LECTURE XX.

ADAM AND MELCHISEDEC TYPICAL OF CHRIST.

RECAPITULATION.

CONCLUSION.

HEBREWS xiii. 8.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for

ever.

In the progress of our enquiry, we have been already led to consider many of those remarkable events recorded in the Old Testament, which have been over-ruled by the Providence of God, so as to foreshadow the great designs which were fulfilled at a later period, under the Gospel. There still remain two instances of a similar nature, the characters of Adam and Melchisedec, of which a brief notice must be taken, before we can, in conclusion, recapitulate the argument which has been founded upon these historical types; and observe how many circumstances of Christ's life were thus accurately prefigured.

I. If we compare, with attention, the revealed account of the fall of man, with that merciful design, which God has completed for

our redemption, through the death of Christ; we cannot fail to discover a marked correspondence between the modes in which each event has been made to influence future ages. Nor can we avoid noticing a degree of resemblance, in some points, between Adam, the original progenitor of the human race, after the flesh, who was created in the image of God," and had dominion over all the animal creation," and Christ, the origin and head of his spiritual seed, the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, and having all things put in subjection under his feet. This correspondence, observed in Scripture, is attended with important consequences. It must be difficult-and, without the authority of revelation furnishing the means of reasoning, as well as ratifying our conclusions, it may be impossible to comprehend why the sin of Adam should have been visited upon his posterity. But the difficulty, whatever it may be, of reconciling such a fact with what revelation teaches us, respecting the mode of God's governing the world, is entirely removed, when we contemplate the corresponding dispensation of the Gospel: when we see an action inde

b Gen. i. 26.

. Gen. i. 27. e Heb. i. 3. ii. 6...8. Psalm viii. 4...8. 1 Cor. xv. 25...28.

e

pendent of ourselves, made instrumental in abrogating a sentence, which passed upon all men, at first, by an action also independent of them and that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin." "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift for if, through the offence of one, many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift : for the judgment was by one to condemnation; but the free gift is of many offences unto justification."!

The harmony thus subsisting between the fall and the redemption of man arose not without the especial design of God. And it is remarkable, that the design, in this instance, is marked by circumstances of contrast, as plainly as it is, in some other cases, by circumstances of resemblance. Accordingly, Adam is declared to have been "the figure," or type, "of him that was to come." was the father of sin and death, transmitting

The first Adam

both to his posterity. The last

the author of holiness and life to

Adam was

as many as

d Rom. v. 20.

• Ver. 12.

! Ver. 16, 17.

* Αδάμ, ὅς ἐστι τυπὸς τοῦ μέλλοντος. Rom. v. 14.

D D

received him, and believe on his name." "The first Adam was made a living soul: the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners" "by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."*

It would be needless to multiply instances of comparison between Adam and Christ: for those, which are thus expressly declared by revelation, are quite sufficient to confirm the fact of that typical relation, the existence of which the Scriptures plainly assert.

II. Another person, remarkably typical of Christ, is Melchisedec. In the book of Genesis,' we read a concise history of this "king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him: to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all."m The information thus given respecting Melchisedec, although sufficiently circumstantial, is remarkably brief. He is mentioned incidentally: and then the sacred narrative passes on to relate other events. Nothing is recorded, which could direct the attention of the patriarchal ages to any thing designedly prefigurative in prefigurative in his character. Years passed on, and this history

of Melchi

sedec was transmitted in the writings of Moses, from age to age; representing him as an instance of that union of the royal and priestly character, which, after the accession of David, and the limitation of the office of king to the tribe of Judah, was entirely precluded by the regulations of the law. One attempt only was made to unite them, by Uzziah, and was visited by an especial judgment, the infliction of leprosy." But in the days of David, God revealed a fuller insight into the character of Melchisedec. David in spirit° spake of the future Messiah, saying, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." By these words, the attention of believers was directed to some future great priest and king, who was to unite in his person qualities resembling those which Melchisedec possessed. They could not, certainly, know the exact particulars of that resemblance until they were revealed: and they might not reflect upon the singular fact, that David, living under the levitical priesthood, which was so strictly limited by circumstances of descent, and confirmed by the most solemn ceremonies of consecration, should yet deliver a clear prophecy respecting another priest, of a more ancient order, in which none of these