heads, who make the cause of flatterers and hypocrites seem right. The flatterers sit near kings, and applaud them in their selfhood, and say, Do what you will, it is all good and right: and when the king would fain have it in the appearance of right, that it also may be applauded, then comes Gad with his nimble, subtle, perverted, farfetched argumentative prerogative right, and sets the king's own self-will in the right of nature, so that it seems to be right: to these Asher gives the king's fat bread. Thus they all three live in the serpent, and so it bites the horse in the heels, and they are all three the maid- servants' children, viz. ministers and servants of self-will.
32. Dan is the manager of the superior [or, supreme] office, Gad is his counsellor at law in matters of right, justice and judgement, such as the lawyers and jurists [Advocates, proctors, pleaders and attorneys] are;
and Asher is the nobility and councillors of state. These the spirit has foreseen in their testament in these things, which they would hereafter practise; for the testator says not, ye shall be such, but ye will be such; and shows excellently what the government on earth in the self-will of the human nature would be.
X
THE TESTAMENT of NAPHTALI
33. Naphtali is a swift hind, and gives fair words (Gen. xlix. 21). Naphtali is the second son of Bilhah, Rachel's maid-servant, which she bare after Dan, and is a right brother of Dan. These brethren of Naphtali are now among kings and judges, and denote the earthly wisdom from the constellation [Or configuration ] or stars, which with eloquent fair speeches adorn the office of judicature, so that, Dan, Gad and Asher are called able, wise, understanding and learned lords and masters.
34. But he also proceeds only from the strife between Rachel and Jacob, for Rachel said, when Bilhah her maid-servant bare him, God has decided between me and my sister, and I shall prevail over her (Gen. xxx. 8). This signifies in the figure, that these wise and learned speeches of Naphtali in this office of judicature would be able to bow, bend and turn about all causes, so that self-will would remain still a judge in all causes, so that none would be able to object anything in the least against these four rulers, the sons of the maid- servants, but they would have the government in Israel, and rule the world, and prevail over all men.
35. But they are all four the sons of the maid- servants. And Sarah said to Abraham, Thrust out the son of the maid-servant, for he shall not inherit with my son Isaac. And God was pleased with it, and commanded Abraham to do it: to signify that these offices shall not inherit nor possess the kingdom of heaven, but shall have an end, when Christ, the son of the free woman, shall receive the kingdom. All these states and governments shall [then] be thrust out, and he alone in his children and members shall govern.
36. Behold yourself in this looking-glass, you politic, cunning, very wise and understanding world, in your subtle policy, eloquence of speech, favour, might, potency and honour, and see where it is you sit, and whom you serve; behold your fat bread, also the applause from the king whom you serve, and what you purpose, design and do, and how you stand in your figure before God and the kingdom of Christ, your eloquence avails nothing in the presence of God; your prudence, policy, subtlety and cunning, avails nothing. If you will not give right counsel, and say and do according to truth, and persuade and inform your superior lord and master rightly, then you help to generate this adder and serpent in the testament of Dan for your superior; and you yourself are that adder and serpent, who bites judgement, justice and right in the heel: and therefore you also shall attain the end, wages and recompense of the serpent in hell fire for it.
XI
THE TESTAMENT of JOSEPH
heads, who make the cause of flatterers and hypocrites seem right. The flatterers sit near kings, and applaud them in their selfhood, and say, Do what you will, it is all good and right: and when the king would fain have it in the appearance of right, that it also may be applauded, then comes Gad with his nimble, subtle, perverted, farfetched argumentative prerogative right, and sets the king's own self-will in the right of nature, so that it seems to be right: to these Asher gives the king's fat bread. Thus they all three live in the serpent, and so it bites the horse in the heels, and they are all three the maid- servants' children, viz. ministers and servants of self-will.
32. Dan is the manager of the superior [or, supreme] office, Gad is his counsellor at law in matters of right, justice and judgement, such as the lawyers and jurists [Advocates, proctors, pleaders and attorneys] are;
and Asher is the nobility and councillors of state. These the spirit has foreseen in their testament in these things, which they would hereafter practise; for the testator says not, you shall be such, but you will be such; and shows excellently what the government on earth in the self-will of the human nature would be.
X
THE TESTAMENT of NAPHTALI
33. Naphtali is a swift hind, and gives fair words (Gen. xlix. 21). Naphtali is the second son of Bilhah, Rachel's maid-servant, which she bare after Dan, and is a right brother of Dan. These brethren of Naphtali are now among kings and judges, and denote the earthly wisdom from the constellation [Or configuration ] or stars, which with eloquent fair speeches adorn the office of judicature, so that, Dan, Gad and Asher are called able, wise, understanding and learned lords and masters.
34. But he also proceeds only from the strife between Rachel and Jacob, for Rachel said, when Bilhah her maid-servant bare him, God has decided between me and my sister, and I shall prevail over her (Gen. xxx. 8). This signifies in the figure, that these wise and learned speeches of Naphtali in this office of judicature would be able to bow, bend and turn about all causes, so that self-will would remain still a judge in all causes, so that none would be able to object anything in the least against these four rulers, the sons of the maid- servants, but they would have the government in Israel, and rule the world, and prevail over all men.
35. But they are all four the sons of the maid- servants. And Sarah said to Abraham, Thrust out the son of the maid-servant, for he shall not inherit with my son Isaac. And God was pleased with it, and commanded Abraham to do it: to signify that these offices shall not inherit nor possess the kingdom of heaven, but shall have an end, when Christ, the son of the free woman, shall receive the kingdom. All these states and governments shall [then] be thrust out, and he alone in his children and members shall govern.
36. Behold yourself in this looking-glass, you politic, cunning, very wise and understanding world, in your subtle policy, eloquence of speech, favour, might, potency and honour, and see where it is you sit, and whom you serve; behold your fat bread, also the applause from the king whom you serve, and what you purpose, design and do, and how you stand in your figure before God and the kingdom of Christ, your eloquence avails nothing in the presence of God; your prudence, policy, subtlety and cunning, avails nothing. If you will not give right counsel, and say and do according to truth, and persuade and inform your superior lord and master rightly, then you help to generate this adder and serpent in the testament of Dan for your superior; and you yourself are that adder and serpent, who bites judgement, justice and right in the heel: and therefore you also shall attain the end, wages and recompense of the serpent in hell fire for it.
XI
THE TESTAMENT of JOSEPH
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