A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 2 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
A Compariſon and Oppoſition between the firſt and ſecond Adam, as introductory to this Queſtion, How this Corruption is propagated?
SECT. I.
1 COR. 15. 49.
And as we have born the Image of the earthy, we ſhall alſo bear the Image of the heavenly.
THe Apoſtles chief ſcope in this Chapter, is to corroborate and eſtabliſh one main Fundamental Article and Principle in Religion, which is the Reſurrection of the dead. This Truth, as it is Fiducia Chriſtianorum, the very confidence and life of believers, ſo it hath been oppoſed and denied by many, as moſt abſurd and fabulous: Inſomuch that what Tertullian ſaid concerning Chriſt, who is God, becoming man, and crucified for us, Prorſus credibile, quia impoſſibile, the ſame may be applied to this Truth: Therefore it is the Object of Faith, becauſe reaſon cannot comprehend it. Now among many other Arguments by which the Apoſtle ſtatuminateth this Doctrine, Chriſt's Reſurrection is moſt palmarious: For although to Heathens this Argument would not be valid, yet to the Corinthians, who either doubted of, or denied the Reſurrection, but did not wholly abandon the Chriſtian Faith, this reaſon would be very cogent: So that the Corinthians either doubt or infidelity in this Point, hath made this Doctrine the more unqueſtionably true, ſo that doubts and hereſies have been over-ruled by God, to make Truth more orient, like the file to ruſty iron, and like the ſhaking of the Tree, which maketh the root faſter and deeper.
But whereas the Doubt may be, Wherein lieth the ſtrength of this Argument? Chriſt is riſen, therefore his members, or all that are his ſhall riſe (For you muſt know the Apoſtle's Arguments doe principally prove the bleſſed and happy Reſurrection of the Juſt, the Wicked they ſhall riſe, but by the power of Chriſt, as a Judge, not as members united to him their Head.) At the twentieth verſe he giveth us a two-fold reaſon of that connexion:
Firſt, Chriſt is the firſt-fruits; now the firſt fruits ſanctified the whole crop of Corn, and although they were taken before the reſt, yet this did aſſure, that all would be taken in its time: Thus Chriſt being the firſt fruits did ſanctifie all his people, and his Reſurrection was an aſſured pledge of theirs.
The ſecond Reaſon (which is pertinent to my matter in hand) is from the Collation between Adam and Chriſt; As Adam was the common root and principle of death to all that come from him, ſo is Chriſt the common Head of Salvation and Life to all who are of him. The Apoſtle, Rom. 5. maketh ſuch a Compariſon between Adam and Chriſt, as two common Principles and Heads, but to another purpoſe, there it is in reſpect of ſpiritual death, (viz.) Sinne by one, and Righteouſneſſe by the other; but here it is principally in reſpect of temporal Death, and Reſurrection by Chriſt.
The Apoſtle having thus cleared this Truth, he then enters into a ſecond Debate, (viz.) In what bodies we ſhall riſe? and determining, That it … eth a corruptible body, but it ſhall be raiſed an incorruptible one; It dieth a natural body, but it ſhall be raiſed a ſpiritual.
Laſt this Diſtinction of a natural and ſpiritual body ſhould ſeem uncouth, and very abſurd, he aſſerteth and confirmeth it by Scripture; And here again in the ſecond place, he taketh up a Collation between the firſt Adam and the ſecond; and therein we have them compared,
1. In regard of their Condition and State.
2. In reſpect of their Originals. And
3. In reſpect of their Qualities and Properties.
This illuſtration the Apoſtle is large in, becauſe the ſtrength of his Argument lieth in this, Such as the Principles are, ſuch are the Effects; Such as the Root is, ſuch are the Branches: Now all men have from Adam earthly mortal bodies which will die: Therefore all that are Chriſts ſhall have from him heavenly and ſpiritual bodies.
Let us diligently open the particulars, wherein we have this Collation between Adam and Chriſt made, for from hence we ſhall have a fair occaſion to examine, How from Adam we come thus to have his Image upon us? which is the great difficulty in the Doctrine of original ſinne.
SECT. II.
THe firſt particular therefore wherein they are compared, is, The ſtate and condition Adam and Chriſt was made in; Adam's eſtate is proved from Scripture, ver. 5. As it is written, The firſt man Adam was made a living ſoul; we have this related, Gen. 2. 7. where God is ſaid, To breath into mans noſtrils the breath of life, and man became a living ſoul. Adam's body being made out of the duſt, and formed thencefrom, was yet without life and motion, therefore God did with him farre otherwiſe than with bruit beaſts, for He breathed into him the breath of life. This is ſpoken after the manner of men in a figurative way, we are not to think God took on him the form of a man, and ſo breathed life into Adam; Neither may we ſay, This was a particle, or part of the divine Eſſence, which God communicated to man; But the meaning is, God inſpired into him his ſoul, which gave life, and ſenſe, and motion to the body, by which he becoming a living ſoul, that is, a living creature; This is Adam's condition. But as for Chriſt, who is here called the laſt Adam, Adam becauſe a common Perſon, and laſt, becauſe there is no more to ſucceed him; This laſt Adam is ſaid, To be made a quickening Spirit, not but that Chriſt was man, yea and had ſuch an humane Nature, as Adam had like to him in all things, [Sinne onelyonly excepted] But this is ſpoken of Chriſt principally after his Reſurrection; For Chriſt while he lived on earth had an animal body, he needed food and reſt, but after his Reſurrection, then he had a ſpiritual body; ſo that it is in reference to this, that Chriſt is called a Spirit, but with this Epithete, A quickning Spirit, that is, which giveth life to others; He hath not only life in himſelf, but he giveth it alſo to others, and therefore no wonder if he raiſe thoſe that belong to him.
But ſeeing Chriſt is thus a quickening Spirit, it may be ſaid, Why then have the people of God their natural bodies ſtill? If they be in the ſecond Adam, Why are they not as he is?
To this the Apoſtle anſwereth, verſe 46. That which is natural is firſt, and afterwards that which is ſpiritual. It is the will and appointment of God, that the imperfect things ſhould be firſt, and afterwards that which is more perfect.
In the next place, The Compariſon is made between the two Adams in reſpect of their Originals, The firſt was of the earth, earthly, his body was made of the duſt of the earth: (The Aegyptians had ſome confuſed knowledge of this, and therefore defined man to be, Animal terrenum è limo natum; Hence in their Feaſts, they offered unto their gods an herb that grew in their lakes, to ſignifie what man was.)
But the ſecond man is the Lord from Heaven. This place hath an appearance of ſome difficulty, for from this Text did ſome Anabaptiſts (who revived an old Hereſie, (viz.) That Chriſt had not his body of the Virgin Mary) indeavour to prove, That Chriſt had his body from Heaven, elſe (ſay they) what oppoſition could there be made to Adam's body? Chriſts body was in the Virgin Mary, but not of her, as they affirm, But this is groſly to miſtake; For the Apoſtle doth not intend to make a compariſon in the Materials, of which both bodies were compounded, but the Originals from whence they are; The one is from Earth, the other from Heaven, being the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Some indeed have ſaid, That Chriſt is therefore ſaid to be from Heaven, becauſe though it was materially of the Virgin Mary, yet becauſe the Conception was in an extraordinary manner by the holy Ghoſt, therefore it might be ſaid to be from Heaven. This may have ſome truth, yet Adam was in an extraordinary manner, and that in reſpect of his body formed by God, called therefore the Sonne of God, yet he cannot be ſaid to be from Heaven, So that the moſt ſolid Interpretation is to underſtand it of the Perſon of Chriſt, and ſo he is wholly of Heaven, being the true and eternal God; in which reſpect, John 3. 13. he is ſaid to be The Sonne of man, which is in Heaven. John 6 38, 41. he is ſaid, To come from Heaven; So that although his body was of the Virgin Mary, yet as God, in which reſpect he hath his perſonality, ſo he is from Heaven
The third and laſt Collation is in reſpect of their qualities and properties. The firſt man is of the earth earthy, in a three fold reſpect:
1. Becauſe his affections are only to earthly things.
2. Becauſe the place where he is to be is the earth.
3. Becauſe of his mortality, he is to return to duſt again.
But the 'ſecond Adam is heavenly in a three-fold contrary reſpect:
1. He is heavenly in regard of his life and converſation.
2. In regard of the place where now he is ſitting in Heaven at the right hand of God, and thus all Chriſts members ſhall be heavenly, for they likewiſe ſhall be in Heaven for ever with the Lord.
3. Heavenly, Becauſe of his immortality, for he ſhall never die more.
SECT. III.
THus we have the Apoſtles elegant oppoſition between the firſt and ſecond Adam, and my Text is a Concluſion from the former Diſcourſe. Some have read the words preceptively, as if the ſenſe were, As we have born the Image of the firſt Adam, ſo let us bear the Image of the heavenly; But the moſt ſolid Interpreters read it affirmatively, as in the Text we render it; and this ſeemeth to be more conſonant, becauſe the Apoſtle is ſtill in the Didactical and Doctrinal point about our Reſurrection; The particle foreign is for the, and ſo, better tranſlated illatively, Therefore.
The Text then affirmeth two things:
1. That all bear the Image of Adam who came from him.
2. Thoſe who are of Chriſt ſhall bear his Image.
Having therefore treated of original ſin, the Quod ſit and the Quid ſit, we come to that which is deſervedly thought the moſt difficult and hard to conceive and explain in this point, Which is the manner of propagating it, and this ſhal be ſoberly and modeſtly diſcuſſed out of theſe words. For from the 45th verſe, Auſtin takes an occaſion to diſpute (as Paraeus relateth) about the ſouls traduction from Adam, as well as the body. Although to ſpeak the truth, that which is principally and apparently affirmed by the Apoſtle here, is, That we have mortal bodies propagated to us from Adam, which is eaſier to conceive of, then to have alſo ſinfull ſouls from him, yet becauſe the Text ſpeaketh of Adam's Image in us, and that doth neceſſarilly ſuppoſe a ſinfull ſoul, as well as a mortal body. We ſhall therefore declare the truth as of them conjoyned together. Obſerve
That all who come of Adam do thereby bear his Image: Our natural deſcenſion from him, maketh us to be wholly like him; when he was corrupted. That as thoſe who are of Chriſt are renewed after his Image in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, ſo all of Adam are corrupted in ſin and ungodlineſs.
SECT. IV.
WHat this Image is, you have heard already at large, our main work is to examine, How we come to be made partakers of it? Yet it is good ſummarily to ſay ſomething of this Image of Adams we all bear about with us. And
Firſt, Man who was not only made after the Image of God, Gen. 1. 26. but is ſaid abſolutely to be the Image of God, 1. Cor. 11. 7. by his apoſtaſie became not only like the beaſts that periſh, but alſo like the Devils that are damned. Inſomuch that now this glorious Image of God being defaced: If you ask, Whoſe Image and Superſcription he beareth? We anſwer of corrupted ſinfull and mortal Adam, an Image we are to be aſhamed of, and to mourn under all the dayes of our life; Who can look upon man, but may behold ſinne and miſery, folly and mortality? Now this Image of the firſt Adam comprehended the things of the ſoul and the body. In the body we have pains, diſeaſes, and a neceſſity, of death at laſt; In the ſoul there is horrible blackneſs and confuſion upon it, that as devils are repreſented in the moſt horrid and black manner that can be, ſuch things are our ſouls now become. Although therefore the Text ſpeaketh of Adam's Image in the bodily part, that we are thereby corruptible and mortal, and ſo need a Reſurrection to make us happy, yet I ſhall chiefly ſpeak of this Image in the ſoul, as it is infected and polluted with ſinne from him. This is the Image we bear, but there is exceeding great comfort to the godly, that they being in Chriſt the ſecond Adam, they ſhall be made perfectly conformable to him, they ſhall bear that heavenly Image, and at laſt ſhall have no cauſe to complain, that their ſouls are bowed down with ſinfull, earthly and heavy affections, weighing us down to the ground; were it not for hope of this at our Reſurrection, the Doctrine about Adam's fall, and our hurt thereby would utterly diſcourage us; but there is a ſecond Adam as well as a firſt, if he had been the firſt and laſt too, that no Adam would have anſwered him in the way of righteouſneſs and life, as he was in the way of ſinne and death; nothing but horrour and damnation could have taken hold of us; Let us be more deeply affected with the firſt Adam, and ſo ſhall we come more highly to prize and eſteem the ſecond Adam.
Secondly, Adam's Image as it is ſinfull in the general, is not only born by us, but there ſeemeth to be a ſtamp and impreſſion upon us of thoſe very ſins he committed. As thoſe women who have inordinate deſire after ſome things, do ſometimes leave marks and impreſſions thereof upon the body: Thus it is ſpiritually. Thoſe very ſins which Adam particularly committed in eating the forbidden fruit, all men ſeem moſt univerſally to incline unto. As
1. A curioſity and affectation of knowing that which is not to be known. An inordinate deſire was in Eve to eat of the Tree of knowledge, becauſe the Devil told her, It would make her wiſe, therefore ſhe muſt eat of it; And is not this a very natural ſinne in all, a curioſity in knowledge? Do not all deſire to eat of the Tree of knowledge, but few of the Tree of life, eſpecially Scholars, and ſuch who are buſied in learning? What an incurable itch is there to be wiſe above Scripture, and to know ſuch things God hath hidden? And this is a good Item to us to content our ſelves with ſobriety, in queſtioning, How Adam's ſinne can be ours? How the ſoul can come to be polluted? To deſire to know this, is like the eating of the forbidden fruit: While thou art thus curious, remember Adam's ſinne, that thou art acting it, while thou enquireſt, how we are guilty of it?
A ſecond thing remarkable in the firſt ſinne was Their mincing about the word of God, yea plainly lying, that God had ſaid, they ſhould not touch it, which, though ſome ſay, is put for eating; Others, that Eve did ſay ſo for caution ſake; Whence Ambroſe hath a good ſaying, Nihil quod bonum videtur, &c. we muſt adde nothing to Gods precept, though it ſeem very good, and make much for godlineſs; yet others make Eve plainly to lie, and ſo to accuſe God, as if he envied them further knowledge; Now this ſinne of lying, how natural is it? We ſee it in children, before they can move their feet to go, their tongues can ſtir to lie, as if they had been taught, they are ſo ſubtil in it.
3. Adam did excuſe and cover his ſinne as much as may be, putting it off from himſelf to others, and herein alſo we have a natural reſemblance of him, for how prone are we to clear our ſelves, to lay the fault any where, rather than on our ſelves? Thus we bear Adam's Image.