the Supreme Being knoweth what is in man? Who but the Omniscient is capable of pointing out the distinctions, and proper relative situations, which the complex and now disordered principles of humanity ought to occupy in the mind of man? And who but He, who knoweth all things, is capable of predicting the spiritual states that must be induced by any and every specific arrangement to which those principles may be subject by the free and voluntary powers of men? Such we conceive are some of the profound subjects contained in the Scriptural Prophecies, and which are delivered for our edification. If this were not the case, then, contrary to the declaration of the Apostle, Prophecy would be of private interpretation. To suppose, what indeed is no uncommon case, namely, that Prophecy has reference only to specific individuals, or to particular nations, is to imagine for them a private interpretation; but when they are seen to treat of principles which belong to human nature, and especially to the states of the Church, and when the fulfilment of them is sought for in certain manifestations of those principles in the mind of man, and in the state consequent on their operation, then it is that the interpretation of Prophecy becomes a matter of public edification and of continued utility.

That Divine Prophecy has ever had in view higher objects than such as are involved in the political transactions of mankind; and that it has contemplated more enduring things than those which belong to the fate of nations,—namely, those principles which relate to man as an immortal being, seems to be so evident that every devout mind can readily admit it. But if proof be necessary, it is afforded in the circumstance, that all the Prophecies, in their inmost sense, have reference to, and treat of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. They describe the nature of that Humanity, contain revelations concerning the purification and arrangements of its principles, together with their final glorification and elevation into a state of Oneness with the Essential Divinity. This truth is evident from this, that, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke xxiv. 27.) And also from the circumstance, that He “fulfilled all things which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Him." (44.) The fulfilment here adverted to, was, for the most part, evidently of an internal and divine character; for, although there were some external circumstances attending the Lord, during His manifestation in the world, coincident with the literal declarations of Prophecy, yet there are very few in comparison with those numerous predictions for which there does not appear any historical counterpart. This affords

a most decisive proof that the fulfilment of the Prophecies which relate to the Lord, was not, for the most part, adapted to the recognition of the outward senses, neither did it belong to phenomena of the natural world. Now as the Prophecies relate to the glorification of the Lord, which was an internal and Divine process, and inasmuch as that great work was the pattern of man's regeneration, it will follow that the Prophecies also treat of this spiritual process; and, consequently, of the principles which exist in the mind of man; and by attention to the various arrangements and diversified operations of which, the practical Christian may learn much more useful information concerning the fulfilment of Prophecy, than by searching for such knowledge in* the merely historical transactions of the world.

(To be continued.)

R***.

EXTRACTS FROM SWEDENBORG'S SPIRITUAL DIARY. (Now first translated from the original Latin; continued from page 61.)

What the State of the Human Race would have been, if the Lord had not come into the World.

4829. There was a certain spirit, who was thinking on this subject, namely, that all things flow according to divine order, and from this thought he supposed that all things would have continued to flow according to order, so that they who are now saved, might, nevertheless, have been saved, if the Lord had not assumed the Humanity. Inasmuch as he did not think interiorly concerning this subject, the angels, under whose auspices they are, who are led by the Lord, removed themselves a little from him, so that the influx from the Lord to him was intercepted, when he was in a similar order in which he would have been, if he had not been protected by the Lord and led by the angels; he then began to be very furious, like a madman, with a sword in his hand, thrusting, and fiercely raging, and others who were in his company did the same, who, after these furious ebulitions, lay down as though they were dead, and when they were resuscitated, they did the same thing again. By this experience it was shewn what the state of things would have been, if the Lord, by His Divine Humanity, were not to protect all mankind. This man was in other respects amongst those who could reflect sufficiently well upon things in general, but only in an exterior manner, because he had somewhat of the love of self, which intercepts the influx of interior thought.

On the Form of Heaven, and on the situation of peoples and nations there, and also concerning the Mahomedans and Gentiles there. 5240. The Christians are in the middle; they extend even to all the quarters, according to their states as to the light of truth and the love of good. Around that middle region are the Mahomedans; these make the first circumference or circuit, and this also to all quarters round about, where there are similar earths, or lands, mountains, rocks, vallies, &c. Beyond that circuit are the Gentiles, arranged, also respectively as to quarters, according to the light of truth and the love of good, such as they are principled in. Beyond these latter, there appeared, as it were, a sea, which was the boundary. It should be observed, that

all taken together are not extended into a plane, but into a globe, like an earth [or planet]. Wherefore, when I was led to the Gentiles, after I had passed beyond the Mahomedans, I descended in an oblique direction.

5241. I was led to the Mahomedans towards the east, and I was permitted to speak with them; they said, that many Christians from the Catholic religion came to them with the intention of converting them, but that they perceived they did this on account of gain and dominion. The Mahomedans told them, that they could not understand how they could believe in only one God, when they named three persons, and called each God, since there is but one God, and although these missionaries say that there is but one God, yet they cannot see how they can understand one God, after they have named three, and however they may say that three make one, they are nevertheless three Gods, whom they call one God. When these things were heard, the angels told them, that they do not speak so in heaven, but that the trine or trinity, which is called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is in one Person, and that this Person is the Lord, and that in Him there is a Trine, or Trinity, as in an angel, which comparison serves as an illustration: in an angel there is an esse of life, which is the inmost (intimum), and in the world is called the soul (anima) from the father; there is an existere of life which appears in a human form; and there is a proceeding hence, which is the sphere of affection or love, by which an angel at a distance is perceived by others;-hence an idea may be had of a Trine in the Lord: the inmost (intimum) which is the esse of life, is called the Father, the existere of life is the Human, which is called the Son, and the proceeding, which is called the Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy [principle] proceeding [from the Lord]. It was added, that in the world they say, that one goes forth, or proceeds from another, the Son from the Father, and the Holy Spirit from N.S. NO. 51.—VOL. V.

N

both; but that still they know not what is meant by going forth, or by proceeding. That it is so [as above described], they might know from the Word, from those passages in which the Lord openly says, that the Father and He are one, that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, and that the Holy Spirit doth not speak of itself, but from Him. Wherefore, if they desired to be illustrated concerning this subject, they might, and hence they might know and understand that the Trine is in one, and that thus, there is one God.

5242. The Mahomedans comprehended this, and they said that they wished to think about it, because in this manner their objection concerning three Gods appeared to be removed.

5244. I was afterwards led beyond that circuit where the Mahomedans are, to the Gentiles who are towards the east, to whom I was carried downwards according to the declivity of the globe, and with whom I was permitted to speak. They said that they were sad, because the Divine [Being] did not appear to them, and that, nevertheless, they think concerning Him and also worship Him, and they say moreover respecting Him, that if there be a Divine [Being], that somebody should be sent to teach them, but this, they have a long time waited for in vain, supposing thus that they were entirely forsaken, on which account they could see nothing else but that they must perish. Upon which angels from heaven conversed with them, saying, that the Divine [Being] could not be manifested to them, because they were not willing to believe, that God was born a Man in the world, and that before they believed that, nothing could be revealed to them, for this is the first, and the very fundamental [principle] of all revelations. They said that they indeed believe that God is a Man, but that they cannot believe that God was born a Man in the world, because this they could not comprehend; but it was replied to them, that He was born a Man in the world, not like another man, since He had no human father, but was conceived of Jehovah Himself, who was His Father, and born of a virgin, and that thus He was not conceived and born as another man; and that also when He went out of the world, He arose with His whole Humanity, and left nothing, thus, otherwise than another man, who leaves the whole body which he carried about with him in the world, and never resumes it. That no one resumes the body, all those who are here [the world of spirits] and in heaven, who were all men in the world, might know. Hence they perceived that the Lord was an entirely different Man from all other men, as well as to the First (Primum), as to the Last (Ultimum). It was said, moreover, that men are born of their parents, to whom they are similar as to their

affections, and that this arises from the soul of the father, and also that the whole body is nothing but an organ of the life of the soul, so that it acts as one with the soul, which is evident from this circumstance, that whatever the soul thinks and wills, the body acts in an instant, hence such as the soul is, such is the whole man; it is evident also, that the thoughts and the love shine forth from the face, so that the body is the image of its soul. Hence it is evident, that the Humanity of the Lord could not become otherwise than divine, according to the image of His Father. When these things were heard, they said, that they knew no otherwise than that He had been like another man, born of a human father, and that He also died as another man, and was then accepted by men as a God; but now they know that the Lord had not been such a man in the world as others. It was moreover said, that Christians do err in this respect, that they make the Humanity of the Lord like the humanity of another man, and this they call His Human Nature, and that they do not then think of His conception from the Divine Itself, nor of His resurrection, as we have just remarked; and this, notwithstanding they have the Word, which teaches them concerning all these things, and that all Christians, that is, all in Europe may know from the Word that He was conceived of Jehovah, and that He arose with the whole body which He had in the world.*

5245. I have conversed with the Mahomedans concerning the Resurrection, stating, that it is believed in the Christian world, that the resurrection will not take place until all things in the world are about to perish, and that then the bodies will be united to the souls, and that few of the learned, scarcely one in a thousand, know that man lives after death as a man, that is, in a human form; at which they wondered, saying, that they knew that they should live after death, and that they should then be men, having only rejected the exuviæ of the body which served them in the world, in that gross sphere to which the gross body was there accommodated. They wondered that Christians did not know this, particularly as a knowledge of this, is of the greatest

moment.

5246. Many of the Mahomedans become Christians, acknowledging the Lord as the only God, because the Father is in Him, and He in

*

[The author has written the following words on the margin of this last number, which we here subjoin as a note.-ED.]

"The soul of man is from a substance [substantiali], and not life, but a recipient of life, whereas the Lord's soul was life itself, which gives life to all, thus the distinction [between His soul and that of other men] is as the distinction between what is finite and what is infinite, thus, between what is [merely] human and divine."