the transient, and an almost entire oversight of the present and the perpetual. There is faith in an historical God, and an historical Atonement and Redemption, rather than in an ever-living, ever-present, and ever-redeeming Saviour. And are we not, as New-Churchmen, open in some degree to the charge of falling into the same error? In our endeavours to establish and fortify the great cardinal truth of all Christianity, may we not unconsciously fall into a fallacy, or use phraseology which may induce fallacious conclusions in others? We may, in our doctrinal statements of the Great Object of worship, dwell so much or in such a manner on the past, as to fail to present in all its fulness and prominency the view our doctrines afford of the Lord as He IS, and thus induce an idea that we hold opinions that would limit or materialize the conception of Deity.

Christianity presents a series of doctrines, which peculiarly distinguish it as a religion from all other religions, whether true or false. But all these peculiar doctrines, when analysed, are found to be only formal, technical, or scientific statements of the facts or circumstances recorded in the Gospels, and subsequently commented upon and confirmed by the Apostolic Epistles and the Apocalypse. To arrive at a correct understanding of any cardinal doctrine, it is necessary that we should have a clear perception of the facts on which the doctrine is founded, and of the relationship of those facts to eternal principles. For instance, the fundamental fact of Christianity: the Incarnation of the Divine Word, has two distinct aspects, one human, the other divine; one transient, the other eternal. The human aspect refers to the advent of the Lord, first as the Babe of Bethlehem; then to His progressive development, His trials, temptations, and endurances, during His thirtythree years of natural life, and three years of ministry on earth. The divine side refers to the unchangeable and unprogressive Deity,—from eternity to eternity the same; yet, episodically, as it were, coming into closer conjunction with His rational creation, and making that episodical union the basis of an eternal fulness of manifestation. If we overlook, or too superficially consider the human side of this divine work, we may at length lose sight of the reality of the transaction, and fall into a shadowy, idealistic view of the Gospel history, and thus, like the ancient Docetæ, by the perversion of a true distinction, mistake reality for mere appearance: or we may, by too exclusively confining our attention to this side, and dwelling only on the past, invest the transient and natural with eternal and truly divine properties; and thus, by attributing to what are appearances an essential reality, foster a very imperfect idea of God as a Spirit. If, on the other hand, the mind is permitted to

dwell solely on the divine side of the question, and all reference to the human side is refused or ignored, then there may be induced a tendency to such a perception of the Divine Being, as would resolve Him into a mere philosophical abstraction and metaphysical nonentity; thus destroying all idea of God in the concrete, and perhaps ending in a fashionable, meaningless pantheism.

Take again, what may justly be considered the "crowning" fact of Christianity, the Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, and we may see how the transient and the eternal blend in that divine transaction-how much of the angry disputation on this sacred subject may have arisen from a too exclusive dwelling on the mere appearances spread over the short period of forty days, and a comparative forgetfulness of the Lord as He now is, and evermore will be? Such a subject can never be satisfactorily settled to a free and inquiring mind, by any skill in mere textualism, or ingenuity in forcing contradictory passages into apparent harmony. Here, indeed, we may see, in a figurative sense, the truth of the assertion, that "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." The former is the symbol of the man in bondage to words and authorities; the latter, of the true spirit that rises above the outward forms of speech, and seeking to be guided by eternal principles, refuses to be trammeled by any disjointed and isolated statements of the past, or arising out of the disputed dogmas of a dark age, but desires to see things in the light of the present, and from the unbiassed judgment of unfettered reason. To such a one, much of the lengthened argument and angry disputation which has been displayed on this subject, will seem as “idle words," void of any plain, consistent, and rational interpretation; rather calculated to bewilder and fetter, than enlighten and enfranchise the mind. It is true that there must be milk for babes," and no reasonable person will deny the suitability of appearances, or apparent truths, for the instruction of young minds; and accommodated truths may be best adapted to interest and edify, even many adult believers. But the advanced student aspires to rise beyond the region of appearances and accommodations, and to obtain at least a glimpse of things as they are, of truth as seen in heavenly light. The astronomer, viewing the planets as seen from the earth, is presented with a series of discordant and complicated motions, which baffle his skill to solve; but viewing the same orbs from the sun, as a centre, he is presented with a simple, yet sublime series of motions, which are not only easily solved themselves, but also enable him to explain and solve all the difficulties of his first perceptions. So may the student of Christian truth, from a similar central position, and a rational perception of the [Enl. Series.-No. 29, vol. iii.]

66

2 D

Lord as He is, view the transient appearances which have occasioned so much difference of opinion, as the necessary results of the states of the original observers, and the times, places, and conditions of observation. Thus we may come to see the impossibility of educing harmony from so much apparent discord, unless we cease to regard these things from the circumference, the external and the transient, and endeavour to behold them from the centre, the internal and the eternal.

There are two modes of considering the Divine Being, one having relation to the transient, and thus, perhaps, better adapted for young or partially-informed minds; the other having a more direct relation to the eternal, and thus more in agreement with the conclusions of a higher and deeper theology, and capable of furnishing a truer conception of the Divine Existence. The first mode regards the Human as Divine; the second rather contemplates the Divine as Human. In the first we begin from nature in finiteness, and ascend as it were analytically, or by an inductive process, to the infiinite, the supernatural, and the divine. This is in the true order of human development; for the senses form the groundwork of all mental ideas, and during the whole period of natural life they remain as the basis of even the highest intellectual attainments. Thus, by the first process of contemplation, God is thought of as a MAN; afterwards, rather as an ANGEL, and finally as DIVINE; but the sensuous primary idea remains throughout, and thus gives a limited quality to the whole series. But, having reached the goal of this series of thought, then a new method may dawn upon the mind. From the analytical, we may get a glimpse of the synthetical, and thus be enabled to transcend, without undervaluing, our first perceptions and first processes of inquiry and thought; and "putting off," as it were, the ideas of nature and finiteness, begin to conceive of, and to delight in the conception of the Divine Being in all the fulness of His illimitable nature; and from the central idea of Divinity, rejoice in some perception of a truly Divine Human. Figuratively speaking, we gaze, though at a distance, on that magnificent "Temple," of which the Jewish temple was an emblem; we behold something of the glory, beauty, and symmetry of the finished building; we see something of the uses and harmonies of the parts forming the grand whole, and we do not wish to have our prospect marred by the introduction of the scaffolding and other necessary means employed in its erection.

Bolton, March, 1856.

J. W. H.

SUMMARY OF THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF GENESIS, AS DERIVED FROM THE ARCANA CELESTIA.

(Continued from page 170.)

THE BOOK OF GENESIS.

Chap. XII.

CONTENTS.-Concerning the Lord's state from His earliest childhood to His youth, ver. 1. That He was to recede from things corporeal and worldly in His hereditary nature, ver. 2, 3. That He would become a blessing to mankind, ver. 4,5. How He advanced from His first state, which was obscure (Haran) ver. 6,7; to His second state (Shechem) which was more clear, and thence to His third state (Moreh), ver. 8. Thence to His fourth state (Bethel and Ai), 9, 10. Thence to His fifth state (Egypt), ver. 11, &c. The Lord's progress from scientifics to celestial truths.

ter.

1. And it was first suggested to the Lord by an inward dictate from the internal man, or Jehovah, that things corporeal and worldly were to be receded from, namely, the external things proper to the body, such as pleasures and sensuous things; and interior things, such as affections and scientifics; in order that things celestial and spiritual might be presented to view;

2. That, as a consequence, he would enjoy the celestial principle itself and good itself, and there would be a fructification of things celestial, and a multiplication of things spiritual. (The Ancient Church lived divided into houses, families, and nations; when they thought of which they had a perception of the kingdom of the Lord, and from that of the celestial principle itself. Moreover it was revealed to the

Lord.)

3. That all happiness would be to those who should acknowledge Him, and all unhappiness to those who should not, or who should avert themselves from Him. (Thus the Lord began to perceive how He could be a blessing to all mankind, by putting on things celestial and then things Divine.) For the celestial principle of love is such, that he who is under its influence does not desire to be his own property, but that of all; so that he is willing to give all that is his own to others; for in this consists the essence of celestial love. The Lord as being love itself, or the essence and life of the love of all in heaven, is desirous to give all that is His to mankind; which is signified by the Lord's saying, that "The Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many."

4. Now therefore the Lord, as to His human essence, began to make progression toward things Divine, and this first of all as to the sensual or corporeal man, which was now in the state of childhood. But the Divine principle or Divine Holiness, was not possessed as yet in so much power or fulness; as the Lord was as yet in a comparatively obscure state. (The Lord, however, differed from other men in this respect, that in Him things sensual and corporeal were united with. things celestial, and ultimately made Divine.)

5. Though He was now, however, in an obscure state, yet He was, as a child, in possession of celestial good, to which its corresponding truth was adjoined; also of that sensual truth which is first insinuated during childhood into the celestial man, and also of all the living essen. tials attainable in that state of obscurity, (by means of which the outward objects of the earth and the world are seen as created by God, and all and each for some end, and in all and each is beheld some resemblance to the kingdom of God. This sensual truth is insinuated only into the celestial man, and as the Lord alone was a celestial man, so these and similar sensual truths were insinuated into the Lord in His earliest years, whereby He was prepared for the reception of things celestial. These truths, together with all things of science, which are the ground of thought in man during that obscure state which prevails from infancy to childhood, and also all the living essentials attainable in that obscure state, now began to make progression toward the celestial things of love; at which also he arrived. For the Lord's earliest life is here described, or that portion which extends from His nativity to His childhood. The celestial things of love are the very essentials from which all other things proceed. He had in Him celestial seed as being born of Jehovah, and hence is the only one who ever had in Himself this seed.) 6. Having arrived at the celestial things of love, now began the second state of the Lord, viz., when these celestial things appeared to Him. (In things celestial is the very light of the soul, because in them is the Divine itself, i. e., Jehovah himself; and as the Lord joined the Human Essence to the Divine when He arrived at things celestial, so Jehovah necessarily then appeared to Him.) After this followed the third state of the Lord, in which He first had perception. (Every one when he comes to things celestial receives perception from the Lord. In this place is signified the Lord's first or earliest perception, viz., exterior perception, or perception of things scientific, which appertain to the external man; for spiritual things were not as yet more interiorly opened.) Moreover, hereditary evil from the mother was seated in the external man.