Mysterium Magnum (An Exposition of the First Book of Moses, called Genesis)

38. And when this is brought to pass his heart becometh very simple, honest and upright, for he desireth no craft, but would fain have all things proceed righteously and justly; and he cannot abide any unrighteousness or subtle dealings; for he always confesseth the people’s unrighteousness before God. And thus his mind becometh altogether simple, and seeketh no kind of craft or subtlety; but putteth his hope and confidence in God, and liveth in the simplicity and lowliness of heart before God and the world. And he is as the tender young lad Joseph; for he hopeth for good continually from God his Father. 39. Now when a man is come so far, then Joseph [viz. the chaste virgin child of Sophia] is even born; then God his Father clothes his soul with the parti-coloured coat, viz. with the divine power; and forthwith the spirit of God in him beginneth to play with the soul : as he did with Joseph. For the spirit of God seeth through the soul, and with the soul (as Joseph, in the type, saw things which were to come, represented to him in the vision of dreams, whereby the spirit did also play with the soul), even so the spirit of God doth forthwith take delightful communion with the soul of a new Joseph, viz. with the inward spiritual world. So that the soul understandeth divine mysteries, and seeth into the eternal life, and knoweth the hidden world, which yet is to be revealed in man : as this pen hath found by experience, from whence it hath received its spirit of knowledge.

1 Work, act, or move in him. 40. Now when this man beginneth to speak of divine things and visions, of the hidden world’s divine mysteries, and speaketh forth the wonders of God, and that his brethren (viz. the children of the out¬ ward world in whom the hidden spiritual world is not yet manifest) do hear it, they count it a mere fable and a melancholy chimera and whimsey, and esteem him foolish, in that he speaketh of those things which they cannot understand and comprehend; they make a mere fancy and fiction of it. Also they account it some astral instigation or false enthusiasm, or the like; especially if he revealeth and reproveth their evil works and ways, as Joseph did; then they turn his open enemies, and grudge him his very life, as happened to Joseph. 41. Now when it is thus, reason beholdeth itself at a stand as if it were confounded, and knoweth not the ways of God, viz. that it must be thus with the children of God. It thinketh, Thou seekest God, and he bringeth thee into distress and misery: thus this man doth now wander up and down; as Joseph wandered in the wilderness when his father sent him to his brethren to see how it was with them.

42. So it goeth likewise with God’s new children, when God’s spirit sendeth them to be zealous about the affliction of Joseph; and the world doth every way hate and persecute them for it. Then they think, in the reason of this world, Dost thou not go in the ways of God? wherefore then doth it go so with thee, that thou art but the fool of the world? And then the mind beginneth to be troubled, and knows not how it is with it; for he heareth that he is everywhere accused for a frantic wicked person, and hated; for the young mind in flesh and blood understandeth not the divine process; viz. how reason must become a fool, and how Christ doth very willingly take upon himself, in man, the reproach and scorn of the devil, and of the world; and how God’s righteousness, and Adam’s propagated guilt, must be always fulfilled with suffering, [and] how a Christian must stand in Christ’s figure. 43. And now when it comes to be thus, then reason goes truly a- wandering in great sorrow and desertion with Joseph in the wilder¬ ness ; and is every way in distress : and yet he must perform his father’s commandment and will. But God forsaketh not his Joseph; but sendeth him a man to comfort him, and shew him the way to his brethren; as happened to Joseph, when he was a- wandering in the wilderness.

44. That is, he sendeth to him also a truly zealous Christian, who knoweth his ways, and comforteth him, exhorting him to persevere constantly in the ways of God. Whereby this new Joseph doth again receive courage and strength, and cometh into the right way, and goeth readily and boldly to his brethren, and seeth what they do, and what they intend. 45. That is, he setteth the command and will of God before them (as Joseph did the command of his father). And when they see that he will reprove them with God’s word, then they cry out, Lo ! there is a dreamer (Gen. xxxvii. 19), and a frantic fellow; he will come and make us believe strange things; he inveigheth against our good customs, wherein we have honour and good days. What, shall this fellow reprove us? He is not come from the high schools [and universities]; and yet will take upon him to teach and reprove us; let us consult how we may take him out of the way, and slay him. What, shall we endure this poor silly fellow to teach and reprove us? What is he? He is but a layman; and shall he control us? Moreover, he is not called; and it is none of his vocation; he puts himself forth only that he might be taken notice of, and get himself some name and fame among the people. But we will so silence him that he shall be the fool of all the world; we will lay his honour in prison, and make him be scorned, hated and persecuted, for an example to others that shall offer to assault or trouble us; that so he may learn to tarry at home, and attend his worldly vocation, and leave it to us to judge of divine matters, who are appointed and authorised by the magistrate, and have studied in the universities, and there have learned such things.

46. Thus they take the poor Joseph, which cometh to them by his father’s command, and bind him with reproach and shame, and exclaim against him falsely; and rob him of his coat of many colours in the sight of all his brethren, which coat God his Father hath made him; as Jacob’s sons did to Joseph, and continually consult how to kill him, and take him wholly out of the way, as Joseph’s brethren did (Gen. xxxvii. 18-20). 47. But as Reuben the eldest brother did hinder it, and would not suffer them to kill Joseph, and yet, that he might not be wholly against their council, he said, Behold , here is a pit in the wilderness, into that we will cast him. And send his coat of many colours to his father, that he may think some evil beast hath devoured him (Gen. xxxvii. 22). So God raiseth in their council, Reuben the eldest brother, who hath power to hinder the counsels and decrees of the false Pharisees; viz. some honest, pious man in authority, who resisteth the murdering council of the Pharisees. 48. And although he doth not wholly oppose their counsels, yet he resisteth and stoppeth the actual execution of their wills, and saith, Kill him not; cast him only into the pit, and strip him of his coat of many colours, that he may have no more dreams. And this he doth that he may deliver him from the murdering sword.

49. But they take him (as Joseph’s brethren did Joseph) and strip him of his coat of many colours, and cast him into the pit in the wilderness, and take his coat of many colours and dip it in goat’s blood, and send it so to his father (Gen. xxxvii. 23, 24, 31, 32). That is to say, they deprive and bereave him of his honour and good name by their slanderings, and take his words and doctrine, and make false constructions and conclusions thereof, and bedaub them in goat’s blood, that is, with false understanding and sense; and send forth such reproaching pamphlets and libels among the people, and before his father, viz. before the whole Church and Commonwealth, and cry out, Lo! this defiled coat is this man’s. And thus they murder the spirit of his father, in the coat; that is, in his name they scandalise, slander and reproach him falsely, and say of him that he doth vilify the blood of Christ with his coat of many colours. And thus they deceive his father, viz. the whole congregation, with the false goat’s blood, wherein they have dipped his coat; so that the people think, A wild beast hath torn Joseph in pieces (Gen. xxxvii. 33); that is, they think the devil hath possessed this man, and that he is a false [wicked] man.

50. Thus the father, viz. the people and the magistrates are, by this defiled coat, deceived by [the sleight of] Joseph’s brethren; that is, by those who themselves are to teach the way of God, so that they think that the devil hath devoured this man, and hath possessed his heart. And thus the poor Joseph is thrown down into the desolate pit in the wilderness, and lieth in misery, as in a pit wherein there is no water (Zech. ix. 11), and wherein he can neither be drowned, nor receive any refreshment; but sitteth as wholly forsaken of all the world; and waiteth now what God will do with him, since he thus rejecteth him by men. 51. Here now he hath no help or succour from any man; his best friends also account him mad and foolish; his name is as an owl among the birds; for thus he must pass through the judgment of God, and be even the scorn of all men. If he shall attain to the contemplation of the Divine Mysteries, then he must first be judged, and come under the censure and judgment of the world; that they may judge his inbred sins, and sacrifice them before God, that he, in the figure of Christ, 1 may force through the judgment of God, and come to the divine vision within himself.

52. Thus a right true Christian [before he attains the science of the Divine Mysteries] must be wholly severed from the pleasure and honour of the world, and become altogether foolish, and a child to his own reason in himself; and also outwardly be accounted a fool, as the world likewise esteems him a foolish silly fellow, when he forsaketh temporal honour and goods for the hope of the eternal good which he seeth not. 53. And when it goeth thus with poor Joseph, that he must lie in the miserable pit, his brethren are not yet content that they have cast him into the pit, but they draw him out from thence, and sell him to the Midianites, that he may he carried from them into a strange and foreign country (Gen. xxxvii. 28). That is, they take his name and doctrine, and send them into foreign countries, whereby Joseph’s coat of many colours doth by divine appointment and providence come to be known. 54. But they intend treacherously and falsely towards him, and so sell Joseph to reproach, derision and servitude, to serve the world, and to be their footstool and scorn; as happened to Joseph from his brethren, and hath also happened to this pen.

55. Thus Joseph is brought into Egypt, and sold for a slave (Gen. xxxvii. 36). But God is with him, and giveth him understanding and wisdom, that he is made his master’s steward, so that his master doth 2 nothing without him, but entrusteth him with all things (Gen. xxxix. 1-4). So also when the spirit of Joseph (though in a spiteful manner) is sold into strange countries, where his person is not known ; yet the wise do take especial notice of the spirit [of his sense and meaning] and know him, and see that God hath given him his wisdom and spirit, and receive his writings and doctrine, and order their whole life according to it. And thus Joseph cometh to sit in the chief office of Pharaoh’s steward, and governeth his whole house. 56. But for all this Joseph is not yet passed through the judgment, for even in this government he first meeteth with the greatest danger of his life: for there the steward’s wife burneth in lust towards him (Gen. xxxix. 7). That is, the false sects, who would fain woo and wed themselves into his spirit, and therewith adorn their doctrine and doings, for temporal honour, art and science. And if this Joseph’s

1 Or, as a follower of Christ. 2 Or, undertakes. spirit will not mix itself with their human fiction and fables, then they exclaim against him, and say all manner of evil of him, and accuse him of unchastity, viz. of false doctrine; and appeal him before the steward, that is, the magistrate. 57. And then Joseph must he cast into prison, and lie there captive (Gen. xxxix. 20), and be tried to purpose, till God shall bring him out again from thence, and set him before Pharaoh. And then his wisdom and fear of God is revealed, that it is plainly discerned and known that his understanding is given him of God; and so his understanding is made ruler over the land of Egypt, so that he ruleth not only strange nations, but his own brethren must at length also come unto him in their famine, when the right understanding of the divine manifestation [and mystery] is scarce and rare with them; and he nourisheth them also by his wisdom. Thus God hath sent him aforehand to be their father, that they afterwards must be fain to come and seek and enjoy their brother Joseph’s wisdom among other1 nations.

58. For so also did Israel persecute the prophets (Matt. v. 12), till they [Israel] were brought into darkness and idolatry in the lust of their flesh; and all those things came upon them of which the prophets told them; and then, when they sat in hunger and misery, and their land was full of abomination, they sought out the writings of the prophets; and even then they acknowledged that what they [the prophets] had spoken was true, and that they had done them [the prophets] wrong, and adorned their graves, and said, Had we lived in our forefathers’ time, we would not have killed them (Matt, xxiii. 29, 30). But the Most High doth so order his judgment that it beginneth at the house of Israel; and he extinguisheth his anger and indignation in the children of grace: for the blood of the saints, in the power of Christ, hath at all times resisted the anger, so that Israel hath not been consumed (Mai. iii. 6). 59. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver (Gen. xxxvii. 28), and Christ for thirty (Matt. xxvi. 15); to signify that the humanity of Christ is higher and more perfect than the humanity of others which are his children, seeing he was not conceived of the seed of man, but sprang forth in the natural tincture in the light’s property. But the Adamical soul is from the fire’s property, from whence the light receiveth its original and manifestation; so that the light’s property in Christ assumed the fire’s property, viz. the Adamical soul; and the inward hidden [divine and heavenly being] which was sealed up and quite

faded as to the light’s life, in Adam, did again open and put forth itself afresh. 60. Therefore, seeing a Christian is under Christ, and in Christ becometh again manifest in God, the figure of Christ is represented here in this figure in the number of 30, and that of a Christian in the number of 20: for a Christian is sold into the hands of men to suffer; but Christ must not only suffer in the hands of men, but give himself up also to the wrath of God, whereupon he sweat blood. 61. And this whole history of Joseph doth excellently decipher to us how a Christian standeth in his figure before God and the world: for the whole acts1 of Joseph do point out how Adam cometh to be a Christian; how he must in the process of Christ be put into Christ’s figure, and become an image of Christ; and how God doth in Christ’s process exalt him again in the kingdom of Christ, and setteth him at the right hand of God : as Joseph was set at the right hand of King Pharaoh after that he had continued in the process of Christ, and was brought through it.

The Sixty -Fifth Chapter Of Judah and Tamar : being a Mystical Figure of Adam and Christ , in which the New Birth is excellently prefigured1 i- TT Then we consider the history of Joseph according to outward VV reason, then reason demandeth, wherefore Joseph’s history is not set down together in the Bible without any interruption, whereas one act followed so upon another. Why doth Moses put this typical figure of Judah and Tamar between? But if we look upon, examine and consider this history of Judah and Tamar, and likewise the figure of Joseph, with a right understanding, we find and see that the Holy Ghost hath of set purpose so ordered and disposed them in their right and true order. 2. For Joseph representeth a true Christian, shewing how he must behave himself before God, and the world, and how he is put in the process and figure of Christ. But this history of Judah and Tamar is a figure of a Christian’s growth out of Adam’s image, according to the humanity in the kingdom of nature; shewing how he must spring forth out of the first Adamical image, and how this same Adamical image is evil and must die, which the anger of God killeth; and yet that the first right must stand; that a Christian, according to the human nature and property, is only the Adamical image, and no new or strange thing; and how Christ manifesteth himself in this Adamical evil image, and killeth the evil; and yet during the time of this life outwardly it hangs to a Christian: this the spirit here powerfully prefigureth.

3. Here we see a powerful figure in Judah, in whom stood the line of Christ in the order of the genealogy, out of which Christ was to be manifested : This Judah went away from his brethren, and applied himself to a man of Odollam [Adullam], called Hirah. And there Judah saw a Canaanitish man's daughter, called Shuah; and he took her and went in unto her, so she conceived and bare a son , and he called his name Er. And she conceived again and bare a son, whose name she called Onan. And she conceived once more and bare another son, whose name she called Shelah; and she was at Chezib when she bare him. And Judah gave his son Er a wife, whose name was Tamar: but Er was evil in the sight of the Lord, and therefore the Lord slew him. Then said Judah to Onan, Lie thou with thy brother’s wife, and take her in marriage, that thou mayest raise up seed to thy brother. But Onan, knowing that the seed should not be his own, when he should lie with his brother’s wife, he let it fall to the ground and destroyed it, lest he should give seed to his brother. And it was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, which he did, and the Lord slew him also (Gen. xxxviii. i-io).

This figure stands thus:1 4. Judah stands here in the figure of Adam, in that condition as when the Covenant of grace concerning the seed of the woman was again inspired or inspoken into Adam : j ust so he standeth in that same figure. Shewing that the Covenant of grace stood in the evil Adam, as Adam then was; for as in Judah the time of Christ, viz. the Covenant of grace, was in motion, as a boundary reaching to Mary: so also it was in Adam, and so along to and in Judah. 5. And Tamar standeth in the figure of Eve, into whom God had inspired or inspoken his Promise, the Word of Regeneration, that the seed of the woman, in the power of the Word, should break the Serpent’s head. So she standeth as an earthly Eve, in whom inwardly the Covenant of grace stood; and outwardly there was the corrupt Eve, which in this figure standeth outwardly as a whore, out of whom yet the line of Christ sprang in Pharez her son: as Abel out of Eve, though Eve were indeed become earthly. And we see here the type very plainly, how the spirit playeth and taketh delight in this figure with the old and new Adam, as also with the old and new Eve.

6. For Adam was, in his lust, gone forth from his Father’s house, as Judah to the Canaanites, and had taken to him in his lustful desire the Canaanitish woman, the four elements, of whom he begat three sons. The first called [Er or] Ger, viz. self [will or] desire, wherein the kingdom of the nature of man stood in self-desire or own will. And this son was the first world before the deluge or flood; to this the father gave him his name, to signify that he lived in the father’s nature. 7. The second son she called Onan, whom the mother called so, which pointed at the second world after the flood, for the nature of the Father, in man, said to God, 0 nein [0 no], my Lord, drown me no more. And the mother, viz. the woman of this world, in spiritu mundi [in the spirit of the world], in the expressed or out-spoken word and life, gave her son this name. For God had inspired his grace again into her, 1 Or, is thus to be understood. that this her second son, viz. the other world, should not be drowned with water: therefore this name standeth thus in the high figure, and is called Onan , for the spirit hideth it in the High Tongue, and calleth him Onan , or 0 nein [O no].

8. The third son she called Shelah, and she was at Chezib when she bare him. Chexib signifieth in the High Tongue1 an exhaling in and recomprehension. That is, this Shelah signifieth the time of the manifestation of the Law, wherein the divine will in the Word hath manifested itself through the expressed Word, and comprised it in a law or commandment. 9. These three sons signify the three times, from Adam to Christ: Er is the time before the flood, in self will, lust and desire; Onan is the second time after the flood. This son, viz. the world after the flood, hath known God’s judgment and punishment, which began to weep and lament before God, saying, O nein [O no], Lord, punish us no more thus. 10. The third time, is the time of the Law, viz. a manifesting and laying open of sin, and is justly called Shelah: for this son saith, I have found my soul again in the Lord. But it was not he yet which Tamar (that is, the hidden Eve, in whom the Covenant of grace lay) could marry: he could not raise up the seed of the woman. For Christ was as yet hidden in the law, therefore Tamar must wait till Shelah be grown up; that is, the Law must wait till the fullness of time. Yet never¬ theless Tamar (that is, the new Eve, which lay hid under the veil of sin) must conceive through the spirit in the Covenant, and bear the line of Christ, hidden to the outward Tamar or Eve: as this figure of Judah and Tamar sheweth it.

The inward figure standeth thus: 11. Judah gave his first son a wife, called Tamar; but he was evil in the sight of the Lord, therefore the Lord slew him. That is, in the inward understanding, as much as to say, God gave to the first world, viz. to the first son Er, this Tamar, viz. the promised incorporated Covenant in the seed of the woman. But they looked only upon the outward Eve, and committed whoredom with her; so Tamar remained unfruitful by this son, and bare only the outward Eve in her whore¬ dom. And thus Er, viz. the fleshly desire, was evil in the sight of the Lord, therefore the Lord slew him with the deluge. 1 Either the Hebrew is here meant, or, rather, the Language of Nature. 12. When this son was slain, the spirit of God said to the second son after the deluge: Take thou thy brother’s wife, and raise up in Tamar a seed out of the line of the Covenant. That is, enter thou into the first Covenant of the woman’s seed; and bring thy will into the obedience of God, and work in the promised grace. But the second son, viz. the second world, would not marry with the divine will either, nor work in the grace, but spilt their seed upon the earth. That is, they set their desires upon earthly things, and would raise up no seed in the inward Eve in the Covenant of grace; but introduced their seed into earthly vessels, and bare children of fleshly voluptuousness : as is to be seen in the children of Nimrod, and presently after in Sodom and Gomorrah.

13. But God having signified his Covenant of grace to them by Noah, that he would no more slay them with water, when they said, O nein [O no], Lord, slay us thus no more, and they had promised to walk before him, and bring forth fruit to him; but they brought their seed into vanity, and spilt it before the Lord, and would not marry Tamar, viz. the inward Covenant of grace, but committed adultery with the earthly Eve, and spilt the seed of their soul before the inward Eve in the Covenant : then the Lord slew this Onan also, viz. Sodom and Gomorrah, and the heathen, when Israel drove them out of their land, and slew them. For those heathen would not marry the woman in the Covenant, but they married1 their own reason, and made them idols, and spilt the seed of their faith before them upon the earth, and therefore the Lord slew them also, as he did Onan. 14. And the spirit speaketh further in the figure under an outward act done, and saith, Then spake Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, saying, Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till my son Shelah be grown up: for he thought, Perhaps he may die also, as his brethren. So Tamar went home and remained in her father’s house (Gen. xxxviii. 11). In the first world before the flood, as also in the second world after the flood, the world lived free, without the divine law : for they were married with the Covenant of grace, and should have lived under the Covenant of grace, viz. under the promise of the woman’s seed. This woman’s seed married herself with them, as Judah’s son with Tamar; but they only com¬ mitted adultery with the earthly Eve, and so the true woman in the Covenant remained unfruitful in them.

15. But when God gave the Law, then he promised this woman, in the Covenant of grace under the Law, the true Shelah. But she, viz. 1 Wedded themselves to. the woman’s seed in the Covenant, should remain a widow, under the Law, till Shelah grew up; that is, till the Law had attained its time and limit: in that, should the woman in the Covenant remain in her father’s house, hidden under the Law, as a widow in her state and condition: for the Law should govern under it. But she, viz. the holywoman of grace, should be still and quiet, that the wrath of God (for the sake of this high grace which he gave to men, when they regarded it not, nor did not receive it and live therein) should not slay Israel also, as Judah thought the Lord would slay Shelah also. 16. And we rightly see in this figure, that this woman in the Covenant was not given to Shelah, viz. to the Law, though the Law waited long for it. Yet Shelah might not marry this woman in the Covenant of grace; but Judah, that is, God’s word and power, must again lie with this woman’s seed in the Covenant, and raise it up, that this woman conceived and bare the woman’s seed. Which was fulfilled in Mary, as we see by the figure of Judah and Tamar, how Judah (when Tamar sat before the door, and waited for his promise that he would give her Shelah) did get her with child himself: for the Law could not get the right Tamar in the Covenant with child, but the word in the Covenant must move itself and get Tamar with child.

17. For we see here the most powerful figure of the whole Old Testament: where Judah standeth in the figure in the line of the Covenant, as his father Jacob declares concerning him; and Tamar his daughter in law, of whom the children of the Covenant should raise up seed in the time of Judah, standeth in the figure of the inward and outward Eve. Inwardly she signifieth the mother of the Covenant of grace, in which stood the incorporated Word of grace; and outwardly she stood in the figure of corrupted Eve, in whom the Covenant lay inwardly. 18. And now the line, that was sprung up out of this Covenant, should sow divine seed, and bring forth fruit in God’s kingdom: and that they could not do, for their own self-power and might was lost. Therefore the first eternal speaking Word, that had inspired or inspoken the woman’s seed into Eve, must again move itself, in this incorporated Covenant of grace in the woman’s seed, and itself get this woman with child, that she may bring forth Christ: as Judah gat his daughter in law with child in this type. 19. The text of Moses saith clearly, thus: When many days were overpassed, Shuah's daughter, Judah's wife, died; and after Judah's time of mourning was out, he went up to shear his sheep at Timnath, with his shepherd,

Hirah of Odollam [Adullam]. Then it was told Tamar, Behold, thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. Then she put off her widow’s apparel that she wore, and cast a mantle over her for a veil, and sat without, far from the door, in the way to Timnath : for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife (Gen. xxxviii. 12-14). The inward figure stands thus:1 20. In Judah lay the root of the Covenant, which pressed on to the limit, where it should be manifested in Christ: and so stood Judah here in this figure in the place or stead of the divine Word: which Word, God inspired or inspake into Adam for an understanding life (i John i). Therefore the text saith here: Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. This woman died to Adam: for it was the mother of the heavenly birth, in the heavenly world’s substance, for which Adam mourned. And when God had ordered him for this world, then his mourning ceased; for he thought he was now at home, and went forth out of Paradise, to eat earthly fruit, like the beasts or living creatures : therefore saith the spirit here : He sheared his sheep ; which might well be done so by Judah. But the spirit hath here the most secret figure, under which Adam is comprised: for the spirit saith, Judah took his Shepherd Hirah of Odollam [Adullam] along with him.

21. In the figure, this Hirah is the [Cherub] Cherubim, which sticketh in the earthly desire and bestial clothing of man; which Adam took with him, when he went out of Paradise, to shear the sheep of this world; for the same, viz. the earthly desire was his shepherd: for that now keepeth the beasts and sheep, and did shear them also, so that Adam had clothes and things necessary. 22. And the spirit calleth the place Timnath, where Judah had his sheep. In the High Tongue this understanding lieth very clear in the sense; for Timnath is nothing else but the expressed word in its power¬ ful re-expression; and it signifieth the spirit of this world in the elements, wherein the outward mortal life consists; wherein Adam had his sheep, and now also therein hath them in his children. 23. For in this place Shelah is born, viz. the law of nature, which offereth righteousness to man; for which law, Tamar, viz. the Covenant of grace, waited a long time during Shelah’s youth, to see whether the law could be married with the Covenant of grace. But it could not be, that God’s righteousness could be fully performed by

1 Is thus to be understood. the law, and that Tamar, viz. the Grace in the covenant, and the law, might enter into marriage. 24. Now the spirit here signifieth clearly, that when God’s word had manifested itself in the world by the law; that Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, laid aside her widow’s apparel, and had set herself in the way of the word in the law, where, under the law, the spirit of the prophets out of the line of Judah went onward concerning the kingdom of Christ. This spirit would have the Covenant of grace for a spouse, for it was the right [spirit] from which the prophets under the law pointed at Christ. 25. But Tamar, that is, the Covenant of grace, veiled her beautiful countenance from the earthly Adam, and was ashamed of the deformity of the earthly man, in that the children of the law, as also the prophets, were outwardly so earthly: even as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah. But when the time was come that the Covenant should be manifested, then the spirit of the Covenant sets itself before Shelah, viz. before the law, for the grace should receive Adam into itself again : as Tamar received seed from Judah her father in law, and suffered herself to be gotten with child.

26. But the holy countenance of the Covenant of grace in its power remained yet hidden to Adam in the law, as also to the prophets, till Christ: as Tamar veiled her countenance from Judah her father in law, that he knew her not, so also the Covenant of grace stood in the law, but with a veiled countenance. And the spirit speaketh further in Moses, and saith: 27. Now when Judah saw her he supposed she was a whore, for she had covered her countenance; that is, when the children in the law heard the prophetical spirit speak of Christ, they supposed it was in their law, and of the law: but it had veiled its countenance, like Tamar. And Judah went towards her on the way, and said, Prithee let me lie with thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter in law. That is, Adam’s nature in the law said, to the prophetical spirit of grace, Pray let me come in unto thee; lie with me, I will give thee seed of my nature. And it knew not that God was in this spirit, and desired to mix with him after a creaturely manner; neither knew it that this prophetical spirit was the incorporated spirit in the Covenant, in man himself : so very blind was the Adamical nature concerning the Covenant.

28. The Adamical nature thought it was a whore, that setteth itself forth so in the prophetical spirit before it : therefore have the Jews so often slain the prophets; for they supposed they heard a false whore’s spirit speak. But here the figure of Judah sheweth that the first Adamical nature should mix with the Covenant of grace, that the heavenly ens would receive the Adamical human ens again into itself; and man himself would not understand what God would do with him. 29. The Adamical nature would indeed in its lust long after the heavenly ens, but would not know it. Although it should see the same, yet it would think, That is like unto me, I will commit whoredom therewith : so strange a thing is paradise become to Adam. 30. And when Tamar, with her face covered, presented herself before Judah in the way, and that he said to her, Lie with me ; then said Tamar to Judah, What wilt thou give me to lie with me? He said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. She answered, and said, Then give me a pledge till thou send it. And he said, What wilt thou have me give thee for a pledge? She answered, and said, Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and thy staff which thou hast in thy hand. And he gave them to her, and lay with her, and she was with child by him. And she arose and went away, and laid off her mantle, and put her widow’s apparel on again (Gen. xxxviii. 14-19).

31. Here the spirit alludeth very finely in the figure, how Adam’s nature lieth with the presented new Eve in the Covenant, and yet knoweth her not; also how the Covenant lieth with Adam’s first right nature, and how they meet together in strange apparel, when Adam’s nature saith, Lie with me, and would have this Eve in the Covenant only for a little pleasure’s sake, as the Adamical nature doth in its selfhood, that it might only, in its false seeming holiness, lie with the new Eve. And its heart is far from the true wedlock marriage, and only draweth near her in a hypocritical whoredom, as is done in the office of the Pharisees: Then saith this Eve to the Adamical nature, What wilt thou give me? Then this Adamical nature promised her a kid, that is, a bestial [desire and] will, full of the burning lust of flattery and hypocrisy. 32. But this Eve, viz. Tamar, saith, Give me for a pledge thereof thy ring,1 staff and bracelet. The ring is the soul, which came from the Word of God: the bracelet is the spiritus mundi [the spirit of the world], viz. the outward spirit; and the staff is the body. These will the new Eve, viz. the line of Christ in the Covenant, have for a pledge : these ornaments2 must Adam give for a pledge to the Covenant of grace, viz. of the woman’s inward seed in the incorporated grace of the heavenly world’s substance.

1 Seal, ring, or signet. 2 Habiliments, or precious jewels. 3 3 . When this dear Eve in the seed of Mary should lie with Adam, and receive Adam’s seed into her holy birth; as Judah, in whom lay the line of the Covenant, must give Tamar, who stood in the image and type of the new Eve, viz. of the heavenly world’s substance; these ornaments and jewels, viz. his ring, bracelet and staff: Both which stood in the figure, shewing how Christ should be manifested out of Adam’s nature in Mary, wherein lay and was manifested the right Tamar or new Eve. 34. And when Tamar had gotten the ring, bracelet and staff for a pledge, she took them and laid them up, and asked not after the kid, but kept these jewels and went from thence with them, and changed herself again into her former widow’s estate, and hid herself from Judah, that he knew not who she was, nor whence she came. 35. This now is the most excellent figure, shewing how the spirit in the Covenant mingleth and uniteth itself again with the heavenly world’s substance, viz. with the new wedlock or Eve, viz. with Adam’s faded substance, which is from the heavenly world’s substance, which substance faded or vanished in the fall; viz. how God becometh man, and man becometh God, and how this image or type (conceived in the new divine seed) even then again hideth itself from the earthly Adam,1 that Eve must put on and wear her widow’s apparel again, that the noble seed might not be known in this world.

As is to be seen by the children of Christ, who are conceived of Christ according to the inward ground, how they must, after the wedding of the Lamb, viz. this divine wedlock or coition, which is indeed done in the soul with great joy; enter again into the state of mourning, and be forsaken in this world, as a poor widow.

36. And as Tamar inquired not after the kid, but would have an eminent pledge; so the spirit of Christ in the Covenant inquireth not after the outward solemnity and pageantry, wherein men will offer gifts to it : It will have the body, soul and spirit for a pledge. 37. In this figure it representeth the Jewish offerings as a whore¬ dom in the sight of God. For as Judah committed whoredom with Tamar, and intended only the whoredom, and would give a kid for it, so also stood the priests of the Law, and in seeming holiness and hypocrisy play the harlots with God, with the blood and flesh of beasts. Which indeed was a figure of the inward, and God was pleased to bear with it; but he would not accept their offerings, neither did he mix himself with the offering, but with the faith in the body, soul 1 One copy saith Eve. and spirit of man: whereof we have here an excellent example. 38. Judah had begotten three sons of the Canaanitish woman. But the line of the Covenant which lay in him would not pass on in the Canaanitish woman and her children, but opened itself in this whore¬ dom of Judah with Tamar, in Pharez; whom Tamar conceived of Judah by this coition or lying together. With which figure God represents the misery of man, and presents his Covenant of grace with the opening of this precious line of the Covenant, which pressed on to the limit, Christ;

in this whoredom of Judah and Tamar, viz. in the earthly Adam, and in the earthly Eve; but, in the inward ground of its essence. To signify that even the children of God, in their corrupt nature, do but commit whoredom in the presence of God, and that their state of wedlock is but whoredom and a defiled bestial thing in the presence of God; and hath nothing at all therein chaste or pure in the sight of God. Therefore the line of the Covenant manifested itself in this whoredom of Judah and Tamar, to signify that Christ should come out of this line of the Covenant, and enter into the middle of this whoredom [as a Mediator], and break the head of the false whorish desire and earthly Serpent, and purify our fleshly impure bestial conception with its heavenly virgin seed, and in himself change it into the Paradisical image again.

39. Also God doth therefore manifest the line of his Covenant in this whoredom of Judah and Tamar, that his wrath in our human impurity might not burn up and devour body and soul, but that the Covenant of grace might withstand the anger in our impurity, lest God should devour Israel in their abominations and impurity in his wrath. 40. Now seeing the line of the Covenant as to its manifestation and propagation lay in Judah, and that Israel also was impure according to the Adamical nature, therefore God did represent his Covenant of grace at the first propagation from the stock of Israel in such a figure; that the faith of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, in the first branch from them, viz. in Judah and his children, might withstand his wrath, and that continually the faith of Abraham, viz. the spirit of Christ in Abraham’s faith, might be a mediator between God and the impurity of man. 41. We see also such a figure in the royal prophet David with Bathsheba, upon whom also the line of the Covenant pressed on in Solomon, and though clearly David caused her husband Uriah to be slain, and used deceit that he might get Bathsheba to wife, which in

the human nature was an abomination and great sin before the face of God; yet the spirit hath its figure in David thus, seeing God had renewed his Covenant of grace with him concerning Christ. Therefore God set the line of his Covenant in David’s unrighteousness in the woman that he had gotten to himself with unrighteousness in whore¬ dom by murdering her husband. To signify that all human matters and doings are vain and evil in the sight of God, and that he will come himself with his grace to help our sins and impurity, and introduce his grace into our sin and slay it with the grace. Therefore God represents this image and type in David, for an atonement, pointing at the coming of Christ, who, when he rendered himselfinto this figure, took on him the sins of all men, and cleansed again the whoredom of Judah and Tamar, as also of David and Bathsheba, and of Adam and Eve; and laid himself in the marriage bed with them, as he did with Judah and Tamar, and with David and Bathsheba, in whom the line of the Covenant was manifested in their evil purposes and doings. 42. For here the old proverb was fulfilled: Where God erects a church, there also the devil builds a chapel. God had built a church of his covenant in Judah and David; close by also the devil in God’s anger buildeth his chapel in man’s lust: but the church of God always resisted the devil’s chapel.

43. For here in this figure the seed of the woman presents itself, shewing how it would break the head of the Serpent in man’s im¬ purity. And so the type of God’s anger, and the type of grace, were represented in one figure, viz. Adam’s fleshly whoredom with his Eve, and all her daughters; and then the woman’s holy seed of the heavenly world’s substance, which, with the Word of grace, mediated, inter¬ ceded, and set itself in the middle. 44. A much more excellent figure we see in the most wise king Solomon, who stood just in the figure of Judah; as Judah was the son of Jacob, who received and embraced the promise, and Jacob stood wholly in the figure of Christ; so David also received and embraced the renewing of the Covenant of the first promise; and David begat this Solomon also of an unrighteous marriage; though he took her to wife, yet the unrighteousness and murder stood behind the door.1 45. This Solomon was endued with high divine wisdom, and the line of the Covenant pressed and passed through him. But at length he became such an insatiable luxurious person,2 that the Scripture 1 Lay under the green leaf.

2 Uxorious luster after women, lecherous person. saith of him, he had three hundred concubines, and seven hundred wives, and mixed himself with the daughters of heathenish kings, and took them to wife, and allowed his heathenish women to set up their idols’ images for idolatry in the high places at Jerusalem (i Kings xi. 1-8 ). 4 6. In this eminent figure the spirit signifieth that man is fallen away from God, and [is] merely idolatrous; that Adam and all his children, in their own nature, are such a bestial adulterous and idolatrous generation: and, in this, King Solomon represents the line of the Covenant subjoined with these heathenish idolatrous adulterous concubines, who in their own nature were but an abomination in the presence of God, to signify that Christ, out of this line of the Covenant, should set himself in the midst amongst the heathen, and tear idolatry out of their hearts, and convert them all to Christ. 47. Also to signify that God did bear with the wise heathen under the patience of the figure of Christ, and that he did represent by the Jews only a prefiguration or type of the temple of Christ; and that the Jews in their nature were but idolatrous adulterers, as well as the heathen, only that in their law they had the type and prefiguration of Christ in their sacrifices and offerings, at which the Covenant had respect, shewing how God would redeem and purify both Jews and heathen from Adam’s abominations and idolatry, and that the one people in his sight were as the other, and no whit better, but every one of them was the evil Adam. Therefore the spirit represents them perspicuously in the figure of Solomon in the line of the Covenant, that he may have mercy and compassion upon all (Rom. xi. 32), for Christ’s sake who should fulfil and accomplish this line.

48. And hereby is signified to the teachers in Babel, part of whom account Solomon damned in regard of those heathenish idols, that they themselves lie under the veil, as the Jews did under the type of Christ, and do really understand the Scripture as little as the Jews, and stand in contentious idolatrous whoredom in the presence of God, as Solomon with his concubines did, and the Jews. 49. For Solomon had the Law: but at length with his heart he committed whoredom with the heathenish women’s idols: And so doth Babel, who calleth herself a pure child, pretending the name of Christ, and striveth zealously and vehemently about it in opinions; and all the opinions about which she contendeth are Solomon’s heathenish women and idols, and no polemic or contentious opinion is any whit better. 50. For Christ sticketh in no contentious opinion, but in the line of his grace he is entered into the midst amongst us; and if we receive him, then he taketh us also in it to himself. And there needs no strife or opinion about it, but this one thing he requireth of us: that we continue in him, and then he will continue in us; and that we love ourselves in him, as he loveth us in himself; that all of us may be cleansed from the wrath of God in his love, and that his grace and love may wash all of us that come to him from our sins and idolatrous abominations, and make ofjudah, Tamar, David, Solomon, and all the children of the Jews, heathen, and Christians, a pure virgin, prepared for himself by his love in his blood, which he hath bestowed upon us in his grace, that we may acknowledge and put on him in that love, and be one spirit and body with him : and then Adam is helped and restored again.

51. The spirit of Moses in the text saith further, thus: After three months it was told Judah , saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot ■ moreover, behold she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her hither, that she may be burned. And when they brought her forth she sent to her father in law, and said, From the man, whose these are, I am with child, and said, Dost thou know whose this ring, these bracelets and this staff is? Judah acknowledged it, and said, She is more righteous than I; for I gave her not my son Shelah. Tet he lay with her no more (Gen. xxxviii. 24-26). This is a powerful figure, shewing that whoredom is an abomination in God’s sight, and how God sets man’s sins before his eyes; and here it signifieth this to us: that the Adamical whoredom and abomination are manifest before this Covenant of grace, and that Man in such abominations is guilty of hell fire, as Judah judged his daughter in law Tamar to be condemned to the fire, and knew not that he himself was the whoremonger, who stood in the like condemnation.

52. And here in this figure the spirit presenteth men’s false judg¬ ment, that they even do the same thing which they condemn; as here Judah condemned the whoredom of Tamar to the fire, and saw not his fall, that he himself was guilty; to signify that Christ also had set himself in the judgment of the world in this line of the Covenant, as a righteous judge, who would separate right from wrong, and condemn the whoredom and idolatry of the world. But on the other side, we see in this figure how Tamar presented the pledge, viz. the ring, bracelet and staff before the judgment, and before the severe sentence of Judah, and therewith did overthrow Judah’s determinate sentence, and still his wrath, that he must take compassion on her and justify her. 53. Thus also stood this figure before God in the inward ground in Judah and Tamar, with Adam and Eve. For Adam had brought him¬ self into fleshly earthly lust, and committed whoredom with his feminine property through his imagination in a bestial manner, and had forsaken the heavenly magic way of the divine wedlock: therefore also the heavenly woman died as to him, and in the stead thereof the earthly bestial one awaked, with whom he now useth the bestial manner in whoredom. This God presents in him, viz. in Adam himself, in his judgment, and would condemn Adam to death, as indeed God’s righteousness then condemned him.

54. But the re-incorporated Eve in the Covenant of grace, which hath incorporated itself in Eve, viz. in the faded seed of the woman from the heavenly world’s substance, presented itself before the severe judgment of God, and said to God’s righteousness, Behold, I am with child from the man whose these are. That is, Behold, I have taken Adam’s soul, spirit and body, for a pledge, when I joined myself with him, and am betrothed to him, and have received the Father’s nature in the awakened anger into my love, and am now with child of the human nature, and shall bring forth a God-Man. 55. And when the Father’s property in the soul’s nature in the anger knew that the Father had sown himself again into the grace, viz. into the new Eve in the Covenant, then said the anger of the Father in the soul (when this grace went to meet it), to this new Eve, Thou art more righteous than I, for I have caused Adam’s impurity, that he is become earthly, and hath committed whoredom before me. And I have not given Shelah for a husband to the new Eve; that is, I have not given the Word of the new regeneration by and in the Law. Therefore hath Tamar, that is, the new Eve, under the time of the Law, lain and copulated with Judah and his children for and about the soulish or animal and human nature; and left Shelah, viz. the Law, standing in the figure; and the grace of the new Eve in the Covenant hath always [joined and] mixed itself with God’s children, as is to be seen in the saints, especially in the prophets, who outwardly lived under the Law and exercised themselves therein, and yet always [joined and] mixed themselves with the new Eve in the grace, and yet lived not to the Law, but to grace.

56. And this is the powerful figure in this place, shewing how the Covenant of Promise in Judah, and the awakening of the Covenant in the woman’s seed, stand always set one opposite to the other, and lie and copulate one with the other in the love, pointing at the future manifestation in the flesh in Christ. 57. For this figure of Judah and Tamar, in the inward ground, is nothing else but this: that outwardly the adulterous evil Adam, with his fleshly Eve, is represented in the figure, viz. outwardly the man of sin with a sinful figure, and inwardly the betrothing of the new Eve in regeneration. 58. And the spirit speaketh further in Moses, and saith: And when Tamar was about to bring forth, behold, twins were found in her womb. And as she was upon the birth one of them put forth a hand : then the midwife took a red thread and tied about it, and said, This is the first that cometh forth. But when he pulled back his hand his brother came forth, and she said, Wherefore hast thou for thy will made this breach? and his name was called Pharez. Afterwards his brother came forth, who had the red thread about his hand, and his name was called Zarah (Gen. xxxviii. 27-30).

59. O thou wonderful great God, who art so high and deep: how simply, and to the capacity of a child, dost thou modelise thy wisdom to us ! What is all art and wit of human greatness before thee, who dost so very much condescend, bow down, and humble thyself; and presentest thy deepest wisdom and highest profundity in a childish simplicity, which may justly shame all human state and self- wit, when they see so great Mysteries of God stand in such childishness! 60. O world, how foolish art thou! that thou elevatest thyself in a blind life, and still cleavest to the husk, and seest not what thou art, and understandest not the divine simplicity. And then, how wilt thou apprehend the divine depth? O leave off thy wit, and cleave to simplicity, that thou mayest yet obtain a child’s understanding, and be not accounted in the sight of God more unwise than the beasts, which remain in their clothing and condition as God hath created them. O thou world! why sleepest thou in the devil’s arms, who suckles and dandles thee in himself, and bringeth thee to his will and life by his might ? O do but see it !

61. This potent figure in these twins, one of which put forth the hand, which the midwife bound a red thread about, and thought it would be the first, but it drew the hand back again, and his brother came forth, prefigureth this to us: How Christ in this line of the Covenant assumed the human nature, and so the human nature according to Adam’s right and self will, in this world, first puts forth and manifests itself, about which Adamical nature in the humanity of Christ must this red thread, with the shedding of his blood, be bound. 62. When this is done, then must the human nature with its right draw back again; that is, Adam’s will that was gone forth must again return into the mother’s womb, viz. be turned into the Word; and then cometh the inward new Adam forth, after which followeth the Adamical nature with the red thread. Then saith the mother to the new Adam in Christ, Why hast thou for thy will made this breach? For thy will, saith the mother, not for thy will’s sake, but for the sake of that which driveth thy will forth; and Adam’s will goes back. Thus hath the will in the Covenant of grace powerfully broken through the strong bar and enclosure of the first Principle, viz. of the kingdom of God’s anger; for the good will in Adam was shut up in death and in hell, and in Christ he rent that powerful rent, and brake through death and hell back again into the kingdom of the eternal nature, and turned itself forth again into the natural life, so that the kingdom of God was again manifested in the human life.

63 . This the spirit represents by Tamar in the line of the Covenant, and modeliseth Christ’s breach through death and hell, how that should be; and by this premodelling was the whorish will of Tamar and Judah healed, and their children of whoredom in the line of Christ were espoused into the Covenant of grace. 64. In Esau and Jacob stood the figure, how according to nature Adam had the right of the kingdom, and how he squandered it, and is therefore in his natural will thrust out from the kingdom of God, and how Christ came to help him. Here now stands the figure, shewing how Christ hath gotten the kingdom, and turned Adam back again, and in Adam turned himself forth, so that now Adam is called Christ, and presents himself very excellently in the figure of Joseph: and this standeth fitly and rightly between, in the interval of Joseph’s history. 65. For Joseph is the figure of a Christian; and this of Judah and Tamar is a figure shewing how a Christian springeth out of Adam’s nature, and how Adam’s nature is turned in again, and Christ turned forth; and how this image of a Christian man in this world is covered outwardly with the earthly Adam, so that men cannot know it; also how thus Christ in Adam took his guilt upon him, and how Adam must be marked with this red thread, which mark is rightly the pledge that Judah gave to Tamar. And I would have the Reader of this admonished in love, not to reject our exposition of this text, but to consider it and look narrowly and perspicuously into it: and then he will well perceive who was the Expositor, if he be worthy of it.

The Most Excellent History of Joseph: How he was sold to Potiphar ; what befell Josephs and of Joseph’s Chastity, and fear of God1 I. C^fosepb was brought down into Egypt, and Potiphar, an Egyptian I Pharaoh’s o fficer, captain of his guard, bought him of the Ishmaelites, who brought him thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man ; and was in his master’s, the Egyptian’s, house. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. So that he found grace and favour in the sight of his master, and was his servant which he set over his house. And all that he had he put under his hand ; and from the time that he set him over his house, and over all his goods, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was every way upon all that he had in the house and in the field. Therefore he left all that he had under the hand of Joseph, and he meddled with nothing while he had him, but what he did eat and drink. And Joseph was a goodly person and fair of feature (Gen. xxxix. 1-6).

2. The history prefigureth to us a true Christian man, what he is, and how he is, in this world, and what his office is; that is, when Christ is manifested in him he is no more his own, to do what he will; also in this world he hath nothing for his own of which he can in truth say, This is mine, or I, I am he that hath it, I possess it, it is mine own, I may do therewith what my flesh and my own will listeth, I may use it for my honour and pleasure, that I may thereby be aloft2 in the world : No, a true Christian hath none of that in his power. 3 . He indeed ruleth of right over that which he hath and possesseth with truth and righteousness, but yet as a servant of his Lord Christ. For a Christian is a Christian in Christ, and is bought to a Christian life, and to the obedience of faith, by the blood of Christ, with Christ’s thirty pieces of silver: whereof his Lord Christ hath committed to him Joseph’s twenty pieces of silver, and set him as a steward over it, that he may trade therewith and employ it, till he make it come to thirty pieces of silver, which he should wear in him and about him as a mark or badge of his Lord Christ, as a treasure of his Christianity.

4. But seeing his Lord Christ was sold and betrayed to death for 1 Gen. xxxix. 2 Or, high. thirty pieces of silver, and Joseph was sold by his brethren to be a bondslave1 for twenty pieces of silver; in both these numbers standeth the figure of a Christian, viz. Christ, when he is manifested in a man, sheweth man the thirty pieces of silver for which he was sold to suffering and death, and this his suffering and death he putteth upon him, in which is founded the figure of the thirty pieces of silver, viz. that he was sold and betrayed : and therein man becomes such a Christian as is founded, implanted, ingraven,2 upon and into Christ’s sufferings and death; and therein a man becometh a Christian in Christ’s sufferings and death, and standeth in the figure of Christ, and looseth the right of his natural self will, as also the kingdom of this world. 5. For in Christ’s death, as to his inward spiritual man, he dieth from this world, and, according to that inward man, is no more in this world, but in Christ in God, viz. in the kingdom of God, as it is written : The kingdom of God is inwardly within you (Luke xvii. 21) : Also, Examine yourselves, whether Christ hath gotten a form in you (Gal. iv. 19): Also, Te are the temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in you (1 Cor.

iii. 16) : Also, Te are the servants of Christ (Col. iv. 12), and should eat the flesh of the Son of Man (John vi. 53), and so he abideth in you and you in him (John xv. 7) : and without him ye have no life (John vi. 53). As a herb and grass, and all earthly things, without the power and virtue of the sun, have no life, growth or vegetation and operation in them, so man, without the Divine Sun, which through Christ hath manifested itself in his Christians, hath no life or happiness or salvation without Christ in him.

6. And as Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver to suffering and death, which thirty pieces of silver signify the thirty years of Christ before his baptism (Luke iii. 23), ere he entered into his office and divine government according to the humanity, when he gave up his human will to God, and the creaturely self will ceased in him: so also must a Christian, when he is in truth in his own natural will, sold for twenty pieces of the thirty pieces of silver, to be a servant of God in Christ, to be a minister or officer, and obedient to his Lord who liveth in him ; then his bypast years of the Adamical natural time of this world are sold, in and with Christ, for twenty pieces of silver; and so the Adamical time of his natural will, in this being sold, ceaseth in Christ’s suffering and death; and he is by his Lord (who is 1 Over whom the master hath power of life, and all he hath. 2 Etching of plates with aqua fortis. arisen from Death in him, and ruleth and reigneth over Death), set to be an officer over Christ’s goods, to dispose of them through the spirit of Christ, viz. in the power and virtue of his Lord who is in him, in this world, according to the kingdom of Christ.1

7. As Joseph was taken away from his father’s house, and was first cast into the pit, wherein he should have perished, and was afterwards sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver to serve as a bondslave ; so also a Christian is first taken away from his father’s house, viz. from the Adamical nature, and is cast into the pit, viz. into Christ’s suffering and death, and then loseth the Adamical inheritance of the kingdom of this world, and is with his will and mind brought away from it. Then he must yield up his father’s house, viz. all his selfhood, together with his natural life, to his brethren in his father’s house, that is, to the power of God in the government of this world; and suffer himself to be cast into the pit of the death of his natural will, and therein give up himself to the death of Christ, and willingly die to the will of this world, viz. to his own Adamical house, and willingly suffer all whatsoever his brethren of this world do to him. 8. And then if he thus lie in the pit or grave of Christ, and hath given himself up to the death of Christ, that he willingly would for¬ sake all for Christ’s sake, and die the death of his own will, then Christ his Lord putteth on him his resurrection from the dead, and maketh him living with his power, and draweth him with Joseph out of the pit and grave of death, and bringeth him into his service: as Joseph into the service of Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. And then all goeth prosperously in and with him, for the divine power ruleth him; and now he attaineth divine understanding and wisdom, and knows how to manage his master’s goods. That, in the Christian figure, is as much as to say :

9. When a man is thus a Christian in such a process and way, then he hath given up all whatsoever he hath of temporal goods, or is able to do, as also his own will, to God, who bringeth him first into Christ’s image, and maketh him conformable to Christ, and taketh nothing away from him of that which he had before of natural right, viz. the disposal of temporary goods; but he taketh away the authority and power of his own nature, viz. his evil self will which Adam had brought away from God and introduced into a creaturely selfness of his own willing and working in earthly things, whereby Adam bereaved God his Lord of the government in him, and made the 1 As to the dominion of Christ. essence and things of this world his own; as if he had made it, and would not be God’s servant therein, and be his fellow-branches’ guardian and nourisher, and give them his virtue, will, essence and substance, but saith, [It is] Mine ; that is, it is mine own, I will keep it only for myself, and it shall remain with me. And would not work therewith in the life of his brethren, and give them also of his life and power; and bereave them also (through that appropriation of it to be mine) of the power in the kingdom of nature, viz. of the growth [and fruits]

of the earth which God gave in common, and would only fill his own body, and thereby be accounted great, and a lord of his miserable despised fellow-branches, whom he wickedly bereaveth of the sap wherewith they should strengthen their life, and bringeth it into a propriety [calling it mine]. This authority God taketh away from a Christian, and maketh him a guardian and nourisher of his brethren again, viz. a steward of his Lord: He lets him possess the temporary goods which he had, so far as he possessed them in a natural right with righteousness and truth, and maketh him a Joseph therein.

10. This Joseph now saith not, This is mine, that village, city, country, principality, kingdom, empire; also that house, land, field, money; those goods, those cattle, that woman, that child, is mine. But he saith with his whole heart and conscience from a new good Christian will, It is all my God’s and his children’s. He hath set me as a ruler, disposer, and steward of it, that I should manage it to that purpose which he will have me. I should sustain myself and his children, the needy, with it; and I should be their curator or guardian, and give them also my power, virtue and understanding of the divine gift; and instruct, tutor or take care of them for their good. And as God governeth me with his spirit, so also should I that am his officer in this world, with my understanding and office, govern my fellowmembers in such power and virtue, and take care of them. For all that I rule over is not mine, but God’s and theirs; but I should do to them as God doth to me. 11. To such a one God giveth Joseph’s understanding and wisdom, and governeth the house of this world by him; be he in what state and condition soever, therein he sits in the office of God, and is only a servant or minister of the office, and a guardian over divine creatures. For the right Christian government of his will is in heaven, his con¬ versation is alike in heaven and on earth; as the Scripture saith, Our conversation is in heaven (Phil. iii. 20). For according to the inward

ground of his soul and spirit he is in Christ in God, viz. in the eternal speaking Word, from which Adam’s will had turned itself away, and turned itself out into this world, which will Christ hath turned in again into the eternal Word. And so now he governeth with that reinturned will through and in the outward substance and matters of this world, viz. in the formed outspoken or expressed Word, as a servant, minister and instrument of the eternal speaking Word in its secret mystery of wisdom, viz. in the visible creaturely word. 12. Therefore to thee, O thou governor in the office of the Joseph of this world, in every state, condition and degree, this is told thee, and set before thy eyes: that though thou callest thyself a Joseph, thou dost not yet govern as a Joseph ; that is, not as a Chris¬ tian, but as a child of the stars and elements; thou governest no otherwise than the brethren of Joseph, who will not that God should choose Joseph for a governor. They will be governors themselves, and will rather kill Joseph than wait to try what God would do with Joseph’s dream or vision; they would not suffer that Joseph should tell their injury to his father; but would do what they thought fit. For they said among themselves, We are the elder, and should govern; what will the least and youngest persuade us to? we possess the government in a just way by the right of nature; the power and authority is ours, we will dispatch Joseph out of the way, and cast him into the pit, and then we shall do what we will.

13. Thus doest thou also, thou governest Christendom in all states and degrees. The stars, and the evil averted Adam in his own will, governeth through thee in God’s office in the kingdom of this world; thou hast only cast the mantle of Christ over it, that men should not know thee, that thou art the evil Adam, and governest with the starry wit and ingenuity, and through the subtlety and policy of the devil, in mere self-willed ways of thine own, to advance thy own ostentation, pomp, might, authority and stately proud glory. 14. O hearken! art thou a Christian? then art thou dead with Christ to the wicked false will of Adam, and of the devil’s pride. But if thy will and life be heathenish, why dost thou then boast thyself to be a Christian? Why dost thou make wars for lands, countries, cities and villages, if thou be not with Joseph called and instituted of God to be a governor? Why dost thou in Christ’s kingdom enslave the country, if thou art a prince and minister in God’s office, and servest him? 15. Art thou thy own lord upon earth, and doest what thy own will listeth? Then thou doest not what God will, also thou governest not from heaven, but from the world, and with the world’s might. But whence hast thou that in Christ’s kingdom, and from what power and authority, that thou, in God’s office, drawest to thyself the sweat of the poor and miserable, and takest away his strength and virtue, and lettest him starve in want?

Also, that thou squeezest or crushest him down with thy burden, that thou mayest but possess much riches, and heap up much for thyself, with which thou makest thyself potent, and liftest up thy mind into pride. Whence hast thou that in Christ’s kingdom, that thou wilt be better than the members of thy own body? Whereas in Christ we are one, viz. one tree with many twigs and branches, and Christ alone is our sap and virtue, and taketh care for us all in common : for the officer as well as the branch ; no otherwise than the twig upon which the fruit groweth.

16. Thou potentate in God’s office! dost thou not know that in thy office thou art a branch in the tree of Christ, and that fruit should grow upon thy twigs? Now if thou withdrawest thy sap from the twigs, and with thy rubbing breakest them off, what fruit can they bear to thee? They must needs wither in thee, and bring forth no fruit: of which thou art guilty, that the branch, thou being in God’s office, standeth without fruit. What dost thou profit thy Lord who hath planted thee? Shalt thou not be hewn down, and cast into the fire (Matt. iii. 10; Luke iii. 9) of God’s anger, as 'a dry piece of wood? Are ye not the Great Tree in the field of the world, standing in your twigs without fruit? What fruit do you bear? Nothing but leaves, which fall off by the wind, and rot and go to the earth again without fruit. And now what profit to life is a tree without fruit? No other but for the fire, or for the building of a habitation. 17. Thus also thou art only in thy office a building and habitation, wherein God’s children are to dwell 5 but they grow not out of thy stock, thou art only an officer of or belonging unto a constellation and asterism, and servest the kingdom of separation in evil and good: as that pulleth down and buildeth up, so dost thou also. What one officer buildeth up, another teareth down to the ground. But he that serveth in Christ’s spirit in this office, he worketh with Joseph : the blessing is everywhere in his office, so that his twigs bring forth much fruit in Christ’s kingdom.

18. Ye nobles and potentates under the name of Christ; whence cometh it to you in Christ’s kingdom that ye are such, under a Christian name? Your office is God’s; if ye govern therein as a Joseph, as a minister of Christ, then it is right and pleasing to God. But whence comes it in the kingdom of Christ that there is nobility and slavery? Is not that heathenish? Wherein stands the ground thereof? It proceeds from nothing else but from the pride of the devil, and self will. 19. Who planted you in the beginning? Your princes and kings, whom ye have served: to what end are they? That pride might be arrayed in brave apparel, and that men might not say of the high offices of God, They are clothed with common apparel; but that they might be distinguished from the lowly and simple: and that was even Lucifer’s fall. 20. But Christ on earth had not whereon to lay his head (Matt. viii. 20), neither house, nor anything else. So also a Christian hath nothing for his own, but what he hath, he hath it for his office sake, and serveth his Lord therein; but he that serveth otherwise, he serveth the Adamical self, and not Christ; and is no Christian, but a mere titulary Christian. But he is a child of nature, of the kingdom of this world, in whose inward ground hell standeth, and serveth the kingdom of darkness : outwardly he serveth indeed the type of God according to love and anger, where all things together stand in strife, till the day of separation, and the restoration of that which was before such doings.

21. For in this world all goes on in free will, that which hath no law hath also no judgment; but that which hath a law, that hath its judgment in itself: therefore seeing man, especially a Christian, hath a law, viz. that he is no more his own, in that he is given up to another, viz. to Christ, and yet will not be subject to him, then is the judg¬ ment in the law, and condemneth the own will and self. 22. We do not disallow of the offices, which are God’s, as also the officers are God’s servants: we distinguish only what a minister of Christ is, and what a minister of nature in human selfhood is. If any one be in a noble office in the kingdom of Christ, then is his office noble; but he is a minister or servant under this noble office, and is justly honoured in respect of the office; we detract not from his honour, which his office deserveth; but all selfhood in the kingdom of Christ is the evil Adamical nature, which is departed from God; for in Christ there is no nobility, but we are all only children and ministers or servants.

23. Our Adamical nobility is lost in Adam; but whoever in this world in the kingdom of Christ is noble, he is noble in respect of his office (as a king and prince is noble in respect of his office in which he serveth); but if he serveth not Christ therein but only the nobility of his office and his selfhood, and saith, The power and the kingdom is mine, he bereaveth God of his power, and maketh it appropriate to himself, and becometh a Lucifer under the office of God. 24. Even as Lucifer, who also was a prince of a throne, and a king in God’s office, but when he appropriated the office to self, then he was thrust out (Isa. xiv. 19), and another got the office which he had in the kingdom of God: but he remained indeed a prince in his own office, but not in God’s love, but in his wrath, wherein he must now also serve him : as also is to be understood concerning the offices in this world. 25. For a wicked prince and nobleman remaineth indeed in the office, but he serveth not God’s love but his anger; as is done at present, where the princes serve the anger of God with murdering and wasting countries and people, as in vengeance, and in the power of selfhood, wherein God’s anger also becometh creaturely : but they do not that to Christ in Christ’s office, but to the anger of God, who thereby punisheth the false and wicked titulary Christendom with his office of anger.

26. For in Christ’s office there is only love and righteousness, as also humility and fear of God in self. But the office hath the power to separate the evil from the good as a minister1 of God, yet with righteousness, and not with self will. He who saith, Thou shalt not kill, saith also to the officer, that without the authority of his office he should kill none, neither should he do injury to any [though by virtue of his office] . 27. For the office requireth a just judgment, and then the office killeth the wickedness,2 and severs it from the good, and the officer is free from the commandment of death; but if he hath any evil intent in his will, there the judgment passeth upon the officer himself. 28. In Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, we have a powerful figure; who set Joseph over his whole house, and gave him full power to rule in his government; shewing how God hath set his officers in his house of this world, that they should do and direct, judge and manage things in a creaturely manner, as God doth in them after a spiritual manner. 29. For Potiphar took upon him no disposal of anything, but let Joseph manage the government: Thus also are all officers instituted

1 Diaconissa ministresse. 2 Wicked thing or substance. in the kingdom of this world, that they should outwardly manage God’s government; as Christ giveth a similitude or parable of stewards whom a lord appointed over all his goods, and went into a far country, and after a long time returned again to require an account of his stewards, where he distributed to the officers, and gave one of them five talents, and the other four talents, to the third three talents, to the fourth two, to the fifth one talent, wherewith every one should trade and get gain. And then when he that had but one talent had gained nothing, he commanded him to be bound hand and foot, and to be cast out into darkness; and commanded also to destroy those murderers, and to burn their cities, who after their lord was gone away, and had committed his goods to them, and they presently in his house began to fight, and beat their fellow-servants, and to be drunken, and play, and kill his messengers which he sent to them (Matt. xxv. 14-3 1; Luke xix. 12-28). All which are similitudes and parables concerning his officers in the house of this world, shewing how he will punish the evil householders with hell fire, and burn their cities, viz. their kingdom which they have built in their own voluptuousness to their own glory and honour, and shut them out from his face for ever. But the others, who were faithful in his ministry and service, he gave full power over his house, and gave them also the government (Luke xix. 17) and talent of him that had buried it in the earth (Luke xix. 24), and would not execute his office that was appointed him.

30. Thus all potentates and magistrates in offices ought well to consider this, that they ought to work in God’s office, and have a care of his house, and not think only to look after nobility and high estate, and think how to fill their belly, and satisfy their pleasures with gourmandising and guzzling, gluttony and drunkenness, and to wrest the sweat of the miserable with unrighteousness, and lay it out upon their pride and bravery, and constrain and press upon the miserable and inferior with power. All these, one with another, are the evil and wicked officers, and the murderers, which the Lord commandeth to be destroyed, and their cities to be burned with the fire of God’s anger. 31. But at present the world is full of such officers, to whom the Lord clearly for a long time sent many messengers, but they have vilified and contemned them. Therefore now is the time of the Lord’s coming; for they have even now also killed his son (Matt. xxi. 39), viz. the plain truth of his word, and turned it into mere self lust [and wantonness] ; therefore these householders must give an account of their offices (Luke xvi. 2).

32. Moses speaketh further concerning Joseph, and saith, And it came to pass after this was done, that his Master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said to her, Behold, my master taketh no notice what is with me in the house ; and whatsoever he hath, he hath committed it under my hand and charge ; and there is nothing so great in the house which he hath withholden from me, hut thee, because thou art his wife: how should I then do so great an evil, and sin against God. And she pressed such words upon Joseph daily, but he obeyed her not, to lie with her, or to be near about her (Gen. xxxix. 7-10). This is now the mighty type,1 shewing how it goeth with the children of God, when they have attained the divine government in the new regeneration, in that they must now converse in this house of flesh and Adamical prison with their holy blessed governments. Also how the soul hath taken in marriage this unchaste whorish woman in the spirit of this world in the bestial desire in flesh and blood; which whorish woman now sets upon the chaste Joseph, and continually would urge and draw him to her amorous lust, that the new virgin child might lie with the bestial whore again, as Adam did, from which lustful bed the earthly Eve proceeded, with whom afterwards he copulated in his lust, as all beasts do.

33. This lecherous Eve sticketh yet to the children of God in flesh and blood, and it is the animal soul, viz. the mortal spirit, full of evil lust and impurity, whereinto the devil hath yet stuck his Serpent’s sting; for which cause the body must die, and rot; also this bestial spirit must be destroyed,2 and go quite into its mother again, out of which it proceeded in the beginning. 34. In this whore the devil assaulteth the noble virgin child daily, viz. the chaste Joseph in Christ’s spirit, encompassed with heavenly spiritual corporeity, viz. with Christ’s flesh and blood. This virgin child is the woman in the Apocalypse, that standeth upon the moon (Rev. xii. 1), viz. upon this earthly whore, and hath twelve stars in the crown upon her head, which woman the dragon in the earthly whore would continually devour, when she bringeth forth the holy child, viz. the noble Joseph, viz. the chaste and divine purity, which causeth woe to the dragon in flesh and blood, that it must resign its kingdom, and in that respect poureth forth the great deluge1 ol earthliness upon her, to slay the child together with its mother. 35. But the earth cometh to help this woman (Rev. xii. 16), that is, the earthly desire in flesh and blood openeth its throat wide and swalloweth this dragon’s flood into itself, seeing it is its like, that it may not hurt the virgin child; as Potiphar’s wife’s unchaste dragon’s whorish floods and streams did not hurt Joseph, in that he fled from her and did not yield his will to her.

36. And this is first the most powerful proba or trial of the children of God; that as soon as they attain the new birth, then the devil comes and stirreth up the fleshly whore in flesh and blood, and all false and wicked desires and imaginations, and then injecteth and frameth in this whore the honour and glory of the world; also riches and the pleasure of this life; also he modelleth and represents the great misery and desolation, wherein the poor soul, in this world, must stand in shame and scorn; also the great unworthiness of the soul; also he represents covetousness, to think all temporal good things and necessaries will fail, and so it should come into great misery. 37. To the potent and rich the devil modelleth and represents, in this their fleshly serpentine whore, their nobility and highness, their great honour, might and power; also voluptuous eating and drinking [of dainty fare], and how they may acquire it with power and subtle policy; also he represents unchastity and wantonness; and to think, that if they should walk in humility and lowliness they should lose the respect and reputation of the world: for who would fear and honour them, if they did not put themselves forward with ostentation?

38. All these are the words of Potiphar’s whore in flesh and blood, which the devil stirreth up in the Serpent’s insinuated poison, with his imagination, wherewith he plagueth the poor imprisoned soul in flesh and blood, and provoketh it to such and the like unchastity and sins. And this whore in the flesh saith continually to the soul, Lie with me, copulate with me, thou wilt be blessed, happy, and saved well enough, use thy lust with me. And this she doth daily, that she might bring Joseph into lust, viz. the new child, that the soul might bite at that bait, and defile the new child, and its fair crown. 39. For this whore is ashamed before this new child: she resembleth a dirty swine compared with the sun. When she heareth mention made of the wantonness of the world, she rejoiceth at it; but when 1 Flood or water-stream. men speak of such chastity and purity she is ashamed of it, and then bespattereth or sullieth the speech of the holy child with the abovesaid abominations, and despiseth it: for she knoweth that if Joseph holdeth the government she must die. 40. But honest, virtuous and chaste Joseph, viz. the inward new man, saith to this whore, Behold, my Lord and Master hath trusted me with all his eternal goods, and the whole kingdom of Christ, how shall I then do so evilly before him? I will not lie with thee, thou art thy Lord’s wife, viz. the wife of the spirit of this world, I will not lie with thee, nor be near thee.

41. And Moses saith further, It came to pass on a day , that Joseph went into the house to do his employment ; and there was none of the people in the house. And she caught him by his garment , and said, Lie with me: but he left the garment in her hand, and fled, and ran forth out of the house. But when she perceived that he left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, she called the people of the house, and said, Behold, he hath brought in an Hebrew man to us to defame us; he came in unto me and would have lain with me, but I cried with a loud voice: and when he heard that I cried out, and called, he left his garment with me, and fled, and ran forth (Gen. xxxix. 11-1 5). This now is the figure, shewing how the devil, through this whorish woman, strongly sets upon the soul, especially when the devil observeth that the soul is alone, that the spirit of God stirreth not in it. Then he falls a-storming of it, and layeth hold of it in its life’s essence, and will force it in such whoredom, that the precious virgin child might be defiled, and that she might with the Serpent’s power copulate with the soul.

42. This also is a powerful figure of the whorish and unchaste world, shewing how the fair daughters ofEve, in the instigation of the devil, run after the tender youths and allure them with flattering hypocritical behaviour, with wicked burning lust, which trim and adorn themselves, as if an angel sat under their dress; and have drawn to themselves many an honest virtuous child, that never desired it, and bound them with the devil’s chains, and have bereaved them of their honour and chastity. 43. And if there were an honest and chaste Joseph, who would not go into these hogstys and jakes of the devil, they cry out against such a one, and accuse him of unchastity, as willing to betray him and rob him of his honour, and yet are even the lustful panders, which strow sugar, and give gall to eat; which strange people strow sugar so long as he hath money in his purse, till they bereave him of his livelihood, honour and goods, that he have no more to give them ; and then they scorn him and leave him without a garment, as Potiphar’s wife did Joseph, as he was going out of the house ; so the devil hath the soul, and the whore the garment for a pledge; in which whore nothing else governeth but the Serpent with its brood of young ones, and he that joins himself unto them is poisoned by the Serpent. For the Serpent sheds its spawn into body and soul, and poisoneth him so exceedingly that his heart cleaveth to the whore, and runneth after her, as if he were fast tied to her.

44. At present the world is full of these vermin, among high and low, and therefore also at present the Serpent itself is pregnant and will shed forth its spawn, which the zeal of God will consume. For Joseph with his governing office lieth as yet in prison, and Potiphar’s wife governeth in her. burning lust which she bare to Joseph. But since she could not betray Joseph, she set herself in Joseph’s govern¬ ment, and governeth the house of this world, and accordingly hath generated many bastards, which now govern in her stead; and there¬ fore the judgment cometh upon her whoredom, and breaketh her to pieces; that men will say, She is fallen, she is fallen, Babel, the mother of the great whoredom, and is become a habitation of all devils and unclean spirits (Rev. xviii. 2), she is for ever sealed up in the abyss. 45. On the contrary, we here see in this image and type also the great chastity and purity of Joseph, who, when he was drawn and held with power, yet fled from this whore, and had rather leave his garment and good name at stake that he might but keep a good conscience.

The holy figure standeth thus: 46. When this chaste new virgin child in the spirit of Christ seeth this whore in flesh and blood draw near it, that her desire layeth hold on this chastity, then it fleeth out of the house; that is, this virgin child hideth itself in its own Principle, and may not come near the soul, seeing the soul is defiled by this whore’s poison, so that it is brought into lust. Thus strongly the divine purity shields itself from the devil’s vanity. 47. For in this new child there standeth the fair carbuncle stone of the highest love of God in the name JESUS, which suffers itself to be sullied no more, for it once passed through death and hell in man. It will be pure, and possess the throne of God, whereupon the Scripture speaketh strongly, that, Whosoever hath once tasted the sweet¬ ness of the world to come, and departeth from it again, that this soul hath no forgiveness more for ever (Heb. vi. 4-6); that is no other than where the noble virgin child is born anew again out of the soul in its substance that faded in Adam, and the soul departeth quite from it again, and severeth itself from it with its will, so that it fadeth again once more; there is no remedy for it more eternally. For in the birth of this virgin child the foretaste of the eternal joy is given to the soul, and that is done in the wedding of the Lamb, known to our schoolfellows.

48. Therefore this noble virgin with her fair stone1 hideth itself frequently from the soul, but she breaketh not off from the marriage, except the soul breaketh itself off from her; and there is great weeping and lamentation towards the soul, if it defile itself again, as in the little book of Repentance is set forth, and cannot easily befall Joseph; for the soul is hugged, embraced and kept in Christ’s arms, as it is John x. 28, My sheep are in my hand. 49. Thus we understand in this figure, how very chaste, modest and pure hearts are given to the children of God in their inward ground, and how they must be strongly proved and tried, before the government of Divine Vision will be given them, to be able to see the Mysterium Magnum [the Great Mystery]. 50. And Moses saith further, And Potiphar’s wife laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and told him those very words (Gen. xxxix. 16, 17). We see in this figure the perfidious treacherous dealings of the world, how wickedly they recompense and reward their Christian faithful servants and ministers. Joseph carried himself faith¬ fully in the sight of their whole house, and all succeeded happily that went through his hand: but when he would not lie with this whore, to pollute himself with her, then she persecuteth him in his body and life, and studieth how to steal away his honour from him by falsehood and wickedness; when she cannot take it away with subtlety and devilish plots.

51. This now is a figure, shewing what grievous enemies a true Christian hath, and that he is everywhere encompassed with enemies ; and though perhaps he standeth in temporal felicity, and have the favour and good will of many men, yet he ought not to be secure. For the devil continually hunteth after him to find how to make him fall; for what the devil cannot do by himself to God’s children in flesh and blood, that he attempts by his instruments, falsely to betray the children of God, and that, even for their fear of God, their honesty and virtue. 52. For if the new heavenly Eve be born in God’s children, then the devil in the earthly Eve will not endure it: for a whore and a modest virgin will very ill stand together. 53. And thus the children of God have no greater danger than when they are exalted to worldly honour. For the devil is a spirit of pride, and sets himself with his lust in worldly highness and magnifi¬ cence, in high offices;1 for he will always still be a prince of this world (John xiv. 30), as Christ also calleth him ; and he is so indeed according to the property of vanity, falsehood and wickedness, and always sets his [throne and] stool readily there, where great offices and honour are, where might, power and authority is administered and put in execution: there he involves himself,2 so that he might be sure to sit [for one] in the government of the world.

54. Therefore he will not readily endure that a Joseph should sit near him, but those that are rich, noble, lofty and stately, honouring themselves, which hunt only after worldly honour, pleasure and voluptuousness; who fill their bellies daily, and are bold, stout, furious, and full with plenty, and hunt only after subtlety and policy, seeking how they may wrest from the miserable his sweat, and con¬ vert it into pride; who trim and set themselves forward in every place, taking pleasure in themselves in such dresses and ornaments, giving one another great compliments and courtship, and ascribe great titles of honour to them. Where the house is stuck full of such trimmed dressed whores under a modest and chaste show and appearance, there is the devil a frolick guest : for it goeth according to his own heart’s desire and will.3 55. But if God send a Joseph thither, who would fain live and do according to the will of God, then it happeneth to him as to Joseph; and to Daniel, whom they wickedly and with falsehood brought to the lion’s den; and Joseph they brought into prison: but in the end the devil’s kingdom is put to shame, as in Joseph and Daniel.

56. Therefore if any will be a Joseph, and also sit in worldly offices and honour, he must do it with great earnest sincerity and humility of his heart, and continually pray, and resist the devil, that he may not be able with his stool of pride to dwell with him; if not, let him stay without it, or else he will fall to the ground in such offices. If Joseph be not armed with Christ, who hath overcome the devil, let him let the high offices alone; for the devil will not endure him in it, while he 1 Or, high places (Eph. vi. 12). 2 Insinuates or wraps up himself. 3 Property and condition. is against him: He must either be a right Joseph and Daniel, or must have the mind of the world, if he will govern the world. 57. For this world hath a twofold office, viz. God’s office, and Satan’s office; the one in God’s love, the other in God’s wrath, viz. according to the property of light, and according to the property of darkness, which, in the nature of this world, rule near and in one another, and are two kingdoms: as the one is Christ’s kingdom, the other is Satan’s.

58. Therefore, if thou art not armed and wholly resigned to God, that thou canst upon occasion, with Joseph, leave thy garment, also thy honour and welfare, for the sake of God, and for righteousness, and overcome the devil with divine power and strength, press into no office, except thou art rightly, duly and orderly called thereunto: and then also thou standest either in the throne ofjoseph or in the throne of the world. 59. Thou must in an office either serve God or the devil, for thou canst not serve two masters alike; for self and resignation are two [distinct]. He that serves God is resigned up into him, and in all things hath respect to truth and righteousness, and will promote that. But he that serves self hath respect to favour, and the highness and magnificence of the world, that he may have it all at his disposing : This officer is in the ministry and service of the evil Adam, in whom the devil hath his throne, and helpeth him to pronounce the sentence of justice. 60. O thou worldly judge! rely not thou upon the tower of Babel, upon worldly determinations, ordinances and conclusions, upon human institutions, statutes, laws and decrees: the top thereof reacheth not into heaven; that is only the height of the confusion of strife and a misunderstanding.1 God seeth thee in thy very heart, he proveth and trieth thy will [and desire] ;

the law pleads not for thee before God, though thou orderest thyself according to that, when thy heart knoweth it ought to be quite otherwise; and then think no otherwise with thyself but that thou pronouncest the sentence of justice for the devil, and servest him under a hypocritical mantle or cloak. The justice and right is God’s, and it is God himself ; but wrong2 is the devil’s, and it is the devil himself: that master which thou servest is he that will reward thee and pay thee thy wages, he himself will be thy wages : and this thou art to expect in thy office.

61. And Moses saith further, Then his master took him and put him into 1 Or, mistake. 2 Or, unrighteousness. prison, where the king's prisoners lay: and he lay there in prison. But the Lord was with him, and vouchsafed protection towards him, and caused him to find favour in the eyes of the officer of the prison, that he committed all the prisoners in the prison under his hand, that whatsoever was done there must be done by him. For the officer of the prison took not any thing upon him; for the Lord was with Joseph, and what he did the Lord made it successful (Gen. xxxix. 20-23). In this figure we see the final and last proof and trial of God’s children, how they must leave their honour and welfare, and also put their life in hazard, and resign themselves wholly to God, to do whatsoever he will with them ; for they must forsake all for God’s sake, and leave the world, and be as a prisoner who expecteth death, and relyeth no more upon any man; and knoweth not how to get any comfort from any creature, but relyeth barely and merely upon God and his grace : and then is a man passed through all proofs and trials, and now stands waiting the commands of his Lord, what he will have him to be.

62. For he saith very inwardly to God, Lord, wilt thou have me in prison and in misery, that I shall sit in darkness, then I will willingly dwell there; if thou bringest me into hell, I will go along; for thou art my heaven. If I have but thee, I inquire not after heaven and earth, and if body and soul should fail,1 yet thou art my comfort; let me be where I will, yet I am in thee and thou in me, I have fully enough when I have thee, use me for what thou wilt. 63 . In this last proof and trial man becomes the image of God again, for all things become one and the same, and are alike to him. He is all one with prosperity and adversity, with poverty and riches, with joy and sorrow, with light and darkness, with life and death. He is as nothing to himself, for in his will he is dead to all things. And he standeth in a figure, representing how God is in and through all, and yet is as a nothing to all things, for they comprehend not him, and yet 2II is manifested by him; and he himself is all, and yet hath no¬ thing, for any thing is to him in the apprehension of it even as nothing, for it comprehends him not. He is as it were dead to all things, and yet himself is the life of all things. He is ONE, and yet NOTHING and ALL. Thus also a man becomes according to his resigned will, when he yields himself wholly to God, and then his will falls again into the unsearchable will of God, out of which he came in the begin¬ ning, and then standeth in the form as an image of the unsearchable will of God, wherein God dwelleth and willeth.

64. For if the creature willeth no more than what God willeth 1 Or, be famished. through it, then it is dead to itself, and standeth again in the first image, viz. in that wherein God formed it in a life; for what is the life of the creature? nothing else but a spark of the will of God, which creature now standeth still to the will of God, whose life and will is God’s, who driveth and governeth it. 65. But that which willeth and runneth (Rom. ix. 16) of itself, that rendeth itself from the entire will of God, and bringeth itself into selfhood, wherein yet there is no rest, for it must live and run on in self-will, and is a mere unquietness. For unquietness is the life of selfwill; for when the will willeth itself no more, then nothing can torment it more, its willing is its own life; and whatsoever willeth in and with God,1 that is one life with God. 66. It is better to know nothing, than to will according to self; for that which knoweth nothing, the will of that passeth away with the creaturely life, and its strife hath an end, and hath no more source [or torment] : as we may understand in irrational creatures.2

67. For it is the source [and torment] of all the damned that they are wishing and woulding,3 viz. they would that which is self, and in their woulding they generate ideas, species, and formations,4 viz. contrary wills and desires, the will being at strife; so that one [only] thing is manifested in multiplicity, wherein it is at enmity with itself; but when it is one with the Eternal One, then can no enmity be there¬ in, and there is also no possibility of enmity therein. 68. Therefore it is man’s last proof or trial when he standeth still to God in all things; then in him light proceeds out of darkness, life out of death, and joy out of sorrow; for God is in and with him in all things, and blesseth him. As was done to Joseph in the prison: his prison became joy to him, for he became also a governor over the prison in the prison; he was as a prisoner, and yet as a master of the prisoners; he governed the prison, and the prisoners, and was a patron, fosterer and guardian to the distressed; his master took nothing upon himself, and was well pleased with what Joseph did, for all was very pleasing and right in his sight.

69. Thus understand us here according to its precious worth: When man is entirely resigned to God, then is God his will, and God takes nothing upon himself about what man doth; nothing is against him, for God’s will doth it in himself, and all sin ceaseth; and though 1 Willeth or desireth that which God willeth or desireth. 2 Or, sensitive creatures. 3 Have a longing desire, and yet cannot attain the least satisfaction. 4 Representations in their thoughts. God’s will of anger stirreth in him, and bringeth fire from heaven from the Lord (as was done by Elias), yet all is right in the sight of God, for the party doth it not, but God through him : he is the instru¬ ment through which God speaketh and acteth. 70. Now as God, in so much as he is God, can will nothing but that which is good; or else he were not God, if he himself would any thing that were evil: so also there can be nothing in such a man’s will but blessing only, and the will of God. As was said of Joseph, God was with him in all his doings, and blessed all things through his hand. Thus to the honest and virtuous, a light ariseth in the darkness (Px. cxii. 4), and the night is turned into day to him; and adversity is turned into prosperity, and the curse, wickedness and malice of the world is turned into Paradise. And it is with him as St Paul saith, All things must serve to the best to them that love God (Rom. viii. 28).

71. For Joseph’s prison brought him before king Pharaoh, and set him upon the throne over that land and people; and made him lord over his father and brethren, and to be a guardian1 and officer of the king, and to be God’s regent and governor, through whom God ruled great countries and kingdoms : as the like may be seen also in Daniel. 72. Therefore a Christian should learn to bear the temptation,2 when God casteth him into Joseph’s pit and prison, and rely upon God in all his doings, and entirely resign himself into God; and then God would be more potent in him than the world and hell is; for all those would at length, after he hath stood out all the trials, be put to scorn in him. 1 Steward. 2 Affliction. How Joseph in Prison Expounded King Pharaoh’s Chief Butler’s and Baker’s Dream to each of them; and what is to be understood i.Tn this chapter the spirit representeth a figure, shewing how the JLspirit of God seeth through man’s spirit, and bringeth man’s spirit into his seeing or vision, so that it can understand hidden secret things. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to see and understand the figure, how the spiritus mundi [the spirit of the world] in the constellation of man frameth itself into a figure with those things which, in the human life, are clearly in working, or indeed are framed in a figure in the constellation by a great conjunction, the working not being yet begun, and yet is modellised naturally, where the spirit of man by divine power knoweth in the prefiguration what working and effect it hath. Also it may be understood by the diligent consideration of astronomy2 according3 to astrology (wherein the natural effect and working is prefigured), what naturally is wrought and represented by this power.

2. But [the interpretation of these dreams was given] while Joseph was a child, and did not outwardly busy himself in this art; therefore it is to be understood that the spirit of God, with his seeing or vision, brought him into the image or idea of the dream, and that the spirit of God explained the dream through the spirit of Joseph; as was done also by Daniel. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to understand a magic image or representation of the astrum, aspect or constellation in the human property. 3. For every man beareth the image of his constellation, viz. a magic asterism,4 in himself, and when the time cometh that such and a judgment of the effects by astrology: predicting, before the stars be in that posture in the heavens, or before the effect be wrought by the stars. 4 As Orion, the Pleiades, Amos v. 8. Mazzaroth, the 12 signs. Or, Arcturus, Job xxxviii. 31, 32. Ursa Minor or Ursa Major, or any other constellation that consisteth of many stars together. Or a figure of the whole heavens erected upon a point of time. magic image of the superior constellation is kindled, then it entereth upon its working; and then the astral spirit beholds itself in the elements, and seeth what figure it hath.

4. But the elements are void of understanding,1 and afford only a bestial body2 in their figure, therefore the astral spirit can discern nothing else but the form of some such earthly creature: except the soulish spirit3 be concomitant in the working of the astral spirit, then is it premodelled in a human form, and in a true, natural way and manner of figure. For the soul alone hath true, human eyes, but the astral spirit hath only a bestial appearance, and seeth after the manner of a beast. 5. Yet seeing there is a great difference between a false and wicked soul (which daily imagineth in a bestial manner of figure, and willeth and desireth bestial things) and a pious divine soul, wherein the spirit of God is manifest; so also are the magical imaginations and represen¬ tations in the astral spirit different. For a beast dreameth according to phansie,4 and so doth a bestial or animal man: though indeed the image or idea5 of the constellation doth certainly co-modellise itself, whether in evil or in good, according as the astral spirit eagerly longeth or lusteth in itself when it so vieweth what stands naturally as a working in it. But seeing it is a beast, therefore it introduceth in its image with its desire, commonly, the model of6 a phantastic image; and turneth it from joy to sorrow, from sorrow to joy; but the soul is faint and sick in such a spectacle or glass and prefiguration, whence oftentimes there ariseth great unquietness to the body.

6. But where a true vision is seen in man, that is done by the soul’s modellising, when it co-imageth or co-modelleth itself in the figure through its imagination; then the image or representation standeth in the right human understanding, though indeed the astral spirit continually imageth or frameth itself in earthly forms, so that very seldom an entire perfect vision appeareth as the work or effect in itself shall be; also man’s own imagination itself doth often alter it: what a man thinks or imagineth in the day, viz. that magic form, makes it so, that the figure is according to his imagination. 7. Yet the right visions are when man’s will resteth in God, and then is God’s will manifest in man’s will, and then the soul seeth with God’s eyes from its most inward ground, where it stands in the Word 1 Inanimate. 2 Animal body. 3 Or, spirit of the soul. 4 Or, from phansie. 5 Or, figure, the schema coeli. of God. And then the speaking Word goeth with the soul’s [word] into the magic image of the constellation, and then the astral spirit cannot image or fashion itself in the phansie, but must stand in the image in the figure as the constellation is; and then the soul seeth what the Most High hath prefigured, and what shall come to pass. And then the Word of God, viz. the ground of the soul, expresseth the figure in the soul, so that the soul understandeth it; as here Joseph and also Daniel expressed and expounded. As soon, now, as the figure of the vision was told before Joseph, the spirit of God was together in the voice of the relator, and in Joseph expounded the vision: for so also are the magic visions of all the prophets.

8. For after God hath once appeared to a prophet in an audible voice, and called them to be prophets (as to Samuel) (i Sam. iii. 4, 6, 8, 10), then afterwards he appeared to them in magic visions, and answered them upon their questions. 9. The right prophetic ground of the magical seeing and under¬ standing is thus: Every prophet is a limit, wherein a time is included or an age comprehended; and he is the mouth of that kingdom or dominion; that is, when that kingdom hath awakened and generated the turba in it, then is he the mouth of the inward ground, which declareth and expresseth the vanity in the turba, and also the grace of God which hath taken compassion on the human misery, and opposed the wrath of the turba, and [he] reproveth that kingdom for their vanity and idolatry, and comforteth them with the introverted grace again. 10. For his spirit standeth in the figure, in the eternal speaking Word of God (from which the life was expressed or spoken forth, and became a creature), introverted again as an instrument of the spirit of God, whereby the spirit of God speaketh and intimateth. For the prophetic spirit could not, in its own might and power, declare future hidden things, if the spirit of God did not see through it, and that the Word of God did also go together through his Word into the magic figure which the prophet seeth.

11. For the prophet knoweth not anything beforehand in his own power and authority, which he declareth, but when the word modelleth itself together in the figure, then the prophetic spirit seeth through God’s seeing, how the word of God goeth also together upon the figure. And then the Word expresseth, declareth and expoundeth the figure through the prophetic spirit: as here was done by Joseph. When the king’s officers told their dreams, then the Word set the figure in Joseph’s understanding how it should come to pass, so that Joseph knew what their visions meant. 12. But he knew it not beforehand; but in the telling of the dream, the word of understanding modelled itself in Joseph’s understanding, that he knew it. For Joseph’s spirit stood in a magic figure, intro¬ verted again into the Word, after the manner as the new birth in the spirit of Christ standeth introverted again. So also the other prophets, through whose mouth God’s Word expounded and expressed from the inward ground, through their mouth, the wonders of God in nature, viz. in the formed creaturely word. 13. By this figure of Joseph, in that he obtained divine knowledge and skill, and could expound hidden things, we see how the intro¬ verted spirit of man resigned up into God, when he forsaketh all that is his own, doth attain the divine eye to see and understand; so that he gets much more again than he forsook, and that he is much richer than when he enjoyed his own. For in his own will he had and possessed only a particular; but in the resignation he gets into the total, viz. [into the universal] into all; for ALL is from the Word of God.

14. Therefore if he cometh into that he cometh into the ground wherein all lieth in the eternity, and from being poor becomes rich. As Joseph’s figure declareth, that a poor prisoner became a prince, and that only by the divine Word that had manifested itself in him, when the Word, in his submissive dereliction and forsaking all, expressed or spake forth itselfagain, and so spake or pronounced Joseph into a regal government and dominion, through whom the Word of God would rule in Egypt, and give the understanding for such a kingly govern¬ ment. 15. We see further in this figure ofjoseph, How at length all must serve for the best to God’s children (Rom. viii. 28) : all the wrong they must suffer that will turn to mere joy in the issue. For in trouble and affliction they learn to know what they are, how very weak and miserable they are in their own selves, and how near death and misery attend them; and how all the trust, confidence and expectation they have of men, in that they will rely upon man and trust to the favour of man, is a very fickle uncertain thing; also how man should turn his hope towards God, when he expecteth to be delivered out of trouble by the favour of man : yet [even] so at length the favour and counsel of man must stand him in stead.

16. But if a man will expect the favour and counsel of man, he must set his hope upon God, and look whether God will give him comfort by human means, and release him from misery; and [he must] not set his hope upon the favour of man, but look upon God, to see what he will work by means. And though it seem as if God had for¬ gotten, as here with Joseph, who must remain two years in prison, then he must consider with himself that God will have him here; but if he will through means have him in another place, then he will afford means for it, and send it in due time, as is to be seen here. 17. The mishap of the king’s officers, in that they were put into prison to Joseph, was a means whereby God would bring Joseph before the king. But it was not done suddenly: because Joseph hoped the king’s butler would speak a good word for him to the king, and tell his innocency. But the butler forgot him, and left Joseph lying in the dungeon: that Joseph might wholly despair of human means, and flee to God; and when he doth that, and despairs of all human means, and barely relyeth on God, then must even that means, in which Joseph had hoped and yet also had long despaired of any help from it, break forth again and stand him in stead.

18. By this a child of God should learn, that all which he prayeth to God for, that it should stand him in stead by man, that he should not set his hope upon man, but upon God; then at length everything is done which he hath prayed to God for, that should stand him in stead by human means: when the mind despairs of human means, and diveth down into God again, then God’s help breaks forth through human means. Thus the mind is instructed to learn to trust in God. Of the Dreams of King Pharaoh : How 'Joseph is fetched out of Prison, and presented before the King, and Cometh to Great Honour1 I- TV X OSES saith, After two years Pharaoh had a dream, that he stood by ±\ JLt he water, and saw seven fair fat kine arise out of the water, and went to feed in the meadow. After this he saw other seven kine arise out of the water, which were ill-favoured, lean and meagre, and drew near the kine that were by the water side ; and the lean, meagre and ill-favoured devoured the seven fair fat kine. Then Pharaoh awoke. And he slept again, and dreamed once more, and saw seven ears grow out of one stalk, full and thick. But afterwards he saw seven thin blasted ears spring up, and the seven thin and black ears devoured the seven full and thick ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and observed that it was a dream. And when it was morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent forth to call all the magicians 2 of Egypt, and all the wise men, and related to them his dreams: but there was none that could interpret them to Pharaoh (Gen. xli. 1-8).

2. These dreams of Pharaoh were represented to him from God, therefore no magus and naturalist3 could interpret them. For the natural magus hath power only in nature, only in that which nature frameth in its working; he cannot apprehend that, nor advise in that, which the word of God modelleth and frameth. But a prophet hath power to interpet that; for he is a divine magus; as here Joseph. 3. With the Egyptians the magic art and skill was common. But when it was misused to witchcraft, it was extirpated; although it remained among the heathen till the kingdom of Christ, till the divine magia sprang up. Then the natural magia was suppressed among the Christians, which in the beginning was well that it was suppressed, for the heathenish faith4 was thereby allayed and quenched; and the magic images of nature, which they honoured for gods, were rooted out of men’s hearts. 4. But when the Christian faith was common, then came other magi up, viz. the sects in Christendom, which they set up for gods, instead of the images of heathen idols, and drove on greater delusions than the heathen with their magic idols. 1 Gen. xli. 2 Truth-sellers, soothsayers. 3 Skilful in nature.

5. For the heathen looked upon the ground of the possibility and working of nature. But these set themselves above the ground of nature, merely in a historical faith, and say that men ought to believe that which they contrive. 6. As at this very day titulary Christendom is full of such magi as have no natural understanding, either of God or of nature more among them, but only an empty babbling of a supernatural magic ground, wherein they have set up themselves for idol-gods, and understand neither the divine nor natural magia, so that the world is made stock blind by them. Whence the contention and strife in faith [and religion] is arisen, that men talk much of faith, one drawing this way, another that way, and make a multitude of opinions, which are altogether worse than the heathenish images, which indeed had their ground and foundation in nature. But these images have no ground, either in nature or in the supernatural divine faith, but are dumb idols, and their ministers are Baal’s ministers. 7. And as it was highly necessary and good that the natural magia was discontinued amongst the Christians, where the faith of Christ was manifest: so now at present it is much more necessary that the natural magia were again manifest; that indeed titulary Christen¬ dom’s idols which it maketh to itself might, through nature, be made manifest and known, that man might know in nature the outspoken or expressed formed Word of God, as also the new regeneration, and also the fall and perdition. That thereby the contrived supernatural idols might be suppressed, that men might at length in nature learn to understand the Scriptures, seeing men will not confide in the spirit of God in the divine magia of true faith, but lay their founda¬ tion upon the tower of Babel, in the contention and contrived idolopinions, viz. in the edicts and traditions of men.

8. I do not say that men should seek and preach the heathenish magia again, and take up heathen idols again, but that it is needful to learn to search the ground of nature, viz. the formed Word of God in love and anger, with its re-expression; that men might not be so blind concerning the essence of all essences. 9. For the Fathers of the first faith were not so blind concerning the kingdom and dominion of nature, but did know in and by nature that there was a hidden God, who had made himself visible by the Word of his exhalation and information of the created world, and have known God’s Word by the creation; which is now at present much the more necessary, that the opinion-idols might come to light and be known, that man might at length see what faith is, that it is not an opinion and conceit, but a divine substance or essence (Heb. xi. i), which substance or essence in the visible man is hidden to outward eyes, as the invisible God is hidden in the visible substance of this world. 10. But that the magi naturales [the natural magicians], could not expound Pharaoh’s dreams, this was the cause: Pharaoh’s dreams sprang from the centre of nature, which the heathenish magicians understood not; for their magic ground in their understanding was only in the working and figure1 of the constellation or asterism, and in the elements. They understood not the ground of the eternal nature, out of which the nature of this world had its original, and wherein it standeth: but the dreams of Pharaoh had their original out of the eternal nature, and were represented in a visible image in the outward nature of time, and in the outward figure of man.2

11. For the seven fat kine in the pasture signify, in the inward ground, the seven properties of the eternal nature in the holy, good substance or essence, viz. in the kingdom of heaven, where the divine power is substantial. And the seven lean, ill-favoured, meagre kine signify, in the inward ground, the seven properties of the eternal nature in the wrath of God, viz. in the kingdom of hunger and thirst, where nature is without the divine substance of the good power of God: and the seven thick, fat and full ears, and also the seven dry, blasted ears signify the same also. 12. But that this dream appeared twofold to Pharaoh, it signifieth in this figure, First, the ground of the eternal nature in its seven properties, what God would shew thereby. Secondly, as to the second appearance, it signifieth the human ground, which in its substance hath its creaturely original out of the seven properties. Moreover, it denotes the twofold man, according to the outward body and the outward spirit, and then according to the inward soulish [or animal] spirit and according to the inward holy substance of the divine sub¬ stantial power; and standeth in the figure3 of a holy divine man, who is fair, and full of divine power and virtue, who walketh and feedeth

2 Or, representation to the outward man. 3 Condition, quality or property. in the true heavenly pasture of the substance of the substantial wisdom of God. 13. And it denoteth secondly a wicked and ungodly man, who is withered, meagre, lean and ill-favoured as to that divine substance, and yet is even the same nature’s property as the divine is: But he is withered and corrupted as to its good substance; the wrath of the eternal nature in the seven properties hath consumed its substance, so that it is now as a hungry fire-spirit. 14. Thus the great God representeth before Pharaoh what at this time stood in the figure of the Egyptians, for he would visit them: First, he sheweth them his great grace, in giving them Joseph, a prophet and wise prince to govern them : also he sheweth them in this vision, that in his grace in the kingdom of the inward and the out¬ ward nature in the seven properties, there is mere blessing and good things. If they would walk therein, they would be as the seven fat kine and ears : 15. But if not, then his wrath would come upon them, and con¬ sume their good things in body and soul, and make them lean, dry and withered. As was done to the devils, when of angels they became devils; then their good things, viz. the substantial divine wisdom in them, faded, and their seven properties of the eternal nature became so ill-favoured, lean and dry, as the seven withered kine, and the seven blasted ears, wherein was no more power and virtue.

16. And so the seven withered kine, and the seven dry ears, devoured the good fat kine and ears, and were yet more lean and illfavoured than before, that a man could not discern that they had devoured them. Thereby the great God also signifieth that the wicked man, with his seven properties of Nature enkindled in the anger of God, devoureth the good and fair image of God in him, by introducing himself into self-desire; in which self and wicked desire nature becomes painful, and falls into unquietness and disturbance of its peace; and yet afterwards is still ill-favoured, abominable, loathsome and dry: as a covetous, churlish, hungry dog, though he devour much his covetous nature in his envy consumeth him; even his flesh, so that he hath not that which he will not afford to other dogs. 17. Thus the great God represents by this, before the Egyptians, seven good fat years, and seven dry barren years which devoured the other seven, so that a man could not know the good any more: under which yet very powerful things are prefigured, as shall be mentioned hereafter. 18. But that Pharaoh was troubled at this vision, and yet under¬ stood it not, neither could his wise men interpret it, this signifieth that God himself would interpret it by his power and virtue in Joseph, and that the time of this visitation was at hand : therefore was Pharaoh so moved in himself that he would fain know it.

19. But that the wise men in the light of nature could not interpret it, signifieth that the works of God are hidden to the natural man, without grace, and that he knoweth or understandeth nothing of the ways of God, unless God reveal or manifest them thereby in and through him : for this was a motion of the eternal nature through the outward nature, therefore the natural wise men could not understand it. 20. And when none could interpret it to the king, the king’s butler thought on Joseph, that Joseph had interpreted his dreams for him, and [he] told this to Pharaoh. And here in this vision of Pharaoh, God called Joseph, and that which he had desired two years ago through man’s help was fulfilled and granted unto him. 21. Then Pharaoh sent and commanded Joseph to be called, and they brought him speedily out of the dungeon: and he was shaved and put on other garments, and came in to Pharaoh. Then said Pharaoh to him, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: but I have heard of thee, that when thou hearest a dream thou canst interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh and said, That is not of me-}- yet God will prophesy good to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh related his dream to him (Gen. xli. 14-16).

22. This figure, that Joseph put on other garments and was shaved, when he was to enter in before Pharaoh, signifieth this to us: that God at present had put off the garment of his misery, and had now put on him the garment of wisdom, and would have him now in another place than he was in before; and set him before Pharaoh with the garment of wisdom, and would give him for a guardian to Pharaoh. For the spirit of Moses setteth down the figure excellently, accurately and properly, as if he had a great desire to play and delight himself therein. 23. And we see further, that Joseph said to the king, that it stood not in his natural power and might to know such hidden things, but that God alone gave him to know it; so that he needed neither art nor magic images about it; but God would interpret good to Pharaoh through him. 24. Therefore should a magus give up his will to God, and fix 1 In my power. his magic faith (wherewith he will search the figure of nature in its forms and conditions)1 in God, that he may apprehend the word of God, and introduce it into the figure of nature, and then he is a right true divine magus, and may master the inward ground with divine power and virtue, and bring nature into a figure.2 He that practiseth otherwise herein, he is a false and wicked magus, as the devil and his witches are.

25. And it is no way to be thought, as if a Christian ought not to dare to meddle with the ground of nature, but that he must be a clod and dumb image in the knowledge and skill of the secret mysteries of nature; as Babel saith, Man ought not to dare to search and know it, it were sin; which all of them, one and other, understand as much of the ground of sin as the pot doth of the potter. 26. When they should tell how sin is sin, and how man doth cause God to be angry and in wrath, then they have no other way to turn themselves to evade it, but images or conceits of opinions, which shut up the conscience in such images [and conceits], so that the conscience is afraid of their images ; and the ground of sin, according to the seven properties of nature (how their fat kine are made lean and dry) they know not. 27. O ye makers of images, how doth the anger of God, in the inward ground of your own nature, threaten you with the seven barren kine and ears! Joseph is out of prison, and declareth the counsel of God to Pharaoh.