17. St Paul says, Give your members to be weapons of righteousness (Rom. vi. 13). For why do men fight (James iv. 1)? For the kingdom of this world; and yet as Christ said, his kingdom was not of this world (John xviii. 36). So also his children's kingdom in him is not of this world. Now then if we give up our body and soul for weapons of God's anger, and seek only thereby self [interests, liberties and privileges of Mammon], and slay one another for the kingdom of this world, I think we are herein Christians indeed in the mouth, but the heart and soul is a heathen, and not born out of Christ's spirit.
18. When Abraham had smitten the heathen, he desired nothing of the goods which he took, but restored to the king of Sodom what the heathen had taken from him, and was only zealous in the Lord. He did not fight for country and kingdom, but to deliver his brother [Lot] ; this was a true zeal, which the Lord drove in him; he did not stand up and fight for country or city, and albeit he obtained it, he desired it not, but went again unto his own place.
19. And here the spirit in Moses speaks very wonderfully and says, that when Abraham returned from the slaughter, that the king of Sodom met him; and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; who was a priest of the most high God, possessor of heaven and of earth, and blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave him tithes: And though we find almost nothing elsewhere in the holy Scripture of this priesthood, yet the same was really in the figure of Christ; for the spirit says, in another place, of Christ, that he was a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
20. Thus the spirit of God does very secretly and mystically represent the figure of Christ by Abraham; and calls him a king of Salem, and a priest of the most high God, viz. a priest of salvation and the holy unction, as it intimates in the sense-all tongue; that is, Christ has blessed Abraham, and brought him forth bread and wine, viz. his flesh and blood; and is the high priest before God, that makes atonement for Abraham and his children.
21. For Abraham had managed the sword of God's anger against the heathen. Now came Melchizedek, and blessed Abraham again (lest the sword of the turba should lay hold on him), and he gave him forth bread and wine, that is, the heavenly ens, which he would introduce into Abraham's seed, and change it into flesh and blood; and here he appeased the Father's anger in the Covenant, as in the type.
22. For this priest with Abraham is really to be understood in a spiritual manner; for although Abraham might have externally a priest after the same manner with him, under the figure of Christ; yet Moses says, he was a priest of God; and said to Abraham, Blessed art you Abraham unto the Most High, who possesses heaven and earth; who has shut up thine enemies into your hands. Here is none other to be understood but Christ, who very often appeared to Abraham in the figure, and blessed him always; for the spirit in Moses calls him also a king of Salem; which is nothing else but a king of salvation.
23. And Abraham gave him tithes: indeed he might have such a priestly order with him, to whom he gave tithes; but this king and priest was he of whom he preached; to whom Abraham gave tithes, viz. the tenth property of the human properties of the fiery tongue of the soul; and the priest gave his bread and wine, and his blessing thereinto, viz. the love-fire, the tincture of the light, together with the heavenly substantiality; that so Abraham, in this bread and wine, might receive the light's tincture into the soul's fiery tincture, and become again a complete image of God; which was separated in Adam with the woman. Therefore Christ, viz. the woman's tincture, gave him again the light's ens, that so the male and female property might become one image or person. This the spirit does here signify in Moses, under the royal priest of Salem.
17. St Paul says, Give your members to be weapons of righteousness (Rom. vi. 13). For why do men fight (James iv. 1)? For the kingdom of this world; and yet as Christ said, his kingdom was not of this world (John xviii. 36). So also his children's kingdom in him is not of this world. Now then if we give up our body and soul for weapons of God's anger, and seek only thereby self [interests, liberties and privileges of Mammon], and slay one another for the kingdom of this world, I think we are herein Christians indeed in the mouth, but the heart and soul is a heathen, and not born out of Christ's spirit.
18. When Abraham had smitten the heathen, he desired nothing of the goods which he took, but restored to the king of Sodom what the heathen had taken from him, and was only zealous in the Lord. He did not fight for country and kingdom, but to deliver his brother [Lot] ; this was a true zeal, which the Lord drove in him; he did not stand up and fight for country or city, and albeit he obtained it, he desired it not, but went again unto his own place.
19. And here the spirit in Moses speaks very wonderfully and says, that when Abraham returned from the slaughter, that the king of Sodom met him; and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; who was a priest of the most high God, possessor of heaven and of earth, and blessed Abraham, and Abraham gave him tithes: And though we find almost nothing elsewhere in the holy Scripture of this priesthood, yet the same was really in the figure of Christ; for the spirit says, in another place, of Christ, that he was a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
20. Thus the spirit of God does very secretly and mystically represent the figure of Christ by Abraham; and calls him a king of Salem, and a priest of the most high God, viz. a priest of salvation and the holy unction, as it intimates in the sense-all tongue; that is, Christ has blessed Abraham, and brought him forth bread and wine, viz. his flesh and blood; and is the high priest before God, that makes atonement for Abraham and his children.
21. For Abraham had managed the sword of God's anger against the heathen. Now came Melchizedek, and blessed Abraham again (lest the sword of the turba should lay hold on him), and he gave him forth bread and wine, that is, the heavenly ens, which he would introduce into Abraham's seed, and change it into flesh and blood; and here he appeased the Father's anger in the Covenant, as in the type.
22. For this priest with Abraham is really to be understood in a spiritual manner; for although Abraham might have externally a priest after the same manner with him, under the figure of Christ; yet Moses says, he was a priest of God; and said to Abraham, Blessed art you Abraham unto the Most High, who possesses heaven and earth; who has shut up your enemies into your hands. Here is none other to be understood but Christ, who very often appeared to Abraham in the figure, and blessed him always; for the spirit in Moses calls him also a king of Salem; which is nothing else but a king of salvation.
23. And Abraham gave him tithes: indeed he might have such a priestly order with him, to whom he gave tithes; but this king and priest was he of whom he preached; to whom Abraham gave tithes, viz. the tenth property of the human properties of the fiery tongue of the soul; and the priest gave his bread and wine, and his blessing thereinto, viz. the love-fire, the tincture of the light, together with the heavenly substantiality; that so Abraham, in this bread and wine, might receive the light's tincture into the soul's fiery tincture, and become again a complete image of God; which was separated in Adam with the woman. Therefore Christ, viz. the woman's tincture, gave him again the light's ens, that so the male and female property might become one image or person. This the spirit does here signify in Moses, under the royal priest of Salem.
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