17. But Christ says, O no, my Lord, receive, I pray you, the blessing which God has bestowed upon me in my children, which I have brought to you; for God has bestowed them on me, and I have enough: and he constrained God his Father that he received the kingdom again from him. And it is a true figure [showing], how Christ, after he sits at the right hand of God and rules over his enemies, would deliver up the kingdom again to his Father. And then also will the Son be subject to the Father, together with his Christendom, as the Scripture says (1 Cor. xv. 24-28). Which the spirit in this figure powerfully prefigures, and represents in a type or image.
18. This is an excellent figure, where Jacob comes to his brother Esau that had been angry, and perceives how Esau falls about his neck and weeps, that Jacob says, I saw your face, as if I saw the face of God. Which signifies to us that the wrath of God in the kingdom of nature was become an enemy in Adam's soul and body, viz. the fiery soul itself; which stands in the Father's property in the eternal nature.
19. But when this great love and humility pressed through in the blood of Christ, then was this wrath, viz. the fiery soul, converted again into God's most clear countenance, and attained again the eye of God's love. Thus also we are to understand concerning Esau. When the Covenant of grace in the figure of Christ, in Jacob's humility, was discovered to him, then was his curse and malice, through the spirit of Christ, turned into love, that he was no more he of whom the Scripture says, Esau have I hated (Rom. ix. 13). For in the kingdom of the Adamical nature was God's hatred manifested in him, and he was himself that hatred; and of that says the Scripture, Esau have I hated. Now so long as the hatred in him had the dominion, so long he was in God's hatred, and was himself the hatred; but when the Covenant of grace in Jacob discovered itself to him, and that Jacob's humility pressed into his hatred, then began he to lament and weep, and God's clear countenance was manifested in his hatred, so that in great compassion he fell upon Jacob's neck and wept.
20. Which denotes the repentance of poor sinners. When the malicious wicked soul which lies captive in the hatred of God turns to God, then begins first this compassion and repentance and sorrow for its forlner sin. When the spirit of Christ afflicts the soul, then it weeps and sorrows that it has been so wicked; and then instantly the sun rises upon it, and the hatred of God is turned into the countenance of love; where, of a hateful spirit, he is made an angel.
21. And though clearly the Scripture says in a certain place, Esau sought repentance with tears, and yet found it not (Heb. xii. 17). But this text gives us to understand much otherwise, namely, that indeed Esau, and all the children of corrupt Adam, do not find repentance in their own willing, going, and running; else would it stand in the ability of man to attain grace; but the grace and divine mercy and compassion works repentance: Yet man must give up his will to the divine working.
22. The soul's will must incline itself towards the promised grace; and then will the divine sun shine into its will, and dissipate the hatred of wickedness. 1 And then the soul grasps after the sun of grace, and so begins the working of repentance in the power of grace; and then the anger of God in the soul gives its severe righteousness to the spirit of Christ. And so Christ then says to his Father, I have lost none of them that you have given to me (John vi. 39).
1 Or, the hatred in wickedness.
17. But Christ says, O no, my Lord, receive, I pray you, the blessing which God has bestowed upon me in my children, which I have brought to you; for God has bestowed them on me, and I have enough: and he constrained God his Father that he received the kingdom again from him. And it is a true figure [showing], how Christ, after he sits at the right hand of God and rules over his enemies, would deliver up the kingdom again to his Father. And then also will the Son be subject to the Father, together with his Christendom, as the Scripture says (1 Cor. xv. 24-28). Which the spirit in this figure powerfully prefigures, and represents in a type or image.
18. This is an excellent figure, where Jacob comes to his brother Esau that had been angry, and perceives how Esau falls about his neck and weeps, that Jacob says, I saw your face, as if I saw the face of God. Which signifies to us that the wrath of God in the kingdom of nature was become an enemy in Adam's soul and body, viz. the fiery soul itself; which stands in the Father's property in the eternal nature.
19. But when this great love and humility pressed through in the blood of Christ, then was this wrath, viz. the fiery soul, converted again into God's most clear countenance, and attained again the eye of God's love. Thus also we are to understand concerning Esau. When the Covenant of grace in the figure of Christ, in Jacob's humility, was discovered to him, then was his curse and malice, through the spirit of Christ, turned into love, that he was no more he of whom the Scripture says, Esau have I hated (Rom. ix. 13). For in the kingdom of the Adamical nature was God's hatred manifested in him, and he was himself that hatred; and of that says the Scripture, Esau have I hated. Now so long as the hatred in him had the dominion, so long he was in God's hatred, and was himself the hatred; but when the Covenant of grace in Jacob discovered itself to him, and that Jacob's humility pressed into his hatred, then began he to lament and weep, and God's clear countenance was manifested in his hatred, so that in great compassion he fell upon Jacob's neck and wept.
20. Which denotes the repentance of poor sinners. When the malicious wicked soul which lies captive in the hatred of God turns to God, then begins first this compassion and repentance and sorrow for its forlner sin. When the spirit of Christ afflicts the soul, then it weeps and sorrows that it has been so wicked; and then instantly the sun rises upon it, and the hatred of God is turned into the countenance of love; where, of a hateful spirit, he is made an angel.
21. And though clearly the Scripture says in a certain place, Esau sought repentance with tears, and yet found it not (Heb. xii. 17). But this text gives us to understand much otherwise, namely, that indeed Esau, and all the children of corrupt Adam, do not find repentance in their own willing, going, and running; else would it stand in the ability of man to attain grace; but the grace and divine mercy and compassion works repentance: Yet man must give up his will to the divine working.
22. The soul's will must incline itself towards the promised grace; and then will the divine sun shine into its will, and dissipate the hatred of wickedness. 1 And then the soul grasps after the sun of grace, and so begins the working of repentance in the power of grace; and then the anger of God in the soul gives its severe righteousness to the spirit of Christ. And so Christ then says to his Father, I have lost none of them that you have given to me (John vi. 39).
1 Or, the hatred in wickedness.
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