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THE NEW YORK

PUBLIC LIBRARY

.R

413624B

ASTOR, LENOY AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

1947

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PREFACE.

THE new and brilliant dispensation of Divine Truth to the world, under the title of the New Jerusalem, has already made considerable progress in the United States, and is now advancing with the most encouraging aspect; hundreds, who had believed such a dispensation unnecessary and improbable, having become convinced of its truth, and embraced it with ardor. As the great design of the editors, in undertaking this Magazine, was the propagation of the Heavenly doctrines of this glorious dispensation, in an easy and familiar way, it affords them indescribable satisfaction to learn that their humble endeavors have been attended with such considerable success. Many sincere and pious minds, we are informed, have, by the instrumentality of this work, been brought to the knowledge of the truth, or, at least, to an ardent desire of seeking it for its own sake. Others, from being enemies and opposers of the New Church, are now, through the unsearchable operations of Divine Providence, living witnesses in favor of those very doctrines which they so lately despised.

This New Dispensation has been granted to a world whose evils had immersed them in darkness, through a Messenger whom we devoutly believe to have been specially chosen, and instructed for the important office by Divine Illumination; whose character, message, and credentials, shall be amply discussed, explained, and demonstrated, in the course of the publication we have now commenced.

This New Dispensation, we boldly aver, to be the commencement of that happy MILLENNIUM so long foretold-so ardently desiredso confidently expected. That such an event is looked for by the Christian world, is too well known to need either argument or proof in support of the assertion. That it is, at length, actually taking place, we pledge ourselves to prove by the most incontrovertible testimony. This is the degenerate age of the Christian Church, in which "iron is mixed with miry clay, but they shall not cleave one to another; and in these days shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which shall

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never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces all those kingdoms; but IT shall stand for ever."* We know that this kingdom is already begun. We know that the SECOND ADVENT of our Lord Jesus Christ is now taking place, not in person, but "in the clouds of Heaven," that is, in the unfolding of the internal and spiritual sense of his Holy WORD, in which he resides, and where we may now behold him through the clouds and darkness which the letter or literal sense has so long interposed between our God and us. The veil of the temple is rent in twain, and we can now enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum, and worship the one only living and true God, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is now coming "with the clouds of Heaven; and there shall be given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all people, nations, and languages, shall serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed " The New Jerusalem is now "descending from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them." "This is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is Jehovah whom we have expected."}} He is now coming "in strength, and shall feed his flock like a shepherd."¶

All this we positively and unhesitatingly assert, and are abundantly prepared to prove. But we do not expect to gain immediate or general assent to the novel and surprising idea. We know that our Lord comes in an hour when he is not looked for, and that he will not be readily acknowledged. But truth must ultimately prevail, and "the knowledge of Jehovah will yet one day cover the earth as the waters cover the seas." “In that day Jehovah shall be king over all the earth; in that day Jehovah shall be one, and his name one."** We do not look (of ourselves) for success, but only offer to our Divine Master those services which he alone has given us the power of performing, trusting that he will deign to accept of such humble instruments in preparing the way for his second coming. As the heralds of his approach, we would cry, with John in the wilderness, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." We would exhort "the children of men to put their trust under the shadow of his wings. Then shall they be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house,

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PREFACE.

and he shall make them drink of the river of his pleasures." "The streams whereof will make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her, and that right early.”+

As trumpeters on the walls of Zion, we would make known, to an evil world, the coming of our Lord, that wedding garments may be ready, the lamps well supplied with oil, trimmed and burning, as ye know not the hour when your hearts, individually, will be visited. If they are swept clean from self-love, and garnished with innocence, he will dwell with you; but if not, your ruin is inevitable. It is this which has prompted us to the present undertaking; and it is this which encourages us to persevere in the same.

THE EDITORS.

* Psalm xxxvi. 7, 8.

Psalm xlvi. 45.

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