upon the body of Christ, but will have it merely spiritual. The other part will have the mouth of the Adamical mortal man full of it, and therewith comprehend and receive it. And so there is no right knowledge or understanding in either party; and they sit at table, but without knowing anything as the brethren of Joseph did, who knew not Joseph, where indeed their faith feeds, but their understanding knows not Joseph in his feast or banquet. 2
69. Now then says reason, seeing the Jews, Turks, and ignorant unknowing heathen, have no mouth to eat such food with, and that Christ says, Whosoever eats not the flesh of the Son of Man, he has no life in him (John vi. 53); therefore they must all of them be damned. O Israel, how blind are you here, and know as little as they, or as Joseph's brethren knew of Joseph.
70. The Turks, Jews, and strange nations, whose desire and prayer goes to the only God, have indeed a mouth, but not so as a Christian has: for as the desire, viz. the mouth, is, such is also the food in the mouth. They desire the spirit of God, and such is also their eating: in that manner as before Christ's humanity, in the Father and the Son, viz. in the Word.
71. But a Christian has an incarnate mouth: for the soul's 3 desire, or much more, the substantial Christ or Christus, viz. the Virgin Sophia, has a mouth from the substantial Word. But the other have one from the un-substantial Word; they desire the property of God the Father,4 viz. of the only God, and they do apprehend it also: but here grace is not manifest.
1 Or mouth-Christian. 2 Or, mess of food. 3 Or, soulish.
4 Or, to be like God the Father: our heavenly Father.
72. But seeing the Father has given man to his Son Christ (John vi. 37), as Christ says (John xvii. 6), and has manifested the grace in Christ, and invites them all in Christ, and that there is no salvation without Christ; 1 therefore he gives to them also the earnest crying prayer, which Christ receives from his Father and apprehends it in himself and eats it, and fills them with his humanity, suffering, death, and shedding of his blood, and so they are with their spirit in Christ substantially, but in themselves as hidden to them.
73. For they desire not any way the flesh of the Son of Man, and therefore they have not in their selfhood any mouth for Christ's flesh and blood, for they have no desire to it; but with their spirit they are substantially in Christ: but their inward in Adam faded Paradisical humanity (which faded in Adam), wherein the incorporated grace in Paradise lies, remains hidden in them, and without a stirring life.
74. For Christ dwells not substantially therein, as in a true Christian. But their faith's substance is hidden in Christ to the day of the restoration of that which is lost in Adam, when their Paradisical image, which is not manifested in this time, will put on their faith's substance, in God's bestowed grace, which proceeds from one upon all, out of Christ's spirit; for that incorporated grace, viz. the inspoken or inspired Word, stands also in them, and pants after Christ's substantiality.
75. But seeing their substantiality is in the Word, without this place, state and condition, in Christ, where Christ in himself fulfills their faith to God, therefore also will their substantial faith in God put on that incorporated Word in the Paradisical image, together with the same, at the revelation or manifestation of Jesus Christ; and herewith also the whole man.
76. For the Scripture says, Of grace are you saved, and that not of yourselves (Eph. ii. 8), not by your knowing, but through God's mercy and compassion [are you saved]. 2 It lies not in knowing, as if the knowing could receive Christ; but it lies in the gift, viz. in the grace, which Christ gives to the unknowing into their faith in God, as well as to the knowing into their desire: it is done to both of grace.
upon the body of Christ, but will have it merely spiritual. The other part will have the mouth of the Adamical mortal man full of it, and therewith comprehend and receive it. And so there is no right knowledge or understanding in either party; and they sit at table, but without knowing anything as the brethren of Joseph did, who knew not Joseph, where indeed their faith feeds, but their understanding knows not Joseph in his feast or banquet. 2
69. Now then says reason, seeing the Jews, Turks, and ignorant unknowing heathen, have no mouth to eat such food with, and that Christ says, Whosoever eats not the flesh of the Son of Man, he has no life in him (John vi. 53); therefore they must all of them be damned. O Israel, how blind are you here, and know as little as they, or as Joseph's brethren knew of Joseph.
70. The Turks, Jews, and strange nations, whose desire and prayer goes to the only God, have indeed a mouth, but not so as a Christian has: for as the desire, viz. the mouth, is, such is also the food in the mouth. They desire the spirit of God, and such is also their eating: in that manner as before Christ's humanity, in the Father and the Son, viz. in the Word.
71. But a Christian has an incarnate mouth: for the soul's 3 desire, or much more, the substantial Christ or Christus, viz. the Virgin Sophia, has a mouth from the substantial Word. But the other have one from the un-substantial Word; they desire the property of God the Father,4 viz. of the only God, and they do apprehend it also: but here grace is not manifest.
1 Or mouth-Christian. 2 Or, mess of food. 3 Or, soulish.
4 Or, to be like God the Father: our heavenly Father.
72. But seeing the Father has given man to his Son Christ (John vi. 37), as Christ says (John xvii. 6), and has manifested the grace in Christ, and invites them all in Christ, and that there is no salvation without Christ; 1 therefore he gives to them also the earnest crying prayer, which Christ receives from his Father and apprehends it in himself and eats it, and fills them with his humanity, suffering, death, and shedding of his blood, and so they are with their spirit in Christ substantially, but in themselves as hidden to them.
73. For they desire not any way the flesh of the Son of Man, and therefore they have not in their selfhood any mouth for Christ's flesh and blood, for they have no desire to it; but with their spirit they are substantially in Christ: but their inward in Adam faded Paradisical humanity (which faded in Adam), wherein the incorporated grace in Paradise lies, remains hidden in them, and without a stirring life.
74. For Christ dwells not substantially therein, as in a true Christian. But their faith's substance is hidden in Christ to the day of the restoration of that which is lost in Adam, when their Paradisical image, which is not manifested in this time, will put on their faith's substance, in God's bestowed grace, which proceeds from one upon all, out of Christ's spirit; for that incorporated grace, viz. the inspoken or inspired Word, stands also in them, and pants after Christ's substantiality.
75. But seeing their substantiality is in the Word, without this place, state and condition, in Christ, where Christ in himself fulfills their faith to God, therefore also will their substantial faith in God put on that incorporated Word in the Paradisical image, together with the same, at the revelation or manifestation of Jesus Christ; and herewith also the whole man.
76. For the Scripture says, Of grace are you saved, and that not of yourselves (Eph. ii. 8), not by your knowing, but through God's mercy and compassion [are you saved]. 2 It lies not in knowing, as if the knowing could receive Christ; but it lies in the gift, viz. in the grace, which Christ gives to the unknowing into their faith in God, as well as to the knowing into their desire: it is done to both of grace.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.