Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 16
SECT. XVI. And the life I live (foreign) 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.
Ʋſe 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.
Ʋſe 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 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, and in all fulneſſe go into life eternal, Mat. 25.46.
(F) That the life of the Son of God is not confined to our Saviours humanity, but hath an influence into all believers, for the quickning of them vntounto God, is an acknowledged truth: But that the life of the Son of God is communicated to, and to be ſeen in the fleſh of believers, as in the fleſh of Chriſt, with a difference of meaſure only allowed between Chriſt and believers, is (as I take it) to aſcribe Godhead to believers in meaſure as to the Lord Chriſt in fulneſs, which is new and ſtrange doctrine indeed: I ſhould be glad to ſee how Mr Del can avoid the inference; for I hope he will not hold to the concluſion. Was not the life of the Son of God ſo communicated to, and ſeen in our Saviours fleſh by reaſon of the union of his natures, as that he was God manifeſted in the fleſh? Is this to be affirmed of any other? I am very loath to conceive that he thinks ſo, though his words ſeem to ſpeak ſo much.