4. As here Rachel despises her sister because she was outwardly fairer and more beautiful than Leah, in that Leah, in the sight of the world, was simple and blear-eyed, and Rachel had the spirit of the world in reason elegantly, as an ornament. And so the Adamical nature in Rachel ruled over the manifested blessing of the Covenant in Leah; to signify that the line of Christ in this world would be manifested in a mean, simple and despised form in men of such-like dispositions.
5. Which men would, by the reason, pomp and beauty of the world, be esteemed fools and blear-eyed; who in such scorn and disregard would go away and sow in tears, but in their inward ground in the line of Christ would bear, and at the end reap in joy: to signify that Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John xviii. 36); that in this world it must be thrown into God's anger and disdain, and into death. And by this throwing-in, satiate the anger of God with love and meekness, and with love spring forth through the anger and death, and bring the proud Lucifer, in the human own- will and fleshly lust, to scorn, and to naught, as an unstable life; which life cannot overpower the divine humility.
6. Which humility springs under all scorn, and also breaks through death and the anger of God, and makes death to be life, and takes from hell the victory, and changes the sting of the false Serpent's essence with sweet love. As we see here by Leah, although she was envied by her sister, as by reason, yet the line of Christ in the Covenant springs forth in her under all scorn, and makes her fruitful, and Rachel barren, till she gave her maid to her husband for a wife. Which signifies the Adamical, viz. the servile line, which in the kingdom of Christ attains the marriage of the line of Christ in the manner of a servant.
7. For Adam has negligently forfeited the line. The right of nature in the kingdom of God was lost in Adam, and attains in the manner of a servant to the marriage, as the maids of Jacob's wives did. Whereby we then see that Rachel, viz. the right self-nature, could not work or bring forth fruit till the line of servitude (under the yoke of the Adamical nature of self-love) did first become fruitful. To signify that the human nature must give itself up to be a servant under the line of Christ; if it will be married in the line of Christ, and be engrafted as an heir of God.
8. And then first springs forth the kingdom of nature in the kingdom of God, and in the blessing becomes fruitful. As Rachel was first fruitful when her maid had brought forth; to signify that Rachel also must be a handmaid to the Covenant of God and the line of Christ. And that the line of Christ in her also [must] be her Lord; so that she also attains the marriage of Christ's line in the manner of a handmaid; and that she had not the line of Christ in her in self -power by the right of nature; but as a gift bestowed of grace, that stands in another Principle.
9. And signifies under it that the line of Christ was not propagated in human self-ability, but that itself does press into their branches, and that the great or high name or stock 1 or tribe of men is not respected; but it presses as soon upon the meanest and most miserable in the world (which are but servants and handmaids), as upon the most high and noble.
4. As here Rachel despises her sister because she was outwardly fairer and more beautiful than Leah, in that Leah, in the sight of the world, was simple and blear-eyed, and Rachel had the spirit of the world in reason elegantly, as an ornament. And so the Adamical nature in Rachel ruled over the manifested blessing of the Covenant in Leah; to signify that the line of Christ in this world would be manifested in a mean, simple and despised form in men of such-like dispositions.
5. Which men would, by the reason, pomp and beauty of the world, be esteemed fools and blear-eyed; who in such scorn and disregard would go away and sow in tears, but in their inward ground in the line of Christ would bear, and at the end reap in joy: to signify that Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John xviii. 36); that in this world it must be thrown into God's anger and disdain, and into death. And by this throwing-in, satiate the anger of God with love and meekness, and with love spring forth through the anger and death, and bring the proud Lucifer, in the human own- will and fleshly lust, to scorn, and to naught, as an unstable life; which life cannot overpower the divine humility.
6. Which humility springs under all scorn, and also breaks through death and the anger of God, and makes death to be life, and takes from hell the victory, and changes the sting of the false Serpent's essence with sweet love. As we see here by Leah, although she was envied by her sister, as by reason, yet the line of Christ in the Covenant springs forth in her under all scorn, and makes her fruitful, and Rachel barren, till she gave her maid to her husband for a wife. Which signifies the Adamical, viz. the servile line, which in the kingdom of Christ attains the marriage of the line of Christ in the manner of a servant.
7. For Adam has negligently forfeited the line. The right of nature in the kingdom of God was lost in Adam, and attains in the manner of a servant to the marriage, as the maids of Jacob's wives did. Whereby we then see that Rachel, viz. the right self-nature, could not work or bring forth fruit till the line of servitude (under the yoke of the Adamical nature of self-love) did first become fruitful. To signify that the human nature must give itself up to be a servant under the line of Christ; if it will be married in the line of Christ, and be engrafted as an heir of God.
8. And then first springs forth the kingdom of nature in the kingdom of God, and in the blessing becomes fruitful. As Rachel was first fruitful when her maid had brought forth; to signify that Rachel also must be a handmaid to the Covenant of God and the line of Christ. And that the line of Christ in her also [must] be her Lord; so that she also attains the marriage of Christ's line in the manner of a handmaid; and that she had not the line of Christ in her in self -power by the right of nature; but as a gift bestowed of grace, that stands in another Principle.
9. And signifies under it that the line of Christ was not propagated in human self-ability, but that itself does press into their branches, and that the great or high name or stock 1 or tribe of men is not respected; but it presses as soon upon the meanest and most miserable in the world (which are but servants and handmaids), as upon the most high and noble.
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