The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 66

doth claily break them in thought, word, nnrl rleed." This applies even to those who are assisted by grace. Onr nature is not t_horoughly renewed, nud so, as the language bears here, there are acts of sin which, accordmg to a former thought, we have to confess to God. How, then, wHh the constantly recurring consciousness of sin, are we to be advanced to sinlessness? In the answer which the apostle gives to this we are not to under- stand that he excludes our own pleading; for he repeatedly in this Epistle, assumrs that it is our duty to a~k of God, which must pass into earnest pleading. But, in bringing in the advocacy of .Another, he views our own advocacy as being insufficient by itself. It is not difficult to see how this should be. It is really involved in that which gives rise to constantly recurring acts of sin. It is one and the same disposition which leads us to shut our eyes to our need, and also makes us lukewarm in seeking the remedy. It unfits us for our being our own advocate, that we have an insufficient knowled_qe of our case. We cannot go into it with that thoroughness and skilfulness with which an advocate should go into a case which he undertake~. We do not know precisely the stage to which we have already come in our deliverance from sin, nor have we an ade- quate conception of the goal of sinlessness to which we have yet to come. We are, therefore, more or less working in the dark, and our pleading for ourselves must partake more or less of ignorance. "So find we profit," says Shakespeare," by losing of our prayers." We have not a right idea of the blessings which we really nee<l. We are like children, who ask many things of their parents which it is not wise for them to grant. Again, it unfits us for our being our own advocate, that we have an insufficient earnestness in urg·ing our case. To be delivered from sin, from particular sins which beset us, from the love of sin, is a matter essential to our well-being. We ought to plead for it as for our lire, and this continuously. We are not to plean as though we would rather be refused, or in the more earnest tone only by fits and starts. But bow can our advocacy be up to the mark of what advocacy should be, when what we have need to plead for is earnestness of the whole soul, and this in every successive moment of life? If, then, we are to have perfect advocacy, we must look away from ourselves. 2. The advocacy that we need. "We have an Advocate." It has sometimes happened that a person against whom a charge has been laid, for whom a good plea could be presented, has suffered materially for want of an advocate properly to present the plea. This cannot be said of us, for we are told here that, if we sic, we have an Advoccde. The Divine love has been beforehand with us, aad the case of our falling into sin, as we do, not- withstanding our covenant position, and notwithstanding our struggle after sinlessness every day, is met by the provision of an Advocate. There is the same word here which in John's Gospel is translated "Comforter." It is literally one who is called to our side. 'l'here is no inconsistency in the translation ; for in the Gospel we are to think of One who stands by us in our distresses, whereas here we are to think of One who stands by us so that we do not sink under our experience of sin on our way to sin- lessness. The Paraclete in the Gospel is the Holy Gho~t; but he is said to be another Comfortt;r. Christ had been the Paraclete of his disci pies, ever at their side to keep them from sinking of heart. He had been their Paraclete even in the sense of Advo- cate. What are we to understand by the night spent in prayer before the ordination of the twelve? While it was for himself, was it not also for them, "that they might rise to the height of their high calling, not puffed up, but divinely filled with grace and lowly power; till all-all save one-should be found finally not unworthy of this ministry and apostleship? And for us, and for all the long line of Christian genera- tions to be built up on those twelve foundations, believing through their word : may we not so read that long night-prayer of consecration and of intercession by our Priest and King? What nre we to make of that prayer for Peter on the last uight of our Saviour's earthly life: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to hnve you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not''? Have we not here an open vision of the manner in which he was engaged in bis private devotions? 'l'he Spirit makes up in this respect for the want of Christ's earthly presence; for he is with us to help our infirmities in prayer, and is engaged himself in intercession. 'l'bc Spirit'u advocacy on earth does not, however, supersede our Lord's. advocacy in heaven. For even the sending of the Spirit was to be an answer to Christ's future intercession. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever." When we sin, then-which is the experience 62 THE FIRS'l' EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [on. 11. 1-20.