54. But this Joseph salutes the soul, that is, he speaks or inspires his word of grace into it, and parleys friendly in the conscience with it concerning the old Adamical Jacob of its life, and says, does he yet live; that is, if he be still living and not quite dead there shall well be a remedy for him. At which the soul rejoices, and says,
It is well with your servant my father, and he yet lives.
55. And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is that your youngest brother that you have told me of And said further, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph made haste away; for his heart burnt within him towards his brother: and sought where to weep; so he went into his chamber, and wept there. And when he had washed his face, he went forth, and carried himself boldly, and said, Set bread on the table (Gen. xliii. 29-31).
56. This now is that excellent type or image, as is above mentioned; when Benjamin, that is the most inward ground, wherein lie the grace-gates of Paradise, is manifested before the eyes of Christ, in whom the great compassion kindles itself; then God in Christ speaks in or inspires the living compassion: as here Joseph into Benjamin, when he said, God be gracious to you, my son. This weeping of the heavenly Joseph kindles this faded Paradisical image again with this weeping humility of Christ, so that from Christ's weeping into this image the eternal joy rises up: and then Christ sets bread upon the table, that this image may eat with him.
57. And Moses says further, And they served Joseph apart, and them apart; and the Egyptians that did eat with him, apart also: for the Egyptians dare not eat bread with the Hebrews; for it is an abomination to them. And they placed them before him, the first according to his priority of birth, and the youngest according to his youth: and they marvelled amongst themselves. And they carried them food 1 from his table: but Benjamin's was five times as much as the other. And they drank, and were merry in drinking plentifully with him (Gen. xliii. 32-34).
58. This figure is now the most secret ground and highest mystery of all between God and man: although it appears outwardly as if Joseph would thus hide himself before his brethren, as if he were not a Hebrew of their progeny, yet the spirit has here set down so deep a mystery that no reason can discern it.
59. For Joseph in this place stands in the figure of Christ, who has food apart, whereof they know nothing: as it is to be seen at Jacob's well, when his disciples called him to eat. Then said he, / have food which you know nothing of; which is to do the will of him that sent me (John iv. 32-34): for the heathen woman's faith was his food.
60. Christ, according to the eternal Word of the Deity, eats not of the substance of heaven, as a creature, but of the human faith and earnest prayer, and the souls of men praising God, are his food, which the eternal Word that became man eats, as a part; which appertains to no man or any other creature, neither can they eat it. And when he eats the faith and prayer, together with the praise of God, from our souls, then the human faith, together with the prayer and praising God, becomes substantial in the Word of power, and is of one and the same substance with the substance of the heavenly corporeity of Christ, all alike to the only body of Christ, God, and substance, viz. God, man, and substance, all one.
61. This substance, which is one and the same substance with the assumed humanity, from us, wherein he has shed his blood, which is alike of a divine and human substantiality, viz. supernatural flesh and blood, and then also of the human creature's flesh and blood (except the earthliness of our humanity) he gives this now to the human faith again to be eaten and drunk.
1 Or, messes.
54. But this Joseph salutes the soul, that is, he speaks or inspires his word of grace into it, and parleys friendly in the conscience with it concerning the old Adamical Jacob of its life, and says, does he yet live; that is, if he be still living and not quite dead there shall well be a remedy for him. At which the soul rejoices, and says,
It is well with your servant my father, and he yet lives.
55. And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is that your youngest brother that you have told me of And said further, God be gracious to you, my son. And Joseph made haste away; for his heart burnt within him towards his brother: and sought where to weep; so he went into his chamber, and wept there. And when he had washed his face, he went forth, and carried himself boldly, and said, Set bread on the table (Gen. xliii. 29-31).
56. This now is that excellent type or image, as is above mentioned; when Benjamin, that is the most inward ground, wherein lie the grace-gates of Paradise, is manifested before the eyes of Christ, in whom the great compassion kindles itself; then God in Christ speaks in or inspires the living compassion: as here Joseph into Benjamin, when he said, God be gracious to you, my son. This weeping of the heavenly Joseph kindles this faded Paradisical image again with this weeping humility of Christ, so that from Christ's weeping into this image the eternal joy rises up: and then Christ sets bread upon the table, that this image may eat with him.
57. And Moses says further, And they served Joseph apart, and them apart; and the Egyptians that did eat with him, apart also: for the Egyptians dare not eat bread with the Hebrews; for it is an abomination to them. And they placed them before him, the first according to his priority of birth, and the youngest according to his youth: and they marvelled amongst themselves. And they carried them food 1 from his table: but Benjamin's was five times as much as the other. And they drank, and were merry in drinking plentifully with him (Gen. xliii. 32-34).
58. This figure is now the most secret ground and highest mystery of all between God and man: although it appears outwardly as if Joseph would thus hide himself before his brethren, as if he were not a Hebrew of their progeny, yet the spirit has here set down so deep a mystery that no reason can discern it.
59. For Joseph in this place stands in the figure of Christ, who has food apart, whereof they know nothing: as it is to be seen at Jacob's well, when his disciples called him to eat. Then said he, / have food which you know nothing of; which is to do the will of him that sent me (John iv. 32-34): for the heathen woman's faith was his food.
60. Christ, according to the eternal Word of the Deity, eats not of the substance of heaven, as a creature, but of the human faith and earnest prayer, and the souls of men praising God, are his food, which the eternal Word that became man eats, as a part; which appertains to no man or any other creature, neither can they eat it. And when he eats the faith and prayer, together with the praise of God, from our souls, then the human faith, together with the prayer and praising God, becomes substantial in the Word of power, and is of one and the same substance with the substance of the heavenly corporeity of Christ, all alike to the only body of Christ, God, and substance, viz. God, man, and substance, all one.
61. This substance, which is one and the same substance with the assumed humanity, from us, wherein he has shed his blood, which is alike of a divine and human substantiality, viz. supernatural flesh and blood, and then also of the human creature's flesh and blood (except the earthliness of our humanity) he gives this now to the human faith again to be eaten and drunk.
1 Or, messes.
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