15. This is rightly called fetching the youngest brother: for that same incorporated grace in the Promise, effected in Paradise, is the soul's youngest brother, which it hides and covers with sin; and in the beginning of its repentance it leaves him at home by 1 the life of God.
1 Or, with.
16. Therefore says the text of Moses very secretly: He will prove them by the Life of Pharaoh: which is as much as to say in the figure, by the life of God, with whom this youngest son stayed behind. Him must the repenting man bring along with him to the port of grace, or else he must lie three days shut up in prison, till he bring him, as Joseph's brethren did. That is, else must the three Principles in man lie so long in prison in the anger of God, and cannot buy divine food unless they have this their youngest brother with them; that is, the gate, wherein Christ in man, in that same image of the heavenly world's substance which faded in Adam, arises from death, wherein he may have his dwelling place.
17. Thus a man is proved by the life of God when he turns to God, to try whether he turn wholly and altogether to him, and bring this incorporated ground of grace with him, wherein Christ will and shall manifest himself. If not, then says Joseph, that is, Christ, to the soul's essences, You are but spies to the life of God, and search only for the justification of man from the sufferings and merits of Christ. That is, you learn only the history, and take the precious Covenant of God in your mouths, and flatter yourselves with Christ's satisfaction, and remain still only as spies of grace. But that shall nothing avail you or help you. Though likely you may spy out the kingdom of Christ, my anger and righteousness in my zeal and jealousy shall yet hold you in prison with all the three Principles, as long as you bring not the most inward ground of your substance along with you (this is called, setting all the twelve sons of Jacob before Joseph, that is, before Jesus), and fall at his feet with body and soul, inwardly and outwardly, with all your faculties and powers, and yield them up into his grace.
18. For it is not said that they can take the grace, but that they should sink down into grace, that Grace may give itself 'to them; for man's ability to take it is lost: self-will is rent off from God, it must wholly sink down into God, and leave off willing, that God may receive it again into his grace.
19. O Babel! how [home] does this hit you? You are by or before the life of God, with your hypocrisy, but a spy of the grace of God: you do but seek for the gate of grace, and how you might with your own will, without your inward Benjamin, enter into the kingdom of Christ. Yes, you will be outwardly an adopted child of Grace, whose sins are forgiven through the merits of Christ, and yet continue to be Babel and a fable, and will not be a Christian in Christ. You will need pass into heaven, but that will not avail you:Joseph, that is, Christ, holds you imprisoned in the anger of God, both in body and soul, unless you give him Benjamin, viz. the inward ground. And then heaven goes into you, and Christ stands up in you, out of the grave, so that yourself are risen from death: and then your spying and prying has an end.
20. O you high schools [and universities], and all you that will be accounted the ministers of God, and to teach the way of God, and contend and dispute about it; what are you? Look upon yourselves in this figure: you appear to be no other than spies, you always search, and yet you lie still in prison. God will have it so no more; for he himself tries the thoughts of man, and is himself present in all things; his is the understanding, his is the knowledge of the kingdom of God, without him you know nothing.
15. This is rightly called fetching the youngest brother: for that same incorporated grace in the Promise, effected in Paradise, is the soul's youngest brother, which it hides and covers with sin; and in the beginning of its repentance it leaves him at home by 1 the life of God.
1 Or, with.
16. Therefore says the text of Moses very secretly: He will prove them by the Life of Pharaoh: which is as much as to say in the figure, by the life of God, with whom this youngest son stayed behind. Him must the repenting man bring along with him to the port of grace, or else he must lie three days shut up in prison, till he bring him, as Joseph's brethren did. That is, else must the three Principles in man lie so long in prison in the anger of God, and cannot buy divine food unless they have this their youngest brother with them; that is, the gate, wherein Christ in man, in that same image of the heavenly world's substance which faded in Adam, arises from death, wherein he may have his dwelling place.
17. Thus a man is proved by the life of God when he turns to God, to try whether he turn wholly and altogether to him, and bring this incorporated ground of grace with him, wherein Christ will and shall manifest himself. If not, then says Joseph, that is, Christ, to the soul's essences, You are but spies to the life of God, and search only for the justification of man from the sufferings and merits of Christ. That is, you learn only the history, and take the precious Covenant of God in your mouths, and flatter yourselves with Christ's satisfaction, and remain still only as spies of grace. But that shall nothing avail you or help you. Though likely you may spy out the kingdom of Christ, my anger and righteousness in my zeal and jealousy shall yet hold you in prison with all the three Principles, as long as you bring not the most inward ground of your substance along with you (this is called, setting all the twelve sons of Jacob before Joseph, that is, before Jesus), and fall at his feet with body and soul, inwardly and outwardly, with all your faculties and powers, and yield them up into his grace.
18. For it is not said that they can take the grace, but that they should sink down into grace, that Grace may give itself 'to them; for man's ability to take it is lost: self-will is rent off from God, it must wholly sink down into God, and leave off willing, that God may receive it again into his grace.
19. O Babel! how [home] does this hit you? You are by or before the life of God, with your hypocrisy, but a spy of the grace of God: you do but seek for the gate of grace, and how you might with your own will, without your inward Benjamin, enter into the kingdom of Christ. Yes, you will be outwardly an adopted child of Grace, whose sins are forgiven through the merits of Christ, and yet continue to be Babel and a fable, and will not be a Christian in Christ. You will need pass into heaven, but that will not avail you:Joseph, that is, Christ, holds you imprisoned in the anger of God, both in body and soul, unless you give him Benjamin, viz. the inward ground. And then heaven goes into you, and Christ stands up in you, out of the grave, so that yourself are risen from death: and then your spying and prying has an end.
20. O you high schools [and universities], and all you that will be accounted the ministers of God, and to teach the way of God, and contend and dispute about it; what are you? Look upon yourselves in this figure: you appear to be no other than spies, you always search, and yet you lie still in prison. God will have it so no more; for he himself tries the thoughts of man, and is himself present in all things; his is the understanding, his is the knowledge of the kingdom of God, without him you know nothing.
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