十二月二十六日
末後的亞當……（林前15：45）
耶穌是選民的首領。在亞當裏面，每一個屬血肉的後裔皆蒙其利，因爲按著行爲的律說，他是一族的盟主和代表；而按著恩典的律說，每一位被贖的人都與天上的主成爲一了；他是第二個亞當，在慈愛的新約中他是中保，是代表。希伯來書上說當亞伯拉罕見麥基洗德的時候利未已經在他身中；照樣當訂立恩典的永約時，信徒也在中保耶穌基督的身中了。因此，基督所作的，乃是爲了他的整個教會。我們與他同釘十字架幷與他同埋（西2：10—13），更希奇的是，我們也與他一同復活，一同坐在天上（弗2：6）。教會就這樣成全了律法，幷“在愛子裏蒙悅納”。她就這樣滿足耶和華的心願，因爲他是在耶穌裏面看她，幷不是把她與她的盟主分別看待。基督耶穌既是受膏作以色列的救贖主，就與他的教會沒有什麽分別，凡他所有的都是爲了他的教會。亞當所持守的義乃是我們的，當他犯罪時我們也犯了罪；照樣，凡第二個亞當所作所有的，也是我們的，因爲他是我們的代表。這就是恩約的根基。這種代表和替代的恩惠辦法，使殉道者游斯丁喊道：“可稱頌的更換！可贊美的替代！”這是我們救恩福音的基礎，當用堅強的信心和快樂的心情來接受。
“因一次的過犯，衆人都被定罪；照樣，因一次的義行，衆人也就被稱爲義得生命了。”
“因一人的悖逆，衆人成爲罪人；照樣，因一人的順從，衆人也成爲義了。”
December 26
“The last Adam.”—1 Corinthians
15:45
Jesus is the federal head of
his elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest,
because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered
under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one
with the Lord from heaven, since he is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and
Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares
that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain
truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in
old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made
sure for ever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, he hath wrought for the whole
body of his Church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col.
2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and even
ascended with him to the seats on high (Eph. 2:6). It is thus that the Church
has fulfilled the law, and is “accepted in the beloved.” It is thus
that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for he views her in
Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the
Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his Church,
but all that he has he holds for her. Adam’s righteousness was ours so long as
he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in
the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as his,
seeing that he is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of
grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved
Justin Martyr to cry out, “O blessed change, O sweet permutation!”
this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be
received with strong faith and rapturous joy.
