some desert place, that can only produce briers, thorns, and thistles. The good and honest heart will bring forth fruit in abundance. Look only at the land of Egypt, or that natural state of mind that is unregenerate. Can anything be predicated of that land but a garden of herbs," of cucumbers, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlick"? The carnal mind delights in sensual enjoyments; its home is in cupidities and phantasies; its delights in corporeal pleasures. A sensual or natural man can only be guided by science unconnected with religion. Appearances are always like a dark cloud, which hinders the light of heaven from shining; and when he endeavours to cherish any thought, or cultivate any delight, "he but waters his garden with his foot ;"-they are of the earth-earthy.

There are two powers belonging to the body,-one determined to the hand, the other the foot; the superior parts of the body determine themselves to the hands,-the inferior to the feet. Just so with the mind; our spiritual and rational faculties are as the hands,—our natural as the feet. That this is the case is evident from the Word, for "if thy foot offend thee cut it off;" and all offence cometh from the natural mind and its powers,-in fact, it is totally offensive when in its active state of evil, therefore it must be rejected. When we are in Egypt, or in the bondage of self and the world, the plants we rear, the seeds we sow, can only be watered with the foot, or merely natural science; we sow to the flesh and reap corruption;" for the natural degree of the mind, uninfluenced by the spiritual, is merely of the world, and not heavenly.

The land of Canaan, or the natural mind in which the spiritual degree is opened, presents a wide contrast, and is marked with such a definite outline that it can be seen on earth and viewed from heaven. A description of this land is given in Deut. viii. 7, 8, 9. : For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land,-a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills,—a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates,—a land of olive-oil and honey. A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness: thou shalt not lack any thing in it,—a land whose stonesare iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass." From these words it is evident that abundance is the characteristic feature of the land, and therefore it is also of the mind; for 'tis a land of brooks of water. The spiritual mind is receptive of Divine truth, its intelligence is supplied from the fountains of truth, its resources are from the Infinite. Yes, there flows from the east gate of the temple the holy waters-the truths of the Word; for waters are the types of truth. These waters descend from out of heaven by influx into the mind, and form the

rainbow or the covenant of regeneration around the recipient subject, because the rays of the Sun of Righteousness are reflected there. That the truths of doctrine are signified by rain, is plainly seen in Deut. xxxii. 2:"My doctrine shall drop as the rain; my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb." The spiritual man, or the inhabitant of Canaan, acknowledges the Lord as the fountain of truth, but the Egyptian says, "The river is mine own, and I made it." They forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew themselves out cisterns that will hold no water, while the spiritual ask of the Lord, who is the Truth, and he giveth them living waters. He instructeth them by illustration from His Word: therefore the Prophet says—" Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." These truths not only originate in the hills, but from the valleys, or the natural or subordinate things, such as science. Science can only be genuine and live, when it is in connection with religious truth. It is a land of hills and valleys, because the high places of the earth are emblematical of the high and lofty principles of love to God, and charity towards man. For as the body breathes a pure atmosphere when it ascends the mountains, so also does the mind when it is elevated by love-genuine love-disinterested love then the spirit inhales the pure breezes of truth. There is an elasticity imparted that fills every organ of the mind with energy, activity, and the love of use. The atmosphere of the mind is in accordance with the love; when that is pure, the truths that it inhales are pure also, they are stript of appearances, and therefore truth from love is as a high mountain, and the range of vision from thence sweeps the whole horizon of spiritual and natural things. The Church of the Lord is said "to be established on the top of the mountains, and to be exalted above the hills;" and the nations will say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and he will teach us his ways.

Thus, we see that the land of Egypt is a representative of man before regeneration,-when he is under the dominion of selfish and worldly loves; but by trials and temptations he cometh out of Egypt, where he has been cultivating and sowing seed, and watering it with his foot: afterwards he enters upon a state that is spiritual. He is transplanted from a wilderness into a flourishing land; or his spiritual faculties become opened, and thence his natural man becomes regenerated by the descent of the rain from heaven causing it to bring forth the herb bearing seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit. He is placed on the everlasting hills of love to God, and charity towards man; he imbibes truths from the Word, and they are in him a well of living waters,-the rain from heaven. His confidence in the Divine Providence is firm, for he knoweth that the

Divine Eye will cause all things to work together for his good. This state of regeneration is under the care of the Lord, and though years may roll on, and states vary, yet they will become manifest; when the Lord makes up his jewels all will be recorded in the Book of Life, and he will become a happy angel in the Lord's kingdom for ever; and then the end will be attained, and the powers of humanity will exist in perfection.

L. K.

THOSE WHO WITHIN THEMSELVES CONDEMN OTHERS, WHILST WITH THEIR LIPS THEY DISSEMBLE. (From Swedenbarg's Spiritual Diary.)

3169. There was a certain one, who, whilst in [this] life, could, because in externals, live [in society] with others, and be esteemed by them, inasmuch as for his own name and credit's sake he was cautious in speaking of others; but yet who inwardly condemned every one, excepting his own [relatives], and such as were allied to him by peculiar friendship. And this he did so direfully, even to the extent of sentencing them to hell, that when he was reduced to the state of his inward thought, they who heard him speak accordingly; for any [spirit] can be so reduced, even to every particular of his life, so as then to think in accordance with the same, in which case others hear his thoughts as if [audibly] spoken, because they are ideas [representative of his state];-those who heard him express his inward thoughts, exclaimed repeatedly, "horrible! horrible!"

3170. [Wherefore] he underwent the dire punishment of discerption as to the whole head, whilst a counteractive effort was superinduced, and [all] repentance [such as it was], long retarded. I did not witness the [shocking] spectacle, but others did.-Sept. 15, 1748,

3171. The same [spirit] said afterwards, that in the civil life he had been cautious in speaking of others, so as to have injured none, and consequently, as it was only thought, and not any thing breaking forth into act, he ought not in another life to suffer such punishment; but others answered him, in the first place, that he had been [so] cautious for his own honour's sake, whereas if he had been [absolutely] at liberty, he would have acted accordingly; and, further, that for his civil prudence he had been rewarded in being promoted to dignities; whereas in another life it is the thoughts that are so punished. Upon his replying, that forasmuch as he could not refrain his thoughts, he ought not to be punished for the same, they asked him why he had so [rigorously] con

demned others, when they also had been cautious in [their] civil life. He answered, because they thought evil;-thus he stood self-convicted, and therefore confessed that he had offended.-Sept. 15, 1748.

THAT EVIL IS NOT IMPUTED TO ONE WHO IS IN FAITH TOWARDS THE LORD; NOR IS THE GOOD WHICH SUCH A ONE DOETH, ATTRIBUTED TO HIMSELF.

(From Swedenborg's Spiritual Diary.)

2944. As I have [often] discoursed with spirits respecting these [tenets of faith], so has their truth been confirmed even to ocular demonstration, by various experience on former occasions, as also in one of recent occurrence. For when certain spirits expressed a desire to reduce me so that I should become [as it were] a nonentity, they received for answer, that according to their own confession such a state of nothingness is possible. Whereupon some farther discourse. ensued, as had often been the case before, concerning the possibility of such a negative condition (nihil esse); when it was demonstratively shown to them that even in case of actual evil being incurred, such a person is not involved therein in like manner as they are; inasmuch as by them he is excited to commit the same, and this too so powerfully, that it hath sometimes come to pass that myself, in like manner as others, was impelled so to speak, think, and act, as that from their own evil they might have wherewithal to accuse, as they often do, the innocent (eum). Inasmuch, then, as spirits can [in some cases] impel any one to think evil, [yea] to speak, or even do it; (in which case they not only attribute to such person the evil as his own,

2945. But would even chastise, punish, and torment him for the same;) and whereas, therefore, the truth is, that in appearance only can it be so, because he is the subject of such impulse from others; and inasmuch as he is in the truth, therefore to him it is not imputed. But in that truth no one can be except he is in faith towards the Lord, by whom such a one is kept in another thought [than what arises from appearances], and of whose permission it is that evil spirits act in this manner, in order to temptation, that so [evil] may be turned to the advantage of such [believers]. Wherefore, as many as are not in the Lord, cannot say this, inasmuch as they have none to deliver them; nor

can any deliver themselves.

is not imputed.

Thus it is [by faith in the Lord] that evil

2946. That neither can good be attributed to any such, is equally a truth of faith; for, as it is the Lord who alone worketh good [of Himself], so by no means can it be attributed to the believer (ei) as his own; because, as many as claim to themselves any good, seek to be saved by their own merits; whereas of themselves they are incompetent to any thing whatever. With respect to the reward promised to him that doeth good, this results from pure mercy to such as are led by the Lord, for it is impossible of one'self to merit any good, yet unto [all] such the Lord giveth of His Own (a Semet); and, beause He is Mercy Itself, it is for His Own sake, [thus of and for very Mercy].-August 27, 1748. These things were said in presence of such as from doctrine, though not from interior persuasion, had been [professedly] of the same belief; so that they could not gainsay them, because from [their] doctrine it was impossible; whereas, had they dared [to speak out], of their interior persuasion they would have withstood [the truth]. Whence also it may be concluded in what manner man is become persuaded concerning truth from doctrine alone, or from a faith [merely] scientific, Nevertheless, I think that some of those who were then present, had enjoyed a measure of intellectual belief [also].

REVIEW.

TRACTS FOR THE TIMES. No. I. Letter to a Swedenborgian. New York: Published by JOHN ALLEN, 139, Nassau-street, 1847. (Sold by OTIS CLAPP, Boston.) pp. 24.

THE following is taken from a New York periodical called "The Harbinger," which is devoted to "Social and Political Progress." It will be pleasing to our readers to see the truths of the New Church finding their way through various channels to the minds of men. Literature, in general, is beginning to be influenced by the light of the new theology and philosophy, and wherever this light extends, literary subjects not only assume a brighter form, but they are brought under a more salutary power for good to mankind;-they are brought more under the influence of heaven, whither all the ends of literature as well as of theology should be directed. Whilst we adduce the following notice of "Letter No. I. To a Swedenborgian," we beg the reader to bear in mind that we do not agree with every statement of the writer from whom the copious extracts are made. We can clearly see that the