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man that must thus arise! It is impossible to see the full force of this little word arise, unless we obtain something like a correct knowledge of ourselves; and to assist us in this inquiry we may observe that man is a spiritual and an immortal being, and all the varied states, and processes through which he has to pass in the regeneration as the means of securing his eternal life, are, in the Word of God throughout, faithfully described. The will and the understanding in union form together the man; these two faculties are in Holy Scripture distinctly described, and those who contemplate the contents of the Book of Life, should mark well this distinction; for otherwise they may apply those terms to the understanding which belong to the will, and those to the will which belong to the understanding; in this case their conclusions will be defective, and their doctrines false. As the two faculties of will and understanding are so nearly allied, so the terms made use of in scripture to describe them, may appear to the superficial reader, as mere synonimous expressions, when in reality they are not so. In the Word we frequently find two expressions so coupled and connected together as to give the appearance of having one and the same meaning, whereas they are entirely different, one having relation to the will, and the other to the understanding, thus we read of weeping and mourning, joy and gladness, people and nations, thanksgiving and the voice of melody, with other expressions of a like kind. Wherever these terms occur man is spiritually described as to the state of his will and understanding, thus for instance the two expressions weeping and mourning, which appear to have the same meaning, are mentioned in Isaiah thus-"In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth." xxii. In this passage weeping has reference to the defect of good in the will, and mourning to the defect of truth in the understanding. The same may be said of joy and gladness, only with this difference, that the term joy refers to the will in a state of good, and gladness to the pleasure of the understanding, when illuminated with Divine Truth: thus both terms when taken together describe the real and true state of man. The case is similar with the other words just referred to. In the verse just mentioned we also observe this two-fold mode of expression, though the terms used, are more remote from each other than those of joy and gladness. Thus, it is written, "ARISE, GET YOU UP, unto the wealthy nation!" Wherever this word arise occurs, it is generally united with another word which signifies progression-a going from one place to another; but spiritually it is descriptive of intellectual progression, or advancement into supe

rior states of wisdom and truth. Thus the prodigal son says→ I will arise and go to my Father. The Lord said to his disciples, arise let us be going-the Lord said to Jacob, arise, get thee out of this land—arise, go up to Beth-el and dwell there. Again in the prophets, the Lord says-arise; shine, for thy light is come. The watchmen shall cry, arise! let us go up to Zion-In all these passages, and in others where the term arise occurs, the word is used in reference to the will and to the will alone, and is fully descriptive of its elevation out of a state of evil, into that of good. If then the word arise, signifies an elevation of the will from a state of evil into a state of good, how many and important are the subjects contained in this word. While the human will is. content to lie down, and as it were grovel in low, earthly and mere sensual desires, it is impossible for the man to make any progress in true wisdom, or in that life which prepares for heaven and its joys. Evil and good are opposites, as much so as are beaven and hell, misery and happiness, and while evil is cherished, good cannot enter, consequently we cannot be blessed with the true light of wisdom. It is not possible for any one to love evil, and in consequence thereof to do it, and at the same time by faith to acknowledge truth; for man cannot be saved by thinking and speaking truth, or even what is good, when at the same time he willeth, and in consequence of willing, doeth nothing but evil. "It is man's will-principle which liveth after death, and not his thinking-principle, only so far as it hath been conformable to his will-principle." Love is the Life of man-the will is the very seat of his life, and such as is the quality of his life, such will be his final state of misery or happiness. How exceedingly important, then, are these words,—“ Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation that dwelleth without care!" There is no possible way of going up to this wealthy nation but by the renunciation of evil in all its forms! we must first arise! after which we shall begin by provided means, to make the sacred ascent to this wealthy nation, where no cares or anxieties are to be found.

By the wealthy nation is meant the celestial church and the celestial man! This church and nation is said to be wealthy because it receives directly from the Lord the imperishable treasures of the Divine Love and wisdom! these are the true riches which in the complex form the solid wealth of the kingdom of God. The treasures of the Divine Love and wisdom are received by celestial men immediately from the Lord; these treasures have not to pass through any other mediums; so that the gold cannot become dim, neither can the fine gold be changed or the silver become dross. These Divine treasures, the celestial man receives at once into his

will and life, making them the ground of his affections, desires and actions, and the source of every true delight. The celestial man is not only wealthy, but he is without any gloomy fears or apprehensions. He has no anxieties or cares about the future; he acknowledges no faith, but what hath its ground in love, which love is the principle of his actions. The ends which influence him regard the Lord, and thereby his kingdom and eternal life. He is engaged in no combats, and in case he is assaulted by evils and false principles he despises them. He has no apparent or real restraints, but is in perfect liberty and freedom of soul. He is a conqueror in the truest sense of that expression; he had, by divine assistance, in the state of his regenerating process, obtained victory after victory over all his impure affections and thoughts; and now, having obtained the wealthy nation, or the celestial state, he enjoys the peace of his conquest, and partakes of the fruit of that celestial tree, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. To this celestial state of internal tranquillity and peace, signified by the wealthy nation, few, in the present day, arrive. The hindrances are many, but they chiefly rest with ourselves; the cares of the natural world, and the deceitfulness of its riches; keep us bound down to the corruptible loves of self and the world; they bind us to the earth and to its unsatisfying and treacherous pleasures, and by this means keep us from doing the first work of arising above these sensual things. If we do not arise, we can never obtain the wealthy nation that dwelleth without care.

This wealthy nation is further described as having neither gates nor bars. In the scripture we frequently read of gates and doors, and they are always mentioned in reference to introductory knowledges, or to those truths of a mere external or literal nature, which introduce and thus lead on the mind to a more enlightened and comprehensive view of Divine Truth. The celestial state, signified by the wealthy nation, is far, very far above the mere introductory knowledges of divine subjects. The blessed inhabitant of the wealthy nation has passed through all these gates and doors; he receives the light from the pure fountain of light! he has entered into the holy of holies! and the introductory truths, which were as means in the commencement of his heavenly journey to accomplish his end, are now lost in the brightness and splendour of that light and wisdom which belong to the celestial state. In the first stages of our spiritual journey, we require those introductory and simple truths, which will lead us on by degrees in the heavenly life, and thus like so many kind helps, introduce us into a brighter state of light and glory: but having once passed the gates, and entered into the wealthy nation, the

man comes into a fulness of joy, and the gates and doors are lost in the splendour of truth by which, as in the light of day, all things are made manifest. When worldly things have the dominion, all subjects are thought of and determined upon, by the light of nature. "But when celestial things have the dominion, they illustrate worldly things, place them in a clear light, and take away all doubts." A. C. 4099.

The liberty and happiness of the celestial state-this wealthy nation, is further described by having no bars! By bars are meant external doctrinals of the church which lead to interior truth as well as secure and defend the man from the assaults of his spiritual enemies: but the celestial man having passed through the necessary temptations, and his faith and perseverance proved; he comes into the delights of the celestial state; and to him the bars are lost in the enjoyment of that true liberty and light, into which, through divine mercy, he has entered.

The permanency and tranquillity of the celestial state are finally described by the inhabitants of this wealthy nation dwelling alone! In the most Ancient times, they were said to dwell alone, who were under the Lord's guidance as celestial men, because such were no longer infested by evils, or evil spirits; this was also represented in the Jewish Church by the children of Israel dwelling alone when they had driven out the nations. Wherefore in some parts of the Word the Church is described as dwelling alone. Thus in Deuteronomy the celestial state is thus described, " Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew." xxxiii. 28. Again in Numbers, speaking of Israel it is said, "Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." xxiii. 9. The most ancient church and peo ́ple described by Adam in the garden of Eden, were of a celestial stamp and quality; but the posterity of this Church, was not disposed to dwell alone, or to be under the Lord's guidance as a celestial man, but to be amongst the nations like the Jewish Church, and by reason of this disposition it is said, that it was not good for man to be alone; for whosoever hath a disposition towards evil, is already in evil, and it is granted him. A. C. 139.

The supreme joys of this wealthy nation, can only be realized by those who will arise from the earth; for while the human will and its affections are absorbed in the love of sensual things, it is impossible for the spiritual state, much less the celestial, to be formed. Let us then take some thought for our eternal interests, and not embitter this short span of life by an inordinate love of the fleeting things of time, and a total indifference to those of

eternity. Let us rather ARISE and get up to the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, which have neither gates nor bars which dwell alone. An elevation of the soul to the pure delights of love and wisdom, will fix in us those true joys, which in time and eternity will bless us with a never-failing source of wealth, in the enjoyment of which we shall be supremely happy. How often do we find that the closing hours of the life of too many of our fellow-men, are rendered bitter by the sad recollection of the past? when a little care in early life would have prevented all this bitterness and sorrow of old age! The sun would then be seen to set in peace! and the exhilirating recollection of having passed through our probationary state as becometh the followers of Jesus Christ, would smooth our passage out of time, and brighten up our prospects of a glorious resurrection to immortal life and joy. GULIELMUS.

EXTRACTS FROM SWEDENBORG.
Concluded from page 244.

That momentaneous Salvation from immediate Mercy is not possible. In the foregoing pages it is shewn, that the operation of the Divine Providence for the salvation of man, begins at his birth, and continues to the end of his life, and afterwards to eternity; also that this operation is continually carried on by means out of pure mercy; hence it follows, that there is no such thing as momentaneous salvation, nor immediate mercy. But forasmuch as many, who do not think at all from the understanding concerning matters of the church or of Religion, believe that they are saved from immediate mercy, and consequently that salvation is momentaneous, and yet this is contrary to the truth, and is moreover a hurtful belief, it is requisite that it should be weighed in its proper order, 1. That a belief in momentaneous salvation from immediate mercy is taken from the natural state of man. 2. That such a belief proceeds from ignorance of his spiritual state, which is totally different from his natural state. 3. That the doctrines of all the churches in the christian world considered interiorly are against momentaneous salvation from immediate mercy; but still that it is established by men of the external church. FIRST: That faith in momentaneous salvation from immediate mercy is taken from the natural state of man. natural man from his own state knows no otherwise than that heavenly joy is like worldly joy, and enters by influx and is received in the same manner; for example, that it is like a man's becoming rich, who had been poor, and so being removed from a sorrowful state of poverty to a happy state of opulence; or like a

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