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Having showed that the "Literal must precede the Spiritual," as is
declared in the 36th of Ezekiel, 24 to 28, in relation to their "Restoration"
taking place before God gives them "a new Spirit," or the
Spiritual; and then having proved the superiority of Jacob's or Israel's Blessing over "all
his Brethren," and all Gentiles, Christians, consequently included, after their
four monarchies or Beasts of Daniel shall have been destroyed, I will now show in
what particulars Israel's Blessing is superior to Esau's. First, then, Israel's
descendants have, according to God's word, Three Crowns promised them--
1st. The Crown of the Coming Kingdom--see Micah iv. 8. The "First
Dominion, the Kingdom, shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem," which
is Mount Zion, (where David lays,) and this Mount Zion is the "Tower of the
Flock" from whence he will send the "Rod of his Strength." See Psa. cx. 2.
2d. The Crown of the Shechinah Glory--see Isa. xlvi.
13; xliii. 7; xxiv. 23; iv. 5; Luke ii. 32; Rom. ix. 4.
3d. The Crown of the Priesthood--see Exod. xix. 6. The most
ancient Targum of Onkelos says, a "Nation of Kings and Priests."
Israel has also the two Greatest Blessings--
1st. The "BIRTHRIGHT" that Esau sold to Jacob for a mess of
Pottage, (Gen. xxv. 33,) which "Birthright" and "Blessing," as the
First-Born, rightly belonged to Esau, (see verse 25,) before he sold it to Jacob. The
special privilege of the Birthright of the First-born was that of being "Sanctified
and Redeemed unto the Lord," See Num. iii. 13 and 46; viii. 17; and
xviii. 15; Exod. xiii. 13.
2d. Jacob's, or Israel's, Blessing above all his Brethren, and above
all the Nations. "Let People serve thee, and Nations bow down to thee; be Lord over
thy Brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee," &c. Gen. xxvii. 29. All
this, the Sale of the Birthright included, and this most sweeping sale of
all the POWER and DOMINION, and of the greatest of all other blessings of being
"Sanctified and Redeemed unto the Lord," was all made over to Jacob, which is
Israel, for a poor, mean mess of Pottage, by a fair bona-fide sale. This
was by far the greatest and most important sale that was ever made since the Creation of
the World, and for the most insignificant sum; because Esau thought he was going to die,
and not caring or thinking of his Posterity, in case he should recover. Christians, what a
wise, or rather unwise predecessor your Forefather Edom, or Esau, was! Exactly as
Jacob supplanted him, just so Israel will supplant you, when the "times of the
Gentiles shall be fulfilled."
Now mark, there are but two ways of obtaining the "Blessing" of
Israel, or rather with Israel, and that is either by the "Birthright"
or by Adoption; and except ye obtain them from that Family of "Kings and
Priests" that now has all the Promises and Blessings, ye cannot ever obtain
them. By the first, that is by Birthright, none of the Blessings can ever be obtained,
because the sale has forever been made and recorded, and can never be revoked;
but by the second, viz. by Adoption with Israel, you may; and the only way by adoption is,
to enter by c i r c u m c i s i o n (see Gen. xvii. 13, 14) and by a change
of name, for the Word of the Living God must and will be fulfilled upon
Edom, or Esau, which is,--for "Ye shall leave your name for a curse
unto my chosen, for the Lord shall slay thee (see Obad.) and call his servants by another
name." See Isai. lxv. 15.
I intend hereafter to show who Edom, or Esau, is, and this I will do from Scripture
testimony, from Sacred and Profane History, and from God's own witnesses, and witnesses to
whom God himself declares "will not lie." See Isai. lxii. 8.
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