13. First, while the soul together with the body find yet a little power and comfort in them, though indeed the conscience gnaws, this steward gives Jesus Christ good words, and prays to him, and, for the creaturely framed or conceived 2) word, buys food of Joseph. And this now is that which is signified by the money: while these words will in the imagination give the conscience a little virtue and comfort, the nature of the soul and of the body continually buys grace for such money, and gives this Joseph good store of babbling, with an imaginary matter and some framed or figured prayer 3 out of custom; and thus lives of this food, in hope.
14. But when the anguish of the conscience withers up this hope, and that such cold prayer and historical faith will no more avail, so that the conscience cries out that you must be famished in the anger of God, no prayer more will avail before God; then comes the poor soul to this Joseph, and says, why will you suffer me to perish because I cannot bring my prayer and faith before you, by which I might attain food for my life; behold, my power is gone, I am able to do nothing,4 I have no more words wherewith to attain your grace.
15. Then says the heavenly Joseph to the soul, Bring your beasts, viz. horses, oxen and asses, hither to me, and I will give you food for them; that is, bring to me all your earthly natural desires and imaginations, 5 and your false confidence in the creatures, viz. in your own wit and subtlety, in falsehood and wickedness, and give them up all to me, that you may be quit of them; then I will give you food, that you may live, and will also feed the imaginations of your thoughts: And this is the entrance of this figure.
1 Imaged or created.
2 Imagelike, imaginary, fictitious.
3 Conceited, contrived or set form of prayer.
4 Note how man is able to do nothing.
5 Or images.
16. And Moses says further, When that year was ended, they came to him in the second year, and said to him, We will not hide from our lord, that not only the money, but also all the beasts are gone from us to our lord; and there is no more left for our lord, but our bodies and our fields. Why will you suffer us and our fields to die in your presence ? Buy us and our land for bread, that our land and we may be Pharaoh's bondslaves: give us seed, that we may live and not die, and the fields not lie waste (Gen. xlvii. 18, 19). This is now the true earnestness, when man wholly gives up all, and quite gives up himself.
This figure stands thus:
17. When man stands thus in the famine of conscience, so that not only the words which he speaks in the presence of God will no more avail that he might receive comfort, but that in the end those also fail, when he has beaten down all fictitious 1 desires, and forsaken this world in the desire; then says the poor soul to the heavenly Joseph, Alas, my lord, what shall I bring before you that I may attain your grace? Behold, my prayer finds no power and virtue, and though I have forsaken the world, and have given up my bestial will, yet I still stand in great hunger before you; I have no more left, but only my body and soul. My lord, take even this of me, I give myself wholly to be your own. Give me your grace, that I may live in you: I will give myself wholly up to you with body and life, and will be your obedient servant. Give you me but seed only, that is, give you me but a will, thought, mind and desire, and sow the land of my nature; and let my life be your servant, that I may be no more without your will, but that I may be your servant and your bondslave.
18. Thus then it is enough, when he has given up body and soul, will and thoughts, and all that he has and is, wholly to this Joseph, that he is as it were a bondslave to God, that hopes and expects
13. First, while the soul together with the body find yet a little power and comfort in them, though indeed the conscience gnaws, this steward gives Jesus Christ good words, and prays to him, and, for the creaturely framed or conceived 2) word, buys food of Joseph. And this now is that which is signified by the money: while these words will in the imagination give the conscience a little virtue and comfort, the nature of the soul and of the body continually buys grace for such money, and gives this Joseph good store of babbling, with an imaginary matter and some framed or figured prayer 3 out of custom; and thus lives of this food, in hope.
14. But when the anguish of the conscience withers up this hope, and that such cold prayer and historical faith will no more avail, so that the conscience cries out that you must be famished in the anger of God, no prayer more will avail before God; then comes the poor soul to this Joseph, and says, why will you suffer me to perish because I cannot bring my prayer and faith before you, by which I might attain food for my life; behold, my power is gone, I am able to do nothing,4 I have no more words wherewith to attain your grace.
15. Then says the heavenly Joseph to the soul, Bring your beasts, viz. horses, oxen and asses, hither to me, and I will give you food for them; that is, bring to me all your earthly natural desires and imaginations, 5 and your false confidence in the creatures, viz. in your own wit and subtlety, in falsehood and wickedness, and give them up all to me, that you may be quit of them; then I will give you food, that you may live, and will also feed the imaginations of your thoughts: And this is the entrance of this figure.
1 Imaged or created.
2 Imagelike, imaginary, fictitious.
3 Conceited, contrived or set form of prayer.
4 Note how man is able to do nothing.
5 Or images.
16. And Moses says further, When that year was ended, they came to him in the second year, and said to him, We will not hide from our lord, that not only the money, but also all the beasts are gone from us to our lord; and there is no more left for our lord, but our bodies and our fields. Why will you suffer us and our fields to die in your presence ? Buy us and our land for bread, that our land and we may be Pharaoh's bondslaves: give us seed, that we may live and not die, and the fields not lie waste (Gen. xlvii. 18, 19). This is now the true earnestness, when man wholly gives up all, and quite gives up himself.
This figure stands thus:
17. When man stands thus in the famine of conscience, so that not only the words which he speaks in the presence of God will no more avail that he might receive comfort, but that in the end those also fail, when he has beaten down all fictitious 1 desires, and forsaken this world in the desire; then says the poor soul to the heavenly Joseph, Alas, my lord, what shall I bring before you that I may attain your grace? Behold, my prayer finds no power and virtue, and though I have forsaken the world, and have given up my bestial will, yet I still stand in great hunger before you; I have no more left, but only my body and soul. My lord, take even this of me, I give myself wholly to be your own. Give me your grace, that I may live in you: I will give myself wholly up to you with body and life, and will be your obedient servant. Give you me but seed only, that is, give you me but a will, thought, mind and desire, and sow the land of my nature; and let my life be your servant, that I may be no more without your will, but that I may be your servant and your bondslave.
18. Thus then it is enough, when he has given up body and soul, will and thoughts, and all that he has and is, wholly to this Joseph, that he is as it were a bondslave to God, that hopes and expects
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