our fellow immortals; and the honour of our divine LORD; we shall in all things make it our study, care, and delight to have the New Church visibly and properly distinguished in the world,—especially so far as we are individually concerned,—as, above all others, the most pure, holy, and heavenly Church of Jesus Christ our God, accounting it a shame unto us if we are in anywise less distinguished than the Christian Church was in its primitive days, for all that should "make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

SECTION XXXIV.

THE TRUE AND GENUINE RELIGION OF NEW CHURCH

CHRISTIANS.

THE religion of the New Church is neither more nor less than the full resignation of our own wills to the will of Jesus Christ our God. In other words, it demands that our ruling love be such as to find no pleasure, delight, satisfaction or happiness in any thing whatsoever but that which is of God and his kingdom, or is in perfect agreement therewith. It may be thought by some that this is a state which cannot be obtained but by a long experimental process in the Christian life, and therefore is not to be expected in those who have been but a few years in the profession of the truth and doctrine of the New dispensation. This I conceive to be an error. Such a conclusion only serves to foster our spiritual indolence, perpetuate our imperfections, and cause us to urge excuses for them, on the ground of our being no farther advanced in the heavenly life. Every spiritual state, and every degree in the regeneration, are of and from the LORD. He is ever ready to communicate his divine Spirit at all times, agreeably to his own saying, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."* Not any thing therefore is wanting, except the opening of our minds to the reception of the LORD's divine light and love. If as truly penitent, reformed, and humble minds, we hunger and thirst for the bread and water of life,

*Rev. iii. 20.

ardently desiring to be the LORD's in body, soul, and spirit, that so, the love of self, of the world, and of evil may no longer bear rule over us, he will give unto us all needful grace; and if "as new-born babes, we desire the pure milk of the Word that we may grow thereby;" in spirit enter into the kingdom of heaven; adore the LORD Jesus Christ and live only to Him; then shall we find full power from Him for entering into the required state of entire resignation of our will to his will. The great mistake of too many is, that they think it enough to acquire a knowledge of divine truth, enter into the Church and advocate its cause, without taking care to enter in by the door of true penitence, reformation, and humility. Hence it is that their religion is only external, and destitute of life; because they have not prepared themselves to be baptized with the holy spirit and with fire; they have not been born again by the renewing and re-creating operation of the spirit of the LORD. Such persons are content to know that the LORD is always accessible to them, without ever approaching near to Him as their Father, with childlike confidence and affection. They are like a man who should seek how to obtain introduction to a king, and then obstinately refuse, without any reason whatever, to be introduced into his presence, and partake of his royal favour and bounty. They have not that religion which is of Jesus Christ. Their knowledge, worship, and advocating the cause, and indeed their whole external conduct, is a husk without a kernel,-form without life,-appearance without reality,and a deception of the most awful kind. And herein they resemble, I fear, the greater part of the Christian world. They are pleased, and rest satisfied with mere outward things. A name, peculiar doctrines, a particular kind of worship, and, in some cases, splendid ceremonies, and vain observances, entertain the natural man. Many such worshipers are deemed very religious, and conceive themselves to be so; whereas the mere outward incidentals of worship which so engage their reverential regard, when viewed in themselves are but mere shadows, pretty toys to amuse, and splendid nothings, which vanish away and are gone for ever. And thus the enemy of souls has caught the superficial in his gilded snare. Happily, however, through the superintending Divine Mercy of the LORD, there is always protection afforded to the simple in heart and conscientiously obedient, under every form of religion. Still it is the fact that almost all the world is deluded by empty outside appearances,

deeming themselves free as the inhabitants of heaven, while they are captives to infernals, and the subjects of death! How few, alas! consider religion as somewhat internal,—its essence a divine and holy principle from Jesus Christ, restoring and bringing back all the powers and faculties of the human mind from an infernal love, life, and conduct, and introducing them to a spiritual state of purity, righteousness, innocence, and divine order, to the end that man may no longer be like a mere animal or a morally insane being, a captive to infernals, and a subject of misery from hell; but that he may have conjunction of life with his Heavenly Father, and be a purified happy subject of his kingdom for ever! Did we seriously consider these things, how earnest should we be to seek and to obtain that internal and holy state of resignation to the LORD, by which we might ever be receptive of the Divine power and influence of his blessed Word and Spirit, for our purification and exaltation into such a holy, happy, and peaceful state of life!

And shall the members of our most glorious intellectual and practical Church content themselves with a name, — with science, with external professions and outward appearances? How contrary this to that eternal truth and spiritual knowledge with which we are so clearly acquainted! We may, in some degree, apologize for the professors of other systems of faith, inasmuch as their erroneous sentiments, long established and warmly maintained, lead them to depend upon externals, and trust in shadows. But we have no such excuse. Internal things are opened to us. The principles, the life, the nature of heaven, and of true order and felicity, are set before our intellectual eyes in the clear light of the eternal Sun. We know, from the unerring testimony of Divine revelation, what man must be, in order to be truly happy. Consequently we must perceive that we never can be the happy subjects of the LORD's new heavens until we are wholly and altogether the LORD'S, insomuch that there be nothing in us, belonging to us, or done by us, that is not of Him: but that He be our life, love, use, righteousness, happiness, and our ALL. And how is it possible for all this to he effected, unless we resign our souls and bodies, -our affections and thoughts,-our will and understanding, to Him, to be made spiritual and heavenly by his Divine operation and government? Let me, then, intreat you my friends to enter deeply yet humbly into Divine things and subjects. Stand not at the the threshold of the Church, or the borders of heaven;

but enter into the sanctuary, the holy of holies, and there learn by actual experience in communion with the LORD, what a true Christian is. "The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold." The outside of the interior Christian corresponds with what is within; and within, in his internal, is the LORD in his Divine love and good, as the life and essence of his soul, as the source from whence his external clothing proceeds. Hence the true Christian sees the importance of the petition in the LORD's Prayer, "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth."-Can this be done, or can it not? If not, it would not be required. What less can be implied in this petition, than an earnest desire that the Divine will may be our will; for when this is our state, the LORD's will is done in the natural and external man, as it is done in the heavens, or the internal man; and the internal man being the recipient of the LORD's Divine love, which has its residence in the new will, or new heart, the affections and thoughts flow from thence into the external, to govern, regulate, and order not only his words and conduct, but all his natural appetites and passions, agreeably to the will of Jesus Christ. In this case the understanding is clearly and constantly enlightened to disEvil and tinguish between good and evil, truth and error. error are continually rejected, and the whole man is given up to the will and good pleasure of his God, with satisfaction, delight, and blessedness. Nothing less than this can be implied in doing the LORD's will on earth as it is done in heaven. It may be asked here, "Must then the true Christian be totally free from all evil and error, and thus pure as an angel?" I would answer, "He cannot be expected to be wholly so, because the continual putting away and dying to evil and error is one part of doing the LORD's will."-And here is the difference between the man of full resignation to the divine will, and the man who is not so resigned; the former immediately ceases from and rejects every evil and error as they appear; he does not parley with them, but gives them no quarter; whereas the latter is less attentive to discover, and more reluctant to relinquish the disorders and impurities of the natural man; and at the same time more disposed to selfish indulgences, because he is only in part, but not wholly the LORD'S. Hence the improprieties, and which may truly be called evils, so customary in trade, business, merchandize, and the like, are indulged without considering that they are evils, and injurious to the spiritual

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state: and for the same reason, idle pleasures, and contaminating gratifications of the age, are given into as innocent and harmless. Whereas the true Christian, who has resigned his whole will to the will of the LORD, not only sees the above things improper and defiling as evils; but he has no relish for them. He is superior to all such fascinating vanities. His mind, his life's-love is so much in heaven and heavenly things, that he cannot stoop to the customary follies of life. He has neither time nor inclination to indulge in the empty toys of perverted nature. His entertainments, pursuits, and gratifications, are elevated far above the earth. Even his ordinary activities in the world are of a heavenly quality, for they are filled with heavenly life by being ruled and animated by the heavenly motive of duty to God and the neighbour. Hence his delights are found only in that world where the bright beams, the pure light and heat of heaven's Eternal Sun, shine with celestial splendour, and purify every pleasure and every delight. He considers that he is NOT OF THIS WORLD. He remembers that his own regeneration corresponds with the glorification of the LORD; and he reflects upon the holy yet imitable example of his Divine Master. knows that Jesus Christ, as a man, avoided every thing that was not in agreement with strict righteousness. "Thy will be done, and not my will," was his language in all things, and his every moment's practice. And although we cannot be as perfect as our divine pattern, nevertheless the true Christian will labour more and more to imitate Him, remembering his words, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." While desiring above all things, to abide in the LORD's love, how little, how disagreeable must every thing appear which has not upon it the stamp of Divine approbation. He stands, as it were, upon an elevated spot, taking a view of his mental garden stored with wholesome and beautiful plants, trees, and fruit; he beholds them with extacy of spirit, and acknowledges them all as the gift of his adorable LORD, designed to support, nourish, entertain, and delight his soul, and render him blessed and happy. But if in this prosperous and fruitful garden he discovers an offensive weed or deleterious plant, he immediately roots it up and casts it away; he suffers no noxious vegetable to cumber the ground, or injure the fruitfulness, use, and beauty of this garden of his God. But the man who is not altogether given up to the Divine will, and whose natural affec