In this testament of Issachar the spirit points, first, at the outward figure of this tribe or stock, showing where they should dwell, viz. in the midst of the land, in good ease and rest, but yet be tributary: but the powerful figure looks upon the inward ground, viz. upon the human nature.
- 9. For when Leah bare Issachar, she said, God has rewarded me, in that I gave my maid to my husband: and she called him Issachar (Gen.
- xxx. 18), that is, a divine wages or reward: for she had given Rachel her son's mandrakes, that she suffered Jacob to sleep with her this night, upon which she conceived this son, therefore she called him a recompense from God.
10. But the spirit says in this figure he would be a strong-boned ass, and lodge between the borders; which outwardly in its habitation was just so. But in the inward figure, he says, the man which is obtained from God by prayer is indeed a gift and wages, but his Adamical nature is only a strong-boned ass for the burden, who bears the Adamical sack. But he dwells with his mind between the borders; viz. between God and the kingdom of this world: his mind presses into the borders of God, and the body dwells in the world.
11. Therefore the mind must be as a boned, servile, slavish ass, which, though it sits at ease and rest in a good habitation in the borders of God, yet it must bear the burden of sins and of death in the earthly sack, and there is no buying it off with the mandrakes before the death of the earthly man; also no praying to God for it avails that thereby the strong-boned ass might come to divine liberty: it must remain an ass, till Christ in himself brings it into the eternal rest. The Adamical hurt and loss is so great that the ass must leave the sack in the death of Christ, else he will not be rid of it.
12. But he adds the cause why he must remain a strong-boned ass, for he says, He saw the rest, that it war good, and the land, that it war pleasant. That is, that the mind would always desire to rest in the lust and pleasure of the flesh, and would desire to take care of the earthly lust; and in that regard the mind must be a servile ass, and servant of God's anger; and so separates the natural Adamical man from the seed of the Covenant, viz. from the person of Christ, so that the natural Adamical man, in its inbred nature, is but this ass with the sack, till Christ possesses his kingdom in him; no Covenant or praying avails, but that Adam must in this world remain an ass till the sack be gone. And then he is called a new child in Christ, which new child in this life is the inward ground: but the strong-boned ass is the new child's instrument, upon which the sack is carried, for the servility to God's anger continues so long as the sack lasts.
VII
THE TESTAMENT of DAN
13. Dan will be a judge among his people, as any other generation in Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the way, and an adder in the path, and will bite the horse in the heels, that his rider shall fall back. 0 Lord, I wait for your salvation (Gen. xlix. 16-18).
In this testament of Issachar the spirit points, first, at the outward figure of this tribe or stock, showing where they should dwell, viz. in the midst of the land, in good ease and rest, but yet be tributary: but the powerful figure looks upon the inward ground, viz. upon the human nature.
- 9. For when Leah bare Issachar, she said, God has rewarded me, in that I gave my maid to my husband: and she called him Issachar (Gen.
- xxx. 18), that is, a divine wages or reward: for she had given Rachel her son's mandrakes, that she suffered Jacob to sleep with her this night, upon which she conceived this son, therefore she called him a recompense from God.
10. But the spirit says in this figure he would be a strong-boned ass, and lodge between the borders; which outwardly in its habitation was just so. But in the inward figure, he says, the man which is obtained from God by prayer is indeed a gift and wages, but his Adamical nature is only a strong-boned ass for the burden, who bears the Adamical sack. But he dwells with his mind between the borders; viz. between God and the kingdom of this world: his mind presses into the borders of God, and the body dwells in the world.
11. Therefore the mind must be as a boned, servile, slavish ass, which, though it sits at ease and rest in a good habitation in the borders of God, yet it must bear the burden of sins and of death in the earthly sack, and there is no buying it off with the mandrakes before the death of the earthly man; also no praying to God for it avails that thereby the strong-boned ass might come to divine liberty: it must remain an ass, till Christ in himself brings it into the eternal rest. The Adamical hurt and loss is so great that the ass must leave the sack in the death of Christ, else he will not be rid of it.
12. But he adds the cause why he must remain a strong-boned ass, for he says, He saw the rest, that it war good, and the land, that it war pleasant. That is, that the mind would always desire to rest in the lust and pleasure of the flesh, and would desire to take care of the earthly lust; and in that regard the mind must be a servile ass, and servant of God's anger; and so separates the natural Adamical man from the seed of the Covenant, viz. from the person of Christ, so that the natural Adamical man, in its inbred nature, is but this ass with the sack, till Christ possesses his kingdom in him; no Covenant or praying avails, but that Adam must in this world remain an ass till the sack be gone. And then he is called a new child in Christ, which new child in this life is the inward ground: but the strong-boned ass is the new child's instrument, upon which the sack is carried, for the servility to God's anger continues so long as the sack lasts.
VII
THE TESTAMENT of DAN
13. Dan will be a judge among his people, as any other generation in Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the way, and an adder in the path, and will bite the horse in the heels, that his rider shall fall back. 0 Lord, I wait for your salvation (Gen. xlix. 16-18).
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