abundantly refuted in his theological works. We should therefore not be surprised if, in this work, which is one of the earliest sketches of his pen after his spiritual illumination had commenced, some things occur which savour too much of Old-Church doctrines, and this is actually the case. Had he continued his Arcana Cœlestia, he would certainly have rejected these things, and have regarded them as the dark shades of former states, out of which he had risen into a clearer and more genuine light. With respect, then, to the present work, we are fully persuaded, with the Swedish divine, that it was by no means intended by its author to be published in its present form; and this should not be forgotten. It is only a fragment, a series of annotations, most of them very brief; the text of the Word is not adduced, but the verses are only indicated, to which the observations refer. In this manner neither Swedenborg, nor any other author, would ever think of publishing a work. But, still, this work is of use; the reader will find many openings of spiritual light, and many hints to the spiritual understanding of the Word. We are happy to state, that Dr. Tafel is now printing the Latin text of Schmidius, to which the observations on Leviticus refer, which, together with explanatory notes, he intends to supply in an appendix, which will render the work far more intelligible and useful. There is also a material difference in the phraseology of this document, when compared with his published works. It would appear that he had not yet fixed his style, and determined the diction through which he intended to communicate the vast multitude of new ideas that were daily crowding upon his mind. Thus the term Dominus, or Lord, only occurs once, and that in relation to the Lord's prayer, instead of which Deus Messias, or God Messia, is always used. This term is equivalent to Dominus, as it fully expresses the Lord in His Humanity; but he afterwards saw reason to discard it, and to adopt the term Dominus instead, in agreement with what he says in A. C. 14. Instead of the frequent phrase, “Divina Domini Misericordia," or "the Divine Mercy of the Lord," he has used in this work, the expression "dignante Deo Messia," by the condescension, or favor, of God Messia." There are also other differences of diction, which those who are accustomed to read his works in Latin, will immediately detect. Having finished these remarks, which, as editors, we have consiperiod of his illumination, when his mind was rapidly emerging, from the dense mists and darkness which surrounded him, into a clearer light. dered it to be our duty to make, on introducing this new work of E. S. to the members of the New Church, we shall conclude by giving a few extracts from several chapters, in order that our readers may form some idea of its nature and contents. LEVITICUS, CHAP. I. 5410. As to those things which are contained in the chapter of Exodus, they bear a relation to those things which are mentioned in Leviticus; namely, that the cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and that the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle, verse 34; also, that the cloud abode on the tabernacle by day, and that fire was on it [by night]-these things are thus understood: 5411. The cloud signifies shade, or obscurity, and the fire those things which belong to shade; namely, the lusts of the flesh, and of nature; those were the things which appeared to Moses and the people; for they were of such a quality; for God Messia appeared to them according to their quality, as was evident from the manner he appeared to them when he shewed them favor, see Exod. xxiv. 10. This now is the glory of Jehovah, which is said to have been within the tabernacle. 5412. These things should be considered in this way, namely, as in the human body, or in a spiritual society, or in a choir of angels; for ultimate representations appear such before the eyes; because to those who only understand worldly things, what is most external appears as clouds and fire, for those things which are most external, are in themselves obscure and fiery [ignita]; but in Exod. xxiv. 10, interior [interiora] things appeared to them, but not more interior [intimiora], still less, the inmost, or most interior [intima] in which is the glory itself of God Messia; and Moses himself could not enter into the inmost [place], as is evident from verse 35. CHAP. V. 5145. Here it should be observed, that it was not lawful for him to sacrifice before he was convicted, or before he had confessed his sin; for when a man acknowledges his sins, and confesses them, and repents, he can be healed; for without confession, either tacit or open, there is no remission; which arises from the fact, that man is nothing but evil, for from the root (or proprium) nothing but evil springs up; that root is connate, and it afterwards grows out, and forms new roots. Unless man confesses these things, and admits that there is no good in him, his sins can never be remitted, and thus he cannot be reformed. These things have been so often shewn to me by spirits who surround me, namely, that in man, in his thought, &c., there is nothing but evil, that I can assert it from living experience; wherefore if God Messia were to desert man a single moment, that radical evil would immediately burst forth into act, &c. &c. CHAP. VI. 5446, 5447. In respect to the burnt-offerings, in what manner they should be instituted, this general precept is delivered, namely, that they should ascend all night, even to the dawn; this, in the most universal sense, signifies from the first day of reformation to the last,-thus on every day of reformation from the first time, or beginning, to the end; hence in every portion of time, whether small or great. The burnt-offering signifies the justice of Messia; the fire signifies love, N. S. NO. VIII.-VOL. I. 3D which was perpetually upon the altar, that is, in the worship of God Messia, as is here stated, verses 5 and 6. * 5448. The fire upon the altar, verses 5 and 6, is, in the worship of God Messia, holy fire, which is charity; love, in the supreme sense, is the love of God Messia, which should never be extinguished; the altar, then, in the supreme sense, signifies the Messia himself, because worship, &c. &c. 5480. The earthen vessel (verse 28) signifies the ultimate of nature, which is terrestrial and corporeal; with this, what is celestial by what is spiritual does not agree, for there is no conjunction between them; but what is corporeal is, as it were, separate. In order that that which is spiritual may flourish, it is necessary that what is corporeal be either removed or extinguished; for that which is corporeal or terrestrial tends downwards, as it were, by its own gravity; but that which is spiritual tends upwards; therefore that which is holy does not agree with what is corporeal or terrestrial; this is the reason that the earthen vessel should be broken. 5481. It is remarkable that corporeal things continually tend outwards or downwards, but spiritual things are elevated upwards, and then corporeal things are separated from spiritual things, which tend to celestial things: these latter are elevated, but corporeal things become as torpid as though they were nothing; for whilst the corporeal principle acts and tends, as was said, outwards or downwards, the spiritual principle ceases to be active. This I can confirm by many things from my own experience; for when I was speaking with celestial spirits, the more exalted and spiritual the subject was, the more I lost, as it were, the use of my external senses, and my bodily sight became blinded, although I did not observe it, except when reflecting upon it, and vice versa, &c.; but I sball adduce this experience, by the grace of God Messia, elsewhere. Hence follows the induction, that corporeal things must necessarily die, in order that spiritual things may be elevated from natural things to celestial, as well in every particular as to the loves of the body, as in general; for without death no one can ascend into heaven. 5482. But a brazen vessel (verse 28) is the natural or interior corporeal principle, as above; this should be scoured, or scraped; namely, whatever adheres to the nature of man, which arises from the defiled appetites of the body, must be scoured off, otherwise the defilement arising from the body draws down the spiritual principle to the earth; thus man cannot ascend before this is scoured off, or cleansed from the natural principle: in this way man is purified, and his purification is represented by washing. 5483. The natural principle is a brazen vessel, and the corporeal principle an earthen vessel; for these are the things which in the Word of God Messia are called vessels, since they contain, for spiritual things are contained in the natural sense, &c., &c. CHAP. VII. 5494. Verses 20 and 21. That the unclean, by whatever means he has become unclean, as in verse 21, should not eat, and that if he did eat, he should be cut off from his people, signifies that holy and profane things should by no * The verses do not accord with the common English Bible, but with the Hebrew edition and version of Schmidius. means be commixed; thus the kingdom of God Messia should not be commixed with those things which relate to the kingdom of the devil, all which things are unclean. Thus the love of God Messia can by no means exist, so long as man is defiled with the love of self and of the world, &c. &c. 5195. This is similar to those things which were instituted by God Messia himself, namely, that an impious or profane person, that is, a man without faith, or who believes in any other God, than in God Messia, should not eat of the bread and wine in the holy supper: if he did, he would be liable to damnation. CHAP. XI. 5529. Here unclean things are treated of, which they should neither eat nor touch. These things contain very many arcana. In general all those things were unclean which were represented by unclean and noxious animals; for heavenly representations are effected by animals, and also by vegetables. Those things which in heaven signify what is depraved are here named; and they were prohibited to touch them solely on account of their representations, as above; for all genii, cupidities, and lusts, are represented by animals; thus it was permitted to touch and to eat all things which signified good affections, for in this manner good affections were also represented. POETRY. TRUTH. COME, graceful maid, Good's beaming consort, Truth, Shew man thy shrine, where burns thy mystic lamp, Inspiring love, enhancing beauty's form! Bless'd ye, whose thirst the truth alone could slake, And every draught be sweeter, and the fount Grow fuller as partakers shall increase. Truth gaily smiles upon your little band; You only grieve that man should willing tread The multitude, that traverse earth's wild waste, That flashes 'thwart their misty path of life, Now sad, depress'd in dubious thought, or if Soft Echo, waft my thoughts to heaven's God And he may ask to drink at the same stream, MANCHESTER PRINTING SOCIETY. THIS Society has just published a new edition of the Gospel of Matthew, beautifully bound in cloth, price 6s. 6d. This edition has been most carefully revised; many additional extracts have been inserted, so that the spiritual exposition of the divine text is nearly continuous, and few things remain unexplained as to "their spirit and life." The volume consists of nearly 500 pages; it is printed with new type, on excellent paper, and is as cheap as can possibly be supplied to the public without a loss to the Society. We wish also to remind the public that, according to a former announcement*, a large edition of Clowes's Exposition of the Parables and Miracles, has been pub* See Intellectual Repository for February last. lished. It was thought that this edition would be of service to the senior classes of Sunday Schools, as a means of leading them to a knowledge of the spiritual sense of the Word. There is also a new edition of the "Christian Temper," and of the "Twelve Hours of the Day," which are eminently calculated as class-books for Sunday Schools. The Society appeal in behalf of these useful works to the Sunday and Day Schools of the New Church, and to families for whom they have been expressly prepared. Orders for not less than a dozen copies of each work may be had direct from the Society's depôt, saving the bookseller's discount, by applying to Mr. T. Leeming, Savings' Bank, Manchester. MANCHESTER TRACT SOCIETY. As the entire Report of this Society is appended to the present number of the Intellectual Repository, we will only direct the attention of our readers to its contents, in which a description of the present state and progress of the Society's operations will be found. |