That Paul was crucified with Christ because his sins were subdued and his nature conquered through the spirit of Christ dwelling in him is a very sure truth generally acknowledged yet is not this all the truth but Paul further intended in saying that he was crucified with Christ that his sins were subdued through the redeeming vertue of the outward crosse or suffering of Christ both as to the condemning and commanding power of them of which here is altum silentium though the Scriptures speak much of it 2 Cor. 5.15 Tit. 2.14 Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 1.18.19 F Mr Dell here professeth to prove both these things by plain Scripture By both these things he meaneth both that Christ was crucified by the being of the eternal word and spirit in him and also that believers are crucified by the same word spirit dwelling in them But he faileth evidently of his word for the Scriptures produced may seem to speak something towards the proof of the second position yet they say nothing towards the confirmation of the first And as to the second position they only prove that the spirit of Christ or Christ by his spirit doth work to the mortifying of the flesh in believers which is a well known and acknowledged truth But that the living Word or Godhead of our Saviour otherwise then as in and by the Spirit dwelleth in beleevers as a root of mortification not one of the Scriptures produced do affirm That by Christ in us Rom. 8.10 we must understand the living Word within us as Mr Dell glosseth those words I cannot believe since the Apostle in the verses immediately before and after that text doth plainly expound the being of Christ in us by the being of the Spirit of God in us in full consent with all the other Scriptures here produced by Mr Dell. G This use which Mr Dell makes of his doctrine if the words be taken in Scripture sence is sound and consonant to the sence of all true believers and needs no new doctrine to enforce it SECT VII NOw if any desire to know how we may attain to be thus Crucified with Christ I answer that the true faith of Gods Elect is the only way through which we can attain to this crucifying A For through faith we receive the living Word of God to dwell in us and in this Word we partake of the Spirit and this Word and Spirit dwelling in us do as hath been declared crucifie us with Christ B Indeed Hypocrites and carnal Christians receive and professe a word that will not crucifie them with Christ but do receive a word and doctrine that will still suffer them to live their own lives and after their own lusts For the word they receive is only an outward word consisting of divers questions opinions and Doctrines and is also without the Spirit and so it leaves them as it found them in reference to their Natures and corruptions C But the word that faith receives is the Word of righteousnesse and life a word that is alwayes accompanied with the Spirit and when this is ingrafted into the soul and abides in it it presently mortifies and crucifies it and destroyes a mans self out of himself D And therefore in 1 Cor. 1.18 it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of the crosse and that not only because it exposes us to afflictions in the world but also because it dwelling in our hearts by faith doth crucifie us And this crucifying word in the same verse is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of God for that Word that crucifies our flesh subdues and destroyes the whole strength of corruption out of us must be such a Word as is also the Power of God and so it is not only in tseâ—f but also because the Spirit of God dwels in it And this Word thus appreheâ—dâ—d will crucifie us with Christ Now this word of faith which is the word near us even in our hearts will crucifie us 1. Throughly It will crucifie the whole man throughout and that according to his mind will and affectâ—oâ—s E for this Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged sword and is piercing to the dividing asunder both of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a curious discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart c. And all the Tribulations and Torments in the world yea all the sorrows and pains of Hell cannot so crucifie and subdue our evil natures and lives as this Living Word in our hearts with whom we have to do This will crucifie us till we be dead with Christ as Christ was dead which was the fullest and compleatest death that ever was that is till our outward and inward man be wholly and fully subject to the only Will of God 2. F This word of faith will crucifie us daily and constantly as Paul witnesses 1 Cor. 15.31 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I die daily for the word of righteousnesse dwelling in us is clean contrary to our corrupt nature and all the operations of it and doth without intermission put forth its strength and efficacy against both That as in the first break of day the light is still mortifying the darknesse till it have wholly dispelled it so the Word of righteousnesse deals with our corruptions till their place shall be no more found Now because this our crucifying with Christ is so contrary to the flesh that the flesh is alwayes mourning under it and murmuring against it therefore for our encouragement in so difficult a work as this I shal propound some choice and excellent advantages that believers have by being truly crucified with Christ For by this means 1. We are freed from the Law G For as the humanity of Christ being crucified by the Word and Spirit by this means became dead to the Law and the Law lost all its power over him H so all the faithful that are thus crucified with him are through this crucifying set free from the Law I for their own life being extinguished by the living Word and Spirit and they living in that word and spirit a life not their own but Christs are as truly freed from the Law as Christ himself was K And this Paul doth plainly teach us Rom. 7.1 saying that the Law hath Lordship over a man all the time he lives and no longer But when he is once crucified with Christ and dead with Christ the Law hath no more Dominion over him So then as long as we live our own life the Law hath power over us but when we are dead to our selves through the Life of Christ we are set quite without the reach of the Law and the Law hath no more to do with us the Members then with Christ the Head 2. L By being crucified with Christ we are freed of sin For one of the chief ends of the indwelling of the Word Spirit in Believers is to free them
and save them from sin M and though sin hath its ful power in our own humane life yet it hath no power over Christs life in us which we live through Faith Wherefore saith Paul Rom. 6.6 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 and verse 12. saith he Let not sin therefore reign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in your mortal or dead body which he cals dead not in reference to the common mortality of the world but in reference to our crucifying with Christ and in the body that is crucified with Christ sin is not to reign And so you see that through our crucifying with Christ we are dead to sin also N For it is impossible that Christ and sin should live together in strength in the same flesh but if sin live in our flesh it will crucifie us to Christ and if Christ live in our flesh he will crucifie us to sin 3. By being crucified with Christ we are freed from death that death that arises of sin and carries the wrath of God in it For through the death of the second Adam we are set free from the death of the first Adam and through that death to die unto life Vnbelieving flesh is the fuel of death as wood is of fire and death reigns and hath its full Dominion in the flesh of all unbelievers O but when we by faith are made members of Christs body of his flesh and bones then life reigns in Christs flesh as death in ours And so being crucified with Christ death hath no more dominion over us 4. By being crucified with Christ we are also freed from the power of the Devil The Devil haâ—h power over our flesh or humanity whilest it is our own and under the Law sin and death But when our flesh is united to Christ and is crucified by the Word and Spirit then Satan comes and hath nothing in it as he came to Christ and had nothing in him P The devil then can finde nothing in us to do us harm or whereby he may prevail against us when we are truly crucified with Christ 5. Q The flesh that is crucified with Christ is only Christs own flesh For whilest we live our own lives in unbelief we are only the flesh of the first Adam R but when the living Word and Spirit dwell in us and crucifie us then our flesh becomes the flesh of the second Adam and so far as it is crucified through the Word it is Christs flesh more then ours 6. S This crucified flesh is the only temple and habitation of God wherein he dwels and manifests himself in this world For as God dwelt in Christs flesh which was thus crucified and made it his temple so he dwels in the crucified flesh of Believers and makes that his Temple as Paul saith to Believers Ye are the temples of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them And God dwels in none of the flesh of all the sons of men but only in that which is crucified with Christ and that flesh that is not thus crucified is not Gods Habitation but the Devils 7. T This crucified flesh only keeps the true Christian Sabbath or the everlasting rest of the new World which is to cease from our own works and to do the works of God Whereas that flesh that is alive to it self and lives its own life in it self and the creatures never enters into the true rest nor keeps the true Sabbath but it alwayes works its own works and doth all things from it self and for it self and so long God will not use it V But when the flesh is crucified through the Word then God doth all in it and takes it out of its own life and works into his life and his works And the more any flesh is crucified with Christ the more doth God delight to use it and to work his own excellent works by it for such flesh will render no resistance to God in his working and also it will do the works of God meerly for the glory of God and good of his brother being dead to all self ends and interests 8. W This crucified flesh only is able to endure the will of God and to suffer for his Name For till the flesh be crucified with Christ and killed by the Word it will suffer nothing for God but will by all possible means avoid the crosse but when it is truly crucified it will endure the greatest evils that can be inflicted on it either by men or devils or by the Lord himself and that with much willingnesse and cheerfulnesse As we have seen in Christ the Head and Believers the Members what grievous things they have suffered for the name and truth of God in their crucified flesh And as this crucified flesh will suffer any thing for God so it wil suffer it aright that is First In obedience to God as Christ laid down his life not by necessity but willingly Secondly In meekness and patience as Christ who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed his cause to him that judgeth righteously And thirdly In Love and that to very persecutors so as to pitty them pray for them This is glorious suffering indeed and no flesh can suffer thus but this crucified flesh 9. X This crucified flesh as it is able to suffer all things so also to overcome all things That flesh that lives its own life is soon certainly conquered by all the evils that assault it but when it is crucified with Christ it is also quickened with him to overcome all things So Christ who was thus crucified by the Word though he seemed to the world in his death and cross to be quite vanquished yet even then he spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed openly over them yea and overcame all things in that crucified flesh of his For that flesh that is crucified by the Word and Spirit is thereby made Superiour to all things in that exaltation and might which the Word and Spirit communicate to it 10 Y This crucified flesh hath the very glory of Jesus Christ upon it and no flesh is so glorious in the Church as that which is most crucified with Christ for in that you shall see little of it self and most of Christ little of the first Adam and most of the second Look among all the sons of God and you shall see them that were most crucified with the Word most glorious the clear beauty of holiness being seen upon them whereas that flesh that lives much in it self in its own wit will reason prudence mind affections and the things of its first nature though there may be something of Christ in it yet all these things are so much uncomeliness and deformity upon it and are nothing but a thick vail and covering to obscure Christ himself But that
old Protestant doctrine of mortification teacheth men freely to say Amen to this prayer SECT IX Nevertheless I live EVery true Believer is as well quickned with Christ as crucified with him I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live A So that as the humanity of Christ which is the first Example and Pattern to which the whole Church is conformed being deprived of its own proper life through the Word and Spirit that dwelt in it had instead thereof the life of the Son of God communicated to it and that Son of man having parted with his own proper life out of himself did yet truly live in the same soul and body the life of the Eternal Word and was so crucified that neverthelesse he lived so also it is with all Christians And therefore Paul saith out of his own experience I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live as if he had said I am not crucified to death but to life my crucifying with Christ is my quickning for by this means I am so killed that I live the more yea now onely I do truly live being formerly dead My own proper life in my self was my death but Christs life in me is my true life For I was dead with the worst death to wit in trespasses and sins but now I live in the best life even the life of righteousnesse B Whence it is manifest that the living Word and Spirit of Christ in a Christian do so kill the life of his flesh which is a life of sin and sorrow and darknesse and death that at the same time they communicate to the same man to the same soul and body a true and spiritual and holy and heavenly and eternal life C For no man is crucified with Christ but he also lives with him seeing the same Word that kils our life communicates Christs and Christ crucifies us with himself not that he may kill us but that he may quicken us and our quickning is the end of our crucifying and our crucifying is the way to our quickening D Indeed the killing of the flesh by the sword or famine or the Law or any way else is death indeed or death unto death but the killing of the flesh by the living Word and Spirit which is its crucifying with Christ is death unto life And here again we may note this also That the true life of a Christian begins from his crucifying and dying with Christ and also the true crucifying and dying of a Christian begins from his life in Christ For both these inseparably go together to wit our crucifying and our quickening with Christ But our crucifying with Christ is named first in order because it is first in manifestation seeing after we believe Christs death is first manifested in us before Christs life though Christs life be first in us in order of nature the crucifying of our flesh flowing from the life of his Spirit This then is the sum of this matter E That the living Word dwelling in us destroyes the proper life of the flesh and takes up the flesh into the life of it self and the Spirit And so a man in union with Christ hath his own life destroyed out of him and Christs own life communicated to him So that in the true Believer the soul and body of man live in the life of the Son of God as was done in the flesh of Christ our elder Brother And thus the flesh lives a life that is not of the flesh yea thus the creature lives in it self the life of God For as that eternal life that was with the Father was manifested in the Son that is in his flesh or humanity and all Believers have seen and known it so also that very life of the Father and the Son is both communicated to the Saints and also manifest in them as faith very well knows F And this is the great mystery of the Gospel let them receive it that can receive it ANIMADVERSION 9. A IN these words Mr Dell hath couched together six strange positions to which I would say more in this place but that the matter of them is discussed and the errour of them as I conceive discovered in my Animadversions on other passages of this book 1. That the humanity of Christ was deprived of its own proper life through the word and spirit that dwelt in it 2. That in stead thereof it had the life of the Son of God communicated to it 3. That the son of man parted with his own proper life out of himself 4. That he did yet live truly in the same soul and body the life of the eternal word 5. That the whole church is conformed to the pattern of the humanity of Christ in point of living the life of the eternal word 6. That the Son of man was so crucified that neverthelesse he lived whilst he was crucified If Mr Dell can produce one Scripture in proof of any one of these Positions I am utterly unacquainted with it I think it may be truly said of them recitasse est refutasse the reciting is a sufficient refuting of them B That the spirit of Christ in a Christian doth so kil the life of his flesh that is of his body of sin that at the same time it doth communicate to the same man to the same soul and body a true spiritual holy heavenly and eternal life is a known truth acknowledged by those whose souls have not entred into Mr Dels secrets If this be all he meaneth and mindeth he should but use old plain words and he should find consent of judgement in all his brethren Me thinks the words of the Lord to Job should sound loudly in the ears of some men in our dayes who are of a deeper language in matters of Religion then that their brethren can well understand them Who is this that darkens counsel with words without knowledge Job 38.2 It is the glory of the Ministers of the Gospel not to be vail'd like Moses but to use much plainnesse of speech in their doctrine seeing the Lord shineth in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ C All this in a sound sence is sound doctrine If the words be not put upon new tentors they do not outreach the old apprehensions of Gods servants amongst us D Is it the same flesh as these words import which is killed by the sword or famine and which is killed by the Law and Spirit of Christ and so crucified with him Me thinks no Christian which ever looked into the Scriptures should upon second thoughts say so The one is evidently the material body and the other the body of sin which are things vastly different E That Christ by his Spirit in believers destroyeth the proper life of the flesh understanding thereby the old man is very true but then it is utterly false that Christ takes up that flesh into the life of the Spirit of God And
The Apostle used this form of speech that he might shew that as a garment is a different thing from him that putteth it on so also the old and new man are different things from us who put off one wherewith we were clothed and again put on the other which before we had not upon us I take it that Austins words are fully consonant to Scripture doctrine Sit igitur in primis positum atque firmatum virtutem quâ rectè vivitur ab animi sede membris corporis imperare sanctumque corpus usu fieri sanctae voluntatis Let this be in the first place laid down and firmly held unto that the vertue whereby a man lives well commandeth over the members of the body from the throne of the minde and that the body is made holy by the use of a holy will Aug. de civ dei lib. 1. cap. 16. B By the words of the Apostle it doth appear that a Christian crucified with Christ as to the life of the old man liveth not unto God from a principle of life which is properly his own or from himself but from a principle of life which he hath from Christ and in Christ namely from the spirit of Christ which dwelleth in all his But that a believer loseth his personality by being crucified with Christ it appeareth not from this or any other Scripture that I know That through faith a believers soul and body live no more any proper life of their own but are taken up into the nature and person of the Son of God understanding these words according to Mr Dels explication Sect. 13. D that Christ in a believer is not the flesh of Christ for that being a creature can be but in one place at a time but this Christ is the Eternal Word and Son of the living God the power wisdom and righteousnesse of God and the true God and eternal life seems to me a very dreadful position For if a believers soul and body be taken up into the nature and person of Christ the Son of God in distinction from his flesh then he must needs in nature and person be the Son of God and the true God as our Lord Jesus Christ is which I am not willing to believe that Mr Dell will positively and plainly affirm though his words evidently speak so much Whereas it is here further asserted by Mr Dell that in Christ a believer subsists lives and acts as a member in the man the branch in the Vine that is acknowledged in a Scripture sence sc that a believer hath his spiritual life wholly in Christ and from Christ as his head and mediatour through his spirit as a member hath its life from a man and a branch from the Vine but from hence to conclude that a believer through faith doth lose his personality and lives in the person personality of the Son of God is utterly inconsequent for though a believer doth retain his humane nature and personality and doth truly live and subsist in the same yet is it likewise true that that person subsists lives and acts in Christ as to the life of God in him as a member in the man or as a branch in the Vine C This assertion here reiterated by Mr Dell that a believer after faith comes is no more a person distinct from Christ needs not again to be proposed peremptorily but to be proved sufficiently by Scripture and me thinks those words so far as he is gathered up into Christ do utterly overthrow the former assertion and prove that a believer in some degree or respect is not gathered up into Christ and therefore must needs be a person distinct from Christ If here be not contradictio in adjecto a contrariety in the end to the beginning of this sentence I am much mistaken D I utterly deny and doubt not but the Scripture will bear me out in it that a believer though admitted to be a distinct person from Christ is within the reach and power of death and hell for the humane person of a believer being by faith and the Spirit united unto Christ as his member truly and yet mystically is through Christ as his head and mediatour fully put out of the reach of death and hell and of the Law and sin as binding over thereunto so that if the law sin death or the Devil come to a believer to accuse terrifie or condemn him he by reason of his most real and near union into Christ may reply in truth and say It is not I I am not I I am through faith a member of Christ I am in him and of him If you have any thing to say say it to Christ my head and mediatour for I am a member of his and do live in him And this doctrine I doubt not is as full and effectual as what Mr Dell here suggests to bring on that conclusion in regard of believers that none can lay any thing to their charge but what Christ hath taken upon himself and overcome for them and so the law sin hell and the Devil can as soon prevail against Christ as against them who are so nearly joyned to him as to be one flesh and spirit with him in a Scripture sence much different from the mind and meaning of Mr Dell in this point E Those words being not overstrained beyond Scripture meaning are very true and good and conformable to the judgment of those who judg Mr Dels doctrine of a believers having no personality but in the person of the Son of God to be very unsound and dangerous Indeed if we were persons by our selves that is persons not united unto Christ as our head and mediatour we should be very miserable but blessed be the Lord though we know believers to be distinct persons from Christ yet we also know them to be persons spiritually and mystically united unto and even into Christ as their head being made parts of that body which is his fulnesse who filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 and that is unto them matter of everlasting and invincible rejoycing F Where to look this place in Luthers works I know not but upon what I know of the general tenour of Luthers doctrine I dare adventure the reproach of a grosse mistake if the words being duly weighed do import more then this that all personal works worth merit and righteousnesse is to be wholly disclaimed by those who partake of the spiritual benefits of Christ And this is very sweet Gospel doctrine assuredly which hath no affinity with Mr Dels new paradox G Agreed if these words be taken in the plain Scripture sence of them there is no doubt but for the escaping of eternal evils and obtaining eternal good things believers must be taken up into Christ and found in him not having their own righteousness but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 at what time they may in their particulars
ability to do good works Rom. 7.15,18 and pointed at the same impotency in the believing Galathians Gal. 5.17 And me thinks to affirm that a Christian as naturally and necessarily doth the works of God as the fire burneth and the Sun shineth which creatures we know have no seeds of opposition against their native operations in them is plainly to make a Christian perfectly spiritual and holy free from all reliques of native corruption opposing in him the willings of grace And if any such Christian be to be found according to Mr Dels doctrine he must needs exceed the measure of the Apostle Pauls holinesse which I think no true humble Christian will pretend unto SECT XVIII BY all which we may perceive that true faith is a greater matter then the most are aware of A For men usually think that when they hear the Gospel in the outward Ministry and assent to it that it is true that this is Faith and that then they do believe but the true faith of Gods elect is a greater matter then so for through that we are truly made one with the Son of the living God and do abide and live in him for ever B And so this right faith is a most high and precious grace and is the first manifestation of the Fathers eternal love to the Soul and the first grace whereby we have entrance into the Kingdom of God it is the Sabbath of Sabbaths it is the greatest and highest worship of God C it is infinite and everlasting righteousnesse it is the mortification of the flesh the quickening of the spirit our mighty victory over the Law Sin Death Hell the World and Devil it is the first and last and all in all in the Kingdom of the Son And he that believes as the Scriptures have said is already truly passed from sin to righteousnesse from death to life and from Satan to God So that right faith is a most precious grace and is found in very few of the common Professours of the worldly Church So that Christ himself makes this question The Son of man when he comes shall he finde faith upon earth And therefore it concerns all to inquire and try Whether we partake of this Faith or no And whether the life we live in the flesh be in the Faith of the Son of God otherwise we must know that as he that believes shall be saved so he that believes not shall be damned It follows ANIMADVERSION 18. A MAster Dell I suppose whatever he intimateth in these words cannot but know that the generality of Protestant Divines place the nature of saving faith not in a bare assent to the Gospel but in an act of the whole heart receiving Jesus Christ according to the Gospel John 1.12 And as for such men who wrest the nature of saving faith short of the receiving of Jesus Christ with their whole heart their doctrine is as unsatisfactory to the generallity of understanding Protestants as to Mr Dell. B If true faith be a most high and precious grace as is here affirmed by Mr Dell How then is Christ in believers truly all grace which is asserted by him Sect. 14. B Is Christ a believers right faith too That were very strange C The praise of a right faith is very great in the book of God But to say of faith that it is infinite and everlasting righteousnesse and again that it is the first and the last and all in all in the kingdom of the Son is no Scripture expression and these positions seem to trench very far upon the glory of the Lord Jesus of whom alone these high things are and can be truly affirmed Jer. 23.6 Rev. 1.11 Colos 3.11 SECT XIX Who loved me and gave himself for me THe Apostle having shewed that all true Christians are truly crucified with Christ and are also truly quickned with him by the same living Word and Spirit of life which crucified them and so do receive a Spiritual and Divine life instead of their humane and carnal life and having also shewed the Means by which they attain to this blessed death and blessed life and that it is by faith in the Son of God A Here he proceeds to shew us two main and chief things which faith regards and apprehends in Christ to wit his infinite love and the incomparable fruit of it saying who loved me and gave himself for me And so in these words I shall take notice of these three things 1. Of Christs special and peculiar Love to his Elect from these words who loved me 2. Of his special and peculiar Redemption being the fruit of his special love in these words and gave himself for me 3. Of Faiths particular Application of both these speciall Graces to a Believer The first thing here considerable is Christs special love to some above others Who loved me Most certain it is from the word of the Gospel which is the truest and clearest light that ever shone in the Church of the faithful that Christ doth not love all Mankinde alike but he loves some and not others There is indeed a general and common love of Christ wherein he comprehends all Mankinde alike which he manifests to them in making as he himself saith Matth. 5.24 his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sending his rain on the just and on the unjust and as Paul saith Acts 14.17 He doth good to all Nations though they walk in their own wayes giving them rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling their bodies with food and their hearts with gladnesse and supplying them with the common things of this life sutable to their Humanity But he hath a special love to his Elect to the Church which is his Body these he loves as his own flesh yea as partakers of the same Divine Nature with himself and according to this love he communicateth to these of all that very fulnesse of God which he hath received from his Father Now with this special love he loves not all Mankinde alike but onely some passing by the rest The Grounds and Reasons of which special love of his to some and not to others are these 1. Because the Son as he is of the same Nature with his Father so he is also of the same operation with him and so he only doth that which his Father doth first as Christ himself testifieth of himself John 5.19 saying Verily verily I say unto you the Son can do nothing of himself but whatsoever he sees the Father do For whatsoever things he doth these doth the Son likewise For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth So that the Father sheweth to the Son all those whom he loves and whom the Son sees the Father loves those also doth He love and whom the Father doth not love neither doth the Son love them because he can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do So that the Sons love is full
truth I have now made publike thou wilt find many positions laid down with greatest confidence by him called into question by me as concerning their truth such as these 1. That all the powers on earth have no power to protect the truth being brought forth Epist Dedicatory A 2. That believers do work out of justifying righteousnesse Section 1. E 3. That a believer is wholly dead to the law and as a dead man hath no more to do with the law as to the giving of laws to him Sect. 1. F and Sect. 2. B 4. That the law of the spirit makes a believer truly dead to the law Sect. 2. D 5. That Libertines and licentious persons are to be restrained by the Civil Magistrate when they transgresse wickedly and presumptuously against their neighbour and civil society but in other things concerning the things of God they are to be left to the immediat judgement of God only Sect. 3. C 6. That the humanity of Christ knew no law but the presence of the Godhead in it Sect. 3. F 7. That God himself is the new law according to which believers walk Sect. 3. G 8. That our Lord Christ owed nothing to the law of Moses by way of debt Sect. 4. A 9. That the living word and spirit which dwelt in the flesh of Christ was the true crucifying of him Sect. 4. B 10. That Christians are dead to whatsoever is not God himself Sect. 4. D 11. That Christ was crucified before his crosse and that his outward crucifying was but a sign of what done before within Sect. 5. C 12. That the divine nature of Christ was the constant crosse of his humane nature and his humane nature was fully crucified in his divine Sect. 5. E 13. That the man Christ lost all his own things in God through immediate union with God Sect. 5. F 14. That the living word and spirit is the glorious crosse of the Church the body as of Christ the head Sect. 6. D 15. That the word which faith receives is the word of righteousnesse and life in opposition to the outward word which is alwayes accompanied with the spirit Sect. 7. C 16. That their own life is extinguished in believers by the living word and spirit Sect. 7. I And yet 17. That sin hath its full power in the humane life of believers Sect. 7. M 18. That the Devil can find nothing in believers to do them harm Sect. 7. P 19. That the flesh crucified in believers is Christs own flesh Sect. 7. Q 20. That the flesh crucified in believers is the only temple and habitation of God Sect. 7. S 21. That the flesh crucified in believers keeps the true Christian sabbath Sect. 7. T 22. That the flesh crucified in believers is able to endure the will of God and to suffer for his name Sect. 7. W 23. That the flesh crucified in believers hath the very glory of Christ upon it Sect. 7. Y 24. That the flesh crucified in believers is the only subject of the glorious resurrection Sect. 7. Z 25. That the humanity of Christ was deprived of its own proper life through the word and spirit that dwelt in it Sect. 10. A 26. That instead thereof it had the life of the Son of God communicated to it Sect. 9. A 27. That the son of man parted with his own proper life out of himself Sect. 9. A 28. That he did yet live truly in the same soul and body the life of the eternal word Sect. 9 A 29. That the whole Church is conformed to the pattern of the humanity of Christ in point of living the life of the eternal word Sect. 9. A 30. That the son of man was so crucified that neverthelesse he lived whilest he was crucified Sect. 9. A 31. That in a believer the soul and body live in the life of the son of God as was done in the flesh of Christ our elder brother Sect. 10. E 32. That no man should think that the life which Paul lived after his crucifying was only his own humane life purified and refined Sect. 11. A 33. That a christian is so crucified with Christ that in this crucifying he loseth not only his own proper life but his personality also Sect. 11. B And so 34. That through faith a believers soul and body live no more any proper life of their own but are taken up into the nature and person of the son of God Sect. 11. B And so 35. That a believer subsists in Christs person and is no more a distinct person by himself Sect. 11. C 36. That Christ in a believer is to him instead of all created habits of grace Sect. 14. B And so 37. That Christ who lives in a believer is all grace to him Sect. 14. B 38. That the created habits of grace in a Christian are nothing but empty notions and vain speculations of carnal and unbelieving hearts ignorant of the true mistery of the Gospel Sect. 14. B 39. That Christ himself is the only grace that is acceptable to God Sect. 15. C 40. That this is the only grace against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile Sect. 14. D 41. That true justification is to be so one with Christ by faith that Christ himself may live in us and we in him that he may communicate his nature unto us and our nature may be taken up into his Sect. 14. H And so 42. That we are justified before God by Christs living in us his own life Sect. 14. H 43. That Christ and a Christian are made so much one that what one doth the other may be truly said to do Sect. 15. A 44. That as it is between God and Christ just so it is between Christ and believers who are as nearly united as God and Christ Sect. 15. B 45. That the true nature of Faith is nothing but this the Fathers laying hold of us by his Spirit and drawing us to the Son and inabling us to receive the Son and so making us one with the Son to abide and live in him for ever Sect. 17. A 46. That as the Word or Son coming into the humanity of Christ gave it authority and power to become the Son of God so the same Word coming into us through Christ gives us power to become the Sons of God in him as the fire gives the iron in which it dwels power to be light and hot Sect. 17. B 47. That right faith carrieth a believer into all the perfections and excellencies of the Son of God into his nature and life and righteousnesse and power and glory and into all the fulnesse of the Son of the living God Sect. 17. F 48. That right faith is infinite and everlasting righteousnesse the first and last and all in all in the kingdome of the Son Sect. 18. C These and divers other Positions many of which respect not barely the circumference but as it seems to me lie very close to the heart and center of Christian
receiving righteousnesse out of which afterwards we work And so the Law that commands Righteousnesse but doth not communicate Righteousnesse can never justifie us But faith that makes us righteous before we can work righteousnesse it is that which justifies us in the sight of God Now to this Doctrine Paul adds his own Experience to make all clear which kind of arguing though it will not satisfie the reason of the World yet it will satisfie the faith of the Saints Now saith Paul for mine own part I must professe to the Jews themselves and to all the world besides F that I am so far from seeking Righteousnesse by the Law that I am wholly dead to the Law and as a dead man have no more to do with the Law as that hath no more to do with me I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God verse 19. ANIMADVERSION I. A ANd had not Peter too a very clear knowledge in the mystery of Christ He stands indeed charged with dissimulation in the Text Gal. 2.13 but not with ignorance or errour in any degree which yet Mr. Dell seems closely to fasten upon him in this place B No such thing appears to me in the text as is here affirmed by Mr. Dell. The Apostle Gal. 2.17,18 shewed that if professed believers give way to themselves in sin or are by the light of the Gospel discovered to be sinners their sins are not to be charged on Christ as the minister of sin or upon his Gospel but on themselves as transgressours in conformity to his own doctrine Rom. 6.1,2,3,4 This hath nothing to do with any personal errour of Peter greater or lesse whereby he made Christ the minister of sin whereof Mr. Dell causlesly yet confidently proclaims himself guilty C I read of no grosse mistake but of a sad miscarriage of Peter of a dangerous consequence indeed Christians should be tender of casting the reproach of a grosse mistake upon an Apostle without clear evidence In suam ipsius conscientiam peccabat aliud intus sentiens aliud foris simulans Pareus ad Gal. 2.12 He sinned against his own conscience apprehending one thing inwardly feigning another thing outwardly D Let this then stand and be held for a truth that they who are first made righteous can do aright the works of the Law which I think is enough to prove that righteous believers are in some sence alive to the Law since they and they only can do aright the works of the Law yet Mr. Dell afterwards seems very unwillingly to allow so much for truth E Do we work out our justifying righteousness as these words import Is not this to confound justification with sanctification The righteousnesse of God whereby were are justified is in Christ for us Rom. 3.24,25 The righteousnesse out of which we work is from Christ in us through his spirit Eph. 4.24 These two kinds of righteousnesse are inseparably joyned together yet not to be confounded as they are here by Mr. Dell And of the two it is evident that believers work not out of justifying but sanctifying righteousnesse Phil. 1.11 F Wholly is not in the text and were it there it would only shew that the Apostle was excluded wholly from seeking righteousnesse by the Law Gal. 2.21 and 3.21 And this is the acknowledged doctrine of Protestants who generally professe that as to the seeking of righteousnesse by the Law we are wholly dead to it through the faith of the Gospel which holdeth forth Christ as the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 In this sense there is no question but every believer may say with the Apostle I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God But Mr. Dells wholly in this place is of a much larger extent transcending as I conceive the limits of the Scripture SECT II. I Saith Paul through the Law am dead to the Law that is The Law it self makes me dead to the Law For the Law with its wrath and curse and punishments hath slain me it hath through my sin delivered me up to death and hell A without shewing me any way of escape or deliverance it hath done against me what ever it could do it hath fully kill'd and slain me And therefore how can the Law any more give Laws and Commands B to a dead man yea to one whom it self hath slain or how can it expect obedience from such an one And this sense Chrysostom gives of these words But secondly C we conceive these words in another sense after this manner I through the Law am dead to the Law that is I through a new Law am dead to the old Law I am dead to the old Law which was the Law of the Letter written in Tables of stone by a new Law which God hath written in my heart and inwardparts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is the Law of Grace or the Law of the Spirjt of Life that is in Christ Jesus which is not a Law consisting of Letters words and sentences but is the living word of God written in our hearts by the living spirit of God according to that of Paul touching Believers 2 Cor. 3.3 Ye are the epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God and the living Spirit writes a living Law D And this Law makes us dead to the Law and a man is never truly dead to the Law of the letter till the Law of the Spirit of life be writ in his heart by the finger of God But when we have the Law of Grace which is a living and almighty Law in our hearts we are then safely dead to the Law of the letter The Law commands all flesh that hath not the living Word or Law of life within it self E but when a Believer hath in him the Law of the Spirit the Law of the letter hath no more power over him that is so far as he is taken up into that other Law of the Spirit F but no further And there is no danger at all in this Doctrine That the new Law makes us dead to or delivers us from the old as ignorant and carnal Christians think there is inasmuch as this new Law imprints in our souls the love of righteousnesse and hatred of iniquity G And he that is thus freed from the Law is the only man that keeps it and fulfils it through the law of love put into his heart by the Spirit And this Law of love doth fulfil the other Law but never break and violate it Wherefore saith Paul I through the Law am dead to the Law ANIMADVERSION 2. A THe Law taken comprehensively for the whole Law of Moses or strictly for the legal Covenant of works sheweth a sinner no way of escape from death and hell in it self without Christ But the Law in the Ceremonial part of it did shew the true way of escape from death
and hell by Christ Rom. 3.21 Heb. 10.1 Mr. Dells unlimited position therefore in this place needs some limitation or explication that it may obtain a general approbation B The Law cannot give commands to a dead man as far forth as he is dead that is in the case before us to a believer as to the seeking of righteousnesse by the Law But notwithstanding this death yet believers are alive as to the doing of righteousnesse according to the will of God expressed in his law Rom. 6.11 Mark 3.35 1 John 3.7 1 Thes 4.2,3 Yea they alone can do aright the works of the Law as Mr. Dell hath before acknowledged And therefore as to divine direction the Law of God can give commands to believers as to living men C This is a voluntary sense of those words having no footing in the text The former interpretation of the words given by Mr. Dell is sound and proper being not overstrained Quum exitium nobis minitetur nihil nobis relinquat praeter desperationem hoc modo nos expellit à sui fiducia Calvin Seeing it scil the Law threatning destruction to us leaves nothing but desperation for us by this means it drives us from all dependence on it self The new Law mentioned here by Mr. Dell is never under the name of the Law spoken of in this Epistle it seems therefore very unwarrantable to force that sense of the Law upon this text only D What doth the Law of the spirit make men dead to the Law without all distinction Was David as to all intents dead to the Law when he wrote The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and silver Psal 119.72 or Paul Rom. 7.22 yet had both these the Law of the Spirit of life in them Me thinks Mr. Dell should have some exceptions from this general position here laid down by him if he pleased to expresse them or else if this must stand unlimitedly for true that which Mr. Dell hath before affirmed will prove unquestionably false namely that they who are first made righteous can do aright the works of the Law E It is true that when a believer hath in him the Law of the Spirit the Law of the letter hath no more power over him as to 1. malediction Gal. 3.13 2. Condemnation Rom. 8.1 3. Slavish compulsion 1 Tim. 1.9 4. Powerful irritation of sin Rom. 7.5 5. Justification to life Rom. 10.4 6. In the time of the Gospel carnal and temporary commands Heb. 9.10 Col. 2.20 but not as to divine regulation and direction in perpetual duties of righteousnesse and holinesse Luke 1.75,76 1 Cor. 9.8,9,21 Ephes 6.1.2 Prov. 6.23 which last and lasting use of the Law Mr Dell here confidently affirmeth believers to be dead unto through the Law of the Spirit and fastneth the reproach of carnal ignorant Christians upon all those who shall dare to say that there is any danger at all in this his Doctrine but of this let understanding and spiritual Christians judge by that word of Christ by which we shall be all judged Persons and Doctrines at the last day Iohn 12.48 F But no further Then belike a believer is in some degree under the power of the Law still which Mr Dell seemeth to deny earnestly throughout this book G If he that is free from the Law keeps and fulfils it through the Law of love as is here affirmed and I fully believe then can I not see how there can be any danger at all in this doctrine That believers are the only men on earth dead to the Law as to justification and alive to the Law as to the outward regulation of them thereby according to the inward rule of love which is in their hearts from the spirit of Christ Rom. 13.8,9,10 Iames 2.8,9 And this I believe upon trial will be found all which they teach or believe whom Mr Dell afterwards reproveth or rather reproacheth as Jewishly zealous of the honour of the Law SECT III. That I might live unto God THat is He that through the Law of Grace is freed of the Law of the letter is not set free from the Law that therby he may have opportunity and liberty to live to sin and himself but that he may thereby live unto God And when a man is born of God A and lives the life of God from the nature of God there is no danger at all in declating this man to be free from the Law of Moses by the Law of Christ B For how otherwise should he come to know the high priviledge of the Gospel and the excellent prerogative of the sons of God and the glorious liberty and freedom into which Jesus Christ hath exalted him Now this One Thing rightly understood doth administer to us just cause to reprove two sorts of People who swerve from the truth in this particular The first sort are they who would be dead to the Law that they might live unto sin and not unto God who would have no Law that all things might be lawful though never so wicked and abominable and never so contrary both to the light of Grace and Nature And these are the true Antinomians and Libertines who would be free from the Law of Moses they not being under the Law of Christ who would take away and quite abolish the Law of the letter they not being under the Law of the Spirit and so would be free from all Law both Old and New both of Moses and Christ that they might live as they list and take their full swinge in all their lusts Now such Libertines and Licentious persons as these are to be restrained and punished by the Civil Magistrate and the Powers that be of God in the world when they transgresse in any matter wickedly and presumptuously against their neighbour and against civil society C and in other things that are more secret and inward or that are of their own notions and apprehensions though concerning the things of God they are to be left with other unbelievers and misbelievers to the righteous judgement of God who is alwayes present in the world and immediate Moderator and Governour himself in all such affairs as immediately concern himself and his Kingdom 2. The other sort to be reproved from this point are such who are so Jewish and so zealous of the honour of the Law that they will by no means indure to hear that the Gospel of the Son of God comes to abolish it or that the new Law is given us to make us quite dead to the old For they think that such Doctrine as this will open a flood-gate to all manner of wickednesse and licentiousnesse D For such men being carnal themselves and knowing no restraint from sin but the Law of Moses do verily think that if that curb be taken out of the jaws of men they must needs rush headlong into all manner of evil as the horse into the battel and this is true enough where men free
themselves or are freed by others from the old Law before the new be written in their hearts E But this they understand not that when the new law comes it is a sufficient discharge from the old since the Law of Grace within us is infinitely more powerful to keep us from sin then the Law of Moses without us and the love of righteousnesse and hatred of iniquity put into our hearts by the Spirit is infinitely more able to make us do righteousnesse and avoid sin then any outward commands and threatnings whatsoever And so where the Gospel prevails in truth and power men need not fear the taking away the Law from such men seeing they through the new Law are dead unto the old that they may live unto God F That as the humanity of Christ knew no Law but the presence of the Godhead in it was unto it instead of all Law and it lived unto God by living in God through union and communion with the divine Nature so the Saints God dwelling in them and they in God do by this means live unto God G and God himself who dwels in them is the new law according to which they live they doing all in God and for God and so live unto God indeed And now it follows ANIMADVERSION 3. A THis being a Scripture expression cannot be excepted against if it be not racked to speak contrary to the plain and general tenour of Scripture doctrine It is very considerable what two worthies have written concerning partaking of the divine nature namely Naturam non vocat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed certas ut ita loquar qualitates quas dei virtus in nobis efficit ut hactenus dei imago simus Nam hoc ipsum postea indicat quum definit naturae divinae participem fieri idem esse atque mundi corruptionem effugisse Itaque non modo impii sed plane etiam ridiculi sunt qui ex hoc loco Divinae essentiae in nos transfusionem imaginantur ut impius ille Servetus praefracte ad mortem usque defendit He cals nature not the very essence but certain qualities as I may so speak which the power of God worketh in us that thus far we may be the Image of God For this very thing he afterwards declares when he defineth to be made partaker of the Divine Nature to be the self same thing which having escaped the corruption of the world Therefore they are not only impious but altogether ridiculous who from this place raise an imagination of the transfusion of the divine essence into us as that wicked Servetus obstinately defended even unto death Beza in 2 Pet. 1.4 Notemus ergo hunc esse Evangelii finem ut aliquando deo conformes reddamur id vero est quasi deificari ut ita loquamur Let us observe that this is the end of the Gospel that we should be at last made conformable unto God that is that we may so speak to be in a kind deified Calv. in Locum B Gospel liberty from the Law according to the Scripture is doubtlesse to be declared as an high priviledge and prerogative of the sons of God and I hope it is so declared by them whom Mr Dell in contempt calleth ignorant and carnal Christians in the former page Rom. 2.1 Freedom of heart unto the Law as a divine rule is as I take it a great part of Gospel liberty from the Law as a yoak of bondage Do not these Scriptures teach as much Rom. 6.14,15,16 and 7.22 Psal 119.45 James 1.25 It is an high priviledge of the Gospel and an excellent prerogative and branch of the glorious liberty of the sons of God to be set free from sin made the servants of God to have their fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.21 The sons of God established with his full spirit cannot but speak in Davids language I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psal 119.32 C It is dangerous and unwarrantable distinguishing upon the Scriptures without the Scriptures If that liberty be indulged unto men they will have a bridle in the mouth of Scripture to make it turn and speak at pleasure Evill doers without distinction are made the objects of Magistratical restraint Rom. 13.4 1 Pet. 2.14 And the corrupters of Gods truth and worship are expresly called evil doers Phil. 3.2 When therefore men manifestly appear to be such they cannot plead or expect exemption from magistratical restraint by Scripture authority The Parliament hath lately published an Act against blasphemy and revived and enlarged some Acts for the due observation of the Lords Day and I think therein have discharged a duty which belongs to Christian Magistrates Should any attempt to introduce surcisme Paganisme Judaisme or Socinianisme into our Land would the governours thereof do well like Gallio to sit down and care for none of these things would they be able to satisfie their conscience that they did satisfie their duty towards God in case they should look on stand still and cry God help I think there are few who would have a face though it be much to be feared that many have a heart to professe so much which is the necessary result of Mr Dells principles Blessed be God that the present heads of our State in Parliament by what they have lately done about the Turkish Alcaron and the Sociman Catechism towards the suppressing of them have declared themselves to be of more sound judgement I cannot yet otherwise apprehend but that they who hold that Magistrates may not at all Judg and do justice in case of manifest immediate injury done to God are not through strength of reason but by reason of the Magistrates strength only held to an acknowledgement that they may Judge and do justice in point of injury towards men For the reason taken from Gods being alwayes present in the world as moderatour and governour himself to prove that he is the immediate Judge in all things that immediately concern himself and his kingdom being pressed home will prove him to be immediate Judg also in all things pertaining to Judgement and Justice amongst men seeing his throne is in the heavens and his kingdom rules overall and so a fair way will be made to an utter extirpation of Magistracy from the very foundations And as for tender-hearted Magistrates who may be staggered at the use of their power for the suppressing of such as in the judgement of their conscience regulated by the word of God are manifest and pernicious offenders in such affairs as immediately concern God and his kingdom I would offer these things briefly to their judicious consideration 1. That the tendernesse of good Magistrates to act for God will breed no tendernesse in evil Magistrates to act against God when they have power in their hands 2. That the abuse of Magistratical authority by evil men doth not make that authority void in the hands of good
that the law of grace and of the spirit within us is infinitely more powerful to keep us from sin then the Law of Moses without us and that the love of righteousnesse put into our hearts by the spirit is infinitly more able to make us to do righteousnesse and avoid sin then any outward commands or threatnings whatsoever which yet have their subordinate place in this work If this be all Mr Dell contends for he will not find an enemy amongst his despised brethren But if by saying that the coming of the new law is a sufficient discharge from the old he intend that all who receive the spirit to be in them the root of obedience are sufficiently discharged from taking the outwardly revealed Law of God to be unto them the rule of obedience It is true that the brethren whom he glanceth at do not understand or at least do not believe that but are very confident that when the Law of the Spirit comes into the heart the heart is brought to delight in the outward Law of God and to chuse it for a light to a mans feet and a lamp to his path Psal 119.97 and 105. F Our Lord Christ in his humanity did know and acknowledge the written Law of God for a law and â—ule unto him and did fulfil it Mat. 4.4,7,10 and 5.17 how confident soever Mr Dell â—e of the contrary G That is not the tenour of the Covenant according to Mr Dells words I will be in their hearts for their law but I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer. 31.33 It is dangerous tampering with the Covenant of God when the words thereof are plain That the Lord is the Law-giver I have often read Esay 32.22 but that he is the law of his people I never saw affirmed in Scripture SECT IV. I am Crucified with Christ c. I Am crucified with Christ who through this new Law was dead to the old For Christ our brother of the same flesh and bloud with us having the living word and law of God within him A he owed nothing to the law of Moses by way of debt neither was he justified by the works of the Law but by the righteousnesse of the eternal Son or Word of God that dwelt and wrought in him and he again in it B And this living Word and Spirit of God that dwelt in the flesh of Christ was the true crucifying of his flesh and in this crucifying of Christs flesh all his Saints partake with him as Paul here saith I am crucified with Christ. C Now this cannot be understood of Christs outward crucifying upon the material Cross for thus Paul was not crucified with him neither are all the Saints But this is to be understood of Christs inward and spiritual crucifying through the Word of righteousness and life that dwelt in him and according to this all the faithful through all ages are crucified with him indeed And now here it wil be needful to speak something more fully both touching Christs own crucifying and the crucifying of all his Saints with him on the same crosse And the rather because as men generally in the outward Church have a carnal understanding of all the things of Christ so also of his Crosse and Death And not the Papists only but many among our selves who greatly adore the outward cross and crucifying of Christ are yetignorant of the true cross and crucifying of Christ and his Christians with him whereby they are truly crucified and dead to themselves to sin to the world D and to whatever is not God himself And so under the open profession of the outward crosse and death of Christ do live in all manner of sin and wickednesse equally with the very heathen amongst whom the Name of Christ hath not been named Wherefore to remove this gross ignorance from all that love the light I shall speak something first of Christs own crucifying and then of our crucifying together with Christ ANIMADVERSION 4. A VVHat did not Christ owe something to the Law so much as for us How then was he made under the Law Gal. 4.4 Did not his submitting of himself to Circumcision make him a debter to do the whole Law Gal. 5.3 Did not our Lord Christ by submitting himself to the state of a servant in relation to his Father become obliged to fulfil all his righteous commands It seems to me that those two Scriptures joyned together prove so much Esay 42.1 Mat. 3.15 Again did not we owe to God perfect obedience to his Law and full satisfaction for our disobedience against his Law And did not our Saviour as our surety transfer and take upon himself our whole debt It would be ill with us if he had not done so me thinks Dr. Vshers words in his Sermon of the Incarnation hath much light and strength in them namely Our Mediator took upon him the part of an advocate to plead full satisfaction made by himself as our surety unto all the debt wherewith we any way stood chargeable Now the satisfaction which our surety bound himself to perform in our behalf was of a double debt the principal and the accessary The principal debt is obedience to Gods most holy Law if this stand true as I believe it will then Christ did owe the debt of obedience to the Law at least in our stead B Where doth the Scripture speak this language Doth not that Scripture speak otherwise 1 Pet. 3.18 which ascribeth not the crucifying but quickning of Christ to the spirit C Why may not the Apostle when he wrote that he was crucified with Christ be understood of Christs outward crucifying on his material crosse Is not the vertue of Christs outward crucifying applyed to all believing Saints is not the flesh in the Saints crucified through the power of that redemption which our Saviour finished on his material crosse and by participation of that redemption finished on the Crosse are not all believers crucified and dead with him what else do those Scriptures teach Rom. 6.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 1 Pet. 2.24 and 4.1,2 Tit. 2.14 It is very strange to me that Mr Dell should here so peremptorily deny that Pauls crucifying with Christ could be understood in relation to his outward crucifying since in Sect. 5. K he confesseth very truly that there was an infinite worth excellency and efficacy in our Saviours outward crucifying which unquestionably is imparted to those who believe and was imparted to the Apostle Paul who might therefore truly write as he did that he was crucified with Christ in reference to Christs outward crucifying on his material crosse D Are Christians dead to the Scriptures both to the Law and Gospel and to all Gods outward ordinances of none of which it can be affirmed that they are God himself I hope Mr Dell hath some limitations in store to make this strange assertion of his that believers are dead to whatsoever is not God himself passable or else SECT
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
Christian that is most dead and crucified to these things he it is that shines most gloriously in the Kingdom of Christ Z Lastly this crucified flesh is the only subject of the glorious Resurrection For as the living Word and Spirit that crucified Christs flesh did again raise up that crucified flesh of his from death and set it at the right hand of God and thereby did plainly manifest him to be the Son of God so the same Word and Spirit that crucifie our flesh shall as certainly raise it up with Christ into the fulness of the life and glory of God And this time the Apostle cals the day of the manifestation of the sons of God For the Word and Spirit whilest they dwel in us and crucifie us they make it only known to us and to them that live in the same faith spirit with us that we are the children of God but when they shal raise up this flesh of ours which they have first crucified from death and the grave into the life glory and eternity of God then it shall be manifest to all the world that we are his children And so our crucifying with Christ is a certain pledge of our Resurrection with him and this the Apostle testifies Rom. 8.11 saying He that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwels in you and Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with him we believe we shall also live with him If we be dead with him that is through the Word and Spirit first crucifying our flesh and then offering it up to death A We believe we shall live with him that very life which the Word and Spirit of God did communicate to his flesh when it raised him from the grave and fully translated him into the immediate Kingdom of God And for this cause Col. 1.18 Christ is called the first born from the dead that is the first whom the Word and Spirit did raise from death and the grave and did carry into the Immediate presence of God as the first fruits and pledge of their Resurrection who have the same word and spirit dwelling in them ANIMADVERSION VII A I Find no such thing affirmed in the Scripture that through Faith we receive the living Word to dwel in us understanding thereby precisely the Godhead of our Saviour But it is plain that through Faith we receive Christ the Son to dwell in us and the Father also by the Spirit Ephes 2.22 1 John 4.12,13 John 14.23 B Indeed the word of God in the Scriptures and the Gospel preached according to the Scriptures is an outward word consisting in doctrines which hypocrites and carnal christians may have and professionally receive and stil live their own lives and after their own lusts But that this word is without the spirit unto believers not now to dispute how far the Spirit may work in the word to the coÌ„viction of unbelievers to deny that it is a means whereby they receive the Spirit and whereby the spirit crucifieth the flesh in them is plainly to deny the Scriptures Gal. 3.2 Eph. 6.17 2 Cor. 10.4,5 And to give up those who by faith receive and make use of this outward word of God to dwel in them for the crucifying of their flesh for hypocrites and carnal christians is certainly to condemn the generation of Gods children Psal 119.11 Col. 3.16 C It is as clear as light from the text that by the ergrafted word James 1.21 where this phrase is only found is meant the word of the Gospel outwardly dispensed In these words therefore Mr Dell seems unwarrantably to confound the Godhead of our Saviour with the Gospel outwardly dispensed or to put one for another which is a very strange mistake And certain it is that the word which faith receiveth is the Gospel outwaâ—dly preached which is not alwayes accompanied with the spirit in those that hear it Mark 16.16 Heb. 4.2 Rom. 10.8 D If here be not a president of racking the Scripture to purpose I am much mistaken The Apostle 1 Cor. 1.18 called the word which he preached which Mr Dell nameth an outward word the word of the crosse not for either of the two reasons here mentioned because it exposeth men to afflictions or because it doth crucifie us but plainly because it held forth Christ crucified to the world as is most apparent verse 23. of that chapter and 1 Cor. 2.2,3,4 And yet Mr Dell with much confidence brings forth the words of the Apostle as if they had been undoubtedly written not of the word preached by him but of the living word or Godhead of our Saviour to which for certain the Apostle had no eye in that place E The words found Heb. 4.12 are here by Mr Dell confidently applied to the living word of God or Godhead of our Saviour which by the general consent of almost all interpreters and by the argument of that place appears to concern the word of God outwardly administred which though Mr Dell maketh light of it yet as it is made effectually by the spirit of God hath all that testified of it in the Scripture which Mr Dell here affirmeth of the word of God in his sence 1 Cor. 14.24,25 2 Cor. 10.4,5 John 17.17 F If the word of the crosse be as it is and is here called by Mr Dell the word of faith then it is the word of the Gospel preached Rom. 10.17 which Mr Dell sleightingly calleth an outward word and leaveth to hypocrites and carnal christians And to as those words 1 Cor. 15,31 here alledged I find no expositor understanding them of an inward dying to sin The context plainly importeth that the Apostle by dying dayly intended a daily apprehension and expectation of death together with a daily exposure of himself to deadly afflictions for Christ and his Gospel sake 2 Cor. 4.10,11 The dying therefore mentioned in this Scripture is altogether different from the dying which Mr Dell here speaks of G The Law had a regulating power over our Lord Christ in the dayes of his flesh Mat. 5.17 Mat. 3.15 and therefore lost not all its power over him at that time as is here peremptorily asserted by Mr Dell. H So also how boldly soever Mr Dell affirms the contrary the Law hath a regulating power over all the faithful who keep it and fulfil it through love wrought in their hearts by the spirit Psal 119.1 1 John 5.3 I Believers own life if that be their humane life is not extinguished by the living word and spirit Mr Dell being judge whose words very soon after are these though sin hath its ful power in our humane life But in this case there needs no appeal Res ipsa loquitur All the world sees and knows that believers retain their own humane life the faculties and actings thereof after they live the life of Christ through the Spirit I would gladly therefore understand Mr Dell in this place of the extinguishing only of the life
of sin in believers and the then refining purifying and spiritualizing of their humane life and faculties by the spirit of Christ unto a new life of holinesse wherein Christ may be truly said to live in them and they to live to God but that the native intent of Mr Dels words here looks to a much higher and his after words in this book contain a plain and peremptory refusal of so low a sense K Paul in the place here alledged Rom. 7. teacheth that the condemning and sin irritating power of the Law ceaseth towards those who are spiritually dead with Christ which is no doubt a branch of their true freedom from the Law acknowledged and joyed in by those whom Mr Dell sleights as Jewish zelots what more Mr Dell fetcheth from that Scripture is of his own putting into it as I think L It is an acknowledged truth that they who are crucified with Christ are freed from sin and the indwelling of the Gospel Col. 3.16 James 1.18 together with the spirit of Christ carrieth on this blessed freedom in them If this would content Mr Dell he might have the company of his brethren in the old way of truth But if this seem too low for him he must not think strange that he obtains not general applause amongst men of understanding in his sublime notions M Sin hath not its full power in the humane life of believers as is here affirmed by Mr Dell and this the texts here produced by himself do infallibly prove which teach that the old man of sin is crucified in believers to be destroyed and the dominion of it removed from them and therefore it doth not retain its fulpower in their humane life in any sence N If Christ and sin cannot live together in strength which I believe Then sin hath not its ful power in their humane life in whom Christ lives which yet Mr Dell in this same paragraph hath affirmed Ipse viderit O Hath a believer two fleshes then one Christs another his own I take it that the Scripture teacheth the direct contrary namely That a believer hath but one flesh or body in property of speech which is a member of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost and as to right of possession not his own 1 Cor. 6.15,19,20 Colos 2.1.5 In which body or flesh of a believer death reigneth not in any sence though as an enemie bodily death shall for a while imprison it in the grave 1 Cor 15.25,26 P The Devil finds so much corruption in Christs crucified ones that he too often prevaileth by temptation to lead them into sin Gal 6.1 1 John 2.1,2 Now sin is very hurtful to the people of God at least in point of comfort Psal 51.8,12 the Devil therefore whatever Mr Dell saith can do Christs crucified ones harm though not destroy them Q This is plainly opposite to Scripture doctrine namely That the flesh which is crucified with Christ is the old man Rom. 6.6 which lusteth contrary to Christ and his spirit Gal. 5.17 and therefore cannot possibly be Christs own flesh as Mr Dell here affirms R Let Mr Dell shew one Scripture which teacheth that the flesh which is crucified in believers is the flesh of the second Adam Believers themselves not the flesh which is crucified in them are intended by the Apostle when he writes that we are of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5.30 S Mr Dell should produce that Scripture which calleth the flesh which is crucified in a believer the temple and habitation of God As to the text here alledged it speaketh to and of the persons of believers themselves not of the flesh crucified in them which are things of a very different consideration as all know who know any thing of Scripture doctrine T That flesh which is crucified in believers doth never keep the true sabbath understanding thereby as Mr Dell doth a ceasing from our own works of sin but it opposeth the keeping of that sabbath continually Gal. 5.17 Eph. 2.3 V Let Mr Dell shew a Scripture which speaketh any of these things of the flesh crucified in believers which are in this place heaped together by him Indeed all that is here said is true of believers in whom the flesh is crucified But believers and the flesh crucified in them are things as much different as Saints and the body of death in them which I think no rational Christian can mistake for the same thing W In direct opposition to this position it is as apparant as the noon-light that the flesh which is crucified in a believer in the reliques of it which are daily to be mortified Col. 3.5 doth by all possible means oppose suffering for Gods name Rom. 8.7 and a believer so far as he is inabled by the spirit of God to mortifie the deeds of the body and resist the lusts of the flesh which is crucified in him so far he is carried on in cheerful readinesse to bear the crosse of Christ and no further Is it possible that Mr Dell should all along mistake the flesh crucified in believers for believers themselves in whom the flesh is crucified If that may be imagined to be his meaning contrary to his words I would then say of the difference between Mr Dels strange positions concerning the crucified flesh and the doctrine of other Divines what Austin spake de predestinatione Dei cap. 5. in another case If the book be his His oppositionibus in literatura nulla est reconciliatio in intelligentia nulla est repugnantia There is no reconciling of these oppositions in word no repugnancy between them in deed X If Mr Dell had minded the old language and doctrine of the Scriptures he would never I think have broken out into these new and strange commendations of the flesh crucified in believers A little Scripture proof amidst this confident affirming would do wel Y Mr Dell should shew a Scripture which affirmeth that the flesh crucified in believers hath the very glory of Jesus Christ upon it which is a position so new and strange that it needs to be well proved before it be received The flesh which is crucified in believers is called the old man and the body of sin Rom. 6.6 which hath no part nor portion in the glory of Jesus Christ Z This position of Mr Dell is clearly opposite to the form of Scripture doctrine which teacheth that the flesh in believers is crucified with Christ to be more and more mortified in them till it be utterly destroyed and therefore it cannot possibly be the subject of the glorious resurrection And to take the mortal body of a believer which shall be the subject of the glorious resurrection 1 Cor. 15.44 for the flesh which is crucified in him and in reference whereunto he is said to be crucified with Christ seems to be such a mistake as no man could be subject to who taketh any heed to the old language of the Scripture A If we be dead with Christ
is come Vivo ego non amplius ego I live yet no more I but it is another that lives in me and I in him so that a true Christian through true faith doth lose his personality not his humanity for his nature lives but not in his own person but in the person of Christ C Indeed every man by nature and according to his first birth is a distinct person by himself and lives a proper life of his own in and by himself till faith comes and knits him unto Christ and then he subsists in Christs person and is no more a person distinct by himself so far as he is gathered up into Christ through faith and the Spirit and lives and acts in him For then Christ is made so one with a Christian and a Christian with Christ that there is no more distinction between them in this Vnity then there is between the head and a member Now the knowledge of this point through the Experience of faith is of excellent use to a Christian in the matter of his salvation D In as much as each man as he is a distinct person by himself is under the Law and appertains to the Kingdom of the Devil and is within the reach and power of death and hell but as he is taken into Jesus Christ by faith that is as he is taken into his Person as his member and loseth his own person so he is free from the law sin and death as Christ is free So that if the law sin death or the devil come to a believer to accuse terrifie or condemn him he because of this most real and near union with Christ may reply in truth and say It is not I I am not I I am through faith become a member of Christ and I am he and he is I and if you have any thing to say say it to the Person himself for I am but a Member and do live in his person The clear and spiritual knowledge of this matter would be a great support to us in all times of temptation and in all deep sense of sin and wrath seeing we commonly in such sad and painful hours do look upon our selves as persons by our selves and distinct from Christ and then we do truly both fear and feel sin and death and hell within us and then also the Devil and our own evil consciences are too mighty for us when we consider our selves in our selves Wherefore at such times we must needs prevail by faith and know that we through faith are not persons by our selves but that we are Parts and Members of Christ and live in his Person and consequently in so near union with him that Christ cannot be saved without us nor we perish without him And so none can lay any thing to our charge but what Christ hath taken upon himself and overcome for us and so the Law Sin Death Hell and Devil can as soon prevail against Christ as against us who are so joyned to him that we are one flesh and Spirit with him E It is true if we were persons by our selves these evils and enemies would be too hard for us but being drawn unto Christ by the Father and being by him also implanted in Christ and made Branches of that Vine and Members of that Person we thus become one with him who is conquerour of all things and we our selves also are more then Conquerours in him Wherefore let us all know that in the matter of our Adoption Justification Sanctification and of our whole Salvation F Prorsus abjicienda est persona as Luther saith We must wholly cast away our own person and be united into one person with Christ yea and lose our person in his seeing out of this union Christ profits no body either to the escaping sin and death or to the obtaining righteousnesse and life G Wherefore for the escaping these eternal evil things and for the obtaining these eternal good things we must necessarily be so taken up into Christ that we must say with Paul It is no more I. ANIMADVERSION XI A IT is such plain Scripture doctrine that our humane reason judgement prudence wil c. is refined and spiritualized in us through the spirit of Christ and that in the strength of that renovation through the spirit we live unto God in our humane life and native faculties refin'd and spiritualliz'd that to indeavour to take men off from thinking so is a very anti-scriptural attempt See Rom. 12.2 Ephes 4.23 1 Thes 5.23 If Mr Dell thinks he hath left himself a starting hole in these words distinct and apart from Christ He may know that all understanding Christians acknowledge that the refining and spiritualizing of our humane faculties to a heavenly disposition and life proceedeth only and wholly from union to Christ through his spirit and cannot possibly be enjoyed distinct and apart from him These words therefore distinct and apart from Christ are not of sufficient vertue to secure Mr Dels present Paradox from appearing very heterodox to judicious observers If Paul had but one humane life in him and were but one and the self same man as to his native faculties before and after Christ lived in him which I think is undeniable then it will necessarily follow or I am much mistaken that the life he lived after Christ lived in him was onely his own life purified and refined the life of his own reason judgement prudence and will c. refined and spirituallized through the spirit of life in Christ Jesus the Apostles writing of such in whom Christ lives set them forth as the self-same persons in respect of their humane life and faculties but purified and refined to be very different persons from what they were formerly God be thanked that you were the servants of sin but you the self-same you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Rom. 6.17 And again seeing you have purified not any other but your souls by obeying the truth through the spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 And again Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself not any other as he is pure 1 John 3.3 It seems to me most evident that the nature of regeneration renovation vivification and sanctification necessarily require that the subject of them the man which is begotten again renewed quickned from the dead and sanctified be the self-same as to his humane life and faculties before and after this blessed change be wrought in him for if the subject in this change be not identically the same what can be imaginably said to be chang'd The words of Zanchius on the 23. verse of the 4. chapter to the Ephesians seems to me to carry much light and reason in them who shewing why the Apostle expressed the renovation of beleevers by the putting off of the old and putting on the new man writeth thus ut significaret sicut vestis res est diversa ab eo qui eam induit c.
anti-scriptural and anti-evangelical position For do not believers find a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minde and leading them captive to the law of sin which is in their members Doth Christ so too Do not believers groane in their earthly tabernacles desiring to be cloathed with their house which is from heaven Doth our Lord Christ so too Doth not our Saviour ever live to make intercession for his people and to save all those to the uttermost who come to God by him Do all believers so too I cannot but believe that Mr Del hath limitations in store for this boundlesse position though he omitted to expresse them at the publishing thereof B That it is just so between Christ and believers as it is between God the Father and Christ and that believers are as nearly united to Christ as God and Christ cannot be truly affirmed unlesse Christ the eternal Word and Son of God and believers be one God essentially or that God and Christ be not one God essentially neither of which positions I hope Mr Dell will adhere unto upon deliberation The words of our Saviour whom we may safely nay whom we must surely believe which are here alledged by Mr. Dell speak not home to his affirmation For we may know and believe that Christ is in the Father as being together with him one God blessed for ever and that believers are in Christ as members of his mystical body and that Christ is in them by his spirit which dwelleth in them and yet neither know nor believe that it is just between Christ and believers as between God and Christ and that Christ and believers are as nearly united as God and Christ which are high affirmations and very strange and dangerous C Whether this be not close girding at the conscionable observation of the weekly Lords day let Mr Dell judge D In John 17.21 it appeareth that our Saviour prayed and was no doubt heard therein that all believers might be brought into a blessed unity amongst themselves in God and the Lord Christ through the Spirit of God which is given unto them 1 John 3.24 By the inhabitation of which Spirit of God in believers it cometh to passe that as the Father is in the Lord Christ and Christ in the Father in a divine unity so believers become one amongst themselves in the Father and the Lord Christ in a blessed spiritual unity and so united they are one as to the truth though not to the manner and degree of unity as the Father and the Lord Christ are one This is all for ought I see which can be perceived from the Scripture alledged by Mr Dell which falleth very short of his purpose and doctrine or if our Saviours words John 17.21,22 be to be understood of that celestial unity which is between the Father the Son and Believers through the reciprocal actings of special love to which sence the 23. verse seems to give countenance our Lords words admit of a clear interpretation without the least intimation of the same or as near a union through the Word or Godhead of our Saviour between him and believers as is between him and the Father E Doth not Mr Dell here forget himself whilest he mindeth believers so to live that Christ may not be ashamed to own every part of their lives for this intimateth that believers may possibly so live that Christ may be ashamed to own some part of their lives and then in those parts of their lives at least believers must needs be distinct persons from the eternal Word and Son of God which is plainly and confidently denied by Mr Dell Sect. 11. B C SECT XVI And the life I live 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the flesh This Paul speaks to shew that the life he lived after he was a Believer was not out of the flesh in the Religion of Angels in strange Raptures and Revelations and in high and wonderful things above himself but that the life he lived in Christ and Christ lived in him was in the flesh that is in his humane soul and body A There are a sort of People which also have been Professors of the Gospel so deluded by the Devil that they say they live the life of Christ yea a life far above Christ in the Spirit and that they live immediately in God and have often visions of and intercourse with Angels whilst yet these very people live the life of sin and Satan in the flesh in all manner of filthinesse and uncleannesse and loosenesse and abominable prophanesse B Wherefore saith Paul I live the life of Christ in the flesh in this soul and body of mine I live in the flesh but not after the lusts and requiring of the flesh but I live Christs life in my own flesh in all righteousnesse holinesse cleannesse purity meeknesse goodnesse love patience heavenlinesse this is the life I now live in the flesh 2. Note hence again That the life of Christ is to fill a Christian not his spirit only but his flesh it is to fill his soul and his senses his inward and outward man his thoughts words works and his whole conversation the life of Christ is to fill them all C The life of Christ is first communicated to the spirit of our minde there it is first kindled and rooted and from thence by degrees it spreads it self into the flesh and to this the flesh is most unwilling but at last the Spirit overcomes the flesh and leads it forth into its own righteousnesse and life Vse 1. D And hence we may learn that our present natural life doth not hinder us but that we may live a spiritual and heavenly life or the very life of Christ in our flesh if we be true Belivers Wherefore Paul elsewhere speaking of Believers saith the Father hath quickned us with Christ and raised us up together with him and set us in heavenly places in him and that whilst we live a Natural life according to the body E So that here in this present world we may partake of eternal life and may live not in notion but in deed the life of the Spirit in the flesh and the life of heaven on earth and the life of the Son of God in our humanity if we do not deprive our selves of so great happinesse through unbelief Vse 2. F Again we may learn hence That the life of the Son of God is not to be confined only to that Humanity that was born of the blessed Virgin which was the Head of the Elect but that it extends it self to all true believers in whom Christ lives as in his own flesh as Paul saith Christ lives in me even in my flesh which through this life of Christ in it became Christs more then Pauls So that the life of the Son of God is communicated truly to all the faithful and is to be seen in their flesh in some measure as well as in his in all fulnesse as the
V. 1. Of Christs own crucyfying NOw Christs true crucifying I mean his inward and spiritual crucifying in which all his Saints without any exception have their fellowship with him it was this A It was the taking up his humane nature into his divine nature or the taking up his flesh into the Word in such sort that B the flesh of Christ did not live the life of the flesh in the reason and understanding and wisdom and will and affections and desires and delights and ends of the flesh but the flesh or humanity of Christ being crucified and dead to all these things did live in it self the life of the eternal Word in the nature righteousnesse life minde will and in all the things of God And this was the Full and perfect crucifying of the flesh of Christ indeed And thus you see th t the Living word and Spirit of God which dwelt in the flesh of Christ did truly Crucifie and destroy the proper will and affections and the whole life of his flesh C And thus was Christ crucified before his crosse and his outward crucifying was but a sign of what was done before within D and if Christs flesh had not thus been crucified before his Crosse he had not after given it up so freely cheerfully and desirously to be crucified so shamefully painfully and bleedingly on the Crosse E The Divine Nature of Christ was the constant crosse of his Humane Nature and his humane nature was fully crucified in his Divine in such sort that the Humane nature of Christ had not the least freedom of its own proper will lest to it self but when it was to undergo the heaviest and bitterest things that any creature was capable to undergo even Death and Hell and the sense of the whole wrath of God yet even then he said not my will but thine be done Which was the most full and perfect crucisying that could be F For the Man Christ lost all his own things in God through immediate union with God and was filled again with all the things of God in his humanity which took away his humanity wholly from it self to God to be do and suffer all in the will of God and this was his crucifying G And this now is the most excellent and glorious crucifying of Christ that is to be preached to all Nations for the obedience of faith H For to preach the outward crucifying of Christ barely and alone without this inward and Spiritual crucifying of him which is not onely the original and the cause but also the perfection and glory of the other is no great matter neither will it make the world much in love with him seeing two Thieves were thus crucified with him at the same time outwardly as he was But to preach Christ crucified by the living Word and Spirit of God that dwelt in him through which he was wholly dead to himself and the world and lived wholly in the will of God so that though he were the Son of God yet he made himself of no reputation but gave up his flesh and outward man to be crucified among thieves at the will of his Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This I say is the glorious crucifying of Christ which the Gospel preaches in all the world even the crucifying of Christs flesh by the Spirit and Divine nature I For Christs dying had been nothing if the life of God within him had not offered up his humane life K and his crucifying had been nothing if God in Christ had not humbled his humane nature to the death of the Crosse and he had not offered up that flesh of his to God without fault by his Eternal Spirit as Paul speaks Heb. 9.14 But this did put such an infinite worth excellency and efficacy on his outward crucifying and thereby he is said to redeem us unto God even by his bloud and by that one offering of himself to perfect for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And thus much touching Christs own Crucifying the next thing is ANIMADVERSION V. A VVHere is any Scripture that speaketh thus and giveth us such a description of our Saviours crucifying To the Law and to the testimony Esay 8.20 It is I confesse beyond my knowledge if ever any Christian ancient or modern did define the crucifying of Christ to be the taking up of his flesh into the word before Mr Dell. B If the humanity of our Saviour did live in it self the life of the eternal word in the nature of God then it will follow as I apprehend that our Lord Christ had no humane life distinct from the life of the eternal word in him from the very first instant of his assuming of our humanity and so could have no humane will to deny or life to lay down for us And where is the doctrine of the Crosse then If Mr Dell hath any reserved sence of his words and doth not mean as he speaks which I a mind ned to believe he should do well to speak as he means Whereas Mr Dell writeth that the flesh of Christ did not live the life of the flesh in the reason and understanding and wisdom wil and affections and desires and delights and ends of the flesh if he means thereby that our Saviour was not in the course of his life guided by the reason understanding and wisdom of his humane nature to will affect desire delight in or pursue any humane ends sutable to the liking of flesh and bloud but did altogether resign himself to the will of God his Father that it might be perfectly done by him and upon him how crosse soever it was to his humane will and wisdom in the native propensity thereof this is a very clear and sound truth and I should so understand Mr Dell and put such a sence upon the following words sc that the flesh or humanity of Christ did live in it self the life of the Eternal word in the nature righteousnesse life minde will and in all the things of God as that they should import no more but that our Saviour obedientially ordered himself in the whole course of his life in doing and suffering according to the minde and will of God his Father which is very good Gospel doctrine generally acknowledged Did not the laying of the present words to those which follow in this book seem plainly to put a more sublimate interpretation upon them and to evidence that Mr Dell intended in them to set himself above the pitch of the old ordinary Christian Doctrine sc That our Lord Christ in his humanity lived a humane life ordered wholly according to the divine rule of the wil of God his Father Yet if Mr Dell will so interpret himself in his high-flown expressions as to come down to the plain naked known truth of the Gospel concerning our Saviours obediential living and dying too according to the will and wisdom not of his humane nature but of God his Father which sent him I
shall most gladly so understand him for the future and shall say of him as Austin once wrote of another Linguam corrigat sententiam teneat Let him correct his expression and retain his opinion C Where doth the Scripture speak of our Saviours crucifying before his crosse or so slight our Lords outward crucifying as to call it but a sign of what before was done as Mr Dell here doth I think the Scripture giveth no countenance to such new doctrine but ascribeth far greater honour to our Lords outward crucifying then to be but a sign of somewhat else and sets it forth as an effectual means of the healing of Gods people 1 Pet. 2.24 D That our Lord Christ did deny himself in his humane will wholly resigning himself to the will of the Father and thereupon did freely give up his flesh to the crosse is most certain John 5.30 and 6.38 But where is this or the taking up of Christs flesh into the word which Mr Dell speaks of called or made the crucifying of Christs flesh A proof for that E That our Saviours Divine nature was his crosse and that his humane nature was crucified in his divine are bold strange and peremptory affirmations for which I know not any shew of proof in the Scripture which speaketh of no other proper crosse of our Saviour but the tree on which he suffered Phil. 2.8 1 Pet. 2.24 nor crucifying but that which is charged upon the Jews as the Authors of it by the Apostle Peter Acts. 2.36 F Did the man Christ lose all his own things in God through immediate union with God What his humane life too This indeed is fully accordant with Mr Dels former words if not with his meaning that the humanity of Christ did live in it self the life of the eternal word And what life then did our Lord give for his sheep John 10.11 Certainly not the life of the eternal word G This crucifying of our L rds humane nature in his divine nature here mentioned by Mr Dell for all his confidence was never as I think read of in the Scriptures or heard of unto this day amongst those nations who by the preaching of the Gospel have been brought to the obedience of Faith And I trust he would not have men now to take up any new gospel H The outward crucifying of Christ is not preached barely and alone as Mr Dell here intimateth but together with his self-denying obedience as the original and the glory of it by those who never learned from the Scriptures to call his inward prostrating of his will at the feet of his Fathers will his crucifying Though two Thieves were outwardly crucified with our Lord Christ yet is his outward crosse most glorious before the eyes of all that believe the Gospel Gal. 6.14 And it seems very strange and derogatory to the honor of our Saviours death that a Christian should judge of the lovelinesse of the outward crosse of our Mediator by the crosse of malefactors though crucified with him I These words shew that our Lord Christ had a humane life distinct from the life of God in him which seems directly contrary to Mr Dels former doctrine if his meaning be according to his words and proveth that the man Christ did not lose al his own things through immediate union with God but after that union retained his own humane life to be offered up for us which is good and Gospel truth steadfastly to be embraced by all true Christians K What is here asserted is very true but hath no affinity with Mr Dels foregoing words Our Saviours crucifying had been nothing if God in Christ had not humbled his humane nature to the death of the crosse and he had not offered up that flesh of his to God without fault by his eternal spirit as Paul speaketh Heb. 9.14 These words and those which immediately follow are sweeter then honey and the honey comb They expresse the constant Doctrine of those men whom Mr Dell despiseth as grosly ignorant of the crosse of Christ and they shew that the humanity of Christ did not live in it self the life of the eternal word but that life which appertaineth to the nature of man which he gave for the life of the world SECT VI. Our crucifying with Christ I Am saith Paul crucified with Christ that is with that Humane nature of his that was taken up into the Word Now as the most excellent crucifying of Christ was through the Word and spirit that dwelt in him so likewise the true and glorious crucifying of all the faithful is through the same Word and Spirit of Christ dwelling in them A For to have the Word and Spirit of Christ that is the Word and Spirit that is true God dwelling in us is the greatest crucifying of flesh and bloud that can be And when we are thus crucified with Christ by his Word and Spirit dwelling in us then afterwards the body will be ready and willing to suffer the crosse or fire or Lions or racks or torments or any thing as we see in the blessed Martyrs who if they had not been first crucified with Christ through the Word and Spirit had never delivered up their bodies so readily as if they had not known them to suffer so many grievous and intollerable things for Christ For that flesh that is truly crucified by the Spirit is fitted for all sufferings though never so grievous and intollerable to it self Wherefore let us learn B That no outward sorrows or tribulations or prisons or rackings or killings are such real crucifyings to a believer as his faith hope and love the fruits of the Word and Spirit in him which will not suffer him to live in himself or in the creature but do carry him with great force out of all these things to live in God which thing is the greatest mortification and crucifying of the flesh that can be And as Christs outward crucifying on the crosse without his inward crucifying by the Word of God had been nothing worth no more would all the sufferings and Martyrdoms of all the believers in the world be of any worth in themselves or of any account with God without this inward spiritual daily and constant crucifying suffering and Martyrdom of theirs C Seeing nothing doth so truly and throughly restrain hamper mortifie crucifie kill and destroy the flesh and all the corruptions lusts and affections of it as the living Word and spirit do D And this is the glorious crosse of the Church the Body as well as of Christ the Head without which all Martyrdom is nothing and of which all the bodily sufferings and torments of the Saints have been but a demonstration to the world for the glory of God and for the comfort support and encouragement of other Christians And where this inward crucifying hath not been first wrought and accomplished Christians could suffer nothing outwardly as hath been very evident in many Christians who having in times of persecution been
we believe we shall also live with him spiritually in this life gloriously in that which is to come Rom. 6.8 But that believers shall live with Christ that very life which the word and spirit of God did communicate to his flesh when it raised him from the grave and fully translated him into the immediate kingdom of God is a position raised by Mr Dell to a very high pitch wherein yet I shall not oppose him if he admit as I hope he will a preheminency of life unto our Saviour as being the head of the Church anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellows Heb. 1.8,9 For whilst our Saviour hath his peculiar preheminence of degree allowed him as the head I take it we may safely believe that his members shall be sharers with him in that very life of blessednesse and glory which is communicated to his flesh or humane nature since the Apostle teacheth us that God hath raised us up together and made us sit togother in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 and again that if whilst we live we are delivered to death for Jesus sake the life also of Jesus shall be made manifest in our mortal body 2 Cor 4.11 for when Christ who is our life shall appear we also shall appear with him in glory Colos 3.4 SECT VIII WHence it is evident that all that flesh which the Word and Spirit do crucifie with Christ they shall also rise up together with him and sit in the same heavenly places in him which is the sure hope of all Believers Now seeing all these things are truth and are no lye let us willingly give up our selves to be thus crucified how bitter and grievous soever it be to the flesh Quest A Now if any man shall say How shall I know that I am thus crucified with Christ that I may have interest in all these advantages Answ I answer There are many Trials of this some of which I wil name very briefly and so conclude this matter As First If though findest thine own Nature truly subdued and changed by another Nature that is from God and if thou findest thy own life put to an end by another life that is from God then art thou crucified with Christ indeed 2. If thou canst deny thy self in all things of flesh and bloud and findest a new self within thee to have power over thy old self which is daily withering and decaying at the presence of the new creature then art thou crucified through the Word 3. If thou art dead to sin even to all those corruptions and lusts which have delighted themselves in thee and thou again in them if thou findest thy self dead to them and they killed in thee then art thou crucified by the Word 4. If thou art dead to the world and to the things of it which are the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life then art thou crucified by the Word 5. If thou dost not mind the praise and applause of men on the one hand nor their reproaches and indignities on the other hand but art truly dead to both then art thou crucified by the Word 6. If thou at deceased and departed from thine own will and works and canst do and delight to do the will and works of God then is his Law within thy heart and thou art crucified by the Word 7. If thou art ready prepared to bear and endure any sufferings and persecutions for Christ with patience and over and above with willingnesse and joy and dost not draw back for any evils but doest stand to them and overcome them then also art thou crucified by the Word and that is crucified with Christ B Now this our crucifying with Christ is the chief and greatest matter that we are to mind in this world wherefore Paul saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I did not judg it worth the while to know any thing among you or to behold any thing in you but Jesus Christ and him crucified Seeing in this present state of ours this is our chief businesse to be crucified with Christ and to be taken out of our selves and all our own things till we be altogether reduced to nothing that we may receive our selves and all things anew in Jesus Christ This is the chief work of God by his Word and Spirit upon the faithful here in this world as it was also his chief work upon Christ in the dayes of his flesh For though there were in Christ many clear Demonstrations of the presence of God through which he wrought many of the great works of God C yet our main businesse that concerned Christs life in the flesh was daily and throughly to crucifie him by the Word and Spirit which dwelt in him and thereby to prepare him and make him fit for the outward crosse and for that sad hour and power of darknesse that was to overtake him D And so this also is to be the chief businesse of our lives after we do believe even to be daily crucified and mortified and killed by the Word and Spirit of Christ till our will be perfectly subdued to Gods and by this means we be fitted and prepared for that tribulation and crosse whatever it is that the Lord shall please to appoint unto us either in life or in death And thus having spoken something of the Crucified Christian we proceed to speak in the next place of the Quickned Christian from the following words ANIMADVERSION VIII A ALl these notes of trial whether a man be crucified with Christ laid down by Mr Dell are very good and found and fully to be discovered in those who are crucified with Christ through the Word of the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ according to the old Scripture doctrine of Protestant teachers Great pitty it is that so good words as these wherein Mr Dell hath laid down these notes of trial should ever be misplaced B The Apostle in the words here alledged spake of Christs being crucified for us as the main subject of his Gospel doctrine which he preached amongst the Corinthians as appeareth by comparing the 23. verse of the former chapter with this text Here is therefore no intimation of that our crucifying which Mr Dell speaks of for all his admirable confidence in the strange allegation and interpretation of the place now before us C If the Printer have done his part in these words they are extreamly obscure if at all intelligable otherwise then by guesse D These words of Mr Dell I understand and in plain Scripture sence yield full assent to them as to their main intent praying that the Lord would pour out more abundantly the spirit of mortification and self denial on his people that we may indeed live the rest of our time in the flesh not to the lusts of men but to the will of God both by doing and suffering with cheerfulnesse according to his good pleasure The
in these words if Mr Dell understand by flesh the nature or natural body of man then they carry in them a falshood throughout for neither doth Christ dwelling in us by his Spirit destroy the proper life of our humane nature or natural body neither is our humane nature or natural body taken up into the life of the Word and Spirit as is here confidently affirmed And to say that in the true believer the soul and body of man live in the life of the Son of God as was done in the flesh of Christ our elder brother is to make believers the sons of God and partakers of the divine nature in the same manner as our Lord Jesus was which cannot be mentioned without trembling and me thinks should not be the judgement of any Christian Doubtlesse the Apostle Paul understood that God was manifested in the flesh in the person of our Saviour in a special peculiar and incommunicable manner when describing the mysterie of Godlinesse relating to our Saviour he made the first branch of it God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 F This is the great mystery of the Gospel for certain would it be a degree of infidelity to doubt or deny that this is Gospel It seems Mr Dell thinks so by adding Let them receive it who can receive it But who gave him warrant with such absolute peremptorinesse to impose his notions upon others as Gospel the great mysterie of the Gospel I cannot but stand amazed at the strange confidence of some men who dare assume unto themselves our Saviours authority or at least the boldnesse to make use of his authoritative words without any preface in pressing of their new and strange doctrines to say no worse upon others as high points and great mysteries of the Gospel Such high confidence in points wherein men may possibly be brought to an after conviction of their errour I take to be one of the most dangerous pinacles upon which men are liable to be tempted to cast themselves down through the medium of scepticisme into the bottome of Atheism wherein we have many sad examples before our eyes Who can but love and reverence the learned Christian modesty of aged Austin who wrote thus of himself Lib. de bono perseverantiae cap. 21. Quamvis neminem velim sic amplecti omnia mea ut me sequatur nisi in t is in quibus me non errare perspexerit Though I would have no man so to imbrace all that I affirm as to follow me in any other points but such only wherein he perceiveth that I do not go astray And again in the same chapter Quandoquidem arrogantiùs loquor quam veriùs si vel nunc dico me ad perfectionem ut sine ullo errore scriberem jam in istâ aetaete venisse I shall speak more arrogantly then truly if I shall even now say that I am at this age arriv'd to that perfection that I do write without all errour How happy would it be if such a spirit were more commonly to be discerned in our dayes SECT X. NOw this new and Spiritual life which a crucified Christian partakes of He hath it 1. In Vnion 2. In Manifestation First A A Christian hath this life in Vnion when through Faith of the operation of God he is really knit unto Christ and ingraffed into him and made one with him For before we are united to Christ we are without life but as soon as we are united to him we have life from him as John saith in his Epistle He that hath the Son hath life even that life which the Son hath and he that hath not the Son hath not life Now this life and union which a Christian hath through faith is more hidden and secret as that life is that proceeds from the first real union and complyance between the Stock and sience or graft and this is the life of Justification B For as soon as ever we are by faith made one with God in Christ the righteousnesse of God is made ours truly and everlastingly and in this we are justified even before God 2. A true Christian hath this life of Christ not onely in Vnion but also in Manifestation For when a Christian partakes of Christs life by faith this life will not be idle in him which is against the nature of all life but especially of this but most active and operative and it will manifest it self especially two wayes viz. Both in Holinesse and Comfort 1. C This life will manifest it self in Holinesse in the very holinesse of Christ which is the holiness of the Divine Nature communicated to the Humane Nature the Spirit it self which is given to a Believer as the outgoing of the life of God within him worketh its own works of grace and sanctification in him and communicates the same holiness to him a Member as to Christ the Head though in a far different degree 2. This life of Christ in a Christian will manifest it self in comfort as well as in holinesse And this is the life of our life and the next and necessary result of holinesse wherefore it is said that the Kingdom of God stands first in righteousnesse and then presently in peace and joy and the same Spirit that is given for a Sanctifier is also given for a Comforter and Paul saith Rom. 8. That to be spiritually minded is not only life but life and peace D For when a Believer findes in himself a new nature through a new birth and the Law of God within his heart and some strength to obey God and to do his will then he begins to finde also a sweet and heavenly peace within him and many times joy unspeakable and glorious And thus is a crucified Christians new life manifested both in holiness and also in Spiritual peace and joy And now to speak one word by way of Application let us each one seriously consider whether he do indeed partake of such a life as is risen to him out of death whether he finde that he hath parted with his own life and gotten another life then his own in his own soul and body and whether the life of the first Adam be crucified in him he live the life of the second Adam that is not a natural but a spiritual life not a humane but a divine life not an earthly but a heavenly life not a temporal but an eternal life for thus do all live that are truly crucified with Christ E And I desire we all would the rather minde this because if we part with this life ere we partake of that the second death which is everlasting death in sin and the wrath of God must needs swallow us up and because if we do not partake of Christs life here we can never live with him in his Kingdom and also because we can never have true and immediate communion with the Father but in the life of his Eternal Son Wherefore let all such whose hearts God hath
a believer by Christ and Christ himself dwelling in a believer by his spirit for I take it through the Spirit of Christ dwelling in a believer he is born again to a new habit of a spiritual life which is called the spirit born of the spirit John 3.6 I see no cause therefore why we may not think that Paul had a new habit of life created in him and yet that Christ lived in him by his spirit as the fountain of that life The Philosophie whereby Mr Dell illustrateth his divinity seems as strange to me as what he intendeth to explain by it for though the body hath no habit of life in it apart from the soul yet I think it hath a habit of life in it distinct from the soul even that habit of life which floweth from the soul even as the habit of spiritual life flows from Christ dwelling as the fountain of this life in his believing people by his spirit B I take it that in these words those things are made to clash which do sweetly accord sc Pauls living a natural and personal life in his own soul and body and Christs living in Paul by his spirit as the fountain and as I may say the soul of a spiritual life I conceive that this position hath no self contradiction in it Christ by his spirit lived in Paul whilest Paul lived in his own soul and body a natural and personal life For notwithstanding Mr Dels confidence I take it it will hold for truth that when Christ lived in Paul Paul then lived in his own soul and body that text assureth so much 2 Cor. 4.11 C These words of Mr Dell are very sound being not overstrained for questionlesse Christ himself by his spirit lives in a true believer and by reason of the spiritual and mystical union of a believer as a member to Christ as his head the Lord Christ is originally as to the being of the new creature and doth and suffers and overcomes all in him D Doth not Mr Dell in these words too much divide the Godhead from the manhood in our blessed Saviour whilst he maketh the eternal word and Son of God in opposition to his flesh that Christ which lived in Paul and liveth in believers Me thinks it is evident that the Apostle spake not of Christ under the notion of the eternal Word alone but as the word made flesh when he wrote that Christ lived in him and that he lived by the faith of the Son of God seeing he immediately added who loved me and gave himself for me for it is clear that it was Christs flesh which he gave for the life of the world John 6.57 And though the flesh or humane body of our Saviour in the Capernaits sence carnally partaken of could profit nothing John 6.63 yet our Lord Jesus as the word made flesh is the mediatour head and saviour of his people who dwelleth in them and acteth in them by his spirit as the fountain of their spiritual life And therefore our Saviours flesh is not to be put by in the matter of believers vivification through him as if it had no part or place in that work for the flesh or humane nature of our Saviour having an incomprehensible worth put upon it and power into it by his Godhead or divine nature united to it became in and through these sufferings which it sustain'd the effectual means of eternal life to all those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus as our Saviour himself hath fully testified saying The bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world John 6.51 And again Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud you have no life in you who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him vers 53 54 55 56. upon the last of which verses Calvin hath thus written Neque enim ad Christum Deum unquam perveniet qui Hominem negligit quare si tibi vis cum Christo aliquid esse commune cavendum inprimis nè carnem ejus fastidias He shall not come to Christ as God who neglecteth him as man wherefore if thou wouldst enjoy any communion with Christ thou must especially beware that thou despise not his flesh SECT XIV Vses NOw if we rightly understand this point we may learn from it many excellent things 4. A And first we may perceive the mistake of those who look for all the life of Christ in that humanity which was born of the Virgin whereas Christ truly lived in Paul and lives in all the faithful and his very life is to be seen in them as the life of the Soul is not confined to the Head but disperses it self through all the Members and is manifest in them in measure as in the head in fulnesse 5. B We may learn that Christ in a believer is to him instead of all credted habits of Grace Christ who is the true God is all in all in a Christian and so a Christian partakes of that righteousnesse which is Christ of that wisdom which is Christ of that power truth goodnesse c. which is Christ and Christ that dwels in believers is truly all Grace to them And herein they are like unto Christs humanity unto whom the fulnesse of the Godhead that dwelt in him was instead of all created Grace Wherefore let us know that the created habits of grace in a Christian which the Schoolmen have invented and taught and others have received from them are nothing but the Empty notions and Vain speculations of carnal and unbelieving hearts ignorant of the true mystery of the Gospel For Christ that lives in a believer is all Grace to him and thus the Apostle Paul expresly teacheth in 1 Cor. 1.30 where speaking of Christ he saith He is made unto us of God wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and so a Christian hath that Wisdom Righteousnesse c. which is Christ himself And this grace which is Christ himself is infinitely more high and holy then all created habits of Grace C and this is the only Grace that is acceptable to God and that makes us accepted in it self D and this is the only grace against which the Gates of hell cannot prevail and the only grace that can make us meet for the Fathers Kingdom And thus you see that Christ that lives in a believer is all grace in him and all-sufficient grace for him 3. E If Christ live in believers then certainly whatever evils and tribulations and persecutions are brought upon believers by the World and the false Church for the word of faith they are brought upon Christ himself and Christ himself is still persecuted in the flesh throughout all Ages and Generations
life of the soul in a man is not confined to the Head but disperseth it self to all the members and is truly manifest in them ANIMADVERSION 16. A SEeing there are such a sort of people as Mr Dell here describeth How careful should the servants of God be not to take away old and sure foundations and give them new grounds to build upon He should do well to consider how far he is from saying that believers live the life of Christ and that they live immediately in God who saith that Christ liveth in believers as in his own flesh and that the life of the Son of God was communicated to Christs flesh instead of his proper humane life and is likewise to be seen in all believers as the life of the soul in a man is not confined to the heart but disperseth it self to all the members and is truly manifest in them Is not the self same life of the soul in head and members doth not every member live immediately in the life of the soul If Mr Dell say that he disliketh not the profession of the men he pointeth at for affirming according to his own doctrine that they live the life of Christ and that they live immediately in God but only for some higher notions wherein they soar above the pitch of his discoveries and for walking unanswerably in regard of what they teach in common with himself then he should do well to lay this seriously to his heart whether it can possibly be said of any creature whatsoever in truth that it lives immediately in God It is true that every man even the worst of men do live and move and have their being in God Acts 17.28 in this regard that through the acting of Gods Almighty power in them and towards them they are acted unto life motion and being yet so that they live move and be not immediately in God but in those natural principles which God works and whereby he works in them to live and move and be And again it is true that the humanity of our Saviour through the grace of personal union was immediately joyned unto God yea so far into God that by communication of properties his humane bloud was the bloud of God Acts 20.28 and his humane life the life of God 1 John 3.16 yet had the humanity of our Saviour a proper life of its own distinct from the life of the Eternal Word which humane life he laid down for us our Saviour had not been in all things made like to us his brethren which is affirmed Heb. 2.17 if he had not in his humane nature lived an humane life immediately resulting from the union of his humane soul and body as all other children of men do If his humane nature had lived immediately in God and so necessarily the life of God it would have been not only as it was the nature of God but the divine nature which certainly it was not being both passible and mortal Now if it be not true of our blessed Saviours manhood or humane nature that it lived immediately in God how much lesse can this be truly affirmed of any other man or creature whatsoever And when men are so far besotted with ignorance and puffed up with spiritual pride as to vaunt that they live the life of Christ even the life of the eternal Word and Son of the living God and so live immediately in God the life of God it is no strange thing to me to see such lofty ones who if they be true to their most false principles must needs own themselves as divers of them have done to be God though they have been professors of the Gospel left by God in a way of righteous judgement under hellish dotage and delusion to live the life of sin and Satan in the flesh in all manner of filthinesse and uncleannesse and loosnesse and abominable profanenesse for the meek God will guide in judgement and the meek he will teach his way Psal 25.9 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off Psal 138.6 B Can Mr Dell make this to consist with his own words in the former part of this book sc Sin hath its ful power in our humane life And again when he saith that when we are made members of Christs body then life reigns in Christs flesh as death in ours If sin and death have full power and do reign in our own flesh how then as Mr Dell here affirms do we live Christs life in our own flesh Is it not true that it is impossible that Christ and sin should live together in strength in the same flesh that is elsewhere and I think very justly laid down by Mr Del for an unquestionable position C If the life of Christ be first communicated to the spirit of our mind as Mr Del here affirmeth and I believe then I conceive that it will necessarily follow that our reason judgement prudence c. is refined and spiritualized unto new life in which believers live unto God which he seems unwilling to have men think to be so in the former part of this Treatise Sect. 11. A For doth not the minde of man denote his reason and rational faculties which have not only an influential but regulative power also over the whole man And how can the life of Christ be communicated first to the reason and rational faculties but by purifying refining and spiritualizing of them that they may act under the spirit of Christ for the dispersing of holinesse through the whole man and so subjecting every inferiour faculty in man unto the holy will of God I like his doctrine in this place very well if he can make it consist with what he hath before affirmed I should be glad to see it effected in consistency with Scripture doctrine D As our present natural life by Mr Dels own confession doth not hinder but that we may live a spiritual and heavenly life or the very life of Christ in our flesh if we be true believers no more doth our natural personality which is founded in this our natural life hinder but that believers according to the Apostle may be quickned together with Christ and raised up together with him and seated in him in heavenly places There seems therefore no cause in relation to their union unto Christ to deny their personality as is done by Mr Del. Sect. 11. B C E This in a sound Scripture sence is no new or strange doctrine for it is certain that God hath given to his people eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.11,12 Believers have eternal life begun in them through Jesus Christ the Son of God in this life and shall receive the perfection of it for ever when Christ who is their life shall appear and they shall also appear with him in glory
Tongues People and Nations but some out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation which he hath loved and redeemed to God by his blood And now to make some Vse of both these Truths together Vse 1. And first The World as Christ terms Vnbelievers and Reprobates will certainly be grievously offended at this Doctrine when they shall hear that they have no part nor lot neither in the special Love nor in the special Redemption of Christ But this we cannot help nor be false witnesses of the minde of God which he hath so clearly revealed in his Word For they are not of God neither hath Christ loved or redeemed them neither do they much prize this Special Love and Redemption But the Sins they have they love them and live in them and do alwayes resist and oppose Christ and his Spirit and so as they are rejected of God so also they perish in their own sin and obstinacie Vse 2. 2. The faithful may learn hence that our Happinesse and Salvation in the first cause of it doth far surmount the utmost capacitie of the highest reason of all men and Angels seeing it is builded on no reason or ground of reason in any Creature but upon the meer will and good pleasure of the Creator which is not moved directed or ruled by any thing that is in the Creature but by it self alone and that freely fully and unchangably Which good pleasure of his as it is the Rule of all his works towards the Creature so this also is to be the Rule of all reason in the Creature and with this the Creature is to rest satisfied without farther questions and demands otherwise it blasphemes at the highest rate when it will needs be replying against God and not rest satisfied with his good pleasure Wherefore Christ himself speaking of this special Grace of God to the Elect gives him thanks for his good pleasure which was the first Fountain of all saying Matth. 11.25.26 I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding and hast opened them to babes Even so Father because thy good pleasure was such Which shews us that the good will of the Father is the Fountain and first Original of our Salvation unto which the will and pleasure of the Son is fully conformed and the Reason and Prudence and Knowledge and Understanding of man have no Place nor Vse here Vse 3. 3. The free and special Love and Redemption of Christ apprehended and felt by Faith tends to the great Refreshing and Comfort of the Faithful and that in the midst of the greatest sense of sin and wrath That the Lord even the Father and Son should by the Spirit thus single them out of all mankind and that the Father should freely set his love on them and give them Christ to give himself for them and should manifest the truth and certainty of all this to them by the Spirit which only is the Faithful witness of the mind and counsel of God to all his people I say the true and Spiritual sense of this Special Love and Redemption of God and Christ to them cannot chuse but fill their hearts with joy unspeakable and glorious So that the Soul cannot chuse but say Lord what is thy poor servant that thou shouldest deal thus with me That thou shouldst in thy deep and unsearchable counsel and in thy most hidden but most righteous Judgements passe by so many thousands and millions of people in every age and generation and should set thy love on me together with Christ and all his Saints being in my self so wretched and unworthy a Creature And this choiceness and speciality of thy love the more endears it to me and hath ravished and overcome my heart After this manner yea and beyond all expression must the Soul needs be affected that is truly sensible of the Special love and redemption of Christ ANIMADVERSION 19. A THese words speak of Faith as an act of Believers towards Christ regarding and apprehending in him his infinite love and the incomparable fruit of it according to the old Protestant doctrine agreeing with the Scriptures which I think cannot be brought into any good accord with the description of the nature of Faith set down by Mr Dell Sect. 17. A B This is old good and acknowledged doctrine firmly believed by those who are wholly unsatisfied in much of Mr Dels former doctrine as having no affinity with what is here delivered SECT XX. ANd this for Vse Object Now if any say If Christs Love and Redemption belong but to a few why is the Gospel commanded to be preached to all Nations in the World Answ I answer That in all the world among all Nations it may find out the Elect of God and bring them to the true knowledge and enjoyment of what God of his free grace hath done for them in Jesus Christ and when that word cometh they hear the Joyful Sound and believe and according to their Faith so is it to them And so I proceed to the third point which is Faith 's particular application of this special love and redemption of Christ to believers who loved me and gave himself for me A It is the nature of true Faith to apply Christ and all his Works to the believer and to make them his own for faith puts on Christ and cloaths us with Christ yea it eats and drinks him who is the Son of the living God and so makes Christ its own indeed Through faith Christ is formed in us and we again are formed in him and Christ and we are so made one another through faith that Christ Appropriates us to himself and we again appropriate Christ to us Other men content themselves with a General conceit that Christ loved them but a Christian hath a Particular faith Other men believe that he loved Paul and Peter and John such eminent Saints but true faith saith in our hearts he loved Me even Me together with them and that with the self same love and gave himself for Me as he did for them Quest But some will say Had not Paul a special Revelation of this love of Christ besides faith Answ I Answer Paul had a special Revelation of this love but yet no other then all believers have who have received the Spirit as the same Apostle shews 1 Cor. 2.12 where he saith We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God So that the Spirit of God within us shews us the things that God hath freely given us among which Christs Love and Redemption are the chief And the same Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and Revelation to know Christ. Now this spirit of Revelation doth not only shew us that there is a Christ and what he is but also that