the BASIS. The First alfo is in the Middle, and by Means of the Middle in the Laft, and thus the Laft is the CONTINENT; and because the Laft is the Continent and the Bafis, it is alfo the FIRMAMENT. The learned Reader will be able to comprehend the Propriety of calling thofe three End, Cause, and Effect, and alfo Effe, Fieri, and Exiftere; (m) and that the End anfwers to Effe, the Caufe to Fieri, and the Effect to Exiftere; confequently, that in every Thing complete there is a Trinity, which is called First, Middle, and Laft; likewise, End, Caufe, and Effect. He who comprehendeth this Reafoning, will be able to comprehend alfo, that every Divine Work is complete and perfect in the Laft; and likewise, that in the laft is contained the Whole, because the prior Things are contained together in it.

211.

From this Ground it is, that by the Number THREE, in the Word, according to it's fpiritual Senfe, is fignified what is complete and perfect, and alfo the All or Whole of a Thing; and because this is the Signification of that Number, therefore is is fo frequently applied in the Word, when that Signification is intended to be expreffed; as in the following Places, "Ifaiah was to go naked and barefoot THREE YEARS, Ifaiah xx. 3. "Jehovah called Samuel THREE TIMES, and Samuel ran THREE TIMES to Eli, and Eli understood him the THIRD TIME," 1 Sam. iii. I to 8. "David faid to Jonathan, that he would hide himself in the Field THREE DAYS, and Jonathan afterwards hot THREE ARROWS at the Stone; and David, laftly bowed himself THREE TIMES before Jonathan,"

1 Sam. xx. 5, 12 to 42. "Elijah ftretched himself THREE

"Elijah

TIMES on the Widow's Son," I Kings xvii. 20. commanded to pour Water on the Burnt-Offering THREE TIMES," I Kings xviii. 34. Jefus faid, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto to Leaven, which a Woman took and hid in THREE MEASURES of Meal, till the whole was leavened," Matt. xiii. 33. Jefus faid to Peter, that he should deny him THRICE,"

(m) We cannot poffibly enable the unlearned Reader to comprehend the Meaning of the three Latin Words here ufed, otherwife than by referring him to what is faid above, No. 18, concerning the Effe, the Effence, and the Existence of God; and if he hath a right Notion of the Dif tinction between those three Terms, he will then be able to form a good Idea of what is here meant by Effe, Fieri, and Exiftere.

66

Matt. xxvi. 34. "Jefus faid THREE TIMES unto Peter, Lovet thou Me?" John xxi. 15, 16, 17. Jonah was in the Whale's Belly THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS," Jon. ii. 2. 66 Jefus faid, Deftroy this Temple, and in THREE DAYS I will raife it up," John ii. 19. "Jefus prayed THREE TIMES in the Garden of Gethsemane," Matt. xxvi. 39 to 44. Jefus rofe again on the THIRD DAY," Matt. xxviii. 1; befides many other Paflages, where the Number Three is mentioned, in all which it denoteth a Work finished and perfect, because such a Work is fignified by that Number.

212. There are, Three Heavens, the Higheft, the Middle, and the Loweft; the Highest Heaven conftituteth the Lord's celeftial Kingdom, the Middle Heaven his fpiritual Kingdom, and the Loweft Heaven his natural Kingdom: In like Manner, as there are Three Heavens, do there are also Three Senfes of the Word, the celeftial Senfe, the fpiritual, and the natural; to which, alfo, may be applied what was faid above, No. 210, viz. that the Firft is in the Middle, and by Means of the Middle in the Laft; juft as the End is in the Caufe, and by Means of the Caufe in the Eflect. Hence appears the true Nature and Quality of the Word, viz. that in it's literal Senfe, which is natural, there is contained an inner Senfe, which is fpiritual, and in this an inmoft Senfe, which is celestial; and thus, that the laft Senfe, which is natural, and is called the literal Senfe, is the Continent, and confequently the Bafis and Firmament of the two interior Senfes.

213. Hence it is evident, that the Word, without it's literal Senfe, would be like a Palace without a Foundation, that is, like a Palace built in the Air, and not on the Ground, which could only be the Shadow of a Palace, and must vanifh away; alfo that the Word, without it's literal Senfe, would be like a Temple, in which are many holy Things, and in the Midft, the Holy of Holies, without a Roof and a Wall to contain what is within; in which Cafe, it's holy Things would be expofed to the Depredations of Thieves, and the rude Affaults of wild Beafts and Birds of Prey, whereby they would be fpoiled and made away with. And to purfue the Comparison, it would be like the Tabernacle of the

Children of Ifrael in the Wildernefs, which contained in it's inmost Part the Ark of the Covenant, and in it's Midd'e Part, the Golden Candlestick, the Golden Altar with Incense upon it, and likewife the Table of the Shew-Bread, deprived of it's laft Parts, which were it's Curtains, it's Vails, and Pillars, Nay, the Word without it's literal Senfe would be like the Human Body without it's Coverings, which are called Skins, and without it's Supporters, which are called Bones, of which fuppofing it to be deprived, it's inner Parts muft of Neceffity be difperfed and perish. It would also be like the Heart and Lungs in the Thorax, deprived of their Covering, which is called the Pleura, and their Supporters, which are called the Ribs; and like the Brain without it's Coverings, which are called the dura and pia Mater, and without it's common Co vering, Continent, and Firmament, which is called the Skull. So would it be with the Word without it's literal Senfe ; wherefore it is faid in Ifaiah, that "the Lord will create upon all the Glory a Covering," Chap. iv. 5.

IV.

That the Divine Truth, in the literal Senfe of the Word, is in it's Fulnefs, in it's Sanctity, and in it's Power.

214. The Reafon why the Word, in it's literal Senfe, is in it's Fulness, in it's Sanctity, and in it's Power, is, because the two prior, or interior Senfes, which are called Spiritual and Celeftial, are contained together in the Natural Senfe, which is the Senfe of the Letter, as was faid above, No, 210, 212; but in what Manner they are so contained together, fhall be now fhewn. Both in Heaven, and in the World, are found two Kinds, or Establishments of Order, (n) fucceffive Order,

(n) We are well aware that the Author's Reasoning in this Place, concerning fucceffive and fimultaneous Order, will appear obfcure and ab ftracted to many Readers. He is endeavouring to explain how the celeftiat and fpiritual Senfes of the Word exift togther, and at once in the natural Sense. With this View he diftinguisheth between what he calls Succeffive and Simultaneous Order. By fucceffive Order, he means the Arrangement of Things one after another, in regular Succeffion, as of the different Degrees of a Column from Top to Bottom, or of the Different States of the Atmosphere in Refpect to Denfity, from the Surface of the Earth upwards. But by fimultaneous Order he Means the Awangement of

and fimultaneous Order; in fucceffive Order one Thing fuc ceeds and follows another, from what is higheft to what is loweft; but in fimultaneous Order one Thing is next to another, from what is innermoft to what is outermoft. Succeffivé Order is like a Column with Degrees from higheft to loweft; but fimultaneous Order is like a Work whofe Center and Circumferences have a regular Coherence, even to the extremeft Superficies. We fhall now fhew in what Manner fucceffive Order becometh, in it's Ultimates, fimultaneous Order, which is thus; the highest Parts of fucceffive Order become the inmoft of fimultaneous Order, and the loweft Parts of fucceffive Order become the outermoft of fimultaneous Order; comparatively as a Column of Degrees, when it fubfideth, becometh, a coherent Body in a Plane. Thus what is fimultaneous is formed from what is fucceffive, and this is the Café in all and every Thing in the natural World, and in all and every Thing in the fpiritual World, for there is every where a First, a Middle, and a Laft; and the Firft, by Means of the Middle, tendeth and proeeedeth to it's Laft; But it fhould be well. obferved, that there are Degrees of Purity, according to which both thefe Kinds of Order are established. To apply now this Reasoning to the Word; Celeftial, Spiritual, and Natural, proceed from the Lord in fucceffive Order, and in their Laft, or Ultimate, they are in fimultaneous Order; thus then the celeftial and fpiritual Senfes of the Word are together in it's natural Senfe. When this Truth is coinprehended, it will be eafy to fee how the natural Senfe of the Word is the Continent, Bafis, and Firmament, cf it's fpiritual and celeftial Senfes, and alfo in what Manner Divine Good and Divine Truth are in the literal Senfe of the Word in their Fulnefs, in their Sanctity, and in their Power. From hence it must appear evident, that the Word is the true and very Word in it's literal Senfe, for in this Senfe Spirit and

Things one within another, as of the Contents between a Center and it's Circumferences; or as of the three Atmospheres, as exifting one within. the other; or as of the Soul, the animal Spirit, and the Body; or as of the End, the Caufe, an the Effect. Thus he fheweth, that as the End and the Caufe exift together, and at once, in the Effect, and as the Soul and animal Spirit exift together, and at once, in the Body, fo, according to the fame Law of fimultaneous Order, the celeftial and fpiritual Senfes of the Word exift together, and at once, in the natural Senfe,

Life have their inner Abodes; and this is what the Lord meant when he faid, "The Words which I Speak unto you re Spirit and Life," John vi. 63; for the Lord ipake his Words in a natural Senfe. The celestial and spiritual Senses are not the Word without the natural Senfe, for in fuch a Cafe they are like Spirit and Life without a Body; or, as was faid above, No. 213, like a Palace which hath no Foundation.

215. The Truths of the literal Senfe of the Word are, in fome Cafes, not naked Truths, but only Appearances of Truth, and like Similitudes and Comparifons taken from fuch Things as are in Nature, and thus accommodated and adequate to the Apprehenfion of fimple Minds and Children; but wereas they are at the fame Time Correfpondencies, therefore they are the Recipients and Abodes of genuine Truth; and are the containing Veffels, in like Manner as a Chrystaline Cup containeth pure and excellent Wine, or as a filver Dish containeth rich Meats, or as Garments contain the Body which they Cover; they are alfo like the Scientifics of the natural Man, which comprehend in them the Perceptions and Affections of fpiritual Truth. The real naked Truths, which are included, contained, attired, and comprehended, are in the fpiritual Senfe of the Word, and the real naked Goods are in it's celeftial Senfe. But let us illustrate this by Inftances from the Word; " Jefus faid, Wo unto you Scribes and Pharifees, for ye make clean the outfide of the Cup, and of the Platter, but within they are full of Exhortation and Excess; thou blind Pharifee, firft cleanse that which is within the Cup and Platter, that the outfide of them may be clean alfo," Matt. xxiii. 25, 26. In this Paffage the Lord fpake by Similitudes and Comparisons, which at the fame Time are Correfpondencies, ufing the Words Cup and Platter; and by Cup is not only meant, but alfo fignified, the Truth of the Word, for by Cup is meant Wine, and by Wine is fignified Truth; but by Platter is meant Meat, and by Meat is fignified Good; wherefore by making clean the Infide of the Cup and Platter, is fignified to purify the Interiors of the Mind, which relate to the Will and the Thoughts, by Means of the Word; and by the Confequent Cleanfing of the Outfide is fignified, that thus the Exteriors of the Mind are purified, which are it's Words and Works, inasmuch as thefe derive their Effence from the former,