24. And hereby it is signified to the poor Christians, that they must lodge and lie with the new birth in this Philistrean [ Philistine] land or house of flesh, as mere strangers, and cannot be wholly freed in this lifetime. For Phichol, the field-captain of the soul, viz. nature, must have its rule and work in this time, in evil and good, and be a hard cross, and continual temptation to the precious image of Christ, viz. to the new birth; by which cross the noble and dear tree of pearl is moved, stirred, and caused to spring and grow. As a tree which comes out of the earth must grow in heat and cold, in wind, rain and snow, so also must the precious little tree of Jesus Christ, which is a stranger with Abraham in Beer-sheba, viz. in the earthly cottage.
25. And the spirit in Moses speaks further, saying, Abraham planted trees at Beer-sheba, and there preached of the name of the Lord, the ever-living God. And was a stranger in the land of the Philistines a long time.
This is as much as if he should have said: The spirit of Christ in Abraham (when the soul has received the Covenant and oath, that it is contrite in true repentance) does plant trees in Beer-sheba; that is, it brings forth heavenly branches in this penitent heart in the strange land, the earthly man; and preaches, from these new branches, of the name of the eternal God, and dwells a long time, viz. the time of the whole earthly life, in this Philistrean [ Philistine] cottage.
26. And this is a real figure of the poor penitent sinner, which in Christ's spirit becomes a new creature according to the inward man; showing how he must enter into repentance, and plant, out of Christ's spirit, the little tree of Christ in his contrite and truly broken mind; and dwell also with this little pearl-tree of Christ among a company of wicked men in a strange land, viz. in the evil corrupt flesh and blood; and there teach of the name of God, and instruct the heathenish and Philistrean [ Philistine] children, that they, in his preaching, may come to him in Beer-sheba, that is, into true and unfeigned repentance.
27. Thus very exactly does the spirit in Moses play here with the type of Christ under an external history in a simple child-like form; and shows us how we must continually stand in temptation, trials, danger and opposition; and how God does thus wonderfully deliver his children, that even those of whom they are afraid, and do also wish them no good, must at last make a covenant of peace with them in their conscience. And also how the poor soul, by reason of great fears and horror, has no rest in itself unless that it come through earnest repentance in Christ to God, and make a covenant with Christ in God, so that the poor dejected conscience and nature be comforted. Without this there is mere distress, anguish, horror, unsettlement; as happened to Abimelech when he was enkindled in false lust towards Sarah: then God terrified his conscience, that he went to Abraham and humbled himselfbefore him; and with great recompense and gifts made a covenant with him. Thus also it goes with the children of Christ, when they endure temptation and continue steadfast in the faith; then at last their enemies must be ashamed, and return back, as it is to be seen here in this figure.
The Forty-Eighth Chapter
How God Tried Abraham, and set forth the Figure of Christ's Offering in his Suffering and Death (Gen. xxii.)
24. And hereby it is signified to the poor Christians, that they must lodge and lie with the new birth in this Philistrean [ Philistine] land or house of flesh, as mere strangers, and cannot be wholly freed in this lifetime. For Phichol, the field-captain of the soul, viz. nature, must have its rule and work in this time, in evil and good, and be a hard cross, and continual temptation to the precious image of Christ, viz. to the new birth; by which cross the noble and dear tree of pearl is moved, stirred, and caused to spring and grow. As a tree which comes out of the earth must grow in heat and cold, in wind, rain and snow, so also must the precious little tree of Jesus Christ, which is a stranger with Abraham in Beer-sheba, viz. in the earthly cottage.
25. And the spirit in Moses speaks further, saying, Abraham planted trees at Beer-sheba, and there preached of the name of the Lord, the ever-living God. And was a stranger in the land of the Philistines a long time.
This is as much as if he should have said: The spirit of Christ in Abraham (when the soul has received the Covenant and oath, that it is contrite in true repentance) does plant trees in Beer-sheba; that is, it brings forth heavenly branches in this penitent heart in the strange land, the earthly man; and preaches, from these new branches, of the name of the eternal God, and dwells a long time, viz. the time of the whole earthly life, in this Philistrean [ Philistine] cottage.
26. And this is a real figure of the poor penitent sinner, which in Christ's spirit becomes a new creature according to the inward man; showing how he must enter into repentance, and plant, out of Christ's spirit, the little tree of Christ in his contrite and truly broken mind; and dwell also with this little pearl-tree of Christ among a company of wicked men in a strange land, viz. in the evil corrupt flesh and blood; and there teach of the name of God, and instruct the heathenish and Philistrean [ Philistine] children, that they, in his preaching, may come to him in Beer-sheba, that is, into true and unfeigned repentance.
27. Thus very exactly does the spirit in Moses play here with the type of Christ under an external history in a simple child-like form; and shows us how we must continually stand in temptation, trials, danger and opposition; and how God does thus wonderfully deliver his children, that even those of whom they are afraid, and do also wish them no good, must at last make a covenant of peace with them in their conscience. And also how the poor soul, by reason of great fears and horror, has no rest in itself unless that it come through earnest repentance in Christ to God, and make a covenant with Christ in God, so that the poor dejected conscience and nature be comforted. Without this there is mere distress, anguish, horror, unsettlement; as happened to Abimelech when he was enkindled in false lust towards Sarah: then God terrified his conscience, that he went to Abraham and humbled himselfbefore him; and with great recompense and gifts made a covenant with him. Thus also it goes with the children of Christ, when they endure temptation and continue steadfast in the faith; then at last their enemies must be ashamed, and return back, as it is to be seen here in this figure.
The Forty-Eighth Chapter
How God Tried Abraham, and set forth the Figure of Christ's Offering in his Suffering and Death (Gen. xxii.)
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