29. Courteous rabbis and masters of criticisms upon every letter, learn, I pray, to understand the figures of the Old and New Testament, and dispute not about the outward shell of words; look upon the chief ground, why the spirit of God thus speaks, and why it sets down such types and images. And consider what this signifies: that the Holy Ghost, in all the figures of Christ, always sets the youngest before the eldest. Begin at Cain and Abel, and go quite through: and then you will come to rest, and your strife have an end.
30. The time of strife is at an end: Ephraim shall rule over Manasseh. If you do not so, then will the sun dazzle and blind you with its rising, that ye must for ever be blind. Ye would verily see with the eye of the kingdom of nature, and yet ye contemn the eye of grace. But Ephraim attains the natural right of the first birth. Why will ye strive against your father Jacob as if he did not rightly bless? for ye set Manasseh before, and Ephraim following behind. It is made manifest before the eyes of the Most High, who has set Ephraim foremost again: the kingdom of nature in human self should be the servant: and that, ye would not. But the purpose of the Most High goes forward, and ye are all therefore like to go to the ground: there is no preventing of it more.
- 31. Now when Jacob had blessed Joseph and his sons, then he represented a very secret type or image of Christendom upon earth: for thus says Moses, And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: and God will be with you, and will bring you again into the land of your fathers. I have given thee a piece of land beyond your brethren, that I took with my sword and with my bow out of the hand of the Amorites (Gen.
- xlviii. 21,22).
32. Although there may well be an outward figure herein, which indeed is always so, yet this is much more an inward figure of Christendom. For what could Jacob give away of that which he had not in his possession? He had not Shechem in possession, as the glosses upon this text will have it expounded, which look only at some outward thing. So he could not give it severally to Joseph, for Joseph dwelt not there, but he and all his children and children's children died in Egypt.
33. Besides, Jacob said he had taken it with his sword and with his bow out of the hand of the Amorites, which is nowhere to be shown; and yet may well be outwardly done so, seeing he says he has given it to Joseph (as to the type of Christendom), and took it with the sword, therefore it is a figure and secret speech.
34. For Jacob says, Behold, I die, and ye shall come again into this land: God will bring you thereinto. This first points at Christ, who should come out of Jacob's Covenant which God had in him. When that should die according to our humanity then would God bring Israel again into the land of God's Covenant, and the Covenant has a piece of land in this world that at all times would be a dwelling for Christendom upon earth; although that piece of land would be of ten turned with Manas seh and Ephraim from one place to another.
35. That same piece of land or Christian habitation has Christ taken with his bow and sword of the spirit, and subdued the princes of this world in his victory, that Christendom should have this at all times upon earth. Whereby then we see that Christendom should have the smallest victory upon earth, so that its kingdom is like a remaining overplus piece of land; that so the name of Christ might therein be outwardly known and acknowledged.
36. Further, it is the most excellent figure concerning Israel, which with Jacob, that is, with the rising of the kingdom of Christ, would die. That is, the Jewish polity and government would be suppressed, but God would in the last time bring them into this land, viz. into the true Covenant in Christ; for he has reserved this piece of land beforehand, that they should possess the same again; which Babel believes not. But their time is near, for the fullness of the heathen is at an end.
29. Courteous rabbis and masters of criticisms upon every letter, learn, I pray, to understand the figures of the Old and New Testament, and dispute not about the outward shell of words; look upon the chief ground, why the spirit of God thus speaks, and why it sets down such types and images. And consider what this signifies: that the Holy Ghost, in all the figures of Christ, always sets the youngest before the eldest. Begin at Cain and Abel, and go quite through: and then you will come to rest, and your strife have an end.
30. The time of strife is at an end: Ephraim shall rule over Manasseh. If you do not so, then will the sun dazzle and blind you with its rising, that you must for ever be blind. You would verily see with the eye of the kingdom of nature, and yet you contemn the eye of grace. But Ephraim attains the natural right of the first birth. Why will you strive against your father Jacob as if he did not rightly bless? for you set Manasseh before, and Ephraim following behind. It is made manifest before the eyes of the Most High, who has set Ephraim foremost again: the kingdom of nature in human self should be the servant: and that, you would not. But the purpose of the Most High goes forward, and you are all therefore like to go to the ground: there is no preventing of it more.
- 31. Now when Jacob had blessed Joseph and his sons, then he represented a very secret type or image of Christendom upon earth: for thus says Moses, And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: and God will be with you, and will bring you again into the land of your fathers. I have given you a piece of land beyond your brethren, that I took with my sword and with my bow out of the hand of the Amorites (Gen.
- xlviii. 21,22).
32. Although there may well be an outward figure herein, which indeed is always so, yet this is much more an inward figure of Christendom. For what could Jacob give away of that which he had not in his possession? He had not Shechem in possession, as the glosses upon this text will have it expounded, which look only at some outward thing. So he could not give it severally to Joseph, for Joseph dwelt not there, but he and all his children and children's children died in Egypt.
33. Besides, Jacob said he had taken it with his sword and with his bow out of the hand of the Amorites, which is nowhere to be shown; and yet may well be outwardly done so, seeing he says he has given it to Joseph (as to the type of Christendom), and took it with the sword, therefore it is a figure and secret speech.
34. For Jacob says, Behold, I die, and you shall come again into this land: God will bring you thereinto. This first points at Christ, who should come out of Jacob's Covenant which God had in him. When that should die according to our humanity then would God bring Israel again into the land of God's Covenant, and the Covenant has a piece of land in this world that at all times would be a dwelling for Christendom upon earth; although that piece of land would be of ten turned with Manas seh and Ephraim from one place to another.
35. That same piece of land or Christian habitation has Christ taken with his bow and sword of the spirit, and subdued the princes of this world in his victory, that Christendom should have this at all times upon earth. Whereby then we see that Christendom should have the smallest victory upon earth, so that its kingdom is like a remaining overplus piece of land; that so the name of Christ might therein be outwardly known and acknowledged.
36. Further, it is the most excellent figure concerning Israel, which with Jacob, that is, with the rising of the kingdom of Christ, would die. That is, the Jewish polity and government would be suppressed, but God would in the last time bring them into this land, viz. into the true Covenant in Christ; for he has reserved this piece of land beforehand, that they should possess the same again; which Babel believes not. But their time is near, for the fullness of the heathen is at an end.
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