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Therefore, the one who holds only to the letter of the scripture in the manner of Saul, both dismisses the natural principles, and does not accept the mystically proclaimed calling of the gentiles, gaping only, as he supposes, for the enjoyment of the flesh according to the law. Therefore, while this corporeal disposition according to the law prevails among those who live only by the senses, the famine of divine knowledge in the spirit is not demonstrated. For a famine is, in truth, an eclipse of the goods known by experience itself, and a complete want and scarcity of the spiritual foods that sustain the soul. For how will anyone consider the removal of things never known to him at all to be a famine or a loss? Hence, while Saul is alive, there is no famine; because while the letter of the law is alive and ruling the mind of the materialistic Jews, it is not natural for the lack of spiritual knowledge to be diagnosed. But when the radiance of evangelical grace shines through, and the all-praised David, who is the law according to the spirit, receives the kingdom over the mind of spiritual men, after the death of Saul, that is, after the end of the letter; for David is interpreted as contempt, and strong in sight; for the one is said according to the Jews, the spirit having the advantage over the letter; but the other is addressed according to the Christians, the spirit having conquered the letter; then the famine of knowledge in the spirit is diagnosed; both commonly among the faithful people, and individually in the soul of each, whenever it prefers the outwardly appearing projection of the letter to the mystical contemplation in the spirit; and, so to speak, it makes the soul of the Scripture of less honor than the body. For in truth the people of the faithful who have come to know the truth suffer famine, as does the soul of each individual when it is released from spiritual contemplation in grace, and becomes subject to the typical slavery in the letter, not nourishing the mind with the greatness of the thoughts; but filling the sense with passionate fantasy through the corporeal representations of the scriptural symbols. Wherefore a famine of divine knowledge especially occurs for three years, a year following a year. For everyone who does not accept the spiritual contemplation of divine Scripture has, in the manner of the Jews, rejected along with it the natural law; and has been ignorant of the law in grace, according to which deification is given to those who are led by it.

Therefore, the famine of three years signifies the lack of knowledge that occurred in the three laws—I mean the natural, the written, and that of grace—in proportion to each, for those who do not care for their own elevation according to contemplation. For one is altogether unable to care for the science of the Scriptures who pushes away the natural principles of beings according to contemplation, while holding only to the material symbols, and contriving for them no spiritual loftiness of speech. For as long as only the (748) historical narrative of the Scriptures prevails, the power of temporary and temporal things has not been removed from the mind; but the children of the dead Saul still live, and his descendants, seven in number; that is, the corporeal and temporary worship of the law, from which the passionate disposition is accustomed to be generated in the lovers of the body according to the reason given, having as an ally of its error the manifest command in the symbols. For this reason, I think, there was no famine in the days of Saul; that is, in the time of the legal worship according to the flesh, the lack of knowledge in the spirit was not diagnosed; but in the time of evangelical grace; in which, whenever we do not interpret all Scripture spiritually, after the passing of the dominion of the letter, we certainly suffer famine, not enjoying the mystical worship according to the spirit which befits Christians. But when, having gained awareness in the manner of David, we seek the face of the Lord, we are taught clearly, that because we did not accept the natural principles as a stepping-stone to mystical contemplation in the spirit, but still of those in the