as the children of Keturah were all cast out from the inheritance of Abraham's goods, and Isaac alone did inherit them.
6. And he sets down hereby, how Adam's children were also begotten of Abraham, and how he gave them gifts of his goods (Gen. xxv. 6); betokening how free gifts were given to Adam's natural children, out of God the Father's, and Christ's, goods; as Abraham's goods were given them of grace as a free gift.
7. For Abraham did not cast out his natural children from him without gifts: so likewise God did not cast Adam out of Paradise without his free gift; he first gave him the Bruiser of the Serpent in the Word of the Covenant; and afterwards he cast Adam from the childlike inheritance of the natural right; and yet he received him again in the free donation; as Abraham also did not here reject his children and cast them out from the childship, but from the natural right of his goods; yet they were dear unto him in the childship. Therefore he freely gave them gifts of his goods, and thereby he signifies to us, that the kingdom of heaven does indeed belong only unto Christ, viz. to the true Isaac. But as he freely of grace gave the Covenant to Adam, and as Abraham gave gifts out of Isaac's right to the sons of the concubines, so God the Father does still to this day give Adam's, and Abraham's, natural children the Covenant and heritage of Christ, as a free gift of grace.
8. And as Abraham's natural children were not disinherited from the Covenant, but only from his goods; so likewise no man is disinherited from the Covenant of God, established in Adam and Abraham. Every man receives the free-given Covenant in the womb, in which free-given Covenant he has power to turn in unto Christ's goods.
9. But he has not the goods in the right of nature, to take the same at or by his own will, but as a free gift. He shall and must resign himself up unto the Covenant, as a servant, wholly giving up his own natural will in the Covenant, and forsake the will to the right of nature, and become wholly the Covenant's own; so that he does not any longer introduce his own natural will into the Covenant and free gift, but give up his will to the Covenant. And then the free gift stands in the place of the own- will; and the nature of Adam lives in the free gift, and also enjoys the inheritance; but not in the selfwill, but in the true resignation, where the will of the Covenant becomes man's will.
10. For the will of the Covenant inherits the sonship in the right of nature, but the will of the natural selfness is cast out from it, the same must die unto the assuming ownhood; and when it is brought so to pass, it arises in the Covenant in Christ, and possesses the free gift in the right of grace. Christ has manifested himself in the Covenant in Adam's freely-given gift in the human nature, and is become the life and will of the Covenant, and fulfilled the same.
11. But now this free-given Covenant which God bestowed on Adam lies in all men, for as sin passed as a birthright from one upon all, so also the Covenant and the free gift of grace passes from one upon all. Every man has Christ in him; but the own- will does not apprehend Christ, but it crucifies him, and will not die to its selfness, that so it might enter into Christ's death, and arise in the Covenant in the will of Christ.
12. The own-will desires only to be an outwardly assumed or adopted son of grace, and yet it is cast out from the presence of God, as Abraham cast out his natural children from his goods, and disinherited them, and gave the goods only to Isaac; so likewise the kingdom of God belongs only to the will of the Covenant.
as the children of Keturah were all cast out from the inheritance of Abraham's goods, and Isaac alone did inherit them.
6. And he sets down hereby, how Adam's children were also begotten of Abraham, and how he gave them gifts of his goods (Gen. xxv. 6); betokening how free gifts were given to Adam's natural children, out of God the Father's, and Christ's, goods; as Abraham's goods were given them of grace as a free gift.
7. For Abraham did not cast out his natural children from him without gifts: so likewise God did not cast Adam out of Paradise without his free gift; he first gave him the Bruiser of the Serpent in the Word of the Covenant; and afterwards he cast Adam from the childlike inheritance of the natural right; and yet he received him again in the free donation; as Abraham also did not here reject his children and cast them out from the childship, but from the natural right of his goods; yet they were dear unto him in the childship. Therefore he freely gave them gifts of his goods, and thereby he signifies to us, that the kingdom of heaven does indeed belong only unto Christ, viz. to the true Isaac. But as he freely of grace gave the Covenant to Adam, and as Abraham gave gifts out of Isaac's right to the sons of the concubines, so God the Father does still to this day give Adam's, and Abraham's, natural children the Covenant and heritage of Christ, as a free gift of grace.
8. And as Abraham's natural children were not disinherited from the Covenant, but only from his goods; so likewise no man is disinherited from the Covenant of God, established in Adam and Abraham. Every man receives the free-given Covenant in the womb, in which free-given Covenant he has power to turn in unto Christ's goods.
9. But he has not the goods in the right of nature, to take the same at or by his own will, but as a free gift. He shall and must resign himself up unto the Covenant, as a servant, wholly giving up his own natural will in the Covenant, and forsake the will to the right of nature, and become wholly the Covenant's own; so that he does not any longer introduce his own natural will into the Covenant and free gift, but give up his will to the Covenant. And then the free gift stands in the place of the own- will; and the nature of Adam lives in the free gift, and also enjoys the inheritance; but not in the selfwill, but in the true resignation, where the will of the Covenant becomes man's will.
10. For the will of the Covenant inherits the sonship in the right of nature, but the will of the natural selfness is cast out from it, the same must die unto the assuming ownhood; and when it is brought so to pass, it arises in the Covenant in Christ, and possesses the free gift in the right of grace. Christ has manifested himself in the Covenant in Adam's freely-given gift in the human nature, and is become the life and will of the Covenant, and fulfilled the same.
11. But now this free-given Covenant which God bestowed on Adam lies in all men, for as sin passed as a birthright from one upon all, so also the Covenant and the free gift of grace passes from one upon all. Every man has Christ in him; but the own- will does not apprehend Christ, but it crucifies him, and will not die to its selfness, that so it might enter into Christ's death, and arise in the Covenant in the will of Christ.
12. The own-will desires only to be an outwardly assumed or adopted son of grace, and yet it is cast out from the presence of God, as Abraham cast out his natural children from his goods, and disinherited them, and gave the goods only to Isaac; so likewise the kingdom of God belongs only to the will of the Covenant.
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