12. And then when the nature does willingly give itself thereunto, that it also will now die wholly to its selfness, and despairs wholly on itself; as a poor forsaken woman, that is deprived of all the worldly glory, riches, beauty, and the pleasure of the outward life also; being wholly cast out from its former desire; and almost quite forlorn, so that the own desire begins to faint and quail within itself. Then comes the angel of God to the nature, and comforts it, and bids it not to despair; and gives it also water to drink, that is, some faithful upright man [or some inward ray and beam of light from the new birth of Christ in the heart] which comforts it in its forsaken condition; and helps to nourish and cherish it, and tells it that it shall not die, but become a great nation; but not in its innate and inbred heritage, viz. in the evil self-will, but in Beer-sheba; that is, in the true contrition in the wilderness, viz. in the valley of tears in the desertion; that is, the poor nature must work in this forsakenness, and in its present banishment and exile [from the sensible and full enjoyment of Paradise] bring forth much fruit, which fruit the angel brings again into Abraham's tent, to be a sojourner of Christ.
13. That is (we must understand) when Christ is born in man, he rejects the vanity of nature, with the will which works and desires vanity, and makes the natural will to be servant, whereas before it was lord and master. But nature stands in the wilderness, in the vanity of death, encompassed with sin; and now it must work and bring forth fruit, and yet it looks upon itself as wholly impotent; and as one wholly cast out from the inward spiritual will of Christ; and in itself it seems as one foolish, and contemned of the world; and every way beaten off from its own will. And then it begins even to sink and quail in itself; and to leave off from its own will; and all things are of small esteem with it: That which before did rejoice it, that now is against it; and it stands always as if it should die; it hopes, and doubts; that is, it hopes amendment, that it might yet once be delivered from the scornful contempt, and be set again into the honour of its selfhood; but it dries up also its well of water; and God's anger appears in its sight; that is, all its friends depart from it, with whom before, in its temporal goods and prosperity, it had pleasure, respect and honour; so that it looks upon itself as continually a-dying.
14. And when this comes to pass, then it is right in the way to Beer-sheba; and wanders in the wilderness; for it knows not what it shall do; it is everyone's scorn; whatsoever it looks upon, rebukes it for a fool, in that its power is taken from it; that it must now forego the beauty, riches and honour of the world, and all whatsoever might advance and prefer it in temporals; and yet it would fain have them; but yet it is drawn from them by the inward man in Christ's spirit, and reproved [blamed or upbraided] in these temporals for unrighteous and abominable.
15. And then indeed it enters right into Beer-sheba, viz. into the contrition of the heart, and sets reason by the empty water-pot of Hagar; and goes a stone's cast from its son Ishmael, viz. From the own desire of nature; and stands and compels also the thoughts of nature; and will not give any thing any longer to its own children, viz. to the senses and cogitations of the mind; but casts them away (as children that now must die) a stone's cast, that is, a while from itself; that it might not see the death of its children. So wholly does Hagar, viz. the nature with its son, give up itself to the mind for the mortification of the selfhood of the own will; sits also and mourns in itself in Beer-sheba, viz. in the broken and contrite heart; and wholly despairs of its reason; would fain die, that it might be but freed from the miserable forlorn condition.
12. And then when the nature does willingly give itself thereunto, that it also will now die wholly to its selfness, and despairs wholly on itself; as a poor forsaken woman, that is deprived of all the worldly glory, riches, beauty, and the pleasure of the outward life also; being wholly cast out from its former desire; and almost quite forlorn, so that the own desire begins to faint and quail within itself. Then comes the angel of God to the nature, and comforts it, and bids it not to despair; and gives it also water to drink, that is, some faithful upright man [or some inward ray and beam of light from the new birth of Christ in the heart] which comforts it in its forsaken condition; and helps to nourish and cherish it, and tells it that it shall not die, but become a great nation; but not in its innate and inbred heritage, viz. in the evil self-will, but in Beer-sheba; that is, in the true contrition in the wilderness, viz. in the valley of tears in the desertion; that is, the poor nature must work in this forsakenness, and in its present banishment and exile [from the sensible and full enjoyment of Paradise] bring forth much fruit, which fruit the angel brings again into Abraham's tent, to be a sojourner of Christ.
13. That is (we must understand) when Christ is born in man, he rejects the vanity of nature, with the will which works and desires vanity, and makes the natural will to be servant, whereas before it was lord and master. But nature stands in the wilderness, in the vanity of death, encompassed with sin; and now it must work and bring forth fruit, and yet it looks upon itself as wholly impotent; and as one wholly cast out from the inward spiritual will of Christ; and in itself it seems as one foolish, and contemned of the world; and every way beaten off from its own will. And then it begins even to sink and quail in itself; and to leave off from its own will; and all things are of small esteem with it: That which before did rejoice it, that now is against it; and it stands always as if it should die; it hopes, and doubts; that is, it hopes amendment, that it might yet once be delivered from the scornful contempt, and be set again into the honour of its selfhood; but it dries up also its well of water; and God's anger appears in its sight; that is, all its friends depart from it, with whom before, in its temporal goods and prosperity, it had pleasure, respect and honour; so that it looks upon itself as continually a-dying.
14. And when this comes to pass, then it is right in the way to Beer-sheba; and wanders in the wilderness; for it knows not what it shall do; it is everyone's scorn; whatsoever it looks upon, rebukes it for a fool, in that its power is taken from it; that it must now forego the beauty, riches and honour of the world, and all whatsoever might advance and prefer it in temporals; and yet it would fain have them; but yet it is drawn from them by the inward man in Christ's spirit, and reproved [blamed or upbraided] in these temporals for unrighteous and abominable.
15. And then indeed it enters right into Beer-sheba, viz. into the contrition of the heart, and sets reason by the empty water-pot of Hagar; and goes a stone's cast from its son Ishmael, viz. From the own desire of nature; and stands and compels also the thoughts of nature; and will not give any thing any longer to its own children, viz. to the senses and cogitations of the mind; but casts them away (as children that now must die) a stone's cast, that is, a while from itself; that it might not see the death of its children. So wholly does Hagar, viz. the nature with its son, give up itself to the mind for the mortification of the selfhood of the own will; sits also and mourns in itself in Beer-sheba, viz. in the broken and contrite heart; and wholly despairs of its reason; would fain die, that it might be but freed from the miserable forlorn condition.
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