Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 19
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 onelyonly 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 as large as the Fathers, but no larger, ſeeing both love with the ſame Spirit. For if the Father ſhould love ſuch onelyonly, and the Son love others over and above; or if the Father ſhould love more then the Son, or the Son love more then the Father, this would breed a difference in God, which cannot be imagined without higheſt blaſphemy. And therefore thoſe whom the Father loves with this ſpecial love, the Son loves likewiſe, and none but theſe.
2. As the Son loves thoſe only whom the Father loves, ſo he loves them only upon this account becauſe they are the Fathers: as Chriſt himſelf ſaith, John 17. Thine they were, and thou gaveſt them me; and all that are mine are thine, and all that are thine are mine; and ſo Chriſt owns no more then are the Fathers, and thoſe which are the Fathers he takes them as his own, and loves them as the Father loves them.
3. As Chriſt loves them only with this ſpecial love, whom the Father loves, and loves them becauſe they are the Fathers, ſo he loves them as dearly as the Father loves him: Now Chriſt ſaith of theſe to his Father, Thou haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me: Again he ſaith, That the love wherewith thou haſt loved me may be in them, and I in them. And ſo, as God loves theſe as he loved Christ (and he doth not love all Mankinde ſo) ſo Chriſt loves them as he loves himſelf; yea, he ſeems to love them more then himſelf; for he loves them, and gives himſelf for them.
And ſo having ſpoken of Chriſts ſpecial love, I proceed in the next place, to ſpeak of the wonderful fruit of it, which is, his ſpecial Redemption: And gave himſelf for me.
(B) Christ could not love his as his Father loved him, even with the Infinite and moſt tender love of God, and ſtill ſuffer them to remain under the Law, and Sin, and Death, and the power of the Devil: but he being the Son of God, and ſo able, the love of God within him made him willing, yea, even conſtrained him to redeem them. And this Redemption he could no otherwiſe bring about, then by giving himſelf for them: And ſo he gave himſelf for them indeed, even to be made Sin for them, and a Curſe for them; yea, he gave himſelf up to all the ſorrows of Death, and pains of Hell for them, and to endure to the very utmoſt, the whole wrath of his Father for them.
And this was the greateſt manifeſtation of the ſpecial love of Chriſt that could be: as John ſaith, Herein was love, not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and laid down his life for us.
Now further, we muſt know that as there is a general love, that Chriſt bears to all Mankinde: So alſo there is a general Redemption proportionable to that general Love; which is nothing elſe but this, the ſaving or reſcuing of the fallen and loſt world for a time, from the execution of that death and damnation into which it had inwrapped it ſelf through Sin. but this is rather a Reprieve then a Redemption; and if it be called a Redemption, it is but the common and temporary Redemption of the World, during the patience and long ſuffering of God towards the Veſſels of Wrath, prepared for deſtruction.
But after the determined time of Gods Patience is expired, the wrath of God breaks forth upon them, and death and hell ſwalloweth them up.
But the ſpecial Redemption of the Church, is a full, perfect, and eternal Redemption of all the Elect of God from ſin, and death, and hell, by the Righteouſneſſe, life, and Salvation of the Son of the living God communicated unto them: And this Special Redemption begins here in this life, as ſoon as ever Chriſt dwells in our hearts by faith; and it is perfected at the day of the Revelation of the Sons of God.
Now this Special Redemption extends it ſelf no further then the Special Love of the Son, and of the Father, as may appear thus.
Becauſe the Special Redemption of Chriſt extends it ſelf no further then the Fathers Election, as the Fathers Election extends it ſelf no farther then his Good pleaſure, or the Counſel of his Will which doth limit the Infiniteneſſe both of his Goodneſſe, Mercy, Wiſdom, and Power in all his outward Actions towards the Creatures, both in their Creation and Government, as alſo in the Diſpenſations of all bleſſings towards them both bodily and ſpiritual.
So then as the Fathers Election is limited by his Love and good pleaſure, ſo the Sons Redemption is limited by the Fathers Election, and ſo the Sons redemption is full as large as the Fathers election, but no larger: for Chriſt himſelf ſaith, That he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that ſent him: Now the Fathers will was that Chriſt ſhould redeem all that he had Loved, and Elected, and Given to him, but no more: And ſo we muſt neceſſarily know the latitude and extent of Chriſts Redemption; by knowing the Fathers love & will in his election.
And ſo Christ Redeems no more with his Special Redemption, then thoſe he loves with this Special Love: and thus he loves no more then the Father loves.
2. Chriſts Special Redemption of thoſe whom he loves with this Special love may be farther evidenced out of John 17. where Chriſt diſtinguiſheth all Mankinde into theſe two ſorts. viz. The World, and they that were given him out of the World; and tels us that his interceſſion was not for the former, but onelyonly for theſe latter; ſaying, verſ. 19. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for thoſe that thou haſt given me out of the world.
Now we muſt know that the Prieſtly office of Chriſt, conſiſteth of two parts; His Oblation, and Interceſſion. For firſt he Offers himſelf a Sacrifice for his people, and then after that he prayes for them whom he had Redeemed by his blood. And his Interceſſion is founded on his Oblation; and he never prayes for any but for thoſe whom he hath firſt Redeemed; and whom he hath not Redeemed, he prayes not for; and whom he prayes not for, he Redeemed not. And ſo Chriſt not praying for the world, it is evident he never died for the world: for he of courſe and neceſſity performs the ſecond part of his Prieſtly office, his Interceſſion for all thoſe for whom he hath performed the first part of his Priestly Office, his Oblation or Sacrifice: And for whom he doth not perform his Interceſſion, it is moſt certain that he never performed his Redemption for them: and this is ſo ſure and certain a Truth, that the fooliſh and vain Reaſonings and Diſcourſes of men ſhall never be able to prevail againſt it, nor yet the very Gates of Hell.
And thus you have ſeen manifeſted to you, the Special Redemption of Chriſt, as well as his Special love, both which he extends not alike to all Man-kinde (as the Hereticks ſay) but only to thoſe whom his Father hath given him, which are not all Kindreds, 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 Ʋſe of both theſe Truths together.
Ʋſe 1. And firſt, The World (as Chriſt terms Ʋnbelievers 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.
Ʋſe 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 Ʋſe here▪
Ʋſe 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,