As I gave you my Thoughts on Christ’s advocateship in Heaven, in a former letter, and you tell me, that a sentence therein gave you some uneasiness, which stands thus: “And as the Holy Ghost alludes to this personal Office, and applies it to the person of Christ, I humbly think, we ought not to disrobe his person of this office, which he is faithful in the execution of , and allow no more than the voice of his blood.” I must add somewhat as to this, if it may be of use to remove your uneasiness. – And you say, Sir, of this my sentence, “This, viz. for a believer to disrobe his dear Redeemer is a very heavy charge.” But, Sir, I don’t yet see cause to recede from it, for if we don’t believe that we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous;” and if we don’t put our cause, our every sinful case, into his hands as such, I must think, that we do thereby doctrinally and practically disrobe his person of this office. Indeed, dear Sir, I did not design by this sentence to fix a charge, but only that it should be a caution to us, not to deviate from the truth as it is in Jesus; but if, Sir, you think it is a heavy charge, to alleviate its weight, and abate your uneasiness, please to consider, that a believer, don’t disrobe his Redeemer willingly, and obstinately; though through remaining darkness, he may do this in some instances, both doctrinally and practically, from the guilt of which he is saved by Christ’s advocacy.

         I agree, with you, Sir, as to those fundamentals of doctrine which you mention as necessary to constitute a believer’s being, and also in those which ought to be believed by him, in order to his well-being. – And to your Query, which is, “How far doth the disbelief of this doctrine, affect a person either in his being, or well-being as a Christian, or his union, or communion, as a Church-member?” I reply.

         The disbelief of this doctrine, affects a Christian in his well-being; but I would be far from thinking or saying, that that person, who approves of the blood and righteousness of Christ, and depends alone thereon, for his cleansing from sin, and justification, is not a true Christian; though as such, he may not have clear conceptions, about Christ’s advocateship for him in Heaven. Nor do I apprehend, that the want of clear light in this respect, unfits him for church-communion; but the disbelief of this doctrine affects a Christian in his well-being, both as to his own comfort, and the grateful fruit which he ought to bring forth, in dealing by faith with, and in giving glory to, his great advocate. We can’t in this respect, have that liberty and joy, nor can we herein give him his due glory, for his love’s display, if we believe not his advocacy. We may rejoice in his dying love, but not in his pleading love; we may give him the glory of his perfect cleansing us from all sin mystically in himself on the cross, but not that of his cleansing us daily by his advocacy on the throne. The Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, writes this on purpose for the comfort of believers, under disconsolation by reason of sin, and fears arising thence as to divine favour: “And if any man [26] sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” He says not, we have the blood of Christ with the Father to plead for us, though his precious blood hath an advocate, which is a personal epithet, and denotes a personal office, Jesus Christ the righteous. He had before said, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” There he informs us of the matter, of our cleansing; here the manner of it, by our advocate’s pleading. How joyous is this truth, “That being reconciled unto God, by the death of his Son, we shall be saved by his life!” a much more is put upon it, because our once-dying Jesus ever lives to plead his great sacrifice. “He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them;” and his advocacy is a branch of his intercession, that respects peculiarly the Father’s mercy, or drawn-out loving kindness towards us, under all our sins and miseries, through execution of his part of his priestly office. And what glory do we owe to our pleading Lord, for his pleading love! Was it not enough to serve us here by the obedience of his life, nor yet by his obedience unto death, even the accursed death of the cross; but will he yet serve us continually, by his advocacy in his triumphant state on the throne! what amazing grace is this! it is love unknown! and what thanks and praise do we hence owe unto Him! – But, Sir, I hasten to your next queries, viz.

         “Whether or not the Antediluvian world, or before, or after the giving of the law, had any need of, or had an advocate in Heaven to plead for them under that dark dispensation or not?” I answer,

         They had. – And to prove my assertion, permit me to submit what follows, to your consideration.

         First, For all that are, or shall be saved, from the beginning to the end of time, there was, and is, but one way of Salvation, viz. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and for ever;” and he was, and is, the salvation of his people in all ages, by the execution of his offices, unto which he was called by the Father’s grace, and was, and is thus, in the discharge of this branch of his priestly office. – That the Antediluvian fathers had an advocate, I humbly think, was included in the first promise, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her fee; It, or He, shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Here the sufferings of Christ, by the bruising of his heel, or human nature, even unto death, to expiate our guilt were foretold; as was also the bruising of the serpent’s head by him, viz. by the execution of his offices, and this in particular of a priest, in the merit of his great sacrifice, unto the subduing and destruction of all our enemies, and our deliverence unto all joys and glories. In this bruising of the serpent’s head, was comprized, not only what our Lord did by his dolourous passion, but also what he does by his glorious interecession; as we, by New Testament light, now see our salvation from all sin and misery, unto all joy and glory, being ascribed, not only to his death, but also to his intercession, which is for the doing of that by application which was done compleatly by impetration, or his giving his life as the meritorious price of our redemption. And though our Lord [27] was not then incarnate, and so the giving himself a sacrifice, his life unto death for us, was not actually accomplished; yet he being set up in covenant, as atoning Mediator from everlasting, took his great work, and looked upon it in that respect as done. And upon this bottom he had a right to intercede and plead for his own, among the Antediluvians, from Adam till the deluge came; and though their ideas might be indistinct as to this, for want of clearer revelation, yet they had an advocate as well as a propitiation, and were saved, as we through Christ’s advocacy. Their indistinct notions as to this did not rob them of their privilege; and as they had figurative sacrifices, in which the faith of all the Saints beheld the great atoning sacrifice of Christ, so it has been observed by some, that while the church of God was in families, they had family priests, and that this was a part of the privilege of the first-born’s birth-right to be a priest in his father’s absence. And perhaps Cain might forfeit his birthright by bringing an unbloody sacrifice; upon which Abel offered the firstlings of his flock, and found favour with God by faith in Christ. For it has been thought that Cain’s sin consisted in not offering according to God’s commandment, a sacrifice that did not figure out the death of Christ, and therefore to him, and his offering, the Lord had not respect. And further, as intercession, founded on propitiation, is a brand of the priestly office, was figurative of Christ’s; and doubtless Adam received commandment from God, to offer a bloody sacrifice of his appointment, and this was handed down, from father to son through successive generations, though it be not mentioned; for otherwise, sacrificing would have been but will-worship, and neither Abel, nor after saints, could therein have been accepted with God; therefore, though there is no express declaration, that they then had an advocate in Heaven for them, this is no sufficient argument that they had none, it being comprized in the first promise, and prefigured in the intercession of the Priest when he offered sacrifice.

         Secondly, The Saints after the deluge, and before the giving of the law, had sacrifices and priests. Noah offered sacrifices, as his family priest, when he came out of the ark: “and the Lord smelled a sweet favour”, a favour of rest, in the sacrifice of his Son, shadowed forth therein; and I doubt not but Noah made intercession then, tho’ it be not mentioned; as intercession for favour was what belonged to the offerer. And doubtless Christ made intercession for Noah and his sons, for spiritual and temporal mercies, when the whole church was in so small a compass; upon which God blessed them, and made a covenant with him, and set his bow in the cloud as a token of the covenant. Melchizedeck was also a Priest of the most high God, and eminent type of Christ in his divine person, sacrifice, and intercession, blessed Abram, in intercession for him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth.” And what Melchizedeck then did, in interceding for Abram most heartily on earth, by virtue of his office as priest. Christ did for him transcendently, as his great High Priest in Heaven, for of Christ’s intercession, Melchizedeck’s was an adumbration. And

         Thirdly, The Saints after the giving of the law, when the church became national, had sacrifices and priests more explicitly enjoined, by [28] which was shadowed forth the priesthood, sacrifice, and intercession of Christ. – Aaron the first born of Amram, the Levite, was called of God to be the national High Priest, to offer scrifices, and to carry the blood once a year into the most holy place, which was a type of Christ our great High Priest, of his great sacrifice, and of his entering into the highest Heaven, “with his own blood now to appear in the presence of God for us.” And Aaron had holy garments appointed and made for him, to minister in, which were typical of Christ’s. Aaron had a breast-plate and ephod, made for him, in which were precious stones, with the names of the children of Israel, of the heads of the twelve-tribes engraven according to their birth, which he was to wear in his ministrations; by which he represented all Israel before the Lord, their persons and services, according to their birth-place and work. As he bore their names, and their judgment, their persons, their cases and necessities, upon his heart and shoulders before Jehovah for his acceptance, and gracious notice, with the urim and thummim for answers to their prayers; what were these but implicit intercession, and a figure of Christ’s intercession for them in Heaven? And how far their faith might look through the type, to the antitype, is not for us to determine. – And as the continual incense, was typical of the Saints prayers, so the priests offering it upon the golden altar, befoe the mercy-seat daily, and on the day of the yearly atonement, burning incense in the most holy place, was typical of Christ’s intercession for them and us in Heaven, in the much incense that is given him; and likewise it belonged to the priest’s office then to bless the people by explicit intercession. The Lord said unto Moses, “speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, the Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give them peace.” And this verbal intercession of the priests for the people, was typical of Christ’s personal intercession for them in Heaven; the substance that cast that shadow was then existent in Heaven, or that shadow on earth had never been given. And how prevalently did the typical Mediator Moses intercede with God for his people, when for their sin in making the molten calf, the Lord said let me alone that I may consume them: “And Moses besought the Lord his God and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, &c. Remember Abraham, &c. to whom thou swarest by thine ownself, and saidst, I will multiply your seed, &c.” And see the happy effect, “The Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” And again, Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, “Oh this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold, yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” And see the prevalence of his pleas, “the Lord said unto Moses, therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, mine angel shall go before thee,” and “I have pardoned according to thy word.” And the Lord’s people then had not been favored with such a [29] pleading, prevalent advocate on earth, if they had not had a superior advocate, who pleaded for their forgiveness, unto all prevalence, in the right of his own blood, and of the Father’s covenant in Heaven. The heart and mouth of Moses herein was but a shadow of that substantial grace that was in the heart of Christ, towards his own among them, and that was most prevalently employed for them in his intercession-pleas. And this may be further corrobarated by texts in Zechariah, which prove that the Old Testament Saints had an advocate when they were in the Babylonish captivity; their literal captivity in Babylon was figurative of our spiritual captivity under sin and Satan, when believers thereby are carried away from God, as into a strange land. And as our Lord interceded for his people of old, under their captivity, thus he doth for us, under all our captivities, sins and miseries; and for those that were true believers then, among the two tribes that were to return, he interceded for saving mercy, as well as a literal return from captivity; which latter favour the body of the people shared in as such, in subservience to his design towards his own of special grace. But, to the texts, “Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, against whom thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?” This Angel of the Lord, was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of the covenant, who is Jehovah by nature, and who in the covenant capacity of Mediator, pleaded in the virtue of the blood of his covenant, for mercy with the Lord the Father, for the deliverance of his prisoners. And see the prevalence of his intercession-pleas, “And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me, with good words, and comfortable words.” What these good and comfortable words were, we are not here told, but I doubt not, these were among the rest, “As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” Thus the Lord the Father, granted the Lord the Son’s request; upon which the Prophet says, “so the Angel that communed with me, said unto me, cry thou, saying, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion, with a very great jealousy, and I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: therefore thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies, my house shall be built in it, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem, cry yet, saying, my cities through prosperity shall be spread abroad, and the Lord shall comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” And we must not think that this was the first time that the Lord Christ made intercession for the church: For He that then stood among the myrtle trees in the bottom, was with his people from the beginning, in all their afflictions, and for them all he made intercession. This was one way whereby he, as the Angel of God’s presence, saved them. Thus the church then, and the church now, had, and have, an advocate; and thus all deliverance from sin and misery, and advancement in grace and glory flowed, and flows upon them and us through Christ’s advocacy. I might have hinted likewise, when Joshua the High Priest, and representative of the [30] church, stood before the Angel, (as is probable, in supplication for the people) clothed with filthy garments, and Satan stood at his right hand to resist him; the Angel of the Lord making intercession for Joshua, said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke, O Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” And as a fruit of this his intercession for him with the Father, who always heard his Son, he said unto Joshua, “I have caused thine inquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” And this advocacy of the Lord Christ, for his people under their sin and misery, he shewed unto Joshua that he might declare it unto others. From these texts, Sir, with what has been hinted before, it is clear to me, that the Old Testament Church and Saints, had need of, and had an advocate to their very great benefit, and that some might know it to the joy of faith.

         However, I grant that the ideas of most as to this, were dark and short, if compared with those to New Testament Saints; but their darkness did not rob them of their privilege, neither doth ours bereave us. Its one thing to have a pleading advocate, and another to know it; unto joy in him, and giving glory to him. If New Testament Saints, under glorious gospel light, and clear revelation of the truth, have not clear ideas, its no wonder Old Testament Saints, were indistinct in their knowledge, when the church was in its nonage, and under the veil of ceremonies.

         They, Sir, as you well say, “had faith in the Messiah that was to come.” And by the sacrifices, which from the beginning, till our Lord’s incarnation, they continually offered up, I am persuaded they saw his sufferings and death. And how clear did David foretel these? And Isaiah, by the spirit of prophecy, speak of them then as if they had been accomplished? And tho’ he says, “who hath believed our reports?” I think this was to foreshew the infidelity of most of the Jews, upon our Lord’s incarnation and sufferings, when sinning against the light of their own consciences, they were righteously given up to judicial blindness and hardness. It is true, the Prophets themselves did not then clearly discern their own prophecies, concerning the sufferings and glory of Christ, as to the particular ways of their accomplishment; but the things themselves, were matter of their discernment, unto a stedfast faith in him, and a joyful expectation of a compleat salvation by him. And if the Old Testament Saints, saw the promises afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and thus dy’d in faith; they worshiped God in the Mediator, as well as we, though their ideas, as to their distinct offices of Christ, and the particular ways of their execution were not so clear. Job saith, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” David, “For thy word’s sake, for thy servant’s sake, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.” And Daniel said, “Now therefore, O God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary which is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.”

         I have already hinted, Sir, that Christ’s advocacy, is a branch of his intercession, and by his intercession it is said, “He is able to save.” And “We shall be saved by his life.” And if the Old Testament [31] Saints, needed, and had a propitiation for their sin, unto their salvation, they also needed and had an advocate. For advocacy is founded on propitiation, which affords matter for righteous pleading, and they are spoken of as distinct things; tho’ both are needed for, and join in our salvation. But, Sir, I must close with a stricture on what the Apostle Peter says, “but we believe that thro’ the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they.” The they he speaks of, were the Fathers, the Saints of the Old Testament; the we, are New Testament Saints; the cause of salvation here specified, is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; the manner of salvation, to Old and New New Testament Saints, is here said to be the same, we shall be saved, even as they; that is, by the exertion of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his distinct offices, and so by that of his priestly office, particularly in advocacy. From the whole, Sir, permit me to say, the antediluvian Saints, those after the deluge, and those under the Old Testament dispensation, needed, and had an advocate, an advocate for them in Heaven. I beg pardon for my long letter, and pray, that we, and all the Saints, who are blest with the gospel revelation, may be enlightened more abundantly in all truth, and that of Christ’s advocateship, by an unction from the Holy one, to his rising glory, and our increasing joy and purity, until “that which is prefect shall come.” With great respect, I am,

                     Reverend Sir,

                                 Your most humble Servant,

A. D.

Below is the letter from J. D. (in vol. 2) that prompted Dutton's response: 

To the Editors of the Spiritual Magazine,

Gentlemen,

         I return you thanks, for favouring me with a place, in a former Number, for my thoughts on the Advocateship of Christ in Heaven: By inserting the following letter to your worthy correspondent, who favoured me with an answer on that subject, you will further oblige,

                     Your constant Reader,

                                             J. D.

Dear Sir,

         I return you my hearty thanks for taking my thoughts in consideration, and for that mild and tender manner with which you have handled them: I have prayed over your letter, and hope, have received some spiritual information from it. What I am ignorant of, may the spirit of all grace be pleased to teach me: but as the wisest of men says, In the multitude of counsellers there is safety, I humbly conceive, when believers meet with difficulties in their spiritual race, that next to the word of God, it is their duty to consult their godly and judicious friends; from this consideration, I have wrote you the following letter, believing you will ancswer it, it being occasioned by a paragraph in yours that has given me some uneasiness: It stands thus, “I humbly think we ought not to [198] disrobe his person (that is Christ) of this office, which is faithful in the execution of , &c” This, Sir, viz, for a believer to disrobe his dear Redeemer, is a very heavy charge; for this cause, I apprehend it to be of some importance to have good satisfaction, how far it is necessary to the being or well-being of a Christian, to be firmly persuaded of the doctrine of our Lord’s advocateship or intercession in Heaven. It appears to me that a person cannot be in a state of salvation unless he believes the fundamental doctrines of the gospel; such as, our Lord Jesus being truly and properly God co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with the Father. – That the scriptures are the word of God, and our only rule of faith and practice, for I look upon a deist to be half an atheist, those who deny the word of God, will soon deny the God of the word. – The doctrine of original sin, or total depravation of our nature by the fall; for if a man is not thoroughly convinced of his mortal sickness by sin, he will never see the need he has of Christ the great Physician of the  soul. I will also add, as a fundamental, a sound faith on the righteousness of Christ alone, imputed of God, by which he is justified before God without any works of the law. I humbly think also that there are other doctrines which are needful to our being as Christians, such as the doctrines of election – the everlasting unchangeable love of God in Christ to his people from all eternity, with that most comfortable doctrine, the final perseverance of the Saints that they cannot fall away from grace, and others that I could mention. Now I cannot see that a person can be in a state of salvation without believing the former, nor a comfortable Christian without the knowledge of the latter. But that I may bring this down to the case in hand, viz. the advocateship of Christ in Heaven, as observed before, I would ask, how far does the disbelief of this doctrine afffect a person either in his being, or well-being as a Christian, or his union, or communion as a church member? Your solution of this question, I imagine may be of spiritual serice to others as well as me.

         Other thoughts on this subject having occurred to my mind, altho’ they may appear somewhat new, yet I think they deserve notice, viz. Whether or not the Old Testament Saints in the antediluvian world, or before and after the giving of the law, until the coming of Christ, had any need of, or had an advocateship in Heaven? (I would just observe what you hint at, that our Lord was an advocate for his people of old, when they were to be returned from captivity, &c.) That they were all saved by faith in the Messiah to come is certain, altho’ many of their views were dark and obscure. There is no doubt but that our first parents understood that promise in the garden, viz. The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head; for Eve said, on bringing forth her first child, I have got a man from the Lord, or as the learned and useful Dr. Gill observes on that text, “Some render it I have got a man, the Lord, the promised seed that should bruise the serpent’s head. By this it appears that she took that seed to be a divine person, the true God, even Jehovah, that should become man, altho’ she must have been ignorant of the mystery of his incarnation, or his taking [199] “flesh of a virgin.” And I apprehend that the Lord having respect unto Abel, and his offering, when he had none to Cain; was, that the former was offered in faith of the Christ to come, when the latter was not. Our blessed Lord tells the Jews, Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad: and many godly divines are of opinion that the Old Testament matrons being so desirous of having children, was, that they might be the mother of the Messiah, or at least that he might arise from their seed. I believe, Sir, we shall agree in those points, and that all the sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and shedding of blood under the law, without which there was no remission of sin, all pointed at a Christ to come, although none but the spiritual Israel had faith to see it so. I would observe, that many of the Old Testament Saints were so dark that some knew nothing of his incarnation, others knew nothing of his sufferings, and indeed the whole body of the Jewish nation (a few only excepted) seem to be disappointed in the manner of our Lord’s appearing in earth. They expected him as a powerful King to deliver them from the Roman’s yoke, and in this they were sadly mistaken; nay, the disciples themselves were ignorant, and had imbibed the notion of a temporal kingdom, and with those beclouded views of a Saviour to come they all died in faith. I would ask again, had they an advocate in Heaven to plead for them under that dark dispensation or not? I assure you I do not propose those questions for controversy, but for spiritual edification, and shall be glad to have it proved by texts of scripture. I will conclude, praying that the God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, would graciously be pleased to grant that as Ministers and private Christians, each of us may adorn our Christian profession, that we may stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, may we always depend upon a whole Christ for a whole salvation, trusting alone in his righteousness to justify us, and his blood to cleanse us from all sin. And the best way to prove our justification, is by sanctification, an imputed righteousness by imparted holiness, until we arrive at that place where our knowledge of divine things shall be perfect: we shall then be all we can desire, and all that our God would have us to be; and what will crown all our happiness, we shall be ever with the Lord.

         I am, dear Sir,

                     Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ,

                                             J. D.

Text: Divine and Moral, Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse. Containing many Valuable Originals, Communicated by various Correspondents, and other Pieces extracted from different Authors, and antient Manuscripts. The Whole being such a Collection of Miscellaneous Thoughts, as will tend not only to please, but enlighten and profit the Reader, Vol. 3 (London: Printed for J. Fuller, in Newgate-Street, London; and T. Luckman, in Coventry. 1763), pp. 25-31; vol.2, pp. 197-99.