29. Therefore, dear children of God, albeit you oftentimes must serve wicked lords and people, and be accounted as bond-slaves, as it yet at present so falls out; yet think that you also serve God therein; for as you in your hearts and mouths do build God's kingdom to your possession, so you must likewise with your hands help your masters to build their hellish seat; for you are God's instruments, fit enough for all kinds of structure. You must not do it from your choice and well-liking, but from the command of God you must do it.
30. For in that the potent do compel the poor, and force them into servitude and slavery, that he does from his god, viz. From the kingdom of nature, from the stars, and from selfhood, wherein he builds up the house of his wonders to the kingdom of nature. This is his office, whereunto his god uses him; and it is also a great wonder before the eternity; but it arises from the divided tongue, where the properties entered into selfhood, each in itself; over which the strongest domineer. Unto all these, viz. to the kingdom of nature, the earthly man must be subject, understand the outward man, else he resists the kingdom of nature, viz. the formed word.
31. Now it does not belong to the children of God to resist or oppose, but to do all for God's sake, whereto alone God will use them; they must think that they in this world, and in the eternity, are
God's servants, and will serve him in his order [or ordinance].
32. We do not hereby judge or condemn the worldly magistracy and order; but we show the ground of all mysteries. Dominion and rule arises out of the kingdom of nature, and may indeed enter into God's kingdom, if it manages its authority and power as a servant of God in the kingdom of nature, and not as a self-willed god, who will do what he please. If rulers acknowledge and behave themselves as God's stewards and officers in his kingdom of nature, and transgress not the order of nature, and do not advance themselves higher than the office of nature sets them, and so make themselves petty gods [to command and impose what their will and lust leads them to, then well and good; but if it be otherwise], they shall find it as God said to Abraham, This people, whom they must serve, I will judge.
The fortieth Chapter
Of the History, and exceeding wonderful
Typification of God's Spirit concerning
Hagar, Sarah's Maid, and her Son Ishmael,
and his Rejection from the Heirship and
Inheritance of Isaac
I. WHOSOEVER will read the acts of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 1 and rightly understand what the spirit of God does signify and mean by the same, he must not look upon them only as a history, as if nothing else were couched therein than an outward achievement or relation of an act or thing done: The whole kingdom of Christ, together with the kingdom of nature, is therein set forth exactly; not only the work of man's redemption, but also what men, how or what in man, shall possess and inherit God's kingdom; not as the Jews boast, that they alone are God's people: No, it is far otherwise, God looks not upon one sort or generation of mankind, but upon the stem or root of the tree.
1 Gen. xvi.
2. In the two brethren, viz. in Isaac and Ishmael, both kingdoms are typified, viz. in Ishmael the kingdom of nature, and in Isaac the kingdom of grace. And thus also in Esau and Jacob; for at present two lines went forth out of Abraham, viz. Japheth's and Shem's. Ishmael was the first, as Japheth among Noah's children. And so likewise Cain among Adam's children; these point at the kingdom of nature, which has its original out of the Father's property, and must always be the first, if a creature shall be brought forth [or to the producing of a creature].
29. Therefore, dear children of God, albeit you oftentimes must serve wicked lords and people, and be accounted as bond-slaves, as it yet at present so falls out; yet think that you also serve God therein; for as you in your hearts and mouths do build God's kingdom to your possession, so you must likewise with your hands help your masters to build their hellish seat; for you are God's instruments, fit enough for all kinds of structure. You must not do it from your choice and well-liking, but from the command of God you must do it.
30. For in that the potent do compel the poor, and force them into servitude and slavery, that he does from his god, viz. From the kingdom of nature, from the stars, and from selfhood, wherein he builds up the house of his wonders to the kingdom of nature. This is his office, whereunto his god uses him; and it is also a great wonder before the eternity; but it arises from the divided tongue, where the properties entered into selfhood, each in itself; over which the strongest domineer. Unto all these, viz. to the kingdom of nature, the earthly man must be subject, understand the outward man, else he resists the kingdom of nature, viz. the formed word.
31. Now it does not belong to the children of God to resist or oppose, but to do all for God's sake, whereto alone God will use them; they must think that they in this world, and in the eternity, are
God's servants, and will serve him in his order [or ordinance].
32. We do not hereby judge or condemn the worldly magistracy and order; but we show the ground of all mysteries. Dominion and rule arises out of the kingdom of nature, and may indeed enter into God's kingdom, if it manages its authority and power as a servant of God in the kingdom of nature, and not as a self-willed god, who will do what he please. If rulers acknowledge and behave themselves as God's stewards and officers in his kingdom of nature, and transgress not the order of nature, and do not advance themselves higher than the office of nature sets them, and so make themselves petty gods [to command and impose what their will and lust leads them to, then well and good; but if it be otherwise], they shall find it as God said to Abraham, This people, whom they must serve, I will judge.
The forties Chapter
Of the History, and exceeding wonderful
Typification of God's Spirit concerning
Hagar, Sarah's Maid, and her Son Ishmael,
and his Rejection from the Heirship and
Inheritance of Isaac
I. WHOSOEVER will read the acts of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 1 and rightly understand what the spirit of God does signify and mean by the same, he must not look upon them only as a history, as if nothing else were couched therein than an outward achievement or relation of an act or thing done: The whole kingdom of Christ, together with the kingdom of nature, is therein set forth exactly; not only the work of man's redemption, but also what men, how or what in man, shall possess and inherit God's kingdom; not as the Jews boast, that they alone are God's people: No, it is far otherwise, God looks not upon one sort or generation of mankind, but upon the stem or root of the tree.
1 Gen. xvi.
2. In the two brethren, viz. in Isaac and Ishmael, both kingdoms are typified, viz. in Ishmael the kingdom of nature, and in Isaac the kingdom of grace. And thus also in Esau and Jacob; for at present two lines went forth out of Abraham, viz. Japheth's and Shem's. Ishmael was the first, as Japheth among Noah's children. And so likewise Cain among Adam's children; these point at the kingdom of nature, which has its original out of the Father's property, and must always be the first, if a creature shall be brought forth [or to the producing of a creature].
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