by themselves? That is, God the Father made an allusion, through the essence of the soul in this figure, with Christ's figure in Abraham, and said, What mean your seven properties of our divine nature by themselves? Wherefore, seeing you should regenerate mankind, and dwell in them, will you also set forth your seven properties of our divine nature in a distinct human person? And Christ answered in the figure of Abraham, you shall take seven lambs from my hand, that they may he an eternal testimony unto me, that I have digged this well. That is to say, Christ speaks to his Father in man's person, you shall take the figure or the image of my seven properties of the human creature for an everlasting testimony, that I, in my suffering and death, have again digged the well-spring of eternal life in the human property; that man's new-digged fountain of life is mine.
20. And the spirit in Moses speaks wholly under a veil; therefore, or from hence, the place was called Beer-sheba: this is, the very precious place where God the Father and his Son in the humanity sware both of them together. The place was called Beer-sheba, viz. a bruising of death by the will of him that lives and sees in the disappeared humanity, where, in Christ's humanity (which he assumed from us men), death was bruised, and broken in pieces; and the wellspring of love did flow forth again out of the living God in our bruised humanity of the heavenly part into the soul's creatural fountain. Now the spirit of Moses speaks here very pregnantly, that the place was called Beer-sheba, where the testimony of this oath (viz. a fountain of grace) was established.
21. And the place of God at Beer-sheba is shown to us poor men, where God the Father has made an everlasting Covenant with us in Christ Jesus, viz. in the penitent contrite soul. When the poor soul in this precious Covenant and oath does wholly give up itself to repentance, with a broken and contrite heart; then the oath of God in the Covenant of Jesus Christ stands open to it in Beer-sheba, viz. in the soul's contrition; where God in Christ Jesus has sworn that he will not destroy the poor soul, and its children and grand-children; nor do any hurt to this land of the soul, viz. to the body of the humanity.
22. Thus now we ought steadfastly to trust our dear Immanuel, Jesus Christ, who has sworn a precious oath to his Father, in our soul's property, that he will not turn away his mercy and love from us. We should but come to him in Beer-sheba, and receive the oath as our own; that is, with contrite penitent hearts.
23. And Moses says further: When this was done, then Abimelech arose, and Phichol his field-captain, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. That is to say, when God the Father had given over the humanity to his Son, Jesus Christ, with this Covenant and oath, then he went with his regiment [or host], viz. with Phichol, that is, with the outward nature, again into the land of the Philistines; that is, into the dominion or regiment of the outward and inward nature, which is Philistrean [ Philistineal], that is, inclined to good and evil. This denotes that the poor soul, although it has taken on it the Covenant and oath of God, and sworn with Christ to God, yet it must in this lifetime dwell in the earthly body, viz. under the heathenish Philistrean [ Philistine] essence of the flesh; which is a constant adversary to this King Abimelech, viz. to the poor soul, and only forsakes the Covenant and oath; and brings itself in its Philistrean [Philistine], selfish, lustful concupiscence and desires, into selfhood, as into its own land.
by themselves? That is, God the Father made an allusion, through the essence of the soul in this figure, with Christ's figure in Abraham, and said, What mean your seven properties of our divine nature by themselves? Wherefore, seeing you should regenerate mankind, and dwell in them, will you also set forth your seven properties of our divine nature in a distinct human person? And Christ answered in the figure of Abraham, you shall take seven lambs from my hand, that they may he an eternal testimony unto me, that I have digged this well. That is to say, Christ speaks to his Father in man's person, you shall take the figure or the image of my seven properties of the human creature for an everlasting testimony, that I, in my suffering and death, have again digged the well-spring of eternal life in the human property; that man's new-digged fountain of life is mine.
20. And the spirit in Moses speaks wholly under a veil; therefore, or from hence, the place was called Beer-sheba: this is, the very precious place where God the Father and his Son in the humanity sware both of them together. The place was called Beer-sheba, viz. a bruising of death by the will of him that lives and sees in the disappeared humanity, where, in Christ's humanity (which he assumed from us men), death was bruised, and broken in pieces; and the wellspring of love did flow forth again out of the living God in our bruised humanity of the heavenly part into the soul's creatural fountain. Now the spirit of Moses speaks here very pregnantly, that the place was called Beer-sheba, where the testimony of this oath (viz. a fountain of grace) was established.
21. And the place of God at Beer-sheba is shown to us poor men, where God the Father has made an everlasting Covenant with us in Christ Jesus, viz. in the penitent contrite soul. When the poor soul in this precious Covenant and oath does wholly give up itself to repentance, with a broken and contrite heart; then the oath of God in the Covenant of Jesus Christ stands open to it in Beer-sheba, viz. in the soul's contrition; where God in Christ Jesus has sworn that he will not destroy the poor soul, and its children and grand-children; nor do any hurt to this land of the soul, viz. to the body of the humanity.
22. Thus now we ought steadfastly to trust our dear Immanuel, Jesus Christ, who has sworn a precious oath to his Father, in our soul's property, that he will not turn away his mercy and love from us. We should but come to him in Beer-sheba, and receive the oath as our own; that is, with contrite penitent hearts.
23. And Moses says further: When this was done, then Abimelech arose, and Phichol his field-captain, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. That is to say, when God the Father had given over the humanity to his Son, Jesus Christ, with this Covenant and oath, then he went with his regiment [or host], viz. with Phichol, that is, with the outward nature, again into the land of the Philistines; that is, into the dominion or regiment of the outward and inward nature, which is Philistrean [ Philistineal], that is, inclined to good and evil. This denotes that the poor soul, although it has taken on it the Covenant and oath of God, and sworn with Christ to God, yet it must in this lifetime dwell in the earthly body, viz. under the heathenish Philistrean [ Philistine] essence of the flesh; which is a constant adversary to this King Abimelech, viz. to the poor soul, and only forsakes the Covenant and oath; and brings itself in its Philistrean [Philistine], selfish, lustful concupiscence and desires, into selfhood, as into its own land.
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