6. And as Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver to suffering and death, which thirty pieces of silver signify the thirty years of Christ before his baptism (Luke iii. 23), ere he entered into his office and divine government according to the humanity, when he gave up his human will to God, and the creaturely self will ceased in him: so also must a Christian, when he is in truth in his own natural will, sold for twenty pieces of the thirty pieces of silver, to be a servant of God in Christ, to be a minister or officer, and obedient to his Lord who lives in him; then his bypast years of the Adamical natural time of this world are sold, in and with Christ, for twenty pieces of silver; and so the Adamical time of his natural will, in this being sold, ceases in Christ's suffering and death; and he is by his Lord (who is arisen from Death in him, and rules and reigns over Death), set to be an officer over Christ's goods, to dispose of them through the spirit of Christ, viz. in the power and virtue of his Lord who is in him, in this world, according to the kingdom of Christ. 1
1 As to the dominion of Christ.
7. As Joseph was taken away from his father's house, and was first cast into the pit, wherein he should have perished, and was afterwards sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver to serve as a bondslave; so also a Christian is first taken away from his father's house, viz. From the Adamical nature, and is cast into the pit, viz. into Christ's suffering and death, and then loses the Adamical inheritance of the kingdom of this world, and is with his will and mind brought away from it. Then he must yield up his father's house, viz. all his selfhood, together with his natural life, to his brethren in his father's house, that is, to the power of God in the government of this world; and suffer himself to be cast into the pit of the death of his natural will, and therein give up himself to the death of Christ, and willingly die to the will of this world, viz. to his own Adamical house, and willingly suffer all whatsoever his brethren of this world do to him.
8. And then if he thus lie in the pit or grave of Christ, and has given himself up to the death of Christ, that he willingly would forsake all for Christ's sake, and die the death of his own will, then Christ his Lord puts on him his resurrection from the dead, and makes him living with his power, and draws him with Joseph out of the pit and grave of death, and brings him into his service: as Joseph into the service of Pharaoh's captain of the guard. And then all goes prosperously in and with him, for the divine power rules him; and now he attains divine understanding and wisdom, and knows how to manage his master's goods. That, in the Christian figure, is as much as to say:
6. And as Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver to suffering and death, which thirty pieces of silver signify the thirty years of Christ before his baptism (Luke iii. 23), ere he entered into his office and divine government according to the humanity, when he gave up his human will to God, and the creaturely self will ceased in him: so also must a Christian, when he is in truth in his own natural will, sold for twenty pieces of the thirty pieces of silver, to be a servant of God in Christ, to be a minister or officer, and obedient to his Lord who lives in him; then his bypast years of the Adamical natural time of this world are sold, in and with Christ, for twenty pieces of silver; and so the Adamical time of his natural will, in this being sold, ceases in Christ's suffering and death; and he is by his Lord (who is arisen from Death in him, and rules and reigns over Death), set to be an officer over Christ's goods, to dispose of them through the spirit of Christ, viz. in the power and virtue of his Lord who is in him, in this world, according to the kingdom of Christ. 1
1 As to the dominion of Christ.
7. As Joseph was taken away from his father's house, and was first cast into the pit, wherein he should have perished, and was afterwards sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver to serve as a bondslave; so also a Christian is first taken away from his father's house, viz. From the Adamical nature, and is cast into the pit, viz. into Christ's suffering and death, and then loses the Adamical inheritance of the kingdom of this world, and is with his will and mind brought away from it. Then he must yield up his father's house, viz. all his selfhood, together with his natural life, to his brethren in his father's house, that is, to the power of God in the government of this world; and suffer himself to be cast into the pit of the death of his natural will, and therein give up himself to the death of Christ, and willingly die to the will of this world, viz. to his own Adamical house, and willingly suffer all whatsoever his brethren of this world do to him.
8. And then if he thus lie in the pit or grave of Christ, and has given himself up to the death of Christ, that he willingly would forsake all for Christ's sake, and die the death of his own will, then Christ his Lord puts on him his resurrection from the dead, and makes him living with his power, and draws him with Joseph out of the pit and grave of death, and brings him into his service: as Joseph into the service of Pharaoh's captain of the guard. And then all goes prosperously in and with him, for the divine power rules him; and now he attains divine understanding and wisdom, and knows how to manage his master's goods. That, in the Christian figure, is as much as to say:
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.