced against them, a plea for
sin, and they have committed sin; a plea grounded upon the law, and
the law takes cognizance of their sin? Yet, I say, the plea wants
a good bottom, for that the person thus accused is put under another
law; hence, he says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you, for
ye are not under the law." If the child was under the law, Satan's
charge would be good, because it would have a substantial ground
of support; but since the child is dead to the law, (Gal 2:19), and
that also dead to him, for both are true as to condemnation, (Rom
7:6), how can it be that Satan should have a sufficient ground for
his charge, though he should have matter of fact, sufficient matter
of fact, that is sin? For by his change of relation, he is put out
of the reach of that law. There is a woman, a widow, that oweth a
sum of money, and she is threatened to be sued for the debt; now
what doth she but marrieth; so, when the action is commenced against
her as a widow, the law finds her a married woman; what now can
be done? Nothing to her; she is not who she was; she is delivered
from that state by her marriage; if anything be done, it must be
done to her husband. But if Satan will sue Christ for my debt, he
oweth him nothing; and as for what the law can claim of me while
I was under it, Christ has delivered me by redemption from that
curse, "being made a curse for me" (Gal 3:13).

Now the covenant into which I am brought by grace, by which also
I am secured from the law, is not a law of sin and death, as that
is from under which I am brought, (Rom 8:2), but a law of grace and
life; so that Satan cannot come at me by that law; and by grace,
I am by that secured also from the hand, and mouth, and sting of
all other; I mean still, as to an eternal concern. Wherefore God
saith, "If we break his law, the law of works, he will visit our
sin with a rod, and our iniquity with stripes; but his covenant,
his new covenant, will he not break," but will still keep close to
that, and so secure us from eternal condemnation (Psa 89:30-37).

Christ also is made the mediator of that covenant, and therefore
an Advocate by that; for his priestly office and advocateship are
included by his mediation; wherefore when Satan pleads by the old,
Christ pleads by the new covenant, for the sake of which the old
one is removed. "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made
the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to
vanish away" (Heb 8:13). So, then, the ground of plea is with Jesus
Christ, and not with our accuser. Now, what doth Christ plead, and
what is the ground of his plea? Why, he pleads for exemption and
freedom from condemnation, though by the law of works his children
have deserved it; and the ground for this his plea, as to law, is
the matter of the covenant itself, for thus it runs: "For I will
be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb 8:12). Now here is a
foundation-a foundation in law, for our Advocate to build his plea
upon; a foundation in a law not to be moved, or removed, or made
to give place, as that is forced to do, upon which Satan grounds
his plea against us. Men, when they plead before a judge, use to
plead matter of law. Now, suppose there is an old law in the realm,
by which men deserve to be condemned to death, and there is a new
law in this realm that secureth men from that condemnation which
belongs to them by the old; and suppose also, that I am completely
comprehended by all the provisos of the new law, and not by any
tittle thereof excluded from a share therein; and suppose, again,
that I have a brangling adversary that pursues me by the old law,
which yet cannot in right touch me, because I am interested in
the new; my advocate also is one that pleads by the new law, where
only there is a ground of plea; shall not now mine adversary feel
the power of his plea to the delivering of me, and the putting of
him to shame? Yes, verily; especially since the plea is good, the
judge just; nor can the enemy find any ground for a demur21 to
be put in against my present discharge in open court, and that by
proclamation; especially since my Advocate has also, by his blood,
fully satisfied the old law, that he might establish the new (Heb
10: 9, 11, 12).

Fourth Privilege. Since that which goeth before is true, it
follows, that he that entereth his plea against the children must
needs be overthrown; for always before just judges it is the right
that taketh place. Judge the right, O Lord, said David; or, "let
my sentence come forth from thy presence," according to the law of
grace. And he that knows what strong ground, or bottom, our Advocate
has for his pleadings, and how Satan's accusations are without sound
foundation, will not be afraid, he speaking in Christ, to say, I
appeal to God Almighty, since Christ is my Advocate by the new law,
whether I ought to be condemned to death and hell for what Satan
pleads against me by the old. Satan urgeth that we have sinned,
but Christ pleads to his propitiatory sacrifice; and so Satan is
overthrown. Satan pleads the law of works, but Christ pleads the
law of grace. Further, Satan pleads the justice and holiness of
God against us; and there the accuser is overthrown again. And to
them Christ appeals, and his appeal is good, since the law testifies
to the sufficiency of the satisfaction that Christ has made thereto
by his obedience (Rom 3:22, 23). And also, since by another covenant,
God himself has given us to Jesus Christ, and so delivered us
from the old. Wherefore you read nothing as an effect of Satan's
pleading against us, but that his mouth is stopped, as appears by
Zechariah 3; and that he is cast; yea, cast down, as you have it
in Revelation 12.

Indeed, when God admits not, when Christ wills not to be an Advocate,
and when Satan is bid stand at the right hand of one accused, to
enforce, by pleading against him, the things charged on him by the
law, then he can prevail-prevail for ever against such a wretched
one (Psa 109: 6, 7). But when Christ stands up to plead, when
Christ espouses this or that man's cause, then Satan must retreat,
then he must go down. And this necessarily flows from the text,
"We have an Advocate," a prevailing one, one that never lost cause,
one that always puts the children's enemy to the rout before the
judgment-seat of God. 22

This, therefore, is another privilege that they have, who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate; their enemy must needs be overthrown,
because both law and justice are on their side.

Fifth Privilege. Thine advocate has pity for thee, and great indignation
against thine accuser: and these are two excellent things. When a
lawyer hath pity for a man whose cause he pleadeth, it will engage
him much; but when he has indignation also against the man's accuser,
this will yet engage him more. Now, Christ has both these, and that
not of humour, but by grace and justice; grace to us, and justice
to our accuser. He came down from heaven that he might be a Priest,
and returned thither again to be Priest and Advocate for his; and
in both these offices he levelleth his whole force and power against
thine accuser: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).

Cunning men will, if they can, retain such an one to be their
Advocate, who has a particular quarrel against their adversary; for
thus, think they, he that is such, will not only plead for me, but
for himself, and to right his own wrongs also; and since, if it be
so, and it is so here, my concerns and my Advocate's are interwoven,
I am like to fare much the better for the anger that is conceived
in his heart against him. And this, I say, is the children's case;
their Advocate counteth their accuser his greatest enemy, and
waiteth for a time to take vengeance, and he usually then takes
the opportunity when he has aught to do for his people against him.
Hence he says, "The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year
of my redeemed is come" (Isa 63:3, 4).

I do not say that this revenge of Christ is, as ofttimes is a man's,
of spite, prejudice, or other irregular lettings out of passions;
but it ariseth from righteousness and truth; nor can it be but that
Jesus must have a desire to take vengeance on his enemy and ours,
since holiness is in him, to the utmost bounds of perfection. And
I say again, that in all his pleading as an Advocate, as well as
in his offering as a Priest, he has a hot and flaming desire and
design to right himself upon his foe and ours; hence he triumphed
over him when he died for us upon the cross, and designed the
spoiling of his principality, while he poured out his blood for us
before God. We then have this advantage more, in that Christ is our
Advocate, our enemy is also his, and the Lord Jesus counts him so
(Col 2:14, 15).

Sixth Privilege. As thine Advocate, so thy judge holdeth thine
accuser for his enemy also; for it is not of love to righteousness
and justice that Satan accuseth us to God, but that he may destroy
the workmanship of God. Wherefore he also fighteth against God when
he accuseth the children; and this thy Father knows right well. He
must therefore needs distinguish between the charge and the mind
that brings it; especially when what is charged upon us is under
the gracious promise of a pardon, as I have showed it is. Shall
not the Judge then hear his Son-for our Advocate is his Son-in the
cause of one that he favours, and that he justly can, against an
enemy who seeks his dishonour, and the destruction of his eternal
dishonour, and the destruction of his eternal designs of grace?

A mention of the judge's son goes far with countrymen; and great
striving there is with them who have great enemies and bad causes
to get the judge's son to plead, promising themselves that the
judge is as like to hear him, and to yield a verdict to his plea,
as to any other lawyer. But what now shall we say concerning our
Judge's Son, who takes part, not only with his children, but with
him, and with law and justice, in pleading against our accuser?
Yea, what shall we say when both Judge, and Advocate, and law, are
all bent to make our persons stand and escape, whatever, and how
truly soever, the charge and accusation is by which we are assaulted
of the devil. And yet all this is true; wherefore, here is another
privilege of them that have Jesus for their Advocate.

Seventh Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ for their Advocate is, that he is undaunted, and of a good
courage, as to the cause that he undertakes; for that is a requisite
qualification for a lawyer, to be bold and undaunted in a man's
cause. Such an one is coveted, especially by him that knows he
has a brazen-faced antagonist. Wherefore, he saith that "he will
set his face like a flint," when he stands up to plead the cause
of his people (Isa 50:5-7). Lawyers, of all men, need this courage,
and to be above others, men of hard foreheads, because of the
affronts that sometimes they meet with, be their cause never so
good, in the face sometimes, of the chief of a kingdom. Now Christ
is our lawyer, and stands up to plead, not only sometimes, but
always, for his people, before the God of gods, and that not in
a corner, but while all the host of heaven stands by, both on the
right hand and on the left. Nor is it to be doubted but that our
accuser brings many a sore charge against us into the court; but,
however, we have an Advocate that is valiant and courageous, one
that will not fail nor be discouraged till he has brought judgment
unto victory. Hence John asserts his name, saying, "If any man sin,
we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ."

Men love to understand a man before they commit their cause unto
him-to wit, whether he be fitly qualified for their business. Well,
here is an Advocate propounded, an Advocate to plead our cause
against our foe. But what is he? What is his name? Is he qualified
for my business? The answer is, It is Jesus Christ. How? Jesus Christ,
what! That old friend of publicans and sinners? Jesus Christ! He
used never to fail, he used to set his face like a flint against
Satan when he pleaded the cause of his people. Is it Jesus Christ?
says the knowing soul; then he shall be mine Advocate.

For my part, I have often wondered, when I have considered what
sad causes Jesus 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
itself 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 "shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation: of him shall the Son of man 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.
But what will not love do? What will not love bear with? And what
will not love suffer? Of all the offices of Jesus Christ, I think
this trieth him as much as any! True, his offering himself in sacrifice
tried him greatly, but that was but for awhile; his grappling, as
a captain, with the curse, death, and hell, tried him much, but
that also was but for awhile; but this office of being an Advocate,
though it meeteth not with such sudden depths of trouble, yet what
is wants in shortness it may meet with in length of time. I know
Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more; yet he has not
left off, though in heaven, to do some works of service for his
saints on earth; for there he pleads as an Advocate or lawyer for
his people (Heb 8:1, 2). And let it be that he has no cause of shame
when he standeth thus up to plead for so vile a wretch as I, who
have so vilely sinned, yet I have cause to think that well he may,
and to hold my hands before my face for shame, and to be confounded
with shame, while he, to fetch me off from condemnation for my
transgressions, sets his face like a flint to plead for me with
God, and against my accuser. But thus much for the seventh privilege
that they have by Christ who have him for their Advocate.

Eighth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate is this, He is always ready, always
in court, always with the judge, then and there to oppose, if our
accuser comes, and to plead against him what is pleadable for his
children. And this the text implies where it saith, "We have an
Advocate with the Father," always with the Father. Some lawyers,
though they are otherwise able and shrewd, yet not being always
in court and ready, do suffer their poor clients to be baffled and
nonsuited23 by their adversary; yea, it so comes to pass because
of this neglect, that a judgment is got out against them for whom
they have undertaken to plead, to their great perplexity and damage:
but no such opportunity can Satan have of our Advocate, for he is
with the Father, always with the Father; as to be a Priest, so to
be an Advocate-"We have an Advocate with the Father." It is said of
the priests, they wait at the altar, and that they give attendance
there, (I Cor 9:13); also of the magistrate, that as to his office,
he should attend "continually on this very thing" (Rom 13:6).
And as these, so Christ, as to his office of an Advocate, attends
continually upon that office with his Father. "We have an Advocate
with the Father," always with the Father. And truly such an
Advocate becomes the children of God, because of the vigilance of
their enemy; for it is said of him, that "he accuseth us day and
night," so unweariedly doth he both seek and pursue our destruction
(Rev 12:10). But behold how we are provided for him-"We have an
Advocate with the Father." If he come a-days, our Advocate is with
the Father; if he come a-nights, our Advocate is with the Father24

Thus, then, is our Advocate ready to put check to Satan, come he
when he will or can, to accuse us to the Father. Wherefore these
two texts are greatly to be minded, one of them, for that it shows
us the restlessness of our enemy, the other, for that it shows us
the diligence of our Advocate.

That, also, in the Hebrews shows us the carefulness of our Advocate,
where it saith, He is gone "into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us" (Heb 9:24). Now, just the time present;
NOW, the time always present; NOW, let Satan come when he will! Nor
is it to be omitted that this word that thus specifies the time,
the present time, doth also conclude it to be that time in which
we are imperfect in grace, in which we have many failings, in which
we are tempted and accused of the devil to God; this is the time,
and in it, and every whit of it, he now appeareth in the presence
of God for us. Oh, the diligence of our enemy; oh, the diligence
of our friend!-the one against us, the other for us, and that
continually-"If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous." This, then, that Jesus Christ is always
an Advocate with the Father for us, and so continually ready to put
a check to every accusation that Satan brings into the presence of
God against us, is another of the privileges that they have, who
have Jesus Christ for their Advocate.

Ninth Privilege. Another privilege that they have who have Jesus
Christ to be their Advocate is this, he is such an one that will
not, by bribes, by flattery, nor fair pretenses, be turned aside
from pursuing of his client's business. This was the fault of
lawyers in old time, that they would wrest judgment for a bribe.
Hence the Holy One complained, that a bribe did use to blind the
eyes of the wise, and pervert the judgment of the righteous (I Sam
12:3; Amos 5:12; Deut 16:19).