50. For God's spirit has not done such wonders for the history's sake of a plain simple shepherd, as it stands in the outward form of it; and has so exactly expressed those things in writing, as if he were so much concerned in a history, that he has preserved it among all people, and suffered it to be proclaimed for his word. No, sure: but for this cause; that under such plain, simple, historical relations is signified (and wherewith God's spirit in the figure alludes at), that which is future, eternal. Therefore should men look upon the Scripture of the old Testament with clearer eyes, for the whole New Testament is couched under it in the figure of the plain simple acts or actions.
51. When God had blessed Jacob, then Jacob called the place Peniel (Gen. xxxii. 29, 30). That is, God's inspection into the soul, where God is manifest in the soul. Then says the soul, I have seen God face to face in me, and my soul is preserved in this inspection. And when he passed over Peniel the sun arose to him. That is, when God's sun, viz. his power, is manifest in the soul, then the essence of the soul carries the power in itself; and then the divine sun arises in the soul's essence, and then the Father has there begotten his Son in the soul, which is the sun of righteousness, as also the divine love and joy. And then self-nature halts, for the sinew of its natural will is displaced, so that the self-will is lame in its ability; as here Jacob. And the text of Moses says, Hereupon the children of Israel eat not of the sinew upon the ham of the thigh, to this day: because the sinew of the ham of Jacob's thigh was touched.
52. This shows clearly that Jacob and his children understood this mystery, and have instituted a memorial in this sinew. For what does that which was done to Jacob concern a beast? The sinew of a beast is not therefore displaced or venomed: only, the children of the saints looked upon the ground of the divine mystery.
53. Concerning which the present Jews are very blind, and hang only on the Law. If they did so eagerly seek after Jacob's sun as they cleave fast to the Law, then would that sinew in them also be displaced, and they would not so hunt after covetousness and gain: But they wash the outside of their cups and dishes, and inwardly remain foul(Matt. xxiii. 25; Luke xi. 39).
54. Even as Christendom cleaves to the history, viz. to the purple mantle of Christ, and hunt away Christ in his power from them, and will not, with Jacob, have the sinew of the wild bestial properties of the voluptuous will of flesh displaced and lamed, but walk nimbly with the beast, under the mantle of Christ.
55. This displaced sinew signifies that Adam in his innocency, before his Eve, was not such a gross beast as afterwards. Therefore when the spirit of Christ in the Covenant was manifested in Jacob, then it touched the bestial ham of his thigh. To signify that in Christ it should be broken and cease, so that a spiritual man should arise from death, and not such a gross bestial man.
The Sixty-First Chapter
The Excellent and Wonderful Figure, showing how Jacob and Esau met, and how all Heart-burning and Evil will was changed into great Joy, Kindness, and Compassion: What is to be understood thereby [Gen. xxxiii.]
- 1. AT this text blind reason should better open its eyes than hitherto it has done, and better consider the figure of Jacob and Esau, and learn rightly to understand the decree concerning Jacob and Esau; where the Scripture says, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated, when the children lay yet in the mother's womb, and had done neither good nor evil, that the purpose of God might stand (Mai. i. 2, 3; Rom.
- ix. 13).
50. For God's spirit has not done such wonders for the history's sake of a plain simple shepherd, as it stands in the outward form of it; and has so exactly expressed those things in writing, as if he were so much concerned in a history, that he has preserved it among all people, and suffered it to be proclaimed for his word. No, sure: but for this cause; that under such plain, simple, historical relations is signified (and wherewith God's spirit in the figure alludes at), that which is future, eternal. Therefore should men look upon the Scripture of the old Testament with clearer eyes, for the whole New Testament is couched under it in the figure of the plain simple acts or actions.
51. When God had blessed Jacob, then Jacob called the place Peniel (Gen. xxxii. 29, 30). That is, God's inspection into the soul, where God is manifest in the soul. Then says the soul, I have seen God face to face in me, and my soul is preserved in this inspection. And when he passed over Peniel the sun arose to him. That is, when God's sun, viz. his power, is manifest in the soul, then the essence of the soul carries the power in itself; and then the divine sun arises in the soul's essence, and then the Father has there begotten his Son in the soul, which is the sun of righteousness, as also the divine love and joy. And then self-nature halts, for the sinew of its natural will is displaced, so that the self-will is lame in its ability; as here Jacob. And the text of Moses says, Hereupon the children of Israel eat not of the sinew upon the ham of the thigh, to this day: because the sinew of the ham of Jacob's thigh was touched.
52. This shows clearly that Jacob and his children understood this mystery, and have instituted a memorial in this sinew. For what does that which was done to Jacob concern a beast? The sinew of a beast is not therefore displaced or venomed: only, the children of the saints looked upon the ground of the divine mystery.
53. Concerning which the present Jews are very blind, and hang only on the Law. If they did so eagerly seek after Jacob's sun as they cleave fast to the Law, then would that sinew in them also be displaced, and they would not so hunt after covetousness and gain: But they wash the outside of their cups and dishes, and inwardly remain foul(Matt. xxiii. 25; Luke xi. 39).
54. Even as Christendom cleaves to the history, viz. to the purple mantle of Christ, and hunt away Christ in his power from them, and will not, with Jacob, have the sinew of the wild bestial properties of the voluptuous will of flesh displaced and lamed, but walk nimbly with the beast, under the mantle of Christ.
55. This displaced sinew signifies that Adam in his innocency, before his Eve, was not such a gross beast as afterwards. Therefore when the spirit of Christ in the Covenant was manifested in Jacob, then it touched the bestial ham of his thigh. To signify that in Christ it should be broken and cease, so that a spiritual man should arise from death, and not such a gross bestial man.
The Sixty-First Chapter
The Excellent and Wonderful Figure, showing how Jacob and Esau met, and how all Heart-burning and Evil will was changed into great Joy, Kindness, and Compassion: What is to be understood thereby [Gen. xxxiii.]
- 1. AT this text blind reason should better open its eyes than hitherto it has done, and better consider the figure of Jacob and Esau, and learn rightly to understand the decree concerning Jacob and Esau; where the Scripture says, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated, when the children lay yet in the mother's womb, and had done neither good nor evil, that the purpose of God might stand (Mai. i. 2, 3; Rom.
- ix. 13).
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