52. And we will not hide from you, you unclean, lascivious, rebellious, self-willed, lewd, idolatrous, murderous Babylon, full of all vices, sins, and abominations; that now also these two angels, viz. God's truth and judgement, are come into you; and declare unto you, now, at the end of Enoch's seal, which was hidden (but at present is opened in its sound and voice), your destruction and overthrow. For the time of your judgement is at hand. And behold yourself aright; and observe it very narrowly: you have at present cast scorn, reproach and contempt upon Lot, and the two angels, as the Sodomites did; and therefore your punishment hangs over you. And observe it: when the two angels shall carry forth Lot under the opened seal from you, then the day of your destruction is at hand, which now you will by no means believe, but must be forced to find it so by sad and woeful experience, says the spirit of wonders.
53. We may see very fully what was the Sodomites' vice and great sin, the cry whereof was come up before God; for Lot would bring out his two daughters, which were yet virgins, unto them, that so they might but cease from the raging uproar against these angelical messengers, for he knew well enough that they were wholly drowned in uncleanness; ifso be they might satisfy their desire.
54. The inward figure in the spirit, giving us to understand what Moses does hereby typify, is this: The judgement begins at the house of God, as here in Lot; the children of God must be first brought into judgement, and proved; to see whether there be children of God in any place which may withhold the anger, so that the punishment may be kept back; then the spirit takes the children of God, and proves them in the same vice and sin of that city or country, [to see] if they be capable of the same lewdness.
55. Lot must set his two daughters with entreaties into judgement; he would give them to the unclean lascivious people to be tried; for that which he said was so directed by the spirit, which had the two daughters of Lot in the judgement, and had brought the proba or trial into their essence, and hereby signified and laid open the sin and shame of the city, viz. that they were only unclean harlot's beasts.
56. But when these two virgins were not capable of this vice, the spirit, viz. the two angels, defended them; understand, God's truth protected them from the judgement of this people, and also from the sin of uncleanness. For Lot did not speak so of set purpose, as if he would suffer his daughters to be deflowered and defiled; but the spirit did set forth its figure.
57. And know for certain that this first book of Moses was written wholly from the prophecy of the spirit, intimating what each act or sentence of the history holds forth in the figure. And whosoever will read, and rightly understand these acts [of the patriarchs], he must modelise or represent in his mind the old and the new man; and set Christ and Adam one against the other; and then he may understand all; and without this, he understands nothing hereof but a child-like history; which yet is so rich and full of Mysteries, that no man, from the cradle unto the longest age, is able to express them; although he had obtained the knowledge and understanding thereunto in his childhood. And we in our gifts do also give but some glances and hints thereof; albeit we have obtained the apprehension and meaning of them from the gift of God; yet we cannot express all, and the world were not able to receive it. 1
1 Understand or apprehend it aright.
58. And Moses says, The men of the city pressed sore upon the man, Lot, and when they drew near together to break the door, the men put forth their hand and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And the men which were before the door of the house were smitten with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves, and could not find the door (Gen. xix. 9-11).
52. And we will not hide from you, you unclean, lascivious, rebellious, self-willed, lewd, idolatrous, murderous Babylon, full of all vices, sins, and abominations; that now also these two angels, viz. God's truth and judgement, are come into you; and declare unto you, now, at the end of Enoch's seal, which was hidden (but at present is opened in its sound and voice), your destruction and overthrow. For the time of your judgement is at hand. And behold yourself aright; and observe it very narrowly: you have at present cast scorn, reproach and contempt upon Lot, and the two angels, as the Sodomites did; and therefore your punishment hangs over you. And observe it: when the two angels shall carry forth Lot under the opened seal from you, then the day of your destruction is at hand, which now you will by no means believe, but must be forced to find it so by sad and woeful experience, says the spirit of wonders.
53. We may see very fully what was the Sodomites' vice and great sin, the cry whereof was come up before God; for Lot would bring out his two daughters, which were yet virgins, unto them, that so they might but cease from the raging uproar against these angelical messengers, for he knew well enough that they were wholly drowned in uncleanness; ifso be they might satisfy their desire.
54. The inward figure in the spirit, giving us to understand what Moses does hereby typify, is this: The judgement begins at the house of God, as here in Lot; the children of God must be first brought into judgement, and proved; to see whether there be children of God in any place which may withhold the anger, so that the punishment may be kept back; then the spirit takes the children of God, and proves them in the same vice and sin of that city or country, [to see] if they be capable of the same lewdness.
55. Lot must set his two daughters with entreaties into judgement; he would give them to the unclean lascivious people to be tried; for that which he said was so directed by the spirit, which had the two daughters of Lot in the judgement, and had brought the proba or trial into their essence, and hereby signified and laid open the sin and shame of the city, viz. that they were only unclean harlot's beasts.
56. But when these two virgins were not capable of this vice, the spirit, viz. the two angels, defended them; understand, God's truth protected them from the judgement of this people, and also from the sin of uncleanness. For Lot did not speak so of set purpose, as if he would suffer his daughters to be deflowered and defiled; but the spirit did set forth its figure.
57. And know for certain that this first book of Moses was written wholly from the prophecy of the spirit, intimating what each act or sentence of the history holds forth in the figure. And whosoever will read, and rightly understand these acts [of the patriarchs], he must modelise or represent in his mind the old and the new man; and set Christ and Adam one against the other; and then he may understand all; and without this, he understands nothing hereof but a child-like history; which yet is so rich and full of Mysteries, that no man, from the cradle unto the longest age, is able to express them; although he had obtained the knowledge and understanding thereunto in his childhood. And we in our gifts do also give but some glances and hints thereof; albeit we have obtained the apprehension and meaning of them from the gift of God; yet we cannot express all, and the world were not able to receive it. 1
1 Understand or apprehend it aright.
58. And Moses says, The men of the city pressed sore upon the man, Lot, and when they drew near together to break the door, the men put forth their hand and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And the men which were before the door of the house were smitten with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves, and could not find the door (Gen. xix. 9-11).
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