36. In this glass behold, yourself; you fair world, what you are in your high state, places and offices: even all of you, from the emperor to the beggar, and him that is least and lowest of all, are but herdsmen. Everyone is but a herdsman, for their authority is but an office of the bestial man, and has, under his command and management, but to rule over beasts, and no more. For no worldly office can rule over the inward divine man, he must in his office manage only a herd of beasts or cattle, and govern, take care of; and tutor them; and they tutor him again.
37. With these offices of herdsmen the earthly Lucifer now prides and boasts himself as if he had an angelical government: and yet in the presence of God he is but a herdsman or keeper of beasts, and no more.
38. And therefore has God typified and prefigured his Mysteries by such simple herdsmen, that man should see what man is in his office, state and condition; also that God's wrath may not lift up itself and destroy these shepherds and herdsmen; and so he has always, in his prefiguration, premodelled them only as herdsmen, that he might pour out his grace upon man's ignorance and want of understanding.
39. Herein behold yourselves, you potent, noble, rich, learned people, all of you, one and other, how the spirit of God, in the revelation of his Mysteries, represents you by the dear Patriarchs in the manner of the herdsman's office. You are all, one and other, before him no other than his herdsmen; the emperor, as well as his ministers and servants; the noble, as well as his inferior, one as well as another: one in this bestial office orders and manages another in another bestial office.
40. But the Pharisee will say, I keep the sheep of Christ. Woe be to him that commits his sheep to a wolf: if he teaches that which is good from the spirit of Christ, then it is not from his own authority and power, but the Arch Shepherd, Christ, does it through him. But he manages beasts only, and himself takes one beast of the herd to himself which must also be kept and cared for, or else the wolf will devour it.
41. Thus has God placed all offices in the office of a shepherd, so that one should manage and take care of another; and yet they are all but shepherds before him, which keep beasts and cattle: Christ alone is the Shepherd of souls, and no other.
42. None should trust the sheep of Christ, which he has in him, to any earthly shepherd, but only to the Shepherd, Christ, for in all the outward offices of shepherds there are wolves, which take and devour the sheep of Christ: He may pass well for one in the office of a shepherd, but let him have a care of the Shepherd's dogs, that they do not bite him.
43. O world, in your high state and condition! O that you did but consider what you are in your state and condition in the sight of heaven; and did not set your state and condition so aloft in God's love: for it stands only in his deeds of wonder, in evil and good.
44. When God would have a worldly state and condition prefigured in his love, then he set shepherds in it, or else mean, poor, despised and unesteemed people. See Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David; also the Prophets and Apostles, and all holy men or saints, through whom God once manifested himself; and then you will see that no highness avails anything before him: that is but a glass of wonders, in evil and good; also a sport of God's love and anger, a premodelling or representation of the angelical dominions in light and darkness, in heaven and hell.
The Seventy-Fourth Chapter
How Jacob was set before Pharaoh with the five youngest Brothers of Joseph, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh; also how Joseph bought all the Land of Egypt for Pharaoh's own. What is hereby to be understood [Gen. xlvii.]
36. In this glass behold, yourself; you fair world, what you are in your high state, places and offices: even all of you, from the emperor to the beggar, and him that is least and lowest of all, are but herdsmen. Everyone is but a herdsman, for their authority is but an office of the bestial man, and has, under his command and management, but to rule over beasts, and no more. For no worldly office can rule over the inward divine man, he must in his office manage only a herd of beasts or cattle, and govern, take care of; and tutor them; and they tutor him again.
37. With these offices of herdsmen the earthly Lucifer now prides and boasts himself as if he had an angelical government: and yet in the presence of God he is but a herdsman or keeper of beasts, and no more.
38. And therefore has God typified and prefigured his Mysteries by such simple herdsmen, that man should see what man is in his office, state and condition; also that God's wrath may not lift up itself and destroy these shepherds and herdsmen; and so he has always, in his prefiguration, premodelled them only as herdsmen, that he might pour out his grace upon man's ignorance and want of understanding.
39. Herein behold yourselves, you potent, noble, rich, learned people, all of you, one and other, how the spirit of God, in the revelation of his Mysteries, represents you by the dear Patriarchs in the manner of the herdsman's office. You are all, one and other, before him no other than his herdsmen; the emperor, as well as his ministers and servants; the noble, as well as his inferior, one as well as another: one in this bestial office orders and manages another in another bestial office.
40. But the Pharisee will say, I keep the sheep of Christ. Woe be to him that commits his sheep to a wolf: if he teaches that which is good from the spirit of Christ, then it is not from his own authority and power, but the Arch Shepherd, Christ, does it through him. But he manages beasts only, and himself takes one beast of the herd to himself which must also be kept and cared for, or else the wolf will devour it.
41. Thus has God placed all offices in the office of a shepherd, so that one should manage and take care of another; and yet they are all but shepherds before him, which keep beasts and cattle: Christ alone is the Shepherd of souls, and no other.
42. None should trust the sheep of Christ, which he has in him, to any earthly shepherd, but only to the Shepherd, Christ, for in all the outward offices of shepherds there are wolves, which take and devour the sheep of Christ: He may pass well for one in the office of a shepherd, but let him have a care of the Shepherd's dogs, that they do not bite him.
43. O world, in your high state and condition! O that you did but consider what you are in your state and condition in the sight of heaven; and did not set your state and condition so aloft in God's love: for it stands only in his deeds of wonder, in evil and good.
44. When God would have a worldly state and condition prefigured in his love, then he set shepherds in it, or else mean, poor, despised and unesteemed people. See Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David; also the Prophets and Apostles, and all holy men or saints, through whom God once manifested himself; and then you will see that no highness avails anything before him: that is but a glass of wonders, in evil and good; also a sport of God's love and anger, a premodelling or representation of the angelical dominions in light and darkness, in heaven and hell.
The Seventy-Fourth Chapter
How Jacob was set before Pharaoh with the five youngest Brothers of Joseph, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh; also how Joseph bought all the Land of Egypt for Pharaoh's own. What is hereby to be understood [Gen. xlvii.]
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