22. If the present contending Babel had in it the kiss of Christ, then it would with Joseph's brethren turn to the heavenly Joseph, and in great humility and lowliness speak with Joseph, and would hear God's word in Joseph's love, and speak humbly with him, they would not contend for temporal honour and fat bellies, 1 and about dominion, and waste the land of Goshen in a heathenish 2 manner.
1 Or, benefices. 2 Or, barbarous.
23. O Babel! your shame and reproach is set in judgement before the Most High; you are that same Antichrist of whom St. Paul has spoken. You boast of God's word in teaching and hearing, and your ground is not of God, but from the tower of Babel; you will teach God's word with the letter without the living Word in you; but the sheep hear not your voice, for it proceeds not from Joseph's kiss.
24. And Moses says further, And the report came into Pharaoh's house, that Joseph's Brethren were come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brethren, do thus, Load your beasts and go up, and when you come into the land of Canaan, then take your father and your families, and come to me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, that you shall eat the marrow of the land. And command them to do thus; take you from the land of Egypt chariots for your wives, and for your children, and bring your father, and come. And regard not your household- stuff; for the good of the whole land of Egypt shall be yours (Gen. xlv. 16-20).
The figure stands thus:
25. When Joseph's, viz. Christ's, voice sounds in the soul, then this report presses into God the Father's property; for the soul in its nature is from the eternal nature in the Word, out of the Father's property of fire; and so is manifest again in the Father, from whom the will had broken off itself; and he speaks or inspires himself into its life's essence; for it pleases him well that the soul is become manifested in Christ, and bids the soul with all its properties, through Joseph's, viz. Christ's, efficiency, to come into Paradise again. He gives it chariots, and all necessaries, which chariots are his spirit in the Word which brings it, and gives it the whole land of Egypt; that is, the whole Paradise or kingdom of heaven for its own: this the spirit of God powerfully prefigures under this history.
- 26. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them chariots, according to the command of Pharaoh, and provision to spend by the way. And gave each of them all sumptuous apparel; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five suits of sumptuous apparel. And to his father he sent besides, ten asses laden with the choice good things of the land of Egypt, and ten she asses with corn and bread and food for his father upon the way. Thus he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said to them, Contend not upon the way (Gen.
- xlv. 21-24).
The figure stands thus:
27. Christ takes the provision, as also the chariots, viz. the Holy Ghost from the Father, which he sends to his children, as Joseph took the chariots and present from Pharaoh, and gives them provision to spend upon the way of their pilgrimage, viz. his body and blood for meat and drink.
28. The sumptuous apparel which Joseph gave to everyone of his brethren signifies the temple of Christ, wherein the soul feasts and rests; and Joseph's five suits of sumptuous apparel, which he gave to his brother Benjamin, are the five wounds of Christ, wherein the inward man feasts in God's love; but the three hundred pieces
22. If the present contending Babel had in it the kiss of Christ, then it would with Joseph's brethren turn to the heavenly Joseph, and in great humility and lowliness speak with Joseph, and would hear God's word in Joseph's love, and speak humbly with him, they would not contend for temporal honour and fat bellies, 1 and about dominion, and waste the land of Goshen in a heathenish 2 manner.
1 Or, benefices. 2 Or, barbarous.
23. O Babel! your shame and reproach is set in judgement before the Most High; you are that same Antichrist of whom St. Paul has spoken. You boast of God's word in teaching and hearing, and your ground is not of God, but from the tower of Babel; you will teach God's word with the letter without the living Word in you; but the sheep hear not your voice, for it proceeds not from Joseph's kiss.
24. And Moses says further, And the report came into Pharaoh's house, that Joseph's Brethren were come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brethren, do thus, Load your beasts and go up, and when you come into the land of Canaan, then take your father and your families, and come to me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, that you shall eat the marrow of the land. And command them to do thus; take you from the land of Egypt chariots for your wives, and for your children, and bring your father, and come. And regard not your household- stuff; for the good of the whole land of Egypt shall be yours (Gen. xlv. 16-20).
The figure stands thus:
25. When Joseph's, viz. Christ's, voice sounds in the soul, then this report presses into God the Father's property; for the soul in its nature is from the eternal nature in the Word, out of the Father's property of fire; and so is manifest again in the Father, from whom the will had broken off itself; and he speaks or inspires himself into its life's essence; for it pleases him well that the soul is become manifested in Christ, and bids the soul with all its properties, through Joseph's, viz. Christ's, efficiency, to come into Paradise again. He gives it chariots, and all necessaries, which chariots are his spirit in the Word which brings it, and gives it the whole land of Egypt; that is, the whole Paradise or kingdom of heaven for its own: this the spirit of God powerfully prefigures under this history.
- 26. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them chariots, according to the command of Pharaoh, and provision to spend by the way. And gave each of them all sumptuous apparel; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five suits of sumptuous apparel. And to his father he sent besides, ten asses laden with the choice good things of the land of Egypt, and ten she asses with corn and bread and food for his father upon the way. Thus he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said to them, Contend not upon the way (Gen.
- xlv. 21-24).
The figure stands thus:
27. Christ takes the provision, as also the chariots, viz. the Holy Ghost from the Father, which he sends to his children, as Joseph took the chariots and present from Pharaoh, and gives them provision to spend upon the way of their pilgrimage, viz. his body and blood for meat and drink.
28. The sumptuous apparel which Joseph gave to everyone of his brethren signifies the temple of Christ, wherein the soul feasts and rests; and Joseph's five suits of sumptuous apparel, which he gave to his brother Benjamin, are the five wounds of Christ, wherein the inward man feasts in God's love; but the three hundred pieces
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