Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 15
SECT. XV. And the life I live in the fleſh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
(A) ANd here note in the firſt place, That Paul ſometimes ſaith, Chriſt lives in him, and ſometimes that He lives; I live, ſaith he; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and again, The life I live. The life I live (ſaith he) of that very life which Chriſt lived in him. All which ſhows the near Ʋnion and Communion betwixt Christ and a believer; Christ and a true Chriſtian being ſo much one, that what the one doth, the other may be truly ſaid to do.
(B) So that as God and Chriſt were ſo united, that the very works of God in Christ ſometimes were attributed to God, and ſometimes to Christ, (as is manifeſt in divers places in the Goſpel) and it made no difference whether they were attributed to God in Chriſt, or to Chriſt in God. Juſt ſo it is betwixt Christ and believers, who are as nearly united as God and Chriſt, as Chriſt himſelf (whom we may ſafely believe) affirms in Joh. 14.20. ſaying, In that day ye ſhall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
(C) In that day, that is, when the Spirit is given, and comes into the heart, which makes the true Lords-day in a believer; in that day when the Spirit is the light whereby we ſee and know aright all the things of God; in that Day, Ye ſhall know this great myſtery, which the World and the Worldly Church cannot know, but will be greatly offended at it, when they hear it; to wit, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (D) And in John 17.21. Chriſt who was heard in all things, in his laſt ſolemn prayer for his elect Church, in the dayes of his fleſh intreats his Father, that this may be accompliſhed in all the Believers; praying, that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they alſo may be one in us. From which Scriptures we may ſee and perceive, that as Chriſt is in the Father, and the Father in Him, ſo Believers are in Chriſt, and Christ in Them; And hereupon, the works of Believers are ſometimes attributed to Chriſt, and ſometimes to Them; And it is no matter, whether they be attributed to Chriſt in them, or to Them in Chriſt; ſeeing it is Christ in believers that is all, and doth all, and hath the Glory of all.
(E) Now this Ʋſe, we who are believers may make of this; to wit, that it is our Dutie ſo to live in Chriſt, that every part of our life may be attributed to Him, and may be ſuch that Chriſt may not be aſhamed to own it, but that it may be a praiſe to Chriſt, He doing all in us, and we doing nothing but in him, and of him, and for him.
ANIMADVERSION 15.
(A) THe former part of this paragraph, in a ſound ſence is true; but that Chriſt and a Chriſtian are made ſo much one, that what the one doth the other may be ſaid to do, being laid down by Mr Dell as univerſally and without all limitation true, is an 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).