Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 6
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 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 Ʋſe of this point.
Ʋſe 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 th…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) 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.