52. We should therefore learn to understand the Scriptures aright, how God wills good and evil, namely, the determination is not in his very self; but in his expressed word, viz. in nature and creature. God hates Esau in the corrupt nature, in Esau's self-nature: Esau was the type of hatred itself; but in God's self; viz. in the impressed or inspired Covenant of grace, he loves him.
53. Therefore he presents the type of Christ, viz. his brother Jacob, together with him, and lets them both come out of one seed; to signify that, in the corrupted Adamical nature in the hatred of God, Christ should call Esau to repentance, and beget him anew; as Jacob brought Esau to repentance, so that he let his malice fall, and wept bitterly, and departed from his evil will towards Jacob.
54. This therefore is the understanding of the Scripture: that the earthly Adam in the kingdom of corrupt nature, in his own will, finds not, nor can find, repentance, for there is no ability therein to good; but the incorporated grace in him awakens or stirs up the ability, when the will turns to it: for if self-will could work repentance and become good, honest and virtuous, it needed not grace.
55. The decrees in Scripture point only at two kingdoms, viz. the hardening respects the false and wicked will; the false will hardens itself: God's anger in the will's own substance hardens it; this hardening does not enter in from without, but is manifested in the will's own substance. The will is from God, and the same God in the will introduces himselfinto the hardening, in that manner as he introduces himself into hell in darkness and torment. The same is also to be understood concerning the kingdom of grace.
56. God wills in man only that which is good, in the kingdom of his grace; where the free will yields itself up into the grace, there God wills that which is good in the will, through the grace.
57. But when a man will say, Man cannot turn his will towards that which is good, viz. towards grace, that [saying] is groundless: in all wicked men grace indeed stands in the abyss of the creature, and the will need only stand still from wicked working, and then it begins, as to its self-will, to dive down into the abyss.
58. For that which stands still, stands still together with the eternal One, and becomes one substance therewith, for it goes into its nothing. Must not the false will or desire for a worldly law's sake, for fear of punishment, forbear or stand still from unrighteous works? Wherefore then not also for the sake of the commandment of God?
Can it be obedient to a worldly lord and master, and for that end stand still for [that] which he would have him? Wherefore not also to God? especially when the ability is as soon given, as a man does but incline his will to stand still.
59. But the cause why the total false, wicked will does not stand still, and incline itself to grace, is this: that it is clearly a thistle born, wherein grace lies too deeply hidden; and the wrath of God is too strong in nature. Grace draws it, and shows to it its own falsehood and wickedness; but it contemns grace, and works as a thistle does in the power of the sun. Such a one is to God a good savour of death to the damnation in hell, that grace may be severed from the false and wicked will (2 Cor. ii. 15, 16).
60. But the conclusions of reason which pronounces that God in himself; so far as he is called God, has determined that one part of men, and indeed the greatest number, shall and must be damned, and that of his own purposed will he hardens them, is false; and has no ground, either in the Scripture or in the light of nature: if a man but rightly consider the Scripture, and does not blindly look upon it.
52. We should therefore learn to understand the Scriptures aright, how God wills good and evil, namely, the determination is not in his very self; but in his expressed word, viz. in nature and creature. God hates Esau in the corrupt nature, in Esau's self-nature: Esau was the type of hatred itself; but in God's self; viz. in the impressed or inspired Covenant of grace, he loves him.
53. Therefore he presents the type of Christ, viz. his brother Jacob, together with him, and lets them both come out of one seed; to signify that, in the corrupted Adamical nature in the hatred of God, Christ should call Esau to repentance, and beget him anew; as Jacob brought Esau to repentance, so that he let his malice fall, and wept bitterly, and departed from his evil will towards Jacob.
54. This therefore is the understanding of the Scripture: that the earthly Adam in the kingdom of corrupt nature, in his own will, finds not, nor can find, repentance, for there is no ability therein to good; but the incorporated grace in him awakens or stirs up the ability, when the will turns to it: for if self-will could work repentance and become good, honest and virtuous, it needed not grace.
55. The decrees in Scripture point only at two kingdoms, viz. the hardening respects the false and wicked will; the false will hardens itself: God's anger in the will's own substance hardens it; this hardening does not enter in from without, but is manifested in the will's own substance. The will is from God, and the same God in the will introduces himselfinto the hardening, in that manner as he introduces himself into hell in darkness and torment. The same is also to be understood concerning the kingdom of grace.
56. God wills in man only that which is good, in the kingdom of his grace; where the free will yields itself up into the grace, there God wills that which is good in the will, through the grace.
57. But when a man will say, Man cannot turn his will towards that which is good, viz. towards grace, that [saying] is groundless: in all wicked men grace indeed stands in the abyss of the creature, and the will need only stand still from wicked working, and then it begins, as to its self-will, to dive down into the abyss.
58. For that which stands still, stands still together with the eternal One, and becomes one substance therewith, for it goes into its nothing. Must not the false will or desire for a worldly law's sake, for fear of punishment, forbear or stand still from unrighteous works? Wherefore then not also for the sake of the commandment of God?
Can it be obedient to a worldly lord and master, and for that end stand still for [that] which he would have him? Wherefore not also to God? especially when the ability is as soon given, as a man does but incline his will to stand still.
59. But the cause why the total false, wicked will does not stand still, and incline itself to grace, is this: that it is clearly a thistle born, wherein grace lies too deeply hidden; and the wrath of God is too strong in nature. Grace draws it, and shows to it its own falsehood and wickedness; but it contemns grace, and works as a thistle does in the power of the sun. Such a one is to God a good savour of death to the damnation in hell, that grace may be severed from the false and wicked will (2 Cor. ii. 15, 16).
60. But the conclusions of reason which pronounces that God in himself; so far as he is called God, has determined that one part of men, and indeed the greatest number, shall and must be damned, and that of his own purposed will he hardens them, is false; and has no ground, either in the Scripture or in the light of nature: if a man but rightly consider the Scripture, and does not blindly look upon it.
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