29. For Potiphar took upon him no disposal of anything, but let Joseph manage the government: Thus also are all officers instituted in the kingdom of this world, that they should outwardly manage God's government; as Christ gives a similitude or parable of stewards whom a lord appointed over all his goods, and went into a far country, and after a long time returned again to require an account of his stewards, where he distributed to the officers, and gave one of them five talents, and the other four talents, to the third three talents, to the fourth two, to the fifth one talent, wherewith everyone should trade and get gain. And then when he that had but one talent had gained nothing, he commanded him to be bound hand and foot, and to be cast out into darkness; and commanded also to destroy those murderers, and to burn their cities, who after their lord was gone away, and had committed his goods to them, and they presently in his house began to fight, and beat their fellow-servants, and to be drunken, and play, and kill his messengers which he sent to them (Matt. xxv. 14-31; Luke xix. 12-28). All which are similitudes and parables concerning his officers in the house of this world, showing how he will punish the evil householders with hell fire, and burn their cities, viz. their kingdom which they have built in their own voluptuousness to their own glory and honour, and shut them out from his face for ever. But the others, who were faithful in his ministry and service, he gave full power over his house, and gave them also the government (Luke xix. 17) and talent of him that had buried it in the earth (Luke xix. 24), and would not execute his office that was appointed him.
30. Thus all potentates and magistrates in offices ought well to consider this, that they ought to work in God's office, and have a care of his house, and not think only to look after nobility and high estate, and think how to fill their belly, and satisfy their pleasures with gourmandising and guzzling, gluttony and drunkenness, and to wrest the sweat of the miserable with unrighteousness, and lay it out upon their pride and bravery, and constrain and press upon the miserable and inferior with power. All these, one with another, are the evil and wicked officers, and the murderers, which the Lord commands to be destroyed, and their cities to be burned with the fire of God's anger.
31. But at present the world is full of such officers, to whom the Lord clearly for a long time sent many messengers, but they have vilified and contemned them. Therefore now is the time of the Lord's coming; for they have even now also killed his son (Matt. xxi. 39), viz. the plain truth of his word, and turned it into mere selflust [and wantonness]; therefore these householders must give an account of their offices (Luke xvi. 2).
32. Moses speaks further concerning Joseph, and says, And it came to pass after this was done, that his Master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said to her, Behold, my master takes no notice what is with me in the house; and whatsoever he has, he has committed it under my hand and charge; and there is nothing so great in the house which he has withholden from me, but you, because you are his wife: how should I then do so great an evil, and sin against God. And she pressed such words upon Joseph daily, but he obeyed her not, to lie with her, or to be near about her (Gen. xxxix. 7-10). This is now the mighty type,l showing how it goes with the children of God, when they have attained the divine government in the new regeneration, in that they must now converse in this house of flesh and Adamical prison with their holy blessed governments. Also how the soul has taken in marriage this unchaste whorish woman in the spirit of this world in the bestial desire in flesh and blood; which whorish woman now sets upon the chaste Joseph, and continually would urge and draw him to her amorous lust, that the new virgin child might lie with the bestial whore again, as Adam did, from which lustful bed the earthly Eve proceeded, with whom afterwards he copulated in his lust, as all beasts do.
29. For Potiphar took upon him no disposal of anything, but let Joseph manage the government: Thus also are all officers instituted in the kingdom of this world, that they should outwardly manage God's government; as Christ gives a similitude or parable of stewards whom a lord appointed over all his goods, and went into a far country, and after a long time returned again to require an account of his stewards, where he distributed to the officers, and gave one of them five talents, and the other four talents, to the third three talents, to the fourth two, to the fifth one talent, wherewith everyone should trade and get gain. And then when he that had but one talent had gained nothing, he commanded him to be bound hand and foot, and to be cast out into darkness; and commanded also to destroy those murderers, and to burn their cities, who after their lord was gone away, and had committed his goods to them, and they presently in his house began to fight, and beat their fellow-servants, and to be drunken, and play, and kill his messengers which he sent to them (Matt. xxv. 14-31; Luke xix. 12-28). All which are similitudes and parables concerning his officers in the house of this world, showing how he will punish the evil householders with hell fire, and burn their cities, viz. their kingdom which they have built in their own voluptuousness to their own glory and honour, and shut them out from his face for ever. But the others, who were faithful in his ministry and service, he gave full power over his house, and gave them also the government (Luke xix. 17) and talent of him that had buried it in the earth (Luke xix. 24), and would not execute his office that was appointed him.
30. Thus all potentates and magistrates in offices ought well to consider this, that they ought to work in God's office, and have a care of his house, and not think only to look after nobility and high estate, and think how to fill their belly, and satisfy their pleasures with gourmandising and guzzling, gluttony and drunkenness, and to wrest the sweat of the miserable with unrighteousness, and lay it out upon their pride and bravery, and constrain and press upon the miserable and inferior with power. All these, one with another, are the evil and wicked officers, and the murderers, which the Lord commands to be destroyed, and their cities to be burned with the fire of God's anger.
31. But at present the world is full of such officers, to whom the Lord clearly for a long time sent many messengers, but they have vilified and contemned them. Therefore now is the time of the Lord's coming; for they have even now also killed his son (Matt. xxi. 39), viz. the plain truth of his word, and turned it into mere selflust [and wantonness]; therefore these householders must give an account of their offices (Luke xvi. 2).
32. Moses speaks further concerning Joseph, and says, And it came to pass after this was done, that his Master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said to her, Behold, my master takes no notice what is with me in the house; and whatsoever he has, he has committed it under my hand and charge; and there is nothing so great in the house which he has withholden from me, but you, because you are his wife: how should I then do so great an evil, and sin against God. And she pressed such words upon Joseph daily, but he obeyed her not, to lie with her, or to be near about her (Gen. xxxix. 7-10). This is now the mighty type,l showing how it goes with the children of God, when they have attained the divine government in the new regeneration, in that they must now converse in this house of flesh and Adamical prison with their holy blessed governments. Also how the soul has taken in marriage this unchaste whorish woman in the spirit of this world in the bestial desire in flesh and blood; which whorish woman now sets upon the chaste Joseph, and continually would urge and draw him to her amorous lust, that the new virgin child might lie with the bestial whore again, as Adam did, from which lustful bed the earthly Eve proceeded, with whom afterwards he copulated in his lust, as all beasts do.
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