29. If not, then must all your images of false and wicked magic be turned into such barren kine and ears, as they are indeed for the most part already in the inward ground, and outwardly at present are devouring, and always devour, the good times and years; for they have almost quite devoured and swallowed up into the abyss all love, faith, truth, righteousness, humility and fear of God; and at present also they devour all outward food and sustenance. They have devoured the silver, and there is nothing left but meagre and base copper: and yet they are so hungry and greedy that they lie gnawing at the copper, as a dog at a hard bone, and would fain have more to devour, and yet there is no more for them.
1 Or, qualities. 2 Type or representation.
30. Therefore they are so hungry, that they themselves worry and devour one another for hunger, and bring their land and country into death and famine. But hereby they are made bondslaves to the anger of God in the seven properties of nature, as the whole land of Egypt was made King Pharaoh's own in the dear time of Joseph.
31. This anger of God will hereafter give you seed, that you must sow images and idols, and devour them again yourselves, as you have clearly done for a long time, and must be its bondslave servants, as Egypt was to Pharaoh.
32. Let this be told you, O Egypt of Christendom, by Joseph's interpretation in the spirit of wonder of the sixth number of the seals: It concerns you, awake and behold, the great famine of body and soul is at hand, or else you must be famished.
33. You stand at present in no other figure 1 in the sight of God, but that of the seven ill-favoured, hungry, withered, lean kine and ears: the blessing of God in body and soul is departed from you, that now you huntest after good things and temporal sustenance, and yet are not satisfied with it. And the more that you do hunger and suck upon bones, you will be still the more hungry, till you have devoured all your good kine in conscience, both in body and soul, as also land and people. And your form and feature is so ill-favoured, that the princes of the inward and the outward heaven cannot endure to behold you, but help to judge you to the damnation of death, says the spirit of wonders in Joseph's interpretation.
34. Behold yourself now aright, are you not thus ill-favoured and hungry? Consider all your faculties:2 you are raving blind with great hunger, for you have swallowed that up into the abyss which should bless you and make you happy, and have set up the hypocrisy of your idol ministers instead thereof: Righteousness, truth, love, faith, humility, chastity and the fear of God were your blessing by which you would become fat again, but you have swallowed up all these properties, and set your idols in their stead, and covered them with Christ's purple mantle; and now the evil hungry form, feature and properties of a devourer are awakened in you.
1 Or, resemblance. 2 Powers, virtues and abilities.
35. The first devouring property covered with Christ's mantle is pride, viz. a desire of self-might, under the lowly humble mantle of Christ resolving to be potent and splendid, as Lucifer under his black hood, who yet always supposes he is the most potent, when yet in the presence of God he is but a lord in phantasy.
29. If not, then must all your images of false and wicked magic be turned into such barren kine and ears, as they are indeed for the most part already in the inward ground, and outwardly at present are devouring, and always devour, the good times and years; for they have almost quite devoured and swallowed up into the abyss all love, faith, truth, righteousness, humility and fear of God; and at present also they devour all outward food and sustenance. They have devoured the silver, and there is nothing left but meagre and base copper: and yet they are so hungry and greedy that they lie gnawing at the copper, as a dog at a hard bone, and would fain have more to devour, and yet there is no more for them.
1 Or, qualities. 2 Type or representation.
30. Therefore they are so hungry, that they themselves worry and devour one another for hunger, and bring their land and country into death and famine. But hereby they are made bondslaves to the anger of God in the seven properties of nature, as the whole land of Egypt was made King Pharaoh's own in the dear time of Joseph.
31. This anger of God will hereafter give you seed, that you must sow images and idols, and devour them again yourselves, as you have clearly done for a long time, and must be its bondslave servants, as Egypt was to Pharaoh.
32. Let this be told you, O Egypt of Christendom, by Joseph's interpretation in the spirit of wonder of the sixth number of the seals: It concerns you, awake and behold, the great famine of body and soul is at hand, or else you must be famished.
33. You stand at present in no other figure 1 in the sight of God, but that of the seven ill-favoured, hungry, withered, lean kine and ears: the blessing of God in body and soul is departed from you, that now you huntest after good things and temporal sustenance, and yet are not satisfied with it. And the more that you do hunger and suck upon bones, you will be still the more hungry, till you have devoured all your good kine in conscience, both in body and soul, as also land and people. And your form and feature is so ill-favoured, that the princes of the inward and the outward heaven cannot endure to behold you, but help to judge you to the damnation of death, says the spirit of wonders in Joseph's interpretation.
34. Behold yourself now aright, are you not thus ill-favoured and hungry? Consider all your faculties:2 you are raving blind with great hunger, for you have swallowed that up into the abyss which should bless you and make you happy, and have set up the hypocrisy of your idol ministers instead thereof: Righteousness, truth, love, faith, humility, chastity and the fear of God were your blessing by which you would become fat again, but you have swallowed up all these properties, and set your idols in their stead, and covered them with Christ's purple mantle; and now the evil hungry form, feature and properties of a devourer are awakened in you.
1 Or, resemblance. 2 Powers, virtues and abilities.
35. The first devouring property covered with Christ's mantle is pride, viz. a desire of self-might, under the lowly humble mantle of Christ resolving to be potent and splendid, as Lucifer under his black hood, who yet always supposes he is the most potent, when yet in the presence of God he is but a lord in phantasy.
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