39. For this whore is ashamed before this new child: she resembles a dirty swine compared :with the sun. When she hears mention made of the wantonness of the world, she rejoices at it; but when men speak of such chastity and purity she is ashamed of it, and then bespatters or sullies the speech of the holy child with the abovesaid abominations, and despises it: for she knows that if Joseph holds the government she must die.
40. But honest, virtuous and chaste Joseph, viz. the inward new man, says to this whore, Behold, my Lord and Master has trusted me with all his eternal goods, and the whole kingdom of Christ, how shall I then do so evilly before him? I will not lie with you, you are your Lord's wife, viz. the wife of the spirit of this world, I will not lie with you, nor be near you.
41. And Moses says further, It came to pass on a day, that loseph went into the house to do his employment; and there was none of the people in the house. And she caught him by his garment, and said, Lie with me: but he left the garment in her hand, and fled, and ran forth out of the house. But when she perceived that he left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, she called the people of the house, and said, Behold, he has brought in an Hebrew man to us to defame us; he came in unto me and would have lain with me, but I cried with a loud voice: and when he heard that I cried out, and called, he left his garment with me, and fled, and ran forth (Gen. xxxix. 11-15). This now is the figure, showing how the devil, through this whorish woman, strongly sets upon the soul, especially when the devil observes that the soul is alone, that the spirit of God stirs not in it. Then he falls a- storming of it, and lays hold of it in its life's essence, and will force it in such whoredom, that the precious virgin child might be defiled, and that she might with the Serpent's power copulate with the soul.
42. This also is a powerful figure of the whorish and unchaste world, showing how the fair daughters of Eve, in the instigation of the devil, run after the tender youths and allure them with flattering hypocritical behaviour, with wicked burning lust, which trim and adorn themselves, as if an angel sat under their dress; and have drawn to themselves many an honest virtuous child, that never desired it, and bound them with the devil's chains, and have bereaved them of their honour and chastity.
43. And if there were an honest and chaste Joseph, who would not go into these hogstys and jakes of the devil, they cry out against such a one, and accuse him of unchastity, as willing to betray him and rob him of his honour, and yet are even the lustful panders, which strow sugar, and give gall to eat; which strange people strow sugar so long as he has money in his purse, till they bereave him of his livelihood, honour and goods, that he have no more to give them; and then they scorn him and leave him without a garment, as Potiphar's wife did Joseph, as he was going out of the house; so the devil has the soul, and the whore the garment for a pledge; in which whore nothing else governs but the Serpent with its brood of young ones, and he that joins himself unto them is poisoned by the Serpent. For the Serpent sheds its spawn into body and soul, and poisons him so exceedingly that his heart cleaves to the whore, and runs after her, as if he were fast tied to her.
39. For this whore is ashamed before this new child: she resembles a dirty swine compared :with the sun. When she hears mention made of the wantonness of the world, she rejoices at it; but when men speak of such chastity and purity she is ashamed of it, and then bespatters or sullies the speech of the holy child with the abovesaid abominations, and despises it: for she knows that if Joseph holds the government she must die.
40. But honest, virtuous and chaste Joseph, viz. the inward new man, says to this whore, Behold, my Lord and Master has trusted me with all his eternal goods, and the whole kingdom of Christ, how shall I then do so evilly before him? I will not lie with you, you are your Lord's wife, viz. the wife of the spirit of this world, I will not lie with you, nor be near you.
41. And Moses says further, It came to pass on a day, that loseph went into the house to do his employment; and there was none of the people in the house. And she caught him by his garment, and said, Lie with me: but he left the garment in her hand, and fled, and ran forth out of the house. But when she perceived that he left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, she called the people of the house, and said, Behold, he has brought in an Hebrew man to us to defame us; he came in unto me and would have lain with me, but I cried with a loud voice: and when he heard that I cried out, and called, he left his garment with me, and fled, and ran forth (Gen. xxxix. 11-15). This now is the figure, showing how the devil, through this whorish woman, strongly sets upon the soul, especially when the devil observes that the soul is alone, that the spirit of God stirs not in it. Then he falls a- storming of it, and lays hold of it in its life's essence, and will force it in such whoredom, that the precious virgin child might be defiled, and that she might with the Serpent's power copulate with the soul.
42. This also is a powerful figure of the whorish and unchaste world, showing how the fair daughters of Eve, in the instigation of the devil, run after the tender youths and allure them with flattering hypocritical behaviour, with wicked burning lust, which trim and adorn themselves, as if an angel sat under their dress; and have drawn to themselves many an honest virtuous child, that never desired it, and bound them with the devil's chains, and have bereaved them of their honour and chastity.
43. And if there were an honest and chaste Joseph, who would not go into these hogstys and jakes of the devil, they cry out against such a one, and accuse him of unchastity, as willing to betray him and rob him of his honour, and yet are even the lustful panders, which strow sugar, and give gall to eat; which strange people strow sugar so long as he has money in his purse, till they bereave him of his livelihood, honour and goods, that he have no more to give them; and then they scorn him and leave him without a garment, as Potiphar's wife did Joseph, as he was going out of the house; so the devil has the soul, and the whore the garment for a pledge; in which whore nothing else governs but the Serpent with its brood of young ones, and he that joins himself unto them is poisoned by the Serpent. For the Serpent sheds its spawn into body and soul, and poisons him so exceedingly that his heart cleaves to the whore, and runs after her, as if he were fast tied to her.
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