A treatise of nature and grace to which is added, the author's idæa of providence, and his answers to several objections against the foregoing discourse / by the author of The search after truth ; translated from the last edition, enlarged by many explications.

The Second Explication, Where 'tis proved that J. C. is figured every where in the Scriptures, and that even by the Events which were before the Sin of the First Man; to teach us that the Prin∣ciple of God's designs, is the Incarnation of His Son.

MOses, in the second Chapter of Genesis, thus relates the Marriage of the first Man:

The great Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from Man, made he a Woman, and brought her unto the Man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a Man leave his Father and his Mother, and cleave unto his Wife, and they shall be one flesh. St. Paul assures us, that this Carnal Marriage is a great Mystery, that it is the Figure of the Spiritual Marriage of J. C. with his Church, and also that married persons ought to conform themselves to J. C. and his Church in the Duties which they are to pay to one another: See his words in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Chap. V. Wives, submit your selves unto your own Husbands,

as unto the Lord. For the Husband is the Head of the Wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church: and he is the Saviour of the Body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your Wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave him∣self for it, that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word. That he might pre∣sent it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought Men to love their Wives, as their own Bodies: he that loveth his Wife, loveth himself. For no Man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: For we are Members of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bones. For this cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother, and shall be joyned unto his Wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great Mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. We are the Members of the Body of J. C. formed of his Flesh and of his Bone, as Eve was of Adam. The Man shall leave Father and Mother and be joyned to his Wife, and with her shall make but one Body. This is a great Myste∣ry, and I explain it of J. C. and his Church. * 1.1 Sacramentum hoc magnum est: ego autem dico in Christo & in Ecclesia.

The Letter, which kills, because it does not raise the Mind up towards him who only gives Life, applies that solely to the first Adam, which is said chiefly to figure the second. But St. Paul, inspired with the same Spirit that Moses was, clear∣ly explain'd the Mystery, which the other had only darkly proposed. He assures us, that what

seems to have been written of the first Man, and the first Woman, ought to be understood of J. C. and his Church. The first Marriage is a great Se∣cret, for it figures the greatest of our Mysteries, the Eternal Covenant betwixt J. C. and his Church: a Secret hid in God from all eternity, and revealed to Men in the fulness of times. This is the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and Generations, but is now made manifest to his Saints: To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory, Col. I. 26, 27. I confess, that ordinary Marriages are indissoluble: that marri∣ed persons leave their Father and Mother, and make together one strict Society, and one Body: but these words of the first Man, Wherefore Man shall leave Father and Mother, may be applied to them; for J. C. proves, by the same words, that the Husband ought not to forsake his Wife, be∣cause it is God who has joyned them together. But I maintain, that God has joyned them, to figure the greatest of our Mysteries; that Marriages can∣not be broken, because J. C. will never forsake his Church of which he is the Spouse; that the Mar∣riage of Christians is a * 1.2 Sacrament, which dis∣penses Grace to those who are contracted, because it figures J. C. who communicates Spirit and Fruit∣fulness to his Church: In a word, that the first Marriage, and all which have been since, are tran∣sient figures of the eternal and indissoluble Mar∣riage of J. C. with Men.

Now, the first Marriage was celebrated before Sin: God cast Adam into an ecstatical and myste∣rious sleep; he formed out of one of his sides, or (to speak as the Scripture) he built up his Wise, which he designed to give him; he inspired into him words prophetical of J. C. and, as yet, Adam had not sinned: for, doubtless, all that the Scrip∣ture relates concerning the first Man, before his sin, doth much more sensibly and expresly repre∣sent J. C. than that which is written of him after his fall. Doth not this shew, that J. C. and his Church, is the first and chief of God's designs, since 'tis evident, that the Figure must be for the sake of the Reality, and not the Reality for the Figure?

When God created the first Man, he made him according to his Image, because he thought of him who is the Image of the invisible God; he anima∣ted him with his Breath, * 1.3 because he then had the design of uniting his Word to our Nature, which he foresaw would become altogether earth∣ly and carnal by sin; he made him Lord of all Ani∣mals, because he intended to subject all things to J. C. God, by the sleep, into which he cast the first Man, express'd the death, or sleep of his Son upon the Cross; and by the Woman, whom he drew out of his Flesh and his Bones, the Spouse which J. C. received after he awoke, (or was risen) and which he purchased by his Blood. If Adam sinned, it was not according to St. Paul, because he was tempted, but through his fondness to his Wife, 1 Tim. II. 14. J. C. likewise was not subject to sin, and if he was made sin, as the Scripture speaks, * 1.4 it was in love to his Church. If Adam sinned, and

communicated his sin to all his Posterity, he is, even in this (tho in a contrary sence) the figure of J. C. who only dispences Grace to Men. Where: fore, as by one Man, Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin; * 1.5 and Death passed upon all Men. — Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even o∣ver them who had not sinned after Adam's trans∣gression; who is the * 1.6 figure of him who was to come.

These words, who is the figure of him, who was to come, in the place where they are, put it out of doubt, that the first Adam represented the se∣cond, even by Concupiscence it self; and the Death which he communicated to all Men, toge∣ther with his Son. Hence it is, that St Paul makes so many Antitheses betwixt the Earthly Man, and the Man from Heaven. The first Man, was made a living Soul; * 1.7 the second Adam, a quick∣ning Spirit. The first Man, is of the Earth, Earth∣ly; the second Man, is the Lord from Heaven.

God, by the first Man and Woman, did not on∣ly represent J. C. and his Church; but also by the place into which he put them, by their po∣sterity, especially those of them whose actions the Scripture doth largely recite. The Earthly Pa∣radise, represented the Church; J. C. keeps and Cultivates it. The River divided into Four Streams to water this very Delightful and Fruit∣ful place, is the Eternal wisdom, which enligh∣tens, and animates the Church. I also came out as a Brook from a River, and as a Conduit * 1.8 into a Garden. I said, I will water my best Garden, and will water abundantly my Garden-bed. It is written of the true Solomon, that his wisdom ran down abundantly; as the Rivers at the beginning

of Harvest. Who filleth all things with wisdom, * 1.9 as Physon, and as Tygris in the time of the new fruits. He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphra∣tes. — He maketh the doctrine of Knowledge, ap∣pear as the Light, and as Geon in the time of Vin∣tage. The Tree planted in the middle of the Garden, which brought forth a Fruit able to make Men Immortal, is also the Eternal Wisdom, according to the words of the Proverbs of Solo∣mon, She is a Tree of Life, * 1.10 to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every one that retaineth her. He who shall overcome the World, shall be nourished with this Fruit; for certainly, these words of St. John, To him that overcomes, * 1.11 it shall be given to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, are to be understood of no other Trees but this. As for the other Tree, which teaches good and evil, and whose Fruits Eve found so Beautiful to the Eye, and Pleasant to the Taste; it represents sensible objects, which at present, excite in us such a strong Concupiscence, and give Death to those, who suffer themselves to be surprized by their Charms: 'Tis plain, that all these relations would not be so exact, if they were no more than imaginary.

EVE had two Sons, Cain and Abel; * 1.12 they both offered their Sacrifice: God rejected that of Cain's, and received that of Abel's. Cain was troubled hereat, and slew his Brother; the blood of Abel which was spilt cryed for Vengeance. God declared, that Cain should be a Fugitive all his Life, and that he would hinder him from be∣ing slain. Doth not this sufficiently represent the Synagogue, who being the Elder, yet offer∣ed

not unto God a Sacrifice acceptable unto him: That the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ was only Worthy of GOD: That Jesus Christ was slain in Abel, by the Jews who were his Brethren, according to the Flesh: That for their Punishment, the Jews should be Vagabonds and Fugitives upon the Earth, as Cain was; and that God will not quite Destroy them, tho their Crime was such, that they might say, more truely than Cain, All they who meet me will slay me.

If we examine after matters of Fact, and those especially, whose Circumstances the Scripture more particularly recites, we shall see Jesus C. expected and figured every where; Expected, be∣canse of the promise which God had made, that the seed of the Woman, should break the Ser∣pents Head, Gen. III. 15. And Figured, because the Spirit of God, takes pleasure in represent∣ing unto Men, him who was to be their Medi∣ator, and render all the Work of God perfect∣ly worthy of its Author.

I confess, that in these things we may be ea∣sily deceived, and that none but the Spirit of God can make us distinctly and without fear of error, see the reality of these Figures. But these Figures are so lively, and so express, that he must be strangely Stupid, who is not Affected with them; and very rash, who looks upon those as Ridiculous Persons and Visionaries, who according to the Example of the Apostles and Holy Doctors, seek Jesus Christ in the Scrip∣tures, as he himself has Commanded us in these

words, Search the Scriptures, for they are they, * 1.13 which Testify of me. For, in short, all that is in the Old Testament, relates to Jesus Christ and his Church. * 1.14 — All these things happened to them in Figures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Because it figures Jesus C. it may be called a SACRA∣MENT in the large & unrestrain'd Sense, but not according to the strict and limited Sense of the Word; as it signifies an Outward, Visible sign, which not only signifies but dispences Grace.
• * 1.3

  Tertul. de Resur∣rect. Car∣nis. Cy∣ril. Alex. Thes. p. 153. A. thanas. Orat. 3. in Aria∣nos.
• * 1.4

  2 Cor. 5.21.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 5.12.14.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.7

  1 Cor. 15.45.47.
• * 1.8

  Vulg. Lat. de Paradiso. ••ccl. 24.30.31.
• * 1.9

  Eccl 24.25, 26, 27
• * 1.10

  Prov. 3.18.
• * 1.11

  Apoc. 11.7.
• * 1.12

  Gen. 4.
• * 1.13

  John. 5.39.
• * 1.14

  1 Cor. 10 11.