felves; wherefore had the celeftial and fpiritual Significations been revealed to them, they would not only have rejected, but also have profaned them; for this Reason, Heaven was fo fhut up against them, that they fcarce knew whether there was such a Thing as eternal Life; and that fuch was the Cafe with them, appears evident from the Circumftance, that they did not acknowledge the Lord, although the whole Scripture, throughout prophefied concerning him, and foretold his Coming; they rejected him folely on that Account, because he instructed about an heavenly Kingdom, and not about an earthly one; for they wanted a Meffiah, who fhould exalt them above all Nations in the World, and not a Meffiah, who should provide only for their eternal Salvation.

206. The Reason why the Science of Correfpondencies, which is the true Key to the spiritual Senfe of the Word, was not difcovered to later Ages, was, because the Chriftians of the Primitive Church were Men of fuch great Simplicity, that it was to no Purpose to difcover it to them; for had it been difcovered, they would have found no Ufe in it, nor would they have understood it. After those first Ages of Chriftianity, there arofe thick Clouds of Darknefs, which overfpread the whole Chriftian World, firft in Confequence of many heretical Opinions propagated in the Church, and foon after in Confequence of the Decrees and Determinations of THE COUNCIL OF NICE, concerning the Existence of Three Divine Perfons from Eternity, and concerning the Perfon of Chrift, as the Son of Mary, and not as the Son of Jehovah God; hence fprung the prefent Faith of Juftification, in which Three God's are approached and worshipped, according to their respective Orders, and on which depend all and every Thing belonging to the prefent Church, as the Members of the Body depend on the Head; and because Men applied every Part of the Word to confirm this erroneous Faith, therefore the fpiritual Senfe could not be difcovered; for had it been difcovered, they would have applied it alfo to a Confirmation of the fame Faith, and thereby would have prophaned the very Holy Word, and thus would have fhut up Heaven entirely against themselves, and have removed the Lord from the Church.

207. The Reason why the Science of Correfpondencies, which is the Key to the fpiritual Senfe of the Word, is revealed at this Day, is, because the Divine Truths of the Church are now coming to Light, and of these the spiritual Senfeof the Word confifteth; and whilft these are in Man, the literal Senfe of the Word cannot be perverted; for the literal Senfe is capable of being turned any Way, but if it be turned to favour the Falfe, then it's internal Sanctity is deftroyed, and the external along with it, whereas, if it be turned to favour the Truth, then the Sanctity is preserved; more, however will be faid on this Subject hereafter. That the fpiritual Senfe of the Word fhould be opened now, at this Time, is fignified by John feeing Heaven open, and the White Horfe; and alfo by his feeing and hearing the Angel who ftood in the Sun, calling all People together to a great Supper, Rev. xix. 11 to 18. But that it would not be acknowledged for fome Time, is fignified by the Beasts and the Kings of the Earth, who were about to make War with him that fat on the White Horfe; Rev. xix. 19; and alfo by the Dragon, which perfecuted the Woman, that brought forth the Man-Child, into the Wilderness, and caft out of his Mouth Water as a flood after her, that he might caufe her to be carried away of the Flood. Rev. xii. 13 to 17.

208. THAT HEREAFTER THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD WILL BE MADE KNOWN UNTO NONE BUT THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GENUINE TRUTHS FROM THE LORD.

The Reafon is, because no one can see the spiritual Senfe, except it be given him by the Lord alone, and except he be under the Influence of Divine Truths from the Lord; for the fpiritual Senfe of the Word treateth folely of the Lord and of his Kingdom, and it is that Senfe which prevaileth in his Angels in Heaven, for it is his Divine Truth there; this it is poffible for Man to violate, fuppofing him verfed in the Science of Correfpondencies, and defirous thereby to explore the spiritual Senfe of the Word, under the Influence of his own proper Intelligence alone, for by fome Correfpondencies, with which he is acquainted, he may pervert the fpiritual Senfe, and force it even to confirm what is Falfe; and this would be to offer Violence to Divine Truth, and consequently

to Heaven alfo, which is it's Place of Abode; wherefore if any one meaneth to open that Senfe by Virtue of his own Power, and not of the Lord's, Heaven is clofed against him; in which Cafe, he either lofeth fight of all Truth, or falls into fpiritual Infanity. To this may be added another Reafon, viz. That the Lord teacheth every one by Means of the Word, and groundeth his Teaching on the Knowledge's which Man is in Poffeffion of, never infufing new ones immediately; wherefore, unless a Man be under the Influence of Divine Truths, or if he be only under the Influence of a few Truths, and of Falfes at the fame Time, he may falfify Truths by Falfes, as is the Cafe with every Heretic with Regard even to the literal Senfe of the Word. To prevent, therefore, any Person from entering into the spiritual Senfe, and perverting genuine Truth, which belongeth to that Senfe, there are Guards fet by the Lord, which are fignified in the Word by Cherubims.

209. VI. A RELATION OF SOME WONDERFUL PHENOMENA RESULTING FROM THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD.

In the natural World no fuch wonderful Phænomena refult from the Word, because the spiritual Sense doth not there appear; nor is it received inwardly by Man, according to it's own proper Nature and Quality; but in the fpiritual World there are Wonderful Phænomena refulting from the Word, becaufe all in that World are fpiritual, and spiritual Things affect the fpiritual Man, as natural. Things do the natural Man. The wonderful Phænomena refulting from the Word in the` fpiritual World are many, of which I fhall here mention a few. The Word itself, kept in the most facred Parts of the Temples in that World, fhineth in the Light of the Angels like a Star of the firft Magnitude, and fometimes like the Sun, and from the bright Radiance with which it is encom paffed, there is alfo an Appearance as of beautiful Rainbows formed round about it; this Phænomenon is evident, as foon as ever the facred Repofitory of the Word is opened. That all and every particular Truth of the Word emit a bright fhining Light was made manifeft to me from this Circumftance, that when any fingle Verfe out of the Word is transcribed on Paper, and the Paper is thrown up into the Air, the Paper itfelf emitteth a bright Light, of the fame Form with that in

which it was cut out, fo that Spirits have the Power of produc ing, by the Word, a Variety of bright lucid Figures, and alfo of Birds and Fishes. But what is ftill more wonderful, if any Perfon rubs his Face, his Hands, or Cloaths, against the Word, when it is open, fo as to touch the Writing with them, his Face, Hands, and Cloaths emit a fhining Light, juft as if he flood encompaffed with the Radiance of a Star; this I have often feen and wondered at; and hence it was evident to me, what occafioned the Face of Mofes to fhine, when he brought the Tables of the Covenant down from Mount Sinai.

Befides thefe, are many other wonderful Phænomena refulting from the Word in the fpiritual World; as for Inftance if any Perfon, who is under the Influence of Falfes, looketh at the Word as it lieth in it's holy Repofitory, there arifeth a thick Darknefs before his Eyes, in Confequence whereof, the Word appears to him of a black Colour, and fometimes as if it was covered with Soot; but if the fame Perfon toucheth the Word, it occafioneth an (k) Explosion, attended with a loud Noife, and he is thrown to a Corner of the Room, where he lieth, for about the Space of an Hour, as if he was dead. If any Paffage be tranfcribed out of the Word on a Piece of Paper, by a Perfon who is under the Influence of Falfes, and the Paper be thrown up towards Heaven, instantly the fame Explofion is occafioned in the Air, between his Eye and Heaven, and the Paper is torn to Pieces, and vanifheth from the Sight; and the like happens if the Paper be thrown into a Corner of the Room, as I have often feen by Experiment. Hence it appeared to me, that thofe Perfons who are under the Influence of the Falfes of Doctrine, have no Communication with Heaven by Means of the Word, but that their Reading is difperfed in the Way, and vanifheth like Gunpowder made up in Paper, when it is fet on Fire, and goeth off in the Air. The very reverfe happens with thofe who are under the Influence of the Truth of Doctrine, by Means of the Word, from the Lord; their Reading of the Word penetrates even into Heaven, and occafioneth Conjunc tion with the Angels therein. The Angels themselves, when they defcend from Heaven, to execute any Bufinefs below, appear befet with finall Stars, particularly about the Head,

(k) See the Memorable Relation, No. 162, towards the End.

which is a Sign that they are inwardly replenished with Divine Truths from the Lord.

Moreover, in the Spiritual World, there are Existencies fimilar to thofe on Earth, but all and every Thing therein is derived from a fpiritual Origin; fo, amongst other Things, there is Gold and Silver, and precious Stones of all Kinds, whofe fpiritual Origin is the literal Senfe of the Word; hence it is, that in the Revelation, the Foundations of the Wall of the New Jerufalem are defcribed by twelve precious Stones, because by the Foundations of it's Wall are fignified the Doctainals of the New Church, derived from the literal Senfe of the Word; hence, likewife, it is, that in Aaron's Ephod there were alfo twelve precious Stones, called Urim and Thummim, and that by Means of thefe, Refponfes were given out of Heaven. Befides thefe, there are ftill many more wonderful Phænomena refulting from the Word, which refpect the Power of Truth therein, and which is fo extraordi nary, that the Defcription of it would furpafs all Belief; for the Power of Truth in the Word is fuch, that it overturns Mountains and Hills in the fpiritual World, and removes them to a great Distance, and cafts them into the Sea, with many other Circumftances; in fhort, the Power of the Lord, by Virtue of the Word, is infinite.

III.

That the Literal Senfe of the Word is the Bafis, the Continent, and the Firmament (1) of it's Spiritual and Celeftial Senfe.

210. In every Thing Divine, there is a Firft, a Middle, and a Laft, and the First paffes through the Middle to the Laft, and thereby existeth and fubfifteth; hence the Laft is

(1) The Word Continent is here used to fignify that which containeth any Thing, being derived from the Latin Word continico, which figni fies to contain; and the Word Firmament is used to fignify that which fupporteth, or fecureth any Thing from the Latin Word firmo, which fignifies to fupport or fecure. This Information may be neceffary for the Reader, who is unacquainted with the Latin Tongue, in Order to explain to him the true and full Meaning of the Terms, Continent and Firmament, as here applied by the Author.