16. But if a man will expect the favour and counsel of man, he must set his hope upon God, and look whether God will give him comfort by human means, and release him from misery; and [he must] not set his hope upon the favour of man, but look upon God, to see what he will work by means. And though it seem as if God had forgotten, as here with Joseph, who must remain two years in prison, then he must consider with himself that God will have him here; but if he will through means have him in another place, then he will afford means for it, and send it in due time, as is to be seen here.
17. The mishap of the king's officers, in that they were put into prison to Joseph, was a means whereby God would bring Joseph before the king. But it was not done suddenly: because Joseph hoped the king's butler would speak a good word for him to the king, and tell his innocency. But the butler forgot him, and left Joseph lying in the dungeon: that Joseph might wholly despair of human means, and flee to God; and when he does that, and despairs of all human means, and barely relies on God, then must even that means, in which Joseph had hoped and yet also had long despaired of any help from it, break forth again and stand him in stead.
18. By this a child of God should learn, that all which he prays to God for, that it should stand him in stead by man, that he should not set his hope upon man, but upon God; then at length everything is done which he has prayed to God for, that should stand him in stead by human means: when the mind despairs of human means, and dives down into God again, then God's help breaks forth through human means. Thus the mind is instructed to learn to trust in God.
The Sixty-Eighth Chapter
Of the Dreams of King Pharaoh: How Joseph is fetched out of Prison, and presented before the King, and comes to Great Honour [Gen. xli.]
1. MOSES says, After two years Pharaoh had a dream, that he stood by the water, and saw seven fair fat kine arise out of the water, and went to feed in the meadow. After this he saw other seven kine arise out of the water, which were ill-favoured, lean and meagre, and drew near the kine that were by the water side; and the lean, meagre and illfavoured devoured the seven fair fat kine. Then Pharaoh awoke. And he slept again, and dreamed once more, and saw seven ears grow out of one stalk, full and thick. But afterwards he saw seven thin blasted ears spring up, and the seven thin and black ears devoured the seven full and thick ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and observed that it was a dream. And when it was morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent forth to call all the magicians 2 of Egypt, and all the wise men, and related to them his dream: but there was none that could interpret them to Pharaoh (Gen. xli. 1-8).
2. These dreams of Pharaoh were represented to him from God, therefore no magus and naturalist 3 could interpret them. For the natural magus has power only in nature, only in that which nature frames in its working; he cannot apprehend that, nor advise in that, which the word of God models and frames. But a prophet has power to interpet that; for he is a divine magus; as here Joseph.
3. With the Egyptians the magic are and skill was common. But when it was misused to witchcraft, it was extirpated; although it remained among the heathen till the kingdom of Christ, till the divine magia sprang up. Then the natural magia was suppressed among the Christians, which in the beginning was well that it was suppressed, for the heathenish faith 4 was thereby allayed and quenched; and the magic images of nature, which they honoured for gods, were rooted out of men's hearts.
2 Truth- sellers, soothsayers. 3 Skilful in nature.
4 Or, religion.
4. But when the Christian faith was common, then came other magi up, viz. the sects in Christendom, which they set up for gods, instead of the images of heathen idols, and drove on greater delusions than the heathen with their magic idols.
5. For the heathen looked upon the ground of the possibility and working of nature. But these set themselves above the ground of nature, merely in a historical faith, and say that men ought to believe that which they contrive.
16. But if a man will expect the favour and counsel of man, he must set his hope upon God, and look whether God will give him comfort by human means, and release him from misery; and [he must] not set his hope upon the favour of man, but look upon God, to see what he will work by means. And though it seem as if God had forgotten, as here with Joseph, who must remain two years in prison, then he must consider with himself that God will have him here; but if he will through means have him in another place, then he will afford means for it, and send it in due time, as is to be seen here.
17. The mishap of the king's officers, in that they were put into prison to Joseph, was a means whereby God would bring Joseph before the king. But it was not done suddenly: because Joseph hoped the king's butler would speak a good word for him to the king, and tell his innocency. But the butler forgot him, and left Joseph lying in the dungeon: that Joseph might wholly despair of human means, and flee to God; and when he does that, and despairs of all human means, and barely relies on God, then must even that means, in which Joseph had hoped and yet also had long despaired of any help from it, break forth again and stand him in stead.
18. By this a child of God should learn, that all which he prays to God for, that it should stand him in stead by man, that he should not set his hope upon man, but upon God; then at length everything is done which he has prayed to God for, that should stand him in stead by human means: when the mind despairs of human means, and dives down into God again, then God's help breaks forth through human means. Thus the mind is instructed to learn to trust in God.
The Sixty-Eighth Chapter
Of the Dreams of King Pharaoh: How Joseph is fetched out of Prison, and presented before the King, and comes to Great Honour [Gen. xli.]
1. MOSES says, After two years Pharaoh had a dream, that he stood by the water, and saw seven fair fat kine arise out of the water, and went to feed in the meadow. After this he saw other seven kine arise out of the water, which were ill-favoured, lean and meagre, and drew near the kine that were by the water side; and the lean, meagre and illfavoured devoured the seven fair fat kine. Then Pharaoh awoke. And he slept again, and dreamed once more, and saw seven ears grow out of one stalk, full and thick. But afterwards he saw seven thin blasted ears spring up, and the seven thin and black ears devoured the seven full and thick ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and observed that it was a dream. And when it was morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent forth to call all the magicians 2 of Egypt, and all the wise men, and related to them his dream: but there was none that could interpret them to Pharaoh (Gen. xli. 1-8).
2. These dreams of Pharaoh were represented to him from God, therefore no magus and naturalist 3 could interpret them. For the natural magus has power only in nature, only in that which nature frames in its working; he cannot apprehend that, nor advise in that, which the word of God models and frames. But a prophet has power to interpet that; for he is a divine magus; as here Joseph.
3. With the Egyptians the magic are and skill was common. But when it was misused to witchcraft, it was extirpated; although it remained among the heathen till the kingdom of Christ, till the divine magia sprang up. Then the natural magia was suppressed among the Christians, which in the beginning was well that it was suppressed, for the heathenish faith 4 was thereby allayed and quenched; and the magic images of nature, which they honoured for gods, were rooted out of men's hearts.
2 Truth- sellers, soothsayers. 3 Skilful in nature.
4 Or, religion.
4. But when the Christian faith was common, then came other magi up, viz. the sects in Christendom, which they set up for gods, instead of the images of heathen idols, and drove on greater delusions than the heathen with their magic idols.
5. For the heathen looked upon the ground of the possibility and working of nature. But these set themselves above the ground of nature, merely in a historical faith, and say that men ought to believe that which they contrive.
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