16. Gen. xxv. 23.
POLITICAL WRITINGS 337 there perfect bliss will dawn on us. // / prefer not Jerusalem in the height of my joy.
Then he tumeth to God in prayer against the enemies of that city. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom. Edom is the same who is also called Esau: for ye heard just now the words of the Apostle read, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ^^ Two sons were there in one womb, both twins, in the womb of Rebecca, sons of Isaac, grandsons of Abraham: both were bom; one to inheritance, the other to disinheritance. But Esau was his brother's enemy, because he, the younger, forestalled his blessing, and the prophecy was fulfilled, the younger shall serve the elder. ^^ Who then the elder is, and who the younger, and who the elder that shall serve the younger, we now understand. Elder seemed to be the people of the Jews, younger in point of time the Christians. And see how the elder serveth the younger. They carry our Scriptures, we live by their Scriptures. But that ye may understand the elder and younger generally of all mankind, the elder meaneth 5ie carnal man, the younger the spiritual man, for first is the carnal, afterward the spiritual. Thou fiuQdest the Apostle saying clearly. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the Heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. But above this he had said, Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual. By natural he meaneth the same as he
15. Rom. ix. 13. 16. Gen. xxv. 23.
338 ST. AUGUSTINE also calleth carnal. Man, when he is born, is at first natural, carnal. If he turn from his captivity in Babylon to return to Jerusalem, he is renewed, and there happeneth a renewal according to the new and inner man, which is younger in time, greater in power. Esau then signifieth all the carnal, Jacob all the spiritual: the younger the elect, the elder the reprobate. Doth he wish himself too to be of the elect? Let him become a younger son. Moreover, he is called Edom, from a certain red pottage of lentils, a red kind of food. Well boiled were the bruised lentils: Esau desired them of his brother Jacob, and, overcome by lust for eating those lentils, yielded to him his birthright. Jacob gave up the pleasant food, received the honour of preeminence. Hence, by a kind of bargain between them, it came to pass that the younger became the elder, the elder the younger, and the elder served the younger. And the elder was called Edom, which meaneth, according to them who know that language, 'blood,' for in Carthaginian too, blood is called 'Edom.* Wonder not: all carnal men belong to blood. Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God.^'^ To that Edom belongeth not: Jacob belongeth, who gave up fleshly food, and received spiritual honour. So the other became his enemy. All carnal persons are enemies to spiritual persons, for all such, desiring present things, persecute those whom they see to long for things eternal. Against these the
Psalmist, looking back to Jerusalem, and beseeching God that he may be delivered from captivity, saith—what? Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom. Deliver us from carnal men, from those who imitate Esau, who are elder brethren, yet
17. 1 Cor. XV. 50.
POLITICAL WRITINGS 339 enemies. They were first-bom, but the last-born have won the preeminence, for the lust of the flesh hath cast down the former, the contempt of lust hath lifted up the latter. The other hve, and envy, and persecute.
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem. The day of Jerusalem, wherein it was tried, wherein it was held captive, or the day of Jerusalem's happiness, wherein it is freed, wherein it reaches its goal, wherein it is made partaker of eternity? Remember, saith he, O Lord, forget not, the children of Edom. Which? Those who said. Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. Remember then, it means, that day wherein they willed to overthrow Jerusalem. For how great persecutions hath the Church suffered! How did the children of Edom, that is, carnal men, servants of the devil and his angels, who worshipped stocks and stones, and followed the lusts of the flesh, how did they say, 'Extirpate the
Christians, destroy the Christians, let not one remain, overthrow them even to the foundation!' Have not these things been said? And when they were said, the persecutors were rejected, the martyrs crowned. They said. Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. The sons of Edom say, *Rase it, rase it:' God saith, 'Serve.' Whose words can prevail, save God's, Who saith. The elder shall serve the younger? Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
Then he tumeth himself to her, O daughter of Babylon, unhappy; unhappy in thy very exulting, thy presumption, thine enmity; unhappy daughter of Babylon! The city is called both Babylon, and daughter of Babylon: just as they speak of 'Jerusalem' and 'the daughter of Jerusalem,' 'Sion' and