65. For Ishmael was run away from God in the womb; which signifies the fugitive runagate nature of man in selfhood; and in the mother's womb God sent him an angel to recall him. Noting, that all wicked men are called inwardly by the voice of God while they are yet in the womb, and also the time of their whole life, in their own essence and being; only, the natural will of selfhood stops its hearing, so ,that the voice of God is not manifest therein.
66. That is, like as the sun shines all day long, and gives itself unto every essence which will but receive its power; so likewise the voice of God sounds through all men, to recall [and reclaim] them, the whole time of their life: so soon as the seed is sown in the womb, the voice of God is sounding [or working] therein to a good fruit. But on the contrary, also the voice of God's anger sounds in the essence of man's selfhood; there is a continual combat betwixt them; as with heat and cold; that which gets victory, of that is the fruit; this strife continues as long as man lives in this world.
67. Therefore we declare with good ground, that men ought not to make conclusions concerning the children of God's saints; as if God had so, out of his purpose, begotten one to condemnation, and hardened him that he could not come to the adoption; and chosen in himself another, that he could not be lost; it is a mere groundless fiction. [There is no footing or foundation at all for it, either in the book of nature or in the holy Scripture, it proceeds from the abyss and bottomless smoky pit of darkness and hypocrisy.]
68. By the tribes 2 of the saints (in whom the divine Covenant has opened itself; viz. by the patriarchs, as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) there are always two figures represented, viz. Christ, and Adam, a good, and an evil man.
1 Or, would take the inheritance. 2 Or, the stems.
69. Cain, Ham, Ishmael and Esau, were types of the corrupt man, and Abel, Shem, Isaac and Jacob, were types of Christ, who opened himself in this line, and set himself forth before the corrupt children of Adam as a light and preacher, to convert them.
70. For God has not sent his Son to condemn the world (John iii. 17), viz. the poor corrupt man, but he has therefore sent him into the world among the Godless crew of evil men, to teach and call them; and those who have a willing desire to hear he will save. Even those that have but a sparkle of the divine ens in them, which is capable of hearing, the quickening and renewing voice of Christ does cry and call in that little spark which is in all these; that is, it blows up that little spark, that it may become a divine fire.
71. And that we may open wide the eyes of the blind, self-named Christendom, and also of the Jews in their boasting, that they may not so brag, and stand upon their knowledge, as if they alone were the children of God, because they know the name of God, and flatter themselves with the knowing it, and condemn other people, who are deprived of knowing as they know, and have introduced another knowledge, as they, alas ! do most blindly; in so much, that one nation and people does exercise [or evilly entreat] another: Know, that Cain, Ham, Ishmael and Esau, are the types of the Turks and heathen, whom God blessed in Ishmael; and gave them to possess the princely dominions in his kingdom of this world, and cast them out in their own contrived knowledge from the knowledge of the adoption 1 of Christ; as he cast out Ishmael; but recalls them in the womb, by the angel of the great counsel, unto the free, viz. to God's goods, that they should return to him.
1 Or, sonship.
65. For Ishmael was run away from God in the womb; which signifies the fugitive runagate nature of man in selfhood; and in the mother's womb God sent him an angel to recall him. Noting, that all wicked men are called inwardly by the voice of God while they are yet in the womb, and also the time of their whole life, in their own essence and being; only, the natural will of selfhood stops its hearing, so ,that the voice of God is not manifest therein.
66. That is, like as the sun shines all day long, and gives itself unto every essence which will but receive its power; so likewise the voice of God sounds through all men, to recall [and reclaim] them, the whole time of their life: so soon as the seed is sown in the womb, the voice of God is sounding [or working] therein to a good fruit. But on the contrary, also the voice of God's anger sounds in the essence of man's selfhood; there is a continual combat betwixt them; as with heat and cold; that which gets victory, of that is the fruit; this strife continues as long as man lives in this world.
67. Therefore we declare with good ground, that men ought not to make conclusions concerning the children of God's saints; as if God had so, out of his purpose, begotten one to condemnation, and hardened him that he could not come to the adoption; and chosen in himself another, that he could not be lost; it is a mere groundless fiction. [There is no footing or foundation at all for it, either in the book of nature or in the holy Scripture, it proceeds from the abyss and bottomless smoky pit of darkness and hypocrisy.]
68. By the tribes 2 of the saints (in whom the divine Covenant has opened itself; viz. by the patriarchs, as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) there are always two figures represented, viz. Christ, and Adam, a good, and an evil man.
1 Or, would take the inheritance. 2 Or, the stems.
69. Cain, Ham, Ishmael and Esau, were types of the corrupt man, and Abel, Shem, Isaac and Jacob, were types of Christ, who opened himself in this line, and set himself forth before the corrupt children of Adam as a light and preacher, to convert them.
70. For God has not sent his Son to condemn the world (John iii. 17), viz. the poor corrupt man, but he has therefore sent him into the world among the Godless crew of evil men, to teach and call them; and those who have a willing desire to hear he will save. Even those that have but a sparkle of the divine ens in them, which is capable of hearing, the quickening and renewing voice of Christ does cry and call in that little spark which is in all these; that is, it blows up that little spark, that it may become a divine fire.
71. And that we may open wide the eyes of the blind, self-named Christendom, and also of the Jews in their boasting, that they may not so brag, and stand upon their knowledge, as if they alone were the children of God, because they know the name of God, and flatter themselves with the knowing it, and condemn other people, who are deprived of knowing as they know, and have introduced another knowledge, as they, alas ! do most blindly; in so much, that one nation and people does exercise [or evilly entreat] another: Know, that Cain, Ham, Ishmael and Esau, are the types of the Turks and heathen, whom God blessed in Ishmael; and gave them to possess the princely dominions in his kingdom of this world, and cast them out in their own contrived knowledge from the knowledge of the adoption 1 of Christ; as he cast out Ishmael; but recalls them in the womb, by the angel of the great counsel, unto the free, viz. to God's goods, that they should return to him.
1 Or, sonship.
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