mercy which you have shown unto me, in that You have saved my life; I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold, there is a city very near, unto which I may flee, it is a little one: oh, let me escape thither ( is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing, that I should not overturn the city for which you have spoken. Haste yourself, escape thither; for I can do nothing till you be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. And the sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came into Zoar (Gen. xix. 17-23).
The inward figure stands thus:
15. The spirit of truth had moved the spirit in the Covenant in Lot, and taken him by his spiritual hand, and brought him forth out of the judgement; understand, the soul of Lot, in which the Word of Promise in the Covenant had opened itselfaccording to the spiritual property, into which also the now sent voice of truth and judgement did force, and defended Lot from and in the judgement.
16. For with the judgement the first Principle, viz. the soul's centre, was sifted and proved through all the properties of the eternal nature. Into this the Lord's hand, viz. the angel of the Lord, did put itself, with the grace of Christ's Covenant in Abraham, and drew Lot out of the judgement, and from the children of Sodom. Therefore the angel said, Deliver yourself and look not behind you into judgement, viz. into the enkindled wrath, lest the same take you. As happened to Lot's wife, who turned her desire back again to see and behold what the wrath of the Lord should be.
17. As Adam and Lucifer also did the like, who would essentially behold and prove God's, viz. the eternal nature's, wrath, which yet is a consuming fire, and forthwith proves spirit, and body; and if it reaches anything of which it is capable, it devours it into itself.
18. Now the soul of Lot trembled and stood in fear before the angel of the judgement, viz. before God's righteousness; and entreated his truth, that he would be pleased to magnify his mercy in the Covenant towards him, lest the turba should take hold of him; and it is a very excellent example, how God takes his children, in the time of punishment and judgement, into his love, defends them, and brings them forth from great destruction; as he did here unto Lot, and also unto the upright children in the final destruction of Jerusalem.
19. Also the angel of vengeance said: I can do nothing, until you be come thither. Oh! you wonderful God, who can hinder you? But this is even thus to be understood: the spirit of his love in the Covenant had set or established itself with the truth, in Lot, and kept off the anger that it could not burn until Lot came out.
20. And we see that oftentimes the children of God are able to withhold great plagues and punishment of God [from coming down on a people]; there is even such a might in them, that God's anger is able to do nothing, and is as it were impotent where they are present. Also they are a might and power against hell and the devil; for such a thing is true real faith, that it can withhold and overpower God in his anger.
21. Therefore the Lord said to Lot, I cannot do anything, until you be gone out. And he spared also the little city called Pella, or Zoar (viz. a diversion or turning away of the anger) for Lot's sake; for when he came thither the turba must be extinguished, as the name, in the uncompacted tongue of sense, does express it.
22. And then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and overthrew the cities, and all the plain; and all the inhabitants of the cities, and all whatsoever grew upon the ground. And his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Gen. xix. 24-26).
mercy which you have shown unto me, in that You have saved my life; I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold, there is a city very near, unto which I may flee, it is a little one: oh, let me escape thither ( is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing, that I should not overturn the city for which you have spoken. Haste yourself, escape thither; for I can do nothing till you be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. And the sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came into Zoar (Gen. xix. 17-23).
The inward figure stands thus:
15. The spirit of truth had moved the spirit in the Covenant in Lot, and taken him by his spiritual hand, and brought him forth out of the judgement; understand, the soul of Lot, in which the Word of Promise in the Covenant had opened itselfaccording to the spiritual property, into which also the now sent voice of truth and judgement did force, and defended Lot from and in the judgement.
16. For with the judgement the first Principle, viz. the soul's centre, was sifted and proved through all the properties of the eternal nature. Into this the Lord's hand, viz. the angel of the Lord, did put itself, with the grace of Christ's Covenant in Abraham, and drew Lot out of the judgement, and from the children of Sodom. Therefore the angel said, Deliver yourself and look not behind you into judgement, viz. into the enkindled wrath, lest the same take you. As happened to Lot's wife, who turned her desire back again to see and behold what the wrath of the Lord should be.
17. As Adam and Lucifer also did the like, who would essentially behold and prove God's, viz. the eternal nature's, wrath, which yet is a consuming fire, and forthwith proves spirit, and body; and if it reaches anything of which it is capable, it devours it into itself.
18. Now the soul of Lot trembled and stood in fear before the angel of the judgement, viz. before God's righteousness; and entreated his truth, that he would be pleased to magnify his mercy in the Covenant towards him, lest the turba should take hold of him; and it is a very excellent example, how God takes his children, in the time of punishment and judgement, into his love, defends them, and brings them forth from great destruction; as he did here unto Lot, and also unto the upright children in the final destruction of Jerusalem.
19. Also the angel of vengeance said: I can do nothing, until you be come thither. Oh! you wonderful God, who can hinder you? But this is even thus to be understood: the spirit of his love in the Covenant had set or established itself with the truth, in Lot, and kept off the anger that it could not burn until Lot came out.
20. And we see that oftentimes the children of God are able to withhold great plagues and punishment of God [from coming down on a people]; there is even such a might in them, that God's anger is able to do nothing, and is as it were impotent where they are present. Also they are a might and power against hell and the devil; for such a thing is true real faith, that it can withhold and overpower God in his anger.
21. Therefore the Lord said to Lot, I cannot do anything, until you be gone out. And he spared also the little city called Pella, or Zoar (viz. a diversion or turning away of the anger) for Lot's sake; for when he came thither the turba must be extinguished, as the name, in the uncompacted tongue of sense, does express it.
22. And then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and overthrew the cities, and all the plain; and all the inhabitants of the cities, and all whatsoever grew upon the ground. And his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Gen. xix. 24-26).
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