39. Now reason would object, and say, Wherefore did not the daughters of Lot marry with Abraham's generation; why would they lie with their father, contrary to the right and law of nature, and of all nations? Answer: This might not be, for the seed of Christ was called in Abraham; but now there lay two other lines in the seed of Christ, as near affinities, which should be born of Abraham's faith, viz. of Christ: As Abraham's faith was born out of JEHOVA, out of the name Jesus, so these two lines of affinity were in the tree of wonders, which should spring forth from God's truth and righteousness, and be brought into the love of Jesus. This manifestation the angels brought unto and into Lot, which opening and manifestation did spring forth in Lot's seed.
40. But seeing his two daughters did also stand in this judgement, and were apprehended in the same spirit which opened itself in Lot, and received also the same properties as their father, it must be so. And it was so permitted of God, that these two sons, Amnion and Moab, must be born of two sisters of one seed; for they were to be two nations, proceeding from two lines of nature, yet from one root.
41. But in that the spirit in Moses does so cover it and says, The two daughters caused their father to drink sweet wine, that he did not know what he did, and so were gotten with child of their father in the father's drunkenness (which yet seems to be wonderfully strange without God's work), the same is thus to be understood: Not that it did not so come to pass: it did so come to pass, as the text in Moses declares; but this was a work of the Spirit of God, and hereby also he covers the external shame.
42. For the outward work is only a shame in God's sight, and also in the sight of all people, but the inward work, in its figure, must be so. And it is the true figure, that the Man, Christ, viz. God's Son, should be born through a shame, which also was a shame before God. But so he took our shame and reproach upon himself and hung it as a curse upon the tree of the cross, and offered it up unto the righteousness of God; so likewise both these lines must be covered with a shame, that they both might be sanctified only and alone under Christ's shame on the cross; and they should not dare to say, that they were pure before God and nature. For the Scripture says, He has shut them up all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all (Rom. xi. 32).
43. And that this was truly and certainly a work of God, appears in this: that on the same day the mother was turned into a pillar of salt, and Sodom was destroyed, doubtless with all their household stuff and goods. That yet that same night they set about this work, whereas they continued all night in a cave of the mountain by Zoar [so that we may well think], no natural fleshly instigation did provoke them thereunto.
44. But it must be, that the father should be drunk, that the human understanding might not do it; but that it might be God's work. Also, that the soul of Lot might not be turbated in the tincture of the seed, with the shame of the daughters. It must be done, therefore, as it were in man's drunkenness, and misunderstanding, lest the nations should make a right or custom thereof: for the daughters of Lot were also as 'twere drunk in the spirit, so that the spirit might do what he would, and they were only an instrument.
45. And that they did understand that the father was sanctified, and they willingly would conceive of the holy seed, appears, in that they said, There was not a man upon the earth who could come in unto them after the manner of mankind; and therefore they would lie with their father, that they might preserve seed. There were indeed many upon the earth, but none was capable of this seed, but these his daughters. This, the spirit in them gave them to understand.
39. Now reason would object, and say, Wherefore did not the daughters of Lot marry with Abraham's generation; why would they lie with their father, contrary to the right and law of nature, and of all nations? Answer: This might not be, for the seed of Christ was called in Abraham; but now there lay two other lines in the seed of Christ, as near affinities, which should be born of Abraham's faith, viz. of Christ: As Abraham's faith was born out of JEHOVA, out of the name Jesus, so these two lines of affinity were in the tree of wonders, which should spring forth from God's truth and righteousness, and be brought into the love of Jesus. This manifestation the angels brought unto and into Lot, which opening and manifestation did spring forth in Lot's seed.
40. But seeing his two daughters did also stand in this judgement, and were apprehended in the same spirit which opened itself in Lot, and received also the same properties as their father, it must be so. And it was so permitted of God, that these two sons, Amnion and Moab, must be born of two sisters of one seed; for they were to be two nations, proceeding from two lines of nature, yet from one root.
41. But in that the spirit in Moses does so cover it and says, The two daughters caused their father to drink sweet wine, that he did not know what he did, and so were gotten with child of their father in the father's drunkenness (which yet seems to be wonderfully strange without God's work), the same is thus to be understood: Not that it did not so come to pass: it did so come to pass, as the text in Moses declares; but this was a work of the Spirit of God, and hereby also he covers the external shame.
42. For the outward work is only a shame in God's sight, and also in the sight of all people, but the inward work, in its figure, must be so. And it is the true figure, that the Man, Christ, viz. God's Son, should be born through a shame, which also was a shame before God. But so he took our shame and reproach upon himself and hung it as a curse upon the tree of the cross, and offered it up unto the righteousness of God; so likewise both these lines must be covered with a shame, that they both might be sanctified only and alone under Christ's shame on the cross; and they should not dare to say, that they were pure before God and nature. For the Scripture says, He has shut them up all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all (Rom. xi. 32).
43. And that this was truly and certainly a work of God, appears in this: that on the same day the mother was turned into a pillar of salt, and Sodom was destroyed, doubtless with all their household stuff and goods. That yet that same night they set about this work, whereas they continued all night in a cave of the mountain by Zoar [so that we may well think], no natural fleshly instigation did provoke them thereunto.
44. But it must be, that the father should be drunk, that the human understanding might not do it; but that it might be God's work. Also, that the soul of Lot might not be turbated in the tincture of the seed, with the shame of the daughters. It must be done, therefore, as it were in man's drunkenness, and misunderstanding, lest the nations should make a right or custom thereof: for the daughters of Lot were also as 'twere drunk in the spirit, so that the spirit might do what he would, and they were only an instrument.
45. And that they did understand that the father was sanctified, and they willingly would conceive of the holy seed, appears, in that they said, There was not a man upon the earth who could come in unto them after the manner of mankind; and therefore they would lie with their father, that they might preserve seed. There were indeed many upon the earth, but none was capable of this seed, but these his daughters. This, the spirit in them gave them to understand.
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