46. And therefore Ishmael came not to the inheritance of his father's goods, for he had not yet put on Christ in the flesh and spirit. But Isaac had put him on in the Covenant, viz. in the incorporated Word, and had Christ now in the Covenant from God's gift, as a natural right in himself; not from his own power and ability, but from the power of the Giver, even from the power of the Covenant.
47. But now Ishmael must put on the Covenant from Christ, and not from the inherited adoption or childship, as Christ, who had it from God in a childlike [or filial] right. And now Ishmael must do this for the obtaining of it, viz. he must behold himself in the fountain of the seeing and living, as his mother Hagar did, and return again with the lost son to the Father; and fall down before Abraham's feet, that is, his heir, Isaac, in Christ; and pray that he would receive him into his house (which is Christ's humanity, viz. the spiritual world), as a servant and day-labourer; for he has had no more any right to his inheritance; he has been begotten and born only as a step-brother
[or son in law] of a strange mother, viz. of the kingdom of nature.
48. And for their sake Christ came, that he might have mercy on them, for he himself also said, when he was in the flesh, He came not to seek the righteous, but the poor sinner, his brother in Ishmael and Adam, not his line in Isaac; for the whole has no need of the Physician, but the sick, wounded, poor sinner (Luke v. 31, 32).
49. And we will not herein conclude so blindly concerning Predestination, and Election of Grace, as Babel does, which teaches that God has ordained a certain number and company to damnation, and the rest to salvation.
50. If this were so, then nature must needs be limited, confined, and determined, when it should beget and bring forth a child of God, and nothing would be in the free condition or liberty; yea, God must then confine and shut up his unchangeable [one, infinite] will into a beginning and limit, and nothing at all could be free in the human property, but whatsoever anyone did, that must unavoidably so come to pass, let him rob, steal, murder, or blaspheme God, and live as he pleased, it must so be. If this were true, then the Ten Commandments, and all doctrines, teachings and laws were to no purpose, and none need repent, unless God compelled him thereunto.
51. 1 say, whosoever teaches so, he uses and takes the name of God in vain, and horribly profanes the holy name of God, which is free, from eternity, and offers itself to all poor sinners, and bids them all come unto him (Matt. xi. 28).
52. The Covenant was indeed established [set forth] in Isaac, viz. the divine might and dominion; but it was given to no man in the line of the Covenant, but only and alone to the Man, Christ, so that none came, out of a peculiar right, to God, but all in the grace of the One; and God did declare his mercy and compassion in Christ unto all, and without him there was no door of grace to the Jews, viz. Abraham's seed, and also to the Gentiles; all are only children received out of grace, and new born in him; and none, either of the Jews or Gentiles, without the life of Christ [are received to mercy] ; all men who have pressed [or earnestly come] into God, viz. to his grace, those he has all received in the grace which he offers in Christ.
53. Therefore Christ also prayed for his enemies, which knew him not, but crucified him, that God would forgive them in him, and receive them to favour; in which access all nations who knew not Christ in the flesh, but fly to God's grace, have an open gate, and are taken into God's mercy.
54. For, besides [or without] Christ no man comes to the childlike inheritance; to him alone the goods do belong, viz. the hierarchy of men;
as he himself also said, Father, the men were thine, but thou hast given them me, and I give unto them the life eternal (John xvii. 6). And therefore it belongs unto him, because he is God's Son, born of his essence, from eternity.
46. And therefore Ishmael came not to the inheritance of his father's goods, for he had not yet put on Christ in the flesh and spirit. But Isaac had put him on in the Covenant, viz. in the incorporated Word, and had Christ now in the Covenant from God's gift, as a natural right in himself; not from his own power and ability, but from the power of the Giver, even from the power of the Covenant.
47. But now Ishmael must put on the Covenant from Christ, and not from the inherited adoption or childship, as Christ, who had it from God in a childlike [or filial] right. And now Ishmael must do this for the obtaining of it, viz. he must behold himself in the fountain of the seeing and living, as his mother Hagar did, and return again with the lost son to the Father; and fall down before Abraham's feet, that is, his heir, Isaac, in Christ; and pray that he would receive him into his house (which is Christ's humanity, viz. the spiritual world), as a servant and day-labourer; for he has had no more any right to his inheritance; he has been begotten and born only as a step-brother
[or son in law] of a strange mother, viz. of the kingdom of nature.
48. And for their sake Christ came, that he might have mercy on them, for he himself also said, when he was in the flesh, He came not to seek the righteous, but the poor sinner, his brother in Ishmael and Adam, not his line in Isaac; for the whole has no need of the Physician, but the sick, wounded, poor sinner (Luke v. 31, 32).
49. And we will not herein conclude so blindly concerning Predestination, and Election of Grace, as Babel does, which teaches that God has ordained a certain number and company to damnation, and the rest to salvation.
50. If this were so, then nature must needs be limited, confined, and determined, when it should beget and bring forth a child of God, and nothing would be in the free condition or liberty; yea, God must then confine and shut up his unchangeable [one, infinite] will into a beginning and limit, and nothing at all could be free in the human property, but whatsoever anyone did, that must unavoidably so come to pass, let him rob, steal, murder, or blaspheme God, and live as he pleased, it must so be. If this were true, then the Ten Commandments, and all doctrines, teachings and laws were to no purpose, and none need repent, unless God compelled him thereunto.
51. 1 say, whosoever teaches so, he uses and takes the name of God in vain, and horribly profanes the holy name of God, which is free, from eternity, and offers itself to all poor sinners, and bids them all come unto him (Matt. xi. 28).
52. The Covenant was indeed established [set forth] in Isaac, viz. the divine might and dominion; but it was given to no man in the line of the Covenant, but only and alone to the Man, Christ, so that none came, out of a peculiar right, to God, but all in the grace of the One; and God did declare his mercy and compassion in Christ unto all, and without him there was no door of grace to the Jews, viz. Abraham's seed, and also to the Gentiles; all are only children received out of grace, and new born in him; and none, either of the Jews or Gentiles, without the life of Christ [are received to mercy] ; all men who have pressed [or earnestly come] into God, viz. to his grace, those he has all received in the grace which he offers in Christ.
53. Therefore Christ also prayed for his enemies, which knew him not, but crucified him, that God would forgive them in him, and receive them to favour; in which access all nations who knew not Christ in the flesh, but fly to God's grace, have an open gate, and are taken into God's mercy.
54. For, besides [or without] Christ no man comes to the childlike inheritance; to him alone the goods do belong, viz. the hierarchy of men;
as he himself also said, Father, the men were your, but you have given them me, and I give unto them the life eternal (John xvii. 6). And therefore it belongs unto him, because he is God's Son, born of his essence, from eternity.
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