ness of its conduct and life. It may perhaps be supposed, that as the holy Word is now understood, both in its literal and spiritual meaning, and the eternal truths therein clearly manifested, and a superior illumination given, religious errors, false doctrines, and human inventions, will not appear in the New Church. But facts already demonstrate that such a supposition is not in accordance with the actual nature of man. Those facts render it necessary that we should be upon our guard, watch over one another, and particularly over the essential doctrines and truths, laws, and ordinances of the Church, that they be not superseded or perverted by any kind of unwarrantable innovation. While the Church, or any society of it, firmly maintains the principles, doctrines, and truths upon which it is founded, and the life of the members corresponds therewith, all will be peace, harmony, and prosperity. Pure affection will unite the whole body, and no avenue be left open for the enemy to enter; but let the least deviation from the doctrines or opposition thereto take place, and the door is open for an intruder, and when he has gained a footing he will soon introduce others, until the peaceable, orderly, and beautiful temple becomes the habitation of disorder and the abode of anarchy and confusion! Excepting the blessing of being free from the open evils and iniquities of life, I know not what is more essential to the prosperity of the true Church, than the preservation of it from hurtful errors, false doctrines, and unscriptural sentiments. We have the holy Word, with the writings of our author to direct us. Here is the fountain of living waters; to this we must go for instruction; here we must find the truth, and upon the literal sense of the word, rightly interpreted, must be founded all the doctrines and truths, laws and subjects of the LORD's Church upon earth. Whatsoever is not found and clearly manifested in this divine source of infallible information, we must reject and oppose, from whatever quarter it may come, or whoever may be the bearer of it. Love is our principle, and truth is our standard, and like brave veterans with prowess undaunted, we must drive out and repel every daring enemy, or insidious foe, from the city of our God. It is allowed by all the recipients of our heavenly doctrines, that the eternal truths of divine revelation are the source of whatever relates to faith and life, and also that the divine Word is now opened in its internal and spiritual sense in the writings of the illuminated SWEDENBORG ; and consequently, from this divine source we are to derive every principle, doctrine, and sentiment of a religious

nature. Now if this be admitted, as it surely will by every New Church Christian, how plain is it that we are to reject every doctrine and sentiment which has not its foundation in this infallible, all-comprehending, and eternal source of information. Our author has given us instructions to this end as follows: "Ministers ought to teach the people, and to lead them by means of truth to the good of life; but still they ought not to force any one, since no one can be forced to believe contrary to what he thinks from his heart to be truth. He who believes otherwise than the minister [and the body of the church] and makes no disturbance, ought to be left in peace; but he who makes disturbance ought to be separated, for this is agreable to that order for the sake of which the ministry is established.”*

SECTION V.

THE DOCTRINES, TRUTHS, AND PRINCIPLES OF THE LORD'S NEW CHURCH.

THE essential and genuine doctrines of the LORD's holy Word are now clearly laid before us, and their importance demonstrated to us, in the bright beams of heaven's illuminating and life-giving Sun. But it is one thing to have a general view, and another to enter into the particulars of these doctrines, so as to obtain a clear and spiritual perception of their infinite value, and their immense and everlasting consequences to our own souls.

We are now enabled to see by a light which cannot deceive us, that we have but One God in One Divine person to adore and serve, and that God the LORD Jesus Christ, or Jehovah in his Divine Humanity; in whom centres the whole Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit-or essence, form, and operation. If we only take an external and general view of the doctrine, we shall deprive ourselves of much spiritual and important information which we should otherwise gain. It will therefore be expedient for us to consider first what the doctrine delivers us from; and next what divine subjects it opens to our understandings, and brings home to our hearts.

This doctrine not only removes from the mind the unscrip*N. J. Doctrine, 318.

tural and irrational idea of more Gods than one, with all the perplexity and embarrassment inseparably connected with it, but also relieves it from a multitude of sentiments equally unscriptural and erroneous. Having a just and distinct view of the one indivisible Jehovah, we are no longer confused with the idea of three Divine persons, each of whom is truly and distinctly God, nor with doubtful mind do we any longer consider which of the three we shall address in worship,-which we shall pray to, or whether we shall offend one, or two, by praying more frequently to the other! The Sole Object of our worship is presented to our intellectual view as One God in One Divine person, in whom is the whole Trinity, and that God, Jehovah Jesus, in a divine-human form. Moreover we are no longer confused and perplexed concerning the proper nature, character, and attributes of a Divine Being, as must ever be the case with those who believe the Father to be a God of vindictive justice, or burning wrath-executing his vengeance, and displaying his fury upon poor frail, fallen creatures; and that an equal God or Divine person more merciful in his character, atoned his justice, appeased his wrath, reconciled Him to men, and purchased grace and heaven for their souls, by fulfilling the law in their stead, suffering as a sacrifice the punishment due to their sins, and working out a robe of righteousness for them to wear by imputation, that being covered therewith, they may stand spotless before the Father, be admitted into heaven, and be happy for ever!—We are also freed from the least degree of apprehension that so much as a shadow of truth exists in another horrid sentiment, namely, that Jehovah the Father ordained and decreed before the foundation of the world, that a certain number of the human race should be redeemed, saved, and raised to heaven; but that an immense number (far the greater proportion) should not be redeemed or saved, have no opportunity of escape, but be doomed to hell and damnation, there to remain in torment to all eternity! We are also relieved from the false and soul-destroying doctrine of justification by faith alone; and other doctrines equally false, and founded upon the idea of three Gods, or, what is the same, three Divine persons in the Godhead. Behold, my brethren, your peculiar mercies, and above all, gratefully rejoice in this essential and fundamental doctrine of all doctrines, that there is but One God, in One Divine person, and that God, Jesus Christ our LORD. Be thankful also, that you worship not an imper

sonal God, without form or substance, having no other idea of Him than as infinite space, or of a Being, or rather a phantom, of which no idea whatever can be formed.

While we rejoice and give glory to the Divine Majesty of heaven, that we are totally freed from all these unscriptural sentiments and degrading ideas of the Deity, let us not forget the numerous truths that form the subjects of the soul-animating instruction we receive, as connected with, and flowing from, a right and just knowledge of the ONE TRUE GOD. While to thousands He is obscured by mazes of error, or enveloped in clouds of darkness; while inexplicable mysteries universally surround every idea of his essence and attributes; we are instructed by his infallible Word, and illuminated by that eternal Sun which is the proximate sphere of his glory, not only to know who the true God is, but also to become acquainted with his essence and his attributes. He stands revealed in the resplendent beams of his own adorable and Infinite Majesty, and those beams so attempered and accommodated by his Divine Humanity, that the intellectual eye can read his divine character, and behold his most lovely and soul-rejoicing attributes, in the superior light of a new and everlasting day!-He is seen, He is known, and He is enjoyed, by all the angels and good spirits in the heavens, and by every spiritual member of his New Church on earth, as a God of infinite love and wisdom, goodness and truth, mercy and compassion. His very esse is love, and His essence wisdom;" He is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works."-He created the human race for happiness, and wills the salvation of every soul of man. In Him there is no vindictive justice, no wrath, no fury, no vengeance. All these are at an infinite distance from his allperfect and holy nature. His every attribute is like-and is, indeed,-Himself,-as love, wisdom, goodness, power, justice, mercy, holiness, righteousness. They are, indeed, all summed up in His Omnipotent and Infinite Love and Wisdom; and are operative in every possible way, consistently with divine order, to bless, deliver, regenerate, and make eternally happy, every child of man! Therefore may glory and praise, adoration and honour, ascend to the throne of Jehovah Jesus, from the sanctified altar of every New Church Christian's heart, and find acceptance there as an humble offering to the God we adore, and serve, and love. It is, my brethren, this all-essential doctrine of the ONE TRUE GOD, which like the bright and glowing beams

of the sun in the morning of Spring, disperses the dark fogs of human invention; drives away the thick mists of error and falsehood from the horizon; and presents every delightful object to our view in the clear light of an unclouded day! Now every celestial and spiritual principle essential to the christian character, constituent of the true church, and the foundation of heaven and happiness, is plainly opened to the human understanding. Love to the LORD, and charity to man, long obscured, or rejected from religious systems as primary principles, are now restored to their lost dignity, are set before us in their own heavenly beauty, inspiring us with an almost resistless ardour, through the divine blessing, to make them our own, and to enjoy their immense beatitudes, their boundless never-ceasing delights and glories! The doctrines of repentance, reformation, faith, regeneration, and a good life, are no longer enveloped in shades, smothered with the dust of the religious jargon of mystery, or swallowed up by the all-devouring dogma of salvation by faith alone; but they stand in their right place, in just order, their real importance known, and their consequences understood; they are all essential to the christian character, to a preparation for heaven, and the enjoyment of its felicity. And while we see their true nature and importance, we equally perceive the power and assistance by which all good is effected in and by man. All merit is sincerely and totally disclaimed, and the glory given to Jehovah Jesus, the God of our salvation, and the sole giver of all that is good and true, pure and useful, whether wrought in man, or done by him, both here and to eternity. And not only are the great subjects of doctrinal and practical christianity clearly manifested, and laid open, but also the nature of the soul, and of its resurrection, the nature of the eternal world; the internal and spiritual sense of the Holy Word is also laid open by means of the divine science of correspondences, aided by the superior light of the LORD'S Second Advent. These are important and most exhilarating subjects, which I have no need here to explain or demonstrate. We are all well acquainted with them, and rejoice in them, and especially have we cause to rejoice in the conviction, that every point of our faith has a direct practical tendency! How beautiful and how edifying are the clear parallels between the Divine Nature and ours! In tracing the Trinity in the LORD of Love, Wisdom, and Operation, we are reminded that, in like manner, we must strive to unite in ourselves, the