Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 8
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. foreign, 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 old Proteſtant doctrine of mortification, teacheth men freely to ſay Amen to this prayer.