32. And as Isaac blessed his son Jacob with the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and with corn and wine (v. 28); even so God the Father blessed our humanity, in Christ. For our humanity was also in its original out of the limus of the earth, and was nourished and brought up by the dew of heaven, even by corn and wine; this, God blessed to the new birth, and resurrection of the dead upon the life to come.
33. And as Isaac set Jacob to (v. 29) be lord over his brethren of the natural property; so God has set the new birth in the blessing of Christ to be lord over the Adamical nature in flesh and blood; so that the new man, born of God's blessing, must rule over all the members of his natural body, and they must be subject to the new man.
34. And as Isaac set the curse between them, That whosoever should curse Jacob he should be accursed, and whosoever should bless him he should also be blessed (v. 29); so God has set the curse upon the corrupt Adamical kingdom, that whosoever should not be found in the blessing of Christ, he must be eternally in the curse of God, but whosoever should bring his mind and will into this Jacob's, viz. Christ's, blessing, he should be eternally in the blessing.
35. Further, we see in this type how it goes with the children of God; for when Isaac had blessed Jacob, then came Esau with his venison, and his father Isaac was astonished, and said, Why, who are you (vv. 30-33)? And he was dismayed at it, that he had unknowingly blessed Jacob. Which typifies how that the Adamical man understands nothing at all of God's ways; and how God does oftentimes wonderfully lead him according to the inward ground, and that although he be carried on in the way of God, yet he looks much at the outward reason, and often stumbles at external rational things, at temporal orders and goods, and suffers fear to surprise him; and would fain that the will of his reason be done: As here Isaac trembled exceeding when he saw that the will of his reason was broken.
36. And herein we acknowledge the misery and ignorance of the children of God, in that reason enters into its own dominion, and will not wholly leave itself to God, and is astonished when it goes otherwise than it has imagined to itself.
37. And then we see how God at last does break forth with his light in the understanding, and shows man his way, that he is satisfied; as he did here to Isaac, in that he said; This Jacob is blessed, and he shall also remain blessed (v. 33); for now Isaac understood God's will.
38. Further we see in this history how Esau weeps lamentably before his father for the blessing, and says to his father, Bless me also my father; have you but one blessing? have you not reserved one blessing for me? But his father said, I have made him your lord, and all his brethren I have given to him for servants, with corn and wine I have enriched him. What shall I do now unto you, my son (vv. 34-37)? This typifies out the kingdom of Christ, showing how God has made it lord over the kingdom of nature, as Christ said, All power both in heaven and upon earth is given to me of my father (Matt, xxviii. 18).
- 39. Furthermore it denotes, that the corrupt Adamical nature in Esau and all men cannot receive the blessing, unless they first die unto their own self -right and will: as Esau could not be blessed of his father with the holy blessing. For he was the type of the corrupt Adam according to the kingdom of nature; so likewise the earthly nature cannot be capable of the holy Spirit in its essence; of which Paul said, Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor.
- xv. 50); unless it fall into the earth, and enter again into its first womb, as grain that is sown, and resign its nature to the first mother.
32. And as Isaac blessed his son Jacob with the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and with corn and wine (v. 28); even so God the Father blessed our humanity, in Christ. For our humanity was also in its original out of the limus of the earth, and was nourished and brought up by the dew of heaven, even by corn and wine; this, God blessed to the new birth, and resurrection of the dead upon the life to come.
33. And as Isaac set Jacob to (v. 29) be lord over his brethren of the natural property; so God has set the new birth in the blessing of Christ to be lord over the Adamical nature in flesh and blood; so that the new man, born of God's blessing, must rule over all the members of his natural body, and they must be subject to the new man.
34. And as Isaac set the curse between them, That whosoever should curse Jacob he should be accursed, and whosoever should bless him he should also be blessed (v. 29); so God has set the curse upon the corrupt Adamical kingdom, that whosoever should not be found in the blessing of Christ, he must be eternally in the curse of God, but whosoever should bring his mind and will into this Jacob's, viz. Christ's, blessing, he should be eternally in the blessing.
35. Further, we see in this type how it goes with the children of God; for when Isaac had blessed Jacob, then came Esau with his venison, and his father Isaac was astonished, and said, Why, who are you (vv. 30-33)? And he was dismayed at it, that he had unknowingly blessed Jacob. Which typifies how that the Adamical man understands nothing at all of God's ways; and how God does oftentimes wonderfully lead him according to the inward ground, and that although he be carried on in the way of God, yet he looks much at the outward reason, and often stumbles at external rational things, at temporal orders and goods, and suffers fear to surprise him; and would fain that the will of his reason be done: As here Isaac trembled exceeding when he saw that the will of his reason was broken.
36. And herein we acknowledge the misery and ignorance of the children of God, in that reason enters into its own dominion, and will not wholly leave itself to God, and is astonished when it goes otherwise than it has imagined to itself.
37. And then we see how God at last does break forth with his light in the understanding, and shows man his way, that he is satisfied; as he did here to Isaac, in that he said; This Jacob is blessed, and he shall also remain blessed (v. 33); for now Isaac understood God's will.
38. Further we see in this history how Esau weeps lamentably before his father for the blessing, and says to his father, Bless me also my father; have you but one blessing? have you not reserved one blessing for me? But his father said, I have made him your lord, and all his brethren I have given to him for servants, with corn and wine I have enriched him. What shall I do now unto you, my son (vv. 34-37)? This typifies out the kingdom of Christ, showing how God has made it lord over the kingdom of nature, as Christ said, All power both in heaven and upon earth is given to me of my father (Matt, xxviii. 18).
- 39. Furthermore it denotes, that the corrupt Adamical nature in Esau and all men cannot receive the blessing, unless they first die unto their own self -right and will: as Esau could not be blessed of his father with the holy blessing. For he was the type of the corrupt Adam according to the kingdom of nature; so likewise the earthly nature cannot be capable of the holy Spirit in its essence; of which Paul said, Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor.
- xv. 50); unless it fall into the earth, and enter again into its first womb, as grain that is sown, and resign its nature to the first mother.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.