which is yourself, and then you will be free from all images, and will see the place of which it is said, The Lord is here (Gen. xxviii. 16). And then you will attain the life of power and virtue again, and become fat, and put away the mantle of Christ, and say, Here is the man that will walk in the footsteps of Christ, and will follow and imitate him, and be like and conformable to him (Phil. iii. 10) in his life and image.
43. This whole history of the dreams of Pharaoh is an image, whereby the spirit under an outward action portrays and typifies the human ground, how good, God created him, and set him in his fatness, and how he is thus destroyed by Satan's envy and poison, and changed into so ill-favoured an image.
1 consists in that which their posture, condition or quality does represent and express.
44. But in Joseph the spirit represents a figure, showing how a man must again spring up through the new birth out of this poison; and how he should be set before God again, and how God gives him his spirit, and makes him ruler in his house; how he shall gather in heavenly fruits in faith and a good conscience, against the time of temptation, when the dearth or famine, viz. God's anger, sifts the soul.
45. In which sifting then, that fruit which is for food, which stands by the soul in repentance, and in which its little pearl-plant with its branches grows, it takes along, and bears good fruit.
46. Those fruits are then Joseph's interpretation, as he declared God's counsel, and taught it to Pharaoh. So the new birth brings forth such good fruit and doctrine, which makes known the way of God to mankind, and stands before him with wisdom, as Joseph before Pharaoh. And this we see in Joseph's counsel, after he had interpreted his dream. He said to Pharaoh, Let the king look out for a wise and prudent man, who may build granaries for Pharaoh, where provision may be laid up, that men may have necessary sustenance in the famine (Gen. xli. 33-36).
Which the spirit secretly represents in the figure of man,l that a man should look out for wise men, fearing God (Exod. xviii. 21), which should help to gather in the divine treasury and provision, with wisdom and understanding, with doctrine, life and prayer; that thereby the divine treasure and provision might be gathered in.
47. And then when the time of trial, sifting and hunger comes, that God's anger might be thereby kept back and prevented, and not so suddenly make both body and soul, land and people, lean, and devour them, but that there may be something for provision. Concerning which God says he will do well to them that fear God, unto a thousand generations (Exod. xx. 6); and this provision shall continue to a thousand generations.
1 Or, condition of such a man: the Man Christ, or a Christian man.
48. And Moses says further, This saying of Joseph pleased Pharaoh, and all his servants, well. And Pharaoh said to his servants, How can we find such a man, in whom the spirit of God is; and said to Joseph, Seeing God has made all this known to you, there is none so understanding and wise as you: you shall be over my house, and all my people shall he obedient to your word, only in the regal throne will I be higher than you. And further, Pharaoh said to Joseph, Behold, I have set you over the whole land of Egypt, and took his ring off his own hand, and gave it to Joseph into his hand, and clothed him with white silk garments, and hung a golden chain upon his neck; and caused him to go in his second chariot, and caused it to he proclaimed before him, This is the father of the land; and set him over the whole land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your will shall no man stir his hand or his foot in the whole land of Egypt. And he called him his secret council, and gave him a wife named Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of ON (Gen. xli. 37-45).
which is yourself, and then you will be free from all images, and will see the place of which it is said, The Lord is here (Gen. xxviii. 16). And then you will attain the life of power and virtue again, and become fat, and put away the mantle of Christ, and say, Here is the man that will walk in the footsteps of Christ, and will follow and imitate him, and be like and conformable to him (Phil. iii. 10) in his life and image.
43. This whole history of the dreams of Pharaoh is an image, whereby the spirit under an outward action portrays and typifies the human ground, how good, God created him, and set him in his fatness, and how he is thus destroyed by Satan's envy and poison, and changed into so ill-favoured an image.
1 consists in that which their posture, condition or quality does represent and express.
44. But in Joseph the spirit represents a figure, showing how a man must again spring up through the new birth out of this poison; and how he should be set before God again, and how God gives him his spirit, and makes him ruler in his house; how he shall gather in heavenly fruits in faith and a good conscience, against the time of temptation, when the dearth or famine, viz. God's anger, sifts the soul.
45. In which sifting then, that fruit which is for food, which stands by the soul in repentance, and in which its little pearl-plant with its branches grows, it takes along, and bears good fruit.
46. Those fruits are then Joseph's interpretation, as he declared God's counsel, and taught it to Pharaoh. So the new birth brings forth such good fruit and doctrine, which makes known the way of God to mankind, and stands before him with wisdom, as Joseph before Pharaoh. And this we see in Joseph's counsel, after he had interpreted his dream. He said to Pharaoh, Let the king look out for a wise and prudent man, who may build granaries for Pharaoh, where provision may be laid up, that men may have necessary sustenance in the famine (Gen. xli. 33-36).
Which the spirit secretly represents in the figure of man,l that a man should look out for wise men, fearing God (Exod. xviii. 21), which should help to gather in the divine treasury and provision, with wisdom and understanding, with doctrine, life and prayer; that thereby the divine treasure and provision might be gathered in.
47. And then when the time of trial, sifting and hunger comes, that God's anger might be thereby kept back and prevented, and not so suddenly make both body and soul, land and people, lean, and devour them, but that there may be something for provision. Concerning which God says he will do well to them that fear God, unto a thousand generations (Exod. xx. 6); and this provision shall continue to a thousand generations.
1 Or, condition of such a man: the Man Christ, or a Christian man.
48. And Moses says further, This saying of Joseph pleased Pharaoh, and all his servants, well. And Pharaoh said to his servants, How can we find such a man, in whom the spirit of God is; and said to Joseph, Seeing God has made all this known to you, there is none so understanding and wise as you: you shall be over my house, and all my people shall he obedient to your word, only in the regal throne will I be higher than you. And further, Pharaoh said to Joseph, Behold, I have set you over the whole land of Egypt, and took his ring off his own hand, and gave it to Joseph into his hand, and clothed him with white silk garments, and hung a golden chain upon his neck; and caused him to go in his second chariot, and caused it to he proclaimed before him, This is the father of the land; and set him over the whole land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your will shall no man stir his hand or his foot in the whole land of Egypt. And he called him his secret council, and gave him a wife named Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of ON (Gen. xli. 37-45).
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