18. And that the spirit of Moses says, They went both of them together (understand, unto the offering), betokens our Adamical humanity, and Christ's heavenly supernatural humanity of divine essentiality, that both these should go together to the offering of God; as Christ offered on the cross his heavenly humanity in our humanity to the Father; and with the heavenly reconciled ours, captivated in the anger of God, and preserved it in the fire of God's anger, as the gold is preserved of the tincture, in the fire.
19. And when they came to the place of which God had told him; Abraham built there an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son (Gen. xxii. 9, 10). This is now the right earnestness, viz. the figure how God would bind his Son by Adam's children, viz. by Abraham's children, the Jews; that is, he would bind our sin, and lay it upon the wood; that is, hang it on the cross; viz. on the figure of the holy Trinity, which was become in man a wooden earthly cross: whereas before, the life's cross, viz. the figure of the Deity, was spiritual and holy in Adam; but in the earthly lust it had made itself earthly, and as 'twere wooden. Thus also the death, viz. the dying of the holy cross in man must be again offered up to God upon a wooden earthly cross; and be again changed out of the earthly death into the holy spiritual figure.
20. Christ should not be slain, but hung up on the cross, pierced through in his hands and feet. For the anger of God was awakened in the conversation and works of our hands and feet; and therefore also Isaac, in the figure of Christ, must not be slain; and also not burnt; for he was not the right one, but only the figure in our humanity; for he could not accomplish this offering in its powers. And it denotes that we are indeed bound with Christ, and laid upon the wood, and also must die for Christ's sake. But with our death we cannot attain this offering, as Isaac also could not effect that; but the ens of faith in Abraham and Isaac, out of which Christ arose, the same did effect it; and can yet now in these days effect it in the Christians in Christ in his humanity in us.
21. And as Isaac was represented in Christ's figure, as if he were to be the sacrifice, even so every true Christian must with Isaac enter into Christ's figure. He must willingly resign himself into Christ's death; and bind his sin with the will in the spirit of Christ, and offer it upon the altar of Christ; and with a full and free will die wholly to sin. Then comes the voice of God, as it came to Abraham, and to Hagar in the wilderness of Beer-sheba, and says, Do not anything to nature, viz. your son: now I know you believe God.
18. And that the spirit of Moses says, They went both of them together (understand, unto the offering), betokens our Adamical humanity, and Christ's heavenly supernatural humanity of divine essentiality, that both these should go together to the offering of God; as Christ offered on the cross his heavenly humanity in our humanity to the Father; and with the heavenly reconciled ours, captivated in the anger of God, and preserved it in the fire of God's anger, as the gold is preserved of the tincture, in the fire.
19. And when they came to the place of which God had told him; Abraham built there an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son (Gen. xxii. 9, 10). This is now the right earnestness, viz. the figure how God would bind his Son by Adam's children, viz. by Abraham's children, the Jews; that is, he would bind our sin, and lay it upon the wood; that is, hang it on the cross; viz. on the figure of the holy Trinity, which was become in man a wooden earthly cross: whereas before, the life's cross, viz. the figure of the Deity, was spiritual and holy in Adam; but in the earthly lust it had made itself earthly, and as 'twere wooden. Thus also the death, viz. the dying of the holy cross in man must be again offered up to God upon a wooden earthly cross; and be again changed out of the earthly death into the holy spiritual figure.
20. Christ should not be slain, but hung up on the cross, pierced through in his hands and feet. For the anger of God was awakened in the conversation and works of our hands and feet; and therefore also Isaac, in the figure of Christ, must not be slain; and also not burnt; for he was not the right one, but only the figure in our humanity; for he could not accomplish this offering in its powers. And it denotes that we are indeed bound with Christ, and laid upon the wood, and also must die for Christ's sake. But with our death we cannot attain this offering, as Isaac also could not effect that; but the ens of faith in Abraham and Isaac, out of which Christ arose, the same did effect it; and can yet now in these days effect it in the Christians in Christ in his humanity in us.
21. And as Isaac was represented in Christ's figure, as if he were to be the sacrifice, even so every true Christian must with Isaac enter into Christ's figure. He must willingly resign himself into Christ's death; and bind his sin with the will in the spirit of Christ, and offer it upon the altar of Christ; and with a full and free will die wholly to sin. Then comes the voice of God, as it came to Abraham, and to Hagar in the wilderness of Beer-sheba, and says, Do not anything to nature, viz. your son: now I know you believe God.
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