Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
1. Adam a type of Christ.
THe first of them is the first Adam, who was so lively a representation of Christ, as that Christ is often called the second Adam, Rom. 5. 14. Adam was a figure of him that Adam a type of Christ, in four things. 1.was to come. We will gather the resemblances between them into four generall heads.
I. In respect of Creation. 1. Both of them were Sons of God, the one by eternall generation, the other by grace of creation. 2. Both were men, Adams red earth; the first in his matter, the second not in his matter onelyonly, but also in his bloudy passion. 3. Both were Sons of one Father, and both men but of no man their father, neither of Uterque ad imaginem Dei conditus, uterque Deo charissimus.them having any other father but God. 4. Both created in the Image of God; the former, Gen. 1. 27. the latter the ingraven forme of his Fathers person. Heb. 1. 3. 5. Both endowed with perfect wisedome and knowledge; the first Adam so wise as that he gave fit names to all Creatures according to their natures: in the second Adam dwelt treasures of wisdome and knowledge. Col. 2. 3. 6. Both possessed of a most happy and innocent estate; in which the one had power to persever, but not will: the other had both power and will. 7. The first Adam was made in the sixth day of the week to the Image of God: the second Adam towards the sixth age of the world, appearing to restore that Image which the first Adam quickly lost.
II. In respect of office and soveraignty. 1. The first 2Adam was owner of Paradise, the heir of the world; soveraigne Lord of all Creatures, to whom they came for their names; the second Adam is Lord of heaven as well as earth, heir of the outmost bounds of the earth. Psal. 2. 8. Commander of all Creatures; whom the winds and sea obey; whose word the divels tremble at; and he keeps his soveraignty which the first Adam lost. 2. Adam was appointed to keep the Garden and dresse it, Gen. 2. 15. Christ the second Adam was set apart to sanctifie and save his Church, the Garden and Paradise of God, Ephes. 5. 26. 3. Adam was King, Priest and Prophet in his family: so is Christ in the Church, the family and houshold of faith, Rev. 1. 5. As Primus ecclesiae doctor audiens immediate a Deo quae ecclesiae erant proponenda, ita et Christus.Adam was the first Minister of the word in the Church, delivering the promise of the blessed seed with certaine rites and Ceremonies to his Children, and they to their posterity: So the second Adam is the chief Prophet and Doctor of his Church, who alwaies prescribed the pure worship of God for matter and manner in the Churches of all ages.
III. In respect of Conjugation. 1. Adam sleeping Eve 3.is formed: Christ dying the Church is framed. Eve is taken out of Adams side, while he sleeps: out of the second Adams side, while he was in the sleepe of death, issueth the Church. 2. Eve was no sooner framed, but as a pure and innocent spouse she was delivered by God to Adam, yet in innocency: so God the Father delivered the Church as a chaste and innocent spouse to be married to the second Adam for ever, to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. 3. Of Eve marryed to Adam he receives both a Cain and an Abel into his house: so the second Adam had in his visible Church both elect and reprobates, sound and hypocrits, as by many parables is signified; as of the field; the net, &c.
IIII. In respect of propagation. 1. Both of them are 4.rootes, both have a posterity and seed, Isai. 53. 10. 2. Both of them convey that they have unto their posterity, Rom. 5. 12, 14. As by the first Adam sinne, and by sinne death came over all men: so by the second Adam came righteousnesse, and by righteousnesse life on all beleevers; and herein especially was the first Adam a figure of him that was to come. 3. As the first Adam merited death for his posterity: so the second Adam life for all his.
Application followes.Use 1. The Ministery reverend for antiquity.
I. To note the honour and antiquity of the Ministery, which not the first Adam onelyonly, but the second also exercised. Despise at thy perill what they so honoured; think it too base for thy self to attend, for thy sonnes to intend: Neither the first Adam Lord of the earth, nor the second Adam Lord of Heaven and earth did so.
II. To note the antiquity and authority of the doctrine 2. Antiquity of the doctrine offres grace.of free grace by the merit of the Messiah, which both the first and second Adam taught: neither of them ever dreamed of the doctrine of workes and humane merits. What Adam learned of God in Paradise, he taught to his posterity; what his posterity heard of him, the same they delivered and left to their children; but they never heard nor taught any other way to salvation, but by the promised seed: so also what the Disciples heard of the second Adam, that they taught to the Churches; but they heard the same of him. Act. 4. 12. And our doctrine being the same with theirs, is not new, but more ancient then any other. For as this is the honour of all truth, to be before error and falshood: Quod antiquissimum, verissimū. Tertul.so of this truth, to have precedency of all truthes; It truely pleadeth antiquity, therefore verity.
III. In that the Church comes out of Christs side, being 3.in the sleep of death, as Eve out of Adams he sleeping, we Seek life by Christs death.learn to seek our life in Christs death. That death should be propagated by the sinne of the first Adam, was no marvell: but that life by the death of the second, is an admired mystery. Here is the greatest work of Gods power fetched out of his contrary; of ranke poyson a soveraigne remedy by the most skilfull Physitian of hearts. Let the Jewes scorn a crucified God, and refuse the life offered by a dead man; they know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God; who can and doth command light out of darknesse, life out of death, 2 Cor. 4. 6.all things out of nothing. How easily can he repaire all things out of any thing, who can fetch and frame all things out of nothing? He is of power to make of clay and spittle (fit to put out the sight) a remedy to restore sight. He can as easily save a world by the death of his Sonne, as multiply a world by the sleep of Adam.
IV. Labour to be ingrafted into the second Adam, that 4. Get into Christ the second Adam, as thou art sure of the first. Motives.as thou hast born the image of the earthly, so thou maist bear the image of the heavenly, 1 Cor. 15. 49. 1. Because the second Adam repaires whatsoever we lost in the first. By the first we are enemies to God, by the second we are reconciled to him. By the first we all dye, by the second we are all made alive. 1 Cor. 15. 22. By the first we are left to Sathans power, by the second we are guided by the spirit of God. By the first we lost all the Creatures, by the second we are restored to the holy use of all. By the first a necessity of death is brought in, Heb. 9. 27. it is appointed for all men once to dye, and then commeth judgement; but by the second we have a recovery of the blessing of immortality and life. Whatsoever the first Adam brings into the world by sinne, the second carries out by his righteousnesse. 2. Because by Christ the truth we recover more than we lost, or ever should have by the Type. For so the Apostle, Rom. 5. 16. the gift by the second Adam hath exceeded the offence of the first. That as the first Adam by eating the forbidden fruit hath powred all evill into the souls and bodies of all men, though they eat not of the forbidden tree: So the second Adam by regeneration is made righteousnesse to those who had wrought no righteousnesse, 1 Cor. 1. 30.and powred all good things into the souls and bodies of his members. The first Adam by sinne helps us into misery: but the second Adam not onelyonly helps us out of misery, but advanceth us to the highest dignity; to be, of sons of wrath, sons of God; brethren of Christ; members of his body; heires of the kingdome of heaven. By Adams sinne we are all driven out of Paradise, and earthly pleasure, in which we should have enjoyed an inconstant happinesse: but by Christ we are brought into the heavenly Paradise, our Fathers house. By Adams sinne we became unjust: but by Christs holinesse we are not just onelyonly, but sanctified, graced, confirmed, glorified, into whom by faith we come to be ingrafted.