75. For the name Shechem signifies that the Christian Church must be in misery and trouble: As Jacob builds his habitation before the city Shechem, so must also the children of Christ be but strange guests in this world, and be but as household servants to the heathen, potentates, and children of this world. Though indeed they have their habitation, viz. the temple of Christ in them, which Christ has purchased for them with his blood, yet they are outwardly but strange guests and pilgrims, and dwell without, before the city of this world, viz. in an earthly tabernacle and tent, in flesh and blood.
The Sixty- Second Chapter
Of Dinah, Jacob's Daughter, which he begat of Leah, how she was deflowered by Hamor's Son, and how Jacob's Sons slew Shechem for it, and all the males that were in that City, and took Dinah again: And what is to be understood by this figure [Gen. xxxiv.]
THE GATES OF CHRISTIANS WAR,
FOR THE BABYLONISH WHOREDOM,
NOW HIGHLY TO BE CONSIDERED
1. MOSES says, But Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son ofHamor the Hivite, the lord of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and deflowered her. And his heart clave to her, and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, Get me this damsel to wife (Gen. xxxiv. 1-4). The Reader should very seriously consider this figure, and rightly meditate on the text in Moses, and look thoroughly into it; then he will well understand our sense and meaning and most precious apprehension, opened to us by the divine grace; and learn to look upon the Scriptures of the first Book of Moses with clear eyes.
2. Leah the wife of Jacob bare to him six sons, viz. the half stock of Israel, and of her came Judah, viz. the root of David, of whom Christ was manifested according to our humanity. Afterwards she bare this Dinah, a daughter, by which figure the spirit powerfully prefigures Christendom, that after Christ's ascension into heaven, after the work of human redemption, the true Christendom should be born; as Jacob first begat the twelve patriarchs, but afterwards of Leah, that is, of the mother of Christendom, a daughter of fleshly self-love would be born, which daughter would go agadding to see the daughters of the land, among whom she should be a stranger.
That is thus much in the figure:
3. When Christendom would be born, that its number might be great, it would go forth in self-love and seek the pleasure of the flesh; and would set its heart upon the customs and behaviours of the people, and depart from lowliness and humility, and would look after the wantonness and pride of the daughters of the land, that is, of the people. And then they would beget this daughter, Dinah, and appear before God in fleshly voluptuousness of spiritual whoredom, and would play the whore with the heathenish customs, but yet would present itself beautiful, and trimly dressed, as an amorous virgin which runs abroad to be seen, that she might take lovers, as Dinah did, which went thus forth agadding.
4. Thus also would Christendom trim itself, and dress itself with great ostentation and solemnity, with churches and schools, and put on glittering, sumptuous, appearing-holy garments, that they might have respect with the daughters of the land, as with strange people; and yet would be full of flames of self-love and fleshly menstruous pollution under such habits, and have a whorish heart, as a whore outwardly flatters, beautifies and trims herself, and will throughout be called a chaste virgin. Thus also would this trim Christendom be called holy: but her heart would only play the whore with fleshly voluptuousness.
75. For the name Shechem signifies that the Christian Church must be in misery and trouble: As Jacob builds his habitation before the city Shechem, so must also the children of Christ be but strange guests in this world, and be but as household servants to the heathen, potentates, and children of this world. Though indeed they have their habitation, viz. the temple of Christ in them, which Christ has purchased for them with his blood, yet they are outwardly but strange guests and pilgrims, and dwell without, before the city of this world, viz. in an earthly tabernacle and tent, in flesh and blood.
The Sixty- Second Chapter
Of Dinah, Jacob's Daughter, which he begat of Leah, how she was deflowered by Hamor's Son, and how Jacob's Sons slew Shechem for it, and all the males that were in that City, and took Dinah again: And what is to be understood by this figure [Gen. xxxiv.]
THE GATES OF CHRISTIANS WAR,
FOR THE BABYLONISH WHOREDOM,
NOW HIGHLY TO BE CONSIDERED
1. MOSES says, But Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son ofHamor the Hivite, the lord of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and deflowered her. And his heart clave to her, and he loved the damsel, and spoke kindly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, Get me this damsel to wife (Gen. xxxiv. 1-4). The Reader should very seriously consider this figure, and rightly meditate on the text in Moses, and look thoroughly into it; then he will well understand our sense and meaning and most precious apprehension, opened to us by the divine grace; and learn to look upon the Scriptures of the first Book of Moses with clear eyes.
2. Leah the wife of Jacob bare to him six sons, viz. the half stock of Israel, and of her came Judah, viz. the root of David, of whom Christ was manifested according to our humanity. Afterwards she bare this Dinah, a daughter, by which figure the spirit powerfully prefigures Christendom, that after Christ's ascension into heaven, after the work of human redemption, the true Christendom should be born; as Jacob first begat the twelve patriarchs, but afterwards of Leah, that is, of the mother of Christendom, a daughter of fleshly self-love would be born, which daughter would go agadding to see the daughters of the land, among whom she should be a stranger.
That is thus much in the figure:
3. When Christendom would be born, that its number might be great, it would go forth in self-love and seek the pleasure of the flesh; and would set its heart upon the customs and behaviours of the people, and depart from lowliness and humility, and would look after the wantonness and pride of the daughters of the land, that is, of the people. And then they would beget this daughter, Dinah, and appear before God in fleshly voluptuousness of spiritual whoredom, and would play the whore with the heathenish customs, but yet would present itself beautiful, and trimly dressed, as an amorous virgin which runs abroad to be seen, that she might take lovers, as Dinah did, which went thus forth agadding.
4. Thus also would Christendom trim itself, and dress itself with great ostentation and solemnity, with churches and schools, and put on glittering, sumptuous, appearing-holy garments, that they might have respect with the daughters of the land, as with strange people; and yet would be full of flames of self-love and fleshly menstruous pollution under such habits, and have a whorish heart, as a whore outwardly flatters, beautifies and trims herself, and will throughout be called a chaste virgin. Thus also would this trim Christendom be called holy: but her heart would only play the whore with fleshly voluptuousness.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.