7. And then comes the spiritual man in the Covenant of the new birth, and reproves King Abimelech, viz. the outward life in the spirit of the outward world, for the wells of water which the divine thoughts, viz. the servants of the new man, had digged in the soul's ground, viz. in the eternal centre. Because Abimelech with his servants, viz. the evil earthly thoughts, imaginations and senses, had filled them up with the vain lust of the flesh. This sets forth and represents the wells of water which Abraham's servants, viz. Abraham's faith's desire, had digged in the ens of faith; about which wells Abimelech's servants, viz. the desires of the flesh, have contended for, and continually filled them [up with earth] ; which Isaac's servants do again open in the root of Israel, and at last dig up a well wherein they find of the living water; and there they did pitch their tent, which well signified Christ: for they called the place Beer-sheba, viz. an opening, or a contrition; which signifies the repentance, breaking up, or contrition of the earthly will. In which repentance the water of life, viz. Christ, flows forth.
1 Before. 2 In spiritu mundi, in the cosmic spirit.
8. This whole twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis is a figure, of the poor fallen man in the corrupt kingdom of nature, signifying how he does swim therein, and how the poor soul is tossed to and fro therein, and seeks itself in outward things, and labours to advance its strength and power, and yet finds nowhere any abiding place therein, but wanders from one thing into another, and works now in this, and then in that, and soon in another, and seeks rest, but finds none; until it comes unto Beer-sheba, viz. into humility before God, and then the well of living water springs forth to it, out of God's Covenant.
9. Now although the words in this text of the twenty- sixth chapter do seem to treat only of external things, yet it is nothing else but the spirit in Moses alluding or playing, under the external history, with a spiritual figure of the kingdom of nature, and of the kingdom of Christ; for he begins and speaks of a great famine which was come into the land, for which distress' sake Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.
The inward spiritual figure is this:
10. When God had created Adam, he came into the famine, viz. into the temptation, wherein the soul ought not to eat of the outward kingdom, but of the inward; but seeing it turned itself with its will into the outward kingdom, it did live in the famine, viz. in the hunger after the outward world's substance; and therefore it turned itself unto Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar; that is, to the corrupt kingdom in God's anger, viz. to the heathenish king, and was subject to it.
11. And then the Lord appeared unto it, as here he did to Isaac, and said, Go not into Egypt (that is, you poor depraved soul, go not into the bestial lust), but remain in the land which I shall tell you of; and be you a stranger in this land; that is, remain in my Covenant, and be with the soul a stranger in this house of flesh, wherein the soul is not at home; And look, I will be with you, and bless you; for unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham your father (vv. 2, 3). That is:
7. And then comes the spiritual man in the Covenant of the new birth, and reproves King Abimelech, viz. the outward life in the spirit of the outward world, for the wells of water which the divine thoughts, viz. the servants of the new man, had digged in the soul's ground, viz. in the eternal centre. Because Abimelech with his servants, viz. the evil earthly thoughts, imaginations and senses, had filled them up with the vain lust of the flesh. This sets forth and represents the wells of water which Abraham's servants, viz. Abraham's faith's desire, had digged in the ens of faith; about which wells Abimelech's servants, viz. the desires of the flesh, have contended for, and continually filled them [up with earth] ; which Isaac's servants do again open in the root of Israel, and at last dig up a well wherein they find of the living water; and there they did pitch their tent, which well signified Christ: for they called the place Beer-sheba, viz. an opening, or a contrition; which signifies the repentance, breaking up, or contrition of the earthly will. In which repentance the water of life, viz. Christ, flows forth.
1 Before. 2 In spiritu mundi, in the cosmic spirit.
8. This whole twenty-sixth chapter of Genesis is a figure, of the poor fallen man in the corrupt kingdom of nature, signifying how he does swim therein, and how the poor soul is tossed to and fro therein, and seeks itself in outward things, and labours to advance its strength and power, and yet finds nowhere any abiding place therein, but wanders from one thing into another, and works now in this, and then in that, and soon in another, and seeks rest, but finds none; until it comes unto Beer-sheba, viz. into humility before God, and then the well of living water springs forth to it, out of God's Covenant.
9. Now although the words in this text of the twenty- sixth chapter do seem to treat only of external things, yet it is nothing else but the spirit in Moses alluding or playing, under the external history, with a spiritual figure of the kingdom of nature, and of the kingdom of Christ; for he begins and speaks of a great famine which was come into the land, for which distress' sake Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.
The inward spiritual figure is this:
10. When God had created Adam, he came into the famine, viz. into the temptation, wherein the soul ought not to eat of the outward kingdom, but of the inward; but seeing it turned itself with its will into the outward kingdom, it did live in the famine, viz. in the hunger after the outward world's substance; and therefore it turned itself unto Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar; that is, to the corrupt kingdom in God's anger, viz. to the heathenish king, and was subject to it.
11. And then the Lord appeared unto it, as here he did to Isaac, and said, Go not into Egypt (that is, you poor depraved soul, go not into the bestial lust), but remain in the land which I shall tell you of; and be you a stranger in this land; that is, remain in my Covenant, and be with the soul a stranger in this house of flesh, wherein the soul is not at home; And look, I will be with you, and bless you; for unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham your father (vv. 2, 3). That is:
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