to it. For now it begins to kill the works and contrivance of the flesh, and continually to crucify the old Adam; for its whole life is now a mere repentance, and Christ in it does help it to work repentance, and brings it now to his glorious feast or banquet: as Joseph did his brethren when they came again to him, when he commanded to make ready and gave them of his table.
26. Thus now Christ feeds the converted soul with his flesh and blood, and in this feast or banquet is the true Wedding of the Lamb (Rev. xix. 7, 9). Whosoever has been a guest here, he understands our sense and mind. And no other does, they are all of them but spies; though perhaps they suppose they understand it, yet there is no right understanding of this feast or banquet in any man, unless he has been at it and tasted of it himself; for it is a very impossible thing for reason to apprehend it without Christ's spirit in himself, who is himself the food at this feast or banquet of Joseph.
27. And it is told you, Babel, in your spying by Joseph's feast or banquet, that you delude Christendom: in that by this feast you point them to the resurrection of the dead you err. A Christian must here eat the flesh of the Son of man, or he has no life in him (John vi. 53): In the resurrection God will he All in All (1 Cor. xv. 28). Here Christ sits at the right hand of God (Col. iii. I) in man, and presents him with his body, and with his innocent blood that was shed; and that, he covers the soul withal, and flows into it with the same, when God's anger will stir, being instigated by the desire of the flesh.
28. O you poor old Jacob of spying 1 Christendom! let your hungry sons, who are very lean for great hunger in the conscience, go to Joseph: keep them no longer back in your fear. What, I pray you, is your fear? you suppose, that if this ground should come to light in the world, you would lose your sons whom you love. But who are your sons? There is your own honour, in that you think to sit in the stead of Christ upon earth. Also there is your Lucifer of fleshly honour, which you take care for, and your countenance is dejected about it, if a man should require an Apostolic life from you, and seek you in the process and imitation of Christ. It pleases you better that you live in honour and voluptuousness of flesh, in spying, and honour your belly, and so bring your poor Christianity under a veil.
29. O you poor old Jacob! trouble not yourself so about temporal momentary things. See how it went with old Jacob, when he let all his sons go from him to Joseph, how Joseph caused him to be fetched to him, and did so much good to him and his children, and nourished them in the famine, and placed them in a better land. And so it will go also with you, if you will let your sons go to Joseph; but if you wilt henceforth keep them back longer, then you must starve, you and your children, and be famished in misery: says the Spirit of wonders, by Joseph's feast or banquet.
30. O Israel, mark this text very well, it concerns you, and has clearly concerned you, but that you are yet blind in your hungry misery, and wait for the sword of the turba: that shall awaken you, since you will needs have it.
31. Everyone thinks, If three parts of men were destroyed then
I should have good days with those that remain, and then we would be honest and virtuous, and lead an upright honest life. Also men gaze about to see whence that salvation will come, which is so much written of; and say and think, salvation will enter into the lust of the flesh from without: men always gape for an earthly kingdom of Christ.
1 Or, inspecting.
to it. For now it begins to kill the works and contrivance of the flesh, and continually to crucify the old Adam; for its whole life is now a mere repentance, and Christ in it does help it to work repentance, and brings it now to his glorious feast or banquet: as Joseph did his brethren when they came again to him, when he commanded to make ready and gave them of his table.
26. Thus now Christ feeds the converted soul with his flesh and blood, and in this feast or banquet is the true Wedding of the Lamb (Rev. xix. 7, 9). Whosoever has been a guest here, he understands our sense and mind. And no other does, they are all of them but spies; though perhaps they suppose they understand it, yet there is no right understanding of this feast or banquet in any man, unless he has been at it and tasted of it himself; for it is a very impossible thing for reason to apprehend it without Christ's spirit in himself, who is himself the food at this feast or banquet of Joseph.
27. And it is told you, Babel, in your spying by Joseph's feast or banquet, that you delude Christendom: in that by this feast you point them to the resurrection of the dead you err. A Christian must here eat the flesh of the Son of man, or he has no life in him (John vi. 53): In the resurrection God will he All in All (1 Cor. xv. 28). Here Christ sits at the right hand of God (Col. iii. I) in man, and presents him with his body, and with his innocent blood that was shed; and that, he covers the soul withal, and flows into it with the same, when God's anger will stir, being instigated by the desire of the flesh.
28. O you poor old Jacob of spying 1 Christendom! let your hungry sons, who are very lean for great hunger in the conscience, go to Joseph: keep them no longer back in your fear. What, I pray you, is your fear? you suppose, that if this ground should come to light in the world, you would lose your sons whom you love. But who are your sons? There is your own honour, in that you think to sit in the stead of Christ upon earth. Also there is your Lucifer of fleshly honour, which you take care for, and your countenance is dejected about it, if a man should require an Apostolic life from you, and seek you in the process and imitation of Christ. It pleases you better that you live in honour and voluptuousness of flesh, in spying, and honour your belly, and so bring your poor Christianity under a veil.
29. O you poor old Jacob! trouble not yourself so about temporal momentary things. See how it went with old Jacob, when he let all his sons go from him to Joseph, how Joseph caused him to be fetched to him, and did so much good to him and his children, and nourished them in the famine, and placed them in a better land. And so it will go also with you, if you will let your sons go to Joseph; but if you will henceforth keep them back longer, then you must starve, you and your children, and be famished in misery: says the Spirit of wonders, by Joseph's feast or banquet.
30. O Israel, mark this text very well, it concerns you, and has clearly concerned you, but that you are yet blind in your hungry misery, and wait for the sword of the turba: that shall awaken you, since you will needs have it.
31. Everyone thinks, If three parts of men were destroyed then
I should have good days with those that remain, and then we would be honest and virtuous, and lead an upright honest life. Also men gaze about to see whence that salvation will come, which is so much written of; and say and think, salvation will enter into the lust of the flesh from without: men always gape for an earthly kingdom of Christ.
1 Or, inspecting.
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