28. Not that we are to understand that Esau was wholly out of the Serpent's ens. No; he was of the right Adamical nature, from his father Isaac and Abraham; only, God did here set forth the figure of the kingdom of nature, which was poisoned in man, and then [he] also [set forth] the figure of the kingdom of grace; showing that the natural man must forsake his own evil will, and therewith also wholly immerse and give up himself into the kingdom of grace. And the figure which was here represented in Esau was to show that the evill Adamical man did not at all avail [in God's sight, that it was not profitable for the kingdom of God, but] it was cast away and rejected from God, and that man must wholly forsake his natural right of selfness, and wholly give in himself into God's will.
1 Jacob's evil nature was as rejected of God, as Esau's, only the figure was set in Esau; not that he was personally, and wholly from all eternity predestinated to damnation, as Babel falsely teaches.
The Fifty-Fourth Chapter
How Isaac, by reason of the Famine, went down to Abimelech, King of the philistines at Gerar; And how the Lord appeared there to him, and commanded him to stay there, and renewed there the Covenant of his Father with him: of the meaning of this, in its Spiritual Figure 1
1 Gen. xxvi.
1. THE twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis does further relate the history touching Isaac; how God did so very wonderfully guide him, and renewed the Covenant of his father Abraham with him, and preserved and blessed him and his wife with him. For seeing the kingdom of grace in the Covenant of God was now manifested in him, the blessing of God did now spring forth effectually in his purpose through the kingdom of nature.
2. And, on the contrary, how the devil was an utter enraged enemy to this blessing, and desired to sift and search the kingdom of nature in Isaac, and in his wife Rebecca (in whom as yet the Serpent's ens lay in the earthly flesh) through the lust of King Abimelech.
3. And this again is a figure of Adam in Paradise, and also of Christ in the new regeneration; showing how Adam went into King Abimelech's land, that is, into a strange kingdom, viz. into the four elements, where he has denied his wife, viz. the matrix of the heavenly generatress in him, in that he introduced his lust into the bestial property.
4. As here Isaac did stand in fear of his life before King Abimelech, by reason of his wife, even so Adam, in his strange lust in the kingdom of the four elements and the stars, did also stand in fear before the strange king, viz. before the kingdom of this world, and denied his heavenly birth out of fear of the kingdom of this world; and gave his eternal will to the king of this world, that it might the better fare with him in his strange lust, as Isaac thought to do with his wife, who stood herewith in the figure of Adam.
5. Which figure the divine imagination did represent unto itself in Isaac, and set down withal the Covenant of the new birth, viz. his promised truth, how he would lead and guide the children of his grace in the presence of the strange king, viz. in the kingdom of this world; and preserve them from 1 the lust and desire of this king, and would lay hold of this king with his power, and change his lust and desire, viz. the lust of the stars and four elements, into another will of the essential desire. So that the sharp and severe might of the astrum in flesh and blood should be changed into a covenant of peace, and do no hurt to the children of grace in the Covenant; but it should serve them to bring forth the blessing and fruits, that they might grow greatly, as here Isaac with King Abimelech stood surrounded in the mere blessing of God; and his possession of goods and cattle grew so great, that King Abimelech thought he would be too potent and mighty for him, and therefore commanded him to go out of his land.
6. Which is a figure of the new birth in the kingdom of nature; that if the inward spiritual man does in divine power outgrow or overtop the kingdom of nature, then the kingdom of the outward nature in flesh and blood in the spirit of the world 2 is sore afraid and astonished at it, for it sees and feels its ruin and decrease, and would fain preserve its ownhood and propriety in the outward life.
28. Not that we are to understand that Esau was wholly out of the Serpent's ens. No; he was of the right Adamical nature, from his father Isaac and Abraham; only, God did here set forth the figure of the kingdom of nature, which was poisoned in man, and then [he] also [set forth] the figure of the kingdom of grace; showing that the natural man must forsake his own evil will, and therewith also wholly immerse and give up himself into the kingdom of grace. And the figure which was here represented in Esau was to show that the evill Adamical man did not at all avail [in God's sight, that it was not profitable for the kingdom of God, but] it was cast away and rejected from God, and that man must wholly forsake his natural right of selfness, and wholly give in himself into God's will.
1 Jacob's evil nature was as rejected of God, as Esau's, only the figure was set in Esau; not that he was personally, and wholly from all eternity predestinated to damnation, as Babel falsely teaches.
The Fifty-Fourth Chapter
How Isaac, by reason of the Famine, went down to Abimelech, King of the philistines at Gerar; And how the Lord appeared there to him, and commanded him to stay there, and renewed there the Covenant of his Father with him: of the meaning of this, in its Spiritual Figure 1
1 Gen. xxvi.
1. THE twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis does further relate the history touching Isaac; how God did so very wonderfully guide him, and renewed the Covenant of his father Abraham with him, and preserved and blessed him and his wife with him. For seeing the kingdom of grace in the Covenant of God was now manifested in him, the blessing of God did now spring forth effectually in his purpose through the kingdom of nature.
2. And, on the contrary, how the devil was an utter enraged enemy to this blessing, and desired to sift and search the kingdom of nature in Isaac, and in his wife Rebecca (in whom as yet the Serpent's ens lay in the earthly flesh) through the lust of King Abimelech.
3. And this again is a figure of Adam in Paradise, and also of Christ in the new regeneration; showing how Adam went into King Abimelech's land, that is, into a strange kingdom, viz. into the four elements, where he has denied his wife, viz. the matrix of the heavenly generatress in him, in that he introduced his lust into the bestial property.
4. As here Isaac did stand in fear of his life before King Abimelech, by reason of his wife, even so Adam, in his strange lust in the kingdom of the four elements and the stars, did also stand in fear before the strange king, viz. before the kingdom of this world, and denied his heavenly birth out of fear of the kingdom of this world; and gave his eternal will to the king of this world, that it might the better fare with him in his strange lust, as Isaac thought to do with his wife, who stood herewith in the figure of Adam.
5. Which figure the divine imagination did represent unto itself in Isaac, and set down withal the Covenant of the new birth, viz. his promised truth, how he would lead and guide the children of his grace in the presence of the strange king, viz. in the kingdom of this world; and preserve them from 1 the lust and desire of this king, and would lay hold of this king with his power, and change his lust and desire, viz. the lust of the stars and four elements, into another will of the essential desire. So that the sharp and severe might of the astrum in flesh and blood should be changed into a covenant of peace, and do no hurt to the children of grace in the Covenant; but it should serve them to bring forth the blessing and fruits, that they might grow greatly, as here Isaac with King Abimelech stood surrounded in the mere blessing of God; and his possession of goods and cattle grew so great, that King Abimelech thought he would be too potent and mighty for him, and therefore commanded him to go out of his land.
6. Which is a figure of the new birth in the kingdom of nature; that if the inward spiritual man does in divine power outgrow or overtop the kingdom of nature, then the kingdom of the outward nature in flesh and blood in the spirit of the world 2 is sore afraid and astonished at it, for it sees and feels its ruin and decrease, and would fain preserve its ownhood and propriety in the outward life.
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