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Gift of
Professor William H. Taft

Twelve Lectures

ON

The Doctrines
of Christianity

FOR

The New Christian Age
With Questions Answered After Each Lecture

\

\ x v 1 1 ) i 1 [ 1 1 / | f 11 i ,

By
Albert P. Schack

Cochrane Publishing Company
New York
1911

Copyright, 1911, by
Albert P. Schack

PKEFACE
These lectures have been written after many years' careful
study of the subjects treated of. They were all written for de
livery; and some of them, but not all, have been delivered by me
in the east and west, though not in the precise form here presented.
They were written invariably after prayer to the Lord for heavenly
love, wisdom and power — gifts of His Holy Spirit, as were also
the prayers which precede and the questions and answers which
now follow the lectures; and they were composed in an entirely
unsectarian spirit, and in the sincere desire to help and enlighten
souls, and to give them such truth in regard to these heavenly and
divine themes as would enable them to elevate the standard of
their lives to the level of the New Christian Age or Dispensation,
which I believe is now beginning in the world.
In proposing the "questions," I have tried to pxit myself in the
place of such as might be supposed to hear the lectures; and with
out any reference to whether or not I could answer them, I have
asked just such questions as earnest and truth-loving auditors
would probably want to propose, depending entirely on prayer to
the Lord, study and careful reflection thereafter, to answer them.
As for myself, I will simply say, for the benefit of those who
would like to know something about the author, that I had the
advantage of a liberal education, both elementary and in science and
art, in schools and colleges of New York City — my native place,
as well as from private instructors; and that I have been for over

4 Preface.
forty years a reverent reader and student of the Sacred Scriptures
or Word of the Lord, and of the most enlightened works relating
thereto, besides having studied for the ministry two years in a
theological school in Boston, and preached the Word for three
years thereafter. Though not engaged directly in this work at
present, I have tried with the Lord's help, to conform my life to
His holy Word; and my end and aim in life is to benefit mankind
spiritually and naturally.
I believe that at the present day there are a large number of
Christians, and also of those who have not yet known Christ (and
that this number is continually increasing), who are asking for
or desiring more and higher light than they have yet been able
to secure on sacred subjects — in regard to God, the Word, the
true nature of their life in this world, the nature of the other
world, and in short on all the topics which are treated of in these
lectures; with at the same time a desire or willingness to lead lives
consistent therewith: and for these especially, the present course
of lectures is presented to the world. They should be read prayer
fully, for, as Paul says (I Corinthians ii, 14), "The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolish
ness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spir
itually discerned." Hence the prayer before each lecture, it is
hoped, may be found useful. Moreover, they should be approached
and read with a sincere desire to see and receive the truth for use —
the same spirit in which they were written.
I would recommend the reader to read the passages of
Scripture referred to as texts before each lecture, and to think for
a few moments how the summary statements also there given are
taught by those texts, or are fairly deduced from them.
I would further recommend the reader to be satisfied to read
not more than one lecture — with the questions which follow it —
at one time, and to reflect on it and digest it before passing on to
the next lecture.
Hoping and praying that under the Lord's auspices many may

Preface. 5
be helped and blessed by the book, I trust it in His hands to go
forth on its work of teaching and leading the people into the
way of deep spiritual light and life — and so to heaven. Amen.
ALBEET P. SCHACK.
New York City, January 1, 1911.

^contents;

Lecture Page
I. The Father — the Creator and
Worker in Heaven and a -
bove Heaven  11
* * * *
Subject of Lectures II, III and IV:
The Son — the Redeemer —
the Worker in heaven and
on earth. The Atonement —
how was this accomplished
on Christ's part? The Death
of Christ, and what it ef
fected.
II. Specific Subject; How Christ
"appeased the Wrath of God." 27
III. Specific Subject: How Christ
''paid the debt which we
owed to God"  43

8 Contents.
Lecture Page
IV. Specific Subject: How Christ
by his death "satisfied God's
Justice, Honor and Glory"  57
# * *¦ »
V. Justification by Faith, and
not by our own works. How
this is to be understood  75
VI. The True Christian Life a
life of Charity according
to all the Commandments
of the Word  93
VII. The Spiritual World: Heaven,
Hell and the World of Spir
its. The Judgment  119

*

Subject of Lectures VIII and IX:
The Second Coming of the
Lord.

Contents . 9
Lecture Page
VIII. Specific Subject: The Last
Judgment  i 145
IX. Specific Subject: The New
Christian Church — i " N e w
Jerusalem," and The New
Age  167
• » * *
X. The Divine Word: a Revela
tion of God to men: disclos
ing the natures of God and
man, and of heaven and
hell — man's eternal des
tinations according to
man's choice  191
XI. The Divine Providence, or
the Divine Providing: its
end or purpose, and its
laws  215

10 Contents-*
Lecture Page
XIL The True Christian Relig
ion, or True Christianity. 241
A Summary of the True
Christian Faith  256
* * * «
The Lord's Presence  265

Lecture I

Our heavenly Father— the Creator.

13

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE I.
0 Lord Jesus Christ, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily; Who hast become our Redeemer and Savior!
Grant that Thy Divine Presence may be with us as we consider
these holy themes. Bless every soul who has come to learn. Open
the minds and hearts of all — to the truth. Remove from us all
blindness and hardness of heart; all prejudice and narrow-minded
ness; and let all rejoice to see the light. Give us the affection
of truth for the sake of truth and for the sake of good; and let
us be united in love to Thee — as being Thy children, and in kindly,
brotherly love one toward another. Thus make this time one of
spiritual edification and improvement to us all, for Thine own
dear sake Amen.

14

LECTURE I.

Subject : The Father — the Creator and Worker in Heaven
and Above Heaven.

texts.
1. God is a Spirit. John iv. 24.
2. God is light j God is love. I John i. 5; iv. 8.
3. God is from eternity to etemity. Isaiah Ivii. 15.
4. He is a Sun, and a Divine Protector. Ps. Ixxxi v. 11.
5. He is above the consciousness of men, and only revealed
in the Humanity or Son of God. John i. 18.
6. From Him — who is righteous and holy — cometh all good.
Ps. cxlv. 15-17; James i. 17.
7. He is also merciful and gracious. Ex. xxxiv. 6.
8. He created all things, and for His own Divine pleasure.
Gen. i. 1; Rev. iv. 10, 11.
9. He created man in His own image. Gen. i. 27.
10. It was because He loved men, and desired to save them
when they had fallen, that He at last came on earth in an assumed
humanity. John iii. 16; Luke xv, all; ix. 56.

The Father. 15

I. God — His Nature.
Our first text proclaims the fact that God is a Spirit. In other
words, God is a divine Essence. The farther outward we go in
the universe or in the creation, the more superficial and dead does
everything become. And vice versa, the farther inward we ex
amine, the more essential, the finer and more living, everything is.
Thus the minerals are more dead and coarse ; the atmospheres more
living and refined, and light and heat most especially so, till we
arrive at the sun itself — the source, on nature's plane, of all
material things. The same thing is true in the realm of mind or
spirit, until we consider God Himself — who is the Inmost. He
was and is and forever must be an Infinite Essence, from Whom all
things must have had, and must forever have, their being and
existence. Since He is Spirit, He is Divine Mind itself. And since Mind
is dual, consisting of will or love and understanding or wisdom,
Jehovah God must consist of the source of all finite love and
wisdom; and so He must be Divine Love and Divine Wisdom:
and these must be eternal, even as our third text tells us that He
is "the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity." If He were
not eternal, then He would have been created, and then there
would have been no original Creator.
And yet Jehovah God, our Father, must have always been a
Divine Man in first principles, that is, in essence, without a
material body. Whether we are inclined to doubt this or not,
or if it is incomprehensible to us, yet we can believe and dimly
gee the fact that it is so; because otherwise God with His Divine

16 Lecture I.
Love and Wisdom would not be alive, intelligent and executive
to create and govern the universe, that is, if He were like matter
or a mere dead force, or unless He were Essential Man. Besides,
by our ninth text we learn that "God created man in His own
image"; and although we are only receptacles, our will for His
love, and our understanding for His wisdom, still we were created
as much like Him — created man like uncreated Man — as the
receptacles can be like the essences which we were created to receive.
From God — this inmost Infinite Man — proceeds the Sun of
heaven — as we read in our fourth text: "The Lord God is a Sun
and shield." And that sun, which is a spiritual efflux of love and
wisdom, just as the sun of our solar system is a natural efflux o(
heat and light, heats and enlightens both angels and men. It
vivifies and enlightens all the minds and souls and spiritual bodiea
of the angels in their heavens; and it also vivifies and enlightens
the minds and souls and spiritual bodies of men. If this were
not so, there would be no heat and light for this purpose ; but only
natural and respectively dead heat and light for the natural bodies
of men.
The nature of the Divine Love is the cause of the creation.
On account of this essential attribute of God, He must have beings
out of Himself whom He might bless. Any noble and good man,
who loves other men and desires to be useful to them, readily sees
how this is. He burns with a desire to benefit others in proportion
to the quality and quantity of his love; and he makes continual
effort to effect the use which he loves. How infinitely must this
be true of Him from whom all good men have their influx of use
ful love as from its original and all-embracing Fountain! Hence
we read in our eighth text: "Thou hast created all things; and
for Thy pleasure they are and were created" ; and also in our sixth :
"Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living
thing." This does not mean that God created all things to satisfy
any mere selfish pleasure in Himself; for this is not conceivable or
possible for the Divine Love. But it does mean that it is the
"pleasure" of the Almighty to bless all created things, and that

The Father. 17
the intention was that all should follow out the order of the
Divine Love : that men should partake of His love, and bless each
other with it, and that the Almighty should be happy in blessing
His creatures, and that they should be happy in living from Him,
and blessing each other from Him.

II. What the Divine Record
in the Old Testament discloses.
In looking through the Old Testament Scriptures from the
beginning to the end, in order to see what Jehovah God was doing
in His first and essential state before He assumed humanity on the
earth, and the nature of His transactions with men before that
time, a general view discloses the fact that there was a downward
course throughout; that is, that men departed more and more,
descended lower and lower, from union with the Lord God as
orderly sons of their Divine Father, to the utmost contrariety to
Him; in short, till damnation was at the doors.
First, we have the account of the creation in the beginning of
Genesis. Its order was, in general, from lowest things to highest
things. First, light; then clouds above and waters below; then
land and water; after that, growth in the vegetable kingdom —
grasses, grains and fruit trees; then the appearing of sun, moon
and stars ; then the creation of fish in the sea and fowl in the air ;
afterwards the animals on land, and finally man. This was the
end for which all former things were created. The earth was foT
all to stand and walk on, and for vegetation to rest in and grow
from, the vegetable kingdom to provide food, the animals to
serve — all for man; and man was created in the image of God,
with the highest faculties, to know God, to receive His love and
wisdom — finited, and to be eternally happy from their exercise,
first in this world in the material body, and finally and forever
after in the spiritual world in a spiritual body.

18 Lecture I.
The first scene in which man is found, is in the Garden of Eden,
which was a representative of the Most Ancient and perfect church
or race on the earth. It was a Celestial or most heavenly church.
It was the "Golden Age." The perfection and the heavenly quality
of it consisted in Love. Everything had love as its essence. They —
the people — loved their Father God, and they loved one another
as brethren. That is, at first they lived in the natural, truly
human order of their lives. The fall of this church or age was
the going out of the people from their first loving and internal
state to the state of externals, where selfish and sensual love and the
gratification of the senses took the place of their former reliance on
God. This was depicted by their transactions with the "ser
pent," which is the type of the senses and lowest appetites of man.
The final end of this church was by a "flood" — a spiritual flood
of evils and falses represented by a natural flood of water; and
by that spiritual flood the church was destroyed.
The first or Most Ancient or Celestial Church was succeeded
by the second church or Ancient or Spiritual Church. This age
has been called the "Silver Age," on account of the quality of
the metal silver — white and harder than gold, which is respec
tively of a warm or yellow color, and comparatively soft. This
church or age was begun by Noah and his followers, the remnant
who were saved from the former church or age. We can see that
they were of a more external genius or quality, from the fact which
we notice in Gen. ix. 3, that they were permitted to eat the flesh of
animals, or as we say "meat" ; whereas the former people were only
given the grains or seed-herbs and fruit-trees for food. These were
a representative and symbolic people. They delighted in seeing
representatives of spiritual and divine things — or of the affections
and thoughts — in concrete forms of the mineral, vegetable and
animal kingdoms; in all symbolic signs; and in constructing
pictures and statues, and building high places and groves repre
sentative of such things. We find that they and their posterity
were distributed through many parts of the world, such as
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Canaan or Palestine, and possibly

The Father. 19
other places, from these same kinds of buildings, statues and
inscriptions, with differences, which are there; and further from
the fact that almost all, if not all, the ancient nations have
traditions of the story of creation, Eden, or a beautiful garden,
the temptation by the serpent, and the flood. The delight of this
church or age, then, was not the delight of love, but the delight
of intellect or thought, and of seeing truth, especially in rep
resentative forms.
But this church also passed away, and many of its descend
ants became idolatrous, worshipping the statues and other ex
ternal things which the former people had constructed. So after
the "Silver Age," writers have told us that there followed what
was called the "Copper or Brass Age," which was an age in
which natural good was predominant; and after that the "Iron
Age," which was characterized by cold, hard devotion to literal
ism and natural truth. From the Scriptures we learn that the
third distinct church which was introduced on the earth was the
Jewish or Israelitish Church, which was not properly a church
at all, since the essential things of the church — genuine spiritual
goodness and truth — were practically unknown; but it was only a
representative of a church. All the duties of the church were
performed to represent or figure real or Christian duties. For
instance, the sacrifices and burnt-offerings were merely repre
sentative of spiritual devotion to God, first fully realized in Christ,
and to be afterwards realized by all Christians.
The final end of the church, before the incarnation, may be
classed under three heads: First, many became possessed by
evil spirits; and in time all were in danger of the same terrible
state. Second, unbelief in any spiritual matter, and in the
existence of heaven or hell, became largely prevalent. This was
exemplified in the ease of the Sadducees (see Mark xii. 18; Acts
xxiii. 8). Third, hypocrisy and selfishness were most malignant
and glaring among the nominal churchmen. These qualities were
seen in the Pharisees and Scribes.

20 Lecture I.

III. Jehovah's Coming Predicted.
In this frightful state of the world, when men had descended
to the very lowest depth to which they could descend without
being shut out completely from the protection of the Almighty,
there was but one thing to do; and that was for the Lord to come
Himself upon the earth, and bring His Divine Ardor, veiled,
down to man's low state, and extricate him from the evil spirits
into whose power many had already given themselves; and all the
rest were in peril from them. Hence we find, in many places in
the prophets, that the coming of the Lord upon the earth is
predicted. Thus in Isaiah ix. 6, we read: "Unto us a child is
born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon
His Shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Coun
sellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of
Peace." Before the Incarnation, since the Ancient Church began, the Lord
God had communicated with men by angels, that is, through the
senses of sight and hearing: as for instance with Abraham, with
Lot, with Moses at the burning bush, with Manoah and with
Daniel; and by the Word, that is, through the sense of hearing,
through the prophets; as we read in I Samuel iii. 1 : "The Word
of the Lord was precious in those days ; there was no open vision."
But the reason why God could no longer reach man by these
spiritual senses at the final state of the Israelitish or Jewish
Church, was that there were no longer any persons — who were
educated in the Scriptures — who could habitually communicate
with angels, or who, as prophets, could receive the Word for man ;
and besides, the messages which had been received already, and
constituted the Word, were unattended to, except in a very few
instances, such as those of Zacharias the priest, Mary and Joseph,
and a few others. As was before noticed, the possession by evil
spirits of many, the gross unbelief manifested by such as the

The Father. 21
Sadducees, and the selfishness and hypocrisy of such as the Scribes
and Pharisees, practically precluded God's communication with
man in former ways. Men were like those who have ensconced
themselves in some cold, dark place, excluding the light and heat
of the sun, and who substitute a fire of coals instead of it, the
latter in this case representing the spiritual fire of hell. Hence
the incarnation of the Almighty — "coming to His Temple," the
temple of His humanity — a human body on the earth, was neces
sary to bridge the gulf between those who were in evil, and the
Divine Love which was in Himself. So we read in Malachi iii. 1 :
"The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple."
A "reconciliation" was necessary between man and God; a means
must be provided by which those who were then on the earth,
and who should come after, might be able to reach the Omnipotent
Hand, and be saved from their sins and so from destruction. On
the one hand, on their own plane, and usurping places in the
intermediate world — between heaven and hell — which were above
their rightful places, were evil spirits. This must have been so
from the facts of the case. Thus the evil spirits were taking away
men's freedom. And on the other hand, the good or the heavens
were far above; but their light and heat were rendered dim by the
undue preponderance of the evil spirits, and their very existence
and integrity were being endangered by the latter. The incarna
tion of God then took place.

IV. Apparent and Real Truth.
Many years ago it was the custom of the church to take the
Scriptures literally in those passages where the anger of the Lord
is dwelt upon; and by leaving out any consideration of those
passages which declare the opposite, it was deduced as a doctrine
that God was angry with man because man had departed from
Him, and that He would have destroyed men from revenge: but

22 Lecture I.
that Christ, as a separate person from God, suffered and died
instead of man, who should have endured the penalty; and that
God was propitiated by Christ's suffering and death. But the best
we can say of this view is that it is only an apparent truth,
because Divine Love cannot become in itself anger, or its own
opposite; but in its action it may produce effects which look like
the operation of anger: just as the bright rays of the sun, though
not the sun itself, which can be endured by a perfectly well eye,
become unendurable and agonizing to a diseased eye; and they
are shunned by it as productive of torture.
But the real truth is that God is a divine sun of love, or that
He is the source of that sun. And when man goes contrary
to Him — leaves and rejects that love, and turns to hate and selfish
ness, then that Love drives man away, or rather leaves him to
eternal death, that is, unless God comes to him in the modified
form of His humanity. But God, by coming down to man's own
plane, and clothing Himself with a human nature and body,
obtained a permanent external nature or grosser atmosphere about
Himself; and by His bringing down the Divine Ardor into this
lower plane of life, and keeping it pure and holy, man can under
stand it somewhat, and take hold of the Almighty, even from his
otherwise lost condition, — his condition of being invested with
sin and sensuality. Thus salvation is made possible, if man does
so. "Though He were dead," as the Lord says, "yet shall he live."
"Because I live, ye shall live also." John xi. 25 ; xiv. 19. Though
a man or woman is in a seemingly hopeless condition, though
he is in a deadly, sensual, poisonous state, the Divine Arm has
eome below him or her; and if they will only determine to believe
and trust in the efficacy of the Divine Life as brought within
reach by Jesus, all may be saved from their sins, and resuscitated
to spiritual and eternal life.
Thus, according to the prophecy or statement in Isaiah ix. 6,
Jehovah, who was from eternity "the mighty God, the everlasting
Father," has now in Jesus become a human Divine, and as such
has become "the Prince of Peace," and the only true object of

Questions Answered. 23
worship. He has done all things possible and necessary for us.
When we were well, that is, in the Most Ancient times, He loved
the race and gave them His love in the highest and happiest forms.
When we would have destroyed ourselves, and became sick unto
death, He came as a physician, and has obtained power to heal
us and raise us from the dead. "He is altogether lovely." He is
"the first and the last, the beginning and the ending, the Alpha
and Omega, the Almighty."

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — Does not the Word say that "God is angry with
the wicked every day"?
Answer. — Yes, that is written in Psalm vii. 11. But this and
other quotations of a like character are spoken in accommodation
to man's external and erroneous views of the nature of God. This
is like the astronomer, who knows that the earth revolves around
the sun annually, and revolves about its own axis every twenty-four
hours, adopting the phraseology of appearance, and saying that
"the sun rises and sets" ; or it is like saying that "the sky is angry"
when clouds are in the air — darkening the sun — from one to three
miles above the earth. There is no anger in the sky or expanse
above the clouds ; the anger is as it were in the clouds : that is, the
destruction, if any occurs, will be owing to the lightning or dis
charge of electricity from cloud to cloud, as well as to the flood
of rain with the wind. Just so the anger is not really in the
Lord against men; but the anger or wickedness is in the men (and
thence in the spiritual atmosphere about them) who, by going
contrary to God and His laws, turn His blessings into curses to
themselves; and what should have been good and happy life be-

24 Lecture I.
comes in them evil and unhappy and wretched life, properly called
"death." Question 2. — In Exodus, where God shows Moses His glory, God
says of Himself that He is a God "that will by no means clear
the guilty." How do you make that agree with the eternity of
God's love?
Answer. — This does not disagree with His Divine Love. The
quotation is found in Ex. xxxiv. 7. It means that at the time of
the judgment of every man, which occurs after death, those who
are guilty, that is, those who are determined to remain in sin,
cannot be extricated from their sinful state, because they will
not be. As will be explained in the lectures on "The Spiritual
World" and "The Divine Providence," they could alter their lives
here; and while here, the Lord does all that is possible to induce
them to do it; and thus if they take His hand and work with
His power, He does undoubtedly "clear the guilty," and in every
case, though not indeed in their guilt, but from their guilt.
But where men and women will not do so during this life, He
will not clear them in the other life, because He cannot, simply
because it is impracticable.
Question 3. — Do I understand you to mean that there is only
one person to the Godhead ?
Answer. — Yes ! I mean that the old way of looking at God as
consisting of three persons or individuals, instead of three con
stituent qualities or parts or elements of one person or Divine
Individual, is erroneous, and not according to the spirit or true
meaning of the Scriptures. The passage from Isaiah ix. 6, where
the Son is called "the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father," when
compared with the passages in John xiv, where Jesus says "He
that hath seen Me had seen theFather," and "I am in the Father
and the Father in Me," and still again, where He said "I and my
Father are one": these and other passages of like import show
that there is only one Divine Person; and that the Father must
now be in Jesus (He became so in fullness when He was glorified)

Questions Answered. 25
as the soul is within and pervades the body of a man; and the
Holy Spirit proceeds from His body or Humanity in or from
Himself like the sun's radiance, comparatively like the halo from
an angel; and with us it is like the heat and light which reaches
us from the sun.

Lecture II

How Christ "appeased the wrath
of God."

29

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE II.
0 Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we see our Father, our Redeemer
and our Savior! help us to pray in spirit and in truth; and draw
every soul that is gathered here to learn the truth — to Thyself.
Bless the influences of this hour ; grant that Thy Holy Spirit may
fill the words which are presented with life. Let every truth
which is delivered be freely received; and accompany it with Thy
goodness and love, which shall cause it to sink deeply into the
hearts of all ; let it produce fruit ; let it be an element which shall
lead some into Thy Heavenly kingdom.
Enable us to put away all selfish and hateful thoughts, and
to have mercy and compassion and love one toward another; recol
lecting that we are all children of Thee — our heavenly Father, and
thus brethren and sisters. Let us seek the love of use, and desire
the truth for the sake of use. Make us thankful for the privilege
of serving one another; and let us learn to worship Thee alone,
and not ourselves or the world. Amen.

30

LECTURE II.
Subject of II, III and IV: The Son — the Redeemer —
the Worker in heaven and on earth. The Atonement —
how was this accomplished on christ's part? the
Death op Christ, and what it effected.

Specific Subject of Lecture II:
How Christ appeased the Wrath of God.

texts.
. Christ's death and the Reconciliation are evidences of God's
love toward sinners. Romans v. 6, 8, 10.
2. The purpose of the Lord's Coming was to give us life, and
that more abundantly. John x, 10; Romans vi. 23.
3. God in Christ, and afterwards through apostles, reconciled
and reconciles us to Himself ; and for this purpose brings righteous
ness to us by having entered our sinful conditions. II Corinth.
v. 18-21.

Christ "appeasing the Wrath of God." 31

I. The Apparent Truth.
The old idea of the death of Christ and its effects, the idea
which prevailed most widely in the church of many years ago,
the doctrine which was derived from several passages of the letter
of the Word and the writings of the apostles, was this. It was
thought that Christ, as the second person in the Godhead, died to
appease the wrath of God — the first person in the Godhead. It
was supposed that this wrath was kindled by man's disobedience
to God's laws, and his departure from God; that this wrath could
only be placated or appeased by the death of all the human race;
but that the Father conceived the idea of substituting Christ, His
only Son, the innocent One, for the guilty human race; and that
Christ took upon himself the suffering and death necessary to be
administered as punishment by the angry Father, and thus the
Father's wrath was appeased. Secondly, it was supposed that we
sinners of the human race owed Him the debt of our lives; and
that by the same death of Christ, He paid the debt; — by substitution
— which we owed God, by laying down His life on the cross.
Thirdly and finally, it was taught that God had a certain immut
able Justice, that demanded so much punishment for so much sin
and wickedness, and that its satisfaction required our death and
damnation; also that God's dignity and honor required the same
thing, as also His glory and fame; but by the death of Christ,
substituted for our death, God's offended justice, honor and glory
were satisfied. And further it was taught that Christ now for
ever propitiates or makes the Father merciful to men, by showing

32 Lecture II.
Him his wounds received on the cross; that is, the prints of the
nails in His hands and feet, and the spear-wound in His side.
But these ideas are all of them derived from what may at
best be called the apparent truth, — from a merely material view
of the subject. I shall try, in the three lectures beginning with this
one, to present a clear view of the real truth in regard to each of
the three points.
In this lecture, let us consider the. real truth in regard to the
first point.

II. How Christ appeased the Wrath of God.

Let us, then, try to see how it is to be understood, that Christ
appeased the wrath of God. It is very important, in considering
this subject, to keep in mind that Christ was not a separate person
from God or the Father: but, as Jesus says, "the Father and I
are one"; and the way they were one was as the soul and body
of a man are one, or as one interior essence or atmosphere pervades
another exterior essence or atmosphere. Specifically, Christ was
the humanity or human nature which was first assumed and de
veloped, and gradually and finally "glorified."
In this assumed humanity, or human nature and body, God
veiled Himself as Moses veiled his face when, from being with
God on Mount Sinai, he spoke to the Israelites, lest he should
terrify and harm them. See Exodus xxxiv. 29-35.
And further, by this humanity or lower nature, God secured a
human standing-place in the natural mind and upon the earth,
so that He could communicate with men; and also, in temptation,
with evil spirits.
There are two natural ideas which have been entertained in the
church about God's wrath; and these, in common with the wrath
itself, have been derived from a view of the apparent truth, not the
real truth. The first idea is that when God is angry with us, He

Christ "appeasing the Wrath of God." 33
turns away His Face. This is analogous to saying that when
clouds are between the sun and the earth, the sun has gone, or
has withdrawn itself; when yet we very well know that the real
truth is that the clouds have arisen from the earth, and separate
us from the sun, while the sun is still there on the other side just
as it was before; and in fact that even now the sun is doing all
it can to dissipate the clouds from the other side. And so it is
spiritually: the clouds of evil and falsity come from evil spirits
and men, and obstruct the light and heat from God in His spir
itual sun; and yet He is doing all He can from His place to dis
sipate those clouds.
The second erroneous idea which has prevailed in the church,
from some passages of the letter, and from a material view, is
that when man is in evil, God's wrath is fierce, and burns to
destroy him. This is like the case of the sun's heat and light
pouring down on the sore eyes of a man. They seem oppressive,
and produce torture, because the eyes are not in a state to receive
the rays. So, when men had become hateful, and when there was
a total opposition in their hearts and minds to the Lord's divine
love and wisdom, they were not receptive of them; and the rays
of the Divine Sun seemed like fierce wrath, and as if there were
a will in them to destroy men. The case was nearly the same
as when wicked, reckless men come into the society of good and
wise ones: they seem as if they were oppressed and checked, and
they are made miserable.
At the time of the Lord's coming, such clouds as I have men
tioned were about the intermediate part of the spiritual world,
where men dwell : and they actually made spiritual night or dark
ness for men, because they cut off the light or truth of the Lord's
sun; and they made spiritual winter or cold, because they at the
same time cut off the heat or love of that sun. The reason was
because the people of the earth who had been evil and false, and
who had gone into the other world (that is, those who were yet
unjudged), remained in juxta-position with men's minds; and they
and their spheres formed these clouds, so that practically nearly

34 Lecture II.
all the rays of the sun were cut off. That transgressions and
sins were capable of forming such clouds, we learn from Isaiah
xliv, 22, where the Lord says, "I have blotted out, as a thick
cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto
Me, for I have redeemed thee."
The only way the Lord could redeem men, or destroy the incubus
of these evil and false spheres, was to judge these evil spirits, or
to dissipate these clouds. Thus He could bring to men again the
heat and light from His Divine Sun.

III. How the Clouds were dissipated, and the Sun's
Heat and Light brought in.
We can get some idea of how the clouds were dissipated, and
the sun's heat and light again brought in, and with added or more
effectual splendor, from a reference to the three classes of tempta
tions of our Lord Jesus Christ, as they are depicted in Chapter IV
of both Matthew and Luke.
The first temptation was when Jesus was in the wilderness. He
was tempted of the devil to make the stones of the wilderness
bread. The "wilderness" denotes the state of temptation in
general, when good seemed to be absent. His "fasting forty days"
denotes the fullness of desolation, and also His rejection of evil
and falsity; and His subsequent "hunger" means His consequent
divine desire to do good. The first spiritual temptation — repre
sented by the devil's suggestion to him to make the stones bread —
was that he should make the dead and false things of his natural
man or mind food for himself, irrespective of the Divine Com
mand or law. In other words, it was a temptation to make the
demands of his natural will all. He overcame it by remembering
and obeying the Divine law that spiritual or divine truth from
the Word should govern Him in everything, and not the natural

Christ "appeasing the Wrath of God." 35
will or affection. This law had been written thus: "Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
The second temptation, or class of temptations, was represented
by Jesus being set by the devil upon the "pinnacle of the temple"
in Jerusalem, and being prompted to "cast himself down," because
it had been written that "angels should have charge over him,
lest at any time he should dash his foot against a stone." This
was an intellectual or experimental kind of temptation, rather
than that of the will. It was when He had ascended above the
dictation of the natural will, denoted by the lower ground, and
had ascended in the consideration and exercise of spiritual truth,
denoted by a "pinnacle of the temple." From this elevation there
was a temptation to return to the pleasures of the natural will
by going again to the falses of the natural mind, denoted by the
"stones" on the ground below, and so to profane holy truth;
and to do so under the vain or self-confident feeling that He had
been elevated in spiritual truth, and might be allowed to descend
again without harm, because He had ascended above the lower
things, or because He was in spiritual truth. Besides the ex
citement of the pride of intellect, which is common to learners of
spiritual truth, there must have been an agony of anxiety in this
temptation, because he could not have yielded to it without falling
like any other man. It is not he who has conquered merely some
temptation who attains the heavenly prize; but "he who endureth
unto the end" (see Matth. x. 22 and xxiv. 13) ; and the protection
and immunity from the falses of the earth or natural mind
denoted by "stones," is only for him who is honestly in the effort
to keep with the Lord, not for the person who is going contrary
to Him.
The Lord Jesus overcame this second temptation by remem
bering and obeying the law: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God." That is, it is allowable for God to as it were tempt
man, or to allow temptation to come to him when he is prepared
to resist it; but it is not allowable for man to try or "tempt"
God by going contrary to Him, depending on past favor.

36 Lecture II.
The temptation, as it was an experimental one, and one which
was essentially a tendency to go back from a new and true state
to an old or false and evil one, — from an elevated to a lower
and past state, is like4the one depicted by the temptation to Lot's
wife, who looked back in her flight from Sodom, and was in con
sequence turned into "a pillar of salt." And again, it was probably
an element of the Lord's temptation on the Cross, when the people,
with the chief priests, scribes and elders, said to Him: "If thou
be the Son of God, and the king of Israel, come down from the
cross, and we will believe thee."
The distinction between the first and second class of temptations
was this. In the first, the tempting spirits desired to keep the
Lord's humanity in the natural mind — without reference to spir
itual or divine truth. In the second, the tempting spirits, since
they could not keep the Lord from referring to the divine truth,
desired to make Him misuse that truth : to make Him pervert it —
by using as it were one-half the truth without the other, — the
part that promised protection to the Son of God, but leaving out
of consideration the part that demanded his fealty to God and His
laws, which was the very condition on which the Lord eould he
and remain the Son of God. So the Lord, in answer to the
garbled or partial quotation from Psalm xci, said: "It is written
again 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' "
The third great and inmost temptation, or class of temptations,
was represented by the Lord Jesus being taken by the devil
to "an exceeding high mountain," and being shown all the king
doms of the world and the glory of them, and being told that he
should be given all these things if he would fall down and wor
ship the devil. This "exceeding high mountain" was no material
mountain, but a mountain of self-love, which it was suggested
by infernal spirits, that he should stand upon; and the temptation
was to rule and own the whole world and all men — from self,
and to obtain worship for self. Self, with self-love, is the inmost
infernal essence, and it is the chief devil. It would at first sight
seem as if it were possible that Jesus could have done this by

Christ "appeasing the Wrath of God." 37
His power. But like other false views, it was deceptive, and really
not possible: for if He had attempted to do any such thing for
selfish purposes, His humanity would have become like that of a
common man, but the abode of every foul and venomous demon;
and the human race would have been eternally lost. It was no
doubt the perception of these awful consequences which might
ensue if He should yield, and the thought that the whole human
race depended on his denying himself such things, that caused
those mighty cyclones and tornadoes of agony which swept through
His humanity, and forced from him the "sweat" in the garden
of Gethsemane, which was "like great drops of blood falling down
to the ground," and which also caused the despairing cry upon
the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?"
But He overcame even in this great temptation by bringing
before His mind, and obeying the divine precept : "Thou shalt wor
ship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." That
is, it is an eternal law for humanity that God and His divine
love must alone rule, and not self: for God alone is an essence,
from which all men and all lower things — lower elements of the
mind — must exist. Men are only receptacles for His life and
essence. Service and use to others is the great law of true life.
For Christian men, Jesus said: "he who would be great among
you let bim be your minister; and he who would be chief among
you, let him be your servant." And even of Himself he said : "The
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many;" and again: "I am among you
as He that serveth." This was the law which Jesus was to keep
and exemplify, — that he must not and would not rule or possess
the world, or receive worship, for his own gratification, but for the
good and eternal life and happiness of men, that is, His chil
dren, — that He might serve and minister to all.
All the temptations which came to the Lord Jesus were — on the
part of the evil spirits — evil suggestions, accompanied by positive
and intense application and insinuation of their diabolic spheres,
producing in the Lord's humanity a keen perception and sensation

38 Lecture II.
of them in all their vileness, abjectness, haughtiness and cruelty,
causing corresponding and dreadful suffering and anxiety in him.
It was an adjunction of them to His humanity, but not a con
junction with Him. Thus "He was tempted in all points like as
we are, and yet without sin."

IV. The Two Wats in which Jesus "appeased the Wrath
of God."
As Jesus conquered the evil spirits who tempted him, He cleared
away the clouds which were caused by them, — the clouds of evil
and falsity which were in the spiritual world, and which were so
located in that world, the spirits which gave rise to the clouds
being yet unjudged, that men had been surrounded by them, so
that they had intercepted the heat and light of the sun. Thus,
as the Lord Himself said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven" (Luke x. 18) ; and He performed a judgment, as He
says: "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince
of this world be cast out." He called it the "judgment of this
world" (although as we can easily see, it must have been per
formed in the spiritual world, which is in direct connection with
this) because it was a judgment of the former dispensation which
belonged to this world, rather than some other planet; and besides,
in a spiritual sense, it was a judgment of the spirits who belonged
to the natural mind in contradistinction to those who belong to
the heavenly mind : thus they were essentially spirits of this or the
natural world.
When this judgment was performed, and as fast as it was per
formed, and as the clouds were dissipated, the genial light of day,
and the warmth of spiritual spring and summer, entered, so that
they could be received by the human mind and heart. This was
represented and shown by the fact that Jesus' face shone like the

Christ "appeasing the Wrath of God." 39
sun on the Mount of Transfiguration. This work of overcoming
in temptations, purifying His humanity from evil tendencies, and
making it divine or glorifying it as a permanent abode of Divinity
or the Father, was His own specific work performed independent
of man — against evil spirits. And this was the first way in which
Jesus or the humanity "appeased the wrath of God."
But there was a second way, or part of the work which was
necessary to be performed to men, to "appease the wrath of God."
The Humanity must modify the spiritual heat and light so as to
give man "life," and yet not destroy him with these. This He did
by coming to men in person, and accommodating Himself to them
in His words and in His deeds. He spoke in ideas which were
so presented that men could perceive in them something of the
truth of life, and something of His love for them. He healed
their diseases, — even their natuial diseases; and yet we can now
see that spiritual diseases were pictured by them, and that He
wills also and more especially to heal these for us. He did not
condemn sinners, but rather desired them to turn to Him and
thus to life; and He assured them that they could be freely for
given for past offences if they did so. As we read in our third
text, "He was reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them." He spoke words of hope to them, and
invited them to come to Him. He let them know that their
sins were their enemies; as He said — "he who committeth sin is
the servant of sin; and the servant abideth not in the house for
ever;" that is, such a servant — of sin — cannot abide forever in
heaven or the church; "but the Son abideth ever" — because He
is in heaven, and, as the Humanity of the Father, is the King of
heaven. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be
free indeed" (see John viii. 34-36). That is, He told them—
gave them the blessed assurance — that by their coming to Him,
and by working against or forsaking their own evils and sins from
Him, He could make them free. Thus, individually, men would
each one become free from the little cloud which surrounds each,
the cloud of evil and falsity. In a word, He veiled His divine

40 Lecture II.
ardor; and did such good, and taught such truth, as they could
receive. This second work was always after His overcoming evil spirits
in His own Divine Humanity; and it was specifically His work
to angels and to men in the world, and is now specifically His
work to them. His work of the general judgment, by which He
accomplished the Redemption, has been done; although He for
ever keeps the hells in order and in their places.
To recapitulate the parts of the work, we may say that the
Lord God first glorified His humanity; and second, He saves
individual men and women by means of it. In other words, first,
by perfecting the humanity He brought Himself near to save;
and second, by retaining the same, He can forever after bring
His divine truth and good to men to save them through their
faith. And thus, if we understand the phrase to be an expression
of the apparent truth only, we may say that He "appeased the
wrath of God" in himself, and by performing the general judg
ment; and He has obtained power to appease the wrath of God
in every individual instance, if we turn from our evil ways, and
live from Him.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — Does not Paul say, in the very passage that you
took for your first text, that in reconciling us, Christ saved us
from the wrath of God?
Answer. — Yes ! this is in Romans v. 9, 10. This is, as I say,
the language of appearance. By reconciling us, God, by and in
His Humanity, saved us from "wrath"; although it is fair to say,
that Paul does not say the "wrath of God." But the truth is, He

Questions Answered. 41
saved us from the clouds which man had made, and which we
may say, involved wrath; and since that time He does the same
thing for every one of us individually, so far as we are reconciled
to Him, or become one with Him: see John xvii. 17, 19, 20, 21.
Question 2. — How did He give us "life," and "more abun
dantly"? Answer. — As a consequence of this clearing away the matter
of "wrath": that is, by bringing to us unimpeded the spiritual
heat and light of the divine sun which proceeded from Himself:
in the same sense as we say that the heat and light of the natural
sun produce, or furnish the materials to receive, the natural life of
the plant. "More abundantly" means that there was a little life
already, that is, still effective, which came through the clouds to
men; but the Lord in His Humanity brought it in "abundantly."
It is also true that the life which the Lord was enabled to furnish
to Christians was and is more full and richer than that which
was known to the Jewish or Israelitish Dispensation or Age.

Lecture III

How Christ " paid our debt "
to God.

45

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE in.
0 Lord God, who art our Father and Who hast become our
Redeemer and Savior ! We thank Thee for all the blessings, both
spiritual and natural, which Thou hast given us to enjoy; and
especially do we thank Thee for Thy mercy in redeeming us,
giving and securing to us our freedom, and the opportunity to
become good men and women in this world, and angels of heaven
for all eternity. And we thank Thee for the new and higher
truth which Thou hast been pleased to give us in such large
measures in this our own time.
We confess that of ourselves we are in very many evils, both
from ancestors and from our own careless additions; and that
we have no love of truth or love of good except as they come from
Thee. Help us therefore to deny ourselves all selfishness and
evil; and give us in their place the love of truth and the love of
good. Endue us with the inclination and affection to do good,
to devote ourselves and our lives to Thee and Thy service, and to
have tender and kindly feelings one toward another. And grant
that, when we have done as well as we can, we may give all the
praise to Thee, where it rightfully belongs, and humbly acknowl
edge that Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen

46

LECTURE III.
Subject of II, III and IV: The Son — the Redeemer — the
Worker in heaven and on earth. The Atonement — how
was this accomplished on christ's part? the death of
Christ, and what it effected.

Specific Subject of Lecture III :
How Christ paid the debt which we owed to God.

TEXTS.

1. Shedding of blood was and is necessary to the remission
of sins. Hebrews ix. 22.
2. The blood of Jesus, with His flesh, cleanseth from all sin,
and brings us to heaven. Hebrews x. 19-22 ; I John i. 7.
3. The order — Christ the first-fruits, then His receivers.
I Corinth xv. 20, 22, 23.
4. All should become living sacrifices to God, by following
Jesus according to the Truth. Romans xii. 1, and John viii. 12.

Christ "paying our debt to God." 47

I. Scope of the Last and Present Lectures.
In the last lecture I endeavored to show how it might be said,
in the language of appearance, that Christ "appeased the wrath
of God." I tried to explain how this was a form of speech which,
translated into the real truth, means that men had at the time of
the incarnation arrived at such a degraded state of evil and spiritual
darkness by their own wickedness and that of their progenitors,
that the love and wisdom coming down from God were inimical to
them, and would have cursed them by their approach, unless God
Himself had assumed a humanity, which suffered and died as to
all disorder and merely natural desire, and thus made it a perfect
receptacle for the Divine love and wisdom on that lower plane, —
the plane of our own life; thus also making these essences and
spheres propitious to us in our low states of life, and making it
possible for us to be saved. At the same time He cleared away
the cloud of evil and false spirits in the world of spirits, which had
so effectually blocked the way of the entrance of love and light
from the sun which encampasses the Lord God, and had also pre
vented our ascent to the heavens. It was shown that the humanity
"appeased the wrath of God" in two ways: first in Himself by
His death to evil ; and second by His life — both in the world with
men, and in His proceeding Holy Spirit, which is His life flowing
down to us and enabling us to shun evil and do good.
In the present lecture it is designed to show how by His same
death and life Jesus "paid the debt which we as the race owed
to God."

48 Lecture III.

II. Our Debt to God.
But what is this debt which we owed to God? It is the same
debt which we always have owed to Him, which we do now, and
which we always will owe to God. It is that we should yield and
devote ourselves, our spirits or souls and bodies, to Him — to the
reception of His Spirit, and to do His Will.
But why should we do this? For the same reason that we
should use the light and heat from the sun, and enjoy them, and
so become able — by the light — to see and enjoy the pleasures of
sight; and also become warmed by the heat, and so become able
by it to be useful. Or it is for the same reason that we should
open our ears and so hear, and enjoy the beauties and delights
of sound. Such faculties as these and others, if properly used,
yield us great happiness.
But a person might say that he was not consulted about whether
he wanted to open his eyes and see the beautiful things of nature,
the grand mountains, the seas and rivers glistening and flowing
in the light of the sun and moon, the varied foliage of trees and
flowers, and the innumerable other things which greet the sight
on every hand. He could shut himself up in a cave, where he
would not see anything; but like the fishes in the Mammoth Cave
of Kentucky, his sight, being of no use or not exercised, would
become dim; and finally he would become blind like them. But
no one would say that this would be a desirable condition to be
sought. Again, one might say that he was not asked whether he desired
to have his hearing; and when the beautiful songs of birds or
the delightful strains of the music of instruments or the human
voice could be enjoyed, he might plug his ears up, so that not a
ray or wave of sound should reach them. But if he did it long
enough, the sense of hearing would become weakened, and finally
he would become deaf. But does anyone think that this is a state
to be chosen?

Christ "paying our debt to God." 49
Or, still again, a man might shun the heat of the sun, and shut
himself up in an ice-house, or journey to the frozen lands and
seas of the Arctic regions, where the sun's heat has comparatively
no power. But then he might freeze, and in a short time die.
Now surely no one with sound sense and good judgment would
consider such actions as these desirable. It is only those who
are more or less insane, or unsound in mind, that finally choose
either such negative conditions, or by suicide seek to end their
positive existence and life here, — only, as Shakespeare makes
Hamlet say, to "fly to other ills that they know not of."
The fact is, this natural world is neither capable of furnishing
the highest enjoyment, nor is it to be despised. But it is a beau
tiful world, full of beautiful things on its own plane; and as it
was intended by the Creator, if viewed and used as a basis for
higher things — the things of the mind and soul, it is capable of
sustaining man in those higher spheres of happiness. But as we
should yield our eyes and ears and other avenues of the senses at
proper times and in proper subjection, and to a proper extent, to
the beauties and uses and enjoyments of the things of this world,
so we should yield our whole souls and bodies to God — our heavenly
Father, the Creator of ourselves and of all the things about us.
We should devote ourselves to the reception and use of the things
of His Spirit, the loftier and holier and heavenly things of His
Universe, which are capable of yielding us much higher happiness
than anything on the mere earth and natural plane of our lives
can. If we do not, we miss the higher and best portions of our
life. This is the debt which we all owe to God. That is, we owe
it to Him to use all the faculties He has given to us. And it is not
too much to say that we owe it to Him to so devote ourselves —
in return for all His love and benefits to us; and it should be
regarded as a great privilege to receive His Holy Spirit, and to
be consociated with His noble purposes to bless and to make others
happy. All great and good men have in their respective states
of life so regarded it. This was the case with Washington, Lin
coln, Paul, Swedenborg, Wesley, Muhlenberg and a host of others.

50 Lecture III.
Such devotion of the life to God was denoted by the Jewish
sacrifices and burnt-offerings. The particular animal — whether
lamb, goat or bullock — denoted the higher or lower good affection
of the individual from which the devotion is yielded.

III. The Situation since sin entered;
AND FINALLY WHEN CHRIST CAME.
Of course, it is the natural mind specifically that needs to be
devoted to God; because the spiritual mind proper, having for its
objects spiritual good and spiritual truth, from its very nature
when cultivated and developed, is devoted to or in accord with
God and heaven. This, however, does not mean when spiritual
truth is studied or paraded for the sake of self-exaltation or for
natural ends; but for spiritual ends, for heaven and for the sake
of good.
Before the advent of sin into the world, even the natural mind
was also in accord with God and with the spiritual mind; and
it was without difficulty or pain kept so. It was merely developed —
by more knowledge, and the exercise of natural good affections ; and
when afterwards the higher faculties — the spiritual will and under
standing — were developed, they took control of, and had dominion
over, the lower or natural thoughts and affections. This is what is
meant in the spiritual sense in Gen. i. 26-28, by man subduing
and having dominion over the lower animals. But sin entered by
a reversal of the order: that is, by deferring to the natural affec
tions and knowledge on their own account. Thus the natural mind
became the master and arbiter of all things; and so men lost
the love and light of the higher planes of the mind, and gradually
descended to the lowest. When this took place — when sin entered
the world, suffering began to be necessary to accompany the de
votion of the natural life to God. The pouring out of the natural
life, so far as it yearned after what was disorderly — or not in

Christ "paying our debt to God." 51
accordance with spiritual truth and goodness, was continually to
be done. This was what is signified or meant in a genuine sense
by the death of Christ; and this is what is also meant in Isaiah
liii. 12, where it is written of Christ that "he hath poured out his
soul unto death."
Hence we can see that, when Christ came, our debt was of a
two-fold nature; first, to surrender our natural life as to its evil
desires; and second, to devote our natural life wholly to God.
The Lord found us wholly unable to do this. The reason why it
was impossible for us to do so, was on account of our terrible
situation or condition as a race. In the first state of the Ancient
Church, which began with Noah, or those whom he and his family
represent, and which ended, if we regard one church as a con
tinuation of the other, with the Israelitish Church, — in the first
state of the church, I say, before the Lord's coming, God had
given the written Word, that is, Divine Truth in human language ;
and also angels appeared to some of the people; and prophets
were afterwards sent to write and speak the Word. These min
istrations were sufficient as long as there was no great gathering
of wickedness in the world of spirits; because the heat and light
of the spiritual sun could penetrate to men's minds and hearts in
greater or less measure.
But in the second or last state of the church before the Lord's
coming, the evil spirits began to encroach on man's own part of
the spiritual world, that is, in the "world of spirits," between
heaven and hell; and as I have before said, they formed a cloud
of darkness and cold there, so that little heat and light from
God's sun could reach man : there was no proper equilibrium any
more between heavenly and infernal spheres; and man's spiritual
freedom was almost taken away. He was in danger of not being
able to choose anything but evil. And so he was no longer able
in any proper sense, to present himself a "living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God.' This we know was actually impossible in>
the case of those who were possessed of unclean and evil spirits;
and no doubt this forced state would have soon become epidemic,

52 Lecture III.
and would have resulted in sweeping man into hell, and indeed
off the very earth itself by all manner of crimes of each upon
himself or his neighbors. The Scribes and Pharisees, so far as they
were hypocrites, and most deeply evil and false, were in all prob
ability the very ones who most largely formed the clouds and
deadly spheres themselves in the world of spirits, since when
hypocrisy is deeply rooted, it is, or it must have been when the
light was as dim as it was just before the Lord's coming, very
difficult to compel such people to stand forth in their true light,
and to become outwardly just exactly as they were inwardly; for
this is really the judgment.
Still, although as a whole the church and race were unable to
pay the debt they owed to God by surrendering their evil life, and
devoting their whole nature to Him, there were some few, as
there must be in every church at its latter end, who were the
"remnant" of that old church, who were capable of forming the
nucleus of a new or Christian Church. These were such good
people as Joseph and Mary, Zacharias and Elizabeth, Simeon and
Anna the prophetess, and the twelve disciples and others.

IV. Christ's Work — how He paid the debt Himself,
and how He thus made it possible for us to do likewise.
The work of Christ, therefore, was to rescue men, that is, the
human race, from the overbalancing power of evil spirits; to give
man his freedom where it was taken away, as in the case of those
who were possessed — (and hence, since that time, there are few,
if any, involuntary possessions) ; and to clear away the clouds of
evil by a general judgment.
In this way he secured freedom for men during the time of thp
First Christian Church, and the possibility or power, so far as
He Himself was concerned, of securing it to men in the Second
Christian Church in the future, — thus for all time. The clearing

Christ "paying our debt to God." 53
away of the cloud out of the world of spirits, and securing free
dom for man, was the Redemption. It was a buying back, by
paying the necessary price — the sufferings and death of the human
ity, of the human race, out of their captivity and thraldom and
wretchedness from the baneful clutches of the evil spirits who
spread the pall and chains of their wickedness over and around
men. Thus also Jesus "opened heaven to man."
He. did this first by sanctifying himself, as he said in his prayer-
John xvii. 19 — "for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also
might be sanctified through the truth." Thus he became a "living
sacrifice"; and he passed through the "veil" into the "Most Holy
Place" — the sphere of the Divine Love. Thus by the devotion
of His humanity to that Divine Love, and having conquered all
the cravings of the infirm human nature, He paid the debt Him
self — in His humanity — to God or the Father who was imminent
within him, and became the "first-fruits" of the New or Christian
dispensation. Thus also He led those "who slept," or had died
in the old dispensation, and who had done the best they could while
they lived to devote themselves to God. This is the way he paid
the debt which we and which every man owed and now owes and
forever will owe to God.
And secondly He thus made it possible for us to do likewise —
that is, to pay our individual debts to God or to Him: for in
Christ we now see our God. He did what He could for us then;
and He is now doing what is possible for Him to do for us indi
vidually, by His life or Holy Spirit, to enable us to follow Him in
the regeneration. He does this positively and with power, if we
receive Him as our Savior by faith and life; if we take up our
cross and follow Him, with or in accordance with the Truth, and
from His life, and after His example. We must notice that He
does not say that we should take up His Cross, that is, universal
temptation from all the hells; for we could not do this even if
we would. None but the Infinite One could do that. Hence He
Himself was obliged to come: see Isaiah lix, 16. But He says
that we must take up or bear our cross, our individual trials

54 Lecture HI.
and temptations from evil and selfishness; and in these spiritual
conflicts, with His almighty help and power, we can conquer.
From this we can see quite clearly that He did not and does not
take our place as a substitute, except as the "first-fruits." That
is, when we could not pay our debts, He came and paid the debt
man owes to God in His own humanity, and became the "first
fruits" unto God. He leads the way, and by His Divine Holy
Spirit gives us power to follow after Him in the way He has
trodden, that we may also pay our debts individually to Him.

V. HOW WE CAN NOW PAT OUR INDIVIDUAL DEBTS.
We must now pay our own debt — each one for himself. Not,
it is true, by our own life and strength, and not indeed fully,
only the best we can; but in the life and strength of His
"flesh and blood," which He gives us to "eat and drink." This
flesh and blood are not material, but such as they eat and drink
in the heavens : namely, spiritual "flesh or bread," which is spir
itual and heavenly love, the essential substance of the Lord's Spirit ;
and spiritual "blood or wine," which is spiritual and heavenly truth,
the proceeding or external substance and form of the Lord's Spirit.
He has this life and strength now forever secured for us in Him
self by his sacrifice: see John xvii. 19, 17. He thus has made
it entirely possible for us, since that time, to keep the Com
mandments and pay the debt we owe to God, and to become "living
sacrifices," as Paul says, "holy, acceptable unto God"; and so He
has made it entirely possible for every man to enter heaven.

55

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Question 1. — What does Paul mean, in Romans v. 10, by saying
that "we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son"; and
that, "being reconciled, we are much more saved by His life" ?
Answer. — The word "Son," when it occurs with the word "God,"
means the humanity or human nature assumed by God for the
purposes of Redemption. The "reconciliation" is our being con
nected or united to God, as a race, after having been separated
from Him by our sins, and by the cloud which was in the world
of spirits before the Lord came. We were connected or opened
to God, then, as a race of human beings, by the laying down by
Him of the disorderly desires or life of the humanity, thus by
its "death" — so far as evil was concerned; because by this death
the hells were conquered, the cloud of evil and false spirits cleared
away from their usurped places in the world of spirits, and heaven
— of love and truth — was opened to men. Thus men as a race were
reconciled or connected again with God, the obstruction being taken
away. Since that time, by His "life," both in the world — as we
read of it in the Gospels, and by His Divine Life flowing down
to us as His own Holy Spirit, God in Christ — or the Divine
Humanity — saves us individually, or enables us to come to Him
and live from Him, and thus from heavenly affection, at the same
time what we put away, or turn away from, our evils as sins
against Him ; and thus He saves us by giving us the power of His
life against those evils.
'Question 2. — How is it, if the Father is the same as, or in,
Christ, that Christ prayed to the Father ?
Answer. — In His humanity before the crucifixion, and especially
in temptation, there was a sense of separation or distinction between
it and the Father or the divine soul which was His inmost, since
the human nature was then in cravings and appetites toward evil,
while the divine Love and Truth could not be in these. While he
was in these states He felt it to be necessary to pray to God as a

56 Questions Answered.
Father, and it is stated that at least on one occasion he spent the
whole night in prayer to God : Luke vi; 12 ; see also Luke xxii. 44.
But after temptation He felt united to the Father as body to soul,
or as external to internal; and this was fully the case when the
resurrection took place, when the Son or humanity was said to
be "glorified," or united to the divine nature within. So Jesus
said, before He left the outward view of His disciples, that if they
kept His commandments He would pray the Father, and He would
give them another Comforter, that is, His Divine or Holy Spirit
which should, after His resurrection, proceed fully and constantly
from Him: John xiv. 15-18. But afterwards (see John xvi.
26, 27), He said that He would not pray the Father for them;
and the reason was that "the Father himself loved them, because
they loved him (the Humanity)." That is, the humanity being
perfectly united to the divine nature or the Father, the Father
had a perfect receptacle or medium or "Mediator" for Himself
in the Humanity, and could forever after come to men by His
Spirit through the Humanity or by means of it, and could thus
love and bless them through it.

Lecture IV

How Christ "satisfied God's
Justice, Honor and Glory."

59

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE IV.
Our heavenly Father! we come before Thy Divine Presence
again to ask Thy blessing.
Be with us in Thy love and wisdom, awakening our hearts to
warm, kindly affection one toward another, and our understandings
to perceive the right relations of things, and to obtain more just
views of Thyself and of all matters pertaining to our souls.
We thank Thee for the dispensation of New Truth which is
being made known to the world in these days, and that we are
permitted to rejoice in greater and more abundant light than was
possible in former ages of the world. We pray Thee to help us
to receive it with a view to life and use, so that it shall not be
wasted on us.
Grant that every hearer or reader may be benefitted by this lec
ture, and by the spirit used and the truths taught; and enable us
to give all the praise and glory to Thee, who art alone worthy to
receive any praise and glory. Amen.

60

LECTURE IV.
Subject of II, III and IV: The Son — the Redeemer — the
Worker in heaven and on earth. The Atonement — how
was this accomplished on Christ's part? The Death of
Christ, and what it effected.
Specific Subject of Lecture IV :
How Christ bt his Death satisfied God's Justice, Honor
and Glort.

texts.
1. God acts externally from Divine Love and Wisdom, which
are His internals ; and these are the essence and cause of the power
and joy of all the good. Psalm Ixxxix. 14-17.
2. Glory, honor and power were exercised and manifested in
the Creation of all; and hence these attributes belong to God the
Creator. Rev. iv. 11.
3. The great work of God in Christ on earth was the per
formance of Judgment, as well as the simultaneous glorification of
His humanity. John ix. 39; v. 22; xii. 31 ; Luke x. 18; and John
vii, 39; xii, 23; xiii, 31.
4. Glory, honor and power were exercised and manifested in
the Judgment. Rev. xix. 1, 2, 20. This was written specifically
of the Last Judgment at the Second Coming ; but the same qualities
were exercised in the Judgment at the First Coming.
5. The same qualities — glory, honor and power — were exercised
and manifested in "signs" and miracles by Christ, that men might
believe and have "life." John i. 14; ii. 11; v. 23, 41, 44; Luke
X. 19; John xx. 30, 31.

Christ "satisfying God's Justice etc." 61

I. Scope of this Lecture.
In the Second lecture of this course, I attempted to show in what
sense it could be said that Christ by His death "appeased the
wrath of God." In the Third lecture I endeavored to show how
by His death and life He "paid the debt which mankind owed
to God." In this present lecture, the Fourth of the course, I will
try to show how Christ while on earth, by His life and death,
fully satisfied the Divine "Justice, Honor and Glory"; and thus
effected the Atonement or Reconciliation of man to God.

II. The True Nature of the Justice, Honor and Glort
of God, and their operation.
Let us first consider the true nature of the Justice, Honor and
Glory of God. Of course, since the Lord is a being of divine
Love, so that He may be said to be Love itself, there can be no
retributive justice in God; for this would be of the nature of hate
or revenge, which is directly the reverse of good love. And from
the Lord's own words to us in Matthew (v. 44, 45) in which He
tells us to love our enemies after the example of our heavenly Father,
we can be sure that this is so. He says, "Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for your persecutors; that ye may be the children of your
Father in heaven : for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, etc." And this must be true of His spiritual sun,

62 Lecture IV.
which is the living one proceeding from Himself, as well as the
natural sun. And so in Ezekiel (xxxiii. 11) God says, "I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked."
But God's Justice is simply the law of necessary procedure in
the case of those who live from the Lord's love, or in good; and
in the case of those who live contrary to it, or in evil.
There are two principal laws of order or justice which are
operative in God's dealings with men. The first law of justice or
order is that from any particular seed, fruit of the same quality
proceeds. In a word, it is the immutable law of cause and effect.
Paul states it in Galatians vi. 7, 8, 9, where he says: "Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that
shall he also reap, etc." Spiritual disease therefore is not a reward
for sin, but its fruit. The Lord cannot prevent this effect.
If we sin, we must become spiritually diseased. But the cause,
that is, the sin, and the effect, that is, the disease, are not from
the Lord. He does all that is possible to prevent the one and
the other without tampering with men's freedom: but if the one
is present, the other must be also. For example, if a man steals,
he must become a thief. He becomes so in the act and in the
effort. Or if a man lies, he must become a liar. One is like the
shadow of the other. This law always works, both in the case of
the good, and in the case of the evil. Those who are good must
be blessed and happy in their good; and the evil must be cursed
and miserable in their evil.
The second law of order or justice which proceeds and operates
from the Lord's love and mercy is, that the Lord compels wicked
spirits to desist from taking undue advantage over men; and when
it becomes necessary He performs a judgment upon them in the
spiritual world. This is necessary when they would violate man's
freedom. He performs a general judgment upon them when at
the end of a church or age of the world, the whole spiritual firma
ment has become clouded over, so that the sun is darkened, and
all divine light and heat are obstructed. The judgment is then
performed by new and divine light with its heat brought from

Christ "satisfying God's Justice etc." 63
God into the world of spirits, and so to the minds or souls of men
in the world. This light shows the evil spirits to be what they
are interiorly. Such a judgment was performed by the Lord in
the time of Noah, and was pictured by the flood. The new light
then was of a symbolic kind, adapted to the understanding of men.
It was a lesser light, a white silver light as it were, and not the
yellow, warm, golden light — in its unperverted state — of the First
Age. A second judgment was at the end of the Ancient Church,
and was represented partly by the plagues of Egypt by which the
Children of Israel were released from their bondage, and by the
final overthrow and drownmg of the Egyptians in the Red Sea,
while the Israelites escaped; and afterwards by the extinction of
the nations who were in the land of Canaan by the Israelites under
Joshua. The new light in this case was very dim — of a natural
kind — that by which the Israelites obeyed the statutes and com
mandments literally — without perceiving why, except in a very
general and natural, legal way — because they were commanded
and dictated by God.
A third judgment was performed, as we have seen, at the Lord's
First Coming, when God came upon the earth as Christ, — in the
body or externally. The new light then was that which Jesus
spake, — such as dictated and commanded good life of a genuine
kind and the shunning of evil life, in contradistinction to the
ceremonial punctiliousness of the Jews without genuine self-sacri
fice or good life. It was, however, not a bright white light like
that of the Ancient Church and still less a warm golden light like
that of the Most Ancient Church; but it was more like the diffused
light of day — good of its kind, but largely dependent upon and
reverent of authority. Hence its decline afterwards, as was fore
told, till the time of the Second Advent of the Lord.
The fourth and "Last Judgment" was predicted to be at the
end of the First Christian Church at the Second Coming of God
or Christ, when He should come interiorly or in spirit. The new
light since then is such as shows motives to be the springs of all
outward life, and use to be the end which should lead us to work.

64 Lecture IV.
Its receivers do not bow down to the authority of any created
being, but they look solely to the Truth Itself; and to Jesus
Christ — the incarnate Lord God, because He is "the Truth, and
the Life."
The third general judgment — that which we are now in this
lecture considering, and which was performed by the Lord when
He was on earth, was effected by allowing temptations to come to
Him from the troops of evil spirits then in the spiritual world,
called "the Devil" and "Satan"; and He then resisted them by
effort or death according to the divine truth of the Word, as we
have already seen in the Second lecture.
The cloud of these evil spirits had virulent lightning in it, which
must necessarily strike the one who should disturb it. Men
could not endure combat with it; but Christ could and did endure
it and demolish it. He did this by coming into its sphere by
means of the humanity; and when it attacked him, resisting its
allurements by dying as to the infirm human nature, simply allow
ing it to endeavor to seduce, but, on account or because of the
Divine Truth, not yielding in the least to its seduction. He thus
took the lightning out of it — that is, He endured it : but it struck
only His body, that is, His infirm external — not His soul, that is,
His internal.
From the truths which we have been considering, we can now
see how erroneous and unjust is the old idea in regard to God
being angry and demanding the death of all, and placing the
punishment due to all upon Christ. This is the idea which it
has been supposed was taught by the well-known passage in
Isaiah liii. 4, 5, 6 : "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,
and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." The natural idea which
comes to the mind from this passage at first sight may be that of

Christ "satisfying God's Justice etc." 65
substitution. But the real truth or point of the passage, is that
since we had descended so low into evil, and gathered the great
cloud of evil and false spirits about us, the great work of clearing
away this mighty cloud was rendered necessary; and God in Christ
or the humanity could alone perform this work; and He did it by
suffering all the temptations of the hells from the whole human
race, and conquering them all.
The case might be illustrated by that of a vast menagerie with
caged wild beasts. The manager has given orders, for the safety
of the visitors, that they must not open the doors or let any of
the animals out. Nevertheless the visitors carelessly open the doors,
and the wild beasts issue forth from their cages eager to devour
them. Now if the manager should do according to the old idea
of the "scheme of salvation," he would tell the keeper to give
himself up to the beasts as a substitute, to save the people. But this
would do no good; because if the keeper should do so, the beasts
would not only despatch the keeper himself, but they would also
devour the people besides.
But suppose the manager should tell the keeper that the people
ought to die, but that he thought it better that the keeper him
self should die instead, to satisfy the honor of the establishment
and the manager, which required the death of the people. This
would be a most inhuman, unjust and bloodthirsty idea; and one
which suggests a course quite as useless as the other.
But according to the real facts of the case, considering the
circumstances, the manager, if wise, would say to the keeper some
thing like this: "These people have let the beasts out of their
cages. They have disobeyed the orders; and the consequence is,
they are in danger of being devoured. Now you are the only one
that knows how to put the beasts back in their cages. You must
©onquer them, and do this for the people. It may be that you
will lose your life in the endeavor. Still, this is the one practical
and effectual thing to do under the circumstances. This will alone
satisfy justice as between ravenous beasts and helpless people, and
the honor and glory of this establishment. And if you do lose

66 Lecture IV.
your life, the wild beasts can only destroy your body, not your
soul; and you will be forever after known as the people's Savior."
Of course, to this, the keeper, being a noble man, agrees, and
recognizes that it is the only way. An analogous work to this was
done by the Lord by means of His humanity. He fought against
and subdued all the spiritual "wild beasts" (see Mark i. 13) in the
universe, and He laid down the life of the infirm natural human
ity — this laying down being represented by the death of His body
on the cross — as a necessary part and consequence of the work;
but only, as He said, "that He might take it again"; that is,
He received in its place a Divine-natural Humanity or Life from
the Father within — this reception being represented and indeed
completed by His Resurrection and Ascension. If in the illus
tration, after the keeper had conquered the wild blasts and caged
every one of them, he had been killed by some of the people for
envy at his mighty and beneficent deeds, we should have a
parallel case to that of the Jews and Romans crucifying Christ at
the last, when He had "finished the work," as He said, "which the
Father had given Him, that is, the Humanity, to do."
From what has been said, we can see that the Divine Justice
is no arbitrary thing, or fiat ; but it is the system of ths divine order
of the universe. It discriminates between the good and the evil;
and it protects the good from the evil. In like manner, the
Divine Honor and Glory are not vain things: such things cannot
be in God. They must be the veriest divine substances. The
divine Honor is only another name for His Love or Goodness, as
honor among men is the essential good character of the man;
while the divine Glory is another name for God's Wisdom or
Truth, and also His delight in doing good, or His divine Joy.
Hence the two — the divine honor and glory — are the essence and
form of His Spirit. In other words, they are the essential Noble
ness of God, and the same nobleness at work to accomplish benefi
cent ends. So we read in our first text, "Justice and judgment
are the habitation (or establishment) of Thy throne; mercy and
truth shall go before Thy face." Justice and judgment are the

Christ "satisfying God's Justice etc." 67
laws of order for good and evil — in their aspects both of love or
goodness and of truth or wisdom: these establish and uphold the
universe, and especially heaven, or the throne of God ; while mercy
or love, and truth, which are only other names for God's honor
and glory, are the heat and light of His Holy Spirit which pro
ceed from Him, and bless those who receive them, or as the text
further says, "who know the joyful sound."
The Lord's Justice was satisfied in dispersing the cloud of evil
in the world of spirits, and so freeing men spiritually. His Honor
was satisfied by the same means; but specifically by His doing all
that love and mercy required. His Glory was satisfied also by
the same means, but specifically by doing all that was required by
the Truth, and thus according to divine order; and the Glory in
cluded at the same time the divine joy which He had while en
gaged in doing good. But all of these three — the divine justice,
honor and glory — required that Jesus should lay down His life,
that is, the life proper to His infirm human nature; and that He
should do such wonderful things as He did (see John xx. 30, 31)
that we "might believe," and so "have life."
I once heard an evangelist present the subject in perhaps as
fair a light as it can be presented from the old material stand
point. He illustrated it by the case of a schoolmaster in his
school, who had made a rule that the first boy who made any dis
order should be punished by twenty stripes or lashes on his back.
A poor, ragged urchin was the first to infringe, and the school
master called him to the front. He was gaunt and hungry-
looking, and nothing was on his bare back but a ragged jacket;
and holes in his shoes showed his feet. The master looked at him
in dismay; but he thought of the rule, and that justice to it
required the punishment of the boy; and then the honor of the
school required it also. And so he said, "Take off your coat."
When the poor boy removed his jacket, the bones could be seen
protruding at many points of his body. The master raised his
rod to strike. Just then a boy cried from the back of the school
room: "Wait, wait, sir, don't strike; I will take his whipping for

68 Lecture IV.
him." The boy stepped forward to the master. He was rather
stout and well-made, and could bear the punishment far better
than the first boy. The master hesitated. Here was an innocent
boy; he had done nothing amiss. Would it do to strike him?
But finally the consideration of the satisfaction of the honor of
the school and bim self overcame his scruples; and besides, he
thought that if he did not punish some one, the scholars would
not be deterred from like offences in the future; and so, after the
boy had taken off his coat, he delivered in the sight of the school
twenty heavy cuts on the bare back of the boy. "And this boy was
his own son."
As I looked over the faces of the audience, I saw that there were
many affected by the narration; and one good old clergyman was
wiping the tears from his eyes. But effectively as the anecdote
was recounted, it was not at all analogous to the real truth; but
it was merely founded on a material and quite erroneous view of
the facts of the case. In the first place, no such arbitrary rule or
punishment as this master made and determined upon is possible
with God. He never did, and He could not, make a demand
to satisfy His Justice, Honor or Glory, that men should die — even
for cause ; for He only desires them to live. His saying, in Genesis
ii. 17, that man should die if he should eat of the "tree of knowl
edge" was only a statement and warning of a necessary effect from
a terrible cause. God says He has "no pleasure at all in the death
of him that dieth, but only that he may turn from his way and
live" : see Ezekiel xxxiii. 11 and xviii. 23, 32. And even when He
came on earth, He said He "did not come to destroy men's lives, but
to save them" : see Luke ix. 56. And He has no justice and honor
or glory such as require their punishment; but only that they
might, if possible, be saved from sin and thus from eternal misery.
And besides, there is nothing analogous in Christ's death or suf
fering to the thought of the schoolmaster that the good scholar,
or some one, must be punished in order that the rest, seeing it,
should be deterred from future wrong-doing. And indeed, this
was never claimed, even by the holders of the material view of

Christ "satisfying God's Justice etc." 69
\
"God's scheme," to be a motive in God for requiring the death
of Christ, that it was in any respect to deter men from sinning
against His laws by the example of His death, or by fear that
they might die like He did ; although it is true that by the Israel
itish law certain violations of it were punishable with death, and
others were to be deterred from similar violations by witnessing
that punishment.
We can see from this illustration into what strange and unrea
sonable and untenable lines of thought men have been led by their
material, unspiritual views of God and His work for the human
race, together with His supposed human justice, honor and glory.

III. Recapitulation.
We have now seen what is the real truth underlying the expres
sion that "Christ appeased the wrath of God" : namely, that by
overcoming in all temptations, God in His humanity was enabled
to glorify the humanity or make it divine, and to clear away the
cloud of unjudged spirits in the world of spirits, and so to dis
sipate the occasion of wrath, not of God, but from contrariety to
God; and thus He made His divine Spirit propitious to men
and receptible by them. We have also seen that by rejecting all
disorder in the humanity and wholly devoting it to God, He
"paid the debt which we owed to God" — the first among men;
and we must now follow Him, but by power derived from Him.
And in this lecture we have finally seen how, by doing the same
things in the Humanity and for us, He satisfied the beneficent
demands of the divine Justice, Honor and Glory.

IV. The Atonement or Reconciliation.
The Atonement or Reconciliation was the atoning or making
amends, or providing the true remedy, for man's departure from

70 Lecture IV.
God into the depth of evil, darknesss and misery to which he had
come. This the Lord did in His humanity by clearing away the
cloud of which we have been speaking, and by the yielding up,
or the death, of the infirm human nature, and by bringing down
into its place a divine-human nature, or, as we say, "glorifying
the original human nature," so that it became a perfect medium
of communication between God or the Father within it, or cours
ing through it, and men. Thus the Humanity has bridged the
gulf between man and God. In it Jesus has atoned for man's
inability to pay his debt to God, and for his inability to satisfy
God's Justice, Honor and Glory; no one but God Himself in His
appointed agency — the Humanity — could do these things in per
fection, and so as to be effectual for all time. This Humanity was
offered up to the Divinity or Father within it, as a perfect Atone
ment or reconciling element, and thus a perfect Mediator, between
God and man. "Once for all": that is, the Humanity was made,
at the death of its infirm part, the perfect amends or uniting
medium in Himself between God and man, and between man
and God. They are thus "at-one" according to the etymological
derivation of the word Atonement. The atonement or at-one-
ment in individual cases of men ever since, or the joining of the
gap between each man in his sin and God in His humanity, is
effected by each man looking to Him in prayer, and endeavoring
to follow Him in the regeneration. Then he receives the life
which Jesus always has ready for him, and is saved, and made alive
and happy for all eternity, and thus "at-one" with God.

71

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Question 1. — Could you tell us in a few words what the Atone
ment was?
Answer. — Yes ! It was the glorification of the humanity, thus
securing a perpetual bridge between man and God. This was also
the "Reconciliation," inasmuch as man and God were reconciled
or united in the person of the Lord Jesus. We now have life
flowing from Him by His Holy Spirit — for us; and we also have
His example in overcoming evil and doing good.
Question 2. — What was the Redemption?
Answer. — It was specifically the clearing away of the clouds
from the world of spirits, and freeing men from them, at the ex
pense of the suffering and death of the infirm humanity of Christ.
"Redemption" literally means a buying back for a price.
Question 3. — What became of the Lord's material body between
the depositing of it in the sepulchre and His resurrection; and
what was the nature of it then, that is, afterwards, or when the
disciples saw it? for it went through closed doors — as no other
material body could; and yet the Lord said "A spirit hath not
flesh and bones as ye see me have."
Answer. — I think that we are compelled to come to the con
clusion that the Lord's body after the resurrection was not material,
in the sense of being dead — like our bodies are : first, because He
could not have a dead body about Him now; and second, because,
as you say, we read that He appeared in the midst of the disciples
in a room where the doors were closed: see John xx. 19. If
this is so, the disciples must have seen Him after the resurrection
with their spiritual eyes, which were opened by the Lord so that
they could see Him. This again compels us to believe that the
Lord's material body was dispersed in the sepulchre. This could
be done by divine or even angelic fire of sufficiently great power;
for I suppose that such fire actually did disperse the material
body of Elijah (see II Kings ii. 11) ; and Elisha saw him pass

72 Lecture IV.
into heaven with his spiritual eyes ; and this is what Elijah meant
by saying, "If Elisha should see him when he was taken from him"
(verse 10) ; that is, if Elisha was so enabled to see him by the
opening of his spiritual sight by the Lord, then he should have a
"double portion of his spirit" : otherwise not. When the Lord said,
"A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have," He meant
that He — the.Lord — was glorified into a lower divine atmosphere
than any spirit dwells in, no doubt to a living atmosphere cor
responding to the plane of what would be matter if it were dead;
but nevertheless which had and has now divine sensation and
so a certain form of mind in it. So the Lord meant that He was
more substantial than a spirit. The lowest sensual and corporeal
plane of His humanity is glorified or made pure and clean by the
Divine Life, so that the human spirit who is lowest in the scale
may be saved by it.
Jesus said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger and behold my
hands; and thy hand, and thrust it into my side." He also "ate
before them a piece of broiled fish and of honey-comb." (John xx.
24-29 and Luke xxiv. 36-43). But Jesus had in His soul or
spirit from men cruel wounds corresponding to the material nail-
prints and spear-wound, and hitherto unbelieving Thomas was
enabled to perceive and see these wounds ; and he might even have
felt them if he had needed to. The broiled fish and honey-comb
were spiritual concrete forms of good thoughts and affections which
the disciples offered the Lord (not vinegar as the Jews did, John
xix. 29, 30), though they no doubt, with their spiritual eyes
opened, did not distinguish between them and the material things
around them. Jesus desired to show the disciples primarily that
He was a real, substantial, living man with flesh and bones, and
secondly that the substance of His body, though thus real and
living, was not material, but spiritual or divine, by appearing
in the midst of them and by vanishing out of their sight (Luke
xxiv. 36, 31), which things were effected by simply opening and
closing their spiritual eyes.

Questions Answered. 78
The spirits of men and women have flesh and bones— of spiritual
substance, not material, and of which their material bodies which
have kept them on the earth were as a rule fair images, till they
were vitiated or worn out by disease and age. But the disciples,
no doubt, when the Lord appeared in their midst, thought they
saw an "apparition" or "ghost," consisting, as it were, of disem
bodied air, which in fact the Greek word pneuma, here translated
"spirit" primarily means; and the Lord's words literally were as
if He had said : "Mere air in the form of a man is not a real man
with a substantial body, having flesh and bones, as ye see that I
have." Question 4. — How about Acts i, 11, where the disciples saw
Jesus "go up into heaven," and it was told them that "He would
come again in like manner"?
Answer. — Their eyes were opened at that time also; and the
heaven and clouds were spiritual.
Question 5. — Where was God while Christ was on the earth?
Answer. — God was throughout the whole universe as before, but
especially concentrated and manifested in the humanity. Then
the humanity, so far as it was infirm and in the flesh, was not
omnipresent; but now being Divine, it is omnipresent, — the outer
sphere of the Inmost divinity.
Question 6. — What does Christ mean by saying "He came out
from God, and again He goes to the Father (John xvi. 28) ?
Answer. — No place is meant : but He came into the infirm human
atmosphere; again He rejected it successively, and finally entirely,
by overcoming in temptations, and substituted a divine-Human
nature, in which God is present; and this Humanity is perfectly
united to God. Indeed it may be said to be the outmost sphere
and Divine- Human body of God; that is, this Divine-Humanity—
the Son of God, or "God with us," may be said to be the" en
veloping or outmost concreted receptacle of the Father God; and
from it the Holy Spirit or outflowing Divine-Human sphere im
mediately proceeds and reaches man.

Lecture V

How we are justified by faith.

77

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE V.
Our Father, our Redeemer and Savior! We see Thy Divine
Trinity in Thee as the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
We thank Thee for the new and genuine truth which Thou hast
given us in these days, — on the great subjects of Thyself and of
our own souls. We thank Thee for Thy gift to us of our reason,
and for unprejudiced minds; and for a receptive mental soil open
to the light.
Give us a broad view, a brotherly spirit; a love and interest
one toward another — as brothers and sisters, and children of God.
Bless our thoughts during this hour. Give us spiritual peace; and
a sincere desire to know how to live as Thy children.
Send down upon us Thy Holy Spirit : into our minds to enlighten
them; and into our hearts, that many souls may be awakened and
quickened in regard to their eternal interests, and that they may
be led to receive and live the truth, and thus be saved. Thus,
dear Father, may Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done —
as in heaven, so also upon the earth. Amen.

78

LECTURE V.
Subject : Justification bt Faith, and not bt our own works.
how this is to be understood.

TEXTS.
1. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary, since He alone
is the tree and fountain of life. John iii. 36 ; xv. 5 ; Rev. xxii. 1, 2.
2. On account of His glorification, His Holy Spirit proceeds
from Him, and is received by those who keep His commandments.
Psalm lxviii. 18; Luke xi. 13; John xiv. 15-19, 21.
3. The result to such is righteousness and eternal life. Deut.
vi. 25; Romans ii. 6, 7.
4. That honest and full faith thus active does not need to
be supplemented by ceremonial works, such as circumcision
Romans iii. 23, 24, 28 and 1.

¦Justification by Faith. 79

I. Resume of Lectures I-IV.
In order to properly prepare our minds to approach the subject
of the present lecture, it will be well to review briefly what has
been shown in the four preceding lectures. It was shown first
that God was Love: that out of Him proceeds the Sun of heaven,
which is primarily love, and secondarily wisdom. Next it was
shown that man gradually departed from the love and wisdom
which proceeded from Him, and came at last into the most direful
evil; and that, as a consequence, a cloud of evil with its falsity
enveloped mankind in the world of spirits, shutting out the heat
and light of the Lord's divine and heavenly sun. In this pre
dicament of ours, God assumed humanity or a human nature, in
which He was tempted by the wicked spirits in this very cloud,
and also by all other spirits and demons of hell; and He con
quered them all by adducing, and holding to, Divine Truth;
and so He cleared away the cloud, and extricated man from his
dilemma. Thus also the Humanity became a perfect expression
of the Father or Divinity within Him, and thus a perfect and
eternal Atonement and Mediator between man in evil and the
Divine Love or Father within the Humanity.

II. Justification bt faith in Christ.
Man's justification by faith in Christ, or in the Divine Humanity,
is the last part or end of God's plan or method for man's salvation.

80 Lecture V.
That is, God was to come down to man in His humanity, and
free man from spiritual slavery as a race, and become divine
Truth triumphant on the plane where man and evil were; and
then man as an individual was to take His outstretched hand or
His divine power extended to him by the Holy Spirit, and thus
be saved from the individual evils in which he is.
The apparent truth, which was long held in the church to be A
the real, was derived from a material, external view of several
passages of the Scriptures. It was this: God was angry with
burning wrath against mankind, because they had left Him and
had become as it were besotted with sin; and He burned to
destroy them all in His fury. But He had an innocent Son
whom He decided to sacrifice and kill instead of His erring
children. He therefore devoted Him to destruction; and He
poured all the vials of wrath upon the head of His innocent Son.
This appeased His wrath, paid the debt, and satisfied His offended
justice, honor and glory; and now this Son is a perpetual Atone
ment, or He has made in Himself a perpetual Atonement, for the
sins of the whole world; and if any one believes that the Son-
Christ — did this for him personally, that is, died and thus became
a Savior, and if he accepts Christ as such, then Christ shows his
wounds to the Father, and supplicates for favor for that person;
and then the Father has compassion on him for the sake of His
Son, and sends the Holy Spirit — the Comforter; and this Holy
Spirit, as a third person in the trinity of three persons, gives
man the assurance of forgiveness for all his sins ; and God attributes
the righteousness of His Son to the man, and he is accounted
just, although really he is not just, but most foul.
In order to understand the real truth about the subject, it is
necessary to keep in mind two great truths or facts. First, God
is not really three persons, but only one Divine Person; and
we now call Him the Lord Jesus Christ. This we have already
seen to be true by comparing very many passages of the Old and
New Testaments, especially those from Isaiah ix, 6, and John
xiv. 8, 9. In them we can discern plainly that the Son who was

Justification by Faith. 81
born on the earth, that is, Jesus was to be "called the Everlasting
Father," simply because the Father was in the Humanity, first
proceeding or flowing into it, and finally residing within it, or
perpetually and eternally flowing through it or traversing it, as a
Divine Soul in the body; and that we ought not to look for the
Father outside of Christ, but in Him and pervading Him as a
Soul. And from John xiv. 17,18 we can also see that the Holy
Spirit — the Comforter — proceeds from Jesus as His own outflowing
Spirit. The second truth which we should keep in mind is that there
is really no such thing as the "wrath of God." This is only an
appearance of the Lord's Divine Love to those who are in evil,
because they are opposed or contrary to it.
In considering the real truth, let us study it under three aspects,
according to the proper order of operations, or the successive
steps which end in man's salvation or justification. The first step
is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: this is man's especial part, —
that which he does as of himself. The second step is a consequence
of this, namely — the sending of the Holy Spirit. The third step
is the effect or operation of the Holy Spirit: that is, forgiveness
of sins, and justification.

III. The Three Steps of Justification bt Faith.
First, then, let us consider Faith in the Lord.
We cannot atone for sins by any works of our own. That is,
we cannot purchase salvation from God by anything that we can
do from ourselves. We have nothing to pay with. We are not
life, but only receptacles of life. All good life comes continually
from God, as heat and light from the sun. We cannot of our
selves do any good works, because of ourselves we are altogether
selfish, sinful and idolatrous, in the sense of worshipping ourselves
and desiring worship for ourselves. The motives from which we

82 Lecture V.
would act, therefore, are not capable of producing any genuinely
good works. Any vein of mental gold which may be manifest in us
has been kept there — has been kept open as a channel or fissure,
or actively or latently there as a vein within that fissure — from
visits of the Lord and His angels during our childhood; and it
is the Lord's in us; and if we steal it by calling it or claiming it
as our own, we are idolatrous of ourselves. From ourselves we can
only as it were wind ourselves about ourselves, and we are selfish
still, although that selfishness may be of a refined type.
The only way to begin our salvation and to assure its con
tinuance, is to look to God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and to open our hearts to His Holy Spirit. We must look to God
because He is the author of all good, and indeed of all genuine
truth. And since Jesus Christ is our God, we are to look to Him :
see Rev. xxi. 7.
In the first period of the world — the Golden Age — there was
no atonement necessary, because mankind had not departed away
from God into evil; and hence there was no gulf between the
Lord's love and evil in man, and no necessity of bridging any
gulf. But since mankind departed into evil and into a conse
quent cloud of evil and falsity, such an Atonement as Jesus made,
by His humanity dying to sin and living unto righteousness, thereby
becoming united to the Divine Truth and Love, and as a result
bringing forth the Holy Spirit from Himself for men, was neces
sary. Our faith, that is, our looking to and trusting in the Lord
Jesus Christ, is of three kinds; and all three are necessary that it
shall be genuine, complete, saving faith. It must be of the under
standing, of the will, and of the life.
First, our faith must be of the understanding. We must think :
we must think of the Lord Jesus as a Man, and as being the
source of our light, our love and our life; and we must think of
His written Word, too, because this is divine, and given by Him.
It gives us knowledge of Him, and it gives us the ideas and truths
in the letter pertaining to our spiritual and eternal life ; and from

Justification by Faith. 83
His Spirit He can enable us to understand it more and more deeply
and interiorly.
Secondly, we must trust in Him with our will. That is, we must
determine or resolve to receive His Holy Spirit as our affection
and power to work: to lay down our disorderly and evil natural
life, and to live a good and orderly life.
Thirdly, we must trust or believe in the Lord with our life.
That is, we must make use of His Spirit to do what is good and
useful to others. We thus believe from the Lord as branches
from the vine, as He says in John xv. 5, as the sap penetrates
and vivifies every part. In regard to the second step, let us con
sider the sending of the Holy Spirit, which follows our faith.
The Lord sends this, and it vivifies us, in our efforts, because in
these only do we fully live. The reason why He cannot send the
Holy Spirit before we ultimate our faith in some attempts at
life, is because — before — there were obstacles in the way of its
free course, either in our thought, our will or our life, or in all
three combined. It is said that the Lord "sends" His Holy Spirit
to us; but this is only the apparent truth. The case is like that
of the sun, and its heat and light. These elements are always
present in the sun, and everywhere on the earth, that is, when
the earth is turned towards the sun ; but when we turn consciously
to the Lord, He then seems first to send His Spirit to us. This
case in our regeneration is pictured in the first chapter of Genesis
by the sun's being said to be created on the fourth day — after
the earth was created, and after the growth of plant life on the
third day, — which means spiritually that after we have begun to
act as of ourselves in good — denoted by the growth on the third
day, then first it seems to us that God shines on us warmly with
His Holy Spirit, denoted by the appearance of the sun, and its
clear shining, on the fourth day; and we acknowledge it.
In regard to the third step, let us consider the effect or operation
of the Lord's Holy Spirit upon us. The first effect of the Holy
Spirit on the repentant sinner is forgiveness of sins. It is true that
the Lord gives him an assurance, which he can confirm by the Word,

84 Lecture V.
as in Ezekiel xxxiii. 12, 14, 15, 16, that former sins are not treasured
up against him. But the real forgiveness of sin, that is, of evil
and sinful states in the man, is consequent only upon an actual
and practical overcoming of evils in temptations. It is a death
of the natural man so far as this is disorderly, selfish and evil;
and a substitution of a second natural man "from above," which
is one with the spiritual man, just as Jesus' humanity became
one with the inmost divinity. Justification is the necessary con
sequence of this replacement. The justice is from the Lord, not
our own. It is the Lord's in us. It is good which the Lord gives
us for evil renounced, in accordance with the literal meaning of
the word "for-give." The process of forgiveness and justification,
in this the genuine sense, is a very gradual one, by successive in
crements. It requires patience and a life-time of effort, in accord
ance with Romans ii. 6, 7 and Luke viii. 15.
As to God's regarding us as just, when we are not, this would
be impossible. God must see what is; He cannot see what is not,
as if it were. This is so, simply because He is the divine Truth
itself. Hence He can only see us to be just when we have become
so by the reception and use of His own Holy Spirit instead of
our own, and by its occupying the center of our view and life.
And just here we may identify the real truth about the "remitting,"
or literally the "sending back," of evils. They are really not en
tirely washed away from us: this is another appearance. But
when we die to them, they are remitted or sent back to the cor-
cumference of our spirits, while the Lord's own Holy Spirit has
given us good affection and thought, which occupy the central
portion. That our evils are still with us, but on the sides or back
we are conscious occasionally to our sorrow when we return to
them. At last, however, if we are "faithful unto death," they
are practically dead and buried, we being constantly and per
manently withheld from them mercifully by the Lord.

Justification by Faith. 85

IV. Order of Gift of the Holt Spirit.
The effect or operation of the Holy Spirit into and upon us, in
general in our regeneration, and also in every particular advance
which we make, is of two kinds, or in two steps. Its first advent
is as the Spirit of Truth ; its second as the Spirit of Good.
The Spirit comes at the first part of our regeneration, and
in every first part of temptation, as the Spirit of truth. By this
the Lord endows us with the affection of truth. From it we make
determination and effort according to truth. The Spirit is in a
certain sense the Comforter, even at our first repentance. Our
comfort at this stage, however, is properly due to such elementary
progress as has been made. It is represented by the Israelites'
crossing the Red Sea out of Egypt, and the joyful song of Moses
and the children of Israel at their escape. We have started right,
and the Lord's favor is upon us. There is rightly a joy for any
who have honestly repented, and resolved, with the Lord's help,
to lead a new life. And indeed we read in Luke xv, 10, that "there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth." When we have been moved to repent, we should ask the Lord
for light from the Word, while we read it, and upon our evils;
for power to overcome them; and for inclination to do what is
right and good.
Besides asking for these things, we should do some things —
the corresponding things — as of ourselves : first, we should examine
ourselves in the light and by the chart of the Ten Commandments,
and try to see what particular evils we are doing and intending,
which being contrary to these commandments, are sins against
God; secondly, we should' try to be watchful and to overcome our
evils when they arise, by the Lord's Holy Spirit really, but
apparently, or as, of ourselves by turning away from them and dying
to them, — refraining from thinking, intending or doing them.

86 Lecture V.
And thirdly, we should try to do good: chiefly in our daily duty
or occupation, and in general in whatever other ways it seems to
be our duty or opportunity to work or do good. We should form
a habit of reading the Word, and of prayer. If we fail in temp
tation and do evil, or omit to do good when duty calls, we should
pray the Lord for power, and we should examine ourselves more
closely, watch more carefully, deny ourselves more faithfully, and
do our duty more perfectly. We must keep on trying, and never
stop. The Spirit comes at the last part of our regeneration, and after
every temptation to some extent — if we are faithful, as the Spirit
of good. By this the Lord endows us with the affection of good.
Good, or the desire and affection of good, comes into us as evil is
renounced. From it we make effort according to good from love.
Thus, looking down the Ten Commandments, as we refrain from
worshipping self or the world or pleasure, the Lord gives us
the love of Himself and His Spirit. As we refrain from profaning
His Holy Name or His Word or His Church, He gives us reverence
for it. As we deny ourselves any infractions or defilement of His
holy day, we come to delight to keep it for holy uses. As we
refrain from disrespect or dishonor to our parents — our natural
father and mother, the Lord enables us as far as possible to respect
and honor them. As we abstain from hate or murderous in
tentions, He gives us the affection of love for others; as we abjure
impurity of intention, thought and deed — as adulterous, He gives
us the love of chastity. He gives us the love of honesty and
fair-dealing as we abhor stealing; the love of truth, and fairness
to the reputation of others, as we deny ourselves false-witness,
harsh judgment and accusation against them; and the love of
seeing others comfortable and happy, as we refrain from covet
ing anything of our neighbors. In short, He gives us love to Him,
and love to our neighbors — as our brethren, according as we refrain
from all sin against Himself and against them.
In the first part of our regeneration, the natural man is regarded
as normal, while the spiritual man is thought to be unnatural ot

Justification by Faith. 87
abnormal; and during this time we are mostly occupied with
"dying" : while in the latter part of our regeneration, being in the
spiritual man — as it were on a hill or mountain, looking down
on the natural man — as in the valley, the spiritual man is regarded
as normal, while the natural man is thought of as a servant —
in itself, or without the spiritual man, gross and vile; and during
this time we may be said to be "living." It is then that the Holy
Spirit is truly, or most truly, a "Comforter." Though there are
many sorrows and temptations in the course of our earthly pil
grimage as Christians, on the whole, life is far happier than it is
with the selfish, evil man; and this happiness is eternal: see
Mark x. 29, 30.
As we have seen, besides such works as we do by faith in the
Lord, and from His Holy Spirit — dying to evil and living to
good, no external or merely ceremonial work is necessary: for as
already shown, we can do no work to merit or purchase salvation;
and the ceremonial law is abolished — including circumcision, since
by the life and power of the Lord's Holy Spirit, the real work
of refraining from evil and doing good, which all the rites repre
sented, can now be done by every man and woman.
V. "Will You Have Faith?"
The invitation is to all. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
I invite every soul who hears me, or may read this, who has not
yet given himself or herself unreservedly to the Lord Jesus Christ,
to do so. "Now is the accepted time." You have everything to
gain by it, and nothing to lose, that is, regarded from the right
point of view. I beseech you, believe on Him with your understand
ing or thought, your will or determination, and your life ! Repent !
pray! examine yourself! watch against your evils, beginning with
such as you can see ! make restitution where it is right, or determine
to do so as soon as you are able ! devote yourself to use and good !
and be faithful and steadfast to your life's end !

88 Lecture V.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — Does not your first text say that the "wrath of
God" abideth on any one who does not believe in Christ?
Answer. — Yes, it does; but it is the language of appearance.
It means that he who does not receive in his thought, will and
life, the truth and good of the Word, and of the Holy Spirit of
the Lord Jesus Christ, must be contrary to the divine truth and
good; and must finally be excluded from them.
Question 2. — Does not the same text say that any one who "be
lieves on the Son hath everlasting life," without any further
conditions ?
Answer. — Yes! because in this ease believing on Him includes
thought, will and life, of and from and according to the Lord's
Word and Spirit.
Question 3. — Will you please explain the last text which you
read— Romans iii. 23, 24, 25, 28, 30?
Answer. — I will first read it. "All have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God: being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law: seeing it is one God which
shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through
faith." Briefly, it means, as I have already explained in the lecture,
that we cannot justify or make ourselves just, but we can be made

Questions Answered. 89
just only by receiving and using the Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Question 4. — What is meant there by being "freely justified
by His grace through redemption wfiich is in Christ Jesus"; and
by "propitiation through faith in His blood."
Answer. — This means that the Lord, from pure mercy or grace,
justifies or makes us_ just through or by redeeming us from the
cloud of evil which enveloped the human race when He was on
the earth, and by redeeming each individual Christian ever since
in the same way. Being a "propitiation for our past sins"
"through faith in His blood" means that the glorified Humanity,
being devoted to the Divinity within, has brought down the Holy
Spirit, which is His divine "blood," to our lowest level; and
thus when we believe in it, and act from it, His life replaces
our own evil life; and in such case, the Lord does not look any
more on our past sins, since we ourselves then regard them with
abhorrence : see II Samuel xii. 13 and Ezek. xxxiii. 16 ; xviii. 22.
Question 5. — What is Faith?
Answer. — It includes three inseparable things: thought of God
or Jesus and His written Word ; will or determination to live from
His Spirit and Word; and actual life according thereto. It is
living — not dead — thought and reception. It is, first, thought of
Jesus as alive and all-powerful, that is, as a divine Man in the sun
of heaven, with also thought of His commandments; second, it
is a willing reception of His Holy Spirit and His Word; while,
third, we work from it and according to it against evil and in
good — that is, dying as to evil, and living as to good. The second
point may be said to be a willingness or determination to apply
His Holy Spirit and Word to ourselves; or it is a reception of
His Holy Spirit according to His Word into our lives in dying
to evil and living to good.
Still again, we might say that faith is a belief that Jesus can
save us, not without our effort to die and live, but with it and in it ;
and also it includes our willingness and effort to die and live from
His Spirit.

90 Lecture V.
The reason why some were healed by Jesus, while He was on
earth, without their aid, was because it was only natural disease;
and besides, He said in most cases: "Believest thou that I am
able to do this?" Or if any one were not able to answer for
himself, or where no inquiry was made by Jesus in regard to
faith, as in the case of the palsied man (Matt. ix. 2-7; Mark ii.
3-12), it is said that He cured him seeing their faith": that is,
since there was no obstacle in their minds, and it seems that their
faith in this case was positive and active — as shown by their
bringing the man, and no doubt with his own glad permission
or suggestion. Where people were possessed by devils, and thus
their freedom was being taken away, Jesus cast out the devils
and healed without the active faith of the persons themselves, as
a matter of justice and mercy. In a spiritual sense, the people
and the sick ones represented different elements in one mind.
The expression, "Thy faith hath saved thee," in this sense means
that "thy faith" — exercised — was the means by which the Lord's
Holy Spirit and power could enter and save or effect healing.
Question 6. — What is meant by the brethren "overcoming the
accuser Satan, by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their
testimony," in Rev. xii. 11 ?
Answer. — The "blood of the Lamb" is properly the Holy Spirit
of Jesus; but it includes also the written Word as to ideas. The
"word of their testimony" is their faith, or their application of
His Holy Spirit and Word, and co-operation with it in thought,
will and life : that is, in temptation.
Question 7. — What does Rev. xiv. 12 mean: "Here is the
patience of the saints; here are they tha+ keep the commandments
of God, and the faith of Jesus"?
Answer. — It means that the saints hold to the truth in thought,
determination and life: that they die as to the first natural man
with its selfishness and evil; and live by the second natural man
(from the spiritual) as to ascription of all power to God — that
is, to the Lord Jesus Christ, and as to good and use to the

Questions Answered. 91
neighbor; also that they continue steadfastly doing so till death —
that is, all their lives, or as long as they live in this world.
Question 8. — Do we not receive the flesh and blood of Jesus
by faith, in the Holy Supper?
Answer. — Yes ! but it is well to know what His flesh and blood
really are. His flesh, denoted by the bread, is of course divine, —
that of His divine nature, which He substituted for the first
infirm human nature, which latter He successively put off; it is
not therefore material, for if it were, it would do us no good.
His flesh is the goodness of love in His Holy Spirit, — its inmost
or primary element. And the case is the same with His blood:
it is the truth or wisdom, the "Spirit of truth" or secondary
element of His Holy Spirit. When we receive them in the Holy
Supper, represented as they are by the bread and wine, we make
a sign and seal before the Lord that we open our hearts to the good-
love element of His Holy Spirit; and that we open our under
standings to the truth element of His Holy Spirit. These things
we do by faith, or by thought and determination. The life or act
in accordance therewith we include in our thought and determina
tion, as the fruit of a union of two in marriage is properly
included as a consequence of it. The reason why we take the
bread or flesh first, and the wine or blood second, is because this
is the true order as it is in heaven — good affection first, true or
wise thought from it, the deed being from the two : and the Holy
Supper, like the Sabbath Day, represents heaven or the heavenly
state. But as we walk upward along the path to heaven, we are
yet in inverted order : so we look to the Lord first in thought, and
so open ourselves to His truth; second, in will or determination
to act according to it ; and third, in life, to do it.
The reason why Paul said, in I Corinth xi. 26, "As often as
ye do this, ye show the Lord's death till He come," and why the
Lord said, in Luke xxii. 19, "Do this in remembrance of Me,"
was for the First Christian Church, till He comes to the Second
Christian Church; because they had not the light which we now
enjoy, and which I am now endeavoring to present to you about

92 Questions Answered.
this very subject. They recollected His death : we can now under
stand, in a finite way, His consequent life, and so receive it in a
higher and more intelligent way than they could. Still it is well
for us all, even in the New Christian Church, to remember the
Lord's suffering and death in His humanity for us; and also to
think of His glorious Resurrection as a consequence of it, and
of His Holy Spirit which He now therefore freely gives us, sig
nified in the highest and best sense by His giving us, and our
partaking of, His Holy Supper.

Lecture VI

The True Christian Life,

95

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE VI.
Our heavenly Father, our Almighty Savior and Friend! We
give Thee thanks for the great gift of Thyself in a form com
prehensible to us — in Thy glorified Humanity; for Thy Holy
Spirit; and for freedom and redemption from the tyrannical force
of evil spirits. We thank Thee for the new and omnipotent power
which Thou didst obtain by Thy conflicts, by Thy daily and final
dying on the Cross, and by Thy continual victories, by which we
can infallibly overcome every evil; and for the assurance that
we may be forgiven, and begin a new life, and every one of us
attain heaven. Help us to pray to Thee for power, to try to
overcome evil and do right, and to continue steadfast to the end.
Bless all our feeble endeavors, and make them more powerful
and effectual.
We thank Thee for the new and bright views of Thee and of
Thy kingdom; of our relations to Thee and to each other; and of
our duty.
Give us a stronger determination for good ; a desire for our own
personal salvation, and for the salvation of others also. Give us
open ears and a willing reception for the truth, and an inward
joy in receiving it. Grant that this Lecture may have Thine
especial blessing; and that all on this occasion may be done in
peace and for edification. And help us to ascribe all the glory
and praise to Thee — our blessed Father in heaven. Amen.

96

LECTURE VI.
Subject: The True Christian Life a Life of Charitt
according to all the Commandments of the Word.

texts.
1. The keeping of the Commandments — negative and positive
— is necessary to genuine righteousness. Matth. v. 17-20.
2. The precepts of the whole Word are merely derivations from
the Two Great Commandments of love to God and the neighbor.
Matth. xxii. 35-40.
3. Those who have done good to the neighbor receive heaven.
Matth. xxv. 34-36, 40.
4. Charity is the affection and intention of good, without which
all good external acts or words are of no avail. I Corinth, xiii. 1-3,
4-8, 13.
5. What the Lord did abolish was only the external law of
ceremonial ordinances and observances. Ephesians ii. 13-15 and
Coloss. ii. 14.

The True Christian Life. 97

I. The Apparent Truth.
In former times — those of the decadence of the First Christian
Church — the times of what we may call the Old Christian Age,
before the New Christian Church or Age had made anything like
a manifest advent, the doctrine was prevalent that Faith was the
one essential of the Christian; and faith was understood to be a
mere blind, belief that what the creeds stated, and what the public
teachers or preachers taught from them about Christ, his death
and the Atonement, were true; and further, that since no one
could do any good works from himself, good works should not
be attempted. It was only necessary to have faith, or to believe
that Christ died for us, and to accept Him as our personal Savior
from the punishment due to sin; and then charity would be
the result, just as fruit grows from a tree. Faith was like a
tree, and charity or good works was the fruit of that tree.
This doctrine is only the apparent truth ; and was founded on the
fallacy that charity consists of good acts, such as giving to the
poor, and helping the sick, destitute and afflicted. The simple
mind may derive this notion from a reading of some passages of
the literal sense of the Word out of their connection with others,
and without their spirit. And it is a fact that even at this day
many persons speak and think of charity in this way, as if it
were merely the performance of some outward acts or deeds of
relieving the wants of paupers, or of indigent, poor people.

98 Lecture VI.

II. The Real Truth.
In order to find the real truth about this, as about every other
matter, we must go from effects to causes, from the external to
the internal. Two persons may do what appears to be the same act :
for instance, they may give money to the poor; but the deeds may
be from entirely different motives. One may do it to really help
the poor; while the other may do it to be seen by the bystanders
and to gain credit for being generous and tender-hearted, or for
any other of several selfish motives. It is the motive which shows
what an act really is — whether good or evil. And that motive
can only be known beyond question to the Lord and the individual
who acts from it. The individual may reveal it to others, as is
done often in civil and criminal trials ; and it is the motive which
is inquired into by the courts to determine the degree of a prisoner's
guilt, or whether he is guilty at all.
The Lord says, in the second of our texts, that love to God
and the neighbor are the central life of all religion; and Paul
reiterates the same truth when he says, in the fourth of our texts,
that charity is the sine qua non of the Christian life. Again, the
Lord says that acts, or the outward life, all proceed from either
the good or evil affections of the inward life or the heart. Thus,
in Matth. xii. 34, 35, speaking to the Pharisees, He says: "0
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?
for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good
man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good
things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things."
Charity, then, is good love in the heart; and it is the primary
thing of the Christian life. It is greater than faith, as Paul
says (I Corinth, xiii. 13), as good love is greater than its truth,
and as heat is greater than mere light. Hence it is not true that
faith is a tree of which charity is the mere fruit. But man is a

The True Christian Life. 99
tree, of which charity or good love is the heart, and faith is the
form — or comparatively the external; and the outer life or deeds
are the fruit of the two — charity and faith united together in a
living marriage. That man is a spiritual tree we may be sure
from Psalm 1, in which the Lord likens the good or righteous man
to "a tree planted by the rivers of water,' and "that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season."
But from inheritance through numberless ancestry, all of whom
have added to the stock, man's heart is naturally full of evil;
and, as by the attraction of gravitation, selfish, and full of self-
love — pride, tyranny and desire to be worshipped by others. Hence
before he can receive spiritual charity, or love to God and the
neighbor (for both these loves are included in the genuine article),
it is necessary to deny himself the gratification of his original
or natural desires; for if any genuine good love from the Lord
should be inserted into man before, or unless, the natural evil
desires are rejected, it would be suffocated or perverted and
extinguished, just as sheep or lambs would be devoured by wolves
and tigers if given to them. Hence it is necessary for man to
obey the Ten Commandments as a convenient summary of all evil ;
not only as to acts and speech, but also as to his thoughts and
intentions. That is, he should look to the Lord for the power, and
be willing to die or to refrain from doing, speaking, thinking and
willing or intending any such things as are there forbidden, be
cause they are contrary to the divine and heavenly love, divine and
heavenly wisdom, and the divine order and commandment for men.
In our first text, Matth. v. 17-20, we are told by the Lord Himself
that it is necessary for us to keep the "commandments" — meaning
the moral commandments of the law ; and that unless our righteous
ness shall be such honest and genuine righteousness as comes from
so doing, we shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And since love or devotion to God, as well as love and use to
the neighbor, are the necessary internal of charity, the first half
of the Ten Commandments, or those which relate to God, are neces
sary to keep as well as the others.

100 Lecture VI.
Our internal daily cross, so far as it is involuntary or imposed
upon us, — that which would lure us to spiritual death, is the
temptation which arises, as we walk heavenward, from our natural
evil affections and the evil spirits connected with them, to walk
without attention to the Ten Commandments. It is necessary,
therefore, to "watch" with the Commandments, especially with
those which we are most liable to break, against such temptations
to evil as may arise ; and to pray the Lord for power and willingness
to die as to our evil affections, or to refrain from disobeying the
commandments or from walking contrary to divine order; and,
trusting in Him to help us, it is necessary for us "to die" when
the temptation arises. Thus the "cross," or the temptation, becomes
the occasion of our dying to the things of our lust — by and to
which we are tempted. The Christian "bearing his cross," then,
is principally the same enduring temptation from his natural
lusts; and the Christian nailed to his cross in death, even as
Jesus was nailed to His, is the same dying as to those lusts on
the occasion of the temptation from them. These lusts constitute
his first and perverted manhood. His life of good, or his new
will, descends from above, and forms his second or spiritual man
hood. Thus from being evil at first, we become or receive good
instead thereof. As I explained in the last lecture, by dying as
to the lust of self-worship, love of mammon or money or riches
as a god, with trust in them, or as to love of the lowest natural
pleasures, or the stomach, or the natural and sensual man as gods,
all of which are forbidden in the first commandment, we receive
the life and love of worshipping and serving and trusting in the
one only true God — Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior; and by
dying to the lusts of doing evil to our neighbors and of coveting
what is theirs, as forbidden in the last commandments, the Lord
gives us the blessed loves of doing them good, and of seeing them
comfortable and happy. This is the true "forgiveness of sins,"
in accordance with what the Lord tells us in Rev. xxi. 7: "He
that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,

The True Christian Life. 101
and he shall be my son." That is, the Lord gives us good in place
of our own evils, or for them. In this sense, He truly for-gives
them. From this vital use of the Ten Commandments, we can now
see that the inherent moral law can never be abrogated, any more
than the law can that fire will burn. If one steals, he must become
a thief — in the stealing, and so if he commits any other crime —
as murder, adultery or false-witness: he necessarily in those cases
becomes a murderer, adulterer or liar. And the only way he can
cease to be so is to die to the lust of doing and intending those
things. What was, abrogated by the Lord Jesus was the ceremonial
law, which was only given for a special age and people; and it
was abrogated when He came, because He first — in essence and
fulness — fulfilled the inherent moral law Himself, and obtained
power by which we also can do the same. And so the ceremonials,
which merely represented the real devotion of ourselves to God,
including self-denial and righteousness, were no longer needed to
picture these forth. So Paul, in our fifth text, says that circum-
cision, and all the rest of the Jewish rites, are abolished in their
literal performance; although in their spiritual sense, they are
still performed by every genuine Christian.
The positive commands — to love God and the neighbor and to
do good, are also essential; because these loves, which are the
essence of charity, are the end and aim of all the laws of God
So Jesus says: "On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets." But the order throughout the whole Christian
life is, as I have shown, first the negative commandments, second
the positive: first, "cease to do evil; second, "learn to do well"
or to do good. First die, then live; or as the Lord did, and as
He said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again." First,
die to evil lusts, whenever temptation arises; second, do good —
as use to others — whenever opportunity presents itself. Then all
our good will be genuine good, from center to circumference;
from internal to external, from heart to act.

102 Lecture VI.
III. How Charitt acts
in all the different Relations of Life.
Charity has a field commensurate with man himself, since it
is the heart of the Christian, or the affection of doing good and
of being of use to others, which he has received, and is receiving,
from the Lord.
First, every individual has some conceivable use or uses which
he can perform, or is or should be performing, for the common
body of mankind; or in a narrower sense, for the community in
which he lives. In this respect, he is like some particular organ
or part of an organ in the human body, the pattern after which
communities are formed. Each organ in the human body performs
its use, in health, as well as possible for the good of the whole;
and every one of them is thus, as it were, happy. So with each
individual in the common body of the community — the country,
state, and city or town, in which we live. Each and all should have
some specific employment or form of use when they have arrived
at a proper age. Now when each performs this use properly, and
at the same time dies to evil lusts, or refrains from evil as a
sin against God and His commandments or laws, his specific out
ward form of charity, or doing good or use, is this very occupation ;
for in it he can perform use to others on a more extended scale
than in any other ; he can perform it every day, every week, month
and year, and so all through his life, with such change as in the
Divine Providence seems right for him to make.
For example, the President of the United States, while he
occupies that position, if he performs his proper duty in his
office faithfully for the good of his country, shunning evils or
dying to them according to the divine commandments, performs his
specific charity, or the deeds of his love of usefulness, by doing so.
His motives are rendered good and pure by his so dying to evil
and selfish desires. The people — the whole country — want him to

The True Christian Life. 103
work in his specific office; and they do not want him to substitute
any other work — such as giving to the poor or attending to the
sick and destitute — for it, though he may and should do those
things also to some extent. So with the governor — in regard to
every State, and the mayor of every city, or any other officer.
Each can perform the best and most needed use in his own par
ticular office, by attending honestly to the duties of it; and he
actually does so if at the same time he dies to or refrains from
evils because they are forbidden him by the laws of
God as we have them in the Word. A merchant per
forms his specific form of charity in the community when
he attends to his own business — since he prefers that form of it —
honestly and faithfully, furnishing good and honest goods, while
he also refrains from evil lusts forbidden him by the Word. A
minister fulfils his specific form of charity when he does his best,
nonestly and faithfully, to teach and lead souls in the way to
heaven, at the same time dying daily to all forms of evil which
tempt him, as something enormous, because they are forbidden
in the law of the Lord, and more especially for him, because it is
his very office to teach and lead others in the way of holiness and
purity. A housewife, if she attends faithfully to her duties at
home and elsewhere, taking sufficient out-door exercise to keep
well or in good health, and at the same time resisting all evil
so far as she can discover it in herself — as contrary to the Lord's
Word and commandments, performs her own part or form of
charity. A workman, or private servant, executes or ultimates his
form of charity when he faithfully serves his employer, while he
keeps watch over his soul, and dies to such evil as he believes
to be contrary to God's commandments.
The fact that a person receives pay or returns in money for his
regular work does not destroy or render nugatory the charity. The
case is like that of the human body and its members. Each mem
ber must be supported in its work for the rest, or else it cannot
perform it. Thus the heart must send out blood to all the rest of
the organs, and the lungs and all the others must support the

104 Lecture VI.
heart in its work for them. The lungs must breathe — or expand
and contract, and aerate the blood for the heart and thus for the
whole body; and they must be supported in their work. So
every worker in the community must be supported by returns in
money, so that he may perform his use. Otherwise he should look
out for some other work that does return him sufficient, not only
for himself but for his family — if he have one ; and to enable him
to do such other duties as I shall notice presently. Still, while
looking out for other work, he should not neglect his present
work; but he should put into it all his Christian principle and
faithfulness. Thus we walk most continuously in the path of
Christian love or charity. If we take intermissions from our work,
they should not be regarded as a cessation of charity or use
fulness; but only as a rest or refreshment to enable us to again
be useful after the rest has ceased. Our daily sleep has a similar
office. And wherever we are, we should continue to watch with
the commandments of God against our evils, and die to them when
we are tempted by them.
In selecting an occupation, the first consideration should be
that it shall be some good use for the community — however lowly,
whether it be on one's own account, or for some employer; and
that it shall not work harm to the community, as for instance
would be the case in keeping a liquor saloon or tending a bar in
it, or pandering to any vile or ignoble propensity of mankind, or
doing anything that may degrade our brethren, or being particeps
criminis in the same.
The second consideration is whether it is suitable for our abil
ities, or whether we con do the work mentally or physically. A
person may not be able to find or engage in the work for which
he is best suited at first or for a long time during his life ; but still
he should have it in view to eventually, or as soon as possible,
engage in such work if such adaptation is practicable, or if he has
any special talent or marked ability for it.
The third consideration is that the occupation shall yield a
person sufficient support — either now or in the future — to prevent

The True Christian Life. 105
him from being a drag on the community, and to enable him to
support his family, if the individual has one, or may have one
by and by, and to perform such part or good uses in the com
munity as may rightly be expected of every one, and to perform
such other good uses as he may desire to; and besides, to enable
him to lay by something for a "rainy day," and for the future
when perhaps he cannot work, and for others who may be de
pendent on him.
Of course, there are cases of immediate need and urgency, when
a person must be willing to do anything useful which first offers,
and for such returns in money as can be had for it: but I have
been speaking of a deliberate choice of an occupation.
The reason why special acts of kindness and love are mentioned
in the Word, as in our third text, where the Lord says that those
are "blessed" who have fed the "hungry and thirsty," received
the "stranger" and clothed the "naked," and visited those who
were "sick and in prison," is because there are simple Christians,
who cannot generalize and see what charity is in its essence; and
these particular things are good things to do; and if they are
done from a good and honest heart, looking to the Lord, those who
do them are blessed and attain heaven.
But secondly, besides a person's regular occupation or field of
charity, every one has general duties to perform — to the family,
the church, the country, state, county and city or town: as a
citizen, to contribute honestly and kindly or cheerfully to the
support of all, or of these communities; attending to his children
or relatives; to the church; paying his taxes and bills; taking
part in the public regeneration or reform, and in elections with
their preliminaries and "primaries"; and also in such societies
as he belongs to.
Thirdly, every Christian should be very careful as to how he
makes engagements and promises; but when they are made, he
ohould try to faithfully keep them. To do otherwise is sure to
inconvenience others, and often to rob them of time or money or
both. A Christian or a good man should be consistent in all

106 Lecture VI.
things and ways against evil and in good. To ensure the keeping
of engagements or promises, a little blank book or diary is rec
ommended, to always keep in one's pocket, recording in the
morning the ten or more things one means to try to do each
day, apportioning to each its proper hour or time; and engage
ments may be put down for the day and hour in the future on
which they are expected to be kept.
Fourthly, every Christian should do his part to the poor, and
have an open ear for the afflicted. But what he does for the
individual, or for societies, should be done with discrimination
and wisdom; and such work or gifts or deeds can never replace
the honest and faithful performance of our specific duty.

IV. Amusements.

In regard to amusements, they are not, as has sometimes been
supposed, to be interdicted or denied to Christians. It is allow
able for Christians to enter into all innocent and harmless amuse
ments — if they are not hurtful to others. Thus there is nothing
wrong in playing billiards, and cards without gambling; in dec
orous and chaste dancing; in hearing good music; in witnessing
beautiful sights and spectacles; in seeing and hearing dramas and
oratorios and operas, where the main characters are good, and
where the story or plot is harmless or calculated to teach or
picture the triumph of virtue over vice, or the goodness and
superiority or desirability of virtue rather than vice. In short,
any thing or things in the way of amusement or relaxation, which
tend to divert and refresh our minds, and fit us to resume our
usual avocation with renewed vigor and zest, are allowable, and
desirable at times, if such amusements are not wrong in them
selves, and do no harm to others.

The True Christian Life. 107

V. Merit.
In regard to merit because evil has been overcome in us, or good
done, this is rejected, or should be, by every true Christian. We
read in Psalm lxii. 11, that "power belongeth unto God"; and it
is true that all good belongs to Him also, and all merit; for Jesus,
or Jehovah in the humanity, could alone conquer the hells as He
did, and bring forth from Himself the Holy Spirit, by which we
have the power to overcome evil in like manner, and the affection
and determination to do good, or the charity by which we can
do any good thing. This rejection of merit by the Christian is
really keeping the First Commandment of the decalogue, which
forbids especially worship of self and ascribing merit to self.
And as to any desert or reward for deeds done in the body which
a selfish or natural man might claim, the Christian does not desire
any external reward in heaven. He sees, or he more and more
learns to see, that the essential things of heaven are the love of
goodness and usefulness, and also the precious truths which teach
and lead to these. He is confirmed in this view by noticing that
the most of his happiness, and indeed the only satisfaction which
is worthy to be called happiness, has come to him by cherishing and
exercising his love according to these truths. He sees also that
external things are nothing in themselves : that they are not worth
having except so far as they serve what is internal and holy in
heart and life. Hence the love and truth which constitute heaven
are the only things which he really cares for, and looks for in the
world to come, with the joy of receiving them and exercising them
from the Lord; and he does not want any merit or reward for so
receiving and exercising them.

108 Lecture VI.

VI. The Result of Charitt.
The result of our receiving the affection of charity in our
hearts, and faithfully exercising it from the Lord, during our
life here, that is, in the proper order — first dying to all evil, or
disorderly and selfish loves or lusts, and second, diligently per
forming use in the community in which we live in such ways
as we can, — the result is happiness here and hereafter. This hap
piness is primarily internal — in our spiritual will and understand
ing; secondarily in our regenerating and regenerated natural will
and understanding; and lastly in our very bodies, which partake
of the blessed influence. There is the joy of loving God and others;
the peace and satisfaction of living according to the truth; and the
great happiness of benefitting our fellowmen — in the effort and in
the result, so far as we see it and feel it. These grow with and
in us here, if our effort is to be true Christians; and in the other
life they are unobstructed. There all that we think, intend and
do is attended with the most blissful and holy delight, increasing
to eternity.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — Do you make any distinction between Faith and
Charity? Answer. — Yes ! though they both include the same elements.
That is, faith is of the will, understanding and outward life;
and so is charity. Still, when they are thought of together, faith
is specifically the part of the understanding or thought, and

Questions Answered. 109
charity the part of the will. That is, faith is the thought of the
Christian man, while charity is the affection of good which de
scends into it; and when it has strongly descended, and made and
developed a new will, then the faith is also transformed — from
thought of truth into perception of truth suitable to the affection
of good or charity. This is really, however, the emissary of charity
in the understanding. They — charity and faith — are truly married
in the life.
Charity and faith may be said to stand together in all three
regions of the man: charity as it were on the right side, and
faith on the left. In the will they stand together thus: charity
is the affection of good; and faith is the affection of truth, and of
seeing how to do the good. In the understanding, charity's em
issary is the perception of how to do good; and faith is the
thought or understanding of truth, and from it is the planning of
how to do the good of charity or use; and also the seeing that it
is from the Lord. In the outward life, charity, or its proceeding
result, is the actual effort and performance of use; while faith,
or its result, is the manner or way of doing the use, and also
it is the outward acknowledgment that the good and truth and
power to do it are from the Lord.
Question 2. — If I understand you rightly, what the Lord said
in Matthew xxv about satisfying the hungry and thirsty, sheltering
and clothing the homeless and naked, and visiting those who are
sick and in prison, are only examples of what a charitable heart
might do, but which are not absolutely necessary to be done by
every person — in order to be a Christian. Is that correct?
Answer. — In a literal sense that is true ; although, as I have said,
outside a person's regular duty, he should try to do his part in
alleviating the public distress; and it may fall to his lot to do
many kind acts which he cannot in conscience leave undone. On
the other hand, if it should fall to his lot to do any of those specific
acts mentioned by the Lord, he should try to be reasonably satis
fied that they are genuine cases of distress, and that he shall not
do more harm than good in alleviating them.

110 Lecture VI.
In a spiritual sense, the six cases mentioned by the Lord include
all general classes of spiritual distress. The spiritually "hungry
and thirsty" are those who have or possess no internal goodness
and truth as a part of themselves, but yet who may desire them;
the "stranger and naked" are those who lack external goodness
and truth — or care and teaching by Christians; and the "sick and
in prison" are those who are in the misery of evil and the imprison
ment or thraldom of falsity. All of these call for the care and
aid of good churchmen as such.
Question 3. — Is it right for a Christian to play cards, when it
leads so many to gambling? and to dance round dances, when it
so often leads to immorality?
Answer. — The Ten Commandments in their letter and spirit
are really the test whether a game or exercise or act is wrong or
not. The internal motive determines it. The question is whether
the intention is to do selfishly or evil to the neighbor, or to ignore
his rights, or to exercise natural desires without or against spiritual
good or truth; or if it is against any of God's commands: or on
the other hand, is it to do unselfish good to others, and according
to the Two Great Commandments — to love or honor God and to
love the neighbor equally with ourselves; or is it to prepare or aid
us to do such good or use to others, especially in our daily occu
pation? If playing cards is engaged in without gambling, and
with no thought of evil, but only to relax and unbend the mind
for future use, it is allowable for the Christian. And if dancing,
even round dancing, can be engaged in without any impure thought,
but for good and innocent recreation, it would be allowable. If
it cannot be, it is better not to be indulged in. And if a Christian
thinks it might do harm to others as an example, it would be
better not to do it before them; even if he finds that in so danc
ing he is so much engaged in executing the dance properly and
gracefully, and guiding his partner skilfully and without danger,
that no improper thought enters his mind.
Question 4. — How can a man do good from himself, and not take
merit for it? And how can a person let his daily occupation be

Questions Answered. Ill
his field of charity, when he receives pay for it, and is thoroughly
selfish in it, while he lets the poor starve without caring ?
Answer. — No one can think to do good from himself, and not
take merit for it. But if he tries to think that when he does
good he does it from good affection received from the Lord's Holy
Spirit, and contrary to his own natural, selfish and evil affections
which he at the same time strives to renounce, he gradually — in
time — comes to see how the case really is, that the merit belongs
where the good affection came and comes from — from the Lord
Himself, and not from his own corrupt lusts or affections: thus
the new will from the Lord grows in him, and he refers it to its
proper source — the Lord.
I tried to explain in the lecture that a person's daily occupation
is his specific work in the community, and should be entered into
as the main field of his use to it. His honestly and faithfully
prosecuting it according to the Ten Commandments, the Two
Great Commandments and the Golden Rule, will preserve him
from becoming selfish in it; and outside of this regular occupation,
his faithful attention to his other duties, among which will be
what he considers to be his proper share of duty to both the
spiritually and naturally poor and distressed, will keep him from
carelessness and hardheartedness to their needs. Some may select
the work of caring for the poor and needy as their daily work
in life. It is a good work.
Question 5. — Can a person seek a public office, or an ofiice in a
oociety, without violating, or going contrary to, good or charity?
Answer. — Yes, he can, if he sincerely desires, first of all, the
good of others, or of the community or the society; and if, after
prayer and careful deliberation, he thinks that he is especially
suited by character and attainments — by study and executive
ability to perform the use. But he should beware of covetousness,
or the desire for the office for his own sake, or the desire to take
the office from some present, fairly-competent incumbent; or of
anxiety to get it; — whether it be best for him in the Lord's sight
or not. He should always be willing to cease to strive for it if

112 Lecture VI.
it seems to him quite evident that it is the Lord's will that he
should not obtain it; and to surrender it, after he has obtained it,
when it seems to be the Lord's will that he should vacate it. There
probably are other positions in the same city or town, or in other
cities or towns, that he can fill as well, or even better, than he
can fill the one he is now in.
Question 6. — I should like to know what temptations are? also
whether we have two wills?
Answer. — Temptations are the promptings of evil spirits who
are with us (including their severest pressure and persecution),
to gratify the corrupt will, or lusts and desires, of the natural
man. The spiritual will and understanding, or the spiritual man,
consists of everything good and true which has been learned,
exercised and developed in us from our earliest years, and volun
tarily and by conscious choice since we consciously began the
Christian life, forbids the natural will or man from doing wrong,
and compels it to do only what is right and good because of the
divine commandments and principles given in the Word. This
means or necessitates suffering and death for the first natural will
or man, and the replacement of it successively by a spiritual-
natural will, which descends from, and is a servant of, the spiritual
will, and which shall live therefore only in accordance with the
spiritual, — that is, in accordance with the Divine will as pro
claimed to us in the Lord's Word. We resist the temptations or
evil promptings and powers working within us, and the cravings
of our own natural, selfish and unspiritual desires, by the Lord's
power — from His Spirit — accepted and acknowledged and working
with and within our spiritual will or man, to restrain the lusts
of the natural will or man, and to forbid it doing and saying and
thinking anything from evil or selfish motives.
This also will throw light on the two wills in the Lord Jesus
while He was on earth and suffering temptations. In His case
the inmost was the Divine Will or the Father, and the outmost was
the "son of man" in the lowest sense, which was also the "son
of Mary" or the natural humanity or human nature. Having no

Questions Answered. 113
human father, His inmost soul was God Himself, or the Divine
Spirit. The Divine Will — according to the truth — restrained the
natural will or humanity from doing, thinking and intending
wrong, or according to the promptings and inbreathings and
swayings of the evil spirits; and thus suffering and death of the
corrupt or infirm humanity ensued. And then the second or
Divine Natural or Divine Human Nature descended, which was
the "Son of Man" in a divine sense, and also the true "Son of
God." This was so after, or rather by means of, resisting every
temptation; and finally fully after them all, — that is, by His
death and Resurrection, when His Humanity was truly one with
the Father, having descended from the Father; in fact, being now
the outmost form of the Father Himself. Hence Isaiah ix. 6 is
true. Question 7. — I would like to ask a question. What does Jesus
mean by saying "if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and
and cast it from thee; and if thy right hand or foot offend thee,
cut them off and cast them from thee"?
Answer. — He means that the will of looking at evil, — as He
says "at a woman to lust after her," together with the actual look
ing, is to be rejected; and that the will of doing evil, and going
or travelling to do it, together with the actual doing and going.
are to be rejected. The fact is, when from the presence of material
objects, temptation is presented to us in its strongest and grossest
phase, the whole natural man is in the very plane of the senses or
the animal — contained and immersed in them; and it is theti
necessary to refrain from using the very eyes, ears, nose, mouth,
hands and feet, or any outer sense with its sensory or agent, for
the purposes of evil, and to turn them away from the outer objec+
which is the occasion of the temptation, together with the intention
and thought of evil in regard to the object ; and of course to turn
the whole attention to some other good object or harmless thing,
or duty or use. And we should so refrain by faith in the Lord's
divine "blood"— that is, in the power and life of His Holy Spirit
helping us to turn away these our sensual agents, and die as to

114 Lecture VI.
them, that is, as to their misuse, and because of some precept in
His Word, either in the Ten Commandments, or because of these
very precepts which you have mentioned, and the truths connected
with them. To so turn aWay will necessitate a struggle, at least
until we form a habit of doing it. And to succeed in it, we must
patiently hold to the Lord, and to faith in Him, and because
of the precept or principle or principles of His Word, until the
temptation is over; and afterwards give Him the praise for the
victory. Question 8.— Well, on the same sensual plane as that, is there
not some use in dividing or sharing pleasant things of eating and
drinking with our neighbor?
Answer. — Yes, very much. It acts in two ways for good. It
gives our neighbor pleasure, and powerfully teaches him brotherly
or neighborly love; and it permits an influx of the Lord's and
the angels' spheres into and through us, and forms a habit which,
if persisted in, must necessarily tend to make those blessed spheres
permanent with us, and to hold in check, modify and spiritualize
the whole plane of our senses.
Question 9. — Suppose a person has three or four talents, and
has been educated in each of them, say one as a civil or mining
engineer, one as a minister, one as a musician and teacher, and
one as a writer for the public good, and all the talents about
equally developed and strong. How shall he choose his employ
ment? Answer. — If one talent or love and ability were decidedly the
strongest, it would probably be best to devote himself to that
as a business or employment, and let the others be secondary,
occasional, or sources of recreation and change, unless his strong
est talent were in a direction which would not yield him support,
or which kept him as an object of charity and practical beggary,
in which case it might be best to choose the exercise of that
talent for employment which would best support him, and reserve
the others for occasional work or exercise according to opportunity.
But supposing the talents and desires were so nearly equal that

Questions Answered. 115
the person could hardly choose between them, it might then be
well to choose the noblest and highest that would yield a living,
or to prosecute any two most lucrative and noblest employments,
and keep the others as secondary and occasional. Or he might
temporarily engage in that employment or work which he could
most readily perform, while preparing in his leisure time for a
better occupation or position when it might be had later on.
If he believes that he has an ardent desire to devote his life
to the ministry of the Gospel or Word of the Lord for the salvation
or service of souls, he might study for it and engage in it; and
if he still continues to have such desire, he may continue in it.
But if he finds that he was mistaken, or that his course does not
prove useful, it may be best to change his work, at least as a
steady employment. Such a man might find that in his leisure
moments or on the Sabbaths he can, by writing or in other ways,
do more for the benefit of humanity than he could do in a settled
pulpit. Question 10. — Will you please explain more particularly about
the "Cross"?
Answer. — The cross as a material object is essentially a crossing
of two sticks or planks at right angles; and so it specifically
denotes in mental or spiritual matters the crossing of one pur
pose or path by another; and for the Christian it represents
anything external or internal, i. e., anything spiritual, mental or
material, which crosses his will or is against, or causes suffering
to, his natural or spiritual will, the two cross-pieces denoting both
that which crosses his path or will and tends to swerve him, and
his will itself which is crossed; and thus the cross-entire pictures
our mental struggles, combats or warfare in temptation; and
since the cross causes suffering and death to the body, so what is
represented by it, and crosses our will, causes and involves mental
and spiritual suffering and the death, or laying down of the life,
of the natural mind or man.
In the first part of our Christian journey heavenward, the Chris
tian is essentially a natural man, or in the natural man and its

116 Lecture VI.
loves looking toward the spiritual; and the first crosses are trials
from persons or things without or outside of us, and also tempta
tions from evil spirits or from within to exercise our natural
delights freely, and thus to remain in the natural man without
respect to the spiritual man or the Word of God. Both these are
crosses to us, in so far as they balk us, or come against our will
natural or spiritual; for the spiritual will has now begun to live
also: and the crosses cause us suffering, and necessitate spiritual
combat or struggle, and dying, or laying down all diseased life,
of our natural man. Even the Divine Word, in so far as it forbids
us to do evil when we want to do it, and so far as it enjoins or
commands us to do good when we do not want to do it, is regarded
by us as a cross when we are in this first state, that is, in our
natural man.
In the second part of our Christian journey we are essentially
spiritual men, or we identify ourselves with the spiritual man
and the Word of the Lord, having gone up out of the natural man
as to fundamental and principal aims. Our crosses then, as
before, are both from without and from within — both trial and
temptation, but mostly temptation; and especially to go back and
down to where we were before — into the natural man, and also to
pervert the Word (which we in this second state habitually read
and use) so as to make it excuse us for going back and down.
In both our first and second states — those principally of th?
natural and of the spiritual man respectively, the trials and
temptations are involuntary crosses, imposed upon us, not from
ourselves, but crossing our path. And in both states, self- denial,
or the veto of our own spiritual man or will — upon our natural —
is the voluntary cross which we use from the Lord and from His
Word or in accordance with it, whereby we crucify our natural man
and the flesh or the lusts thereof, as Paul urges us to do, and as
the Lord bids us when he says : "If any man will come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."
To "take up the cross" means to humbly accept, and endure, all
involuntary crosses, whether from without or from within, and to

Questions Answered. 117
fight against them when they transpire, or to prohibit the natural
man from exercising evil though tempted by them to do so; and
it also means to use the voluntary cross, — that is, with the spiritual
man to veto, and so to struggle against and conquer or crucify,
the illegitimate or unlawful desires of the natural man for the
sake of the Lord and the Divine Truth. Specifically, when the
three parts of the Lord's injunction are regarded together, to
deny oneseslf is to impose the compulsory veto of the spiritual
man upon the natural in its every wrong or selfish intention,
thought, word and deed; to take up one's cross is to as it were
shoulder or endure every trial and temptation from without and
from within, without in any respect yielding by letting go our
truths, or allowing the natural man to have his way without the
government or firm holding of the spiritual man; to follow the
Lord is to do just as He did — having His end in view single-
eyed to good, and constantly denying Himself all evil, at the
same time acknowledging that the life and power, by which we
die to evil and devote ourselves to good, are from the Lord Jesus
alone. Thus the three parts of the Lord's saying are the three
phases of the same thing: the first with regard to oneself; the
second with regard to the cross or what causes suffering and forms
the occasion to deny oneself; and the third with regard to the
Lord our example, for whose sake, by whose power, and after
Whom as a model, we walk and can walk, aiming at good, and
refraining from evil and our natural perverted inclinations and
their unlawful gratification, while we thus aim and strive to walk.
As in our second state we had arrived on a hill of spiritual
truth, or on "a pinnacle of the temple," so in our third state
we come upon the "high mountain" like our Lord, into the region
of good and love, far above the region of the natural man, and
even above the hill of the merely spiritual man. Our cross
then is principally the temptation to claim our elevation for our
selves instead of attributing all to the Lord, and also to lord it
over others in rule and glory. The Word here, as in our second
state, has long ago ceased to be a cross to us. And we use it as

118 . Questions Answered.
the model or guide of our voluntary cross to crucify this pride,
rule and vain glory, under the first commandment and the kin
dred law that the Lord is the only God and King who should rule,
and who should be served.
In one word, the Lord wants us for our own best good, and
therefore bids us, to do as He did, namely, to deny self and to
take up our cross daily, that is, in every state of our life, — in
general in the three successive states which I have described.
These successive states of our life in this world are called in dif
ferent parts of the Word, "three days" and "three watches" of
the night. He wants us, with His own help, to take up or endure
our involuntary crosses or crossings, whether from without or from
within, which are against our will, and He wants us to take up
or use our voluntary cross, which is the veto of our own new
or spiritual will, as far as it is developed, against our old natural
will and its unlawful desires: thus He wants us to follow Him
by constantly turning away from evil and devoting ourselves to
good.

Lecture VII

The Spiritual World
and the Judgment.

121

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE VII.
Our heavenly Father, our Redeemer and our Savior ! Thou who
art all-merciful, omniscient and omnipotent — Who hast all power
in heaven and on earth!
We thank Thee for all Thy past blessings to us : for our creation
and preservation; for Thy holy Word to guide us in the way of
a good and true life; that Thou hast been pleased to take upon
Thyself our human nature, and to sanctify it, that, by Thy help
extended to us by means of it, we may "also be sanctified through
the truth"; and that Thou dost "daily load us with benefits,"
which are innumerable and beyond our knowledge. We thank
Thee for the New Dispensation of Divine and heavenly truth now
descending, as the New Jerusalem, into the minds and hearts
of men; and that this is beginning to be preached throughout the
world. And we thank Thee for the reign of peace and brother
hood which is being inaugurated wherever the truth is rightly
understood and committed to life.
We pray Thee, give us the spiritual "salt" of a genuine affection
for Divine and heavenly truth; and let us "have peace one with
another." Give us a clear perception of the universal brother
hood of man; and let love, kindness, and earnest united affection
for the light of life, pervade this our assembling together for
instruction and edification.
Keep us humble, and give us the perception and sense of the
truth that all worship, all rule, all majesty, glory and honor
belong to Thee; and enable us to gladly acknowledge this great
Truth. Amen.

122

LECTURE VII.
Subject: The Spiritual World: Heaven, Hell and the
World of Spirits. The Judgment.

texts.
1. Those who are regenerated are seen in heaven to have the
Lord's Spirit inscribed on them; and they rejoice and give God
the praise. Rev. xiv. 1-5; vii. 9-17; xv. 2-4.
2. Their happiness is unspeakable and inconceivable to the nat
ural man. I Corinth ii. 9; Isaiah lxiv. 4.
3. Those who violate the Commandments of God persistently,
come into a state of hell, or of selfish love and lust. Rev. xxi. 8.
4. All who come into the other life are judged in the world of
spirits according to the agreement or disagreement of their lives
with the truths of the Word. Hebrews ix, 27; II Corinth, v. 10;
Rev. xx. 11-15.

The Spiritual World. 123

I. The Apparent Truth.
Before considering the real truth in regard to the spiritual
world and its three component parts — heaven, hell and the world
of spirits, let us for a few moments notice the apparent truth
about them, — the ideas which have been held in times past by
those who have looked superficially at some of the passages of
the Word in the literal sense. Concerning heaven, it was supposed
by such to be some vast area, where the angels or its inhabitants
were principally engaged in singing psalms and hymns. This
idea was no doubt derived from the passages like our first text,
where it is said that they sing songs of praise and thankfulness
to Almighty God. Concerning hell, the old idea was derived
from the passages where it is said, as in our third text, that the
wicked are in everlasting fire, and where brimstone or sulphur
is burning, and smoke ascends forever. And this fire was sup
posed to be natural material fire; and so with the brimstone and
smoke. Concerning the world of spirits or intermediate world, there
seems not to have been any distinct idea except in the Roman
Catholic Church, where they have always held to the existence of
"Purgatory," a place where souls were purged, through suffering,
from impurities of sin before being received into heaven. But
this idea was probably derived from the knowledge of the Chris
tians of the first and second centuries about the world of spirits.
Certain it is that in the Hebrew of the Old Testament the word
"Sheol" was used for the place of departed spirits; and in the
Greek of the New Testament, the words "Hades" and "Paradisos"

124 Lecture VII.
(Paradise) are used, besides those literally translated "heaven"
and "hell" (or Gehenna). It is also true, however, that "hades"
seems to be used for the part of the world of spirits in which
evil spirits are, and "paradise" for the part where good spirits are,
as in Luke xvi. 23; Rev. xx. 14 and ii. 7, and II Corinth, xii. 4.
The revised version of the Old and New Testaments has revived
the knowledge of the world of spirits as different from heaven
and hell; or at least, it has drawn attention to the fact that
these other terms are used.

II. The Real Truth.

1. The Spiritual World in general.
One reason why the reality of the spiritual world has not gen
erally been known or believed in, is because the spiritual body
has not generally been believed to be real. That is, it has been
supposed that the material body was the only real one; but that
the spiritual body was a myth— an imaginary something, but really
or practically nothing. The fact is, however, that the spiritual
body is the only living one. The material body is entirely dead
—of itself. It only lives while the spiritual body is within it.
The spiritual is the soul or first receptacle of life. It consists
indeed of affection or determination or will, and thought or
understanding, with various derived useful species of sensation
and endeavor; but it is in the form of the material body, and has
all the members of the latter; and it has substantial spiritual
particles which fill and pervade every particle of the matter of
the material body. These hold the matter out in form, and use it
at will. Thus, it is the spiritual eye that has produced the material
eye, or has moulded it into its own form, and it continues to see

The Spiritual World. 125
through or by means of the latter — pervading it ; it is the spiritual
lungs which expand and contract the material lungs by force from
muscular exertion, acting in the former and the latter; and the
spiritual hand which moulds, keeps life in, and uses, the material
hand to do its bidding. Nor have the material members any power
to stand before or resist the spiritual parts within them.
It is evident that all angels are men, that is, in the human
form; for every one who has appeared, and whose visits to us
have been recorded in the Word, has been called a "man." And
they have been living and real and bright. You can see that
this is so from the account for instance of the angels who ap
peared to Abraham — see Gen. xviii. 2 ; to Daniel — see Dan. ix. 21 ;
to the disciples at the sepulchre— -see Luke xxiv. 4; to John — see
Rev. xix. 10, 14; xxi. 17; xxii. 8, 9.
The second reason why the reality and true identity of the
spiritual world could with difficulty be apprehended is that, when
ever anything has been thought about the spiritual world or read
about it in the Word, the forms and substances have probably
been thought of as material; that is, as not differing in essence
or quality of substance from that of dead matter. But that this
is an error, or that the two kinds of substances — spiritual and
material — are entirely different, may be evident from the fact
that when angels have appeared to men on earth, they have not
been seen by all, or by any except those to whom they were sent.
Hence they must have been seen by the opening of the spiritual
eyes to the perception or recognition of the things or persons of
the spiritual world. This is especially clear from the case of
Elisha's servant (II Kings vi. 17) ; and also of John (Rev. i. 10).
John "was in the spirit." Things spiritual are as real as material
things; but they are spiritual, and can only be perceived as real
by the spiritual senses of the spiritual body, because the natural
eyes or senses are altogether too gross and dead to perceive them.
We can get some idea of the distinction between the two kinds of
substances by supposing a person to have first his natural sight
active, and to be seeing the natural body of a man, a natural light

126 Lecture VII.
and a natural fire; then to have his spiritual eyes or sight opened,
and to be seeing the spiritual body of a man in the spiritual
world, a spiritual light and a spiritual fire. The person would
then clearly perceive that the two classes of things seen were of
a different nature; and if he had experience of both, he would be
able to perceive that the first or natural class of objects were
dead, and not related to each other; while the second or spiritual
class were alive and closely related. The spiritual body would
be the true expression — in form — of human affections and thoughts,
with their derived sensations and endeavors, and the light and fire
would proceed or result from the spiritual body or person seen;
and they would express the kind of mental light which was in his
soul and spiritual body, and the warmth of his love or affection.
From this illustration also, we can see that when things — as
persons, light, heat, houses, lands, plants and animals — are spoken
of in the Word in regard to the spiritual world, they are to be
regarded as expressive of affections and thoughts, with their de
rivatives, first in the human form — as the persons, and secondarily
as represented in these other external forms, seemingly separate
from the persons, but really proceeding from the spirits of the
persons. Thus any good picture, — as a bright and beautiful
light, and pleasant heat or warmth, a stately and well-proportioned
mansion, with well-kept lands, sweet and beautiful flowers, and
sporting lambs, with a lovely sky — would express perfectly in out
ward image the angelic state of the spirits who dwelt there; while
on the other hand a mass of miserable huts in a boggy, damp,
muddy place, with filth and disorder predominant, thorns and
briars growing, rats and tigers prowling about, and a lurid, threat
ening sky, would correctly image outwardly the corresponding
state of the foul and sneaking lust and dark thoughts of the evil
spirits who dwelt there.
The fact that animals appear in the spiritual world does not
imply that they are living independently of the persons: for, as
I have just explained, they exist there only from the affections
of the spirits or persons. If those affections should cease at any

The Spiritual World. 127
time, the animals would immediately disappear with them. The
reason why the animals appear constant in the heavens and hells
is because the affections of the angels and demons are constant.
No animal passes from this world into the other, because they
have no spiritual plane of being whereby they might apprehend
God as a Spirit, and love or hate Him, or use His Word to be
regenerated. Their feelings and perceptions are entirely on the
natural, sensual plane. The reason why wicked men and women,
with a life not of a higher grade than animals, live there, is
because they have within them a higher plane of life — that is,
potentially; and so they can and do hate God, as they might have
loved Him, and hate and do harm to the neighbor as they might
have loved and benefitted him, in ways which animals can neither
invent nor conceive.

2. Heaven.
Heaven is the superior part of the spiritual world. In theii
essences, heaven and hell are not places. But they are in human
hearts. They are really two opposite states which are possible to
man. The first — the state of heaven — is that in which his life
is in accordance with the precepts and principles of the Word;
and the second — the state of hell — is that in which his life is
contrary thereto. The Lord says (Luke xvii. 21), "the kingdom
of God is within you;" and again (Mark xii. 34) He said to
the enlightened scribe, who thought that to love God and the
neighbor was more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices,
"thou art not far from the kingdom of God." The scribe was
just as far, and no farther, from the kingdom of God or heaven,
as he was from loving God above all else and loving his neighbor
as himself; for these are the two prime constituents of heaven.
Hence heaven has two aspects, one towards God and the other
towards man. And, as we might have seen from the two preceding

128 Lecture VII.
lectures, the life and spirit of the Lord in man makes heaven,
because these two good and holy loves can come from no other
source. From the knowledge of what heaven consists in, it is
evident that we can come into heaven while we are on this earth.
And indeed we must begin to do so, so far as we have the oppor
tunity, while we are here, if we are to be in heaven at last,
because this is the internal use and purpose of our probation here.
Since each person who becomes good, or who lives from the
Lord, is an individual heaven, heaven in general is simply the
aggregate of all the individual heavens, or persons who so live.
"Going to heaven" is going from the natural selfish life to the
spiritual, godly life. The reason why the phrase is more strictly
correct or applicable at the "death" of a good person, is because
we can only fully go into that state, and into consociation with
angelic societies, when we come consciously into the spiritual
world. Heaven may be said to be a place of "singing psalms
and worship" — in the sense that the angels are always in the
joyful affection and love of the Lord, from which the delight of
singing psalms, or holy songs of praise to God, i. e., to the Lord,
and of worshipping Him, naturally springs. But to do these
constantly in an external way would interfere with the usefulness
of the angels. Nevertheless they sing to and worship the Lord
outwardly at proper times.
In the most general sense, heaven is divided into two great
classes or kingdoms of the Lord, — that of the heart, or where love
is primary; and that of the intellect, or where thought or the
truth is primary. These divisions are analogous to the right and
left sides of man, and result from his very nature. In a less
general sense, heaven is divided into three divisions, from the
different grades of men's minds. They may be likened to the
three divisions of man's body. The lowest or first heaven is
that of obedience — being relatively of the nature of the outward
and lower members of man. The second or middle heaven is that
of thought concerning principles — answering relatively to the mid
dle region of man — the state being that succeeding or above the

The Spiritual World. 129
first, relatively like the distinction which the Lord made when
He said to His disciples (John xv. 15) : "Henceforth I call you
not servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth : but
I have called you friends; for all things which I have heard of
my Father I have made known unto you." The third or highest
heaven is that of love and its perception, answering relatively to
the head of man. Those who are in this region are referred to by
Paul, when he says (II Corinth, xii. 2-4) that one whom he knew —
possibly himself — was "caught up to the third heaven, and there
heard unspeakable things." The things of good love are unutter
able : they especially cannot be brought to the natural understand
ing. These three heavens, which I have just described in general
terms, have been called the "Natural," the "Spiritual" and the
"Celestial" heavens. In the Word we read also of "Cherubim,"
"Seraphim" and "Arch-angels," which no doubt are intended to
indicate the grades.
The celestial or highest class is referred to in our first set of
texts — in Rev. xiv. 1-5: "their Father's name being written in
their foreheads" shows this; and the fact that no one else but
themselves could learn their song also points to their quality.
The other classes below the former, who have passed through
temptations and thus are saved, seem to be described in Rev. vii,
9-17, in our first set of texts, by the "innumerable multitude," the
whiteness of their garments symbolizing the truths from the
Lord which they loved, and by which they have been purified;
and further by those as it were in a "sea mingled with fire"
(Rev. xv. 2-4), which is also in our first set of texts, the sea
being the lowest altitude. It is said of these that they had gotten
the victory over their attempted seducers, and their song is also
given. Hence it is within the sphere of the understanding.
Besides this threefold division, the heavens are divided particu
larly into societies, which of course are innumerable, as the
particular organs of the mind and body, and their details are
innumerable. Although we may not be able to enter into the particulars

130 Lecture VII.
about the occupations of the angels, we can get some general ideas
of them. In the first place, mansions are provided for all gratis
(see John xiv. 2) ; and food and raiment are also freely provided,
as a consequence of the angels seekmg the kingdom of God and
His righteousness (see Matth. vi. 25-34, especially verse 33). But
occupations must be abundantly provided by the Lord, which are
of use to others, and at the same time yield heavenly happiness
to the angels. First, the angels are messengers of God to men to
disclose His Will to them upon suitable occasions, as when a
revelation is required; and these are rightly called "angels of
light": and also they help men in various ways. Secondly, as
pictured in the case of Elisha and his servant in combat with the
enemy (II Kings vi. 17) they fight for us, with power from the
Lord, against our spiritual enemies who tempt us. Thirdly, they
are deputed as guardians to persons on the earth (see Matth. xviii.
10 and Hebrews i. 13, 14) .
Moreover, in each society there is probably, as on earth, superior
and inferior government; not on account of any of them desiring
to violate rules for guidance, but because of superior and broader
wisdom and power of generalization and direction of some beyond
others, and the natural tendency of the latter to lean upon them
for guidance.
The arts and sciences are probably cultivated in their best and
noblest forms, and most perfect and loveliest aspects, by those
who delight in them, especially for use.
Even amusements and recreations of various kinds — innocent
and pleasant — are no doubt practised, but as means to refresh
and re-invigorate the spirit for use, and not as ends in themselves.
The happiness of the angels is partly negative and partly posi
tive: partly from gratitude to and affection for the Lord, because
He has saved them from their spiritual enemies; and partly from
the exercise of use from Him and so from the joy of living from
Him and His Holy Spirit, and of blessing others who are also His
children. In the heavens, also, the happiness is indefinitely mul
tiplied by the numbers who are loving and serving God, each

The Spiritual World. 131
partaking of the joy of all the rest, even as each candle of a
number burning together would partake of the light and heat
of all the others. Add to this the fact that all evil is removed,
so that their loving and wise efforts to bless others are unimpeded ;
and also that they are ever learning new truth — deeper and higher
in quality, and introducing it into their lives, so that the grade
of their happiness is ever-increasing, — and we can readily under
stand that, as we are told in the Word (in our second texts), it
is more and more beyond the ability of the natural mind to
conceive.

3. Hell.
Hell is simply the opposite of heaven. It is essentially the
miserable affection or lust of living from and for self alone. Hell
is specifically the natural man living for its own sake, or without
the direction of the spiritual, or against that direction, and so
against the laws of God. It is a state of selfishness and evil;
and of hatred of God and His Word, because they interfere with
the gratification of the love of self and evil; and also it is a
hatred of others for the same reason. Hence it is rightly called
in the Word "Death": that is, spiritual death — a stagnation or
throttling of the Lord's life in us, which was intended primarily
to bless others, and secondarily, or in the flowing of it through us to
bless ourselves; so that it is replaced by a curse and a spiritual
disease — an insane desire to obtain gratification for our lowest and
sensual feelings, and worship for ourselves, and to make others
miserable for the sake of gratifying ourselves or for the sake of
the misery which we can cause.
The fire of hell is in the heart of every devil in hell; and it
is the same hell-fire that is in the heart of every embryo-devil
on earth. The flame which is in and proceeding from an angel
is gentle and loving and useful, but free, like the open and life-
giving heat of the sun with its light; while the flame which is in

132 Lecture VII.
and proceeding from a devil is lurid and crude and terrifying
and hateful, like the red and destructive quality of a coal-fire
let loose to do harm.
The universal hell is the aggregate of individuals who have hell-
fire in them. There are two principal divisions of hell opposite
to heaven: the first wilful, and the second designing. The indi
viduals of the two divisions are called respectively "devils" and
"satans." The three grades of hell are first the disobedient, sec
ond the false, and third the hateful and revengeful. The last
named are the lowest and worst of all. There are also innumerable
particular societies or aggregations or smaller hells, as there may
be particular depraved faculties in man.
The fire which appears about the hells is not material or dead,
but spiritual or alive, and proceeds from their internal fire. It can
only be seen by the spiritual eye, even as the halo or bright and
warm flame or radiance, which appears about the angels, proceeds
from their spirits, and is seen only by the spiritual eye.
There are three principal elements mentioned in the Word in
describing hell — namely, "fire, brimstone and smoke." They are
all spiritual. The fire is essentially self-love and hatred of God
and of others; the spiritual brimstone or sulphur, which burns
in the fire, is the lusts which are derived from this fire, and which
burn and keep burning in it; and they burn with a suffocating
quality to destroy all besides themselves, especially to destroy
all goodness and truth; and so, if they could, they would destroy
all the angels, and all men — so that they could not become angels.
This is the same or exactly analogous quality as is manifested
in material sulphur when burning (familiarly known in sulphur
matches) to suffocate all life. The "smoke" is the falsity of the
thoughts of the devils and satans, and which proceeds forth from
the fire and brimstone. It darkens everything — every truth — which
it meets.
The devils are miserable and wretched : because, hating God and
goodness, they do not allow His Spirit to enter and vivify them;

The Spiritual World. 133
and this is the only source of genuine happiness. And although'
by the mercy of the Lord they are allowed to burn sulphur in their
fires, and to produce smoke of false, dark ideas excusing or
corresponding to their lusts — which shows that they are insane —
so that they do not know from any truth how miserable and
hideous they are, yet still when the light of heaven is let in upon
them, as when any angel or good man considers their case, they
are seen to be most wretched. They have to be kept bound as
in prison; for conscience does not hold them, since they have
seared it while in the world. And they have no remorse; only
fear of pain and external punishment.
The Lord does not destroy evil persons, or send them to hell.
They go there from choice. The Lord does all that He can to
prevent them from going to hell; but if they will choose hell,
then He does all that wisdom can do, to induce them to choose
the mildest hell possible. The reason why the Lord appears to cast
the wicked spirits down to hell at the time of their final judgment,
is because when they give themselves up externally to their lusts,
as they desire internally to do, they put themselves into direct
antagonism with the heat and light of the Lord's Spirit, that is,
of heaven; and a strong influx of that heat, or love and wisdom,
is then let in upon them. These they inmostly hate; and they
are so obnoxious to the devils and satans that the latter cast
themselves down headlong into hell, away from the Lord's influx.
Since conscience or remorse has no place with devils, external
punishments are permitted. They are inflicted in order to prevent
an excess of evil. Since the devils are kept bound as a rule, and
cannot be allowed much freedom, because of their wild desire to.
hurt and destroy, they are always wretched, because they have the
infernal fire of doing wrong, and yet must be almost always with
held by force or fear from doing it. But occasionally they are
allowed to tempt man (see Rev. ix), and also to gratify their
lust of hurting each other. Those who are the strongest and most
infernal, and who delight in ruling others and punishing them,
are allowed to keep the others in check, and to punish them when

134 Lecture VII.
they overstep the prescribed bounds. These laws simply must
result from their respective natures.
All men and women must become angels or devils; they must
come finally into some heaven or some hell. There can be no
middle course. The "wheat" and "tares" must finally be sep
arated. Otherwise those who are inwardly devils would keep
the angels unhappy; and they would profane the truths and
goodness of heaven. And on the other hand, a person who is
inwardly an angel, that is, who is trying to become so, must deny
himself evil; otherwise he would mix his truth and goodness with
evil, and so profane them.
Hell must necessarily be eternal — for those who choose it while
they are in this world : because the natural plane of their affection
and thought which they have chosen here cannot be changed
after death, since a natural plane cannot be reproduced there.
Thus there is no natural material Bible there; no material objects
on which natural thoughts rest. The thoughts with their affections
which have been built on here, such as the literal sense of the
Word and the things in the mind which have served to ultimate
their spiritual life, remain with them after death, — but only as
a foundation. The literal sense of the Word — as it is in their
internal memories — there serves as a foundation on which their
angelic affections and thoughts rest — as a house on its foundation
of "rock"; whereas on the other hand, if they have rejected the
Word here, they have no foundation in their natural mind on
which they can then build any angelic house in their spiritual
mind. And if they have heard the Word and kept it in mind
as mere knowledge, and have not built on it, it is like "sand"
or unconnected particles — uncemented by love or life, and they
have still no foundation. Here we can change radically — from
evil to good — by the application of the Lord's Word. There
we cannot. The foundation must remain as it is laid
here; and the superstructure, if any, depends or rests upon it.
Where the Word is rejected from the life, the life is merely
natural and sensual, and must remain so. Nothing which is with-

The Spiritual World. 135
out — or outside — a spirit can exist in that world unless it is an
expression of what is within ; and hence nothing radically new can
be found, or incorporated into life.
But if the Word is an expression of what is within, or has
become the second nature, as is the case in the heavens, then the
Word is there, — of course not of natural or material substance,
but spiritual.

4. The World of Spirits, and the Judgment.
The fact that few, if any, are prepared, immediately on leaving
this world consciously, to enter any society of heaven or hell, at
least without some preparation or instruction, necessitates the
existence of the intermediate world — "the world of spirits" — be
tween the world of angels or heaven, and the world of devils or
hell. The world of spirits is the scene of the judgment. By
this the good put away the things which disagree with their good,
and the evil put away the truths and outwardly good manners
which disagree with their evil; and so each class is prepared for
some heaven or some hell.
In the Word, the place or state which is called "the world of
spirits" is mentioned rarely, since what the Lord desires is to
instruct us about heaven and hell, so that we shall choose the one
and reject the other; and so the mention of the intermediate or
preparatory state, or as it were the examination room, is com
paratively unimportant. When the term "hades" does occur, it
seems to be put specifically for that part of the world of spirits
which is destined for hell, or where the wicked dwell; and in the
spiritual sense, since the word literally means the place of the
dead, it signifies hell, in accordance with Psalm lxxxviii. 10, 11;
while the term "paradise," as in the case of the thief on the cross,
seems to indicate the part which is destined for heaven, or where
the good dwell; and in the spiritual sense, since the word means

136 Lecture VII.
a beautiful garden, and specifically the garden of Eden or the
garden of God, it signifies heaven.
In the parable of Dives or the rich man — -and Lazarus or the
beggar, in Luke xvi. 19-31, "hades" in the Greek quite evidently
means hell, as translated in the old King James' authorized ver
sion ; "Abraham's bosom" means heaven ; . while the "great gulf
fixed between" the two, means the "world of spirits," and in a
spiritual sense — the contrariety between good and evil, or heaven
and hell. In Revelation ii, 7 the "Paradise of God" means heaven,
and in the specific spiritual sense — the truth in which life is.
Although the intermediate state, or world of spirits, is rarely
mentioned as such in the Word, the fact of the judgment is
nevertheless often alluded to in the New Testament.
In regard to the relative position of the three parts of the
spiritual world, we might say that heaven appears like the skies
or mountains; the world of spirits like the surface of the earth;
while the hells appear like volcanoes, or as if they were in the
heart or interior of the earth. The Word speaks in this way.
Thus in Acts i. 9-11, heaven is said to be above, as if in the sky;
in Rev. ix. 1, 2 and xx. 1-3, the hells are said to be below, as if
under the earth; while the word "earth" itself is used in some
places in the Revelation to designate "the world of spirits," and
thus also the state or place of man's spirit while he is on earth,
as for instance in chapter xii. 12.
Paul says (Hebrews ix. 27) : "It is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment." Hence at death, when a
person's spirit or spiritual body has left the natural or material
body, he or she is at once in the world of spirits, attended by
guardian angels or messengers of God. This accounts for the
peaceful smile that is often seen on the face of the body at death.
These angels must invite the new spirit to the best companipnship.
But finally the person must come, by the inevitable law of spiritual
attraction, to the companionship of like spirits with his or her
self in the world of spirits (except in the very rare case when the
spirit is prepared already to enter heaven or hell immediately) ;

The Spiritual World. 137
and there the successive periods to be presently described must
ensue, prior to the final destination and arrival of the spirit in
heaven or hell.
Judgment takes place of necessity in the world of spirits, be
cause all are there in their spirits or their spiritual bodies; and
they can be under the direct influence of the atmosphere and
heat and light of the Lord's Holy Spirit or the sun of heaven;
and they are therefore gradually compelled to disclose themselves
just as they are. The good are constrained to draw intimately
towards the Lord, while the evil are impelled to reject Him and
His Spirit. From the nature of the case, there are three principal
successive states or conditions of those who are in the world of
spirits. The first state is where all are together — good and evil;
that is, without any marked distinction. It is a state of externals,
and does not differ materially or essentially from the state of
people in this world. This may last for some little time, but
probably not over a year of our time. Those who were friends
or relatives in this world, meet each other; and if they are in
ternally similar, they remain together; but if not, they finally
separate, though they may remain together for a time.
The second state is that of internals. This is properly the
judgment. With the good it is an object-lesson; for they see the
evil, who may have appeared good outwardly, gradually throw off
appearances; and their internally evil spirit comes out to the
surface, in accordance with the Lord's words — "nothing is hid,
that shall not be revealed" etc. The good in this state put away
all external inconsistent ways of thinking and speaking and doing
which disagree with their main internal endeavor to do what is
pleasing to the Lord; while the evil collect by themselves, and all
externals which disagree are removed from them. The truths of
the Word which they "seemed to have," but which were never put
to use and do not belong to them, are taken away from them —
according to the Lord's words to that effect (Luke viii. 18 and xix.
26). This state may take a longer or shorter time according to

138 Lecture VII.
circumstances and different individuals — in some cases possibly
years of our time.
The third state is only for the good; for the evil are prepared
for hell, and must go there, as soon as the second state is ended.
The third state is one of instruction for those principally who
have not had the benefit of the knowledge of truths here; and by
them they are prepared for and introduced finally to their heavenly
homes.

III. Our part.
In view of what we now know concerning the angels of heaven,
that they are orderly good men and women, loving God and man,
and concerning their happiness; concerning hell and its devils,
that they are disorderly evil men and women, hating God and man,
and loving themselves alone, and that they are miserable and un
happy; and finally that we must all find our home with angels or
with devils according to our life here, which must fully appear at the
judgment in the world of spirits, — is it not our part, brethren and
sisters, as intelligent human beings, to direct our steps to some
heavenly home ? Let us not, by harboring false and evil thoughts,
be channels for hell ; and let us not, by our wicked, selfish deeds and
words, be foundations for hell, and for the influx of evil spirits!
Let us examine ourselves, and form a habit of prayer and self-
examination, and spiritual watching, so that we may reject every
infernal word or deed, with every infernal intention and thought —
as it appears and tempts us. Then, although the judgment, when it
occurs, will reveal our central predominant life, — in our case, if
we are "faithful" with God's help "unto death," we shall be found
with our inmost life to be living from Him; and we shall be
glad and rejoice, with our fellow-angels, in the sunlight of His
Spirit : and this forevermore.

139
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Question 1. — Will you please explain these words of your first
text (Rev. vii. 14) : "they have washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb" ?
Answer. — Spiritual "robes" are thoughts which clothe the af
fections. Before washing or cleansing, our robes are merely our
natural selfish and evil thoughts, which issue from our natural
affections and lusts. The "blood of the Lamb" is the life of the
thought or truth which comes from the Lord by His Holy Spirit —
according to the Word, so far as a person has learnt it. By
this life of the truth, we as Christians, in temptation or "great
tribulation," as it is called in the text, reject the falsity or
blackness or foulness or dirtiness of our thoughts or robes, and
"make them white in the blood of the Lamb," — that is, really
replace them gradually with the white or holy or clean thoughts
of truth from the Word, or in accordance with it, thus with
"white robes" which clothe only good affections.
Question 2. — How is it with infants and heathen who have
not the Word in its letter, and thus cannot change their natural
life by it so as to have a new natural life as a foundation? Are
they condemned on that account?
Answer. — No! because their lack is through no fault of their
own. The Lord's love and truth — which constitute heaven — can
not drive any away from that love and truth who do not know
these consciously, and have not wilfully rejected them in this life.
In regard to infants the Lord says that they have the best of the
angels with them as guardians, — those who "always behold the
Father's face" (Matth. xviii. 10) ; and when they come into the
world of spirits at death, no doubt they are kept immediately under
their care, and grow up so, with variation according to their
peculiar character and development, being prepared for some
heaven, and entering it at the proper time, — the purest of the
heavens.

140 Lecture VII.
Those of the heathen or "Gentiles," who from their religious
principles have tried while here to do the best they could, without
doubt, in the judgment in the second state of the world of spirits,
are found to be in a good and conscientious state, and so enter —
with the rest of the good — upon the third state, that of instruction,
and gladly receive the doctrines of the Lord, of His Word, of
faith and of life, and so enter some suitable heaven.
Question 3. — Is the spiritual world in connection with this, or
is it separate and distant from it?
Answer. — The spiritual world is distinct from the natural, as the
soul is from the body; but it is as close to it as the soul is to the
body. And so every person has good and evil spirits of the world
of spirits who are preparing for heaven and hell, and who are of
similar genius to himself, intimately connected with him, since he
has both good and evil principles coursing through him at differ
ent times as a channel ; and it is through these that his temptations
are carried on, and his whole life proceeds. These spirits muBt
be changed and replaced at certain times corresponding to the
departure of these into their proper final homes in heaven and
hell, and to our marked changes of state.
Question 4. — According to what you said about the person
who dies coming into the World of Spirits as soon as the spirit
has entirely left the natural body, it would seem as if there were
no such thing as death: and if so, what is the use of mourning
for the dead as though some great calamity had befallen them,
and as though we had lost them, when they are not really dead
at all?
Answer. — If it were known to the people who remain in this
world that the person whose material body lies motionless before
them were alive, yea, more alive than he or she could be here,
and in a real substantial spiritual body whose essential form is
according to the quality of their spirit, and that when they had left
the body it was like putting off an overcoat, or like the butterfly
shedding its gross caterpillar coat, no doubt there would be no

Questions Answered. 141
mourning for the person who is now consciously in the spiritual
world, especially as the spirit is then nearer those who are akin
to it than before (see John xvi. 7 and xiv. 17, 18) ; and in
deed it would only require the opening of the spiritual eyes of
those who are mourning, to see that those whom they suppose to be
dead are really alive, and probably present with them in thought
and spirit.
The spirit or real person, therefore, does not die then, but the
body may be said to die; and "the death of the body" is a correct
phrase, because the spirit — its source of life — has left it; and it
at once begins to decay or disintegrate.
Hence, although we may not mourn if we know how the case
really is, the occasion of the death or funeral of a friend or
relative is a proper time for calm and serious reflection upon the
momentous fact that we all must pass into the other life, and at a
time which we cannot possibly know beforehand, — "and after this
the judgment"; and that we should therefore so live that we may
be always ready for the coming of our Lord to us personally.
The "death" of an evil or wicked soul or spirit, though it has
been gradually taking place during this life, may be said to be
consummated at the end of its judgment in the world of spirits;
and in Rev. xx. 14 it is called "the second death," the first death
being the death of the body, the second being the final death of
the soul, in the sense that all the elements of true or good life
from God have been yielded up or taken away.
Question 5. — If that is true — that we do not properly mourn fof
the dead, how is it that the Lord told the disciples in Matth. ix. 15
that when he was taken from them they should mourn?
Answer. — He did not say this primarily of His literal going
from them at death, although that may be included in the words
in a subordinate sense as a matter of fact. And they did not
mourn for Him as soon as they knew that He was alive, though
Mary did mourn because she thought He was dead; and the two
disciples going to Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 13-17) did also; and
indeed probably all His followers felt sorrow at His apparent

142 Lecture VII.
cessation of existence at the crucifixion. But He really said this
spiritually, of the times of temptation when the Lord with His
good appears to be absent, and also of the church which should
retrograde, and so mourn or fast from good because of the presence
of what is evil and false. The word which the Lord used was
"fast": He said that they would "fast" when He was not appar
ently with them.
This fast from goodness and truth is our involuntary fast — in
temptation : our voluntary fast — the fast which we should then
practise spiritually — is a fasting from evil and falsity, which evil
and falsity we are strongly invited to indulge in by evil spirits.
This fast is our true baptism ; and it results in our truly partaking
of the Holy Supper, that is, in our receiving and doing good
and truth from the Lord.
Question 6. — Is the other world a real world; or is it only
visionary, or like air or vapor ?
Answer. — It is a real world, even more real than ours — to the
spiritual senses of spirits: the spirits are all in human form;
and the objects external to them, but which depend on them, are
correspondingly real. But so much alike are the things of the
spiritual world to those of our own material world, that no doubt
it must take a considerable time to convince natural and sensual
spirits that they are in that world at all.
In regard to the fact that the things of the spiritual world
seem unreal to many of us, this is simply because we have not
had our spiritual eyes open; and what we have never seen, seems
vague and unreal to us. But on the other hand, to the sight of
spirits and angels — which is spiritual, and which is unable to see
material things, the latter must seem correspondingly unreal to
them. Question 7. — You say that there are men and women in heaven,
that is, sexes. Are they married or single?
Answer. — Sex is primarily in the mind, and only secondarily
in the body. The mental distinctively male sex is the love and
understanding of truth, — the intellectual or abstract; while the

Questions Answered. 143
mental distinctively female sex is the love of the male mind, the
love of external or concrete things — of results or effects. It is
primarily affectional. Those who are truly united in their spirits,
that is, as to their affection of goodness and truth in male and
female view and character, are married or marry in heaven. There
is nothing selfish about the marriage, however. They are both
united to the Lord; and in His Spirit they are united to each
other. The products of the union are new truths and goodnesses
of a most delightful character. It is a pure and full union of spirit.
What the Lord says about the saints and angels not "marrying or
being given in marriage" means that in heaven there is no such
thing as an external without an internal union, as there so often
is on the earth. In a natural sense this is also meant in Rev.
xiv. 4. In a spiritual sense, the same passage means that the good
are not defiled with lusts, but purified from them.

Lecture VIII

The Last Judgment.

147

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE VIII.
0 Lord our God, who, by Thy Divine Truth, which Thou didst
use to discern between good and evil whilst Thou wert on the
earth, hast become the Divine Judge of all men! we thank Thee
that Thou art a merciful Lord; that Thou givest us Thy heavenly
Truth in the Word to be a lamp to our feet and a light unto our
path. We thank Thee that Thou hast trodden the wine-press, and
by Truth and Power and self-denial hast overcome the adversary
of our souls, and hast sent forth Thy Holy Spirit of light and
power to help us to follow Thee in the regeneration.
Give us, we pray Thee, the spirit and determination to judge
ourselves, so that we shall not be judged to condemnation, but at
the last that we may be found to be Thy humble and faithful
children, who have by Thine aid rejected the base and sordid life
of hell, and chosen Thine own life— the life of faithful and loving
service of humanity. So shall we give Thee the praise, to whom
alone it rightfully belongs forever. Amen.

148

LECTURE VIII.

Subject of VIII and IX: The Second Coming of the Lord.
Specific Subject of Lecture VIII :
The Last Judgment.

texts.
1. The Last Judgment was a separation of the evil from the
good, by the Lord with the angels, at the end of the First Christian
Church or dispensation, and a consignment of them respectively to
hell and heaven. Matth. xiii. 24-30 and 36-43.
2. Evils and falses, and false teachers, were to enter the church
before the Last Judgment; and the heat and light of heaven were
to disappear. Then the Lord would judge the church by Divine
Truth. Matth. xxiv, especially verses 7, 11, 12, 14, 24, 29-31.
3. The primitive Christian Church is depicted declining even
to utter darkness and wrath. Rev. vi.
The two great classes of the corrupt church are pictured by the
great red dragon with his two beasts, and the woman on the
scarlet colored beast called Babylon the Great. Rev. xii. 3, 4, 9;
xiii. 1-3, 11-15 ; xvii. 3-5.
Their judgment and that of all. Rev. xviii. 21 ; xix. 20 ; xx. 11-15.
4. The results of the Last Judgment: the dispersion of all
collections of evil and false in the world of spirits, and the advent
of the New Heaven and New Church. Rev. xxi. 1.

The Last Judgment. 149

1. What is or was the Last Judgment?

1. The Apparent Truth.
It has been believed, and probably is now, by many earnest
churchmen, that the Last Judgment, with all the events that are
predicted to precede it in the gospels, especially in the 24th chapter
of Matthew, and in the Revelation, are to take place upon this
earth in the literal sense of the passages. From the fact that
"clouds" are mentioned as enveloping the Lord in His second
coming; that "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall
be obscured, and the stars shall fall from heaven;" that "earth
quakes" and "commotions of land and sea" will occur; that the
words "house" and "field" are mentioned; that all nations are
to be gathered before the Lord; that the good and evil will be
separated as "sheep and goats"; that the evil will be cast into a
"lake of fire and brimstone": from these and other passages and
words which we are accustomed to think of as referring to
material objects, the idea has become quite prevalent with those
who see nothing in the Word but its mere literal sense, and who
suppose there is no other, that the Lord meant to inform
us that the Last Judgment would take place in the material
world, and that all the things which He speaks of concern
ing it are simply natural: that He will appear in natural
clouds, and that He will assemble all together in their material

150 Lecture VIII.
bodies; that then He will judge the wicked, and cast them into
a material lake of fire and brimstone, and that the good will then
be conveyed through the air to a material heaven.

2. The Real Truth.
But the spiritually-minded man regards all these objects and
circumstances and occurrences, which are mentioned by the Lord
concerning the Last Judgment, as figures or representatives which
contain living truth. He notices that the Lord does not say that
the Last Judgment will be on the earth; and he notices also that
when the Jews thought He was speaking of giving them His
material flesh and blood to eat, He told them that the words which
He spake were "spirit and life," and not matter. And finally he
notices that when the Jews thought He meant that He would
build the material temple — by or in which He stood — in three days,
He was really speaking of "the temple of His body," that is, His
humanity. Since these things are quite evident, the spiritually-
minded man sees that all that is said by the Lord about the Last
Judgment may be equally true of the spiritual world as of the
natural. And this we can all see to be true, when we reflect on
what has already been explained in the preceding lectures : namely,
that there are clouds in the spiritual world; sun, moon and stars;
houses, fields, sheep and goats; a lake of fire and brimstone, and
all other objects which can be in this world, — only that the objects
in the spiritual world all take their origin from the spirits who
are there: and further, that there may be earthquakes there, and
commotions of land and sea; that all nations may be gathered
there before the Lord— in His Divine light and heat, or truth and
love ; and that there is the natural and proper place of judgment.
The Last Judgment, that is, the general judgment at the end
of a dispensation or church or age, is a disclosure of the real
state of the minds or souls of men who have died in this world,

The Last Judgment. 151
and come into the world of spirits, and then a separation of the
evil from the good — the evil going to their like in the hells, and
the good to their like in the heavens.
What the nature of the individual judgment of the evil and
good is before the general last judgment occurs, or before the
great black cloud of evil and falsity overspreads the heavens at
the end of a dispensation, I have shown in the last lecture.
But there were a class of nominal Christians in the Christian
Church who were not so manifestly evil as those who were out
of the church, but who were nevertheless inwardly corrupt, and
really much worse than the latter, on account of their hypocrisy.
These are the people, both among the laity and clergy, whom the
Lord calls, in various places in the gospels and Revelation, "goats,"
— "wolves in sheep's clothing," "false prophets" and "tares." On
account of their hypocrisy, and their ability to teach and lead
others in the externals of worship, and moreover on account of
the dim light which existed from the fast-forming spiritual cloud
at the end of the church — due to the spheres of all such persons,
they were allowed to continue with the simple good in the world
of spirits till the time of the Last Judgment. They formed what
are called in the Revelation the "first or former heavens." They
were not heavens at all really; but from their power of phantasy,
and by their external actions and thoughts which seemed good, they
kept various beautiful and heavenly appearances about them in the
dim light of the places where they were, till the light of heaven
showed them to be baseless and imaginary.
The reason why the predictions of the Last Judgment were
given in figures is because, if the actual facts had been given as
they were, they would not have been understood, since at any
previous time of the world, the things of the succeeding age or
time cannot be comprehended, because the race or church has no
experience of the things which are to come. But the figures used,
which image the events perfectly, and which are seen to do so
when they are explained after the events have occurred, serve
as well and better than the narration of the events themselves, just

152 Lecture VIII.
as the sacrifices of the Jews kept in mind in symbolic form the
image of the Lord's sacrifice of His humanity — the true "Lamb,"
and which were realized when He came.
In itself, every true judgment is a disclosure of things as they
really are, and the consignment of them to their proper places or
positions. For example, a judgment upon ourselves takes place,
when we co-operate, by the operation of divine truth which shows
the respective characters of the spiritual and natural man, and sets
the natural underneath the spiritual as a servant to a master.
Or again, in an orderly society or government, a judgment takes
place when the characters of the officers and persons who com
pose it are known, and when they are all placed in their rightful
positions, and occupy them. In the same way, and with a similar
plan and purpose, the Last general Judgment was ordered, and
took place in the spiritual world.

II. Where, when, upon whom, and for what purpose,
was it executed?

1. Where.
We may know that the Last Judgment was not to be in the
natural world — from a consideration of the facts of the case, and
from some of the expressions used in the predictions of it.
In regard to the facts, it could not take place in the natural
world because the people could not be all together there, but in
the spiritual world. They would have to be in their material
bodies if they were here, and this would be impracticable or im
possible, since many bodies are eaten by beasts, fishes and birds,
and even by other men — as cannibals ; and some are burned, others
decayed, and have become parts of the soil and even of trees. On

The Last Judgment. 153
the other hand, all souls in their proper spiritual bodies are in
the spiritual world, and can be together there without the exercise
of any miracles.
In regard to the things predicted to occur before the Last Judg
ment, several of them could not take place upon the earth. For
instance, the sun could not be darkened in itself — without the
destruction of the whole solar system which depends on it. The
stars, which are suns, all of them probably of at least equal size
with or larger than our sun — a million times as large as the earth,
could not in any number, or at most, not more than one, fall on the
earth, any more than an infinite number of immense cannon-balls
could fall on a tiny homoeopathic pellet ; and even if one should so
fall, the earth would be obliterated in a moment by the enormous
weight, if it were not consumed at once by the fearful heat. Very
many years ago — in the early morning of November 13th, 1833 —
from about 3 o'clock till dawn — hundreds and thousands of meteors
illuminated the sky — proceeding from the direction of the constel
lation Leo; and it was thought then by some that the Last Judg
ment was upon us, and that the last day had come. But these
were not really stars, but probably only pieces of meteoric iron
or other substances, quite small comparatively to the earth; and
the end of the world did not eome, nor did the Last Judgment
occur at that time.
The fact is, there is no necessary connection between the dark
ening of the sun and moon, or the falling of the stars, or any
other material or natural event, and the spiritual judgment of
men. Possibly many may not have thought of this ; but still, when
we come to reflect on it, we can readily see that it is so.
On the other hand, the things predicted could happen spir
itually, when the world of spirits, which is in close connection
with men and women in this world, had descended to a very low
and degraded state. For example, the spiritual "sun," which pro
ceeds from the Lord, and which gives light and heat to spirits,
and also spiritual light and love to men, could be darkened by
the spiritual cloud which I have already frequently alluded to:

154 Lecture VIII.
that is, not of course in itself, but to us. The "moon," which is
the picture of the Lord's light — under another aspect, with less
of heat or love in it, would then also be obscured as a mat
ter of consequence, its being turned into "blood" denoting
the violence done to the truth; and the "stars," which pic
ture the points of knowledge or light which come to the mind
and spirit — under still another aspect, would fall from their
elevated position in the heaven of the spiritual mind to the
earth of the natural mind, and so be profaned or blotted out.
And so must all the rest of the predictions be true and come to
pass in the spiritual or living sense.
Again, the Last Judgment was not to be in the natural world — -
because in the natural body the spirit of man is not disclosed.
A man in the natural body might confess that he was in evil; but
that would not be an infallible sign that he was. But in the
spiritual world the judgment is seen to be effectual in the very
form of his face and whole body. He cannot hide himself. He
stands out finally in the very form of a villain, because the spir
itual body is pliant, and in the light of heaven is seen to be the
form of the affections and their thoughts. Hence the spiritual
world is the natural or proper scene of the Last Judgment. Be
sides, the law of similarity and antipathy has full sway there,
that is, when it is light there. By this law those who are heavenly
are magnetically drawn together, and also those who are infernal.
This is so both in general and in particular. But the Last Judg
ment became necessary when it had become dark in the world of
spirits. The only way to discriminate then was to bring down a
new light — a light which entered the reason, and showed motives
as being the source of words and acts. The hypocrites could not
endure such light; and so the judgment was effected.

2. When.
From the predictions in the Word, as given in Matthew xxiv,

The Last Judgment. 155
and Revelation vi, by following the gradual decadence of the church
pictured there from its first step to its last and worst, we may
know that the Last Judgment was to take place in the world of
spirits at the time of the greatest corruption of the First Christian
Church. And by noticing the history of the church during the
Eighteenth Century in its first half — when it was at its blackest,
and again the state of the church now, when it has become broader
and more spiritually enlightened, with the prospect of constant
improvement, there is no room for doubt that the Last Judgment
has occurred already in the world of spirits, — about the middle of
the Eighteenth Century.

3. Upon Whom.
We learn from the Revelation, as I have indicated in my third
set of texts, who the two great classes of the hypocritical or pro
fessing Christians were — upon whom the Last Judgment was ex
ecuted. As I have said, they were mixed with the simple good;
and they had formed, by their arts, imaginary heavens or appar
ently internal beautiful representative things above and about
them, and also the earths which corresponded, or apparently good
external foundations, by their acts and words which seemed genuine,
but which were really counterfeit.
The first great class is represented in the 12th and 13th chapters
by a "great red dragon" and his two beasts : one like a "leopard — •
out of the sea"; the other like a "lamb — out of the earth." The
second great class is represented in the 17th and 18th chapters
by the adulterous "woman sitting on a scarlet beast," and called
"Babylon the Great."
We know what classes these were from the nature of man and
the history of the church. There are two classes who go into the
church, and use the things of it for evil purposes. One is the
class which desire to be "saved," as they call it, and will learn

156 Lecture VIII.
certain doctrines for the purpose; but do not desire to live the
life of heaven. This class are those who profess faith alone, and
care nothing for works. They are among both the laity and the
clergy. They all belong to the "dragon"; and in the other world,
before the time of the Last Judgment, they were probably seen
as such a monster, very much as a vast number of persons have
sometimes been represented in some of our pictorial magazines, as
being together in some fierce or terrible character, by being com
bined in the form of a vast dragon or wild beast. The two beasts
belong to the dragon. The first — like a "leopard" — with mixed
spots, light and dark, "out of the sea," which is lower than or
under the earth, and thus represents a corresponding state, pictures
specifically the class in faith alone who are of the laity, the mixed
spots representing the mixture of the truth and error in the reading
of the Word, or their doctrine from it: but generally the leopard
or "first beast" signifies the lust or spurious affection of falsifying
the truths of the Word, so as to allow people to live as they please
in false security.
"One of his heads" — or as it were theses or heads of discourse
or insane tenets — "being wounded to death, but this deadly wound
being healed," signifies this very thing — that we can live as we
please without any effort to do good works or to shun evil, pro
vided we have faith, or believe that Christ died for us. This is
really a fatal or deadly tenet, as it were with a deadly wound
or fatal error in it ; but it is made to look plausible externally ; and
so it is said to be healed : really, however, to use it as a life precept
deludes us, as just stated, into a false security.
The second beast, "like a lamb" "out of the earth," which is
above the sea, and thus represents those who are superior in theolog
ical matters, is a representative of the class in faith alone who are
of the clergy; and this we know by the animal being called a
"lamb" — as if a follower of the Lord — the true Lamb, and also by
its being called "the false prophet." This second beast causing
all to worship the first beast who lived — with a deadly wound,
means that the false clergy preached that people should so live —

The Last Judgment. 157
merely by a belief according to this doctrine, and indeed that there
was no life according to any other doctrine — dissenters "should
be killed."
The second great class which enter the church from evil and
for self, is that which use the things of the church — its outward
things, as the literal sense of the Word and worship, to obtain
for themselves worship, from others, and to rule men's souls, and
also to obtain riches — and if possible to rule the world. This class
is the most infernal, and is entirely profane. This profanation
is denoted by the adulterous "woman sitting on the scarlet beast."
The "woman" is a representative of the church; and the "scarlet
beast" is the living Word which she does violence to, denoted by
the scarlet color — the color of blood, and at the same time which
she rides.
From the history of the church, we can readily see where these
two corrupt classes have been concretely congregated. The first —
the draconic class, with its two subdivisions — the laity and clergy,
so far as they have been corrupt, are seen in the Protestant part of
the First or Old Christian Church : for this has most persistently in
former times taught faith alone as the only necessary to salvation.
The second — the adulterous woman — "Babylon," with the Word
violated and its riches, is seen in concrete form in the Roman
Catholic Church, so far as it has ruled men's souls for gain and
worship of self. The lust of obtaining worship, praise and good
treatment, kept these two classes of pseudo-Christians in com
panionship with the simple good or simple genuine Christians in
the world of spirits; for they well knew that if they should go
among their like in hell, they would receive no such worship or
treatment, but they would be imprisoned and punished by their
proper associates.
There are two reasons why the Lord permitted these wicked classes
to be with the simple good — represented by the case of "the tares"
with "the wheat" in the Lord's parable: (1) the tares looking
like the wheat to a superficial observer, and (2) there being danger
that if the tares were pulled up, the wheat might also be pulled

158 Lecture VIII.
up with them. The corrupt ones, as long as they were outwardly
worshipful and spoke the things of the Word, could teach and lead
by example the simple good; and on the other hand, if the evil
companions who were double-minded should show themselves in
their true light before the time when the new light of heaven
could be introduced and remain — that is, before the time was
ripe, the simple good might give up all hope of religion on
seeing their companions, who were so forward in religious matters,
so utterly corrupt; and they then might have gone with them to
their hells. Especially this seems as if it would have been the
result with the simple good in this world, that is, that they might
have renounced religious faith.

4. For What Purpose?
There were two purposes which were equally cogent and necessary
to be effected by the Last Judgment. The first was to clear away
these hordes of internally corrupt spirits which superinduced
darkness in the world of spirits, and thus among men on the
earth — that is, to clear away the old or "former heaven and earth" ;
and the second was to begin a "New Heaven" in the spiritual
world, and a "New Earth" — that is, a new and true Christian
Church on the earth: not the same as the merely primitive Chris
tian Church, but having a new kind of light, some idea of which I
am endeavoring to present in these lectures.
These two purposes, then, are like negative and positive : they are
complements of each other.

III. How the Last Judgment was effected.
And now let us inquire how the Last Judgment was effected.
The two phases of it were (1) the disclosure of the true character

The Last Judgment. 159
of the two corrupt classes described in the Apocalypse or Revela
tion as the Dragon and Babylon; and (2) the consigning of them,
when fully discovered, to their proper hells; and finally the eleva
tion of the good to their proper heavens.
The last Judgment was effected by Divine Truth. This is plain
from what the Lord Jesus said — "the Word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge you in the last day" (John xii. 48) : the
"last day" is the time of judgment of every man, that is, after
death. And again it is clear from Revelation xx. 11-15, where
the "Book of Life" is said to be the means of judgment. The
Book of Life is the Word; and the Word is the divine truth pre
sented in human language.
But the divine truth, proceeding as it does from the Lord's
sun, and being the light of heaven, must also be accompanied by
heat, that is, spiritual heat. The sounding of the "seven
trumpets" described in Revelation viii, ix and xi, denotes ex
ploration of the evil; and the effects there depicted may be
said to be those of the disclosure due to the spiritual light:
while the pouring out of the vials of the "wrath of God"
in chapter xvi, with the last plagues which followed, repre
sent the effects of the heat of heaven on them. The case may
be illustrated by the uneasiness and misery which wicked persons
would experience in the presence and under the scrutiny and
in the sphere of the wise and good. The thoughts of the latter
would be seen to be in direct contrariety, and their sphere would
be felt to be obnoxious. But in the case of the Last Judgment,
the light of heaven, when it finally was let in upon the corrupt
hypocrites, must have disclosed their minds to the very core, and
pierced like a sharp knife or spear; while the spiritual heat of love
for good and use must have burnt into their very vitals, and driven
them away like a simoom. Thus the hypocrites were compelled
to disclose themselves as the wicked and profane satans and devils
which they really were, and as being utterly opposed to the Word
in its life and spirit.
No doubt also the phenomena mentioned in Revelation were seen.

160 Lecture VIII.
Probably beautiful gardens were turned into boggy and marshy land
with poisonous plants; palaces into vile huts; earthquakes and
commotions shook and convulsed sea and land; and pits opened —
with fire, burning sulphur and smoke, into which the satans and
devils betook themselves headlong. On the other hand the good
"souls under the altar," and those who had "washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb," and also those who were "in the sea
of glass with the harps of God," were then elevated into heaven
after suitable instruction.

IV. The Results — in the spiritual and natural worlds.
The results of the Last Judgment in the spiritual and natural
worlds were important ana far-reaching. A new light began to
dawn in the world of spirits and in men's minds. This light
reveals motives. By means of it we can clearly see that behind
every act and word or idea expressed, some motive — either of good
or evil — moves us to do or say it. This motive or intention is
truly the spirit of our outward deed or thought. And so in the
Word: the spirit of it is now revealed, and we can also see the
spiritual sense of it to some extent by the Lord's mercy and with
His help ; and the ends and purposes of the Almighty are open to
those who desire to know them for any use. We have arrived at the
age of the world in which churchmen, instead of being mere blind
"servants, who know not what their Lord doeth," may become
"friends of God"; for all things that the Lord intends for us, as
given in the Word, He is willing to let us know, so far as a finite
mind can know them. We can also see the nature of the spiritual
world and spiritual substances, as I have explained them. The
reason is given a place in religious matters. Its place is to see
and confirm and illustrate spiritual truth in a natural manner.
The judgment which I have described is the Last general Judg
ment, because the character of the light which is now in the

Questions Answered. 161
World of Spirits makes such collections of hypocritical and corrupt
spirits, as made the Last Judgment necessary, no longer possible.
Hereafter all are immediately judged after death, or shortly after
their arrival in the world of spirits, as I have shown in Lecture
VII, as well double-minded spirits as the manifestly wicked.
Since the Last Judgment was effected, the human mind has
been more free and enlightened in spiritual things; and as a con
sequence, the natural mind of man is more free and enlightened.
Natural science and invention for use and comfort have wonder
fully increased. The United States was born shortly after the
event; and this country seems the natural and most perfect home
for all the free and advanced influences of the New Age. Our
opportunities for attaining a higher state of spiritual and natural
character and life are indefinitely multiplied. Boundless possi
bilities of angelhood open on our sight; and it is our duty as
children of our kind Father to make the most of them, both for
our own sakes, and for that of our brethren and the race who are
with us, and who shall come after us.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — If the divine light of the sun which proceeds from
the Lord is the same forever, how was a more intense light and
heat brought down into the world of spirits to perform the Last
general Judgment?
Answer. — In the same way analogously as the sun by its rays
dissipates natural clouds. It does it by shining upon them from
the other side. The difference and variation are entirely on the
part of the cloud; and the effect is apparent on the earth to us
who are on its surface. Spiritual clouds had gathered in the upper

162 Lecture VIII.
part of the world of spirits, and had shut off the sun's heat and
light. The new kind of heat and light, of a more internal nature,
were, I suppose, already existing — so far as the Lord was con
cerned; but it could not be brought down to remain as a per
manent influx into the world of spirits, and so into the minds
and hearts of men in this world, until there were a few at least —
a nucleus — of minds who could receive such light with its heat.
This depended, perhaps, most largely on the wide spread of the
Word, and the development of the scientific mind in those who were
imbued with the teachings of the Word; and also, as it does now,
on the wide spread of the schools of learning, by which the
sciences are simplified, and brought within the ordinary compre
hension, and made familiar to many. This knowledge forms vessels
in the mind, into which the higher truths can be received. Let
us recollect that everything in the spiritual world — whether in the
heavens, the hells or the world of spirits — consists primarily of
human beings, that is, of their minds; and that everything which
appears without them, even the very atmosphere, depends entirely
upon them: and we can readily see how the case was. A new dis
pensation has to wait till some human beings are prepared to
receive it : see John xvi. 12, 25.
Question 2. — Do the words of Jesus in John (v. 28, 29) — "the
hour is coming when all that are in the graves shall come forth:
they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they
that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" — do these
words refer to the Last general Judgment? and if so, how is it
that Jesus also said — in Matthew xii. 36, 37 — that we shall give
account for every idle word in the day of judgment; and that
by our words we shall be justified, and by our words we shall be
condemned ?
Answer. — The Lord's words in John referred specifically to the
general judgment in His own time, which was completed at His
Crucifixion — when He said "It is finished." In the literal sense,
they mean that those who had died — and were yet unjudged in the
world of spirits — would soon be adjudged to eternal life, or con-

Questions Answered. 163
demned. The word "graves" — in a sense removed from the nat
ural — means places in the lower part of the world of spirits, some
times called "the lower earth" or "lower parts of the earth," where
these unjudged spirits were confined. These same words of the
Lord in John, however, are also applicable to the Last general
Judgment. Similar things happened then, also.
The Lord's words in Matthew, to which you refer, mean that
words, as well as deeds, are products of our intentions or motives,
and must be watched by us, scrutinized and judged before speak
ing them, as to whether they issue from good or evil motives.
They, like our deeds, should be rejected if from evil, and said, if
from good motives, and if in season. If we do not so judge them,
they will be found, at our judgment after death, to be "idle" or
unjudged, and so evil words; and we will be found to be like
them, and thus condemned.
A habit of hasty and careless speaking is therefore a bad and
dangerous one (see Proverbs xxix. 20). In such case sufficient
time cannot be allowed for adequate judgment. Every idea and
part of an idea should be scrutinized and judged, and every word
carefully selected, before expressing them. A habit of careful speak
ing, with judgment internal and external — of the matter and
dress — can be formed like any other habit ; and in time will become
second nature. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
pictures of silver" (Proverbs xxv. 11). A "word" here, as else
where, refers primarily to the general idea, and secondarily to the
particular expressions, or parts of the general idea.
Question 3. — What do the words of the evil spirits mean in
Matth. viii. 29, where they say to Jesus: "Art thou come hither
to torment us before the time?" Does this refer to the time of
the Last Judgment?
Answer. — No ! it referred to the time specifically of the General
Judgment at the termination or consummation of the Israelitish
Church, or the age which terminated when Jesus, or the Lord
in His humanity, came on the earth, or appeared in the world, and
finally was crucified; although in the spiritual sense it is of

164 Lecture VIII.
universal application, that is, to the individual in a similar case.
These evil spirits, or virtual "devils" as they are called, felt and
saw by the Lord's sphere, and by its contrariety to themselves or
their spirits, that He was the Messiah, that is, God in the humanity ;
and they also felt, as criminals often do, that their judgment was
at hand. They knew that before long they must go to their like
in the hells. But still they wanted to avert their own judgment as
long as they could, since immunity from it would allow them to
violate the freedom of those whom they were possessing, and if
possible drag them into hell with themselves. They no doubt
thought that the Lord came with His truth and good to make
them miserable, without casting them out and into hell. But
their time had come, and they were judged then and there.
Their going into the sea with the swine pictured their entering
hell precipitately— immersed in their own lusts.
Question 4. — If the Last Judgment took place in the world of
spirits, as you say, why does the Lord say, in Matth. xxiv. 30, that
when He appears, the tribes of the "earth" shall mourn or wail,
and in Revelation i. 7 words to the same effect?
Answer. — The "tribes of the earth" or "land," or as we might
say, "the tribes of Israel or of the land of Canaan," mean speci
fically all those who are in the church who are in good and truth.
These being nearly in a state of collapse or spiritual death when
the Lord as the truth appeared — at the time of the Last Judg
ment — within the letter of the Word, they mourned and grieved
at their own lamentable state spiritually; for the Lord's Coming
was not only pictorially and manifestly in the world of spirits,
but also individually to the minds of such in the church in this
world as were1 open to judgment by introspection and self-con
demnation and repentance, by application of the Word. And
this is indeed also true to-day and at all times, when the Lord
comes in the spirit of the Word and its new doctrine, when it is
read or heard and reflected on, and judges the earnest reader.
Question 5. — Will you please explain a little more fully what

Questions Answered. 165
the "books" were in the account in Rev. xx. 12, etc., where the
judgment is described?
Answer. — The "books" were the books of the lives of all those
who were judged — both good and evil. The "books" were speci
fically the tablets of their internal memories, — the living writings
from their hearts' words and deeds — from intention and its thought.
The effect of these is really written all over us, as in the strata of the
rocks the worlds history, by which they were so laid, is indelibly
written. The "book of life," as was said in the lecture, is the
Lord's Word, which alone contains the writing of the true life. Those
whose books disagreed with this Book were and are infernal;
and those whose books agree with it are spiritual and celestial, and
they have eternal life from the Lord. I suppose this account of
the judgment was introduced at the very end of the prophecy of the
Last Judgment, and just before the account of the New Jerusalem
and New Age in the 21st and 22d chapters, to show the universal
character of the judgment, — especially that it was from divine
truth and according to the Word.
Question 6. — If the judgment must be and was in the world of
spirits, why did Paul say, in I Thessalonians iv. 17, that at the
Lord's second coming, Paul and others who were to be alive on
the earth should be "caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air?"
Answer. — I suppose that this, like some other things that Paul
said in his epistles, was a mistake. No doubt he thought that the
Lord would come literally in person in his day; and that he him
self would probably be among the number who would be on the
earth, and would meet the Lord in the material air. But we know
that the Lord did not come then, and that Paul went into the
spiritual world in due time; and moreover we can see that the
Lord could not come materially to any useful purpose. Hence we
can see that Paul was mistaken in these assertions.

Lecture IX

The New Christian Church
"New Jerusalem,"
and the New Age.

169

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE IX.
0 Thou almighty and wondrous Creator, who made all things
which exist, and who art still and forever in the process of creating !
Thou who hast descended, and in a humanity hast redeemed the
children of earth, and hast become our eternal Savior! Who
didst come again and execute a Last Judgment, and hast thus^
redeemed us a second time, and who art now giving Thy divine
Light and Joy to all who will receive them !
We thank Thee for the glories of the New Age, and for the
privilege of living in it.
We pray for open minds to see the truths of Thy Holy Word,
and of the New Dispensation — the glories of the New Jerusalem.
We pray Thee to give us unprejudiced minds, and brotherly hearts,
that we may see eye to eye with each other.
Give us grace to enter the New Jerusalem, and thus to become
prepared here in it for the heavenly mansions of which it is the
earthly likeness or image, — for Thy sake and by thy Divine Aid. Amen.

170

LECTURE IX.
Subject of VIII and IX: The Second Coming of the Lord.
Specific Subject of Lecture IX :
The New Christian Church  "New Jerusalem,"
and the New Age.

texts.
1. The general nature of the New Jerusalem — a great holy
city: its source, glory and light. Rev. xxi. 10, 11.
2. Viewed from without — its wall, gates, foundations of the
wall, form, measures and substances, vv. 12-21.
3. Viewed from within — the substance of city and street — gold;
its temple, light and lamp ; its river and tree of life ; who can enter
it of right. Rev. xxi. 18, 21-23 ; xxii. 1, 2, 14.
4. Suggesting signification of Walls and Gates. Isaiah xxvi.
1, 2 and lx. 18.
5. The Light and Eternity of the Holy City. Isaiah lx. 19, 20.
6. The necessity of studying the external and internal things
of truth and doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Psalm xlviii. 12, 13.
7. Who cannot and who can enter. Rev. xxi. 27.
8. Yet all are invited to do so. Rev. xxii. 17.

The New Christian Church and Age. 171

I. The New Jerusalem —
IN ITS PICTORIAL OR REPRESENTATIVE FORM.

From the description given of the Holy City — New Jerusalem —
in the 21st and 22d chapters of Revelation, it is not difficult to
obtain a general idea of it in imagination, although it may not
be so easy in regard to detail. Picture to yourself a vast area, whose
length, breadth and height are equal; or say a square area, 1500
miles each way, and an immense mountain, rising — possibly at the
east end of the enclosure — to the height of 1500 miles, the whole
surrounded by a wall of transparent jasper, 144 cubits — or about
200 feet— high, the wall on each of the four sides having three
immense gates, each being a beautiful pearl — thus 12 in all. The
wall between the gates or pearls has 12 foundations of different
precious stones, clear or transparent or translucent after the
manner of gems or precious stones. Within — there is an immense
street, running along the whole length of the area from east
to west, through the center of which a beautiful clear "river of
water of life" or living water flows along, while all along both of
the banks the tree of life grows, and bears monthly fruits of 12
varieties. God in His Humanity sits on a great white throne in
the >East, or possibly above the center of the city, at the summit
of the mountain, and He is the only Temple and source of light.
This light proceeding from Him shines through the transparent
wall of jasper as "the glory of God." Those who enter the city
through the gates drink of the river and eat of the tree of life,
and live forever. Let us notice the source of the city — that it
has descended from God through heaven and that it is thus "God'p

172 Lecture IX.
tabernacle with men." Also, looking at it in all its beauty and
adornment with precious stones, it appears like "a bride adorned
for her husband," to receive and to be joyful in the reception
of her Lord.

II. What is The New Jerusalem — reallt ?
Though from the description we may conceive before our mind's
eye a beautiful material picture, yet so far as it might conduce
to any true spiritual or even natural happiness, it could be little
better than some of our most beautiful lands or even cities on
the earth already. But when we consider some of the details
given, and the difficulty of realizing them in any material city, —
such for instance as the immense height of the city, or — if you
please — the eastern part of it, being 12,000 furlongs, or 1500
miles, it becomes evident that it could not have been intended to
be a literal description at all, but a symbolic description of a
spiritual or mental city, using materials and measures and numbers
to represent or symbolize corresponding spiritual things of the af
fections and thoughts.
From the spiritual language, some idea of which I have already
given, especially in the lecture on the spiritual world, we may
obtain the special meanings or specific spiritual things which the
natural images in the Holy City picture, or are designed to repre
sent. As a natural city is a systematic assemblage of persons
and places or streets upon the earth, so a mental or spiritual city is
a systematic assembling of thoughts in relation to religious mat
ters; and so far as it is inhabited, or so far as it comes from the
Lord, it includes corresponding affections — for the Lord, our
neighbor, and goodness and truth in general. This holy city of
orderly and true thought and affection from the Lord must be
always encased and protected by the wall of the literal sense of the
Holy Word, whose clearness as of a "jasper stone" pictures the

The New Christian Church and Age. 173
beautiful holy light which comes to all Christian minds from its
study. It acts in two ways — to exclude or deter evil and defiled
persons from entering the Holy City with their evil and defile
ment, and to protect the heavenly thoughts and affections of the
dwellers within the city. All stones, being of the mineral king-
lom, denote knowledges in the mind, these being the first things
gathered for the purposes of thought and wisdom; and precious
stones answer to knowledges of heavenly and divine things. The
"wall, foundations and gates" of precious stones and pearls were
the first things noticed and described, as being seen from
without. The wall, I have already said, is the knowledge obtain
able in the literal sense of the Word. The foundations, being clear
and precious stones of various hues, are doctrines of heavenly
things derivable from the knowledge or ideas of the literal sense
of the Word. Their bearing up the wall in its different parts,
and going downward beneath them, is because, like the roots going
downward from a tree, they are drawn from it; they serve as
foundations for the wall or literal sense itself; and they bear it
up and substantiate it and make it intelligible.
Let us take a few examples of how the doctrines of the New
Jerusalem are drawn from the literal sense of the Word, and
are spiritual precious stones — clear and beautiful. First let us
consider the doctrine of the Lord. This may be derived from
many passages or knowledges or ideas of the Word, but perhaps
most directly from two. The passage in Isaiah ix. 6 says : "Unto
us a child is born, a son is given; and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace." In John xiv. 8 and 9, we read: "Philip
saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? He that hath seen Me hath
seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"
Bringing these two passages together, we deduce the doctrine
that Jesus was the Everlasting Father in the Divine Humanity,
this latter being as it were the body of the Father — the Father

174 Lecture IX.
being its soul. From other passages, as John xiv. 17-20, in con
nection with these, we can see that the Holy Spirit proceeds from
the Divine Humanity or Jesus, from the Father within Him.
Hence we have one God in one person — Jesus Christ.
Again, in regard to the doctrine of the Word. In Luke i. 70
we read that God "spake by the mouth of His holy prophets which
have been since the world began;" and in Luke xxiv. 44 Jesus
said after His resurrection — "all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and the prophets and psalms, con
cerning me." From these passages we see that the Word is the
veritable speaking of God, and is inspired plenarily, and not, as is
often supposed, in a merely general way.
Still again, in regard to the doctrine of Life. In Psalm lxii.
11 and 12, we read: "God hath spoken once, twice have I heard
this, that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, 0 Lord,
belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to
his work." Again in Matthew and Revelation we read that all will
be "judged according to their works." From these and other
passages we derive the doctrine that man must work in shunning
evil and doing good altogether as if from himself; and yet he must
believe the truth that he has his power to so work from the Lord.
This doctrine is indeed a gem of purest ray serene.
The doctrine of Faith is closely connected with that of Life.
In John xx. 30, 31, we read that the works or "signs" of Jesus
"are written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing we might have life through His
Name." From this we derive the doctrine that we must have faith
in Jesus so that we may have life, or may allow His life to enter
us; and we cannot have it unless we exercise it, any more than a
tree can have the heat and light of the sun passing through it as a
living tree, unless it produces fruit — or grows — from the heat and
light. Finally, let us briefly view the doctrine in regard to the Sab
bath Day. In the Ten Commandments we are directed to "keep
the Sabbath Day." The Lord Jesus said that "the Sabbath was

The New Christian Church and Age. 175
made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Putting the pas
sages together, we deduce the doctrine that the Sabbath is a day
set apart by the Lord for man to observe for his spiritual benefit
primarily, and secondarily for his natural benefit: and since the
Lord said He was "Lord of the Sabbath," we can see that in the
light of what He did on that day — especially teaching the Word
and doing good, and of what He said — that it was "lawful to do
good on the Sabbath Day," we can see that all things which con
duce to man's spiritual benefit, and to his natural benefit consist
ently therewith, are in accordance with the design of the Sabbath
Day, and are therefore allowable.
The "gates of pearl" are the particular parts of doctrine and the
letter of the Word which express the knowledge and acknowledg
ment of the Lord in His Divine Humanity as the God of heaven
and earth, for this is the first or entrance truth of the church in
man. It is the "pearl of great price" (Matth. xiii. 46). Such pas
sages will be found in Peter's confession: "Thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God" ; also in Rev. i. 8, 11, 17, 18 etc. The
twelve gates all differ slightly, according to aspect and position.
In Isaiah lx. 18, we have a clue to the signification of "walls" and
"gates," or a confirmation of what I have said: "Thou shalt call
thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise." The "wall" or "walls"
of the literal sense of the Word is the means of salvation from
evil; and the "gates" of the knowledge and acknowledgment of
the Lord Jesus as God are the cause of our giving Him the praise
for that salvation.
The "walls" being "the measure of a man, that is, of an angel,"
means that the literal sense of the Word supplies — or contains in
outer form — all the demands or needs of an angelic man in his
spiritual nature. The "144 cubits," or 12 times 12, mean all
states of the angelic man, just as 12 degrees of the chromatic scale
in an octave of the piano or organ or of music, comprise all clearly
perceptible degrees of sound.
With regard to the size of the city — "12,000 furlongs," and
being "foursquare," these things signify that it is full and com-

176 Lecture IX.
plete in respect to goodness, truth and holiness or dependence on
God, length denoting goodness, breadth truth or wisdom, and the
height or direction upwards denoting holiness or dependence on
God, the three dimensions, and the three qualities which they rep
resent, being equal.
Within, "the city being pure gold — clear as crystal" — means that
essentially the dwelling-place of a Christian is pure love for God
and man, this being the most precious and warm principle, as
gold is the most precious and warmly-colored, and at the same time
most glorious, of the metals. The "street being pure gold"
denotes the way of life being that of love. There being "no
temple but God and the Lamb" means that there will be
no worship merely external, but only what is genuine, and
directed to God in His Humanity. There being no need
of sun or moon," but "the Lord being the light or lamp
thereof," means that all spiritual light will be seen and acknowl
edged to come primarily from the Lord Jesus, His Humanity
being the lamp or source whence it proceeds as the Holy Spirit.
The "river of the water of life" is the exhaustless abundance of
truths as the spiritual drink of life; and the "tree of life" is the
life of the Lord's love and goodness in us, yielding "twelve man
ner of fruits, and yielding fruit monthly, which seems to mean
literally that a different kind of fruit was yielded each month,
thus twelve kinds during the year. Since the moon — the origin
of the month — is the picture of faith in the Lord, since it reflects
the sun to us, and also represents our understanding and acknowl
edgment of truth from affection, which is our faith, the Lord's
goodness in us, represented by the tree of life, bears fruit of all
kinds according to our peculiar understanding of or faith in
Him and His Word represented by every month. The "leaves of
the tree — for the healing of the nations or gentiles," meaning the
truths which are derived from the Word, and are of a rational
and moral nature, may be applied to the healing of those who are
out of the church; and they may lead them to enter the holy city

The New Christian Church and Age. 177
finally, entering through the gate of some kind of acknowledgment
of the Lord.

Recapitulation.
The Holy City, then, viewed from without, and as to its founda
tions, is a system of heavenly doctrine, on which the walls of the
literal sense of the Word may be said to be founded; or, regarded
as a wall on its foundations, it embraces the literal sense of the
Word resting on its Divine and heavenly doctrine. The order in
which John saw and describes the parts of the city is from external
to internal — the natural order for anyone who contemplates enter
ing the city, and finally enters. But viewed from within, when
one has entered some gate, it is seen to be essentially the goodness
of pure love, clear from truth, and having abundance of goodness
and truth for the purposes of spiritual life represented by the trees
and water of life.

The Newness of the New Jerusalem.
The newness of the New Jerusalem consists in its absolute and
undefiled truth, and in its adaptation to the spiritual, rational and
natural faculties, and thus to the whole man. In other words,
it is heavenly truth presented in natural and reasonable forms, so
that man may see it to be true. But still, all the faculties must
be exercised, and must occupy positions in their order: highest —
the spiritual faculties; in the middle — the rational faculties; and
lowest — the natural mind and the senses. The lower should be
servants of the higher faculties.
The reason why the Holy City — "New Jerusalem" — needs a
wall, is because there are those who are inclined to defile and pro-

178 Lecture IX.
fane holy things. The Lord allows such to look at the things of
the literal sense of the Word; but not to enter the sacred pre
cincts of its true living or genuine spiritual sense, unless they
desire to live the life of heaven which corresponds. Such only,
who thus will do the will of God, the Lord allows to enter through
some gate into the city: see Rev. xxii. 14.

III. The Use of the Holt Citt — to the individual.
But it may be asked, what is the use of the Holy City ? In the
first place it is of incalculable use to the individual. It enables us
to become, like itself, "new"; and to come into a state in which
eternal happiness will be ours. This will be accomplished by its
coming into us, and by our coming into it. The first of these
operations is effected when we follow the direction given us in
Psalm xlviii. 12, 13 : "Walk about Zion (by which is also under
stood Jerusalem), and go round about her; tell the towers thereof.
Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell
it to the generation following." This exhortation to examination
means that it is necessary to study the external things — the
''bulwarks," as well as the internal — the "palaces," of truth and
doctrine of the New Jerusalem, especially the things suitable for
defence in temptations from evils and falses. The "generation
following," in the spiritual sense, is the state of action and use —
of the things learned and considered, which should always follow
the study. "Telling it" means intending to do. This doing is
the second part, by which we come into the truth, being then
ourselves in good. We thus both "hear and do." If we study the
truths of the Word, and its genuine doctrines, and order our
lives by them, then we enter through the "gate" of some kind of
knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord, into the love and
light which is in the city.

The New Christian Church and Age. 179

iv. how will it transform the world  all societt?
The New Age.
But it may be asked — How will the New Jerusalem transform the
world — all society? Did not the Lord say "Behold, I make all
things new?" The answer is that He does intend to make all
things and people new, that is, those who will suffer themselves to
be made new. The transformation of all comes by transforming
the individuals of which all consist : in no other way can a universal
transformation take place. This would naturally be done in the
churches — where the Word is preached and known, and where doc
trine from it is derived, — unless false doctrine is preached.
The New Jerusalem comes down in any person in a threefold
order: first, in the spiritual mind, by learning the truths of the
Word and deducing doctrine from it, or else learning the doctrines
drawn from it — through prayer, study and meditation — by one
who is enlightened; second, in the rational mind, by seeing and
planning the application of the truths — learned and reflected on —
to natural occupations and circumstances ; and third, in the natural
mind — by planning how to actually accomplish the things, or to
do the deeds and speak the words, necessary to bring the spiritual
principles rationally and naturally into effect in the material world
in useful forms, and in turning away from evil and useless ways
of living.
The New Jerusalem cannot truly come down in us except ac
cording to our willingness to "deny ourselves daily" all selfish
and evil gratifications which interfere with it in deed, word,
thought and intention. But if these are honestly and prayerfully
rejected, the New Jerusalem descends and makes all things new.
Created things do not need to be made new, so far as they are
unpolluted and unvitiated by man. But man needs to be made
new. Nevertheless, it is true that there are evil animals — like
tigers and other wild beasts, and also poisonous plants — like

180 Lecture IX.
strychnine and aconite; and poisonous minerals — like arsenic and
antimony. Such things live and exist no doubt from poisonous
and malignant spheres of evil spirits and devils in the world of
spirits and hell. Probably, when — in the future — evil men and
women in this world are reduced in number to a minimum,- and
become practically none, and the world of spirits therefore be
comes filled with none but the good, the spheres confined to the
hells will have nothmg to rest on in this world, and their effect
may be rendered nugatory here, and hence the evil and poisonous
beasts, plants and minerals may cease to exist; and possibly diseases
will also. Cyclones, destructive convulsions of nature, etc., having
no free spiritual cause, possibly may also cease to occur.

V. HOW IT MAKES ALL THINGS NEW  IN DIFFERENT DEPART
MENTS AND FIELDS OF ACTIVITT.
Now let us consider how the New Jerusalem makes all things
new in various departments and fields of human activity.
The keynote of the New Jerusalem is freedom and love, with
truth: it is directly contrary to their opposites — force, hate and
darkness. These three good elements united, applied to different
departments of human activity, result in delicacy, skill and joyful
work, with exhilaration and wonderful effect, carried and borne
along as we are in our work by the Almighty power of God.
These three results replace their opposites — roughness or indelicacy,
uncouthness or rudeness or ignorance, and hard unjoyful labor,
in which God and nature are supposed by us to be enemies. Let
us take several examples, and see how the old and new ages differ.
In religion, the old method was compulsion and blind per
suasion, used respectively in the Roman Catholic and Protestant
churches. The new way is the beautiful one of the New Jerusa
lem — of true doctrine clearly seen, and life according to it, pic
tured by all things of the Holy City; also of the growing spirit

The New Christian Church and Age. 181
of non-sectarianism, and the desire of broad-minded churchmen
to unite for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and all use
ful purposes.
Next to the field of religion and the church proper, in every
department of human activity, these principles exalt work and use
and service, showing them to be the great business of life, and in
every case to be honorable and not shameful.
Again, evidences of the effect of the living principles of the
New Age are seen in the organization and aggressive work of
great benevolent societies — such as the Society of Charities and
Corrections, which meets annually in the great cities; that of the
Young Men's Christian Associations; the Young Women's Chris
tian Associations; that of the 'Young People's Christian En
deavor," which now also has its annual national gatherings; and
also of other societies for useful objects.
In marriage, the new principles exhibit the great field for close
and mutual aid for two souls to become regenerated, and to become
a good father and mother of a portion of the human race in the
next generation, which shall if possible be superior to the present.
In the theory and practice of government, the new principles
contemplate the protection and greater happiness of all.
One of the great hopeful signs of the Age in this department is
the widespread movement of good citizens uniting in non-partisan
civic or "good-government" societies, for the purpose of ensuring
honest and efficient government, and the nomination and election
of such citizens to office as public servants of the people, in city or
town, county, State and Country.
As between nations, the new principles teach them to regard one
another as brothers, and would lead them to adopt arbitration to
settle disputes.
As regards individuals in society, the new view is that they are
forms of life, — possible brothers in the best sense, capable, it may
be, that is, while life in the body lasts, of being induced by prin
ciple and love, to surrender evil and adopt good in freedom.
In education, the way will be not to cram the memory of young

182 Lecture IX.
persons with useless or too many things, but to enlighten them
as pleasantly and judiciously as possible, consistently with their
mental and physical ability, and their probable purpose in life.
In the treatment of children, the object will be not to treat
them as slaves, or to keep them subject to parents as long as pos
sible ; but with the greatest liberty or freedom consistent with their
best good, training them by attraction, and the least harmful
methods of compulsion — which is sometimes necessary, to compel
themselves; and to perform use, to be useful and to love usefulness.
These things require, on the part of the parents themselves, that
they should set a prayerful example of self-denial and of doing
good. Nothing shocks a child more than the discrepancy between
the teaching and practice of a hypocritical father or mother.
The theory and practice of medicine or healing under the new
dispensation have been, and probably will be, altered largely. The
homeopathic principle and electric system have already done much
in this way. But the great change is the central or radical one
from regarding disease as an enemy that must be killed or battled
against, to regarding it as a diseased condition which can be
altered by a changed and proper tendency of life in the body, as
much as possible by natural agencies, such as moderation in whole
some food and drink; exercise; sufficient sleep — if possible eight
hours daily — pure air and full expansion and gradual contraction
of the lungs; sunlight; quick, cool or cold daily baths, either with
water in tub — a plunge, and a few moments brisk exercise in
the water, or with water in basin, applied with the hands — followed
in each case, after drying, by vigorously rubbing with a rough
bath-towel; cleanliness by means of soap and water; keeping the
mouth and teeth clean with a good tooth-brush*; pure water for
?This may be done best by brushing the teeth thoroughly, upper
and lower, inside and outside, front and rear, every morning, with
water and a little salt on the front of the brush, and every night with
a little pure simple tooth-powder, composed of about four ounces of
precipitated chalk (an impalpable powder) and about one ounce of
orris-root to flavor, well mixed by any reliable druggist, rinsing the
whole mouth thoroughly with water after the brushing.

The New Christian Church and Age. 183
internal use, boiled if necessary to kill pernicious animal and
vegetable life, and afterwards cooled, or imbibed hot; pure salt —
as pure as is obtainable — a moderate quantity as seasoning — with
food, and the same in water for external application (it need not be
so pure for this purpose) * ; good olive-oil (French is usually most
palatable) with some foods, and also for external application —
to soothe and allay irritationt; rubbing the diseased parts of the
body with or without the applications; a little good grape-juice
with or at the end of meals for impoverished blood — or perhaps
better, grape-syrup, or grape-juice concentrated by boiling to say
one-half its original bulk, which prevents fermentation, or pure
grape jelly, using a little of it to flavor and render nutritious a
cup or glass of hot or cold water for drinking (or pure hot milk
may be substituted for this) ; three or four good whole or "pulled"
figs, washed, then opened, and boiled in a large cupful of water,
for relaxing the bowels when necessary, eating the insides of them
and finally drinking the boiled liquid at the end of a light meal
instead of the usual drink ; but even this mild remedy should only
be resorted to occasionally, when it seems necessary; a moderate
amount of fruit, and perhaps a few other natural agents ; using no
drugs when not absolutely necessary, especially those belonging to
the mineral kingdom, these being hardly if at all assimilated — that
is, not using them until the more natural agents and means alluded
to have been faithfully tried, and have failed; and then using only
as little as possible of them — no more and no longer than seems
necessary. The tendency of life in the body will be also largely changed

?Remember how the Lord said, "Salt is good" (Luke xiv. 34), and
how all the representative Israelitish offerings were to be seasoned
with salt by divine command (Levit. ii. 13).

fRemember how oil of the olive was used by the apostles in their
healing ministrations (Mark vi. 13; James v. 14). A little may be in
jected in the morning, in case of sore or bleeding bowels, with a
small syringe.

184 Lecture IX.
by the mind, and even by religion — by proper views of it, and
by its incorporation into life.
In the theory and practice of punishment, and treatment of
criminals, the change will be from that which is for retaliation,
or to hurt or destroy, to that which is for the reformation of the
wrong-doer, and for the protection and good of all.
In science and art, all the wonderful discoveries and inventions —
as in steam, light, sound and electricity — are products of the free
dom of thought and of the useful and helpful tendencies of the
New Age, and they consist, in general, in discovering the true laws
of some of these agents or material forces or substances, and in
inventing some proper means or methods of enabling these forces
to come to our service, without disturbing the natural working
of the laws; and the more perfectly we succeed in allowing them
to work in their own way, the more perfect is and must be the
result. Wireless telegraphy; the successful navigation of the air by
"monoplanes," "biplanes," and in general by machines heavier than
air, and also by large dirigible balloons; and the continual suc
cession of new discoveries and wonderful inventions, and the use
ful applications of electricity and other material agents being
presented to the world, are notable examples and proofs of the
advanced thought and power of useful adaptation belonging to
this New Age.
It can be easily seen that these discoveries and inventions, like
other useful ones, are destined to increase the natural happiness
and blessing of God among the people; and they point powerfully
to the fact that the present is a New Age of the world.

The New Christian Church and Age. 185

VI. Objections.

1. Why Not Revealed Before?
It may be asked, why were not these doctrines revealed before?
or why was the New Jerusalem deferred so long ?
It is a remarkable fact that a parallelism exists — in point of de
cadence and continuance — between the Jewish or Israelitish dis
pensation and its judgment or the first coming of the Lord, and
the Christian dispensation and its judgment or the Second Coming
of the Lord. The Jewish dispensation was instituted 1491 B. C,
and the reigning of kings was begun by Saul about 400 years after
wards. This was the salient beginning of the decadence of the
Jewish dispensation or church. Yet the Lord did not come to
institute the new church called the First Christian Church till
about 1500 years after the beginning of the Jewish dispensation.
So in Revelation (vi. 10) we read that the saint-martyrs inquired
of the Lord why He did not execute the Last Judgment; and it
was answered them that they should wait yet for a little season
until the iniquity of their persecutors should be full. That is,
it should be accomplished in what is called "the fullness of time."
It is remarkable that about 400 years after the First Christian
Church was proclaimed by the Lord and His disciples, the cor
ruption of the church was consummated at Nicaea, at a council,
where the doctrine of three separate persons in the Godhead was
first promulgated, analogously to the great beginning of the descent
of the Jewish church by the institution of kings. And after that
again, similarly to the case of the Jewish church, a very long
time elapsed — so as to bring it to the middle of the eighteenth
century — before the Last Judgment as is believed was executed

186 Lecture IX.
by the Lord, and the New Jerusalem and new dispensation com
menced. There are several reasons why the new doctrines could not be
known before. The first is that before the Last Judgment a vast ma
jority of the people were not inclined or leaning towards good, but
towards evil and falsity ; and to give the new truth to the world then
would have been like "throwing pearls before swine." Again, in re
gard to the same class of persons they would not have wanted such
truths for their own internal worth; and truths cannot properly be
given to persons who have no genuine regard for them. Finally,
they would have been of no real use to those who did not desire to
enter the Holy City, or to those who had not the little-child prin
ciple which corresponds to any of the "gates" of the acknowl
edgment of the Lord as their God.
Hence we can see that before the Last Judgment was effected
and the spiritual world was cleared, which had to wait — as the
Lord said to the saints — till the inquity was full, — the truths of
the New Jerusalem could not be revealed or received.

2. Why the New Jerusalem
does not revolutionize the world faster.
Again, it may be asked — why the New Jerusalem does not revo
lutionize the world faster, if it has come? The answer is that,
as I said before, it must come gradually as individuals are affected
by it. This is nearly the same as asking why, when proclaimed,
the doctrines are not acted on immediately. First, all things of
divine order must be done in their proper time. Second, the new
doctrines £re deeper or higher in the grade of truth than those
revealed even in the First Christian dispensation, and need greater
or deeper thought and effort to thoroughly grasp them. Third,
they must be preached or taught and reflected on; and they

The New Christian Church and Age. 187
must be adapted to all classes of minds, before they can be put
into practice, so as to transform the lives of all.

VII. Its Eternitt.
But there is one comforting circumstance which compensates
for the necessarily greater slowness in their reception and appli
cation. It is that the new doctrines are genuine truth, reaching
the very deepest seat of the human mind and heart; and they
are capable of being adapted to all. Hence they will never be
destroyed; but they are destined to grow brighter and brighter
unto the perfect day, and will last forever.

VIII. Recapitulation.
My friends and brethren, it gives me the deepest happiness and
satisfaction to announce to you, and to give you the blessed as
surance, that the Second Coming of the Lord, or of God in His
Humanity and by His Holy Spirit, has taken place. There is no
need to direct your attention to the old dead things of an outer
coming "with observation." But I ask you to lift up your
eyes, and see the glorious light of the new dispensation, —
the light in which you can walk as freemen and not slaves.
This new dispensation, or the New Jerusalem, is a glorious
church, "having the glory of God." Its foundations are the precious
stones of true doctrine. Its wall is the literal sense of the Holy
Word, wherein are enjoined and taught commandments and pre
cepts and truths of order — of a heavenly life on the earth. The
sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper are now shown and
seen to be signs of the desire for spiritual washing, and for the
reception of life from the Lord. The Christian, with the new

188 Lecture IX.
truths and with these two sacraments, is now furnished with all
the necessary elements of a heavenly life. These should lead us
to enter the Holy City, which is "pure gold." This represents
love — the drawing and useful principle; there is no compulsion
or selfishness there. All life is based, like this great country —
the United States — on freedom. The true spiritual freedom is
the freedom to shun evil and do good. The first science in Eden
was embraced to depart from God to self, or to the natural man
without God. Now, the true office of science is to teach us to
turn to His laws again — from self or the natural man to Eden,
or rather to the Holy City — New Jerusalem. It should be our
blessed part and privilege, who have been blessed with the knowl
edge of the wondrous science of life by the Lord, to do this, and
to take up our permanent residence or abode in the Holy City.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — If the New Jerusalem has come as light and true
doctrine in the world of spirits and in this world, how do you
account for the fact that there are so many problems yet unsolved :
even more, it seems, than at any previous time in the world's his
tory, as for instance between capital and labor, between the rich and
the poor, about the money question, and in regard to fraudulent
elections etc., etc., so that the very existence of the republic in
the United States is imperilled?
Answer. — When the inhabitants of different countries were fewer
in number than they are now ; when their relations and occupations
were less numerous and complex; before the press, the mails, the
telegraph, steam, electricity etc., made communication and transit
so common and easy; and when printing, schools and the enlight-

Questions Answered. 189
enment of the present day, were not known and enjoyed — the
difficult problems which you mention could not be known and con
sidered as they are now: and the fact that they are now being so
largely discussed, even among the common people, but especially
by Christians, with earnest and practical effort toward their solu
tion and the amelioration of the troubles among all classes and
countries, is a proof that there is a light and force of truth and
goodness working in the minds and hearts of men more active and
powerful than ever before in the history of the world.
Question 2. — If this is a New Age, why is it that the most
terrible crimes are committed — even murders, and sometimes even
by little children ; and that one teaches the other to commit them ?
and corruption is everywhere in high places, so that it is hard
to find a man of sterling integrity in public life, or in the pulpit,
or in private life. They are generally weak, partisan, and open
to compromise with right for the sake of money, reward, or
natural ends.
Answer. — It is true that crimes are common among people of
all ages — old and young; and that low, narrow, cringing and dis
honest characters are found in every station — this being the char
acter of the natural man : but probably no more so than we should
expect from the increased numbers, the greater enlightenment
put to evil uses, and the freedom which is the result of the New
Age, — especially the enlarged freedom which this country affords,
and which is always liable to degenerate into license, and always
difficult to use aright, and not to abuse. But in all probability, the
amount of crime and turpitude is merely more noticed and known
by us at the present time, because the press, as with argus-eyes
and sweeping tentacles, looks in every direcion, and gathers for our
inspection the news of the whole world every single day.
Question 3. — If the case is as you say, that the Lord has come
again, and primarily as religious light, how is it that Darwinism,
Deism, Agnosticism, Theosophy, and many other heretical and in-
fidelistic doctrines are taught and rampant in the world; and

190 Questions Answered.
even the very preservation of the Bible as a divine book is threat
ened? Why does the Lord allow such things?
Answer. — As I have said, the greatest and most fundamental
feature of the New Jerusalem and the New Age, is freedom. This
arises from the very nature of the rational mind, which is addressed
by the truth, and which cannot be forced ; and also from the nature
of love and goodness, which does not employ force or dictation.
And so the Lord cannot prevent man from hatching all sorts of
heretical doctrines to suit himself; and the external enlighten
ment — incident to the New Age — which is open to the natural
thought and reason, without the aid of the Divine Word and true
doctrine derived from it, is favorable to these vain imaginings and
heresies. Freedom of thought in low, unguided man, from his
natural corrupt will, is prone to desire to find some other way except
God's way — the way of love, goodness and faith, and especially of
self-denial for the sake of these; and for this end, and in his self-
conceit, to throw ridicule on the Word of God, as the Jews of old
did upon the Lord Jesus Christ at the last, before they finally cru
cified Him. And this very state of the world in regard to religious
things — in many, no doubt, a state of earnest inquiry, but without
the means of answering or satisfying it — shows how necessary it
is that the spiritual enlightenment of the New Jerusalem, of the
Word and of its true doctrines, such as I am trying to present in
these lectures, and in the answers to these questions, should be
presented to them.

Lecture X

The Divine Word.

193

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE X.
Our heavenly Father, the Creator of the Universe! Thou who
hast taken to Thyself a humanity and glorified it, and hast become
our Redeemer and Savior; and from whom proceedeth the Holy
Spirit of goodness, truth and power, from which we may shun
evil and do good!
We give Thee thanks for Thy written Word, in which is con
tained Thine Infinite Wisdom, and the infallible way and path
of life clearly indicated. And further we desire to thank Thee
that Thou hast lived this Divine Word upon the earth, so that
Thou Thyself art the living Word, and so hast Almighty Power,
from which Thou canst give us power, that we also may be enabled
to keep Thy Word.
We thank Thee for the enjoyment of Thy past favors to us in
showing us the way of brotherly love, kindness and forbearance
on the occasions of the lectures so far in the course. And we pray
for open minds and hearts on this occasion also — to see and love
the truth, and to regard each other as brethren and children of
Thine. Let everything be done — every idea formed and every
word chosen — for edification and help in our minds and lives!
We humbly ascribe all glory, all wisdom, all good — every thing
we have that is good and true—- to Thee, our eternal Father in
the heavens. Amen.

194

LECTURE X.

Subject: The Divine Word: — a Revelation of God to men,
disclosing the natures of God and man, and of heaven
and hell  man's eternal destinations according to man's
CHOICE.

TEXTS.
1. The wonderful and deep nature of the contents of the Word.
Ps. cxix. 18, 129, 130.
2. Its Divine Inspiration; and its Uses — to instruct and direct
in the way of eternal life, that is, to do good and to resist evil.
II Timothy iii. 14-17; Ps. cxix. 105 and 11.

The Divine Word. 195

I. The Wonderful Contents of the Word.

In regarding any of the Lord's works in the created Universe —
in the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms, we find that they
are wonderful. The more interiorly we examine them by the aid
of more and more powerful microscopes, the more we are amazed
at the increasing complexity and perfection of substance and
arrangement. For example, the surface of a tree or the bark
is the most simple part; while within are wonders upon wonders.
And so with the body of a man: we increase in complexity as we
proceed inward from the skin. It would without doubt be so in
definitely — as we applied increased magnifying power. And as to
the life, we fail to get any adequate idea of it, except by analogy,
and in a very general way, by likening it to rays from the sun.
The Lord's works are thus infinite and unfathomable. On the
other hand, man's works are superficial. We cannot produce life
at all; and in the most skilfully constructed automaton, it is
only a gross external motion that we see; and within, perhaps
there is an application of some clock-work apparatus, moved by
water, steam or electricity — not our own power, but some of the
powers already created, or flowing through the channels of some
of God's creations or their combinations.
And if God's works are infinite and unfathomable, it is reason
able to conclude that His Words are also — just as when we see
wise works done by a man, we infer that his words would cor
respond. The Lord Jesus indeed says of His own words that "they
are spirit and life" (John vi. 63). That is, they are spiritual
and divine. I have already, in a previous lecture, shown the nature
of the spiritual language. In it internal things are expressed by
external.

196 Lecture X.

1. The Spiritual Sense.

In the Word, if it is from God, there must be a purely Divine
sense, which is beyond the understanding of any man or angel:
there must be an angelic or celestial sense, which the highest
angels, or those of the third heaven, perceive and love; and this
sense has reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, for these angels love
and recognize Him in all that they are and that they do, and they
do not love to think of themselves: and thirdly, there must be a
spiritual sense for the angels of the second heaven and spiritual
men; and this relates to the church and to the individual regenera
tion: and lastly, there is the natural or literal sense for angels of
the first heaven and natural men, that is, good or repentant men,
but who do not care for the consideration of spiritual things above
the letter, and also for all in the first part of their regenerate
life, and for all as a basis and continent for the higher senses.
Since we cannot enter the divine sense, and as the pure celestial
sense is above the ordinary comprehension, or at least does not
immediately apply to ourselves or the church, let us take a few
examples of the spiritual sense of the Word, in order that we may
obtain an idea of the depth of the Word; and by perceiving
this sense, we may be able to acknowledge that the Word is full of
hidden wisdom, and may believe that it is infinite and unfathomable.
First, let us consider briefly the symbolic account of the Garden
of Eden and the Fall, as given in Genesis ii and iii. From the
spiritual language, in which every external thing of the world rep
resents something internal or of the mind or soul, we learn that
place denotes state. The mineral kingdom denotes the lowest or
natural plane of the mind, that is, the memory. The vegetable
kingdom, or all plants and trees, denote the growths or truths

The Divine Word. 197
or puttings-f orth of the understanding in definite forms of thought,
this being the next plane above the memory. The animal king
dom denotes the plane of the affections, this being — in a good
state — the highest plane of the mind. The garden of Eden, then,
so far as it was a garden of trees, denoted the first blessed state of
the Most Ancient Church or people upon the earth, — a heavenly
state of the understanding or perceptions from good love received
and acknowledged to be from the Lord God. There were two re
markable or principal trees, one of "life," the other of "knowledge."
They were to eat of the "tree of life," but not to eat of the "tree
of knowledge of good and evil." The understanding of these people
was not separate from their will as ours is ; but it issued from their
will. And being from good-will or good-love, principally love to
the Lord, it was a perception that their life was love flowing into
them from the Lord. This then was their "tree of life" "in the
midst" or center of their garden. The "tree of knowledge" was
to be seen and allowed in their garden, but not to be eaten. The
reason was because the only avenue by which they could see or
know, except from the Lord or from above, was from their senses.
or from without or below. This was the kind of understanding
denoted by their "tree of knowledge." Their senses told them just
what ours do; but they did not pay any primary attention to that
knowledge, that is, to teach them principles of life, perceiving
from their tree of life that it was only apparently true, and would
give rise, uncorrected, to erroneous conclusions. But the "ser
pent," which was the senses or outer plane of their desires or
affections in relation to or determined to thought, prompted them
to eat of the tree of knowledge or of its fruit — this outer knowl
edge of good and evil; that is, to accept as true and right the
products or fruit of these external avenues of knowledge. Prob
ably after many generations they gradually did this, at first per
haps slightly, then more and more, till they became "like gods"
in their own estimation; but really knowing nothing in regard to
good and evil, — no doubt calling, as many do now, a very evil
time "a good time." Thus at last they were self-condemned, shut

198 Lecture X.
out of Eden, that is, out of the Eden-state of good-love and its
perception, into the hell of self-love and merely outer, sensual or
natural knowledge. The "fall" continued till the Judgment took
place on that First Age or church. This judgment is pictured by
the Deluge.
Let us, for a second example, look at the spiritual things in the
account of the Deluge, as given in Gen. vi, vii and viii.
Water, in a good sense, denotes truth; specifically, natural truth.
In a bad sense it denotes falses in regard to life, induced by re
lying on the natural mind solely. This was the "flood" — a flood
of falses from evil — in which the wicked of the Most Ancient
Church perished. Noah and his family stand for the remnant of
intelligent and good people who were saved from the destructive
flood of falses, and became the nucleus for the establishment of a
new or Ancient Church on the earth. Because of the translation
of the mind gradually from the good-love of the first people to the
intellectual plane of the mind, this new church was of this latter
character — colder, but in the light of spiritual truth. Instead
of being a "golden age," it was a "silver age." The "ark" pictures
to my mind a formulation or collection of true doctrines (like the
Holy City at the present time — predicted in Revelation) com
piled and preserved by the better and enlightened people of that
time, together with all the truth and good which were preserved
in those people, and which served to protect them from the destroy
ing falses of the others; and Noah's being shut up in it denotes
that the people who were being regenerated through tempta
tions by these falses were strictly confined to obedience to the prin
ciples of truth specifically denoted by the ark, as long as the
temptation lasted. The ark therefore is an outer representative
of the Ancient faithful man himself as identified with the truth
of God.
The dimensions of the ark — 300 long, 50 wide and 30 high —
mean the entirety of good belonging to these men (300 long),
and the scarcity of truth (50 wide), and in all the three grades
of the mind — scientific (the lowest), rational (the middle region),

The Divine Word. 199
and intellectual (the highest with these people), the 3 of the 300
and 30 being expressive of completeness and fullness corresponding
to the three divisions of the body, and the 5 of the 50 denoting
scarcity in regard to truth, from 5 being partial in regard to 10,
as seen in the five fingers and toes in respect to 10 the full number.
The animals in the ark, clean and unclean, were the good and
evil affections which necessarily were in the individuals saved.
Seeing if the flood were past, by means of the "raven" and "dove,"
pictures the circumspection in temptation, and the satisfaction
of these true people, who were of course tempted by the falses, at
its termination.
Noah's exit from the ark — with the rest — denotes his freedom
from a state of mere obedience, and his elevation into a state of
liberty from perception of the truths' being laws of order, and from
a certain delight in them, just as occurs with us, when to accord
with duty and truth has become second nature, or in particular
when, after having been in any temptation, by the Lord's power
we have overcome the falses and evils which beset us.
There being no more floods to destroy the people, and this
being attested by a "rainbow," means, as I see it, that so long
as the sun could shine and the clouds were temporary and not
opaque, but could receive the sun of righteousness in them and
reflect it in beautiful light, salvation would be possible; and this
is true also for every church and every regenerate individual since
that time. But we know that spiritual clouds did gather again
thickly and opaquely in the world of spirits and in men's minds,
and necessitated a judgment by the Lord on the Jewish church
at His First Coming, and again another Judgment — the "Last" —
at His Second Coming about 150 years ago, as I have described
in the eighth lecture of this course.
As a third example, let us consider the Israelites' Journey from
Egypt to Canaan. The call of Moses, and thus of the Lord, to
the children of Israel, denotes in a spiritual sense His call to us
as individuals to leave our old evil life. Egypt in a bad sense de
notes the dark state of the natural mind and life. The plagues on

200 Lecture X.
Pharaoh and his final destruction denote the judgment and de
struction of those evil spirits who have kept us in slavery up to
the time of repentance. The journey of the Israelites through the
wilderness to Canaan denotes our upward journey from the nat
ural to the spiritual or heavenly life or state. Giving the law
denotes our reception of the Word. Their settlement there, and
the driving out of those already in the land, denotes our replac
ing, in the true heavenly states, the wicked who like the hypocrites
had wrongfully inhabited heavenly places, as was described in the
lecture on The Last Judgment. In the church, this also denotes
that the true worshippers shall come into heaven and are really
coming into it day by day, and replacing in the true church
those who seemed to be of it, but were really not so. In the
individual sense, it denotes the replacement of idolatrous and
merely natural and wicked states of the mind by thoughts and
affections — good and true and hallowed — during regeneration.
For a fourth example, let us take the case of the Lord's flesh
and blood, which He said we must eat in order to live, and which
He gives us in the Holy Supper. In a spiritual sense, which is
the only true sense, He means that we should feed in our will and
understanding on the divine "flesh" of His essential life, which is
His good love, and on the divine "blood" of His thence-proceeding
life, which is His heavenly and spiritual truth. Thus He gives
us our spiritual life, which consists of these two from the Lord.
As a fifth and last example, let us take the account of the
Last Judgment and the New Jerusalem as given in Matthew and
Revelation. I have already explained these at length in the eighth
and ninth lectures. It will only be necessary here to say that the
symbols of the darkened sun and moon and falling stars con
stitute a mental or spiritual picture of the removal of the heat
and light of heaven, and of all true knowledge of spiritual things :
and when this had been fulfilled, the Last Judgment took place,
making it possible for a New Dispensation of heavenly and spir
itual truth to begin.

The Divine Word. 201
But the purely spiritual sense is principally for angels of the
heavens; and also for such persons on the earth as have attained
to some elevation in spiritual life.

2. The Literal Sense.
The literal sense is specifically for men. Still, in the literal
sense there are statements of two classes of truth — one real and
the other apparent. It is important to know them when we read
or hear them. The way to distinguish them is as in astronomy:
the real truth is seen from the point of view of the center, the
sun or the Lord; the apparent truth is what is seen from that of
the circumference, the earth and man. The apparent truth always
needs to be corrected or looked at from the real truth.
For example, it is said in one place that "God is love"; and
in another that "all the wicked will He destroy." The first is
the real truth, the second the appearance. We attribute, in our
natural condition, our own states to the Lord, as we do clouds
of the earth to the sun, when really the clouds are not about the
sun, but are between us and it. We say the sun has left us, when
our own clouds shut the sun off, or when the earth has, as it were,
turned its face away from the sun; also that the sky is angry,
when again the angry appearance is due to our own clouds.
The Lord is said to "destroy the wicked," and it is also said
that "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Psalm vii. 11) :
not that He is really angry, or really desires to destroy them, or
that He even actually does destroy them; but it is so said because
the wicked are against the Lord, and He is always doing what He
can towards dispersing wickedness, as the sun does to the clouds
which intercept its rays. The destruction or "damnation" of the
wicked is really due to their persistence in living contrary to
the Lord's love and wisdom, so that finally they become unable to
endure the presence of the Lord's Spirit, but find that they must

202 Lecture X.
flee from it — into eternal spiritual darkness and infernal fire —
away from its heavenly light and heat.
In another place in the Word, the Lord says, "I form light and
create darkness; I make peace and create evil" (Isaiah xiv. 7). The
first part of each of these two assertions is the real truth, the
second the appearance. The Lord "forms the (spiritual) light";
and He "creates (spiritual) darkness" — in the sense that the sun
creates darkness when the earth turns away from it: that is,
spiritual darkness follows because of His absence in regard to
truth as the result of our turning our minds from Him. So also
"He makes peace" or the spiritual Sabbath; and "He creates evil,"
or it exists, because of His absence in regard to good or love, as
the result of our turning our hearts from Him. His presence
or absence causes these results. It seems as if the Lord sent
devils to hell: but really they flee into hell on account of their
contrariety to Him and His Spirit: see Matth. viii. 28-32, and
Rev. vi. 15, 16.
The Love, Wisdom and Power of the Word.
Let us look for a few moments, before we pass to the next
part of our subject, at the love, wisdom and power contained in
the Word.
First, we can see the brooding and yearning love of the Lord.
for us in giving the Word, from Deut. vi. 24. The passage reads
as follows: "The Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to
fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might pre
serve us alive, as at this day." That is, the Lord gave the Word
in tender love for us, that we might have eternal life and happiness.
And again in John xx. 31, it is recorded that the signs or works
of Jesus, so far as they are narrated, "are written that we might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believ
ing we might have life through His Name." Thus the Lord's
love for us is seen in this, that He merely desires our faith in Him,
that He may give us life, and so bless us.

The Divine Word. 203
The divine and practical wisdom in the Word may be quite
readily seen from Ezekiel xxxiii, where we have the plain, equitable,
indubitable truth set forth in regard to prophet and people: first,
the prophet's or preacher's duty to warn the people of the danger
of wickedness; then, if he has done this, and they refrain, they
are saved, and he is also blessed ; if they do not, they are lost and
he is delivered. If he does not warn them, and they are lost,
he is accountable. Again, those who live in righteousness are
saved or "live": those who live in evil are lost or "die." But
those who turn from their evil to good are saved or "shall live";
while those on the other hand who turn from good to evil are lost
or "shall die." No fair man can fail to see the justice and wisdom
of this language; and the simple can profit and live from it.
The divine power of the Word is in its essence in the divine,
celestial and spiritual senses; but it is exerted by us, only in the
literal or lowest sense, to detect' evil and to know good also : see
Hebrews iv. 12. One reason is because the literal or natural sense
of the Word is on the same plane as evils are, and it can thus
take hold of them. This was the way the Lord Jesus did in
resisting the three great classes of temptations which came to
Him (Matth. iv. 1-11). The first class of temptation was to
gratify his natural desires without Divine direction. This He
resisted because of the first great law of order that man's life
should not be merely natural, but primarily from Divine Truth or
the Word. This was expressed by the words "Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word of God." The second class of
temptation was, from elevation in divine truth, to return and
experiment with evil. This He resisted because of the second great
law of order, that man must not put himself against God, but
with Him, if he expects to remain a living soul. This was ex
pressed by the words "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God."
The third class of temptation was to worship and act from self
or the devil, in order to possess and rule over all. This He re
sisted because of the third and supreme law of order that man must
worship and serve God alone and not self. This was expressed

204 Lecture X.
by the words "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him
only shalt thou serve." Thus the Lord used the Word in the
literal sense as a weapon against evil: and by its use, he became
the living Word, all-powerful in heaven and earth and over hell:
see Matth. xxviii. 18, and Rev. i. 18.

II. How The Word was Inspired.
Now let us consider the subject of the inspiration of the Word.
How was it inspired? In II Peter i. 21 we read: "the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." And in Luke i. 70,
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, himself filled with the
Holy Spirit, said that "the Lord God spake by the mouth of
His holy prophets, which have been since the world began." From
these passages, we can see that the Divine Spirit of God prompted
the prophets and writers of the Word to write as they did; and it
was not themselves that wrote or spake. So we read in many
places in the prophets such phrases as these: "Thus saith the
Lord," and "the Word of the Lord came to me, saying."
Again in Acts i, 16, we read that the Holy Spirit spake by the
mouth of David concerning the betrayal of Jesus by Judas; and
in chap. ii. 4, that the apostles at Pentecost "were filled with the
Holy Spirit, and spake with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance." (See also Matth. x. 19, 20.)
From these things it is evident that God spoke or dictated the
Word to the "prophets" or "holy men of old." It must have been
a dictate to the internal ear of the amanuensis. They might or
might not have been cognizant of the sound of the words in their
ears, although most of them must have been — judging from what
is recorded. But in all cases it must have beeu a distinct prompt
ing of the words. In this way the Five Books of Moses, the
prophets and Psalms (see Luke xxiv. 44), the Four Gospels (see
John xiv. 26) and the Revelation, were written (see Rev. i. 19,

The Divme Word. 205
et seq.) ; and they are therefore not man's words or choice of
words and ideas, but God's.
There are three kinds of plenary inspiration — so far as the
writers' minds were concerned. The first kind is where the
writers may have understood the spiritual principles — in what
they wrote from dictation. This was the case with the original
writers of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which are purely
symbolical. They were people of the Ancient Church; and it is
believed that Moses merely copied or translated and incorporated
them by Divine direction into our present Word as its beginning.
The second kind of plenary inspiration was where the writers
understood merely the literal sense. This was the case with
Moses, Joshua and the Evangelists, who had the outer events as
past history, or as actually passing before them, as the history
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the journey of the Israelites, etc.,
and the life of Jesus.
The third kind of plenary inspiration was where the writers
did not understand the literal sense, but merely heard the external
words of the Lord in, or passing through, their internal ear, or saw
the scenes or visions which they describe. The prophets to a
very large extent, and John writing the Revelation, were examples
of this class; for many parts of the prophets are without any
intended sense except a symbolic one, and other parts relate
to the life of the Lord on earth; and the Revelation written by
John's hand, though seen pictorially in the spiritual world, is not
a transcription of literal events, but they are symbolic.
Besides the plenary inspiration of the Word proper, there is a
second kind of inspiration, which does not result in dictated words
independent of the writer's understanding; but it is an internal
dictate and enlightenment to certain persons — such as the angels
and elevated Christian ministers may be supposed to have, by which
they are enabled to understand the Word, to derive doctrine from
it, and to teach it. Of this nature was the inspiration of the
Apostles, and from which they wrote their epistles; and it is
believed that the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, that

206 Lecture X.
enlightened teacher of modern times, concerning the truths
of the New Dispensation, were composed and presented to the
world from such inspiration or illustration, as it is more prop
erly called, as this. But these writings of the apostles and Swe
denborg are not divine, since they passed through their under
standings; but merely spiritual or angelic, and contain this kind
of wisdom. Hence we can see how immeasurably superior the
Word is to all other writings and books. And from knowing how
the true state of the case is with the books of the true Word, we
can pity the poor infidels who waste their time as it were beating
the air, when in reality many of the passages on which they expend
their most withering ridicule on account of the absurdities of the
literal sense, were not even intended to have any literal sense
except to symbolize or picture the spiritual.

III. The Uses of The Word. Its Disclosures.
The uses of the Word grow out of its nature — being specifically
Divine Truth or Light from God. It should therefore tell us
about things of spiritual import which men cannot discover ex
ternally. The first great subject which it tells us about is the Nature of
God. Thus in Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7 we find the Lord proclaiming Him
self as "Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, etc." Again in Jeremiah xxxii. 19,
we find it stated that He is "great in counsel and mighty in
work: His eyes open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to
give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit
of his doings." And finally in I John iv. 8, it is said that "he
that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." From these
passages and others like them, we are taught that God is love, and
that He is our heavenly Father: see also Matth. xxiii. 9. Con
sequently we are children of His. And as I have abundantly

The Divine Word. 207
shown, we are also taught that Jesus Christ is that God and
Father. The second great subject about which we are taught in the
Sacred Scripture is our own nature, that is, the nature of man.
Thus in Gen. ii. 7 we are told that "God formed man of the
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life; and man became a living soul." From this and other pas
sages we learn that God is a Spirit, and that we as men are
receptacles for His life. Also that we are "brethren" (see Matth.
xxiii. 8). Hence the Two Great Commandments result, that we
should "love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and
strength, and our neighbors as ourselves."
The third important subject concerning which we are taught in
the Word is the original orderly and innocent state of our first
parents, which I have called the Most Ancient Church; and con
cerning the fall from that state. Of this first state we read in
Gen. ii. 25 "that they were naked and not ashamed." This means
that their natural life was from good; and therefore there was
nothing of it to hide, or that could cause shame. But of the latter
part of those times or of that age of the world, we read in Gen.
iii. 6, 7 that when they ate of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge,
"their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig-leaves together to cover their nakedness. That
is, they were naked and ashamed. In other words, their natural
life was then from self and evil, and not from God and good ; and
hence it was shameful; and they used the things of their natural
mind to excuse that life and make it appear ingenuous and good.
The lower things of the mind are meant by fig-leaves, corresponding
to the fig-tree, as being the poorest or least precious of the three
fruit-trees — the fig, vine and olive. They tried to cover their
life's motives, because they were in evil. This is often done by
ourselves. Thereafter, since that time, there have always been good
and evil life in the world.
The fourth important subject about which we are taught in
the Word is our destination, or the way to regain our first inno-

208 Lecture X.
cent state, and the nature of heaven — our destination if we choose
it by choosing good; and also the nature of hell — our destination
if we choose it by choosing evil. The nature of heaven in general
we may learn from Rev. vii. 14-17. We learn from those verses
that it consists of those who, through temptation, have rejected
falsities and received truths into their life from the Lord by His
Spirit; that they worship the Lord alone, and from His Spirit
have abundance of goodness and truth; and that they are not
harmed or affected by the thoughts and lusts of the natural
mind, which are denoted by oppressive sunlight and heat;
and that they experience pure happiness from the Lord's
Spirit. In John xiv. 2 we learn further — about heaven —
that there is room for all. The Lord says, in that verse: "In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." This is true
for all true disciples of His; and they have life eternal. On
the other hand we learn from Luke xiii. 3, 5 that "except we
repent we shall all likewise perish." That is, in that case — if we
neglect to repent — we are left to our natural life, which, without
the spiritual, is hell. And of the nature of hell we read in Mark
ix. 43-48, that in "hell the worm dieth not, and the fire is never
quenched." This means that what is false — the "worm" — is always
active in devils and satans, and what is hateful and lustful — the
"fire" — has in them no truth to exterminate it.
These four important subjects being made clear to us, we
have sufficient knowledge in regard to spiritual matters to ensure,
by the aid of the Lord's Spirit, our eternal salvation.
IV. Our Part or Dutt.
And now, finally, what is our part or duty in regard to the
Word? Since it is the blessed gift of our Lord to us, for our
salvation and eternal good, our part — as responsive, appreciative,
reasonable beings — is to receive it and use it for those purposes.
Since we are ourselves of a three-fold nature, having will, under-

The Divine Word. 209
standing, and power to act according to these two, it is clearly
our proper part or course (1) to love the Word, (2) to try to
understand and believe it with the understanding and heart, and
(3) to do the truth of the Word. We should study the literal
sense most, since this is for men especially.
That we are to love the Lord (or the Word) and the neighbor,
we may learn from Luke x. 27 — the Two Great Commandments;
and also from Luke vi. 27, where Jesus tells us to "love our
enemies and do good to them which hate us" ; and again from John
xv. 12, 17, where He tells us to "love one another, as He has
loved us."
That we are to try to understand the Word, so as to do it intel
ligently, we may learn from Matth. xiii. 11, where Jesus tells
us that "it is given unto us to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven"; that is, because we love them and desire to use them
in our lives. And also that we should study and try to believe
the Lord and His Word is evident from John vi. 29, where Jesus
says that "this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom
He hath sent": that is, this believing on the Lord as the source
of our life and power is the divine element in our work.
Finally, that we must do or act as of ourselves according to the
Word — we learn from John viii. 51, 31, where Jesus says, "If a
man keep my saying, he shall never see death"; and "if ye con
tinue in my Word, then are ye my disciples indeed."
With our reason, and after prayer to the Lord for His Holy
Spirit, we should try to find rational interpretations of the Word,
and to deduce rational and reasonable ways of putting it into
practice. Prayer is necessary, since we cannot do these things of
ourselves; for our good brother Paul says that these things are
spiritually discerned (1 Corinth, ii. 14). Then, when we have
honestly tried to do the Word, our efforts will be accepted ; for the
Lord says, "The seed on the good ground are they, who in an
honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, and
bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke viii. 15).

210 Lecture X.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Question 1. — In what sense is it said in John i that Jesus Christ
"was the Word"; and how are we to understand that "the Word
was made flesh?"
Answer. — Essentially "God is love," as John says in his epistle
(I John iv. 8). That is, Love is His inmost essence. But ex
ternally He is Wisdom. That is, Wisdom is the light or working
Glory proceeding from His Love. Now since Divine Wisdom,
or the Word or "Logos" — which is the same thing, was the lower
or outer of these two divine qualities or essences or substances, and
thus is the one nearest to the humanity or to our plane of life, it is
therefore said that the Word or Divine Wisdom "was made flesh"
and called Jesus Christ. That is, God as to wisdom assumed
humanity, and also successively evolved from Himself the lowest
divine sphere corresponding to the natural and sensual mind, which
may be called "flesh." And yet the Divine Love was not separated
from the Divine Wisdom, but it was contained and clothed and
veiled by the latter. And for this reason, and because the Divine
Love seemed absent while in temptation, the divine truth, with still
another veil — of a natural humanity — over it, could approach evil
spirits and evil men without destroying them. The common say
ing — "the wish (or love) is father to the thought (or wisdom or
truth)" — may throw some light on the relation of the Divine Love
and Truth in the Lord Jesus.
Question 2. — Is the Bible, or a special revelation, necessary to
tell any sensible man the common things of religion? Can we
not know without it — that there is a God or some first cause ? and
that we ought to live a good life and not a bad one ? Do we not
all know that it is wrong to kill, steal, lie and so on? Why is it

Questions Answered. 211
necessary for God to tell us such common or patent things in the
Bible? Answer. — Strange as it may seem at first sight, we cannot know
these simple things of religion by our own natural reason, such
as the existence of a God, and especially that God is Jesus Christ,
or that He was born into the world; that to do wrong to others
is a sin against God and man; and that to do right to others
is to love Him. We cannot discover these things except by a
written revelation from God: first, because, being immersed in
our natural man, we are in evil, and we do not naturally want
to know such things ; and second, for the same reason, our spiritual
eyes are now closed, so that we see nothing but what our outer
senses tell us. The reason why some people who do not read
the Word know the things you have stated, is because they have
obtained their knowledge from those persons who have read it,
or from their writings extant in the world. This knowledge or
truths gathered from the Word by some, and given to others,
constitute the "leaves from the Tree of Life," which serve, as
we are told, to heal the "nations" or gentiles out of the church:
see Rev. xxii. 2.
Question 3. — If the books of the Bible are fully inspired, that
is, those that you say are thus inspired, so as to be the veritable
Word of God, or Divine Wisdom written for the use of men, why
is it that they are not written more plainly, so that every one may
understand them? If they are not understood, do they not fail
of their use?
Answer. — In order to reach the lowest grade of men, such as
are "in the sea," as it were (see Rev. xv. 2), the Word had to
be written on the lowest or natural plane; and this is necessarily
the plane of appearances, where, for instance, the sun appears to
be a very small, flat, circular surface in comparison with the earth;
and together with the other stars, which seem to be mere points
of light, it appears to revolve around the earth every day. And
yet, by the study of astronomy for some centuries, we know that
these are not the facts; but that the real truth is almost the

212 Lecture X.
reverse of the appearance. Just so, profound heavenly and spiritual
wisdom could not be revealed, much less could Divine Wisdom,
on the mere surface. As it is, enough can be known from the
literal sense, in the commandments and the external life of the
good characters in the Bible, and especially of the Lord Jesus
Himself, to ensure the salvation of natural and evil men and
women. Those who have desired, and do desire deeper truth for
the purposes of a higher life, in past times and in the present,
no doubt have had it revealed to them as they needed it, prayed
for it, and sought it, at least sufficiently for their salvation; and
now they may have it in the general revelation of new and spiritual
doctrine for this New Age.
Question 4. — Why is the Bible called the Word of God, when it
is merely a natural book, in fact a collection of separate books, and,
not properly the Divine Wisdom at all?
Answer. — As I have tried to show, those books of the Bible
which contain not merely angelic or spiritual wisdom, but Divine
Wisdom, are properly called the Word of God, because they are
dictated as to the very words used, by the Spirit of God to the
writers as amanuenses. Of course, the words were necessarily se
lected from languages of men — the Hebrew and Greek — already
in use; but they were so selected in groups as to contain pictures
of Divine Ideas and thus Divine Wisdom: and thus they contain
the Word or Divine Wisdom of God in their inmost. And even in
their outmost — the literal sense, like the hem of the garment of
Jesus, they are holy, on account of the Divine Arrangement of
them, and what they contain; and they have Divine Virtue in them
for use of spiritual life, even as Jesus' robes had — to heal the
sick: yea, more so than if they were written in the mere spiritual
sense; for they contain the love and wisdom of God in the most
powerful form — from highest to lowest. They are like perfect
caskets of beautiful and useful gems.
Question 5. — What is the difference in spiritual representation
between a serpent and a hog or swine?

Questions Answered. 213
Answer. — The serpent or snake, sliding along the ground and
with its sharp eye, expresses in a good sense, or where the snake
is harmless, the senses, with their circumspection and tact to
prevent harm to the spiritual man, and to know what to do.
In a bad sense, as in the case of a poisonous snake, it denotes
the senses — or the sensual nature in general — separate from the
spiritual, seeking knowledge from its own power and from without,
and inimical to the Lord and His Word. The hog or swine with
its small eyes, uncouth snout and large mouth, its fatness and
voraciousness, and its natural slovenliness and filth, perfectly rep
resents selfishness and greediness, especially the appetites, and the
loves of self, and of the world for self, with disregard of the Word —
because the Word confines or limits them. As a class of selfish
ness, avarice is also included in its representation. The repre
sentation of the serpent has rather relation to the natural or outer
thought specifically, while the swine or hog has relation to the
corrupt will or sensual appetites.
Question 6. — Is there any place in the Word of God or the Ten
Commandments, where we are warned against allowing our cor
poreal or bodily or swinish instincts to assert themselves, in the
temptation to eat and drink too much, or in excess, or to selfishly
seek to have the best things for ourselves, and to keep them from
our neighbor?
Answer. — So far as allowing our natural appetites to rule us
is concerned, as being contrary to our spiritual man ruling and
controlling them for its own best use, the command in Gen. i.
26, 28 — to "have dominion over all the animals" in us, or of our
nature, which is the spiritual and primary sense of the passage,
covers the case. So also does the first commandment of the
Decalogue — "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," that is,
with or besides the Lord. Also that which immediately follows —
"Thou shalt not make thee any likeness of anything which is on
the earth beneath the heavens, to bow down to or worship it,"
as for instance, in the spiritual sense, a hog or swine; that is,
we must not, if we expect to have spiritual life, make the natural

214 Lecture X.
appetites a god, which would then be as a hog, and let them rule
us and have the worship and subserviency of all our powers.
Also the quotation is applicable which the Lord Jesus made use
of to overcome in His first class of temptations — "Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God" (see Matth. iv. 4, quoted from Deut. viii. 3) :
it forbids us, as it did Him, to allow the natural appetites to
control us or dictate to us.
So far as our selfishly seeking the best natural things and keep
ing them from our neighbors are concerned, these things are for
bidden in the commandments — "Thou shalt not covet anything that
is thy neighbors'," that is, that our neighbors are fairly entitled
to; or in any case they are forbidden by the golden rule, and the
command "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Lecture XI

The Divine Providence

217

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE XI.
Almighty God, the Creator of all, the Preserver of all, and the
Divine Provider of all!
We would view with humble gratitude Thy divine yearning to
fill us with love and wisdom, and also with delight and enjoyment
of all things in their order from highest to lowest, so far as they
can be given us without injury to our eternal interests. Help
us to see all things in their true order; and give us a heart to
love that order and to desire it; and to try to enter into it.
Open our hearts and minds to desire the truth, and keep us
from prejudice and narrow-mindedness. Grant that everything
presented on this occasion may be pervaded by Thy Holy Spirit
of goodness, of peace and of heavenly use; and at the same time
by sound reason. And when we have done the best we can, help
us to do as the truth requires — help us to ascribe all honor and
glory to Thee alone; to acknowledge that Thou art the source of
all our good affection and enlightened thought — forever. Amen.

218

LECTURE XI.

Subject: The Divine Providence or the Divine Providing:
its End or Purpose, and its Laws.
texts.
1. The primary end of the Divine Providence — as to every
individual — is man's eternal life and salvation; and temporal bless
ings are secondary. John x. 10; iii. 16, 17; Matth. vi. 33 and
second half of 32.
2. Yet the wicked are not saved, because they will not be.
John v. 40 ; iii. 19 ; Luke xiii. 1-5 ; 34, 35.
3. The Divine Providence is particular as well as universal.
Matth. x. 29, 30.
4. The government of the whole world by the Lord — in love
and good, is the general end, and is to be the final result, of the
Divine Providence. Rev. xi. 15.

The Divine Providence. 219

I. What the Divine Providence is.
If we consider what is the best and noblest end or love possible
to a human being, we shall decide that it is to unselfishly bless
others with the highest or most exalted or spiritual happiness,
and with happiness of a lower or natural order as far as it is
consistent with the higher. And he who has such a noble end or
love, to succeed in effecting his beneficent object, will use the
best wisdom of which he is capable in his plans. If this be so in
the case of a good man in a finite way, it must be infinitely so
in the case of the Lord God, who indeed is the author and source
of all the good love and wisdom in His creatures and followers.
The Divine Providence, therefore, is the providing of the Divine
Wisdom from the Divine Love so as to bless all His children
eternally and spiritually first, or as a primary end ; and secondarily,
to give them all the temporal happiness which is consistent with
their eternal good. Of course, if temporal or natural happiness
would injure or prevent the best eternal or spiritual good from
accruing to men, the Lord God, as a good and perfect Father,
withdraws the natural pleasure so far as it would be hurtful. In
this respect He works like a good and wise natural father does
with his child, who desires an excess of candy or sweet though
innutritious food. The father would withdraw, or deny his child,
the natural pleasure so far as it would be apt to cloy the stomach,
and prevent the reception and assimilation of useful and nu
tritious food. Just so the Lord in His Providence endeavors to
induce men to receive His best gifts — spiritual truth and good
ness, which are capable of blessing them with the highest happiness ;

220 Lecture XI.
and then, so far as it is not hurtful to these, He adds material
or natural things, with their enjoyment and pleasures — see I Kings
iii. 5-14 and Matth. vi. 33.

II. How the Divine Providence works.
Since Wisdom is the very direct source of the Divine Providence
in relation to men, and since this is Divine Order itself, Providence
must necessarily work according to order and law. The perpetual
conditions which appertain to man must always be (and so always
are) taken into consideration by the omniscient eye or thought;
and the present circumstances in which man is — must be regarded
by God. The Lord has also provided means by which man's sal
vation may be ensured; and also there are definite methods which
are used by Him to effect the two ends — man's eternal good as a
primary end, and his temporal good as a secondary end. Let us
consider these four elements of the problem in their order.
First, the Lord in the operations of His Providence always
keeps in view the perpetual conditions which inhere in man as man.
From creation man was endowed with freedom and rationality.
That is, he can intend or not intend, think or not think, speak or
not speak, do or not do, any good or evil thing. This is his freedom
of will. His rationality is the operation of his understanding — -
to reason as he chooses; and he has power to see things in their
right relations. This is true rationality. Perverted rationality is
seeing and reasoning perversely, or contrary to the right relations
of things. The memory, that is, the external memory, is merely the
outer court of the understanding, from which the latter selects
such materials as it needs. There is also an internal memory —
which is the treasure-house of the will, and its contents consist
of what is chosen by the latter, and adopted by it through the
life. It is really the permanent state of the will, our individual
book of life, and our spiritual house. Beside these, we have also

The Divine Providence. 221
the outer life, that is, our speaking and doing, which are the
expressing of what we intend and think. The Lord always regards
our freedom and rationality as the two inviolable gems of our man
hood, in everything He provides and does in respect to us.
Secondly, the Lord in the operations of His Providence always
regards the present circumstances of man. Since the fall, we
are in evil and disorder; and therefore our senses are naturallv
uppermost in the plane of our being. That is, they are most
powerful in their craving for gratification; and since our spiritual
eyes are not open, we do not even know that there is any other
plane that is superior to them, until we are taught that that is
the case from the Divine Word — directly or indirectly. Hence
the Lord in treating us for the end of our salvation, must take
this into consideration, and take us from where we are — from our
own natural low and evil state.
Thirdly, the Lord in His Divine Providence must make use
of appropriate and effective means to accomplish His ends. He
has provided truths in abundance in His Holy Word, whereby we
may know the way of life. Besides this, He has provided an
example for us in His own blessed person, manifested to us as
the Word made flesh — the living Word, from whom now pro
ceeds the divine power and gifts of His Holy Spirit. And finally
we now have, in the present New Dispensation, the Word explained
in its true spirit, and in the deeper or spiritual sense. Thus
nothing is lacking in the provision of means which the Lord has
made for the enlightening of the spiritual understanding of man.
Besides the Word and true doctrine, the Lord has ready — for our
regenerating will — good affections which we may receive from
His Holy Spirit in proportion as we reject or refuse the life of the
opposite evil affections, and exercise the good. And He gives us
power to act as of ourselves to refuse the gratification of evil, and
to plan and do the good. And finally, He has mercifully provided
the holy Sabbath Day — a day set apart for the development of
our spiritual nature, and for rest from our natural pursuits.
Fourthly, the Lord in His Divine Providence always works

222 Lecture XI.
according to the best possible methods. There is no such thing
in the Divine Wisdom as working in a careless, hap-hazard way.
There are three principal ways or methods by which the Lord might
work for our eternal good, which is the great end He is trying to
secure. He could lead men by love or heavenly motives, which
is the highest way; He could lead them by truths or principles of
order, which is the next best way ; or He could govern them and lead
them by power or fear. This is the lowest way. He leads them by
love if He can; truths if He cannot; and fear if He must. It is
true, however, that the element of truth must play some part in
all the three; for we cannot rise out of evil, unless there is some
new light in the understanding to lead us onward and upward.
The quality of truth, though, varies. When the Lord says, "Come
unto Me, all ye that labor, and are heavy-laden, and I will give
you rest" (Matth. xi. 28), He holds up before the mind peace in
Him; and the truth is addressed to the affectional plane of our
understanding. When He says that "evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, thefts, false-witness, covetousness etc. come forth from
the heart, and defile the man" (Matth. xv. 19, 20 and Mark vii.
21, 22, 23), He states a law addressed to the thought and rational
plane of the understanding. When He related the parable of the
talents (Matth. xxv. 14-30), showing that the evil man who had
received the one talent, and who had omitted to develop and use it
because he feared the Lord as a task-master, should have developed
and used it from that very view that he took of his Lord, He
showed that this is the last resort of His Providence, not to compel
even the lowest of His children, but — if necessary — to induce them,
by fear of damnation and eternal misery, to compel themselves
to desist from evil, and to try to do right.
The Lord's government of the wicked is repressive and
restrictive. Of course, He cannot govern them by divine laws, for
they will neither receive nor apply them. So, although He cannot
induce them to refrain from intending or thinking wrong or evil
from any good or spiritual cause or end, or in fact from even
speaking and doing evil from these spiritual ends, He to a great

The Divine Providence. 223
extent ordains or arranges that they shall not do so much or
such grave wickedness as they otherwise would, by fear of the
outward law, or of loss of reputation or comfort, or failure to
gain property or wealth. And since they are often thus led to
choose the lesser and lighter forms of evil instead of the more
enormous kinds, and if they cannot be induced to choose any heaven,
the Lord arranges so that they are led to choose as mild a hell as
possible. In the government of the good, Providence can act directly : for
the Lord can induce them to array the spiritual man or nature
against the disorderly natural; and by the Word and obedience to
it, He can draw them more or less closely to Himself. So far as
the evil in Christians is concerned, and so far as they cling to it,
the same principles apply as in the case of the evil themselves.
That is, the Lord's Providence in regard to it is repressive and
restrictive. The Lord by external fears in many cases, and by our
idea of Him as a being of Divine Power, and by our fear of hell
if we persist in evil, induces us finally, if possible, to turn away
from the evil : first, it may be, in mere act and word, and at last
in intention or motive and thought. On the other hand, so far
as the good in Christians is concerned, that is, so far as they live
from Him already, the Lord's Providence is cleansing and en
couraging. This is similar to what it was in the Lord's own
Humanity. He said that "every branch in him that beareth not
fruit the Father taketh away; and every branch in him which
beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit"
(John xv. 2). It is true that secondarily the "branches" were the
disciples; but primarily they were what the disciples represented
in Himself, that is, in His Humanity — namely, the love, the faith
or truth, and the power or active exercise, with all the different
grades and aspects of these; and Judas represented what was to
be taken away.

224 Lecture XI.

Three Laws of Divine Providence.
There are three principal and important laws according to
which the Lord's divine providence must always proceed in work
ing with man. The first is that God can only remove internal evils
(of the will and its lusts) from man while man co-operates in the
external man or plane of his being. One reason is because man
must be cognizant of the evil in himself — in his intention, thought,
speech and act, and make an effort to resist its promptings and
cravings— before it can be removed from him with his consent.
And another reason is because the intention and thought; — with
their speech and act — are so connected with the will or affection
and its lust and delight, that they must go together; and while
man in the natural or outer plane desists from the evil with all
his might, i. e., from what he can see of it, the Lord roots out the
evil affection and lust, so that it dies — root and branch.
The second important law is that man must have no conscious
sense of the operation of the Divine Providence. The reason of
this law is that if he were conscious that the Lord were guiding
him and shaping his course as far as possible, he would be
oppressed by the overruling Providence, and he would fold his
hands and think that he could do nothing which would not be
interfered with. Or, if he did not refuse to do anything as of
himself, he would fight against Providence, and try to resist it as
far as he could.
The third law is, that though man must not be conscious of the
Lord's working, he should yet acknowledge that there is a God,
a heaven and hell, and that evil is, or flows in, from hell, and that
good is, or flows in, from God. The reason of this law is that if
man did not so acknowledge, he would make himself a god, or
regard himself as such, and worship himself. Every one really
does this who regards himself as the author of evil and good. And
besides this state of self-idolatry, man would remain in evil, be-

The Divine Providence. 225
cause he would regard himself as not separable from the evil
influx ; and so he could never get rid of it or reject it to hell where
it belongs, and so could never receive any genuine good from the
Lord, from whom alone all unselfish good can come, since true and
pure good cannot enter except in proportion as the love of self and
evil are rejected.

III. Erroneous Ideas of God's Providence.
Many erroneous ideas have arisen in men's minds, in regard to
God's Providence, from ignorance or misconception of the natures
of God and man. They may all, however, be grouped in two general
classes. The first class includes all the erroneous notions which
have arisen from the idea that God can act contrary to Divine
Love; while the second class includes those which have resulted
from the idea that God can act contrary to Divine Wisdom or order.
In the first class of erroneous suppositions we have Predestina
tion. This is the doctrine that God has ordained a part of the
human race to eternal life, and a part to eternal damnation. This
doctrine of course is unmerciful and unjust, and is contrary to the
Lord's Divine Love, which, as He says repeatedly in the Sacred
Scriptures, does not desire the death of any, but that all should turn
from evil, and live (see Ezek. xxxiii. 11). The reason why He does
not save all is simply because He cannot. They refuse to be saved.
They will not repent, although He does all He possibly can to
induce them to do so, but of course without in the least violating
their freedom and rationality. The Lord has no favorites; but
as Peter said to the family of Cornelius (Acts x. 34, 35) — "Of a
truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons : but in every
nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted
with Him."
Another erroneous supposition in this first class is that infants
and the heathen must be condemned. This of course would be

226 Lecture XI.
contrary to Divine Love to condemn those who are without knowl
edge in regard to the way of life. But in regard to infants the
Lord Himself told us that "their angels" — the guardian angels of
the little ones — "do always behold the face of our Father in
heaven" (Matth. xviii. 10). There is no need of doubting that
when the children pass consciously into the spiritual world they are
taken by these angels, and are educated and grow up under
the best auspices, and become angels of heaven themselves. The
heathen, too, so far as they have been faithful to the inferior
religious light which they have had on the earth, when they come
into the world of spirits, no doubt gladly receive the instruction
about the Lord's birth and life and glorification, and accept Him
as their Savior and God, even as the wise men came with joy
at the birth of Jesus to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and worshipped
Him (Matth. ii. 1-12). And such as these all become angelic
men and women in some heaven.
In the second class of suppositions, where the Lord has been
supposed to act contrary to Divine Wisdom or order, we have all
those erroneous ideas about the Divine Providence which naturally
result from thinking that God could act without means or methods
or laws, or without regarding man's perpetual character or con
ditions, or his present circumstances.
One quite common idea in this class is that instantaneous salva
tion for the wicked at death is possible. There is no order or
wisdom in this. It would be a mere fiat of God. Salvation is
not possible without genuine repentance of life. All true repentance
must take place in life or in living. And some time must be
given or allowed for resisting evil and the exercise of good. There
is no such time immediately before death. Hence if there seems
to be repentance then — a mouth-repentance, it is probably not
genuine, but from a material fear, or a fear of external conse
quences in hell. The words of the Lord to the "thief" on the
cross — "To-day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise" — must have
been the statement of a fact of the man's character, and not a
reward for sympathy, — a statement of the fact that the man had

The Divine Providence. 227
been speaking the good words that he used in defense of Jesus
from Jesus' own Holy Spirit; and it is altogether probable, from
the fact that the man called Jesus "Lord" when all the disciples
had ceased to suppose that He was really so, and from the fact
that he showed by his speech that he could think justly — even
against himself, and that he believed in the spiritual kingdom of
the Lord (Luke xxiii. 40-42) — it is altogether probable that he
was a very superior spiritual or just man, and possibly was suffer
ing for some single act of disobedience to law. Nevertheless, since
criminals may not previously have had the benefit of a knowledge
of the Word of the Savior, I would not discourage spiritual min
istration to such, and an earnest endeavor to induce in them gen
uine repentance of heart and life, and an acknowledgment of the
Lord, with a determination, so far as opportunity is given, and
life in the world remains, to do what is right, and to lead a new
life. On the contrary, I believe there is a great field for ministers
and evangelists, and for those who can do it, to visit those who
are in prison, where a regular chaplain is not employed, and to
speak to them if permitted — individually or collectively or both,
and to endeavor to lead them to read the Word daily, to acknowledge
the Lord and pray to Him, to repent of their former evil lives,
and to begin, and with His help to continue as faithfully as pos
sible, to lead upright Christian lives.
A similar erroneous idea to the former is that the Lord can
change an evil man into a good one instantaneously, or that He
can change evil itself into good, or hell into heaven, or — vice versa —
good into evil. The Lord cannot do this, because it is contrary
to divine order. Otherwise there would be no distinction between
the two opposites. God can do extraordinary things ; but He cannot
do absurd things, for this would be foolishness. It is said that
"the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down
with the kid" (Isaiah xi. 6). This does not mean, however, that
the evil shall in their evil state immediately be rendered good ; but
it means that, by truths and good affections from the Lord's Holy

228 Lecture XI.
Spirit, prayed for and received by those who have been evil and
false, and who have used them to desist from evil and to do good,
they gradually are changed from their former wolfish and leopard-
like nature, and become good and true as spiritual lambs or kids.
Closely connected with the last-mentioned notion, is the idea
that the Lord could use force against man's free-will to save him,
or that He could use external means for the purpose independent
of the Word, such as visions and miracles. The reason that this is
contrary to Divine Wisdom is that in such case the Lord in His
Providence would not consider man's freedom or ability to as it
were govern himself. Here is the reason why absolute kingdoms
are as a rule comparatively failures, — because they do not allow
the possibility of the people being able to govern themselves. Only
one man, their theory is, out of all the nation, is fit to govern
himself; and so they allow him to do this as he pleases, and to
govern everybody else besides. And for the reverse reason, re
publics are the best form of government, because everyone is allowed
to be king over himself or to rule himself according to the dictates
of his own conscience; and no man is king over all, — no one
but God alone.
But it may be asked in regard to visions and miracles, "did not
the Lord use a vision in the case of Thomas" (John xx. 24-29) ?
The Lord appeared to Thomas, but not to change Thomas from
evil to good. Thomas was already a faithful disciple. He only
doubted the fact of the possibility of the Lord's resurrection, and
the true witness of the other disciples. Thomas was a good man,
but an external man; and he needed an external evidence to his
spiritual eyes. But even to him, the Lord said that those who
are internal, and do not need external evidence, are more blessed
than those who do. The point is clearly shown by the Lord, in
the answer to the rich man, in the parable of "Lazarus and the
rich man" (Luke xvi. 19-31) how futile it is to try to force
repentance by visions or miracles : "They (that is, the rich man's
brethren) have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them. If
they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be per-

The Divine Providence. 229
suaded, though one rose from the dead." That is, the life must
be changed by truths from the Word — by spiritual principles
brought into life, and not by force from without.
On the same principle, evils are permitted to man, and also
false principles which lead to evil, because the Lord cannot remove
them until man is willing to co-operate in their removal, from his
own free-will. Meanwhile man can see the baneful nature and
effects of the evil and false things which he has been cherishing,
and may thus finally be induced in freedom to relinquish them.
But still the Lord modifies our doings of evil, and does all that is
possible to lessen the depth and extent of them; and especially does
He guard against profanation of holy things. He guards as far
as possible against man's entering interiorly into truth and good,
if he does not intend to use them genuinely and from the heart,
for good purposes and for the sake of eternal life, to the end of
his life in this world. If he should so use them, and then reject
them, he profanes them, so that he has neither a proper place in
heaven nor in hell; but the essences of the two are mixed in him,
and he is then represented by a leper, who must be alone, and most
miserable of all.
Another idea is that of Universalism : namely, that all must be
saved. This seems to be from a good, generous heart on the part
of its holders; but it is none the less founded on an ignorance of
the facts of the case and the laws of divine order. Its error
may be illustrated by a simile. Suppose there were a certain
curative spring belonging to a certain person, from which all men
must drink if they would live and not die of their diseases. No
one consequently could have life, or be cured of his disease, unless
he drank of it; but all such as do not, must die in their disease.
Those who did drink of it accordingly live on, cured of their
diseases; but those who did not, after a short time died. Now
those who died could not blame the person who owned the spring,
because they knew that the only way to live was to drink of it;
and it was offered them free. They would not drink of the source
of life, and consequently they died. Now this case is exactly the

230 Lecture XI.
one of the Lord, the "water of life" in His Word, and the evil
and the good. The good drink of it in thought and work ; and life
is imparted to them. The evil will not; and not having the
source or essence of life, they must die in their sins. The Lord
cannot reverse the facts of the case. The heathen, so far as they
have been receptive and faithful, have drunk of the same spring —
although not directly; but they have drunk some of the water
which has been carried to them from the spring, or that which has
had some of the living water in it, and they live from it eternally.
But the wicked refused to drink, and have died spiritually; and in
the other world, therefore, they can be no more changed into living
souls than an owl can be changed into a dove, or a panther into a
lamb. This in fact is what the Lord says in Jeremiah xiii. 23 :
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?
then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" ; and the
Lord says elsewhere that hell is the end of the wicked, and heaven
is the end of the good.
Another erroneous notion of the second class is because Christians
often fail to receive the highest worldly places, but the wicked or
corrupt more often obtain them (or at least it has been so in the
past, and may more or less be so still at the present time), that
therefore all is blind chance, and there is no Divine Providence.
But this is because Christians, or those who are striving to do
right, have a divided mind — in the sense that they are fighting
against themselves and their own evils, while the wicked have an
eye solely to their own interest. Hence they are often more power
ful along the line of natural ability or effectiveness than the good.
And besides, their worldly wisdom or tact — the wisdom of the
serpent — is often greater; and public offices which require these
shrewd or tactful qualities must be filled, and in many cases the
Lord permits these worldly-wise to fill them rather than those
who are true and good men. Besides, it may be that in some cases
the gain by the latter of natural possessions, places and dignities
might prove disastrous to their spiritual life, while their endurance

The Divine Providence. 231
of trial and the loss of these things may act to strengthen them
and ensure, or permit of, their spiritual progress.
Finally, the erroneous notion is maintained by many that there
is indeed a Providence in general, but there is no Providence in
particular, except perhaps in special cases. But all generals con
sist of particulars ; and so there could be no such thing as for the
Omniscient Mind to govern general things without the particulars.
And this the Lord teaches when He says — "a sparrow doth not
fall to the ground without your Father ; but the very hairs of your
head are all numbered." (Matth. x. 29, 30.) It is true that in
natural governments a king or president has general supervision
over large matters of the country, and that he leaves less general
things to lesser officers; but human beings are not omniscient or
infinite; and if the Lord did not give life and ability every
moment to every one of those officers from highest to lowest, and
keep their whole spiritual, mental and bodily economy in being and
at work, not a single thing, either in general or particular, could
be done by such as He failed to so keep alive and active throughout
the whole country or the world, and in all worlds.
The vastness and infinitude of the Lord's Providence and gov
ernment may be seen in the creation, maintenance and movements
of the solar systems of the boundless universe ; and the particularity
of it is manifest in the wonderful arrangement, life and activity in
every single individual and the minutest parts of each, through
the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms, beyond the possibility
of the most powerful microscope to fully reveal or fathom.

IV. Divine Providence in Human Histort.
And now, in closing, let us briefly consider how the Divine
Providence works in human history — in the large way — as to na
tions and the whole human race. Of course, nations are only aggre
gations of individuals ; and the human race is only an aggregation

232 Lecture XI.
of nations, together with the few isolated individuals. Hence the
race is merely a vast number of individuals.
There is much advantage, however, in individuals living together
as nations, and being united internationally. Natural learning is
increased by all obtaining the products of so many minds ; comforts
and conveniences, improvements and inventions thus become more
numerous and common. The Divine Word also is spread exten
sively; and God can usher in new dispensations to the race as it
is prepared to receive them.
Thus the Lord's Providence gave us — as a race — first the dis
pensation of the Most Ancient Church — that of love and open
communion with Himself and heaven. Next He gave the race the
Ancient dispensation of truth and doctrine with the use of rep
resentative forms, which lasted as long as it was useful. Then,
at the latter end of this Ancient Church, the Israelitish or ex
ternal dispensation was given — of purely representative forms with
the Ten Commandments. Then followed the First Christian dis
pensation, or that specifically of the literal sense of the Word,
with the literal or actual life of the Lord Himself in His humanity
¦ — accomplished and recorded, — thus the Old and New Testaments
complete. And lastly, in these days, He has given us the Second
Christian dispensation — the doctrine of the spirit of the Word,
and its spiritual sense. This is the crowning dispensation of all
the ages, and is destined never to grow old, but to live or continue
forever. In nations, the Lord in His Divine Providence, by true prin
ciples implanted in good rulers, counsellors and members of
Congress and the Legislatures (in the case of the United States
and the several States), leads them to decide natural or civil
questions for the best good of all. And the evil people in the same
offices He leads to decide questions in the same manner, as far as
possible, by fears for loss of reputation, position and support, if
they should not do so. But if He cannot induce them to do this,
He permits evil to prevail, and by its operation to work external
harm, so that it may be seen to be pernicious, and so that the people

Questions Answered. 233
may demand a redress of the grievance or grievances, or a change
on the part of the rulers and public officers.
For similar reasons He permits wars ; and then He overrules them
as far as possible for the general good.
Of course the end of all the operations of His Providence, both
in general and particular, in nations and individuals, is that His
kingdom of truth and love may come, and His Will of spiritual
and natural good may be done, as it is done in heaven — so also
upon the earth, as He has taught us to pray. And this of course
will more and more be the case as the light of the new dispen
sation brightens, and the heat of the Lord's love in accordance
therewith is exercised in the lives of each and all, till the blessed
words of the "great voices in heaven" in response to the golden
trumpet of "the seventh angel" in Revelation (xi. 15) are fulfilled
in fulness: "The kingdoms of this world are become the king
doms of our Lord and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever
and ever."

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Question 1. — Is it true that God will provide everybody with
natural food and raiment, as He says in Matth. vi. 24-34, if we
seek first His Kingdom and righteousness? or how is this passage
to be understood? If the Divine promise is literally true or to be
fulfilled, how do you account for the fact that good men are often
at the verge of starvation, and of perishing for lack of clothes and
shelter, and that honest workmen are oppressed, and their wages
cut down beyond the living point, while the "bloated" usurers and
idle rich almost wallow in luxury and pleasure?

234 Lecture XI.
Answer. — I suppose it would be strictly true, that if with a single
eye and heart we sought as our principal end, the Lord's kingdom
and righteousness, that is, to be ruled by His divine laws and to
do good from Him, we should be provided with sufficient money
and worldly goods and pleasure. We would transact our business
honestly, faithfully, and as wisely as possible for the general good,
without robbing others; and no doubt the returns would be ample.
Probably the reason why the Christian does not always succeed in
a worldly way is chiefly because he may not place his primary
end in keeping the laws of God and in a life of usefulness, so that
much natural prosperity would prevent his spiritual growth; and
also possibly because he may not be in the occupation in which he
has the best natural wisdom.
The wicked, or those who will not do the Lord's will, are often
the most prosperous externally; but they may be allowed great
riches and plenty for this very reason, because they will not have
spiritual or eternal happiness; and so they are permitted to have
what they consider happiness — in this world, that is, excess of
material wealth. But still it would not be fair to judge that,
because men have material wealth, they cannot therefore attain to
spiritual or eternal life also; because while they live in this world
there is hope for them; and besides, many good men have been
entrusted with large material means, and have used them rightly.
In this connection we may rucall the case of Zacchseus, the rich
publican (Luke xix. 1-10) who did much good with his wealth, and
who accepted, and was accepted of, Christ; and also the case of
Joseph, the rich man of ArimathEea, who was a disciple of Jesus,
and who laid His body in his own new sepulchre (Matth. xxvii.
57-60). The fact that many of those whom we might call good
and honest Christian men and women are poor, wretched, suffering
and oppressed, may in the Lord's Providence be the means whereby
they can attain to a richer, more faithful and truly Christian life;
and also the means whereby abuses and wickedness, which may
be the operating causes of those conditions, are discovered or fully
manifested, and may be righted.

Questions Answered. 235
Question 2. — Is it right to seek for riches? And if it is, why
is it that no matter how much some people seek them, like a
will-o-the-wisp the riches always seem to elude their grasp; while
others with half the effort, or none, obtain them in abundance ? Is
there such a thing as luck?
Answer. — It is not right to seek for external riches as a primary
end — at least for enlightened Christian men, although it may be
allowable for others : as the Lord says — 'Ye cannot serve God and
mammon." As I have just said, the possession of them may injure
many. The one we call the "lucky individual" may be most miser
able spiritually. But of course, since the Lord in His Divine
Providence is over every particular as well as every universal, there
can be no such thing as mere chance. A Christian, however, may
for some good end, as for instance the betterment of the race or
some other useful purpose, seek for riches; and then it would be
legitimate to do so, provided he sought them without breaking
any of the divine commandments or laws to obtain them.
The central mistake that many people make in searching for
riches, so as not to be obliged to work any more in this world,
is in supposing that life and happiness consist in possessing out
ward things. This the Lord expressly says is not the case. He
says "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth" (Luke xii. 15). But life and happiness con
sist in the good exercise of the faculties for useful purposes. Good
life is a flow of good from the Lord through us, while we co-operate,
to contribute to make others happy. Hence a life of continued
activity and usefulness such as we may find for instance in some
regular occupation, is the only one which can possibly afford
genuine and continued happiness to any one. Just as soon as it
stops permanently, we are unhappy, because we are really dead,
in spite of all the external wealth with which we may be sur
rounded. And besides, as the Lord says, what good will it be to
us when we leave this world ? We cannot take it with us into the
spiritual world. And our souls may be required of us by the Lord

236 Lecture XI.
at any moment. We "know neither the day nor the hour when our
Lord doth eome." (Matth. xxiv. 42, 44; xxv. 13.)
Question 3. — Does it not seem unfair, or as if Providence had
favorites, when you consider that one is born and bred in luxury
and culture, and with every advantage of training and religion,
while others are born and bred in evil and bad surroundings,
and with practically none of those advantages, and have to drudge
and slave all their lives, and finally go to hell or perish eternally ?
And in the Scriptures does it not say that Paul was a chosen vessel
to the Lord? And what will you do with the account of Cain and
Abel — Cain being cursed and Abel blessed? and again, the account
of Jacob and Esau — Jacob, who was a cowardly villain, but loved
by the Lord! and Esau, a noble-hearted person, yet hated by the
Lord? Does not this look like favoritism, and predestination?
And does not God speak of His "elect" in the Bible?
Answer. — Of course, from circumstances of birth and education,
and also from the necessities of humanity as a whole, there must
be various grades and individuals, both in general and particular.
But considering the different circumstances and grades, a poor and
hardworking person may be as happy, so far as his ability to
perceive and appreciate happiness goes, as a rich person who does
not work with his hands; and as a matter of fact the former is
oftentimes far the happier of the two. The Lord gives every one
spiritual and natural delight according to his measure and ability to
receive it. And, as a matter of fact, we do not know that the
poor and hard-worked go to hell in a single case. They only go
to hell in the other world as they have chosen an internal hell
in themselves in this world,
The Lord chose Paul to deliver His gospel, not because He
wanted to exalt Paul on account of his mind, and to excuse his
evil, for we are all evil and sinful ; but because Paul was a suitable
person in many respects to teach at that time ; and because he had
a sincere love for the truth as he understood it, and he could be
opened to conviction of the real truth when it was shown him

Questions Answered. 237
authoritatively, as appears from the facts or events; and also could
become, as he afterwards did, one of the best and most faithful
of Christian men and leaders, and one of the most self-denying
and long-suffering for the sake of the truth.
As to Cain and Abel, in the spiritual sense they are represen
tatives, — Cain denoting faith and Abel charity. This may be
deduced from their occupations, the things of the vegetable king
dom — which grow out of the ground — representing the things of
thought or faith, in this case, evidently mere faith without charity,
while the keeping of sheep denotes the preserving and developing
of the affection of charity and goodness. But even in the literal
sense, the reason why Cain's offering was said to be not attended
to, but Abel's was, is, as I have explained in the lecture on the
Word, from appearance. Cain's offering or worship was not from
the heart, but Abel's was: and so Cain did not perceive the Lord
as present. Besides, Cain was not cursed at first; but the Lord
said, "if he did well, that he should be accepted."
In the case of Jacob and Esau, these were also representative
characters. Jacob represented adherence to spiritual truth, though
of the lowest grade — the letter of the Word; while Esau stands
for the natural will without attention to spiritual truth. It is the
representative of Jacob which- received something of the Lord's
love — the lowest grade; while the representative of Esau was not
receptible of anything of that love in a spiritual way.
The "elect" of God, or "chosen," are those who, like Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob as representatives — the celestial, spiritual and
natural classes of faithful men, by prayer and effort choose the
Lord. He is then said to "choose" them.
Question 4. — Do you mean to say that the Divine Providence
has been able to ensure the absolute perfection of the Sacred
Scriptures, so that there is not a single mistake in the Word as
written — from beginning to end?
Answer. — Possibly there may be a few minor errors in writing
and other ways which it was impossible to prevent, considering
the circumstances and education and fallibility of the human

238 Lecture XI.
instruments. But I suppose that practically, and nearly absolutely,
if not absolutely, the sacred text of all those parts of our Bible
which I have said are the Divine Word, is perfect and inviolate.
Question 5. — All that you have said so far in your lectures has
seemed to me interesting, reasonable and useful; and personally
I find no difficulty in accepting your teachings. But after all,
is there any solid foundation in fact for what you have told us
about the spiritual world? Has any one ever gone there, and
returned to tell us about such things?
Answer. — Yes ! Paul evidently had his spiritual eyes opened
by the Lord Jesus Christ often, as we learn from Acts ix. 1-22
and II Corinth, xii. 1-7. John the Apostle must have had his
spiritual eyes and senses open into the spiritual world for a
long time, as is attested by his description of all the scenes and
circumstances narrated throughout the whole book of Revelation,
the opening of his sight and hearing and perhaps other senses
for this purpose having begun on a certain Sabbath or Lord's-day
(Rev. i. 10). Emanuel Swedenborg — the illustrious Swede — also,
about 150 years ago, says in his works that the Lord Jesus Christ
called him, after his scientific labors were completed, to study the
Holy Scriptures or Divine Word, to explain its spiritual sense, the
nature of the spiritual world — with heaven and hell, and the prin
ciples and laws of that world; and also the doctrines of the New
Jerusalem or New Church of the Lord on the earth. For those
purposes, he says that his spiritual sight was opened into the
spiritual world continually for about the last 30 years of his
life; and he describes the Last Judgment, which he says took
place in the world of spirits before his own spiritual eyes while
living in this world; and says further that it occupied the whole
of the year 1757.
Question 6. — You speak about Emanuel Swedenborg. Was he
not a visionary and a virtual madman or fanatic?
Answer. — Far from it. He was one of the most learned men
that ever lived. His works, counting larger and smaller treatises,
include about 70 volumes on scientific and 30 on religious sub-

Questions Answered. 239
jects. I have myself studied his religious works for over 40 years,
and regard him as by far the most enlightened religious writer
that ever lived. I think, from my knowledge of his works, that
the Lord must have illustrated him and commissioned him to
write what he did. He was also one of the most devout and
best of Christian men. And although I do not think it advisable
for all to read his own writings, or at least many of them, any
more than for all to read or study large books on Anatomy or
Astronomy as a physician or astronomer would, yet possibly very
many would derive benefit from reading some of them, and es
pecially his last principal work called "The True Christian Re
ligion." It contains a quite full explanation of all the doctrines
of the new theology in its best and true sense; and I should
say that no reasonable, enlightened and devout reader could fail
to be impressed, while studying this book, with the logical and
thoroughly reasonable mind of the author. All the principal
works of Swedenborg, translated from the Latin, are offered free
to ministers and theological students by special donations of
generous men; and they can be obtained by them on application
in person to "The Swedenborg Printing and Publishing Associa
tion," West 29th Street, near Fifth Avenue, New York City, N. Y.,
or to "The Swedenborg Publishing Association," 930 Market Street,
Philadelphia, Pa.; or they are sent by mail to them on receipt
of the postage, which can be ascertained by letter.

Lecture XII

The True Christian Religion,
or True Christianity.

243

PRAYER BEFORE LECTURE XII.

0 Lord God, our heavenly Father— our Creator, Redeemer and
Savior! Thou art the true light, that lighteth every one that
cometh into the world. Open our eyes that we may receive Thy
light, and that we may perceive the truth. Give us also a love
of use, which is the proper end of truth; and a delight in it
more and more. And as we come together now for the last time
to receive the truth, grant that Thy blessing may rest upon this
gathering in Thy Name; bless every soul who hears. Give us
a brotherly spirit toward each other — in all that we do. Touch
many souls by Thy Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of
those truths which may be presented here! and may these souls
be led to enter and begin the way to heaven! And of all good
that is done, we would ascribe the glory and praise to Thee, to
whom all rightfully belongs. Amen.

244

LECTURE XII.
Subject: The True Christian Religion,
or True Christianitt.

texts.
1. The use of all the truth presented — to give spiritual light,
that all may be saved. Gen. i. 3; Isaiah xiii. 6, 7; Luke viii. 10.
2. The essentials are: in general — (1) faith in God or a
standing in awe of Him, and (2) a good life according to His
commandments. Eccles. xii. 13, 14; and for Christians — (1)
acknowledging Jesus as God. John iii. 18, 36; vi. 47; (2)
acknowledging the Word as divine. Rev. vi. 9; i. 9; and (3)
a good life according to His Commandments. Romans ii. 6-13;
John xiv. 21.
3. There are grades in the church of God — internal and ex
ternal. Rev. vii. 4-8, xiv. 1-5; vii. 9-17, xv. 2-4; Matth. viii. 11.
4. Christians and the church should be one. John xv. 12;
xvii. 20, 21; Hebrews x. 24, 25; Galat. vi. 9, 10.

The True Christian Religion. 245

1. The Use of all this Truth.
It may be asked, what is the use of all this truth, which I have
been trying so steadfastly to unfold during this course of lectures ?
In brief, it may be answered that it is to show clearly and fully
the nature of the True Christian Religion, — its theology; and to
ensure, by means of this clear light, the attainment of heaven and
eternal happiness to all who receive it. It is a fact that uncertainty
is always disadvantageous. It is true that a blind man can find
his way by groping; but he depends very largely upon others to
direct him. A person's state and happiness is vastly superior who
has the blessing of sight by means of a good pair of eyes. So
important is this sense, that the eyes are placed as the highest of
the five senses or organs of sense in the head. And in the picture
of regeneration given in the six successive days of creation narrated
in Genesis I, the feature of the first day was the creation of "light"
by the Lord (verse 3), which in the spiritual sense means the
perception of the first divine or spiritual truth in the mind or soul
of man. That the Lord does not deny the truth to any who desire
it for the use of a spiritual life is quite evident from Luke viii. ,10
and Matth. xiii. 11, where the Lord says to His disciples: "To
you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God : but
to others in parables : that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand." The reason why the internal sight
of the truth is denied to those who will not use it aright, or
will not continue to do so, is lest they should profane holy things,
or the truth, by going into evil with it ; and then it would be worse
and more unhappy for them than if they had not seen or known
it (see Matth. xii. 43-45).

246 Lecture XII.
But for those who are willing to use the truth aright — to benefit
others and themselves spiritually, it is good to use their spiritual
eyes to see it; and hence we read that the first noticeable feature
about the New Jerusalem, as described by John in Revelation xxi,
was its divine glory — "the glory of God." It was "the light" of the
Holy City, which is altogether for use, — "the light of life."

II. The Two Essentials foe the "Universal Church."
Now out of all the truths which I have endeavored to present
in these lectures, — out of all the things which have relation to the
Christian Religion, there are two which may be called the two
great essentials for all in the "Universal Church"; and by the
Universal Church I mean all people in the world, whether ac
quainted with the Word as we have it and with Christ, or not,
who are endeavoring to live a good life from a principle of religion,
or for the sake of eternal life. The first great essential is the
acknowledgment and worship of God; and the second is a life
according to His commandments, or a life of charity — positive and
negative; that is, not to do wrong, but to do right. These two
essentials are well expressed in The Great Commandments —
to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and
strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. The omission of either
of these essentials is fatal to true religion. The omission of the
first — to acknowledge and worship a God — is fatal, because without
it we worship self, and regard self as the source of all our powers.
The omission or disregard of the second essential is just as fatal,
because the life from God must flow, for life is a fiow. And if
we stop its flow through ourselves to others, we must necessarily
stop its flow to and through ourselves.

The True Christian Religion. 247

III. The Three Essentials for the "Specific Church."
As we may see from our third set of texts, there are grades in
the "universal church" of God. The "specific church," where the
Word — the source or medium of spiritual light — is, is the body of
good and faithful Christians. Those outside of the specific church
are the good and devout heathen. The latter are in the "universal
church" because, as I have said, they are trying to live according
to their two essentials. They may be said to be in "the sea"
spiritually, and in "the islands" of it; and they are so pictured in
the Word. Their spiritual light comes to them in three ways:
first, from remains of the Ancient Word or divine writings, some
of which we have in the first symbolic chapters of our own Word,
and which may have been preserved among them, or they may
have received the same or similar things by tradition; second, from
the vital connection between the good spirits in the world of spirits
who are with them as guardians, and the Christian spirits who are
guardians to those who read the Word in this world: this con
nection, of course, is the internal source of their light; third,
afterwards, in some cases, from missionaries who bring the Word
with them to those people.
Faithful Christians constitute the "specific church." But non-
doers of the Lord's will — those who do not try to lead a good
life in God's sight, are neither in the specific or universal church;
they are not in the Lord's kingdom.
Since Christians, or the specific church, have the Word and a
knowledge of Jesus Christ, they have three necessary essentials:
The first is the acknowledgment of the divmity of the Lord Jesus
Christ: for He is really the only God of heaven and earth. He
says therefore, in John xvii. 3, that "this is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou
hast sent." That is, Christians should acknowledge and worship
God in Jesus Christ — the Divine Humanity.

248 Lecture XII.
The second essential is the acknowledgment of the divinity of
the Word. The reason why this is necessary is because we have
the Word from the Lord, given to us as our guide in spiritual and
natural life: and if we look to it, read it and hear it as God's
voice, and faithfully obey it as such (that is, so far as it is applicable
to us), we attain the order intended for us by the Divine Mind.
If not, we reject it and die.
The third essential for Christians is a practical life of charity
and mutual love and aid. The Lord's new and especial command
ment enjoins this upon us. He says in John xiii. 34 and xv. 12 —
"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another,
as I have loved you"; and again He prays in His last prayer
(xvii. 21, 22) "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in
me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou
hast given me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we
are one." We have also the example of Christ to show us how
we ought to live — a life of self-denial and goodness. In various
parts of the Word or holy Scriptures, such as Hebrews x. 24, 25,
Galatians vi. 9, 10, Isaiah lviii. 6, 7, and even from the poor
heathen — working and helping each other perhaps in the con
struction of their idols (Isaiah xii. 5-7) we have exhortation and
example of the right and brotherly way which we should follow
as Christians in our lives, our proper way of love and kindliness,
of gathering together as brethren and children of God — in the
church and out of it, of self-denial and helpful service.

IV. Uses or offices of Lesser Things.
Let us now consider for a few moments the uses or offices of
those things which occupy less essential places in the faith of the
church, and about which there may be more difference of opinion
among Christians. I refer to such subjects as the Sabbath-

The True Christian Religion. 249
day; worship and prayer; the sacraments; marriage and conjugal,
or as it is sometimes called, and etymologically with more propriety
— "conjugial," love.
In regard to the Sabbath-day, for the Jews it was a ceremonial
and holy day, to cease from labor, and thus to commemorate the
rest of the Lord after creation; and also to give servants rest
because of His bringing the Israelites forth from servitude in
Egypt (see Ex. xx. 8-11, and Deut. v. 12-15). But for Christians
it is a day to learn about God and His Word and spiritual duty,
and to begin the practice of goodness and kindness, in order that
we may try to bring the Sabbath into our lives perpetually. And
we are to cease from our labor upon worldly things for this pur
pose or these purposes on the Sabbath-day.
To separate or set apart, and so use, one day in seven, or every
recurring seventh day, seems to be the essential natural time
meant in the Lord's command for Christians, and which shall be
agreed upon by them for the purpose; and this day is agreed on
by them to be "the Lord's Day," or the day commemorating the
Lord's resurrection, or Sunday, called by us the first day of the
week, as most suitable for the purpose — the day after the old
Jewish Sabbath or Saturday. This seems to have been the day
on which the apostles and their followers regularly assembled for
worship after His resurrection; and it was accounted for this
reason most holy (see John xx. 19, 26; Acts xx. 7; I Corinthians
xvi. 2; Rev. i. 10). On this account also, the first day of the
week seems to have been substituted for the Jewish Sabbath, and,
with the Lord's own sanction, to have been made the Christians' Sab
bath or day for special worship, preaching, partaking of the Lord's
Supper etc., and also for doing pure good (see Matth. xii. 11-13,
Luke vi. 6-10), the misuse of the day not being punishable from
without, as was the case in the old Jewish dispensation, but from
within, by the loss of spiritual holiness, truth and goodness, which
the day is designed to nurture in us.
As to Worship and Prayer, the object is to humiliate self, and

250 Lecture XII.
to open our hearts and minds to God as our heavenly Father and
Savior. The Sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper are represen
tative signs before God of our spiritual intentions and prayers:
the first — Baptism — represents cleansing of our souls by the literal
sense of the Word denoted by water; the second — the Holy
Supper — represents our feeding on the Lord's love and wisdom, ac
knowledged by us as such, and denoted by the bread and wine. The
Lord and the angels are actually present and operating upon us —
that is, within us — when these sacraments are engaged in or are
received worthily or sincerely.
As regards Marriage and conjugal (or conjugial) love, the first
great use is that the two partners may delight mutually in the Lord,
and enjoy together all things — from the highest to the lowest legiti
mate delights ; all should be holy. External things — the body with
the delights of affection and the touch — should be considered merely
the1 border or case of the internal, or of the soul and mind. Thus
marriage becomes a help to both partners towards heaven and the
Lord. Its second great use is to build up and continue the human
race by progeny, bringing it — if possible — more nearly and more
fully to God, usefulness and heaven.

V. True Catholicism.
And now let us devote a little consideration to the interesting
question — "how can all be one in the church?"
Every human mind sees truth at a slightly different angle. It
may seem as if two or more persons saw it the same: but we do
not see it precisely the same. To illustrate: two persons may
agree to the general proposition that the sun is bright. One, how
ever, is color-blind; and he says and thinks that the sun's rays
are red or green; while the other clearly sees that they are yellow
or white. Thus they agree on the general idea, but they differ

The True Christian Religion. 251
in particulars. And one cannot make the other see differently from
what he does. Hence they agree to differ on the particular ideas,
because of the different constitution of their minds and eyes.
Even so in religious matters, all Christians can be one by uniting
on the three great essentials : acknowledgment and worship of the
same Lord Jesus Christ; acknowledgment of the divinity of the
Word; and the necessity of a good life from the Lord in accord
ance with the Word, and thus in brotherly love and aid, — and
yet agreeing to differ on non-essentials. And even in the matter
of the three great essentials — the Lord, the Word, and a good
life, there may be shades of difference — in fact there must be —
in different minds : so that indeed no two persons exactly agree on
any — even the most vital — point.
But especially there is room for difference of opinion among
Christians as to the practical meaning and manner of performance
of the lesser or more external things which we have considered.
For example, in regard to the Sabbath Day: as long as the essential
principle is acknowledged that it is necessary to regard God's
command to observe a religious day of rest from labor — one day
in seven — or every "seventh day," to consider the things of the
soul for the sake of heaven, we should be willing to regard other
Christians as brethren, though they may differ with us as to the
particular manner of using the day, and even as to the particular
day of the seven days in the week which they decide to observe
as the Sabbath. There is no doubt, however, that there is an
essential principle in the division of time into weeks of seven days,
which principle inheres in the constitution of the universe, as is
evidenced by the fact that seven successive notes or tones in the
human voice, and so on the piano or organ, constitute all of
sound, the eighth tone being the same as number one — the be
ginning of a new octave or series of seven tones; and also by the
fact that seven principal colors constitute all of color — as seen in
the rainbow: the eighth color, or the beginning of a new rainbow,
is the same as the first, that is, red; and the seven are repeated.
It is more important then, for the sake of harmony and use, to

252 Lecture XII.
unite with other Christians on the same day of the week for the
Sabbath, than for Christians to observe different days.
And in regard to baptism: although I may regard immersion
as the only true external baptism, I ought to be willing to allow
my brother Christian the right to his opinion, who thinks that
the essential things of baptism are water and the application of
it to his body, especially the head — as representing all the man
in first principles, the water representing the literal sense of the
Word; and it might be well for me also to think that in clinging
punctiliously and exclusively to my form, I might possibly be
straining the importance of the external sign and its manner of
performance, and losing the essential things — especially the love
and charity for my brother, which Paul assures us is the greatest
Christian grace, — even as the Pharisees were very punctilious about
the respectively unessential things — the paying tithe of mint,
anise and cummin, while all the time they omitted the weightier
matters of the law — judgment, mercy and faith.
A true Catholicism does not therefore consist of making in
flexible dogma from the iron of the literal sense of the Word, and
building a Chinese wall of exclusion about our particular territory
of the Church to keep all other Christians out, or condemning
them if they do not walk in our paths; but it is to seek from the
Lord's Word the simplest ground of essential union, which will
be found to comprehend the three great points which I have given,
and to agree to differ on all less important matters, so long as
these three are honestly and reverently held, recognizing those who
hold them sacred, and who show their conscience by their lives,
as brothers, and as devout children of God and Christ. It seems
to me also, though a subsidiary matter, that it would render the
practical union of the various branches of the Christian Church
more easy, if instead of calling themselves by sectarian names, each
should be satisfied with calling itself simply this or that "branch
of the Christian Church" according to location in general and
particular, as for instance, "The branch of the Christian Church
in 22d Street and Fourth Avenue, New York City," adding if

The True Christian Religion. 253
necessary its distinguishing appellative — as "(Presbyterian) ." This
was the case in the apostles' time — as "The church in Smyrna,
Philadelphia or Corinthia," meaning, of course, the branches of
the Christian Church in those places; and the same thing could
be done now.
And even in those who have not yet known Christ, a true
Catholicism sees precious souls and possible Christian brethren,
who may one day sit at the feet of the Lord, as did Mary of old,
and hear His Word, and also do it.

VI. The wat to shun evil and do good.
Let us now look at the practical question of the way to shun
evil and do good, since this is the third great essential — the
living of a good life, and the one which must confront us every
day. The way to incorporate and practise this third essential
for Christians is to practically use the first and second essentials;
in other words, the way is to practically acknowledge the Lord as
the source of our power to shun evil and do good, and to refer
to and use His Word in our lives.
The normal condition of the Christian is to occupy himself with
goodness and usefulness; as a chief end, as I have already shown,
in the performance of his regular duty; and also in his various
other relations to the family, country, state, city etc. But when
temptation arises to neglect duty or good, or to do some evil thing,
then we ought to think of what God says about it; and that we
shall find in His Word. For example, if we are tempted to do
some dishonest, or hateful or impure thing, of course the evil
spirits will whisper or prompt us to do these things, and they
will also give us reasons why we should do what they say. But
evil spirits are insane; and they are no authority on any subject.
The question is what God says about the matter. He says
in His commandments in relation to these things — "Thou shalt

254 Lecture XII.
not steal," and "thou shalt not covet"; "thou shalt not kill,"
and that means not to hate; "thou shalt not commit adultery,"
and that includes all lewdness and lasciviousness ; "thou
shalt not bear false witness," and that includes defamation and
harsh judgment of others, and all lies and deceit for selfish or
evil purposes. What God says settles it; we must not permit our
selves to consider with any pleasure or approval what the evil
spirits say, because we may know that they are bent on deceiving
us. And although they will do all they can to hold our thoughts
in hell, or in those evil things which constitute hell, we must as
strenuously resist their influences.
We may count or regard it as a rule that all things which
cannot be made to agree with the spiritual mind or use or good,
are forbidden by the Lord in His Word, although we may not
just at the time be able to identify the evil. The reason is
because all good and allowable things consist and agree perfectly:
God over all; the celestial and spiritual man first in us; then the
natural and sensual man as servants to the spiritual and celestial
for the sake of God. Such evil things in brief are killing and
hating; adultery or lusting; stealing or dishonesty; untruth, def
amation of others or harsh judgment; and covetousness of others'
belongings or of natural things. All these things are forbidden
in the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments in hell
may be compared to a great iron cage of a menagerie, in which we
might see all the human beings there in the shape of wild beasts
of hell. While we are here, the Commandments are beneficent and
friendly warnings to us not to violate the things spoken of in
them, so that we may be forever free from their iron arms in hell ;
for if we do violate them and form a habit of it in this world,
then those iron arms will take hold of us, and form the very
prison-house in which all devils must be confined forever. The
devils want to break through them then as before; but in hell
they cannot, except under very stringent restrictions. And this
is what makes them so miserable. Hence we should make friends
with the Ten Commandments while in this world by obedience

The True Christian Religion. 255
to them, — not as slaves, or regarding God as a vindictive task
master, but as intelligent servants and sons of our dear and loving
Father in heaven; otherwise they will become our permanent
enemies in the other life, that is, in hell.
In the Christian, all forms of wickedness of thought and inten
tion are like foul water in our neighborhood : an occasional rejection
of them is like the carrying off of that foul water by barrelfuls;
the habitual rejection of them is like its departure through a per
manent trench to a river, and thus to the sea, which in this case,
denotes hell. Or again, they are like foul blood, which in a healthy
body is carried off through the veins and finally to the vents of the
body. But all the delights of the senses and their sensories or agents
are allowable under the spiritual mind, or when ranged under
goodness and truth, and in moderation; but these are the only
conditions where they are allowable. In this way, then, it is that
we may eat and drink, and exercise the lower pleasures of the
senses; and in this way and order the conjugial relation may be
exercised; the delights of the soul and mind, and also those of
the body, but only so far as they are not regarded for their own
sakes, and as they do not harm or hurt the spiritual state of the
minds. Those who are unmarried, although this may be the only state
possible for them entirely through this life, or at least for a
long portion of it, are therefore under a disadvantage, since the
union of two complementary souls, minds and bodies is lacking
with them : the lack of the union of souls and minds is the most
important disadvantage, and the union of bodies only a secondary
one. It is to be hoped, and I believe, now that the heavenly truths
presented in these lectures are to become the mental property of
many, that it will not be so rare or difficult for excellent spiritual
unions or marriages to take place between partners of the sexes
as has formerly been the case. I would recommend every young
man or woman who contemplates marriage, to look for wife or

256 Lecture XII.
husband if possible in the church of God, and to seek for those
who are, as far as they can learn, true Christians.
There was an interesting case which came under my immediate
observation some years ago, which is to the point. It was that
of a young woman who belonged to a branch of the Christian
Church, but who on account of her appearance, accomplishments
and large acquaintance in society, received the attentions of many
men outside of the church. She was advised by a Christian
friend to take a class in the Sunday School. She did so ; and soon
became interested in the church. She there met a Christian man,
who was much attracted by her; and she reciprocated his affection.
In a year or more they married. Their union has been blessed
up to the present time by the birth of two children; and both
of these have been brought up in the church.
To marry a person who is not a Christian or devout worshipper
in the church, under the idea that we can bring such person into
it, is not only mixing what is holy in us with what is profane in
the other, and taking the fearful risk of being contaminated and
thus losing our own souls; but it is undertaking a work which
God Himself has not always been able to accomplish, much misery
is practically sure to result, and our failure to do what we supposed
we could do is almost certain. But if we marry an earnest Chris
tian man or woman, the probabilities of happiness here and here
after are as great as they would be of failure in the other case.

VII. Summart, and Closing Invitation and Exhortation.
It may be stated, in closing, that there are five cardinal points
of faith in the True Christian Religion, as seen in the light of
the New and True Theology, to which all others refer themselves.
They are these:
1st, That there is one God, in whom is a divine trinity, and that
He is the Lord God the Savior Jesus Christ.

The True Christian Religion. 257
2d, That a saving faith is to believe in Him as the source of
all our good love, true wisdom, and power to resist evil and do
good; and it should also be a part of our faith to acknowledge or
believe that His Word is divine, and that we should adhere to
it in our lives. These two — the first and second points — are the
same as, or they include, the First and Second great Essentials
for Christians.
3d, That evils should not be done, because they are infernal,
and from the devil — that is, from evil spirits.
4th, That goods, that is, what is good, should be done, because
they are divine and heavenly, and from God, that is, from His
Holy Spirit by means of angelic spirits.
5th, That man should do these — refrain from evil and do good —
as of himself; and yet he should believe the truth that all his
power and affection to so do are from the Lord, operating with
and by the man. These numbers — 3d, 4th and 5th, together, are
the same as the Third great Essential for Christians.
This is a glorious summary of faith for the true Christian, —
simple, but complete.
In closing these lectures, I exhort you to think and reflect on
all matters of the New Doctrines which I have tried with the
help of God to explain to you; and especially to keep in mind
the brief summary which I have just formulated. Compare these
things with your old natural life, to see how it accords with the
truth! I invite all who have not yet done so, to leave irrevocably the
evil of your lives, and to walk with the Lord. I ask you in His
name to repent and to live a new life, and to resolve with God's
help to continue in it to the end, that is, to the end of your life
in this world. And I do not ask you to do this because it is
merely advisable, or because it is the better of two courses which
you might take: but I entreat you to do it because it is the only
true, orderly, happy life to live — in this world, and to all
eternity. I would advise you to join yourself to some body or
society of Christians for mutual help, not as a sectarian, but simply

258 Lecture XII.
as a Christian — to worship with them, to help them with your pres
ence, your earnest Christian sphere, and your pecuniary means;
and to be helped by them. Or, if there is no Christian congregation
in your city or town already gathered together, who with their
pastor or minister have accepted the new doctrines as set forth
in these lectures, or who are willing to do so, then perhaps it
would be well for every one who shall have read them to purchase
one or more copies of the book, and to lend them to all his or her
friends; or to introduce the work to their attention with a view
to having them procure and read it themselves.
When as many as possible have read the book, let them join
together into a church, that is, not a sectarian body, but simply a
branch of the Christian Church, to have regular Sabbath worship,
and to perform all such good uses, and to ensure such advan
tages, as a Christian congregation of this kind might — for their
mutual benefit, and for the benefit of the State, the city or
town, and for society in general. And let them invite some minister
who has also read the book and believes in its doctrines, to preach
the Word to them along the line of the doctrines; and also to
administer the sacraments, and to perform pastoral duties to the
congregation, with a suitable compensation according to the ability
of the members, and the magnitude and quality of the work per
formed, although I think it better for both minister and people
if the minister should not insist on any exact salary or sum for the
year, month or week, but that he should be satisfied to receive what
the congregation can contribute: for seldom can many persons in
a congregation know with anything like certainty what their income
will be for the year, month or week; nor are those who occupy
situations or positions sure that they will remain in them; never
theless it might do no harm to make a probable estimate of the
sum which might be contributed. And on the part of the con
gregation it would be well if they could appreciate this willingness
on the part of the minister to rely on the Lord, and on his own
activity and building up of the church with His help, for his
recompense, and if they would try to contribute as well as they

The True Christian Religion. 259
can, both to recompense and support him, and for other good uses —
religious, missionary or charitable, which might be most appro
priately the objects of their contributions.
All who have already begun a Christian life, I bid godspeed along
your path! If you continue in it faithfully through the "second
or third watch" of your life, as you may have done in the first, before
God calls you hence, you will be very, you will be most "blessed"
(Luke xii. 37, 38). I beseech you not to falter in your heavenly
journey. We have only a few years here in this world. Afterwards
we must remain radically as we are, as we have chosen. Let us
"work while it is day; the night cometh, when no can can work."
(John ix. 4.)~
Those who have not yet decided to embrace the life which leads
to heaven, I exhort to decide now. Evil spirits would dissuade you
from beginning. I would pay no attention to them. You need
not immediately be baptized or join any particular body of Chris
tians, but you can signify your determination before the Lord to
become a Christian, and at the same time in the near future, as soon
as opportunity offers, you can be baptized by some minister of
the church, thus signifying by the proper sign that you intend with
God's help to lead a heavenly life upon the earth; and after that,
you may partake of the Holy Supper as a sign that you live from
the Lord Jesus Christ. But above all, you can resolve to put your
self agamst all evil. You may begin by watching, after prayer to
the Lord to help you, especially against some one or two evils which
you know you are committing frequently; and gradually, by con
tinuing to watch by the light of truth against those and other
evils — as you examine yourself from time to time more closely
and find them ; and by resisting them by the Lord's help when they
arise, and being faithful unto death (Rev. ii. 10), you will attain
by His Mercy unto everlasting life. Amen.

260 Lecture XIL

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Question 1. — What truths would you use in temptations?
Answer. — As a general rule, I would say, use such truths only —
or passages of Scripture — as you have meditated on, and quite
fairly know the meaning of. It is safe always to think of some one
or more of the Ten Commandments — the one or more which may
be applicable; and besides of any other one or more truths or
principles or precepts of the Word or doctrines which covers or
cover the case. Try as much as possible to hit the nail exactly on
the head; that is, to apply that truth or truths, so far as you can,
which exactly condemns the evil intention or false suggestion.
But it is not well to try, during temptation, to examine any truth
which you do not fully understand, to see the meaning of it. It
is no time for such work then. The light in temptation is at
best a dark and uncertain one; and if we conduct our new ex
aminations then, doubt will creep in, and the evil spirits will make
short work of us. I suppose that we are never at any time allowed
to be tempted beyond the power and scope of the truths — which
we have already examined — to combat and overcome the evil or
false presented to us, that is, with the Lord's divine and almighty
power. We should take these truths, then, that we have already
determined the meaning of, and only so far as we have done so.
Let them go at that time for their already recognized value. After
the temptation and before the next, we can learn new truths and
consider any doubtful passage for new meanings. This is the
safe way. It is a fact, also, that these very truths with which we
have fought, and indeed other truths, receive decided illustration
and new light when we have passed through the temptation, that is,
if we have resisted it. We see new light — it is given us — from
the experience.
Question 2. — Is there any universal rule applicable to all temp
tations to do or meditate wrong?

Questions Answered. 261
Answer. — Yes. First, bring to mind such passage or passages
of the Word and spiritual truth or truths as are most exactly appli
cable to the case ; second, look to the Lord or ask Him for power
to comply with the Word and those truths, and believe that you
receive it; third, without allowing yourself to doubt that you have
the power given you, try faithfully to comply with the Word
and those truths, turning away from every suggestion, internal
or external, which might seduce you or which is connected with the
evil, until the temptation is over. The actual order, of course, in
operation, is the Lord as our invariable and almighty life and
power; His Word and truth as our infallible guide; and effort
from Him, or "death," or refraining from the evil, according to
His Word. If we are faithful, we must necessarily and always
conquer. Question 3. — From what you say, I infer that it is necessary to
hold the natural man constantly in check. Is that true?
Answer. — It certainly is. The natural and even the sensual
man is capable of making a good servant when held with a tight
rein; but a bad master. It does not know how to govern; and if
it undertakes to do so, it must inevitably destroy both itself and the
spiritual man.
Question 4. — Can a person do any genuine good to others for
the sake of his own salvation ? Would it not be, in such case, entirely
selfish ?
Answer. — There is undoubtedly a selfish principle in it. It
is not wholly good. But there is nevertheless a spiritual principle
in it also, since the effort is opposed to evil, and since the end is
the salvation from our own evil, and the attainment of eternal
life. If a person commences to do good from those motives, it
accustoms him to doing good; and the Lord can gradually insert
in the person other and purely, or at least more and more, un
selfish motives for doing similar good.
The devils and satans do not want us to do such good ; and they
accuse us of selfishness for doing it, and try to discourage us from
doing it. And they also accuse us of our past misdeeds, and would

262 Lecture XII.
like us to believe that we cannot be saved on account of them.
In this role they are called the "accuser." (Rev. xii. 10, 11).
Especially did they do thus to the Christian brethren just before
the Last Judgment. But the angels love to have us do such good,
because they know that it will result in pure good from the Lord
at last. Probably if we do not begin to do good from these motives
— for the sake of salvation and eternal life, we will never learn to
do any genuine good at all.
Question 5. — What is the use of going to church? Why not
let every one stay at home and read the Bible or commentaries
on it, or such advanced religious books as are best suited to him?
Would it not be more profitable and suitable to each? and could
he not learn more?
Answer. — At first sight it might seem so. But, as Shakespeare
says, there are more things in heaven and earth than we have
dreamt of in our external philosophy. We are very apt to think
that those things which we do not see with our eyes are nothing,
when in truth they may be the most powerful and irresistible;
as, for example, a deadly malaria in a neighborhood, or the fine
microscopic animalcules which fly in the air and produce an epi
demic or a contagion.
The Lord said that "when two or three are gathered together
in My Name, there am I in the midst of them" ; and although the
primary meaning of this is that when the will, understanding and
effort are united in worship in an individual, the Lord by His
Spirit is the inmost of them, and pervades them all, — yet it is
more fully so when a number of individuals of this same character
unite for worship, prayer and consideration of divine truth. And
these spiritual spheres of every one — with the Lord within — more
or less powerfully aid every other, and so all are helped; every
one both gives and receives; and the influences of the Lord and
the angels, so being with us, make us more powerful to resist
evil afterwards, and even increase our enlightenment in the best
sense, by the inter-communication both of good, and of thought
or truth. We have thus insured for others and for ourselves much

Questions Answered 263
greater and richer blessings of mind and heart than we could have if
we had remained alone by ourselves, among which — brotherly love is
developed and strengthened, by our being together in the church.
Question 6. — Do you suppose there are any other inhabited earths
in the universe except our own? and if so, how are they saved?
Has Christ been born on them too ?
Answer. — Yes, I presume that our sister-planets are inhabited;
and also that the myriads of stars which we see nightly in the
heavens in such infinite numbers, especially in the "Milky Way,"
are suns like our own, around each of which in all probability
several planets perform their revolutions; and that these are as a
rule inhabited. I think they must all have some species of revela
tion, some by open intercourse with the Lord, and with the angels
of their own planets, as we had at first on our planet; while some
perhaps, like us, have a revelation by some kind of writing.
There would be no need of the Lord being* born on every planet,
since by being born on this one, He suffered and died to all evil,
no doubt being tempted by the evil spirits of all earths ; and so He
achieved omnipotent power over all. He can therefore now appear
on any planet to any person there by the opening of their spiritual
sight ; and no doubt it has been revealed to them all that on some
planet in the universe, that is, ours, the Lord has assumed humanity
and glorified it or made it divine; and probably He has appeared
to the inhabitants of some of the earths since His glorification.
Hence all can be saved by reference to the divine truth as they
know it, by power asked for and received from Him, and by
obedience to the truth by that power.
Question 7. — What is meant by the term "being saved" ?
Answer. — It is not being saved from the punishment of evil, but
from the evil itself ; that is, from our own evil desire!, evil motives,
evil intentions, evil thoughts, evil deeds and evil words. These,
of course, are of several genera and species.

264 Questions Answered.
Question 8. — Is it possible to love one's enemies ?
Answer. — Not in any true or spiritual way — of ourselves, or
from the natural man. But from power prayed for and received
from the Lord we can do it. The first step is to refrain from
hating or being selfishly revenged on our enemies; the second, to
love them by praying for them, — for their spiritual and natural
good, and by trying to do them good, and to bless them
when there is opportunity. We do these things, not from ourselves,
but by obedience to the Lord's command in Matthew v. 44-48, thus
from Him. Nevertheless, as a last resort, if their best good, or that
of the community, require their external punishment — or even their
confinement in jail, these things may be effected. But they should
never be done for selfish ends, or from malignity or revenge.

FINAL BENEDICTION.
May the Lord Jesus Christ — the God of love, wisdom and divine
power — bless every soul who has received these lectures; and grant
that the truths which have been here presented may sink deep and
take root in the minds and hearts of all, so that they shall bear
abundant fruit in this world, springing up also in the world to
come into everlasting life. Amen.

265

THE LORD'S PRESENCE.
To the foregoing I will add this one useful and momentous
truth: The Lord Jesus now inhabits the spiritual or Divine sun of the
spiritual world — the "Sun of Righteousness": that is, that sun
now proceeds from His countenance or person as the one Divine
Man (see Malachi iv. 2, Matth. xvii. 2, Rev. i. 16) glowing and
beaming with a universal Divine Love for all, and with Wisdom
to see and provide for all. By His proceeding Spirit He is present
in some manner in every state, and thus in every sphere of mind
in the universe ; and wherever His Spirit is — as the heat and light
of the natural sun of infinite variety of degrees is everywhere on
earth, in the torrid, temperate and frigid zones, and at every parti
cular part of those regions — wherever in any and every state a human
heart and mind is, there He is present, not indeed in any case as He
is in Himself in the Divine Sun, for that would consume us or burn
us up with His Infinite Divine Love, and destroy our spiritual
sight and understanding with the brightness of His Truth; but
with greater or less spiritual heat ot love, and light or thought,
according to our possibility of perception and reception, this spiri
tual heat and light being conveyed to all by spiritual atmospheres.
The wonderful applications of electricity, conveying and pro
ducing effective light and power to and in cars and other ma
chines at any or great distances from the house or source of power
by means of conducting wires, and the equally if not more won
derful applications of the same fluid in conveying messages at great
distances without wires, through the ether, may enable us to form

266 The Lord's Presence.
some analogous idea of how the Lord, though in Himself, as just
said, the "Sun of Righteousness," far or infinitely above us spir
itually, may be omnipresent in all states by His Spirit, and
omnipotent and effectual to produce any desired or necessary result,
and to answer any prayer if in His Name, or if of a proper quality
or character: for if men, by complying with the natural laws of
His universe, can ensure the accomplishment of such wonderful
results when desired, on the material plane, practically irrespective
of distance, how much more must it be possible for the Creator —
the Source and Preserver of all laws in their operation, to be present
and to bring into effect His Divine Power on the spiritual plane,
at any greater or less spiritual distance (or degree of goodness
and truth) from Himself, and also to manifest His presence near
us, either in the human form, as He did to John at Patmos (see
Rev. i. 13-18), or as a great light and by the voice, as He did to
Paul on the road to Damascus (see Acts ix. 3-6), if the occasion
requires, and it so pleases Him; and, indeed, to produce effects
on either the spiritual or the natural plane, in answer to prayer,
or if all the circumstances demand such action.
We read in Rev. xxi. 3 the prediction of the Lord concerning
the last time — that of His Second Coming: "Behold, the taber
nacle of God is with men, and they shall be His people, and God
Himself shall be with them, their God."
The Lord God has no proper tabernacle except the spirit of
goodness and the spirit of truth, or human spirits who receive and
use these; for though present — giving life to all, He has no noble,
exalted or truly human tabernacle or dwelling-place with the evil
or wicked. The spirit of goodness and the spirit of truth are the
Lord's own Holy Spirit, by which He dwells in the true people of
the church as in a tabernacle or tabernacles. We are now living
in the dawn or beginning or morning of this blessed time or age,
in which we are beginning to see the light given us by the Lord as
at dawn, and from a bright morning star — as He says in Rev. xxii.
16, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star." Every one can look to Him or think of Him,

The Lord's Presence. 267
as in prayer, as a Man, with head and countenance in any form
or manner that he or she chooses, or thinks preferable or fitting,
either directly before us or otherwise, according to his or her
mind and heart; for space or natural distance does not exist
in the spiritual or mental world: but earnest thought, or thought
from affection, causes presence. And when not thinking of Him
in person or in the human form, with any degree of distinctness,
we can nevertheless believe that He is ever present with us.
We can therefore always, or at any time, have the Lord present
with us consciously, if we are trying to live according to His
will or commandments, by simply thinking of, or believing, His
living and Holy Spirit as being thus present, and proceeding
to us from Him as a Divine Man. Thus we may, if we desire,
dwell constantly in His Presence, and in the sunlight of His Holy
Spirit; and in such case, if we so live as we ought to live in His
Divine Presence, when we pass consciously into the other life, that
is, into the spiritual world, we shall not fear, but be glad, to
stand before Him, and be blessed in so doing in heaven to all
eternity: see Psalm cxxxix. 7-12; Matth. xxviii. 20; Mark xvi. 20
Rev. iii. 20; John xiv. 21-23; Matth. xxi. 22; John xiv. 13, 14;
Matth. xviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 9, 12; Luke xxiv. 33-36; John xx.
26-29; I John iii. 1-3; Rev. xxi. 3, 7.