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ing Words, and without Spirit and Life, unless there was a fpiritual Senfe in them, as the Soul is in the Body.

197. In the Revelation, Chap. 21. the New Jerufalem is thus defcribed, "Her Light was like unto a Stone most precious, even like a Fafper Stone clear as Chrysal; and he had a Wall great and high, having twelve Gates, and at the Gates twelve Angels, and Names written thereon, which are the Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Ifrasl. And the Wall was an hundred and forty-four Cubits, which is the Measure of a Man, that is, of an Angel; and the Building of the Wall was of Jafper; and it's Foundations of all Manner of precious Stones, as Fajer, Supphire, Chalcedony, Emerald, Sardonix, Sardius, Chryfotite, Beryl, Topaz, Chryfoprafus, facinth, and Amethyst. And the Gates were twelve Pearls; and the City was pure Gold, as ii were transparent Glafs; and it was four fquare; the Length, and the Breadth, and the Height of it are equal, twelve thoufand Furlongs," with many other Circumftances. That all this Defcription is to be understood fpiritually, appears from hence, that by the New Jerufalem is meant the New Church, which is to be eftablished by the Lord, as is fhewn in the ApacALYPSIS REVELATA. No. 880; and fince by Jerufalem is there fignified the Church, it follows of Confequence, that all Things fpoken of it, as of a City, refpecting it's Wall, the Foundations of the Wall, and their Meafures contain a fpiritual Senfe, inafmuch as all Things relating to the Church are fpiritual. What the Expreffions in the above Defcription particularly fignify, is fhewn in the Apocalypfis Revelata, from No. 896 to 925, wherefore it is neediefs here to repeat the Explanation. It is enough to understand from thence, that there is a fpiritual Senfe in every Part of the Defcription, as the Soul is in the Body, and that without fuch a Senfe the Expreffions could have no Reference to the Church; as where it is faid that the City was of pure Gold, it's Gates of Pearls, the Wall of Jafper, the Foundations of the Wall of precious Stones, that the Wall was 144 Cubits, which is the Meafure of a Man, that is, an Angel, and that the City was in Length, Breadth, and Height, 12000 Furlongs, with many other Particulars; but whofoever by the Science of Correfpondencies is acquainted with the fpiritual Senfe of the Word, he will understand all thofe Expreffions, and will fee, for Ins

ftance, that the Wall and it's Foundations fignify the Doctrinals of the New Church, derived from the literal Sense of the Word; and that the Numbers, 12, 144, 12000, fignify all Things belonging to it, or all it's Truth's and Goods in the Complex.

198. Where the Lord fpeaketh to his Difciples about the Confummation of the Age, which is the laft Time of the Church, at the End of his Predictions concerning it's fucceffive Changes of State, he faith, "Immediately after the Tribulation of thofe Days the Sun fhall be darkened, and the Moon fhall not give her Light, and the Stars fhall fall from Heaven, and the Powers of the Heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven; and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great Glory. And he shall fend his Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet, and they shall gather his Elect from the four Winds, from one End of Heaven to the other," Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, 31. By thefe Words, in their spiritual Senfe, is not meant that the Sun and the Moon fhould be darkened, that the Stars fhould fall from Heaven, and that the Sign of the Lord fhould appear in the Heavens, and that he thould be feen in the Clouds, attended by his Angels with Trumpets; but by all these Expreffions are meant fpiritual Things relating to the Church, of whofe final State or Period they are fpoken; for according to the fpiritual Senfe, by the Sun, which shall be darkened, is meant Love towards the Lord; by the Moon, which fhall not give her Light, is meant Faith towards him; by the Stars which fhall fall from Heaven, are meant the Knowledges of Truth and Goodnefs; by the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven is meant the Appearance of Divine Truth in the Word from Him; by the Tribes of the Earth, which fhall mourn, is meant a Defect of all Truth which is of Faith, and of all Good which is of Love; by the Coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds of Heaven, with Power and great Glory, is meant the Prefence and Revelation of the Lord in the Word; by the Clouds of Heaven is fignified the literal Senfe of the Word; and by Glory the spiritual Sense; by the Angels with a great Sound of a Trumpet is meant Heaven, whence Divne Truth cometh; by gathering together the Elect from the four Winds, from one End of Heaven to the other,

is meant the New Heaven and the New Church, to be formed of those who have Faith towards the Lord, and live according to his Precepts. That in this Paffage we are not to understand the Darkening of the Sun and Moon, and the falling of the Stars upon the Earth, ia evident from the Writings of the Prophets, where Mention is made of the fame Circumftances relating to the State of the Church, at the Time when the Lord fhould come into the World; as in Ifaiah, "Behold the Day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with Wrath and fierce Anger; for the Stars of Hea ven and the Conftellations thereof shall not give their Light; the Sun fhall be darkened in his going forth, and the Moon shall not caufe her Light to shine; and I will punish the World for their Evil," Chap. xiii. 9, 10, 11; and in Joel, "The Day of the Lord cometh, a Day of Darkness and of Gloominess; the Sun and the Moon fhall be darkened, and the Stars fhall withdraw their Shining," Chap. ii. 2; Chap. iii. 15; and in Ezekiel, I will cover the Heavens, and make the Stars thereof dark, ĺ will cover the Sun with a Cloud, and the Moon fhall not give her Light, all the bright Lights of Heaven will I make Ďarkness over thee, and fet Darkness upon thy Land," Chap. xxxii. 7, 8. By the Day of the Lord is meant the Lord's Advent, which was at a Time, when there was no longer any Good of Love, or Truth of Faith, remaining in the Church, or any Knowledge of the Lord; wherefore it is called a Day of Darkness and Gloominefs.

199. That the Lord, during his Abode in the World, fpake by Correfpondencies, and thus both spiritually and naturally at the fame Time, may appear from his Parables, in every Word of which there is a fpiritual Senfe contained. Let us take an Inftance from the Parable of the ten Virgins, which runs thus; "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto ten Virgins, which took their Lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom; and five of them were wife, and five were foolish; they that were foolish took their Lamps, and took no Oil in them; but the wife took Oil in their Veffels with their Lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all flumbered and flept; and at Midnight there was a Cry made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Then all thofe Virgins arafe, and trimmed their Lamps; and the foolish said unto the wife, Give us of your Oil, for our

Lamps are gone out. But the wife answered, faying, Not so, left there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that fell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage; and the Door was shut. Afterward came alfo the other Virgins, faying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; but he anfivered, and faid, Verily I fay unto you, I know you not," Matt. xxv. I to 13. That in every Part of this Parable there is a spiritual Senfe, and confequently, an Holinets of Divinity, can only be feen by those who are affured of the Existence of a ipiritual Senfe, and are acquainted with the Nature of it. In the fpiritual Senfe, by the Kingdom of Heaven, is meant Heaven and the Church; by the Bridegroom, the Lord; by the Marriage, the conjugal Connection of the Lord, with Heaven and the Church, by the Good of Love, and the Truth of Faith; by Virgins, thofe who are of the Church; by Ten, all; by Five, a certain Part; by Lamps, the Things which are of Faith; by Oil, the Things which are of Love and it's Good; by fleeping and waking, the Life of Man in the World, which is natural, and his Life after Death, which is fpiritual; by buying, to procure for themfelves; by going to those that fell, and buying Oil, to procure for themselves the Good of Love from others after Death; and because this is then impracticable, therefore, although they came with their Lamps, and the Oil they had bought, to the Marriage Door, yet the Bridegroom faid unto them, I know you not; the Reafon is, becaufe Man, at the Period of his Life in this World; retaineth for ever that Nature and Quality, which he had acquired by that Life. From hence it is evident, that the Lord fpake by mere Correfpondencies, and this in Confequence of fpeaking from the Divinity which was in Him and His. Because Virgins fignify thofe who are of the Church, it is therefrom that in the Prophetical Parts of the Word we find fo frequent Mention made of the Virgin and Daughter of Zion, Jerufalem, Judah, and Ifrael: And becaufe Oil fignifies the Good of Love, therefore all the Holy Things of the Church were anointed with Oil. The Cafe is fimilar in Refpect to the other Parables, and all the Words spoken by the Lord; and it was from this, Ground that the Lord declareth, that his Words are Spirit and Life, John vi. 63.

200. III. THAT IT IS OWING TO THE SPIRITUAL SENSE THAT THE WORD IS DIVINELY INSPIRED, AND HOLY IN EVERY SYLLABLE.

It is afferted in the Church, that the Word is Holy, inafmuch as the Lord Jehovah fpake it; but becaufe it's Holiness doth not appear in it's literal Senfe, therefore, they who once begin to doubt about it's Holinefs on that Account, in the future Courfe of their Reading, confirm their doubts by many Paffages they meet with, fuggetting thefe fcrupulous Queftions, Can this be Holy? Can this be Divine? Now to prevent the Influence of fuch Doubts on Mens Minds, left they fhould become general, and in Confequence thereof, the Word of God fhould be rejected as a common trivial Writing, and thereby the Lord's Conjunction with Man fhould be cut off, it Eth pleafed Lord, at this Time to reveal it's spiritual Senfe, for the Purpose of difcovering to Mankind in what Part of it it's Divine Sanctity lieth concealed. But to illuftrate this, let us apply to Examples. In the Word we find frequent Mention made fometimes of Egypt, fometimes of Afhur, fometimes of Edom, of Moab, of the Children of Ammon, of the Philiftines, of Tyre and Sidon, and of Gog; they now, who do not know that by thofe Names the things of Heaven and of the Church are fignified, may eafily be led into an erroneous Notion, that the Word treateth much of People and Nations, and but little of Heaven and the Church, confequently much about earthly Things, and but little about heavenly Things; whereas, were fuch Perfons acquainted with what is fignified by those People and Nations, or by their Names, this might be a Means to lead them out of Error into Truth. In like Manner, when it is obferved that in the Word frequent Mention is made of Gardens, Groves, Woods, and alfo of the Trees that grow therein, as the Olive, the Vine, the Cedar, the Poplar, and the Oak; and alfo of Lambs, Sheep, Goats, Calves, Oxen; and likewife of Mountains, Hills, Valleys, Fountains, Rivers, Waters, and the like; he who knoweth Nothing of the fpiritual Senfe of the Word, muft of Neceffity be led to fuppofe, that Nothing further is meant by thefe Things than what is expreffed in the Letter; for he little thinketh, that by a Garden, a Grove, and a Wood, are meant Wifdom, Intelligence, Science; that by the Oliye, the Vine, the Cedar, the Poplar, and the Oak, are meant the Good and Truth of the Church, under the dif

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