Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

7() THE FIRST AND THE SECOND MAN.the solution above-was in possession of all butthe whole earth, and the captivity of man to hisspiritual foe, on account of which that foe is calledathe Ruler" and "the God" "of this world,"which is said " to lie in the malignant one,"9 wasall but universal. This universality denoted thatthe fulness of the time10 marked out in the providenceof God was come.For Adam, in his first creation, and in thesplendour of that robe of sonship11 in which heuras invested, had been the figure of One to come :his figure as an individual person, his figure asfather and head of a race ; his figure likewise,when the race itself is viewed as summed up inone, as one body. Let us take each of these intheir order.What was the counterpart of Adam, as an individualperson, in the new creation ? It was theEternal Son Himself assuming a human soul andbody, and bearing our nature in His divine personality.Over against the creature invested withstood the uncreated Son, invested with acreated nature. For the grace of the Holy Spiritgiven by measure, and depending for its continu-9 The apostle speaks here not of " wickedness/' but of a personalagent, " the wicked or malignant one ;" as the context shows. " He whois born of God keeps himself, and the malignant one touches him not.We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the malignantone." 1 John v. 18, 19.10 XP11 rvTTos rov fjL¬\\ovro$. Kom. v. 14. "Ftus ostenditur." S. Aug. niHI