CHAP. VII. 31. Therefore, as there was a natural Adam and Eve, who were the first foundation pillars of the world, and the first joint parentage of the human race; so there is also a spiritual Adam and Eve, who are the first foundation pillars of the Church, and the first joint parentage of all the children of redemption. And as the world, truly and properly, proceeds from Father and Mother, in the line of generation so the Church, truly and properly, proceeds from Father and Mother in the line of regeneration. CHAPTER VII. Types and Prophecies fulfilled in the Two Foundation HE work of Redemption, being spiritual, could the natural man, as accompanies the changes in the things of nature; neither was man formed to be influenced solely by such kind of evidence. 2. But as man is a natural creature, endowed with a spirit and rational faculties, therefore the spiritual work of God must be exhibited in a spiritual light; and although the natural eyes may often be the medium through which the truth of natural things is conveyed to the mind, yet it must be the mind, and not the natural eyes, that receives the conviction of its truth and reality. 3. And as the new creation was to have respect to the soul or spirit of man, it is only by the spirit that the work itself can be discovered in its true nature; and therefore the evidence by which it is discovered, is addressed to the mind, and not to the bodily senses, 4. A Saviour was born for souls that were lost in their sins, and only such as were absolutely saved, could know or rightly name him and unto such as were waiting for redemption in the latter day, Christ was to appear the second time without sin, and none VII. but such could possibly know him, or give him his CHAP. true and just titles. 5. And nothing could possibly recommend him to the mind of man, with greater evidence, than his first giving them types, figures, prophecies, and visions, of his future appearance, and then coming in such a manner as expressly to fulfil them, and to render any other fulfilment of them absolutely impossible this we certify has been the case. : 6. And when those types and prophecies are stated, with their true accomplishment, the matter may be at once decided, that such as do not acknowledge Christ in his second appearing, must either deny the truth of the scriptures, or they are not looking for redemption, but are in pursuit of some other object that has blinded their understanding. 7. We have already shown the similitude between the first and second Adam, in a number of particulars, which prove that the second Adam could not be the antitype of the first, short of being both male and female in a spiritual sense. 8. And as the apostle expressly affirms that the first Adam is the figure of him who was to come, it Rom. v. cannot be denied, that he who was to come, should be 14. male and female, unless it be denied that he who was the figure, was male and female in the day that he was created. 9. The same remark will apply to every other person, who was chosen as a type of Christ. So that the woman must appear in Christ, in her proper order and lot; unless the utmost violence is used in distorting the natural similitude, and forcing her out of her proper place there, and consequently from her just and equal correspondent union and relation in the work of redemption. 10. Volumes might be written on this subject, were it necessary to trace out the correspondence between the shadow and the substance in every particular. However, this present work will not admit of enlarg ing; and such as are in any measure acquainted with the scriptures, and really desire the truth, will be able to make the application, from the slightest compar CHAP. • See Gen. xxx 83,24. 27. xxxii. 12 to 17. 11. As figures or similitudes come the nearest to the natural understanding, we shall first notice a few particular things, by which Christ was represented; and next, a few leading prophecies, which may serve as a key to all the rest. 12. Abraham and Sarah (whose names signify great father, and princess of a multitude) were particular figures of Christ in his first and second appearing, inasmuch as Christ the promised seed was called in Isaac, their joint issue, who was begotten by promise, in which Sarah was jointly and inseparably inIcluded with Abraham. 13. The same may be said of Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel. Hence the apostle speaks of the female as well as the male, when he mentions the pa triarchs as types of Christ. And had not Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, conceived by one promise, the posterity of the patriarchs, in point of goodness, would not have been distinguished from the rest of mankind. And the promise of God, typically and spiritually descended, by Jacob and Rachel, into Joseph and Benjamin, from whom Christ in his first and second appearing, in a typical sense, spiritually descended.* xlix. 22 to 14. So that the only distinguishing goodness that Deut. ever was, or can be manifest on this earth, has come through woman's conceiving according to promise, And therefore, whoever denies this, must deny the distinction between the seed of Hagar and Sarah, of Leah and Rachel, and either suppose that the patriarch, including the free woman, was a type of Christ, without any regard to his seed, or that he was no type at all. 15. Moses also was an eminent type of Christ, both of his first and second appearing: A prophet, said he, will the Lord your God raise up unto you, like untó me, him shall ye hear. Many striking things wherein he resembled Christ, have been stated by many writers: but there was one important particular in Moses, relating to Christ, which they have all passed over. 16. Moses was circumcised, of the stock of Abraham, and also a law-giver, and both by the law and VII. custom of the Hebrews, they were not to intermarry CHAP. with other nations; but Moses had taken an Ethiopean woman, a princess, the daughter of the prince of Midian, for his companion, which was a cause of great offence to the most respectable of his own kindred, because Zipporah was an Ethiopean, of another nation, entirely of a different lineage, and of another colour. SceNum 17. Yet Zipporah was accepted of God, as standing in her order and correspondent relation to Moses, ben i while Miriam was struck with the divine displeasure, and became a leper as white as snow, for despising her, and speaking against Moses on her account. This happened to them as an ensample, and is written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 18. The Lord seeth not as man seeth. Christ Jesus, in his first appearing, was reckoned from Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. Thus the priesthood was changed, and Christ came out of their sight; and thus he went away; and so in like manner must he come again. 19. The truth is, Christ cometh not by observation, first nor last; neither lo here, nor lo there, from this tribe, nor that tribe; but by being revealed and made manifest in his true character, according to the types, promises, prophecies, and visions of his appearing, which God hath given from age to age, and from time to time. 20. Not only typical persons, both male and female, were many, but numerous typical things, in the order of two, were exhibited throughout the law and the prophets. The law was a shadow of good things Heb. x1. to come; and in the most striking particulars, pointed out two dispensations of the appearing of Christ. 21. The first appearing of Christ, and the great apostacy which followed, was signified by the two first tables of the covenant, upon which the law of God was written. The tables were written with the Exodus finger of God-and the tables were the work of God, xxxi. 18. and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon 16, 19. the tables. These prefigured the revelation and the law of God, given to Christ Jesus, who was neither & xxxi. VIL CHAP, begotten nor born after the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by the power of God. 22. These two tables were broken in pieces, as they approached nigh unto the camp of Israel, by reason of idolatry. So the truth was trodden under foot, and the power of the holy people scattered, by the setting up of a false worship after the apostles days, although the kingdom of heaven had come nigh unto them. 23. Then after the first tables were broken, the Exodus Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables like unto the first; and I will write upon the tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. xxxiv. 1. Heb. ix. 6, 8. 24. Which signified, that the revelation of God in Ghrist's second appearing, should be given to one who was born after the flesh, in the common course of nature. And as God wrote in the second tables the same words that were in the first, it signified that the work of Christ's second appearing, should be built upon the foundation of his first appearing, and that the work of both should be united in one, and under the inspiration of one Spirit. 25. The tabernacle also was a striking figure of the appearing of Christ. It was separated by a vail into two apartments, the holy and most holy, which is also called the sanctuary. The tabernacle was moveable, and typified Christ in the tabernacle of human nature; the two dispensations of his work, in his first and second appearing, were signified by those two apartments. 26. "The priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God: But into the second went the high priest alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing." 27. And this further signified, that Christ could not make his second appearing, to establish his Church without spot or wrinkle, while the first Gospel Church was yet standing and as the first temple was built after the pattern of the tabernacle, so the Church was properly the antitype to the temple. |