proper nature, as contrary to God and His righ teousness, since evil is only to be dreaded when it conceals itself, and is not seen in its proper colours of malignity and mischief. It therefore follows in the way of consolation, from henceforth thou shalt catch men, for to catch men, according to the spiritual idea, is to attain to wisdom and intelligence, as is always the case, whensoever the natural evils of selfish and worldly love are seen and removed, under the influence of heavenly truth and heavenly good. Agreeable then to the spiritual idea, there are two kinds of fishing proper to the church in general, and to every individual of the church in particular, viz. first, the apprehension of truth in the way of science or knowledge, both in the memory and understanding; and secondly, the apprehension of truth as a principle of life in the will or love, leading to the discovery and rejection of all evil, because it is contrary to God, and leading further to the love and practice of all that is wise and good, because it is pleasing to GOD, and conducts to eternal conjunction with Him. The former apprehension of truth is distinguished by catching fish, and the latter by catching men.

Q. And what instruction do you learn from the concluding words of this miracle, where it is said, That when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him?

A. According to the literal sense of these words, they teach the edifying lesson, that when Simon Peter and his partners James and John

brought their ships to land, they forsook both their ships and all their other property, that they might become the companions of the BLESSED JESUS. But according to the spiritual sense, the above words teach a lesson still more edifying, viz. that they who are represented by Peter, by James, and by John; in other words, they who are principled in faith, in charity, and in works of charity, when they have brought their ships to land, or, what amounts to the same, when they are advanced from a state of truth to the good of truth, submit their will and their wisdom entirely to the guidance and control of the divine will and wisdom of JESUS CHRIST, and thus follow Him in the regeneration, until they become His purified children, and meet for introduction into His heavenly kingdom. For by forsaking all is not to be understood the alienation of worldly property, such as houses, lands, and riches, but the renun ciation of mental possessions, such as the faculties of loving, of understanding, of judging, &c. &c.; and by following Jesus is not to be under stood association with Him merely as to person, but conjunction as to mind, consisting in the humble grateful acknowledgment that all the above faculties are from Him, and therefore His, thus that they ought to be submitted continually to His holy government and guidance.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from the above miracle?

A. From its literal history I am again taught to adore that omnipotence of the INCARNATE GOD,

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which exercises a control even over the living creatures inhabiting the depths of the sea. But from the spiritual sense of that history, I am taught a lesson still more extended and edifying, because I am instructed that it is the will of JESUS CHRIST, that all His children should become spiritual fishers; in other words, that they should collect natural or scientific truths, as the means of accommodating spiritual truths to the apprehension of the natural or scientific man. I learn further, that in this descent into natural knowledge or science, there is a danger lest the net should break, or, what amounts to the same, lest truth should lose its consistence and coherence, by being separated from the higher principles of heavenly love and life, and that therefore it is necessary to consult with and exalt those principles on the occasion. I am instructed yet further, that notwithstanding all attainments in knowledge, and in the heavenly affections to which it conducts, the ship will still sink, unless that knowledge and those affections be applied to the discovery and removal of the natural evils of self-love and the love of the world: Lastly, I learn, that when natural evils are thus made manifest and subdued, the ship is then brought to land, on which occasion the true disciples, or they who are principled in faith, in charity, and in the works of charity, forsake all and follow JESUS; in other words, renounce their own natural will and wisdom, that at all times they may consult and obey the will and wisdom of their HEAVENLY FATHER. I am resolved, therefore,

to attend well to the above divine instruction, by applying myself to the attainment of scientific truth, and by taking good heed lest in this application I should at any time separate truth from its good, or knowledge from the life of knowledge, and lest thus my net should break. I am resolved further to apply both truth and its good to the exploration and rejection of all my natural evils of selfish and worldly love, that so my ship may be prevented from sinking, and being brought safe to land, I may arrive at the high honour and happiness of imitating the disciples of old, by forsaking all and following JESUS. AMEN.

226

THE WIDOW'S SON RAISED.

LUKE vii. 12 to 18.

Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her, &c. &c.

Q. WHAT do you here understand by this dead man who was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow?

A. According to the letter of the history, by the dead man here recorded is to be understood the dead body of a man, and by his being the only son of his mother, who was a widow, is further to be understood what is literally expressed in those words. But by this dead man, according to the spiritual sense involved in this and in all other miracles wrought by JESUS CHRIST, is to be understood a dead principle in the church, which principle is here called the only son of his mother, who was a widow, and therefore denotes the principle of faith or truth, this being the first-born of the church, which church is here called mother, as giving birth,