70. Now as God, in so much as he is God, can will nothing but that which is good; or else he were not God, if he himself would any thing that were evil: so also there can be nothing in such a man's will but blessing only, and the will of God. As was said of Joseph, God was with him in all his doings, and blessed all things through his hand. Thus to the honest and virtuous, a light arises in the darkness
(Ps. cxii. 4), and the night is turned into day to him; and adversity is turned into prosperity, and the curse, wickedness and malice of the world is turned into Paradise. And it is with him as St Paul says, All things must serve to the best to them that love God (Rom. viii. 28).
71. For Joseph's prison brought him before king Pharaoh, and set him upon the throne over that land and people; and made him lord over his father and brethren, and to be a guardian 1 and officer of the king, and to be God's regent and governor, through whom God ruled great countries and kingdoms: as the like may be seen also in Daniel.
72. Therefore a Christian should learn to bear the temptation,2 when God casts him into Joseph's pit and prison, and rely upon God in all his doings, and entirely resign himself into God; and then God would be more potent in him than the world and hell is; for all those would at length, after he has stood out all the trials, be put to scorn in him.
1 Steward. 2 Affliction.
The Sixty- Seventh Chapter
How Joseph in Prison Expounded King Pharaoh's Chief Butler's and Baker's Dream to each of them; and what is to be understood thereby [Genesis xl.]
1. IN this chapter the spirit represents a figure, showing how the spirit of God sees through man's spirit, and brings man's spirit into his seeing or vision, so that it can understand hidden secret things. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to see and understand the figure, how the spiritus mundi [the spirit of the world] in the constellation of man frames itself into a figure with those things which, in the human life, are clearly in working, or indeed are framed in a figure in the constellation by a great conjunction, the working not being yet begun, and yet is modellised naturally, where the spirit of man by divine power knows in the prefiguration what working and effect it has. Also it may be understood by the diligent consideration of astronomy 2 according 3 to astrology (wherein the natural effect and working is prefigured), what naturally is wrought and represented by this power.
2. But [the interpretation of these dreams was given] while Joseph was a child, and did not outwardly busy himself in this art; therefore it is to be understood that the spirit of God, with his seeing or vision, brought him into the image or idea of the dream, and that the spirit of God explained the dream through the spirit of Joseph; as was done also by Daniel. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to understand a magic image or representation of the astrum, aspect or constellation in the human property.
3. For every man bears the image of his constellation, viz. a magic asterism,4 in himself and when the time comes that such magic image of the superior constellation is kindled, then it enters upon its working; and then the astral spirit beholds itself in the elements, and sees what figure it has.
2 By an astronomical figure of the outward heavens, in a scheme, thus, and a judgement of the effects by astrology: predicting, before the stars be in that posture in the heavens, or before the effect be wrought by the stars.
3 Or, in.
4 As Orion, the Pleiades, Amos v. 8. Mazzaroth, the 12 signs. Or, Arcturus, Job xxxviii. 31, 32. Ursa Minor or Ursa Major, or any other constellation that consists of many stars together. Or a figure of the whole heavens erected upon a point of time.
4. But the elements are void of understanding,! and afford only a bestial body 2 in their figure, therefore the astral spirit can discern
70. Now as God, in so much as he is God, can will nothing but that which is good; or else he were not God, if he himself would any thing that were evil: so also there can be nothing in such a man's will but blessing only, and the will of God. As was said of Joseph, God was with him in all his doings, and blessed all things through his hand. Thus to the honest and virtuous, a light arises in the darkness
(Ps. cxii. 4), and the night is turned into day to him; and adversity is turned into prosperity, and the curse, wickedness and malice of the world is turned into Paradise. And it is with him as St Paul says, All things must serve to the best to them that love God (Rom. viii. 28).
71. For Joseph's prison brought him before king Pharaoh, and set him upon the throne over that land and people; and made him lord over his father and brethren, and to be a guardian 1 and officer of the king, and to be God's regent and governor, through whom God ruled great countries and kingdoms: as the like may be seen also in Daniel.
72. Therefore a Christian should learn to bear the temptation,2 when God casts him into Joseph's pit and prison, and rely upon God in all his doings, and entirely resign himself into God; and then God would be more potent in him than the world and hell is; for all those would at length, after he has stood out all the trials, be put to scorn in him.
1 Steward. 2 Affliction.
The Sixty- Seventh Chapter
How Joseph in Prison Expounded King Pharaoh's Chief Butler's and Baker's Dream to each of them; and what is to be understood thereby [Genesis xl.]
1. IN this chapter the spirit represents a figure, showing how the spirit of God sees through man's spirit, and brings man's spirit into his seeing or vision, so that it can understand hidden secret things. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to see and understand the figure, how the spiritus mundi [the spirit of the world] in the constellation of man frames itself into a figure with those things which, in the human life, are clearly in working, or indeed are framed in a figure in the constellation by a great conjunction, the working not being yet begun, and yet is modellised naturally, where the spirit of man by divine power knows in the prefiguration what working and effect it has. Also it may be understood by the diligent consideration of astronomy 2 according 3 to astrology (wherein the natural effect and working is prefigured), what naturally is wrought and represented by this power.
2. But [the interpretation of these dreams was given] while Joseph was a child, and did not outwardly busy himself in this art; therefore it is to be understood that the spirit of God, with his seeing or vision, brought him into the image or idea of the dream, and that the spirit of God explained the dream through the spirit of Joseph; as was done also by Daniel. For, to expound dreams is nothing else but to understand a magic image or representation of the astrum, aspect or constellation in the human property.
3. For every man bears the image of his constellation, viz. a magic asterism,4 in himself and when the time comes that such magic image of the superior constellation is kindled, then it enters upon its working; and then the astral spirit beholds itself in the elements, and sees what figure it has.
2 By an astronomical figure of the outward heavens, in a scheme, thus, and a judgement of the effects by astrology: predicting, before the stars be in that posture in the heavens, or before the effect be wrought by the stars.
3 Or, in.
4 As Orion, the Pleiades, Amos v. 8. Mazzaroth, the 12 signs. Or, Arcturus, Job xxxviii. 31, 32. Ursa Minor or Ursa Major, or any other constellation that consists of many stars together. Or a figure of the whole heavens erected upon a point of time.
4. But the elements are void of understanding,! and afford only a bestial body 2 in their figure, therefore the astral spirit can discern
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