touched by his Word make it their business to seek from God in Christ another life then their own a life infinitely better and stronger then their own and a life which at the will of God will offer up their own that we may say in our experience as Paul in his We are crucified with Christ yet neverthelesse we live Now the Apostle having named this blessed life doth further enlarge himself on this matter in the words following saying ANIMADVERSION 10. A THat a Christian is by faith really knit to Christ and engraffed into him and made one with him and so hath eternal life from him as the sience from the stock is old scripture doctrine acknowledged by all Protestant Divines But that this life which is received through union unto Christ is the life of justification as Mr Dell here affirmeth by way of eminence at least if not exclusion and doth not equally carry in it the life of sanctification also out of which a believer bringeth forth fruits of righteousnesse to the glory of God seemeth not to hold accordance with John 15.4,5,8 or if Mr Dell in his notion confound Justification and Sanctification me thinks the Apostle plainly teacheth another doctrine ascribing Justification to Faith in the Name of the Lord Jesus and Sanctification to the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 B If by Union with God in Christ the righteousnesse of God be made ours truly and everlastingly and therein we be justified How then are we made righteous through the obedience of our one mediator Jesus Christ Rom. 5.19 yea how are we justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 I fear this passage of Mr Dell inclineth too much towards the preaching of another gospel For the Lords acquitting of a sinner from his sins through the forgivenesse of them is plainly laid down by the Apostle as an act of justification Rom. 4.5,6.7,8 which according to the Gospel the Lord who justifieth doth not passe upon men in relation to their being one with God in Christ or the communication of his righteousnesse everlastingly to them or as he afterwards speaks Christ living his own life in them but in relation to the ransoming death of Christ for them only and wholly This is the Gospel which the Apostles have preached to us which also we have received and wherein we stand by which also we shal be saved how that Christ died for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 1,2,3 and in him we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of our sins Ephes 1.7 and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13.39 Seeing our Lord Christ was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Christians should have their hearts and ears closly stopt up against the hearing and receiving of any other Gospel or Doctrine of Justification whatsoever yea though brought by an Angel from heaven Gal. 1.8,9 C How can they which have the divine holiness the same holines of the divine nature in the same manner though not in the same degree as Christ had and hath not be in their degree God as he is I professe my present inability to answer this question and absolve Mr Dels words from being very dangerous and derogative from the peculiar honour of our Saviour Was not the holinesse of the divine nature or which is all one the holy divine nature by personal union so communicated to the humane nature in our Saviour that though he was man yet in his holy divine nature he was also God blessed for ever Will he affirm so much of any believer I hope not D These words of Mr Dell are so pure and precious that every believer cannot but imbrace them for truth And methinks they do so plainly shew that the wil of God which a believer doth obey that is to say his revealed will is the law of God within his heart put into his inward parts by the spirit as to the knowledge and love of it and strength in some degree to fulfil it that I can hardly believe that such words should proceed from him as we find in the 3. Section of this book viz. God himself which dwelleth in them is the new Law according to which they live For is the will of God which a believer hath some strength to do God himself It is very strange if any understanding man should so apprehend seeing the will of God which believers are strengthened to observe and obey is only his will of command made known to men as the rule of their sanctification which is a different thing from God himself as a Lord and his law differ 1 Thes 4.2,3 E The former words in this paragraph I conceive in a sound sence may be admitted But these words seem to carry in them an incredible mistake for if by this and that life in these words be meant the life of the first Adam which is crucified in believers and the life of the second Adam imparted to believers according to what immediately goeth before they then speak thus much to wit that the life of the first Adam crucified in believers is the natural life of man of which he is deprived in corporal death and with which a man may part ere he partake of the life of Christ whereas there is nothing more clear in the Scriptures then that the life of the first Adam crucified in believers is the life of sin with which no man can possibly part ere he partake of the life of Christ and which is a very different thing from that life with which a man parteth at the hour of death in relation to which life alone it is true according to Mr Dels words that if we part with it ere we partake of the life of Christ the second death must needs swallow us up SECT XI Yet not I but Christ lives in me A ANd this he speaks lest any one should think that the life he lived after his crucifying with Christ was onely his own humane life purisied and refined I say lest any one should think he lived now the life of his own refined spiritualized reason and judgement and prudence and will c. distinct and apart from Christ therefore he adds yet not I but Christ lives in me And each of these Clauses are very considerable Yet not I. B I live yet not I. By which words it may appear that a Christian is so crucified with Christ that in this crucifying he loses not onely his own proper life but which must needs follow his personality also For through faith his soul and body live no more any proper life of their own as before but are taken up into the nature and person of the Son of God and in him he subsists lives and acts as a Member in the Man and as a Branch in the Vine and so can truly say after faith
much the author of peace and righteousnesse of purity in doctrine and worship amongst such as are called by his Name as in the dayes of old And it is most evident that the godly Magistrates of Judah laid out themselves with Gods special approbation in the suppressing of open corruptions and corrupters in point of divine worship and acted zealously as Magistrates for the well ordering of affairs immediately concerning God and his kingdom amongst the people the histories of Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah and Manasseh after his repentance plainly evidence so much And who can shew when God razed that branch of the divine commission by which these servants of God were guided and warranted in their actings out of the grant which Christian Magistrates have now from him for their authority Doubtlesse neither Great Constantine and those other Christian governours whom the Lord made glorious in the Primitive times by being instrumental to introduce and settle Christianity in the world who oft-times called and presided in councels for the well ordering of matters of religion both in doctrine and practise nor any of those Christian Princes by whom the Lord hath in later times graciously demolished Antichristianity and restored Gospel truth and worship in several places of Europe ever heard of any such thing which had it been discovered unto them would have bound up their hands from that blessed work wherein they travelled as Gods vicegerents upon earth for the good of his Church and the glory of his Name And I confidently believe that his eyes will fail whosoever looks after it before he find it in the book of God Whereas some go about to put off the argument which is taken from the actings of the Magistrates of Judah in things immediately concerning God and his kingdom from concluding a like authority upon Christian Magistrates by saying that those magistrates were types of Christ and therefore that their actings in the things of God are to be looked upon as typical and determinable at the death of Christ Before such men boast much of and rest in this their answer they should well consider 1. Whether admitting the Magistrates of Judah as the Magistrates of that peculiar people to have been types of Christ to come reigning over the house of Jacob for ever Magistracy in general became thereby legally typical and determinable at the death of Christ for if it did not as all knowing men acknowledge but Magistracy retained the nature of a perpetual ordinance in the hands of typical Magistrates so also their Magistratical actings might and did retain the nature of perpetual moral duties in general though in the particular discharge of them by such persons they were some way typical 2. Whether those Magistrates of Judah who unquestionably were types of our Saviour in his regal soveraignty as David and Solomon were not representative figures of him as well in their righteous actings towards men as in their religious actings towards God The Scripture is most plain that they were Psal 72,1,2,3,4 Esay 32.1 Jer. 23.5 and therefore their being types of Christ doth no more take them off from being a cloud to conduct Christian Magistrates in their righteous eminent exemplary actings in the things of God then in those which appertain to men wherein all of understanding look upon them as obliging presidents to Christian Magistrates This being considered sheweth that their answer who would not have Christian Magistrates obliged by the divinely approved practise of Godly Magistrates amongst the Jews to mind and act for God according to the mind of God revealed in his word in all things immediatly concerning him and his kingdom when they say that the Magistrates of Judah were types of Christ and therefore are not to be looked upon by Christian Magisrrates as presidents to which they are to conform themselves in their Magistratical actings is but a blind put before the eyes of the weak who are not able to discern a moral duty under a typical use and application of the same which understanding Christians may easily do Upon the whole I cannot but apprehend that Christian Magistrates in their place have a special part belonging to them in the honourable discharge of that command of our Saviour for the good of his Church Song 2.15 Take us the foxes the little foxes which spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes And I believe that if any prevailingly intice or terrifie Christian Magistrates by fair or menacing words from the conscience of yielding obedience to this command of Christ they will not be their sufficient advocates at the bar of the Lord Jesus when they shall be there impleaded for sinful neglect of that their duty towards God to his dishonour and the damage of his people I can therefore as yet judge no otherwise of their attempt but as very pernicious and antiscriptural who that they may not seem to idolize Magistrates stick not to make meer idols of them as to all things immediately respecting God and his kingdom not suffering them though they have eyes and ears and feet and hands to see or hear or stir or act any thing magistratically for God in such affairs as immediately concern himself and his kingdom If such studious obstructers of magistratical administrations in the things of God according to truth charity and righteousness do look for thanks from God or men for their attempt I am greatly mistaken if they be not greatly disappointed of their hope when they look with strongest expectation to have it accomplished unto them Besides if as Mr Dell here affirms the Lord is alwayes immediate moderatour and governour himself in all such affairs as immediately concern himself and his kingdom then not only civil magistrates but all Churches and Church officers whatsoever are discharged from attempting under God in Ecclesiastical ways to protect the truth and worship of God and endeavouring the suppression of what is contrary to the same which is certainly very dissonant from the judgement and practise of the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 1. vers 3 4. and vers 19 20. D It is a known maxime Calumniare audacter They who are zealous of the honour of the Law as an outward divine light unto the feet of Gods people do certainly know other restraints from sin then the Law of Moses even the love of Christ 2 Cor. 5.14 the grace of God Tit. 2.11,12 the spirit of life Rom. 8.2 their love towards God 1 John 5.3 the hope of heavenly glory 1 John 3.3 and the like Mr Dell therefore should have bethought himself of a truer charge to lay in against those who are so zealous of the Law that they love not to hear that the new Law is given us to make us quite dead to the old if he would needs be their accuser E It is understood how confident soever Mr Dell be of the contrary and believed by those who are zealous of the honour of the Law of God as an outward divine light unto our feet
called forth to witnesse the truth with their lives have at first for fear and dread of the outward crosse abjured the truth to save their lives But afterwards when the Word and Spirit within them had truly and fully crucified them they would then come forth again of their own accord and willingly offer up their bodies to fire and death And thus also I have declared what is our crucifying with Christ E Paul saying here I am crucified with Christ because his sins were subdued and his nature conquered through the living word and Spirit of Christ dwelling in him F Now that both these things are so in truth and that they are no fond notions speculations and glosses of mine own devising I will yet make it more evident by some few other plain Scriptures as by that of Paul in Rom. 8.10 where he saith If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin that is the presence of Christ that is the living Word of God within us is the killing and crucifying of the body to all sin And in Gal. 5.24 The same Apostle saith That they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it and ver 25. he shews that this crucifying of the flesh of Christians is not brought about by any outward sorrows and sufferings but by the presence of the Spirit in it saying if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit and verse 16. of the same chapter he saith This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh and Rom. 8.13 If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live So again Rom. 6.5 If we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection Now all believers without exception are planted with Christ into a likenesse of his death which is not so to be understood as if all should be crucified on a material Crosse as he himself was but that all of them are buried with him by Baptism into his death that is by the baptism of the spirit and the baptism of the Spirit is the death of the flesh it is the death of our flesh with Christs for thus was Christs flesh made dead to it self to sin and the world to wit through the Baptism of the spirit and thus also is ours wherefore Paul adds vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin So that it is plain that the destruction of sin in our bodies by the living Word and Spirit of God is our crucifying with Christ. And verse 11. the Apostle would have those that are thus crucified with Christ to reckon themselves dead to sin for as the Word and Spirit of God in Christ made him wholly dead to sin and sin had no place in him So likewise as far as the same Word and Spirit of Christ prevail in us they will make us dead to sin for the time past and present and for the future will preserve us from sin And now we shall make some Vse of this point Vse 2. G First Then let us know that it is not enough to Salvation to believe That Jesus Christ according to his humane nature was outwardly crucified on a crosse for us at Jerusalem except we also our own selves be crucified with him through his living Word and Spirit dwelling in us through which we must be powerfully planted into a true likenesse of his death in such sort that we must be dead unto all sin whatsoever even to all our own corruptions and lusts and to all the Corruptions that are in the world through lust and we must be dead to our selves to our own fleshly reason understandig will desires ends and to our whole humane life and we must be dead to the world and to all that is in it and of it to all the pleasures profits and honours of it we must thus truly be dead with Christ ere we can live with him And with this kind of crucifying must whole Christ be crucified from the Head to the lowest members thus also must we be crucified with him if we will have any part in him I say we must have fellowship with him in his sufferings and be made conformable to him in his death ere ever we can attain to his Resurrection from the dead ANIMADVERSION 6. A I Take it that by the word of Christ is here intended the Word the Son or Godhead of our Saviour which was made flesh If so I demand a Scripture which teacheth that the Word or Godhead of our Saviour is otherwise in his people then in and by his Spirit the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them As for the holy Ghost the spirit which without measure of operation was in our Saviour as the head of his Church John 1.33 and 3.34 called therefore the spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 that it is in several measures of operation shed forth by and through our Lord Christ upon all his who are by faith united unto him 1 Cor. 6.17 Gal. 3.14 and that it is in them the powerful and only root of mortification or crucifying of the flesh Rom. 8.13 is very well known and acknowledged by those whom Mr Dell slighteth as ignorant of the mysteries which he hath discovered were so much spoken in usual words it would appear no unusual doctrine But if Mr Dell decline this sence of his words I believe the doctrine comprised in them hath no footing at all in the Scripture B That faith hope and love together with other fruits of the spirit of Christ in believers are real crucifyings that is real originals of the mortification or crucifying of the flesh in them is a plain truth of it were plainly expressed Neither do these fruits of the spirit suffer a believer to live to himself or the lusts of men 1 Pet. 4.1,2 which is no doubt the true crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof This Scripture doctrine is full of comfort and is neither new nor strange C The Scripture ascribeth the mortification or crucifying of the flesh to the spirit of Christ which dwelleth and whereby he dwelleth in believers This is plain and old truth But where is this spoken of as the work of the living Word or God-head of Christ any otherwise dwelling in them thâ—n by the Spirit That Scripture would be shewed D Where is the living word and spirit in believers called their crosse Scripture language is most proper for Scripture doctrine 1 Cor. 2.13 the sufferings of Christians are in the Scripture called their crosse Mat. 16.24 But the living Word and Spirit in them is never expressed by that name that I know And how should we dare to speak of the things of God otherwise then as we are taught by the word of God E