and most extreme of all, which was the passion of the cross, therefore he endured it. These are the universals of faith concerning the Lord.

The universal of the christian faith on man's part, is, to believe in the Lord; for by believing in him he has conjunction with him, and by conjunction, salvation. To believe in him is to have confidence that he will save; and because none can have such confidence but he who leads a good life, therefore this also is understood by believing in him.

These two universals of the christian faith have been specifically treated of; the first, which relates to the Lord, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord; and the second, which relates to man, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Charity and Faith, and in The Doctrine of Life: and both now in the explanations of the Apocalypse.

CHAPTER II.

1. UNTO the angel of the Church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

2. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy endurance, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil, and hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. 3. And hast borne, and hast endurance, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.

4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity.

5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen; and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead, and is alive. 9. 1 know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art

rich,) and I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried : and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges.

13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth.

14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans; which thing I hate.

16. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass.

19. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants to commit whoredom, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom; and she repented not.

22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

25. Nevertheless, that which ye have, hold fast till I come. 26. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28. And I will give him the morning star.

29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE.

68. THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER. To the churches in the Christian world: to those therein, who primarily regard truths of doctrine and not good of life, who are understood by the church of Ephesus, n. 72-90. To those therein who are in good as to life and in falses as to doctrine, who are understood by the church in Smyrna, n. 91–106. To those therein who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths, who are understood by the church in Pergainos, n. 107-123. And to those therein who are in faith originating in charity, as also to those who are in faith separated from charity, who are understood by the church in Thyatira, n. 124-152. All these are called to the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.

THE CONTENTS OF EACH VERSE. "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write," signifies to those and concerning those, who primarily respect truths of doctrine, and not good of life: "These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,” signifies, the Lord, from whom, by the Word, proceed all truths: "Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks," signifies, from whom all illumination is received by those who are of his church: "I know thy works," signifies, that he sees all the interiors and exteriors of man at once: "And thy labor and thy endurance," signifies their study and patience: "And how thou canst not bear them that are evil," signifies, that they cannot bear that evil should be called good, nor the reverse: "And hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars," signifies, that they scrutinize those things which are called goods and truths in the church, which nevertheless are evils and falses: "And hast borne and hast endurance," signifies, patience with them: "And for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted," signifies, their study and endeavor to attain the things which belong to religion and its doctrine: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies, that this is against them that they do not esteem good of life in the first place: "Remember therefore

from whence thou art fallen," signifies, remembrance of their error: "And repent, and do the first works," signifies, that they ought to invert the state of their life: “Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent," signifies, that otherwise of a certainty, illumination will not be given them to see truths any longer: “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate," signifies, that they know this by virtue of the truths they possess, and thence are not willing that works should be meritorious: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies that he that understands, ought to obey what the divine truth of the Word teaches those who are to be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem: "To him that overcometh," signifies, he who fights against evils and falses, and is reformed: "Will I give to eat of the tree of life," signifies, appropriation of the good of love and charity from the Lord: "Which is in the midst of the paradise of God,” signifies, interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith.

"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write," signifies, to those and concerning those, who are in good as to life, but in falses as to doctrine: "These things saith the First and the Last," signifies, the Lord, that he is the only God: "Who was dead and is alive," signifies, that he is neglected in the church, and his Humanity not acknowledged to be divine, when yet as to that also he alone is life, and from him alone is life everlasting: "I know thy works," signifies, that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once: "And tribulation and poverty (but thou art rich,") signifies, that they are in falses, and thence not in goods: "And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not," signifies, the false assertion that they possess the goods of love, when in fact they do not: "But are the synagogue of Satan,” signifies, because they are in falses as to doctrine: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer," signifies, despair not, when infested by evils and assaulted by falses: "Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison," signifies, that their good of life will be infested by evils from hell: "That ye may be tried," signifies, by falses fighting against them: "And ye shall have tribulation ten days," signifies, that it will endure its full time: “Be thou faithful unto death," siguifies, reception of truths until falses are removed: “And I will give thee a crown of life," signifies, that they will then have eternal life, the reward of victory: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies here, as before: "He that overcometh," signifies, he that fights against evils and falses, and is reformed: "Shall not be hurt of the second death," signifies, that afterwards they shall not yield to evils and falses from hell.

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write," signifies, to those and concerning those, who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths of doctrine: "These things saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges," sig

nifies, the Lord as to the truths of doctrine from the Word, by which evils and falses are dispersed: "I know thy works," signifies here, as before: "And where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is," signifies, their life in darkness: "And thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith," signifies, when yet they have religion and worship according to it: “Even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth," signifies, when all truth was extinguished by falses in the church: "But I have a few things against thee," signifies, that the things which follow are against them: "Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication," signifies, that there are some among them who do hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated: "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate," signifies, that there are some among them also who make works meritorious: "Repent," signifies, that they should take heed of such works: "Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth,” signifies, if not, that the Lord will contend with them from the Word: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies here, as before: "To him that overcometh," signifies here, the saine as before: "Will I give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies, the appropriation then of the good of celestial love, and thus conjunction of the Lord with those who operate: “And will give him a white stone,” signifies, truths affirmative and united to good: "And in the stone a new name written," signifies, that thus they will have good of a quality such as they had not before: “ Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it," signifies, that it does not appear to any one, because it is written in their lives.

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write,” signifies, to those and concerning those, who are in faith grounded in charity, and thence in good works; and also to those and concerning those, who are in faith separated from charity, and thence in evil works: "These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire," signifies, the Lord as to the divine wisdom of his divine love: "And his feet like fine brass," signifies, divine good natural: “I know thy works," signifies here, as before: "And charity and service," signifies, the spiritual affection which is called charity, and its operation: "And faith, and thy endurance, and thy works," signifies, truth and the desire of acquiring and teaching it: “And the last to be more than the first," signifies, the increase thereof from the spiritual affection of truth: "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee," signifies, what follows: "Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel," signifies, that among them there are some in the church who separate faith from charity: "Who calleth herself a prophetess,"