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

16. Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that I speak to you with my own mouth. Make known to my father all my glory in Egypt, and all that ye have seen ; make haste and come with my father down hither. And he fell about his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept ; and Benjamin also wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brethren, and wept over them: and afterwards his brethren parleyed with him (Gen. xlv. 12-15). 17. This now is a figure, representing that when the soul hath seen the countenance of the heavenly Joseph, that he hath comforted and refreshed it again. Then saith the divine Word in it, Make haste now and bring also thy father, that is, thy nature and thy whole life, with all thy conversation and doings in thy state and condition, to me, and thou shalt dwell near by me with thy outward life, and I will nourish thee and provide for thee, and all that over which thou art set. Come away with all thy thoughts and works into Egypt, that is, into lowliness and humility, to me; that very land will I give into thee, to dwell in; that is, in lowliness and humility shall thy dwelling be; and there, in thy temporal state and condition, thou mayest with temporal nourishment, in temporal good things, dwell by me. Your eyes shall there see my goodness and bounty, that I will do well to you in the famine of your earthliness.

18. For the land of Goshen signifieth a fatness of the blessing of God in this earthliness; and therein your eyes see, and also the eyes of my brother Benjamin, viz. of the inward new man, that I speak to you with my own mouth, that is, essentially, within you. For if a man cometh to the new birth, then Christ speaketh essentially, that is, actually or operatively in him; and the eyes of the soul, together with the most inward ground wherein Christ, viz. the Word, is, essentially, see and find the same. 19. But the outward five senses cannot in this earthliness wholly comprehend it, but they dwell near by it. The inward eyes see through the outward senses, as the sun shineth through transparent glass, and the glass remaineth glass still; so also the outward nature of this time of the five following dear years of the earthly essence continue in their right, till the soul forsaketh the body. And then, at the Last Judgment Day, also the right Adamical body of the five senses shall come again to the soul; but the grossness or dross of the earthly body hath no more place: for all temporal things separate themselves in Mysterium Magnum [into the Great Mystery], out of which they proceeded.

20. But that Joseph fell about his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and kissed them all, it signifieth this in the figure: when Christ in the inward Benjamin, viz. in the image and substance of the heavenly world’s substance, which faded in Adam, is manifested again, then the holy name Jesus, viz. God’s great love, kisseth the incorporated ground of grace, and penetrateth or presseth through this image, with his weeping love, viz. with God’s great sweetness, viz. the temple of Christ, and hereby kisseth the creaturely soul’s essences, and presseth also with the weeping love through it, and then it obtaineth its life again, and speaketh with God in Christ Jesus. 21. For in this speech or voice alone the soul is heard of God, for in this kiss the soul hath its hearing given to it again, so that it heareth and teacheth God’s word; for the senses or thoughts of the soul stand now in the Word of life, and hear what the Lord speaketh in them through Christ, out of the inward ground; and that is it that Christ said, He that is of God heareth God’s word ; and to the Pharisees he said, Therefore ye hear not, for ye are not of God (John viii. 47).

22. If the present contending Babel had in it the kiss of Christ, then it would with Joseph’s brethren turn to the heavenly Joseph, and in great humility and lowliness speak with Joseph, and would hear God’s word in Joseph’s love, and speak humbly with him, they would not contend for temporal honour and fat bellies,1 and about dominion, and waste the land of Goshen in a heathenish2 manner. 23. O Babel! thy shame and reproach is set in judgment before the 1 Or, benefices. 2 Or, barbarous. Most High; thou art that same Antichrist of whom St. Paul hath spoken. Thou boastest of God’s word in teaching and hearing, and thy ground is not of God, but from the tower of Babel; thou wilt teach God’s word with the letter without the living Word in thee; but the sheep hear not thy voice, for it proceedeth not from Joseph’s kiss. 24. And Moses saith further, And the report came into Pharaoh’s house, that Joseph’s Brethren were come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and all bis servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to thy brethren, do thus, Load your beasts and go up, and when ye come into the land of Canaan, then take your father and your families, and come to me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, that ye shall eat the marrow of the land. And command them to do thus-, take you from the land of Egypt chariots for your wives, and for your children, and bring your father, and come. And regard not your household-stuff ; for the good of the whole land of Egypt shall be yours (Gen. xlv. 16-20).

The figure standeth thus: 25. When Joseph’s, viz. Christ’s, voice soundeth in the soul, then this report presseth into God the Father’s property; for the soul in its nature is from the eternal nature in the Word, out of the Father’s property of fire; and so is manifest again in the Father, from whom the will had broken off itself; and he speaketh or inspireth himself into its life’s essence; for it pleaseth him well that the soul is become mani¬ fested in Christ, and biddeth the soul with all its properties, through Joseph’s, viz. Christ’s, efficiency, to come into Paradise again. He giveth it chariots, and all necessaries, which chariots are his spirit in the Word which bringeth it, and giveth it the whole land of Egypt; that is, the whole Paradise or kingdom of heaven for its own: this the spirit of God powerfully prefigureth under this history. 26. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them chariots, according to the command of Pharaoh, and provision to spend by the way. And gave each of them all sumptuous apparel ; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five suits of sumptuous apparel. And to his father he sent besides, ten asses laden with the choice good things of the land of Egypt, and ten she asses with corn and bread and food for his father upon the way. Thus he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said to them, Contend not upon the way (Gen. xlv. 21-24).

The figure standeth thus: 27. Christ taketh the provision, as also the chariots, viz. the Holy Ghost from the Father, which he sendeth to his children, as Joseph took the chariots and present from Pharaoh, and giveth them provi¬ sion to spend upon the way of their pilgrimage, viz. his body and blood for meat and drink. 28. The sumptuous apparel which Joseph gave to every one of his brethren signifies the temple of Christ, wherein the soul feasteth and resteth; and Joseph’s five suits of sumptuous apparel, which he gave to his brother Benjamin, are the five wounds of Christ, wherein the inward man feasteth in God’s love; but the three hundred pieces of silver, which he gave to Benjamin, are the gifts of the Word out of this great love, wherewith this Benjamin should trade and get in¬ crease, and gain much for his Lord and Brother, the heavenly Joseph; for, with money, men trade: so also should the inward Benjamin trade with his gifts of the three hundred pieces of silver, viz. with the gifts of Christ; that is, teach and make known God’s wonders, for he is Christ’s servant and assistant, yea his true brother. 29. But the ten asses laden with the choice good things of the land of Egypt, which Joseph sent to his father, signify in the figure the ten commandments in the law of nature, which Joseph had laden with good things; that is, Christ hath laden them with his grace, and sent them to God’s righteousness in the conscience, whereof poor nature hath to make expenses.

30. But the ten she asses with corn signify the ten forms of the soulish and natural fire-life, upon which Christ loadeth the soul’s food, when they go in his process in the imitation of him. The bread and the food upon the way signify the Word of God, of which the poor old Adam must eat, that he may live. 31. These Christ giveth his children and brethren on the way of their pilgrimage, when they go home again in the process of Christ, that they may have provision to spend; and thereon nature, viz. the old father, eateth, and commandeth them that they should not con¬ tend one with another upon this way, but in love and peace go home into Paradise. 32. O Israel! where is now thy peace? It seemeth as if thou hast consumed all the provision of Joseph, and must at present want, seeing thou so very much contendest about this food, and hast raised such murdering about it. Truly thou hast murdered thy brother Benjamin by the way, and therefore thou art in strife, and wilt not go home. Thou art afraid, but the famine will drive thee forth, or else thou wilt be hungry and starved.

33. Thus they went up from Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And made it known to him, and said, Joseph is alive, and is lord of the whole land of Egypt. But his heart thought much otherwise, for he believed them not. Then they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them: and when he saw the chariots which Joseph had sent to bring him, the spirit of Jacob their fatherrevived. And Israel said, I have enough, that my son Joseph yet liveth ; I will go down and see him, ere I die (Gen. xlv. 25-28). This figure standeth thus: 34. When Christ’s Apostles were laden with this present, they went therewith into their father’s house, viz. among the brethren in the kingdom of nature in their unbelief, and made known to them the great glory and the present of JESUS Christ, which he had given them, that they should bring it to them. But their heart believed it not, that these simple men, the Apostles of God, laden with such great good things, were sent by Joseph, till they saw the chariots of the Holy Ghost, which brought the present in great power and works of wonder, and heard the powerful word ofJESUS Christ, with deeds and wonders out of their mouth. Then said Israel, Now I have enough; now I can believe; I will also go along with you to Christ, that I may see him: as old Jacob said, I have enough that my son Joseph yet liveth, I will go up, that I may see him before I die.

35. Thus also these chariots go out from God’s children among the unbelievers, which at first will not believe: but when they feel these chariots, and the present, in them, then they also say, I have enough, I will go along into Egypt into repentance, that I may see and know my Saviour: for their spirit is also revived, as Jacob’s spirit was. 36. Where are now these chariots in the teachers’ mouths, upon which the Holy Ghost rideth and toucheth the heart of Israel, that his spirit be revived? Indeed, saith Babel, the spirit of Christ at present worketh not so powerfully in our words; we have now the knowledge of the kingdom of Christ : that need not be ; we should only believe the word which Christ’s Apostles have left behind them, and that is enough. 37. Else if we should teach so powerfully, we must then be also of so simple and poor a life as Christ’s Apostles led, and forsake the world: That needs not be, Christ’s kingdom must now be stately, in pomp and glory. 38. O how will poor Christ, who on earth had not whereon to lay his head, reprove this to thee, before thy face: that thou hast taken his Covenant into a false and wicked mouth. Earnestness was never more necessary than at this present, when all the chariots are over¬ thrown, and in great confusion.

How Jacob and all his Children, and all that were belonging to him, and all their Cattle, went into Egypt1 i • A /T OSES saith, Israel went with all that he had, and when he came to IV A Beer -she ha he offered sacrifice to the God of his father Isaac. And God said to him that night in a vision, Jacob, Jacob. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father Isaac: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make thee a great people : I will go down with thee into Egypt ; and bring thee up hither again: and Joseph shall lay his hand upon thine eyes (Gen. xlvi. 1-4). The inward figure standeth thus: 2. Jacob must go into Egypt in the great famine and strait hunger, with all the company he had; and he went up when he heard of Joseph, when Joseph caused him to be fetched by his sons, when he saw the present and the chariots ofjoseph, then his spirit was revived, and he went up. Thus it is also in the figure of the new birth: when the Adamical man heareth the voice of the heavenly Joseph sounding in him, and seeth the chariots of the Holy Ghost in him, then he goeth up with all his powers, and goeth into the Egypt of repentance.

3. And when he cometh to Beer-sheba, that is, into the sounding noise of his heart and soul, then he sacrificeth his body and soul, with all that he hath, to the God of his father; that is, he giveth himself up with his life, and all whatsoever he is, into the Word, which created it, in Adam, and made it, out of itself; which is the God of his father: then that divine Word speaketh [or inspireth] into him, that is, it speaketh actually, operatively and powerfully in him. That night in a vision: which is as much as to say here, in the secret hiddenness of man, where God hideth himself from reason and the creature, and out of his principle speaketh or inspireth comfort and power or virtue into the life; and calleth him by his name, as he did Jacob. That is, he compriseth his name in the word of his speaking, which is the Book of Life, wherein the names of the children of God are comprised or written (Rev. xx. 12-15). 4. And when man perceiveth him in the power, then he speaketh again into the Word, and saith, Here am I, Lord, make me what thou wilt, I stand before thee. And that same inward Word of God saith in power, I am God, the God of thy father; that is, it giveth to man, in this speaking power, divine knowledge, so that man learneth to understand that God worketh in him, and what God is.

5. But seeing the body is a dark valley, and moreover an un¬ righteous inclination, therefore the Word speaketh into the poor soul thus: Be not afraid when thou enterest into Egypt, viz. into repen¬ tance, and goest forth out of the land of Canaan, viz. from the pleasure and voluptuousness of the world, falsehood, wickedness and un¬ righteousness; although likely they become thy enemies, and per¬ secute thee, yet fear not, I will go along with thee into Egypt, that is, into thy conversion and divine obedience, I will help thee to work repentance, and bless thee in thy Egypt, viz. in thy working of repen¬ tance, and make the new birth grow to a great tree, which shall bring forth much good fruit in the kingdom of God: as he said to Jacob, I will make thee a great people in Egypt, and will bring thee out from thence again; that is, thou shalt not remain as one dead or departed from this world; although indeed thou goest into repentance, and in thy mind forsakest the world, yet I will bring thee out of anxiety and trouble again, and leave thee in thy state and condition, if it be right and honest ; which is done thus :

6. When man goeth into this Egypt he must leave all his land, viz. all his temporal pleasure and lust of the flesh, and give up all to God, and hold nothing more for his own; but think that it is not his own, but that he is a minister and servant in it, that he should serve God and his fellow members therein, and so regulate his heart as a pilgrim in his journey, who is nowhere at home in this world. He must with Jacob sit in Joseph’s, that is, in the Holy Ghost’s, chariot, and go whithersoever the same, in this famine, will bring him. Then God goeth in and with him, and blesseth him, so that he worketh and bringeth forth much divine fruit, and his name becometh very great in the word of God. 7. But God doth not for all that cast him out of his temporal possession. He bringeth his spirit up again into the works and labour of his hands, viz. into his worldly state, condition and employment, that therein he may serve God’s deeds of wonder, also himself, and the members of his body, viz. his neighbours. Nothing will be taken away from him but only the unrighteousness, falsehood and untruth. God

maketh him now his servant in his state and condition ; he may well keep and take along with him his cattle and his goods for his necessity, as Jacob did; but that which is false and wicked he must put away. 8. And when he doth thus, then saith God: Joseph shall lay his hand upon thine eyes, that thou mayest see. That is, Christ shall with his hand of grace lay hold on thy sight, blind as to God, and lay his hand of the divine sun upon thine eyes; and then thou wilt come into divine vision and knowledge in thyself, so that thy reason will wonder whence such light, and [such] deep knowledge, cometh to thee. 9. Jacob came with seventy souls1 in all, with all his children, and children’s children: of which sixty-six were proceeded out of his loins, which went with him, for Joseph had begotten two sons in Egypt (Gen. xlvi. 6, 7, 26, 27). 10. This number sixty-six2 is a great and mystical number; as also the number seventy, which is the number of the great Babel: and the number sixty-six is the number of the beast and of the whore, from which Israel, and every child of God, must go forth.

11. This going forth of Israel is a true figure and image of the last exit and going forth of the children of Israel, viz. the right true Christian, which shall also go forth out of this Canaan, viz. out of Babel, in the end of the beast’s and the whore’s number: which signal star with the chariot ofjoseph are clearly appeared. 12. For the great famine in the time of Jacob (wherein is the great hunger and want of heavenly food) is at hand. And not only a hunger of the soul after the bread of heaven, but also a great vehement (unheard of from the beginning of the world hitherto) impression of desire to selfhood, viz. to covetousness, extortion and pride. 13. The hunger in the wrath of God, after vanity, to devour it, is so great, that at present the powers of heaven do imprint their influence so, that all provision and blessing is consumed, and the mind of man is so hungry after vanity, that there is no rest at all upon earth for this desire. 14. Also the third Principle, viz. the spirit of the world, of the dominion in the four elements, impresseth with its power, from whence all blessing is consumed, and instead thereof an insatiable hunger of covetousness is risen up; so that the beast and the whore, together with their worshippers, are so hungry after pride, covetous¬ ness, envy, anger, unchastity, whoredom and bestial voluptuousness, and so hard imprinted or impressed in such desire, that the time is already that this beast together with the whore must burst to pieces.

1 70 The number of Babel. 2 66 Of the Beast and the Whore. 15. And then Jacob’s spirit reviveth, and believeth that Joseph is a prince in the land of Egypt, viz. in the conversion : and there will Joseph be manifested to his brethren. And then they must be ashamed of their falsehood and wickedness, that they have suppressed Joseph, and sold him, with lying, into misery. 16. For Joseph’s face in the truth shall behold all Israel and Egypt; for Israel must go forth out of Canaan, and leave Babel in the number seventy. But the hunger in Babel saith, I will first fill my sack, that I may have provision in the way: and knoweth not that Joseph hath given Israel provision for expenses; and moreover chariots and apparel; so that they shall take only their cattle along with them, and leave their dwellings and household stuff behind. 17. The provision for expenses, which at present Israel gathereth together in Babel, belongeth all to the wrathful impression of God’s anger: which shall devour it all when his fire burneth. God hath beforehand, by Joseph, clearly sent his children provision for expenses; they will have fully enough, if they do not contend upon this way: sumptuous apparel is prepared for them, that they may be at rest from this disquietness of the driver.

18. But Babel thinketh, It is a long time yet; Israel must serve me, I will plague them, sure enough. But the deluge or flood, and the fire of Sodom, falleth suddenly down upon them, so that there is no escaping. He that is awake, let him watch, and take care that he doth not sleep; for the bridegroom calleth everywhere; afterwards the foolish virgins will trim their lamps: but it is too late, the hunger of Babel layeth hold and devoureth them in its jaws. 19. Moses saith further, And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, that he might direct him to Goshen ; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up towards Goshen to meet his father Israel. And when he saw him he fell about his neck, and wept a long while upon his neck. Then said Israel to Joseph, I will now readily die, now I have seen thy face, that thou yet livest (Gen. xlvi. 28-30). This figure standeth thus: 20. Judah signifieth the incorporated Covenant of God in man, viz. the divine grace in Christ. Israel sends this, that is, the whole man, before to the heavenly Joseph, and uniteth it with him, so that the heavenly Joseph, in the incorporated grace, leadeth the kingdom of nature in man, viz. the old Jacob and Adam into Goshen, viz. on the

way of conversion, into the rest of Christ ; that he cometh to the right goal or mark, where he findeth food for the hungry conscience, viz. the right way to salvation: where there is right teaching and instruc¬ tion there Goshen is near at hand, where the soul sitteth in fatness, and feedeth in the fat pasture of Christ. 21. And when the heavenly Joseph, viz. Christ, seeth that the old Jacob, that is, the Adamical man, hath sent his Judah to him, and afterwards cometh himself, then he makes ready his chariot; that is, his operation with a powerful affection to entertainment, and goeth to meet the natural man, and when they draw near together, then this Joseph falleth about the neck of this Jacob’s Adam, that is, he layeth hold on his desire and longing, and filleth it with his tears, which he shed in his sufferings, and in his victory brought through death into eternal joy. 22. With these tears of joy he kindleth the soul of the old Jacob’s Adam, so that Jacob for great joy weepeth a long while on Joseph’s neck, viz. in Christ’s tears of joy, and mingleth his inward joy with the tears of Christ. With which tears of joy the soul of the old Jacob (Adam) is mightily comforted, quickened and strengthened in him¬ self, in that he findeth that his heavenly Joseph in him yet liveth, that he is not dead in the famine of sins, or quite departed from him.

23. Then saith the natural man: Now I would willingly die and give up all my right and willing; now, having seen and known my loving son Joseph, that is, seeing I find that the new man in Christ is become manifest in me, therefore now I would willingly die to my willing of vanity, in his power oflove: as Jacob said tojoseph. 24. And Joseph said to his brethren, and his father’s house, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, My brethren and my father’s house are come to me out of the land of Canaan-, and are herdsmen,1 for they are people that are conversant about cattle; and have brought with them their small and great cattle, and all that they have. And now when Pharaoh shall call ye to him, and say, What is your employment and business? then shall ye say, Thy servants are people that are conversant about cattle, from our youth up unto this time, both we, and our father: that you may dwell in the land of Goshen: for those which are herdsmen and keepers of cattle are an abomination to the Egyptians (Gen. xlvi. 3 1- 34)- The inward figure standeth thus :

25. When the heavenly Joseph, Christ, hath manifested himself to the soul and Adamical man, so that they are come together, and that 1 Shepherds or pastors. they have received and embraced one another, then that same powerful Word in the spirit of Christ, which hath manifested itself in man, presseth and penetrateth again into the eternal Father’s property, viz. into the eternal speaking of the Father. Which here is as much as to say, I will tell Pharaoh, that my brethren, together with all my father’s house, are come to me. 26. For Pharaoh standeth here in the figure of God the Father, who is the eternal King, to whom saith Christ, viz. the Word of love and grace, that his brethren, viz. the properties of the human life, from and with all its powers and virtues, are come to him. That is, the Word, Christ, which is come from the Father into our humanity through his power and virtue, speaketh the word of the natural human life into the eternal Word of the Father: which is here called, Telling the king. 27. For Christ is even the Father’s Steward over man, as Joseph was Pharaoh’s. For man is then manifested again in God when Christ speaketh, telleth and inspireth him into the Word of the Father: else man could not attain God. For the human life is also proceeded from God the Father’s Word: for the spirit of God spake and inspired itself from and by the Word of the Father into man (John i. 4).

28. But after it came into a creature, and became natural, it turned itself away from God’s love-speaking [or inspiration of love], and manifested itself in the speaking of anger, [and] the power of [the] love-speaking was extinguished in it, viz. the second Principle, the holy generating or working of the divine power; and was not able, in its own power and strength, to enter again into the love-speaking, that it might be able to speak or generate the divine love-power: it had rent itself off from God’s love, and brought itself into a natural speaking of self and vanity. 29. And this did move God’s pity and compassion, and introduced his love-speaking Word again into the creaturely formed1 word of the soul and humanity. And that now is this Joseph, whom God hath sent before, that he should inspeak or introduce the human life again into the eternal-speaking Word, and make it manifest therein before the eternal King. He bringeth the human word in the Father’s property into the Word of God, and with his love reconcileth the rent and severed human word in the Father’s anger-speaking; that is, in his tears of love he changeth the anger in the word of the human life into the divine kingdom of joy, and manifesteth the human life actually,

1 Imaged, framed, or created. and working in God: and that here is, as Joseph said, I will tell Pharaoh that my brethren and my father’s whole house are come to me out of the land of Canaan. 30. For Christ is become our brother: The JVord of love became man and dwelt in us (John i. 14). He took Adam’s nature upon him; and therefore in this figure it is called his Father’s house, viz. the first Adam; and his children he calleth his brethren. So very secretly and mystically the spirit of Moses speaketh, in the figure of Christ: else in this place he had said enough, in saying, My Father is come to me; if he had not had another figure under it. 31. He saith, Out of the land of Canaan, and, they are herdsmen: thus he would tell Pharaoh, that they might dwell in the land of Goshen. That, in the figure, is thus much: Christ sheweth, with his inspeaking of love into the word of his Father, that his brethren are come to him out of the vanity of the Canaanites, out of the wild bestial property; and that they from their youth up, from the time of Adam hitherto, have been only herdsmen. That is, the word of the human life ought to have dwelt in this fleshly Canaan in flesh and blood, and must and ought to have the keeping and ordering of the bestial property of the flesh.

32. For the animal soul in spiritu mundi [in the spirit of the world] in man hath many hundred beasts, which it hath awakened and mani¬ fested in itself, with the false and wicked lust. These beasts now must the word of the human life keep always, from Adam to this time, and must be conversant with such cattle, and manage these beasts and take care of them. Therefore now said Joseph, That they might dwell with their cattle in the land of Goshen; that is, in a peculiar place by itself, and not with Pharaoh. For herdsmen, saith the spirit, were an abomination to the Egyptians; that is, the bestial property in man is an abomination to God. Therefore Christ bringeth only the inward Paradisical ground (this time of the beast) before the face of God : but he bringeth the beast into Goshen; that is, into the outspoken or expressed creaturely substance of this world, into a place blessed of God. 33. The bestial man cannot dwell with Pharaoh, that is, in God’s majesty and holy power and virtue: Joseph, or JESUS, leaveth him in the outward nature, in the kingdom of this world, and setteth him in a blessing, that he should dwell near God; but a Principle is the distinc¬ tion as between time and eternity.

34. And Joseph said circumspectly, he would say they had brought along with them their small and great cattle; to signify that the whole man with all his works were brought into the grace and fat blessed habitation before God, that Christ’s children with all their earthly works were placed in Goshen, viz. in a state and condition of grace. 35. And he said to his brethren, When Pharaoh shall ask what is your trade and employment, then shall ye say, Thy servants have been herdsmen from our youth up. That is thus much: when God’s spirit shall search and try what ye are in mind and thought, whether ye be angels and ministers of God, then humble yourselves before God; and say not concerning yourselves before the face of God, We sit in thy office, and are lords or potentates and rulers of the world, or rich, noble, excellent, learned, understanding persons, or such like. Do not esteem yourselves good in the sight of God; say not, We are thy dear ministers and servants in thy power; but say, We thy servants are herdsmen, from Adam to this time; we keep and manage our bestial property, viz. the works of thy wonders which thou hast made; we cannot subsist before thee, O holy God; for we are unfit, unworthy and ignorant herdsmen of thy wonders; let us but find grace in thy sight, that we may dwell before thee in this Goshen. O Lord, we know not what we shall do before thee; do thou direct and teach us how we shall manage these thy herds, for we are thy servants, and will serve before thee as thy herdsmen.

36. In this glass behold thyself, thou fair world, what thou art in thy high state, places and offices : even all of you, from the emperor to the beggar, and him that is least and lowest of all, are but herdsmen. Every one is but a herdsman, for their authority is but an office of the bestial man, and hath, under his command and management, but to rule over beasts, and no more. For no worldly office can"rule over the inward divine man, he must in his office manage only a herd of beasts or cattle, and govern, take care of, and tutor them; and they tutor him again. 37. With these offices of herdsmen the earthly Lucifer now prideth and boasteth himself, as if he had an angelical government: and yet in the presence of God he is but a herdsman or keeper of beasts, and no more. 38. And therefore hath God typified and prefigured his Mysteries by such simple herdsmen, that man should see what man is in his office, state and condition; also that God’s wrath may not lift up itself and destroy these shepherds and herdsmen; and so he hath always, in his prefiguration, premodelled them only as herdsmen, that he might

pour out his grace upon man’s ignorance and want of understanding. 39. Herein behold yourselves, ye potent, noble, rich, learned people, all of you, one and other, how the spirit of God, in the revela¬ tion of his Mysteries, represents you by the dear Patriarchs in the manner of the herdsman’s office. Ye are all, one and other, before him no other than his herdsmen; the emperor, as well as his ministers and servants; the noble, as well as his inferior, one as well as another: one in this bestial office ordereth and manageth another in another bestial office. 40. But the Pharisee will say, I keep the sheep of Christ. Woe be to him that committeth his sheep to a wolf: if he teacheth that which is good from the spirit of Christ, then it is not from his own authority and power, but the Arch Shepherd, Christ, doth it through him. But he manageth beasts only, and himself taketh one beast of the herd to himself, which must also be kept and cared for, or else the wolf will devour it. 41. Thus hath God placed all offices in the office of a shepherd, so that one should manage and take care of another; and yet they are all but shepherds before him, which keep beasts and cattle: Christ alone is the Shepherd of souls, and no other.

42. None should trust the sheep of Christ, which he hath in him, to any earthly shepherd, but only to the Shepherd, Christ, for in all the outward offices of shepherds there are wolves, which take and devour the sheep of Christ: He may pass well for one in the office of a shepherd, but let him have a care of the Shepherd’s dogs, that they do not bite him. 43. O world, in thy high state and condition! O that thou didst but consider what thou art in thy state and condition in the sight of heaven ; and didst not set thy state and condition so aloft in God’s love : for it standeth only in his deeds of wonder, in evil and good. 44. When God would have a worldly state and condition prefigured in his love, then he set shepherds in it, or else mean, poor, despised and unesteemed people. See Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David; also the Prophets and Apostles, and all holy men or saints, through whom God once manifested himself; and then thou wilt see that no highness availeth anything before him: that is but a glass of wonders, in evil and good; also a sport of God’s love and anger, a premodelling or representation of the angelical dominions in light and darkness, in heaven and hell.

How Jacob was set before Pharaoh with the five youngest Brothers of Joseph , and Jacob blessed Pharaoh ; also how Joseph bought all the Land of Egypt for Pharaoh’s own. What is hereby to be understood1 I. X /T OSES saith, Then came Joseph and told Pharaoh, and said, My JL \ Ji fat her and my brethren, with their small and great cattle, and all that they have, are come to me out of the land of Canaan ; and behold they are in the land of Goshen. And he took five of his youngest brethren and set them before Pharaoh. Then said Pharaoh to his brethren, What is your employment and trade? And they answered, Thy servants are herdsmen, we and our father. And said further to Pharaoh, We are come to dwell by you in the land ; for thy servants have not pasture for their cattle, the famine doth so hard press the land of Canaan: now therefore let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Is this thy father, and are these thy brethren who are come to thee? The land of Egypt standeth open for thee ; let them dwell in the best place of the land ; let them dwell in the land of Goshen: and if thou knowest any among them that are fit and expert, set them over my beasts and cattle (Gen. xlvii. 1-6).

The inward figure standeth thus: 2. When Christ manifesteth his brethren, and the old father Adam, in the power and virtue of God, that they are with all their substance come to him, and have wholly given up themselves to him, then he taketh five of the youngest brethren in the properties of life, and setteth them before God; that is, he taketh the five senses of man, which always are and continue to be the youngest in the life’s property (for they are continually generated anew), and setteth these, with the power and virtue of their life, before God. 3. For these are they that shall be God’s ministers and servants in the love: to these Christ in-giveth his counsel, and saith, When ye come before the face of God, so that the spirit of God in you pro- ceedeth upon you, and proveth and sifteth what your office and work is in the presence of God, then humble yourselves, and say in the presence of God, Thy servants are but herdsmen, and are come to thee in the famine of misery in our great hunger, to dwell near thee in the land of God; for in our own powers and virtues in the Adamical kingdom of nature we have not pasture and food for the poor miserable life; therefore now, O Lord, suffer thy servants to dwell in the land of Goshen, viz. in thy courts, that we may eat of the dew of heaven, [and live to thee] and serve thee in our office.

4. Then saith the eternal Father to Christ, viz. to his steward, Behold, is that thy father Adam, and are these thy brethren according to the humanity, which are come to thee? The land of Egypt standeth open for thee; that is, the kingdom of heaven, together with the king¬ dom of nature, standeth open to thee, thou art my steward in the kingdom of grace, and also in the kingdom of the nature of the human property; let them dwell in the best place in the kingdom of grace, and in the kingdom of nature; and if thou seest that there are men among them fit for it, set them over my cattle; that is, those among them that are fit and expert, make them officers in the kingdom of nature, that they may rule over my creatures, that is, set them in the Apostolic office, that they may feed my flock, whom thou leadest inwardly in them with thy staff or crook; let them be outwardly shepherds,1 and lead and govern the properties of nature, viz. my sheep or beasts. 5. All spiritual shepherds in this world do sit in the office of the Father, as also the worldly shepherds, which are instituted only by Christ, through whom Christ himself inwardly ruleth and governeth; and they are all of them God’s officers.

6. But whosoever are instituted in an office without the Chief Shepherd,2 Christ, they all of them are but in the land of Canaan in the famine of God’s anger, and are but devouring wolves, both one and other, be they spiritual or worldly officers, be they noble or ignoble, prince or protector or guardian, priest or sexton, one as well as another. All that ruleth in an office without God’s spirit, that ruleth of self, and to the judgment of God; he that thinketh not in his office to serve God, and to manage his office as a shepherd of God, he [is a minister and servant of, and] serveth Lucifer. Divino, who they are. 7. Moses saith further, Also Joseph brought his father Jacob, and presented him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh (Gen. xlvii. 7)- That is, Christ set also the Adamical image before God, not only the five senses but the whole man: and he blesseth God, that is, he thanketh God and bringeth him fruit, to the praise of God, as a bless¬ ing. Then saith God, in his acting and working, How old art thou? And he answer eth, One hundred and thirty years is the time of my pilgrimage: few and evil have the days of my life been, and they reach not to the time of my fathers in their pilgrimage. So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went forth from him (Gen. xlvii. 8-10).

8. Thus the Adamical man acknowledgeth and confesseth before God his evil time in the earthly desire, and saith it is but a pilgrimage, viz. a continual wandering and anxiety in continual cares and disquietness, whereby man worketh and effecteth God’s wonders. 9. And Moses saith further, There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore and hard, so that the land of Egypt and Canaan were famished by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in Egypt and Canaan, for the corn that they bought: and he put all the money in the house of Pharaoh. Now when the money in Egypt and Canaan was brought, all Egypt came to Joseph, and said, Give us bread: wherefore must we die in thy presence, being without money ? And Joseph said, Fetch me your beasts and cattle, and I will give you for them, seeing you are without money. Then they brought their cattle to Joseph: and he gave them bread for their horses and sheep, for their heifers and asses: and so he nourished them with bread this year for all their beasts and cattle (Gen. xlvii. 13-17).

10. This figure is very powerful, and containeth great and deep understanding: although the bestial man, full of covetousness and extortion, imagineth to himself as if this made for him. Yet the true figure is quite against him; as also is the parable or similitude in the Gospel, of the unjust steward, which saith, The Lord commended him that he had done so prudently (Luke xvi. 8). 11. This famine in Egypt and Canaan, when all the land was famished, prefigureth the poor fallen man in body and soul, which the anger of God hath dried up and caused to wither, so that it is famished. For Egypt signifieth the soul’s nature, and Canaan the body’s nature. The great provision of corn which Joseph gathered together and sold in the famine, signifieth the divine word of grace. The money of the Egyptians and Canaanites, for which they bought corn of Joseph, signifieth God’s creaturely word of the human life. The beasts which they there gave also for bread when there was no more money, signifieth the imagelike1 property in the life of man. The figure standeth thus: 12. When man in soul and body in this famine and in this starving hunger cometh into God’s anger and withering, then he hath no refreshment nor comfort, for his conscience withereth so quite in God’s anger that he must go to the heavenly Joseph and buy this food of grace.

13. First, while the soul together with the body find yet a little power and comfort in them, though indeed the conscience gnaweth, this steward giveth Jesus Christ good words, and prayeth to him, and, for the creaturely framed or conceived2 word, buyeth food of Joseph. And this now is that which is signified by the money: while these words will in the imagination give the conscience a little virtue and comfort, the nature of the soul and of the body continually buyeth grace for such money, and giveth this Joseph good store of babbling, with an imaginary matter and some framed or figured prayer3 out of custom ; and thus liveth of this food, in hope. 14. But when the anguish of the conscience withereth up this hope, and that such cold prayer and historical faith will no more avail, so that the conscience crieth out that thou must be famished in the anger of God, no prayer more will avail before God ; then cometh the poor soul to this Joseph, and saith, Why wilt thou suffer me to perish because I cannot bring my prayer and faith before thee, by which I might attain food for my life; behold, my power is gone, I am able to do nothing,4 1 have no more words wherewith to attain thy grace.

15. Then saith the heavenly Joseph to the soul, Bring thy beasts, viz. horses, oxen and asses, hither to me, and I will give thee food for them; that is, bring to me all thy earthly natural desires and imagina¬ tions,5 and thy false confidence in the creatures, viz. in thy own wit and subtlety, in falsehood and wickedness, and give them up all to me, that thou mayest be quit of them ; then I will give thee food, that thou mayest live, and will also feed the imaginations of thy thoughts: And this is the entrance of this figure. 1 Imaged or created. 2 Imagelike, imaginary, fictitious. 3 Conceited, contrived or set form of prayer. 4 Note how man is able to do nothing. 16. And Moses saith further, When that year was ended, they came to him in the second year, and said to him, We will not hide from our lord, that not only the money, but also all the beasts are gone from us to our lord ; and there is no more left for our lord, but our bodies and our fields. Why wilt thou suffer us and our fields to die in thy presence ? Buy us and our land for bread, that our land and we may be Pharaoh’s bondslaves: give us seed, that we may live and not die, and the fields not lie waste (Gen. xlvii. 18, 19). This is now the true earnestness, when man wholly giveth up all, and quite giveth up himself.

This figure standeth thus: 17. When man standeth thus in the famine of conscience, so that not only the words which he speaketh in the presence of God will no more avail that he might receive comfort, but that in the end those also fail, when he hath beaten down all fictitious1 desires, and forsaken this world in the desire; then saith the poor soul to the heavenly Joseph, Alas, my lord, what shall I bring before thee that I may attain thy grace? Behold, my prayer findeth no power and virtue, and though I have forsaken the world, and have given up my bestial will, yet I still stand in great hunger before thee; I have no more left, but only my body and soul. My lord, take even this of me, I give myself wholly to be thy own. Give me thy grace, that I may live in thee: I will give myself wholly up to thee with body and life, and will be thy obedient servant. Give thou me but seed only, that is, give thou me but a will, thought, mind and desire, and sow the land of my nature; and let my life be thy servant, that I may be no more without thy will, but that I may be thy servant and thy bondslave.

18. Thus then it is enough, when he hath given up body and soul, will and thoughts, and all that he hath and is, wholly to this Joseph, that he is as it were a bondslave to God, that hopeth and expecteth only what his Lord will give him, when all trust and confidence in his own self is quite yielded up. Then is reason rightly killed, and the devil hath lost his stool [and throne] in man: for in resignation man hath nothing for his own : and the devil can no other way come at man but in the desire of selfhood [in appropriating anything for his own self] . 19. And Moses saith further, Thus Joseph bought the whole land of Egypt for Pharaoh j for the Egyptians sold every one their ground, for the famine was so sore, sharp and strong upon them: and so the land became 1 Imaged, feigned or imaginary. Pharaoh’s own. And he distributed the people into the cities, from one place of Egypt to the other, except the land of the priests, which he bought not ■ for it was appointed for the priests by Pharaoh that they should provide for themselves out of that portion which he had given them: therefore they dared not to sell their lands (Gen. xlvii. 20-22).

The figure standeth thus: 20. In such a manner Christ, when man in this pinching hunger draweth near to him, buyeth for his grace his whole nature, with all the forms, conditions and qualities1 thereof, and bringeth all what¬ soever is in man again into the house of the great Pharaoh, that is, of God, and maketh it subject to God his Father again. 21. For in Adam all men are become untrusty and perfidious, and are entered into the selfishness of the will, but Christ hath bought this human own self to be his own again, and giveth this up again to God his Father; and it pointeth directly at Christendom, which Christ hath bought with his grace by the treasure of his precious blood, and made it his own, and hath now distributed his offices, wherein the Christians serve him, and are his own. 22. But that the priests’ fields were not sold, and that Pharaoh would not buy them, but leave them for their own, pointeth at the inward man, who is the priestly temple of Christ. This, God buyeth not back again, he willeth that man should have it for his own; he desireth only to have the kingdom of nature for his own servant. But the incorporated ground of grace, viz. the temple of Christ, he leaveth to the soul for a dowry, for it is the place and city of God, wherein God dwelleth in man. No man can sell it again, pawn it, or engage it by oaths, for it belongeth to the eternal One, and not to the possession of the creature: but it is a bestowed ground of grace, wherein Christ manageth his office : it is his habitation and dwelling house.

23. Then said Joseph unto the people, Behold, I have this day bought you and your fields for Pharaoh: behold, there you have seed, sow your fields. And of your corn you shall give the fifth to Pharaoh ; four parts shall be yours: to sow your field, for your food for your house and children. And they said, Now let us live, and find grace before thee, we shall willingly be Pharaoh’s bondslaves. Thus Joseph made them a law unto this day concerning the fields: to give the fifth to Pharaoh: except the priests’ fields, which were not Pharaoh’s own (Gen. xlvii. 23-26). 1 Affections, properties or faculties. 24. This figure is a true type and image of Christendom, which Christ hath bought with his love in his blood, having proffered to give Christendom his grace and righteousness for their earthly imaginations,1 that it should give them only up to him; and when that is done, then saith Christ, Behold, I have this day, that is, from this time forth to eternity, bought all your earthly images,1 as also body and soul; I have bought you for my eternal bondslaves, servants and ministers, with my grace, from the hunger of God’s anger. Behold, there you have seed, that is, there you have my word, where¬ with you may sow the ground of your conscience, in body and soul, that this seed may bring forth fruit, and of this fruit you shall return the fifth to Pharaoh, that is, to God: for four parts shall be your food; that is, this seed shall quicken and cherish the four elements of the body, as also the four properties of the soul’s fire-life; and ye shall keep this seed of the divine word fourfold, for the cherishing of your life; but the fifth ye shall give to God.

25. The fifth signifieth here very secretly and mystically the fifth form of the natural life, viz. the love-fire in the light, which is born out of the four properties, and manifest, wherein the uncreaturely and supernatural God is manifested. This form generateth now the divine joy, and the praise of God, wherein the soul is an angel, and thanketh and praiseth God, because he hath delivered it out of the fire-source of torment, and hath given himself with this love and grace into its firesource, and changed it into a love-fire and divine light. 26. This source of love, viz. the fifth property of life, wherein the soul is an angel, it giveth now to God again with great praise and thanksgiving, for it giveth this fifth form to Christ again, for a habita¬ tion; for that is the habitation of his word, wherein is2 the kingdom of God in us (Luke xvii. 21), and wherein we are the temples of the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us. And this fifth form, in the praise of God, Christ requireth again from his Christendom, that it should give this to him, that he may gather in the praise of God, that is, the fruit of love, for his Father, into the house of the divine power.

27. But the priests’ fields, that is, the inward ground of the heavenly world’s substance, he buyeth not with his blood, for that never received the turba of destruction, but in the fall of Adam it went out and faded, and went into the abyss, so that the soul had it no more in its own possession, for it was in the soul as it were dead, although in God nothing dieth; but the soul was blind concerning it, in that 1 Images, or fancies. 2 Or, consisteth. manner as God, viz. the eternal One, is in and through all things, and yet nothing apprehendeth it but that which introduceth itself into its substance, wherein he will manifest himself. 28. This faded image or substance is the priestly ground, whereinto God again inspake or did sow his word and seed again in Paradise. That is not bought with Christ’s blood, as the averted soul is, but it is filled with the heavenly ens, with Christ’s flesh and blood, so that it is or becometh Christ’s flesh and blood, wherein the High Priest, Christ, dwelleth. It is his eternal seat and possession, wherein God is manifested in man, for it is the branch on Christ’s vine, which is God’s proper own, and not man’s.

29. It is indeed in man, but not in the possession of the fiery soul’s essence; it hath another Principle than the soul, and yet is in the soul, and through the soul, and from the soul, after the manner as the light is from the fire, which is through the fire, and in the fire, and hath its manifestation from the fire, out of which fire and light air proceedeth, and out of which air dewy water proceedeth; and that same dewy water denoteth the substance of this inward ground, which giveth to the fire again nourishment, food, lustre and life. 30. So also it is to be considered and understood concerning the soul. When it extinguished as to the divine light, then this substance was generated no more from it, nor in it, but remained faded, ex¬ tinguished, or quenched; and then the soul had no divine food more for its source of fire, for it had turned its desire forth into the third Principle, and was overcome by the earthly Lucifer, and by Satan, viz. by the property of the wrath, of the dark world’s property in the place of this world. 31. This grace came to help this averted soul, which was bought through Christ’s blood; for the buyer entered with his money of grace into this faded image, and took it to himself, and set the soul therein for a high priest and teacher.

32. And this image now was the priests’ fields, which he bought not, for it was God’s, beforehand. God only set his High Priest, Christ, therein, that he should therein feed and teach the poor soul, that it should not eat of the vanity, and fully darken and again bring to nothing this image. 33. And this is also the same in the figure of Joseph, in that he bought not the priests’ fields; and so is the figure concerning Moses and the Levites, that they kept their fields and ground, and yet possessed them as tenants. All which denoteth the inward man of the heavenly world’s substance, which is God’s ground, wherein God soweth his word of grace, viz. Christ’s spirit. Which ground or sub¬ stance belongeth only to the High Priest, Christ, for a possession, and not to the creaturely life; but the creaturely life receiveth power and virtue from it : it hath it indeed in itself, but it is not one and the same thing with nature: as the light and the painful source of the fire are not one and the same thing. 34. This figure of Joseph, in that he bought the Egyptians to be Pharaoh’s proper own, and made them his own servants, signifieth nothing else but that Christ should buy us from the anger of God in the famine of our destruction, through his grace, to be his obliged servants, through his blood and death, and would give us his word for seed, that we might sow his purchased goods,1 viz. our natural life, therewith.

35. And for this cause now should we give him again the fifth part of this fruit, viz. the birth of love, the fifth property of life. For in the fifth property standeth faith; and that, his children should give to him again. And this he gathereth into his Father’s barns, for an eternal praise, and to the divine manifestation of his wonders. 36. But that earthly men have made such bondage,2 and keep one another for bondslaves, and vex, torment and misuse one another therein, and squeeze out their sweat for their pomp and pride, this is an image of the anger of God, which representeth itself3 also according to the heavenly figure. 37. For everything must fashion itself according to the ordinance or appointment of the Word of God: whether a thing fashion itself in evil, viz. in God’s anger, according to the property of hell, or in good, in heaven, in the kingdom of Christ; for with the holy, the Word is holy, and with the perverse and froward it is manifest in God’s wrath (Ps. xviii. 25, 26): as the people is, such also is their God, saith the Scripture. 38. Earthly men represent the image in the anger of God, in that they vex, torment, squeeze and plague them with bondage, and hold it for just and right: and it is right, in the wrath of nature in God’s anger, and it is a figure of hell : and it is also a figure of the kingdom of Christ in the heavenly bondage. For all whatsoever the earthly man doth with pain and torment, that doth Christ in his kingdom with his children, in joy, love, humility, and power.

39. The earthly man taketh away his brother’s labour, also his 1 Or possessions. 2 Or, bond-slavery. 3 Imageth or modelleth itself. will [and desires], his sweat and trade, profession and sustenance. Christ also taketh away his children’s evil will [and desires], also their labour, working in God, when with great pain and anguish they press thereinto. These labours Christ taketh all from them, and gathereth them into his chest of treasure. He searcheth through and through his children’s body and soul, to see whether there be yet a little sparkle that can and will administer to him and work for him; that, he driveth and necessitateth into the divine ministration of God’s court, viz. into the vineyard of Christ. 40. He often also withdraweth the food of grace, and letteth them afterwards hunger and lament for it; and letteth them sit in misery, and afflicteth them, so that they must work in great anguish, in lamentation, fear and trembling, before him in divine labour; for the old Adam’s ass is unwilling and untoward to labour in that which is divine. 41. And therefore it is often compelled, so that the punishment and threatening is always behind it, where Christ’s spirit in the conscience threateneth it with hell and the anger of God; as also the earthly lords upon earth do with their subjects : which stand indeed in the figure of Christ, but the office is altogether unlike.

42. Christ gathereth in, for his Father, by the works of his children, much heavenly fruit, which man will obtain again, and enjoy the same for ever; but a worldly lord gathereth in by the labour and sweat of the poor, only money and goods into his chests, to his own honour, which labour the poor man can no more enjoy in this world: but Christ is his wages, in that he must serve the figure of God’s anger here in misery. 43. But in the end, when the earthly offices shall be also gathered into their barns, into the treasure chests of their hearts for whom they have served and ministered, then there will be unlike and different reservatories. Many will have very much gathered into the kingdom of God’s anger, and from that will his food be given to him again in eternity, viz. the curse of the oppressed, also the affliction, fear, pain and molestation of the poor, which they have here with their agitation wrought by the inferiors : that will be given them for food also after this time to eternity: for what any soweth here (Gal. vi. 7), that they will find in barns in the eternal life.

44. All offices of this world are God’s, and all officers, from the emperor to the least and meanest, are God’s officers. But they serve him much unlike and differently : one serveth him in love, as a minister of Christ, and the other serveth him in his anger, as a minister of hell. 45. All that seek their own in these offices, and do not regard God and his ordinance, and so serve man therein, they serve the anger of God, and gather up, into hell. 46. For all the treasure of princes and potentates should be gathered in for the common profit of brethren, and for the supporting of good orders and offices, also of the miserable and impotent; even as an innkeeper1 laboureth and worketh with those that are under him, and draweth the profit to himself, and yet therewith he provideth for, feedeth and nourisheth all his servants, ministers and assistants; and the overplus he useth for common necessaries of himself, his wife and children, and what he might else stand in need of, or layeth it by for poor people: such is the officer’s gathering together: it should all be gathered together for common benefit, else it is a treasure of the anger of God, and must expect God’s judgment.

47. But that the present potentates do thus gather together for their own honour, for voluptuousness and pride, and in that regard do the more hardly oppress and squeeze, that they may only therewith exercise their pride, and keep under the poor as dogs, and say in their hearts, They are bound to do so for me, I have bought or inherited it as a privilege, I have it of right. All this, one and other, is done in the anger of God: they all now in this property serve only Satan, viz. in the figure of God’s anger, and no better. 48. All self-owning belongeth to hell, make what thou wilt of it; no seeming rhetoric will avail before God; thou gatherest together into hell : God requireth the ground of the heart, and will have trusty officers. 49. But the miserable is to know, that in such restraint and service, if he endure it without murmuring and grudging, in faithfulness, he serveth even his Lord Christ: for God thereby draweth him away from this world, so that he sets his hope upon that which is to come, and in this servility of his hands he gathereth to him with his prayer into this house of lamentation, his heavenly treasure; whereas if he for this time of his restraint stood in the voluptuousness of the flesh, he would gather no good thing: therefore all things must serve to the best of them that love God (Rom. viii. 28).

50. Thus a man ought to understand the figure under the history and acts of Joseph; for indeed the history is described with great diligence, according to the inward figure, according to the inspiration2 1 Or householder. 2 Eingebung, inward suggestion. of the spirit of God, which always more respects Christ’s kingdom than any history of a slight and simple act. 51. For the acts of the Bible are not set down therefore because men should see the life and deeds of the old holy men or saints, as Babel supposeth. No, the kingdom of Christ above all is thereby deciphered, as also the kingdom of hell: the visible figure continually pointeth at the invisible, which shall be manifested in the spiritual man. 52. Moses here finisheth the figure of the new regeneration, under the history of Joseph, and saith further, Thus Israel dwelt in Egypt , in the land of Goshen ,• and possessed it, and grew and multiplied very much. And Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt: so that his whole age was one hundred forty and seven years (Gen. xlvii. 27, 28). 53. And when the time was come that Israel was to die, he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If I have found grace before thee, then lay thy hand under my thigh, that thou wilt be loving and faithful to me, and not bury me in Egypt. But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of the land of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place. He said, I will do as thou hast said. But he answered, and said, Swear to me. And he sware to him. Then Israel bowed himself, sitting up at the head of the bed (Gen. xlvii. 29-3 1).

54. This now is a very mystical figure, and pointeth at the resurrection of the dead, when the soul shall come to the body again; and the body will be pure and holy. For the land of Canaan, which was also full of the abominations of the heathen, signifieth the earthly body; and Egypt, where Pharaoh dwelt, and Joseph was steward, signifieth the soul, which dwelleth in God’s Word, viz. by or near the eternal King. 55. And we see it very finely portrayed in this figure how Adam’s soul turned itself with lust into the earthly Canaan of the earthly body, and turned away from God; therefore now the soul must go again into Egypt, into repentance to Joseph, viz. to Christ, and to King Pharaoh, viz. to God; and there it will be received as a child of grace, to be a bondservant, so that it will be obedient to God, and be his servant and minister, and must forsake the earthly Canaan, viz. the evil body, with its will and contrivances, as Israel must leave and forsake Canaan. 56. But after he should be dead, he would then have his body into the land of Canaan, that it should be buried there. Which signifieth that the earthly body must be buried in its mother the earth, and come into its first mother again; and it signifieth that the soul shall come

again out of Egypt, viz. out of the bondage of the affliction of repen¬ tance, to the body into rest: for the heathen must be driven out of Canaan, when Israel entereth thereinto. So also must the abominations in the property and condition of the body be consumed, and all false and wicked desires be killed, ere the soul come to the body again, and dwell therein. 57. And it is powerfully represented how the will of the soul shall and must in this lifetime break off from the earthly Canaan, viz. from the lusts of the body, and press into God again by earnest repentance, where then the soul must rightly be in Egypt, viz. a poor bondservant, in much anxiety and affliction ; but in the end, when the body shall die, then it also desireth to go along out of the house of bondage, viz. out of the torment of repentance, and will go again into the first Adamical pure image which God created: as Jacob would lie by his fathers, when as he might have lain as well in Egypt. But the spirit stood in the figure of the resurrection, shewing how the whole man should go again into the first image created by God.

58. But that Jacob required an oath from Joseph, that he would bury him in Canaan with his fathers; it denoteth the oath which God in Christ made with man, that God hath with his Word of love incor¬ porated himself with man, and engaged as by an eternal oath to him. Jacob requireth this oath from Joseph, as from the figure of Christ, and desireth he should lay his hand under his thigh and swear. 59. This is a figure signifying how Christ should lay his hand, that is, his power and might, viz. the eternal Word, which is the hand that hath made all things, into the human essence in body and soul; and not only into that, but under the thigh, as under the human power, and to give himself to man for his own; and swear therein, that is, bind himself to it, that he will bring the whole man, when he is here dead in the temporal death, again into the first land of inheritance wherein Adam in innocency dwelt, viz. into Paradise, and bury the body and soul, with his oath, in God, as in the divine rest. 60. This is signified by the figure of Jacob, where the text saith, Israel dwelt a long time in Egypt, and multiplied there. And when Jacob was to die, he had a desire to be carried, after his death, again into the land of Canaan, to his fathers. This [I say] signifieth that a Christian or child of God must go into this Egypt, viz. into repentance, and into the exit from the earthly will, and continue therein the whole time of his temporal life, and bring forth much good fruit in that land. And then Christ, viz. the heavenly Joseph, shall bring him into the right

country of his father to rest again, viz. into the right promised land, wherein the milk and honey of divine power floweth (Exod. iii. 8). 61. And the whole history of all the five books of Moses is even this in the figure: the exit out of Canaan, and the going into Canaan again, is only this; representing how the right Adamical man should with great hosts and armies, and much purchased goods effected in the divine operation, enter again into the eternal promised land; and how in this lifetime he must be a bondservant of God’s anger in this Egypt, which would, through its ministers and servants, afflict, persecute and torment him in his office of anger, and continually keep him for a bondslave, till the right Joseph shall bring him through the temporal death, again into Paradise into rest. How Jacob, before his End, blessed the two sons of Joseph , and preferred the Youngest before the Eldest. And what is thereby to be I. TV /T OSES saith, Afterwards it was told Joseph, Behold, thy father is W jLsick: and he took with him both his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And then it was told Jacob, Behold thy son Joseph cometh to thee: and Israel strengthened himself and sat up in the bed, and said to Joseph, The Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me. And said to me, Behold, I will cause thee to increase and multiply, and will make thee a multitude of people -, and will give this land for a possession to thy seed after thee for ever. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came in hither to thee, shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon. But those which thou shalt beget after them, shall be thine, and shall be named according to their brethren in their inheritance (Gen. xlviii. 1-6).

2. In this figure now the patriarch Jacob standeth again in the limit of the Covenant, whereto God had ordained him in the mother’s womb. When he had finished his course in the world with the figure of the kingdom of Christ and his Christendom, then his spirit figureth2 itself again in the limit of the Covenant, and through the limit of the Covenant blesseth his children and his children’s children, and pointeth at the future time, how it would go with them. That is, he speaketh from the root, and intimateth concerning the branches and twigs of this tree, which God in Paradise planted again after the defection and fall, and had made it manifest in Abraham: and so Jacob stood in the same stock, and intimateth from the spirit of this tree concerning his branches and twigs, but especially in both Joseph’s sons, both which he grafted back again into his root, that they should be his sons, as Reuben and Simeon. This figure standeth thus: 3. And Jacob said to Joseph, The Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me-, and said to me, Behold, I will cause thee 1 Gen. xlviii. 2 Frameth, modelleth or imageth.

to increase and multiply, and will make thee a great people, and will give this land for a possession to thy seed for ever. In this figure the spirit speaketh not only of the inheritance of the outward land of Canaan, but also of the inheritance of the kingdom of Christ, [which is] understood and signified under this Canaan; for he saith God hath given him and his children this land for an eternal possession, in which for a long time after that they had no inheritance; therefore then in this [figure] the Kingdom of Christ is understood, which shall endure for ever. 4- Thus Jacob took the two sons of Joseph and set them in his root in the inheritance of this kingdom, and, moreover, in his first power and virtue, as Reuben and Simeon his first sons. Which signifieth how Joseph’s, that is, Christ’s, children in the faith and spirit (whose nature yet is come from the seed of corrupted Adam) shall be through faith planted again in the first root of God’s Covenant. For Adam hath set his twigs and children with himselfin the kingdom of God’s anger; but the Covenant and grace taketh these Adamical twigs and puts them back again into the image of God: whose figure Jacob here represents with Joseph’s sons.

5. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, Who are these? Joseph answered his father, and said, They are my sons, which God hath given me (Gen. xlviii. 8, 9). That is, the Covenant of grace was strange to the corrupt nature, and said, Who are these children of nature in self, have they not broken themselves off from God. But Joseph, in the figure of Christ’s humanity, said, They are my children, which God hath given me in the kingdom of this world. And the Covenant of grace in Jacob said, Bring them to me that I may bless them (Gen. xlviii. 9), that is, that I may anoint them with grace, that is, Christ shall bring them to God, that he may bless them again. 6. And Moses saith, For the eyes of Israel were dim with age (Gen. xlviii. 10). That is, nature, in the Father’s property in the soulish creature, was grown dim and old, and that, because the soul’s ens had modelled1 itself in the time,2 for all that liveth in the time2 groweth old and dim. But the Covenant in Jacob groweth not old. The Covenant was that which should bless the sons of Joseph with the future revelation or manifestation of the power in the name Jesus ; and Joseph, who stood in the image or type of the humanity of Christ, should bring them to this blessing; for the humanity of Christ bringeth Adam’s children to the blessing of God : as here Joseph bringeth his sons to the Covenant of God, in Jacob.

1 Imaged or framed. 2 Temporariness. 7 . Moses saith further, But he kissed them, and encouraged them, and said to Joseph, Behold, I have seen thy face, which I had not thought to have done ; and behold, God hath let me see thy seed. And Joseph took them from his 1 bosom, and bowed himself towards the earth before his countenance (Gen. xlviii. 10-12): Which is as much as to say, in the figure, thus: When Joseph, in the image or type of the humanity of Christ, brought his sons to his father, viz. before the Covenant of God, then the Covenant took them in the arms, or into the bosom, of his desire, viz. into God’s essence, and kissed them with the kiss of love, which God would manifest in Christ: and the father’s righteousness in the Word of might and power saith to the soul’s essences, Behold, thou art dim to my sight, and now I have seen thy countenance again, through the love and grace of God, which I thought not to have done; for I thought to have kept the soul in the strong and severe might of God’s anger, for God’s eye was departed in it, with its turning away from him, and so, as to God’s righteousness, it was rent off from God: But now I have seen the countenance of the soul again, through God’s love in the grace of God, and God’s love hath let me see them2 in the seed of the Covenant of grace.

8. And the spirit of Moses saith, And Joseph took them from his father’s bosom, and bowed himself to the earth before his face. That is, when the Word became man, then Christ took the soul from the Father’s bosom, viz. from the Father’s nature, into himself, and in a creaturely manner presented himself with the assumed humanity before God the Father; and bowed, that is, humbled himself with the assumed soul, viz. God and man in one person, to the earth, that is, even into death, and entered before the face of God with our assumed soul, that is, he brought the soul’s will through the introduced power of the Deity back again into the resigned humility before the eyes of God. 9. And Moses saith further, Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them to him (Gen. xlviii. 13). This now is the precious figure of the great earnestness of God, shewing how man is blessed again. For Ephraim was not the firstborn, but Manasseh: and Jacob laid his right hand upon the head of the youngest. But Joseph took Ephraim in his right hand, and Manasseh, in his left hand, that he might stand with the firstborn before Jacob’s right hand, and

2 The soul’s essences, powers or faculties. with the other before Jacob’s left hand: but Jacob inverted the will of Joseph. The figure standeth thus: 10. The JVord became man (John i. 14), understand, the not-natural, un-creaturely Word of God manifested itself in God’s creaturely word of man’s soul, and took on him the faded light’s image, and quickened or made it living in itself, and put it into God’s left hand, viz. into the Father’s anger: which is here expressed by setting the youngest son, viz. Ephraim, before Jacob’s, viz. God’s, left hand, but took it in his right hand. 11. For Christ took the incorporated Covenant of grace in the faded heavenly image (which incorporated Covenant of grace in man was the youngest, viz. the new man) in his right hand, viz. into the highest love in the name Jesus, and entered with this new man from the Covenant of grace before God’s left hand, viz. before God’s strict righteousness in the anger, that he might atone the soul, viz. the first birth; and the soul, viz. the firstborn, Christ took in his left hand, that is, he took the first Principle (which beforehand had the superior jurisdiction, authority and power) and put it under, that its power, viz. the self-will, should go back and enter into humility before God’s right hand.

12. For these two sons of Joseph here rightly signify the inward spiritual man, viz. the fiery soul, which is the eldest son; also the spirit of the soul, viz. the light’s power, which signifieth the other or second son, viz. the two Principles. These did Joseph, that is, Christ, set before God, and took the spirit, viz. the second Principle, in his right hand, viz. in his love, and set it with his love before God’s left hand, viz. before his anger, for he should break the Serpent’s head; and the soul he setteth before God’s right hand, that it should receive the blessing from God, that is, that God’s love should manifest itself out of the soul: but that might not be. For Moses saith, But Israel stretched forth his right hand, and laid it upon the head of Ephraim the youngest, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head • and did so with his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn (Gen. xlviii. 14). 13. That is thus much in the figure: God would no more give the dominion or government to the first birth, viz. to the fiery soul, seeing it had turned away its will from God, but laid his hand of power and omnipotency upon the second, viz. upon the image of the light, which in Christ in his love became living again. To this he gave now the

power of the divine virtue, that the soul might be under Christ; for in the light’s image is Christ understood, and upon it God laid the hand of his omnipotence and grace; and upon the soul, he laid his left hand, that it should be a servant and a minister of grace. 14. Thus the first birth was set behind, viz. in subjection, and the second birth foremost and uppermost in the dominion. And here is that figure concerning which Christ saith, Father, the men were thine , that is, they were of thy nature’s property, but thou hast given them to me ; for the Father gave to Christ the highest blessing and power, whereby the fiery soul lost its dominion of self-will (John xvii. 6). 15. And Moses saith Jacob did thus knowingly, that is, the Covenant of God knew it in Jacob that God would have it so. Jacob could not with his bodily eyes for age well know these two lads, but with the eyes of God’s Covenant he saw and knew them, for God’s spirit in him did this. 16. And he blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac have walked, the God who hath preserved me all my life long even to this day, the Angel that hath released me from all evil, bless these lads ; that they may be called after my name, and after the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac ; that they may increase and multiply on earth (Gen. xlviii. 15, 16).

This figure standeth thus: 17. The God of love blessed the incorporated Covenant of grace out of which should come Christ, viz. the heavenly Joseph: as here Jacob with his blessing began at Joseph, and blessed Joseph’s sons through Joseph. Thus God also through the name of Jesus blesseth the soul and the spirit, for God hath appointed the name Jesus to be a throne of grace; and through that throne of grace he blesseth Christ’s children and members according to the humanity; and here in the words of the blessing maketh no difference between the children, to signify that the soul and the spirit shall in Christ enjoy like graces and gifts; only the power he gave to the new regeneration out of the faded heavenly image, that the soul should through the power of the new regeneration work and flourish, spread forth and be great therewith, that is, that the soulish tree with its branches should grow out of this blessing. 18. In the words of this blessing there is this understanding or meaning: The incorporated ground of grace in the power and virtue of the Word spake forth the power, and comprised in Jacob his body, soul and spirit, in one, and thereby spake itself forth upon the children of Joseph: God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac have walked, that is, through the wills and desires which my fathers have inclined to God, with which they have walked before God: also, through the power of God who hath sustained me my life long, even unto this day: also, the Angel who hath delivered me from all evil, bless these lads. That is, he blesseth them through the divine and [through the] human power, through the Angel of the great counsel in Christ Jesus, which Angel hath delivered men from all evil, that they should according to these names be called children of the Covenant, and in this power increase and grow great.

19. But when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon Ephraim’s head, it pleased him not well: and he laid hold of his father’s hand, that he should turn it from Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head. And said to him, Not so, my father: this is the firstborn ; lay thy right hand upon his head. But his father refused, and said, I know it well my son, I know it well: this shall also be a people, and be great: but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be a multitude of people (Gen. xlviii. 17-19). 20. By the outward figure the spirit pointeth at their offsprings, which stock or tribe should excel the other in greatness and might; but by the inward figure of man’s conversion and new birth it pointeth at the inward ground; signifying how the inward and youngest ground of the incorporated grace in Christ would be greater than the ground of the first created Adamical man. 21. But that Joseph disliked it, and would not willingly that the youngest should be preferred before the eldest, in the figure it signifieth this: Joseph stood in the figure of the new regeneration, signifying how the inward ground, viz. the eternal-speaking Word in the humanity of Christ, should turn itself forth through our soul, and take away the power of self-will from the soul, and that the creaturely soul would not that it should lose its power: it would not willingly die to its own will, but would keep its first natural right.

22. As we see in Christ’s humanity, viz. in the human soul, when it was to die to self and yield up its natural right, then said Christ on the Mount of Olives, Father, if it be possible, that is, the human soul in him from the Father’s property in the Word, said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ; but if it be not possible, and that I must drink it, Thy will be done (Matt. xxvi. 39 ; Luke xxii. 42) : as Joseph here in this figure was loath to come to it, and would not willingly that the last should be preferred before the first. 23. The text saith it pleased him not well. The natural man is not well pleased to give up his natural right and let the kingdom of humility reign in him : he would rather be lord himself. But his own will hath squandered that away, so that he is set behind, for it is not possible that he should become the child of God unless he drink the cup whereby he dieth to his own natural will. Therefore saith Christ, Father, thy will be done, and not my natural Adamical human will, but let God’s will in my inward ground be done, and not my Adamical soul’s will: It shall and must be resigned into God, the first natural right must go behind, and Christ forward, else there is no salvation.

24. In this type and image the spirit of God sporteth with the children of the saints; signifying how the new incorporated kingdom of grace would spread itself forth aloft, and how the kingdom of nature should be set behind: for if Christ arise and be born in man then must Adam be servant and minister. 25. And it declareth besides that the kingdom of nature would also be great, but the kingdom of grace yet greater. Of which we have a similitude in a great tree of many branches, which through nature generateth many twigs and branches, and wherein nature is powerful ; but the virtue and power of the sun is much more powerful. For if this doth not co-operate then the tree cannot grow nor bear any fruit; and we clearly see thereby that the virtue and power of the sun must get aloft, if the tree grow and its fruit come to be ripe and profitable. So also is it in man. 26. Man is nature: and nature begetteth him that he may come into the forms and conditions of the creatures. But the understanding must come forth in him, which governeth and taketh care of nature. Nature willeth indeed that its desire be fulfilled, but the understand¬ ing ruleth over nature.

27. But now nature is sooner and earlier than the understanding. Nature goeth foremost; but when the understanding cometh, then it must follow behind. Thus it is to be understood also in this figure of Jacob and Joseph, concerning the new regeneration, that when the divine understanding shall again be manifested in man, then shall nature follow behind. 28. Thus he blessed them that day, and said, He that will bless any in Israel, let him say, God set thee as Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. xlviii. 20). In this text what the spirit declareth in this figure is as clear as the sun. For Ephraim and Manasseh were re-inoculated back into the root of Jacob, that is, into the Covenant of grace which God had manifested in him, and were transplanted with the birth of the natural right, when the youngest was preferred before the eldest. Thus also should all blessing and wishing be, among the children of God, that God would set them back from the evil Adamical will of self, and set them into the Paradisical Covenant again, and make them grow therein and bring forth the kingdom of grace in them, and set it above the kingdom of nature of the first Adamical birth. When this is done in man then he is a child of God again in Christ, and standeth in the blessing of God.

29. Courteous rabbis and masters of criticisms upon every letter, 1 learn, I pray, to understand the figures of the Old and New Testament, and dispute not about the outward shell of words; look upon the chief ground, why the spirit of God thus speaketh, and why it sets down such types and images. And consider what this signifieth: that the Holy Ghost, in all the figures of Christ, always sets the youngest before the eldest. Begin at Cain and Abel, and go quite through : and then you will come to rest, and your strife have an end. 30. The time of strife is at an end: Ephraim shall rule over Manasseh. If you do not so, then will the sun dazzle and blind you with its rising, that ye must for ever be blind. Ye would verily see with the eye of the kingdom of nature, and yet ye contemn the eye of grace. But Ephraim attaineth the natural right of the first birth. Why will ye strive against your father Jacob as if he did not rightly bless? For ye set Manasseh before, and Ephraim following behind. It is made manifest before the eyes of the Most High, who hath set Ephraim foremost again: the kingdom of nature in human self should be the servant: and that, ye would not. But the purpose of the Most High goeth forward, and ye are all therefore like to go to the ground : there is no preventing of it more.

31. Now when Jacob had blessed Joseph and his sons, then he represented a very secret type or image of Christendom upon earth: For thus saith Moses, And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: and God will be with you, and will bringyou again into the land of your fathers. I have given thee apiece of land beyond thy brethren, that I took with my sword and with my bow out of the hand of the Amorites (Gen. xlviii. 21, 22). 32. Although there may well be an outward figure herein, which indeed is always so, yet this is much more an inward figure of Christendom. For what could Jacob give away of that which he had not in his possession? He had not Shechem in possession, as the glosses upon this text will have it expounded, which look only at some outward thing. So he could not give it severally to Joseph, for Joseph dwelt not there, but he and all his children and children’s children died in Egypt. 33. Besides, Jacob said he had taken it with his sword and with his bow out of the hand of the Amorites, which is nowhere to be shewn; and yet may well be outwardly done so, seeing he saith he hath given it to Joseph (as to the type of Christendom), and took it with the sword, therefore it is a figure and secret speech.

34. For Jacob saith, Behold, I die, and ye shall come again into this land: God will bring you thereinto. This first pointeth at Christ, who should come out of Jacob’s Covenant which God had in him. When that should die according to our humanity then would God bring Israel again into the land of God’s Covenant, and the Covenant hath a piece of land in this world that at all times would be a dwelling for Christendom upon earth; although that piece of land would be often turned with Manasseh and Ephraim from one place to another. 35. That same piece of land or Christian habitation hath Christ taken with his bow and sword of the spirit, and subdued the princes of this world in his victory, that Christendom should have this at all times upon earth. Whereby then we see that Christendom should have the smallest victory upon earth, so that its kingdom is like a remaining overplus piece of land; that so the name of Christ might therein be outwardly known and acknowledged. 36. Further, it is the most excellent figure concerning Israel, which with Jacob, that is, with the rising of the kingdom of Christ, would die. That is, the Jewish polity and government would be suppressed, but God would in the last time bring them into this land, viz. into the true Covenant in Christ; for he hath reserved this piece of land beforehand, that they should possess the same again; which Babel believeth not. But their time is near, for the fullness of the heathen is at an end.

How Jacob called all his Sons before his End, and signified and prophesied to them how their Generations would rise up, and what each of their State and Condition would be, whereby he expressed the Root of Abraham’s Tree, together with its Branches and Fruit; what the State and Office of each of them would be, and how they would behave them¬ selves, and how Christ would be born of the Stock of Judah : also how long their Kingdom would continue under the Law1 i. A If OSES saith, And Jacob called his sons, and said, Gather yourselves XV Altogether, that I may make known unto you what will happen to you in the future times. Come together, and hearken, ye children of Jacob, and hear your father Israel (Gen. xlix. I, 2). In this chapter lieth the whole understanding and knowledge, how it would go with the children of Israel in the future time under the Law, as also afterwards with Christendom. For in this chapter the spirit hath expressed and figuratively represented the tree oflsrael, with its branches, twigs and fruit, both according to the kingdom of nature, and according to the kingdom of grace; and under that signifieth concerning all states, conditions, orders and officers, among both Jews and Christians; especially the Antichristian kingdom among Jews and Christians is powerfully prefigured under it, whence it ariseth, and how it must fall to the ground again, and yet would continue a long time, even till the manifestation or revelation ofjesus Christ.

2. For Israel here under this exposition declareth concerning the whole Adamical tree, how it was good in the beginning, and how it perished; also how it would be helped again; and how the kingdom of nature would outwardly govern in God’s wrath, and yet the kingdom of grace co-operate through the wrath; whereby the natural evil man would outwardly seem as if he would serve God and minister to him, but would only be a false flattery and show of hypocrisy, so long till Christ would break forth out of God’s Covenant, and destroy Satan’s hypocritical kingdom. 3. And he beginneth at Reuben, viz. from the first power of the human life, and reacheth to Benjamin, the last, under whom Christen¬ dom is powerfully prefigured, and what its properties would be; so also are the times and ages of the world powerfully portrayed under it. If the Reader will observe it, and gather the sense thereof, then he will find our exposition in the true and right ground. 4. He began at Reuben, and said, Reuben, my first son, thou art my power and virtue, and my first might and strength, the chiefiest in the sacrifice, and the chiefiest in the kingdom and government : He was vain and fickle therein as water: thou shalt not be the chiefiest, thou didst climb up into thy fiather’s couch, and there hast defiled my bed with thy climbing up (Gen. xlix. 3,4).

In the figure it standeth thus: 5. The spirit in the Covenant speaketh forth the human nature of Adam, viz. the first power of the first seed to a re-propagation, as indeed Reuben also was the first power of Jacob; and signifieth that the natural first Adamical man should be the chiefest in God’s sacrifice; that is, he should bring forth right fruit to him, which might be to the praise of God, and in the virtue thereof increase the heavenly joy. He should generate virtue to him, and a re-expression through the implanted Word of God. And that is called sacrificing to God, when the creaturely human word, which God formed into a creature, viz. the human understanding life, re-expresseth God’s word out of itself, and formeth itselfin holy images [thoughts or imaginations]. 6. Which formation is effected in the generating of the heavenly mercurial harmony, viz. after that manner as when the implanted word in man imageth or frameth itself into a song of divine joyfulness, and sporteth in the holy pure element before God ; in which modelling1 1 Framing, figuring or imaging. HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END or holy desire the holy wisdom of God co-modelleth, and becometh figured in wonders; whereby the eternal One becometh formable and distinct, viz. is known in different varieties. This is called sacrificing to God, in that manner as twigs and branches bear fair fruit to the tree, whereby the tree is known and manifested to be good: thus also the creaturely formed word, viz. man, should, to the eternal-speaking holy Word of God, which Word is the stock, generate or bear to the stock good fruit, viz. the praise of God.

7. This is as much as to say: Adam was the chiefest in the sacrifice, for he was the first out-spoken or expressed word that God spake in his image, and was also the chiefest in the kingdom or government; for to him belonged the eternal dominion : he was created out of the eternal, in and to the eternal, he was the image of God, wherein the word of God according to time and eternity was imaged or framed. 8. Therefore now the spirit in the Covenant represented! this before him by the stock of Israel, out of which the new tree should spring out of the old, and pointeth at both the Adamical and also the new tree of regeneration, and speaketh further concerning the first power in Adam and Jacob, viz. concerning the kingdom of nature, of the first image. 9. He was unstable or fickle therein as water, as we experience that in Adam and all natural men as Adam suddenly and unstably therein departed from his glory, both from the divine kingdom and also from the sacrifice of God, and entered into self-will, and forsook God’s will, and brought himself from the divine formation1 into an earthly formation, with the desire and lust, whence he became bestial and evil.

10. Whence now the spirit in the Covenant saith through Jacob: Thou shalt not be the chiefest; that is, the first image shall not keep the government, neither in the dominion of the kingdom, viz. of the natural power and authority, nor in the sacrifice of God ; but the second Adam, Christ, out of Judah, shall be he; and therefore, because thou hast climbed up upon thy father’s couch, and there hast defiled my bed with thy climbing up. This figure standeth thus: 11. Adam had his Father’s chaste marriage-bed in him, when his Eve was yet unmade. He was man and woman, and yet neither of them, but a true and right marriage-bed of God, wherein God’s Word 1 Imaging or modelling. in his marriage in both tinctures, viz. of the fire and light, worketh in power; for he stood in the image of God, in which God wrought, as in the holy angels. The propagation stood in one single image. As God is in one eternal substance, so also was he, who was out of that same substance of all substances, created in one only image; for the spermatic nature and kind was in him the Verbum Fiat [the Word Fiat], which had formed him into the image of God, wherein the selflove lay, viz. in the perpetual conjunction of both properties of the only tincture, viz. the power of the holy magic fire and light, which is spiritual, and the true life.

12. In this image he was the chiefest in the sacrifice, and in the kingdom; for he could sacrifice to God both spiritually and creaturely, in that manner as a tree, without the interposition or supply from another, doth itself bring forth its branches and fruit, and thrusteth forth from itself the fair blossoms in a lovely smell and virtue, with fair colours according to its kind, and that, as God’s Word had ejected and generated it out ofitself: all this power lay also in him. 13. But the self will was unstable and fickle therein, and brought itself into a bestial property, into false and wicked lust and desire, and climbed with the bestial lust and desire into this holy marriage-bed of God. Into which lust Satan brought it, viz. the ground of the dark world according to the imaging or representation of fancy, as also the devil with the holding forth of the monstrous bestial property, together with the subtlety and wit of the Serpent, viz. of the ground of the first Principle. So that the self-will plunged itself therein, and was infected therewith, and made its power of imaging or thinking, according to soul and body, monstrous, whence the bestial imagina¬ tion in Adam awaked and began.

14. And here he climbed up upon his Father’s, viz. upon God’s, marriage-bed, and defiled it with bestial, as also devilish, false and wicked, imaginations. Which lust he introduced into God’s con¬ cubine, viz. into the heavenly sperm or seed of the heavenly world’s substance. Upon which God’s spirit, viz. the holy Word in this heavenly substance, departed from him. That is, the self-will of man rent itself off from the will of the Word; and now it was unstable in the devil’s poison, and lost the kingdom and the priesthood, viz. the princely throne, and was thereupon weak and blind as to God, and fell down into sleep, and lay, between God and the kingdom of this world, in impotency and weakness. 15. Now thus saith Moses, And God suffered or caused him to fall HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END into a deep sleep, and framed a wife1 out of him (Gen. ii. 21, 22), and brought her to him, and gave him a bestial marriage-bed for a heavenly: where he may now copulate in self lust, which, in the presence of heaven, is but a defiled marriage-bed, but is born withal under God’s mercy in divine patience, seeing that the vessel of this marriage-bed must consume, rot and die. And Christ hath given in himself in this marriage-bed into the middle, as a Mediator and Redeemer from this monstrous image, which he will regenerate anew in himself.

16. This powerful type or image the spirit of God also represents by Reuben, who was Jacob’s first virtue and power, wherein the desire of Reuben also modelled itself in the Adamical image, and went back and lay with his father’s concubine, and in falsehood and wicked¬ ness copulated with her: as the free will of the soul in Adam copulated with God’s concubine in him, by false and wicked lust, and became a breaker of wedlock to God, as Reuben did. 17. And for the sake of this hath Adam, viz. the first power of the natural man, in all men, lost the kingly priesthood, so that the natural man in his own power and virtue can no more offer sacrifice to God; also he understandeth nothing more of God’s word or kingdom, It is foolishness unto him (1 Cor. ii. 14), and he cannot apprehend it any more: For he standeth in a poisonous monstrous image, which in this Adamical property cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and hath lost the kingdom of God, and is now but a figure or similitude of this world and of hell; a monster [instead] of the image of God, and shall no more be the chief in the sacrifice and kingdom, but Christ in the new birth in him hath attained the kingdom in the sacrifice and government.

18. The natural man, viz. the first power and virtue, must be servant, and lay off the monstrous whorish image, and be new born again: the soul, through the spirit of Christ, and the body, through the putrefaction of the earth, from which, at the end of the day,2 he shall be severed and be formed again into the image of God. 19. The brethren , Simeon and Levi, their swords are murdering weapons. My soul, come not into their counsel, and my honour, be not thou in their churches, 1 Or, woman. 2 Last Judgment Day. assemblies or congregations ; for in their anger they have slain a man, and in their stubborn self-willedness, they have destroyed oxen. Cursed be their anger, because it was so vehement and fierce- and their wrath, because it was so raging: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them abroad in Israel (Gen. xlix. 5-7). 20. In this testament the spirit very wonderfully taketh the two brethren together, and represents their figure accordingly, which ought well to be observed; as also the spirit of Moses, in the thirtyfourth chapter, taketh them together; where he saith, Simeon and Levi took their swords, and went boisterously into the city, and slew Shechem, together with Hamor his father, and all the males that were in the whole city, and took the women and children captive, and spoiled all (Gen. xxxiv. 25-29) ; which might indeed be the action and robbery of two stout young men. But the spirit hath in that place, as also in this, its figure, according as Jacob saith, He would tell them how it would go with them in after times.

21. In Reuben the spirit representeth before the Adamical corrupt nature, that the first virtue and power of man squandered away God’s priesthood and kingdom, viz. the kingdom of heaven, and defiled God’s marriage-bed, and made a bed of whoredom thereof. But now in this figure the spirit of God representeth a powerful figure, signifying how the first power of man would nevertheless desire to keep its priesthood and dominion, and what kind of priests and rulers would be in this world, in the kingdom of self nature. 22. For out of the stock of Levi came the priesthood under the Law; and of this the spirit here speaketh, and joineth Simeon to him, viz. the worldly dominion, and saith of them both, as of one, Tour swords are murdering weapons. My soul, come thou not into their counsel; and my honour, be not thou in their Churches. That is, God’s living Word, which he calleth his soul, shall not be in the dominion of this earthly world, viz. in man’s first natural self-power, his holy Word shall not be in their counsels and determinations, wherein they seek only temporal voluptuousness and riches. Neither shall it be in their Churches and priesthood, because they do but flatter with the mouth; for he saith, My honour, be not thou in their Churches.

23. But his Church is the true image of God from the heavenly world’s substance, which, in their murder, by the introduced poison of the Serpent, faded in Adam, and is born again in Christ. But seeing they would only play the hypocrite before God in the monster of the Serpent, and had not the Church of God in them, therefore saith the spirit, My honour, be not thou therein. HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END 24. For God’s honour, together with Christ Jesus, shall not come from the natural Adam, but from God and his holy Word. These should be the holy Church of God in man, viz. the image of the heavenly world’s substance, which died in Adam, and budded forth again in Christ; in this should God’s honour appear; as when life buddeth forth through death: this was God’s honour. But the Adamical self-will, which was a murderer, and murdered the heavenly image in him, shall not have this honour: this honour shall not appear in his murderous will. 25. In this image the figure standeth clearly, which is portrayed in the Apocalypse (Rev. xvii.) of the great seven-headed dragon, upon which the Babylonish whore rideth, where the dragon and whore are prefigured as one image: and it is even the same with this of Simeon and Levi, and it signifieth, in the Adamical corrupt power in the monstrous image, the government of nature in self-will, together with the sectarian hypocritical priesthood.

26. The seven heads of the beast are the seven properties of nature, which are departed from the temperature, and have attained seven heads, viz. a sevenfold will, whence the life is come to be in strife, misery, sickness and corruption; and the whore upon this beast is the soul, which is defiled as a whore, and entereth before God with this whore’s image, and playeth the hypocrite in his presence. 27. But the will of the seven-headed beast giveth its power and strength to the whore, viz. to the soul, so that the soul sticketh full of murder, pride, whorish lust, and self-honour; and in this Church and den of murder God’s honour will not be. 28. This figure and magic exposition concerning Simeon and Levi prefigureth to us the spiritual, and the worldly, dominion. First, in every man, whereby he governeth himself both in spiritual and in natural things; and secondly, the management and authority of spiritual and of worldly offices, both in the Church and in worldly matters; whatsoever ruleth therein in Adamical self-power, without the new regeneration, that beareth this image in it, viz. the murdering sword, where men condemn and slay one another with words.

29. All scurrilous, slanderous, libellous books, wherein men reproach and kill one another with words for the sake of the divine gift and knowledge, are the murderous swords of Simeon and Levi. Also all unrighteous sentences of worldly judgment are the same, and God’s honour and will is not therein. 30. The spirit taketh them both together in one figure, because both these offices govern the Adamical nature. They govern the world, viz. the formed outspoken word of God, [and] to them is given the power and authority of the kingdom of nature: but they shall give an account of this government. For the judgment of God is set in this figure, and the Apocalypse (Rev. xix. 20) casteth the falsehood and wickedness of this image down into the fiery lake that burneth with brimstone, and sealeth up the beast and the whore in eternity, and giveth the kingdom, the power and authority, together with the priesthood, to Christ, and [to] his children born of him. 31. The spirit of Moses saith, In their anger they have slain a man, and in their self will they have destroyed oxen (Gen. xlix. 6). The man signifieth the inward spiritual man, viz. the true image of God, which Adam murdered, in all his children, through his anger, viz. through the first Principle (the kingdom of God’s anger, which Adam awakened with his desire and lust); and it signifieth further, Christ that should come, whom the Levites, with the Simeonites, viz. worldly dominion, viz. the Pharisees and heathenish government, would kill. For Jacob said he would make known to them what would befall them in the future times.

32. Therefore this figure looketh at the future man, Christ, whom the Levites would slay in their envy and anger, as is also come to pass : and for that cause shall his honour be no more in their Churches. For after such slaying of Christ their Church was taken from them, and the temple destroyed, and their sacrifices ceased, in which formerly the figure of Christ, viz. God’s honour, stood. 33. But the oxen, which they have caused to perish in their selfwill, signifieth the outward man from the limus of the earth, which they have caused to perish with the desire of vanity, so that it is become so grossly bestial and miserable that it is turned from a heavenly Paradisical image into a corruptible one, which is done out of self-will. 34. Further, it pointeth at the future self-will of the Levites, with their worldly dominion, signifying how they would slay and kill with their murdering swords: whereas they can destroy no more of God’s children but the oxen, viz. the bestial man. Which murdering swords have ever been among this generation, both with the Jews and [with the] Christians : which the children of God ought well to observe, that the spirit of God in the Covenant saith, his soul shall not be in their murderous counsel, nor his honour in their Churches ; for the sake of which

HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END they murder and destroy many that will not believe their sects and self-willed conclusions and determinations. 3 5 . Especially at this present time, when men strive only about the Churches and Church matters, and murder one another for such things, and destroy land and people in their self-will; men living only in self-will, and do not intend to seek God’s honour thereby, but only their own honour, might, authority and power, and thereby fatten the ox, viz. the belly-god. The honour of God and his word is not among all these ; but as Jacob saith, Cursed be their anger, for it is vehement and fierce, and their wrath, for it is raging-, for they do all out of self-will and anger; and therein the anger of God driveth them on: and there¬ fore they run on into the curse, in the murderous swords. 36. And it saith further, I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel-, which is indeed befallen them, so that they are divided and scattered among all people, and have now no city, country or princi¬ pality more. Also the spirit intimateth the dividing of the earthly life, wherein this anger and self-will must be quite divided from it, and the body be scattered like ashes. For the curse breaketh in pieces and scattereth both its dominion and priesthood, together with its body and outward senses and life; for in the presence of God it is all only a curse and vanity.

37. For the spirit of Jacob saith, I will divide them in Jacob, that is, through the Covenant of Jacob, viz. through Christ; and will scatter them in Israel, that is, through the new sprout out of the Covenant the Adamical tree shall be destroyed and divided, and its works, together with its body and thoughts, be scattered, and the works of the devil be brought to nothing. Also this their priesthood and dominion shall be yet so destroyed, divided and scattered as the chaff is by the wind, when the kingdom of Christ and his priesthood shall spring up, where Christ alone shall reign: and then all this will have an end, which seems strange to Babel. 38. Judah, thou art he, thy brethren will praise thee: Thy hand will be upon the neck of thy enemies - thy father’s children will bow down before thee. Judah is a young lion: thou art come aloft, my son, through great victory: He hath stooped down and couched, as a lion, and as a lioness: IVho will set upon him to rouse him up? The sceptre will not be removed from Judah, nor a master from his feet, till the Saviour come ■ and to him will the people cleave. He will bind his foal to the vine, and his she-ass’s colt to the precious branch: He will wash his garment in wine, and his mantle in the blood of grapes: His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Gen. xlix. 8-12).

39. By the first three sons ofjacob, the spirit intimates concerning the corrupted lost Adam and his children, signifying how they were in the sight of God, and what their kingdom upon earth would be. But here, with Judah, he beginneth to intimate concerning the kingdom of Christ, viz. concerning Christ’s person and office, and setteth Christ in the fourth line, which is a great mystery; for in the fourth property of the generating of nature is understood the fire, viz. the original of the fire, out of which the light taketh its original, whereby the abyss becometh majestic: wherein then also the original of life is under¬ stood, before the soul is therein understood according to its property. 40. Seeing then this soul’s ground in Adam was fallen and perished, therefore hath God also set his figure of the new life therein, and in this testament of the twelve patriarchs the figure standeth, signifying how the beginning of life is, and how the new birth springeth forth in the light again, through the perished fire-life in the light. Also in the Testament of Judah all circumstances are declared, shewing how the new life in Christ would spring forth through the soul, and rule over the sting of death.

41. Jacob saith, Thou art he: thy brethren will praise thee. In this he looketh outwardly upon the earthly kingdom, which should arise in the future time : and inwardly he looketh upon the kingdom of Christ, which both Jews and heathen would embrace, and praise and honour Christ as God and Man. 42. And he saith further, For thy hand will be upon the neck of thy enemies. By this he understandeth and meaneth, not only the Jews’ outward enemies; but that the hand, viz. the power of Christ’s grace, would essentially, actually and effectually be upon the neck of Satan, and the Serpent’s poison and will, in flesh and blood, and evermore trample upon that Serpent’s head in his children of faith. 43. Also, Thy father’s children will bow before thee. That is, before this Christ of the stock or tribe of Judah will all the children of God stoop, bow, and pray to, as a God-Man and Man-God. 44. Also, Judah is a young lion. That is, one roaring against the devil, and a destroyer of death and hell, as a fresh, young nimble lion, mighty in strength and power. 45. Also, Thou art come aloft, my son, exalted, by a great victory. That

HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END is, after he had the victory over God’s anger, over death, sin, the devil and hell, he was placed at the right hand of God’s power, as a ManGod, and ruleth over all his enemies. 46. Also, He stooped and couched down, as a lion, and as a lioness, Who will set upon him to rouse him up? That is, he hath so deeply humbled himself with his highest love, and rendered himself in our assumed humanity into the scorn and contempt of the fallen man, and stooped into God’s anger, and suffered the natural life to break in pieces, and very patiently given his strong lion’s might thereinto. 47. But that the text saith, as a lion and as a lioness , it signifieth the young lion of the divine Word in the soul, and the lioness signifieth the name Jesus, in the most inward ground of the heavenly world’s substance, viz. the noble lioness of Sophia, that is, the right seed of the woman from the Adamical light’s tincture, which faded in Adam, and in this lion was made living again in divine power, and associated itself again to the lion, viz. to the soul.

48. Also, Who will set upon him to rouse him up? That is, who can set himself against this lion and heavenly holy lioness to rouse them up, which are God over all and through all? Who will take away his power, Who is the beginning of all power, strength and might? Where is the champion that can strive when there is no higher power to be had? 49. Also, The sceptre shall not be removed from Judah, nor a master from under his feet, till the Champion or Saviour come ; and to him will the people cleave. The understanding or meaning of this is twofold, viz. outwardly concerning the kingdom of Judah, that the Jewish sceptre of its king¬ dom should continue, and they be a kingdom, till this Champion or Saviour, viz. the lion with the lioness, viz. Christ, that is, this Covenant, should become man; which is so come to pass that they held their kingdom, though it seemed often as it were quite over¬ thrown, till Christ. And then it quite ceased, and there was another Master or Governor that ruled it, for since that time they must be servile people; for the Champion or Saviour hath taken to himself their kingdom, and is therewith entered in among the heathen, and hath called them also to himself.

50. But the inward ground is this : that the kingdom of Christ, and his dominion over sin, death, the devil and hell, will not cease, nor any other ruler or master come from between his feet, that is, from the Covenant of God, till this Saviour, Christ, should come again to judg¬ ment, and sever his enemies: then shall he deliver up the kingdom again to his Father, and then God shall be All in All. Therefore do the Jews in vain hope for another master or ruler: although indeed he will come to them also in the time of his revelation, manifestation or appearing, which time is near, wherein the kingdom of Christ will be manifested to all people. 51. Also, To him will the people cleave. This is done already according to his humanity, and will much more be done in his last manifestation, that all people will cleave to him and acknowledge him. When Babel taketh its end then will this be first perfectly fulfilled, which depen¬ dence and cleaving to him at present the images, imaginations or fictions of opinions and sects in Babel, do keep back, in that the strange and foreign people and nations stumble, and are scandalised at the contentions and disputations of confounded speeches,1 and with¬ hold from it.

52. But when the tower of Babel falleth on every side, then shall all people cleave to him, honour and serve him, which dependence and cleaving to him supposed Christendom hath hindered by the Anti¬ christ, which hath a long time sat in the seat of Christ as an earthly god. When this ceaseth, then will the kingdom of Christ be wholly manifest, which men at present behold only in images:2 This is understood by those of our society. 53 . Also, He will bind his foal to the vine, and his she-ass’ s colt to the noble branch. O thou poor, sick, old, miserable Adam, if thou didst under¬ stand this rightly, then thou wouldst be delivered from all strife. What is the foal and the she-ass’s colt? The foal is the human soul: for the young lion signifieth the power of the divine Word in the soul; but the foal is the natural soul, which Christ should bind to the vine of the sweet-tasted divine love, viz. the eternal-speaking Word would bind this foal, the creaturely soul’s word of the soul’s essence and substance, to itself, and be married to it; and the she-ass is the inward Paradisical man, viz. the divine man, from the ens of the inward ground, from the heavenly world’s light’s substance, viz. the Virgin Sophia.

54. This she-ass, which must bear the outward burden of the bestial man upon it, should Christ, that is, the Word, bind to the name Jesus , viz. to God’s own self-subsisting substance, viz. to the most noble branch, which beareth the sweet wine of the love of God. 1 Or, words of jarring contention. 2 Or opinions, without certain knowledge. HOW JACOB CALLED ALL HIS SONS BEFORE HIS END 55. And this she-ass is the temple of God, wherein the kingdom of God is again manifested in us; it is Christ in us (Col. i. 27 and iii. 11), which, as a she-ass in man, himself taketh upon him the burden and sin of man, and slayeth it through the young lion. 56. This inward new spiritual holy man is rightly the she-ass’s colt, for it must be manifested through the soul, as light is manifested through fire. Thus a man is to understand that the light is the fire’s colt, and is manifested through the fire from the dying of the candle: thus also it is to be understood in the ground of the soul, which is also a fire-spirit. 57. O thou poor Christendom! if thou didst understand this rightly, and didst press into it, so that thou also, with this she-ass which faded in Adam, stoodest bound to the foal’s noble branch, what need of striving then? Is it not now a simple she-ass which beareth Christ and Adam upon it, viz. Christ in it, which is its noble branch, viz. its sap and power, and Adam upon it as a burden ?

58. O thou Babylonish whore! thou keepest off this she-ass with thy dragon-beast, so that poor Christendom must bear thy evil beast; whereon thou, whore, ridest: but thy time is near, that thou art to go into the abyss of hell-fire, saith the spirit of wonders. 59. Also, He will wash his garment in wine, and his mantle in the blood of the grape. That is, Christ will wash our humanity, viz. the garment of the soul, in the wine of his love, and with the love wash away from the defiled Adamical flesh the earthly dross and spawn of the Serpent, that Adam had received with his desire and lust, from which the earthly man became a beast; and leave the spawn of the Serpent to the earth, and in the end burn it up with the fire of God. 60. And his mantle in the blood of the grape. The mantle is the cover which covereth the washed garment, and is even the precious purple mantle of Christ, viz. the scorn, affliction, torment and suffering; when he thereby washed our sins in his blood, that is, the right blood of the grape, wherein he washed his mantle, which now he casteth over our garment and covereth it, viz. over our humanity, that God’s anger and the devil may not touch it.

61. O man! consider this. This mantle will not be cast over the beast and the whore, to cover them, as Babel teacheth, but over the washed garment that is washed in right true repentance with God’s love: this garment of the soul will be covered with the mantle of Christ, which is once washed in his blood of the grape; and not whores, panders, unclean persons, covetous extortioners, unrighteous, cruel, raging, stern and proud ; so long as they are such they have only the mantle of the Babylonish whore about them, and get not this holy washed mantle of Christ upon them; flatter and play the hypocrite as much as thou wilt, yet thou wilt not get it, except thou art washed beforehand; thy comforting thyself will not avail thee, thou must set upon it in earnest, that thy she-ass may live, and thy foal be essentially bound to the vine, Christ, else thou art a member of the whore sitting upon the seven-headed dragon; and if thou couldst pass through the thrones of heaven, yet thou wouldst be but a child of the dragon. 62. O Babel, Babel, what hast thou done, in covering the beast with this mantle, and thyself remaining under it, a wolf?

63 . Also, His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. His eyes are now the fire-flaming love, which pierce and press through the Father’s anger, and look through the fiery soul, wherein the Father’s anger in the fiery soul becometh a light-flaming love-fire; and so the soul’s essence is thereby become a sweet, pleasant tasted, divine, red love- wine; one property in the soulish essence tasting the other in great desire of love, and the Father’s property of anger flowing forth in a clear, good, pleasant relish. 64. And his teeth are whiter than milk. These white teeth are the desire of the inward spiritual man, where the holy word is together in the desire of these teeth, which white teeth of heavenly desire apprehend, eat and drink, the grape of Christ’s blood; for it is the spiritual mouth, for which Christ hath ordained his testament, that it should with these white teeth, eat his flesh and drink his blood (John vi. 53). This the spirit of the Covenant declareth clearly and plainly by Jacob. 65. For the testament of Judah pointeth throughout at Christ, at his person, office and kingdom. For of Judah Christ should come according to the humanity; outwardly the figure of the type standeth, and inwardly, in the spiritual figure, Christ standeth clearly.

A Further Exposition oi Jacob's Testament, Concerning the other Eight Sons, how both the Jewish Government or Kingdom on Earth, and also Christendom, is typified under it. Shewing how it would go with them1 i. T> Y the first three sons of Jacob is typified in the figure the kingJLJdom of perished or corrupt nature, viz. the Adamical man, what it is; and by Judah, Christ is typified, who should come and bring the Adamical man into his kingdom; but by the other eight sons of Jacob is typified only the figure of worldly offices, states and governments; signifying how the Adamical man would manage the superior dominion, and how also the inward figure of the kingdom of Christ would stand close by it. 2. For here in the outward figure is first typified where each tribe or stock would have their dwelling and habitation, and what their office in Israel would be. But near to it standeth always the figure representing how the outward and the inward man would stand close by one another; and how the kingdom of nature and the kingdom of grace would dwell one by another; also how the seven properties of nature in God’s anger, according to the first Principle, would also put forth or explicate themselves, and introduce themselves into figure, to the divine manifestation: Which the Reader should well observe and consider, for we will explain both the inward and the outward figure.

3. Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea, and at the haven of ships, and reach to Zidon (Gen. xlix. 13). This first is the outward figure, shewing where this tribe or stock will dwell in the promised land: but the spirit also hath its figure to which it pointeth. 4. For Zebulun, in the Language of Nature, in sense, is called a desire or longing that goeth to God, which longing resides with good people; and it signifieth here that the Adamical man would dwell near God, and that he would have delight and refreshment from the divine co-habitation.1 For Jacob begat Zebulun of Leah, who otherwise was not esteemed, because she was tender-sighted and blear-eyed, and not so fair as Rachel was; which Leah, put her hope in God, that he would bless her, that she should be fruitful and bear children to her husband Jacob. 5. Now when she bare Zebulun, she said, God hath pleaded well for me (Gen. xxx. 20); that is, I turned my desire to him, and he hath fulfilled it for me. Now his will dwelleth with mine, and she called him [Zebulun]2 a near dwelling or co-habitation, that is, God dwelleth with me, and now also will my husband dwell with me in love; and it signifieth that the grace of God in his mercy and compassion shall still dwell with the poor Adamical perished or corrupt children of flesh, and not forsake them in their misery.

6. But it hath more respect to the Covenant, that the children of the Covenant in their Adamical nature would be a near co-habitation in hope, and that the outward man would not apprehend the kingdom of Christ, but would be a near co-habitation with it, where Christ should dwell in the inward ground, viz. in the spiritual world, and Adam in this time [of the life],3 and yet be a co-habitation. 7. For as the spirit hath by Judah declared Christ in the flesh, so now here he declareth that our outward man would not be Christ, but be a co-habitation of Christ ; Christ would possess the inward ground ; as he also saith, My kingdom is not of this world. Therefore the outward mortal man should not say of itself, I am Christ; for he is only a co¬ habitation of Christ, as the outward world is only a co-habitation or near neighbourhood to the kingdom of Christ ; for Christ is the inward spiritual world, hidden in the outward visible world; as the day is hidden in the night, and yet they dwell one by, near and with the other. 8. Issachar is a strong-boned ass, and he lodgeth in valleys, between the borders or hills of the country. And he saw rest, that it was good, and the land, that it was pleasant and fruitful ; but he hath bowed his shoulders to bear, and is become a tribute servant (Gen. xlix. 14, 15). In this testament of Issachar

1 Neighbourhood. 2 flbaj 3 Worid or outward life. the spirit pointeth, first, at the outward figure of this tribe or stock, shewing where they should dwell, viz. in the midst of the land, in good ease and rest, but yet be tributary: but the powerful figure looketh upon the inward ground, viz. upon the human nature. 9. For when Leah bare Issachar, she said, God hath rewarded me, in that I gave my maid to my husband: and she called him Issachar (Gen. xxx. 1 8), that is, a divine wages or reward: for she had given Rachel her son’s mandrakes, that she suffered Jacob to sleep with her this night, upon which she conceived this son, therefore she called him a recompense from God. 10. But the spirit saith in this figure he would be a strong-boned ass, and lodge between the borders; which outwardly in its habitation was just so. But in the inward figure, he saith, the man which is obtained from God by prayer is indeed a gift and wages, but his Adamical nature is only a strong-boned ass for the burden, who beareth the Adamical sack. But he dwelleth with his mind between the borders; viz. between God and the kingdom of this world: his mind presseth into the borders of God, and the body dwelleth in the world.