on it in the way of general conversation, and the doctrine therein inculcated seemed at least to be received with corresponding cordiality. It however soon happened that the mother of this numerous family was attacked with a disease of a dangerous kind, which after baffling the exertions of many celebrated practitioners, in about two years came to a fatal termination, as the lady died at the age of fifty years. On the morning of the 9th of October, 1827, Mr. C. was unexpectedly apprized that Mrs. G had expressed a very urgent desire to see him without delay, though no previous interview had taken place during her protracted confinement of several months, nor had any conversation passed on religious topics up to this period. As Mr. C. had occasionally attended some branches of the family professionally, it was by him conjectured that this strong desire to see him originated in the forlorn hope, that some means might be devised to avert that calamity, which for some weeks past had appeared inevitable; but with what mingled sensations of astonishment and delight did he hear this amiable woman, this departing saint emphatically request that she might be allowed to receive the sacrament of the Holy Supper from his hands! and although several of the parochial clergy had been proposed by her almost heart-broken husband, yet that she would hear of no one from whom she would take the sacred órdinance but Dr. Churchill. On Mr. C. entering her chamber her languid eye seemed to brighten up, and her desire was expressed with an energy almost incredible in a person so very near her end. To satisfy himself that this fervour of spirit was not the effect of delirium, or a morbid action of mind, Mr. C. entered into rather a lengthened conversation with her, so far at least as was consistent with her state of exhaustion; at the same time observing, that although he had occasionally assumed the office of a Dissenting Minister, he was still but a layman. With a sort of impatient zeal, and a look that seemed to penetrate the secret working of his mind, she replied, "Of all that I am perfectly aware; the hour of my departure I know is at hand, and I have a desire to depart, which for me is far better than to remain here, but for the sake of my dear husband and children!" In broken accents she proceeded to "It is to you, my good friend! that I am indebted for the knowledge of my Redeeming God and Saviour! I have read your Book over and over again, and it has tended to confirm my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom I desire to acknowledge and worship as God and Lord of all, and it is now my earnest desire to renew my covenant with him, preparatory to my entrance into his immediate presence!" say, It being now clearly ascertained by Mr. C. that this truly piouswoman was in the full possession of her mental faculties, though on the very threshold of the eternal world, he proceeded to administer the ordinance, of which he himself partook with her. No sooner was the solemn service concluded, than "lifting up her hands with her heart unto God," she fervently exclaimed, "Thank God! thank you Doctor! now am I truly happy! now "Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace!" Finding herself by this time in a degree exhausted by her exertion, Mr. C. taking her by the hand, and, "commending her to God and the word of his grace," took an affectionate leave of her, at the same time promising to visit her again shortly. He had, however, scarcely reached home when a messenger was dispatched to acquaint him, that about five minutes after his quitting her bed side, without a groan or a struggle, Mrs. G calmly resigned her purified spirit into the hands of her God and Saviour. It appeared to Mr. Churchill, on subsequent reflection, that the spirit of this pattern of moral excellence was detained in her body until her request of receiving the consecrated elements had been complied with; and that on its completion, being previously "crucified to the world," she was enabled to quit it in "the full assurance of faith ;" and is now introduced to that great multitude which surround the eternal throne, uniting her praises with theirs and saying, "blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen." What encouragement does this brief narrative hold out to ministers and others, who by preaching or writing are occupied in disseminating a knowledge of divine truth, not to relax in their labours because they do not immediately witness its full reception in the hearts of them to whom it is addressed; but to proceed perseveringly in their work and labour of love; recollecting at the same time that although "a Paul may plant, and an Apollos may water, yet that it is God alone who can give the increase,” in the hearts and lives of his faithful and obedient followers, and that "in due time they shall reap, if they faint not." ON THE TERMS HUMAN, HUMAN ESSENCE, HUMAN To the Editors of the New Jerusalem Magazine. In addition to the above I believe there are many other terms, such as the Divine Celestial, Divine Spiritual, and Divine Natural; Rational Human, Natural Human, Corporeal Human, Maternal Human, &c. Now inasmuch as many novitiate readers of the writings of E. S. find themselves at a loss to comprehend the precise meaning of the foregoing terms, I shall feel obliged by your inserting this, hoping that it will excite the attention of some of your intelligent correspondents, and cause them to favour your readers with an explanation of the terms. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, L. C. SIMILAR VIEWS TO THOSE OF EMANUEL SWEDENBORG, TOUCHING THE WORD of GOD, ADVOCATED BY THE EDITORS OF THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. To the Editors of the New Jerusalem Magazine. Being accustomed to read the periodical literature, my attention was attracted by the following paragraph in the Gentleman's Magazine for last month, p. 432, contained in a review of Dr. Townley's "Reasons of the Laws of Moses ;" and as the sentiments therein set forth approximate very closely to those of the New Church; I have added a few remarks on them, which if approved of, you are at liberty to insert in your useful miscellany. I am, Gentlemen, ABRAHAM JONES LE CRAS. "We are among those who think that in the Bible there are many words which have distinctly a figurative and a literal meaning.(*) Natives and contemporaries might understand the language in both the acceptations mentioned,(†) but moderns and translators can take only the literal meaning, and thus render obscure and unphilosophical what he who possessed the key of the figurative cypher perfectly understood. () All the Apocalypse, and much of Ezekiel, Daniel, &c. is known to be written in a figurative diction,(§) the letter of which does not express the actual meaning.(||) Christ adopted the same sort of diction in xxivth of Matthew (**) of which however, commentators fortunately possessed the key; (++) and in short, we think that the circumstances regarding the tree of knowledge and the fall of man CANNOT BE LITERALLY INTERPRETED,(‡‡) and that were the Bible correctly understood, so far from there being any mystery or unphilosophical difficulty it it, it would be a most luminous development of the real and actual history of this world."(§§) OBSERVATIONS ON THE ABOVE EXTRACT. (*) If by the terms figurative and literal meaning, the reviewer means a double sense, that is, an internal and external one, to the words used by those penmen, who were really inspired, according to the highest sense of that word, then his views are in perfect agreement with those of the New Church, provided that the exception he has made by the use of the word many refers to the words used in those compositions contained in the Bible which were written by ordinary means. (†). This is presuming what cannot be proved: it is admitted that the style of language which is peculiar to those compositions which are of the highest order of inspiration both in the Old and New Testaments was in very ancient times extensively understood, because intimations of the same may be found in their historical parts, and confirmed by investigating the fables belonging to the Greek and Asiatic Mythology, and the Egyptian Hieroglyphics: but nevertheless be it duly considered that these compositions were written at different periods, insomuch that many centuries elapsed between the earliest of the old and the latest of the New Testament, during which time that style which had been extensively understood became perverted and ultimately lost; (see Luke xi. 52,) hence it is quite clear that when the latter books were written, native and contemporaries could not understand the language in both acceptations. We may go farther than this, and assert that the plenary inspired penmen themselves, in general were possessed only of ordinary talents, and did not necessarily understand their own compositions any more than their contemporaries did, save and except the outward sense of such parts as assumed certain scenes and operations which they and others knew belonged to the natural world. The Apostles, with the exception of Paul, who were the contemporaries of Jesus Christ, heard his prophetic declarations concerning his Second Coming, contained in Matt. xxiv. verses 29 to 34, the concluding part of which is " Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled," and it is probable that Paul was informed of these particulars by his brother apostles, if not certain that they were communicated to him by revelation, (Gal. i. 16, 17): yet notwithstanding it is clear to a demonstration that the Apostles did not understand the language, because by applying the literal sense of this prophecy to outward things in the natural world in the manner which the corruptions of the age made customary, they expected that the Lord's Second Coming would take place during their life time, (1 Thes. iv. 15,) and hence if not as to the manner, it is unquestionable, that as to the time of this important event they laboured under a mistake. And however strange it may appear, their imperfect knowledge on this subject was quite compatible with their office. (Mark xiii. 32.) We could multiply examples to an almost endless variety, particularly if we referred to the Jews who were contemporaries with the prophets, and those who were natives of the countries in which they lived: a very slight inspection of the Synagoga Judaica of Buxtorf, will convince the curious reader that the Jews so far from understanding both the figurative and literal meaning of the Scriptures written in their time, they on the contrary exhibit the extremes of perversion possible for the grossest of minds to adopt. (1) The very crude manner in which this part of the Reviewer's paragraph is constructed displays a most unmeaning compound of truth and falsehood. That translators in adopting the literal meaning, when in the act of translating from the original text, thereby render the letter obscure and unphilosophical is really nonsense; because the translation, if literal, (idiomatical expressions excepted) can neither be plainer or more figurative than the original; but if it be meant that translators and moderns, ignorant of the key by which the spiritual contents of the letter of the Word may be deciphered, can only apply the literal sense to natural things and circumstances, and thus in their explanations present a mass of disgusting incongruities, they are earnestly entreated by the writer of these remarks to study the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg in order to extricate themselves from the dilemma in which they are. (§) This does not go far enough: not only all the Apocalypse and much of Daniel, &c. but the whole of every composition produced by the same means, even as to its particulars, is written in this diction, and however plainly the literal sense in general may apply to events in the natural world, yet their very parts as well as all the others, do in a regular and connected series, figure forth by representation and correspondence spiritual instruction. (I) This is a mistake: the letter always expresses the actual meaning; but being constructed according to different STYLES, it is not always understood, because those styles are not distinguished. (**) If the sort of diction here alluded to is such that the literal sense of THE WORD must always be understood according |