Lord's chosen, elected, predestinated means of teaching his people
a lesson of instruction that covers the whole ground of every
Christian's state and experience from the alpha to the omega.

Every true child of God possesses two distinct natures. A knowledge of
this wonderful truth lies within the range of every one's experience.
But it is equally confirmed by divine revelation. Paul calls the one
nature or consciousness the OUTWARD MAN, and the other the INWARD MAN.
The one bears the image of the first Adam, and is of "_the earth
earthy_;" the other bears the image of the last Adam who is the Lord,
"_and is heavenly_." Esau represents the first; and, as such, he can
not inherit the heavenly birthright, because he is carnal, and "flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven."

As the antitype of this great truth which underlies the scheme of
redemption, God could not but "hate Esau," because "the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are not of the
Father, but are of the world." "But Jacob he loved," because Jacob is
the child "_born of God_" in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, "_the
inner man_," which after God, is "created in righteousness and true
holiness." "The elder shall serve the younger." This means that "the
natural body" must be brought under subjection and serve "the
spiritual body." For "there is a natural body" first born, and "there
is a spiritual body" last born.

In another place Paul uses lofty terms to designate these two. He there
calls the one "the earthly house of this tabernacle," which must perish;
the other "a building of God, a house not made with hands"--God's
hands--"eternal in the heavens." The reason why he says "in the
heavens" is because it is in the light of heaven; just as he says in