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necessary. But although both in such conduct might suppose themselves right, it is yet to be observed that both would be wrong; for although each opinion would be in apparent agreement with some declarations, each would be in direct opposition to others. In order therefore to bring the subject into agreement with itself, every wise man will bring the two apparently opposite declarations together, and make one of them: he will reflect, that, as the Lord, in speaking of the means and conditions of salvation, sometimes mentions works and sometimes faith, both must be necessary. Without works, and of course without the commandments, faith were a mere shadow, unprofitable as those of the Jewish economy, for which it is held as a glorious substitute. Glorious indeed is a true and living faith when compared with dead forms, but faith can never supply the place of living action. We gladly accept faith for the shadows of the law; but we must be allowed to retain the substance. The ten commandments are not shadows: they are the substance of all religion; and without obedience to them, our religion would be a shadow indeed. "What doth it profit though a man say he have faith, and have not works? can faith save him? know, O vain man! that faith without works is dead." Though I had all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." The Apostle Paul, who makes this declaration, says in 1 Timothy i. 5. "The end of the commandment is charity." Charity he declares to be the first of christian graces, and the commandments the means of acquiring it. But what inconsistency do they argue for the Apostle, who contend, that while he pronounces the grace superior and indispensible, he despises and rejects the means by which it is attained.

So convinced have some been of the violence offered to the Word by excluding the commandments from the pale of the church, that they have, as in the Wesleyan creed, admitted them in an oblique way, and to a limited extent, as means of salvation, though not of justification, that being reserved for faith alone. The scheme supposes that man is justified by faith, and rewarded according to his works: that is, faith procures, and faith only can procure his justification, but the reward that follows is measured by his works. Now it is believed by those who hold this opinion, that a sinner can receive this faith at the last hour of his life, when no works can follow the conviction. When he appears before the judge, having faith he must be justified, but having no works he can have no reward. Being justified, he cannot be consigned to hell; being entitled to no reward, he cannot be admitted into heaven. If these notions are true, no inconsiderable number must

be rendered unfit both for heaven and for hell. Those who hold such opinions have certainly much use for a middle state, which they are so strenuous in rejecting.

If it be allowed, that by justification a man is declared to be just, it appears unaccountable how this can be done without the aid or means of the commandments. No man can be just without keeping the commandments; and it is in the highest degree inconsistent to suppose, that a state of justification is attainable without their means. "The commandments are holy, just, and good," and we can never become holy, just, or good, without their instrumentality. We should be particularly guarded against considering obedience to the holy law of God an adventitious qualification. Obedience must be made a state of will, and thence of the whole life; and then shall we be children of the new covenant: "This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts."

W. B.

Review of Books.

The Gospel according to Mark, translated from the original Greek and illustrated by Extracts from the Theological Writings of that eminent servant of the Lord, the Hon. Emanuel Swedenborg. Together with notes and observations of the translator annexed to each chapter. By the Rev. J. CLOWES, M. A. Rector of St. John's Church, Manchester, and late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Manchester, pp. 340, 8vo. price 6s.

WE sit down with peculiar pleasure to notice this publication, and we are persuaded our readers will participate with us in the satisfaction and delight resulting from the consideration, that, the venerable translator, has now completed his translation of the whole of the Gospels, just at the period when he completes his eighty-third year; and they will rejoice further, to know that he is in the enjoyment of good health, and industriously employed in writing for the use of the New Jerusalem. We will not detain our readers by lengthened remarks, but proceed to lay before them a specimen of the work; and as the last chapter is the shortest, and best adapted to our limits, we give it entire with the translator's internal sense, and some of his extracts from Swedenborg.

CHAPTER XVI.

1. And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of James and Salome had bought spices, that when they came they might anoint Him.

2. And very early on one of the Sabbaths they come to the sepulchre, as the sun was rising.

3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll away for us the stone from the door of the sepulchre ?

4. And when they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very great.

5. And entering into the sepulchre they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment; and they were affrighted.

6. But he said unto them, Be not affrighted, ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here; behold the place where they laid him!

7. But go away, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee; there ye shall see Him, as He said unto you.

8. And going out quiekly, they fled from the sepulchre, being troubled and amazed, and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

9. But when He was risen early on the first [day] of the Sabbath, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene; out of whom He cast seven demons.

10. She going forth told it to those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11. And they, hearing that He was alive, and was seen by her, did

not believe.

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THE INTERNAL SENSE. THAT the LORD'S resurrection early in the morning involves in it the arising of a New Church, both in general and in particular, yea also in singular, thus that He rises again daily, yea every moment, in the minds of the regenerate, v. 1, 2.

On which occasion they, who are in the affection of good and truth, experience the removal of all false principles, so that celestial good and truth are made manifest, v. 3, 4, and former part of the 5th verse.

By which they are led into holy adoration, and are admonished that the LORD's Humanity was made Divine, and is continually present to guide them, v. 6, 7.

Yet they are afraid to publish this admonition, until it is further enforced by the LORD's visible manifestation of Himself to the humble and the penitent, v. 8, 9.

Nevertheless it is still doubted, until it is further enforced by His visible manifestation to those who had been instructed in the doctrine of truth v. 10 to 15.

To whom a charge is given to announce to the humble and the penitent the manifestation of God in the flesh in the person of JESUS CHRIST, and that heaven and eternal life are opened to all those, who

17. But these signs shall follow them that believe. In My name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues;

18. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall

recover.

19. But the Lord, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20. But they going forth preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following.

believe in this manifestation and do the work of repentance, but are closed against those who do not believe, v. 15, 16.

They are further taught that by a right belief all false principles of every kind are cast out; the doctrinals of the New Church are received; security is given against infestation from the hells, and the infection of wickedness; at the same time by communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the LORD, spiritual diseases are healed, v. 17, 18.

Thus the sum and substance of all evangelical truth is to be found in the acknowledgement, that the LORD hath Divine Omnipotence even as to His Humanity, and that He is continually at work in the minds of the humble and the penitent to confirm this acknowledgement. AMEN.

EXTRACTS FROM THE THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS

of

THE HONOURABLE EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

VERSE 2 and 9. And very early in the morning on one of the Sabbaths, they come to the sepulchre, as the sun was rising. Inasmuch as morning in a proper sense signifies the Lord, His coming, thus the approximation of His kingdom, it may be manifest what morning further signifies, viz. the arising of a New Church, for this is the Lord's kingdom in the earths, and this both in general and in particular, yea also in singular; in general, when any New Church is raised up on this globe; in particular, when man is regenerating, and is made new, for on this occasion the kingdom of the Lord arises in him and he becomes a church; in singular, as often as the good of love and of faith is operative in him, for in this good is the Lord's advent; hence the Lord's resurrection on the third day in the morning, Mark xvi. 2, 9. Luke xxiv. 1. John xx. 1, involves all those things, even in particular and singular, that He rises again in the minds of the regenerate every day, yea every moment. A. C. 2405.

Inasmuch as the Lord is the morning, therefore also He arose from the grave early in the morning, being about to establish a New Church. T. C. R. 764.

Verses 3, 4. And they said among themselves, who shall roll away for us the stone from the door of the Sepulchre, &c. &c. By the stone, which was placed before the monument, and which was rolled away by the angel, is signified the Divine Truth, thus the Word, which was closed by the Jews, but opened by the Lord; and whereas by a sepulchre, in the spiritual sense, is signified resurrection and regeneration, and eminently by the sepulchre, in which the Lord was laid, and by angels, in the Word, is signified Divine Truth, therefore the angels were seen one sitting at the head and the other at the feet, and by the angel at the head was signified the Divine Truth in first principles, and by the angel at the feet the Divine Truth in ultimates, each proceeding from the Lord, by which, when it is received, regeneration is effected and there is resurrection. Ap. Ex. 687.

Verse 5. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white garment. Thai rational truths, are like a covering or clothing to spiritual truths, may be thus explained; the inmost principles of man, are what constitute his soul, but the exterior principles are what constitute his body: The inmost principles of man are goods and

truths, from which the soul hath its life, otherwise the soul would not be soul; exterior principles hence derive their life, and are all like a body, or, what is the same thing like a covering or clothing; which may especially be manifest from those which appear in the other life, as from the angels when they are presented to view, on which occasion their interior principles shine forth from the face, whilst the exterior principles are represented both in their body and in their clothing, insomuch that every one may there know from the clothing alone what is their quality, for they are real substances, thus essences in form; the case is the same with the angels who have been seen, and who have been described in the Word as to their faces and clothing, as with those who were seen in the Lord's sepulchre, Matt. xxviii. 3. Mark xvi. 5, A. C. 4576.

Verse. 15. And he said unto them, Going forth into all the world, preach ye the gospel to every creature. That beasts signify affections appertaining to man, evil affections with the wicked, and good affections with the good, may be abundantly manifest from the Word, as in Ezekiel, “Behold I will have respect to you, that ye may be cultivated and sown, and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall be multiplied and made fruitful, and I will make you to dwell according to your ancient states," xxxvi. 9, 10, 11, speaking of regeneration. And in Jeremiah, "Behold the days are coming and I will sow the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, with the seed of man, and the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and plant," xxxi. 27, 28, speaking also of regeneration. A distinction is made in the prophets between beasts and wild beasts of the earth, and between beast and wild beasts of the field. Good principles are still called beasts, so that they who are nearest to the Lord in heaven, are named animals, both in Ezekiel, and in the Revelation, in which latter book it is written, "All the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders and the four animals, and they fell before the throne on their faces, and adored the Lamb." Rev. vii. 11. xix. 4. They are also called creatures, to whom the gospel was to be preached because they were to be created anew, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark xvi, 15. A. C. 46. Inasmuch as to be made, or created, also signifies to be regenerated, therefore he who is born again is said also to be made or created anew, as is plain from these passages, "CREATE in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me," Ps. li. 12. "Thou openest thy hand they are filled with good; Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are CREATED," Ps. civ. 28, 30." "Behold I CREATE

Jerusalem a rejoicing," Isaiah lxv. 18; and also in other passages, where the Lord is called Creator, Former, and Maker. Hence it is plain what is meant by these words of the Lord to His disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every CREATURE," Mark xvi. 15. By crea tures are meant all who are in a capacity to be regenerated; in like manner it is applied, Rev. iii. 14. 2 Cor. v. 17. T. C. R. 573.

Verses 17, 18. BUT THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE. IN MY NAME THEY SHALL CAST OUT DEMONS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES; THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS; AND IF THEY DRINK ANY DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS on the sick, and they shall recover. Although these things were miracles, they are still called signs, because they testified concerning the Divine Power of the Lord thus operating, wherefore it is said at verse 20, the Lord working with them by those signs; they would have been called miracles if applied to the wicked, for with the wicked such things only induce stupor, and strike the mind, and still do not persuade to a right faith; it is otherwise with the good, for to them the same things are testifications which persuade to a right faith, wherefore also they are called signs, and it is said, these signs shall follow them who believe, but in what manner those signs could persuade to a right faith, shall also be briefly explained; those miraculous signs, as the casting out demons, the speaking with new tongues, the taking up serpents, not being hurt if they drank any deadly thing, and being restored to health by the laying on of hands, were spiritual in their essence and in their origin, from which spiritual things they flowed forth, and were produced as effects, for they were correspondences, which derive all that

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