Page images
PDF
EPUB

"and lo! the leaves in our hands became silver, and we "brought them away as a sign that we had conversed "with the people of the silver age."

[ocr errors]

45. Concerning THE HELL OF THOSE (WHO WERE "OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH.] The hells of the men of the "Noahtic or ancient church for the most part consist of "magicians, who have huts and places of entertainment "scattered up and down in the desert. They wander "about there with staves in their hands, of various forms, "some of which are stained with juices appropriated to "the art of necromancy; by them, as in former times, "they still exercise their delusive arts, which are effected "by the abuse of correspondences, by fantasies, by

persuasive assurances, which formerly gave birth to a "miraculous faith, and to miraculous works, and also by "exorcisms, inchantments, fascinations, and sorceries, "with several other diabolical contrivances, whereby "they present illusory appearances as if they were real : "the highest delight of their heart is to utter prophecies "and prognostications, and to act the part of Pythons "[or familiar spirits.] From these chiefly have arisen the "enthusiastic notions, which have prevailed in the chris"tian world."

LEMMA

LEMMA THE FOURTH.

Of the Israelitish and Jewish Church.

46. In order that the states of this church may be well understood and distinctly arranged, it is necessary to consider them in the following order: I. That the first state of this church was the appearance of the Lord Jehovih, and it's calling and confederation, and at the same time it's rise or morning. II. That the second state of this church was it's instruction, and afterwards introduction into the land of Canaan, and at the same time it's progression into light and it's day. I. That the third state of this church was it's deviation from true representative worship into idolatrous worship, and at the same time it's vastation or evening. IV. That the fourth state of this church was it's profanation of sanctities, and at the same time it's consummation or night. V. That before this state, and after it, a promise was made of the coming of the Lord Jehovih into the world, and of a new church, wherein justice and judgment should reign. VI. That the fifth state of this church was the separation of the good from the evil, and at the same time the judgment upon those who had been of that church, which judgment took place in the spiritual world. VII. Some observations concerning the heaven and hell of that nation.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

I.

That the first State of this Church was the Appearance of the Lord Jehovih, and it's Calling and Confederation, and at the same Time it's Rise or Morning.

47. We are taught by the Word, that the Lord Jehovih hath appeared at the beginning of each of the four churches, which have existed on this earth: the reason is, because God is all in all of the church and it's religion, and the acknowledgment of God therein is like the soul. in the body, which vivifies both it's interiors and it's exteriors; it is also like the prolific principle in seed, which intimately uniting with all the sap drawn from the earth by the root, accompanies it from the first stage, of germination even to the production of fruit, into which also it enters, and disposes vegetation to proceed in it's order. Wherefore a man of the church, without the acknowledgment of God, is in the sight of angels a mere brute like a wild beast of the wood, or like a bird of the night, or like a huge monster of the sea; yea a man, without the acknowledgment of God, is like a tree, whose branches are chopped off, and whose trunk is cut in pieces, and the whole piled up into a heap reserved for the fire, for the Lord saith, Without me ye cannot do any thing; if any one abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather him, and cast him into the fire, and he is burned, John xv. 5, 6. Man, without the acknowledgment of God, is inwardly, as to his rational principles, like the ruinous heaps of a city that has been burnt; and he is also like food, which,

when

when the nutritious juices are boiled out of it, is fit only for the dunghill; not to mention other comparisons.

48. But it would be impossible for man to acknowledge God or any thing divine, unless God had manifested himself in a personal human form; for the natural things of the world encompass him about, so that he neither sees, feels, nor aspires to any thing else, but what is thence, and in immediate contact with the organs of his body; hence his mind conceives and acquires a rational principle, which lies in the very bosom of nature, like an embryo in the womb; neither does it see any thing before it is brought forth, and receives sight. How then can man in this state by any means look beyond nature, and acknowledge any thing above it, as is every thing divine, celestial, and spiritual, and consequently every thing relating to religion? These things are in themselves above natural things; wherefore there is an absolute necessity, that God should manifest himself, and thereby cause himself to be acknowledged [by man,] and after acknowledgment favour him with his divine inspiration, and by this received in the heart lead him, and at length [raise him] to himself into heaven, which cannot possibly be effected, except by instructions. Must not an emperor also, or a king, first cause himself to be acknowledged and crowned, before he enters upon his government? and likewise before his coronation, is he not provided with the insignia of authority, clothed [in garments of royalty,] and anointed? must he not bind the people to himself by stipulated covenants mutually confirmed by oath, whereupon the people become the king's, and the king the people's? Must not a bridegroom first

[blocks in formation]

cause himself to be seen, before he makes proposals of betrothing, and afterwards of marriage? Must not a father stand before his infant, embrace and kiss him, before the infant can say Abba father? and so in other cases. Still more must the Lord Jehovih, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, Apoc. xvii. 14; the Bridegroom and Husband of the church, Apoc. xxi. 9; and consequently the Father of all her offspring. By the Lord Jehovih we understand the Lord our Saviour and Redeemer, who in Daniel and in the prophets throughout is called the Lord Jehovih.

49. It was observed above, that the first state [of this church] with the sons of Israel was the appearance of the Lord Jehovih, it's calling and confederation; and we learn from the Word, that these three things took place first with Abram, secondly with Moses, and thirdly with all the people. THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD Jehovih BEFORE ABRAHAM is described in Genesis thus, Jehovah appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre; he was sitting at the door of his tent, and when he lifted up his eyes and saw, behold three men stood near him, whom as soon as he saw, he ran to meet them from the door of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth; and he said, ADONAI, if I have found grace in thy eyes, pass not away, I pray, from thy servant, chap. xviii. 1, 2, 3, &c. It was the Lord our Saviour, who appeared in his divine trinity, represented by the three angels, for the Lord said, Abraham exulted to see my day, and he saw and rejoiced; verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am, John viii. 56, 58. There is in the Lord a divine trinity, and the divine

« PreviousContinue »