Month: May 2014

THE PARABLE OF THE MERCHANT-MAN SEEKING GOOD PEARLS.

Spiritual Meaning of

    

THE PARABLE

OF

THE MERCHANT-MAN SEEKING GOOD PEARLS.

Matt. 13:45,46.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant-man seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

A merchant-man, in the spiritual sense of the word, means one who procures to himself the knowledges of truth and of good, and thus attains intelligence and wisdom, agreeably to which idea, it is said, in the book of Proverbs, that the merchandise of wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold (Prov. 3:14).

By goodly pearls are meant the knowledges of truth, and by seeking those pearls is meant the affection of truth for its own sake, because nothing but such an affection can properly discover the truth. In the same sense, we are called to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, to teach us that we ought to be affected with the Kingdom of God and His righteousness above all other things.

By the one pearl of great price is meant the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and especially of the union of His Divine Nature with the human, and of the human reciprocally with the Divine, until He became, even as to His humanity, the only God of heaven and earth.

This pearl is called a pearl of great price, because the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the most precious and blessed of all other knowledges, being the essential life of all others, insomuch that without this knowledge, all other knowledges are comparatively as dead, having no connection with their living source.

Man is said to find this precious pearl of spiritual knowledge when, from the affection of truth, for its own sake, he seeks it in the Word of God, and discovers its brightness and value in his understanding: and he is said to find the knowledge of Jesus Christ when, from the same affection, he delights in the discovery from the Holy Word, that Jesus Christ is the Most High God, because in His Divine Person the Father and the Son, or the Divinity and Humanity are made eternally One, and constitute the Supreme and Sole Object of all Christian worship.

By the man’s going is meant that he formed his life according to the knowledge of truth which he had discovered; and by his selling all that he had and buying it, is meant that he submitted all things of his natural life to be governed and guided by the Lord’s life, that is to say, by His Divine Love and Wisdom.

We learn from this parable that every man ought to consider himself as a spiritual merchant-man, sent into the world to seek the goodly pearls of the Eternal Wisdom, which are the bright knowledges of heavenly truth, procured by devout affection from the Word of God. We learn, also, that in seeking these heavenly pearls, if he be sincere in his search, he is sure, sooner or later, to discover the one pearl of great price, which is the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And, lastly, we learn, that when he has found this pearl, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it; in other words, he renounces self-love, that he may submit all his affections, thoughts, words, and works, to the mild and gentle government of the Divine Love and Wisdom of Jesus Christ.

THE PARABLE OF THE TREASURE HID IN A FIELD.

Spiritual Meaning of

THE PARABLE

OF

THE TREASURE HID IN A FIELD.

Matt. 13:44.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hid in a field; which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

By the field is here meant the Church; and by the treasure hid in it is understood the Divine Truth in the Word of God, which lies concealed under the letter.

A man finds this treasure of the Divine Truth of God’s word, when he is enlightened to see the distinction between the letter of the Word and the Spirit, and how the latter opens to him the Kingdom of Heaven, being in continual connection with Jesus Christ and His angelic kingdom.

He is said to hide the treasure of the Divine Truth when he stores it up in his interior mind, where it remains concealed from the observation of others, and even of himself, except when he is called to some particular notice of it; in which sense the Lord is said to feed him with the hidden manna (See: Rev. 2:17).

But it is said, thatfor joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

By the joy is meant the delight arising from the affection of truth; for all joy comes from some affection, and spiritual joy from the affection of good and truth.

His going away denotes that he applied himself to live and act in agreement with the Divine Truth which he had found; and by selling all that he has, is meant that he renounces his own self-love, which had before led him to regard his faculties and possessions as his own, independent of God, and that he now discovers that he possesses nothing properly his own, because all things are God’s.

To buy, is an expression used in the Sacred Scripture, to denote the procuring of spiritual property; and, therefore, by buying that field, is meant the procuring to himself the spiritual treasure of the Divine Truth which was hid in it: and this is the case whenever man renounces self-love, and exalts the Divine Truth in his own heart and life, as the blessed source of all that can be good, and wise, and happy for him.

This parable teaches us that in the Word of God is stored up the eternal treasure of the Divine Truth, and that when a man is wise to discover this treasure, he stores it up in the interiors of his mind, and suffers it to guide and govern him in all his affections, thoughts, words, and works. We learn further, that through this treasure he is led to renounce his self-love, and to acknowledge all his faculties and possessions, not only to be the gifts of God, but also continually to be God’s, and that by this acknowledgement he procures to himself all the blessing, protection, guidance, and government of the Eternal Truth, which is of Jesus Christ, and in continual connection with his Divine Life and Love.

THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN.

Spiritual Meaning of

    

THE PARABLE

OF

THE LEAVEN.

Matt. 13:33.

Another parable spoke he to them: The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three barrels of meal, till the whole was leavened.

By the Kingdom of Heaven, as was observed in the former parable, is to be understood the government of the Divine Love and Wisdom. This government is like leaven, because by leaven is effected fermentation, and consequent purification of the bodies with which it is mixed.

Leaven, as being a fermenting substance, denotes all false principles of the understanding and life, and the three measures of meal denote all principles of heavenly truth in the regenerate mind. The comparison, therefore, here used by Jesus Christ, was intended to remind us of the combats which take place in such a mind, between false principles and true, with a view to the purification of the latter. For the effect of such combats is, to exalt in man the principles of heavenly love and charity above those of mere speculative truth and knowledge; and when man begins to act from the former principles, then the latter become purified, which they never can be so long as man acts from them alone, and not from the principles of heavenly love and charity.

By the woman is meant the Church, which is called woman, from the affection of truth, which makes the Church.

We learn from this parable, that the Kingdom of Heaven can never be opened and formed in man, until truth is purified from what is false, and that such purification cannot be effected without combat, by which is produced a kind of spiritual fermentation, in which case, good is conjoined with truth, and then all false principles are separated like dregs.

the-parable-of-the-grain-of-mustard-seed

Spiritual Meaning of

THE PARABLE

OF

THE GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED.

Matt. 13:31, 32.

Another parable put he forth to them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is the greatest amongst herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

We have already seen that by the Kingdom of Heaven is meant the government of the Divine Love and wisdom of Jesus Christ. This kingdom is here likened to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man sowed in his field, because the growth of the divine love and wisdom in man is from a small beginning, inasmuch as man, under the first reception of heavenly truth, is led to suppose that he can do good from himself, and not from the Lord, when yet such good is nothing but evil: but whereas, he is in a state of regeneration, there is something of good, but the least of all.

By this least of all seeds, when it is grown, being greater than herbs, and becoming a tree, is meant, that as faith is conjoining to love, the growth becomes greater, answering to that of the herb, until at length, when faith and love are fully conjoined, it acquires a full growth, answering to that of a tree.

By the birds of the air are to be understood things intellectual, or truths exalted into the higher or inner region of the understanding; and by the branches of the tree, the scientifics of those truths, or truth as it is received from the letter of the Word, when it first enters the memory, and is there deposited, as mere science of heavenly things; and by the birds making their nests in these branches, is denoted, that when faith and love are fully conjoined, then truths, or things intellectual, continually multiply and increase their kind in scientifics, which are of the memory.

We learn, generally, from this parable, that the Kingdom of Heaven, in man, who is the government of the Divine Love and Wisdom, is small at its beginning, because man, under the first reception of truth, supposes that he does good from himself. We are instructed further, not to be discouraged under these small beginnings, because, if we proceed patiently to acquire faith and love, there will be a gradual increase of heavenly good; until at length, when the conjunction is complete, the tree of righteousness will grow to its full size; in which case, things intellectual, which are heavenly truths exalted in the inner man, will be connected with the scientifics of truth in the outward man, and, by virtue of such connection, will multiply and increase immensely after their kind, until the human mind is restored to the order of heaven, through the reception of heavenly truth in all its degrees.

THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS IN THE FIELD.

Spiritual Meaning of

    

THE PARABLE

OF

THE WEEDS IN THE FIELD.

Matt. 13:24-31.

Another Parable put he forth to them, saying. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the weeds also. So the servants of the householder came and said to him. Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field! From whence then has it weeds? He said to them. An enemy has done this. The servants said to him. Will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said. Nay; lest, while you gather up the weeds, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together, until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together, first the weeds, and bind them in: bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.

The Kingdom of Heaven is the government of the divine love and wisdom of Jesus Christ, and therefore, wherever this divine love and wisdom is allowed to have rule, whether it be in heaven or on earth, there is the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is likened to a man sowing good seed in his field, because it begins from a seed, which, like other seeds, increases and multiplies after its kind, and brings forth fruit, which also contains new seeds, and thus is capable of indefinite increase.

The seed is the Word of God, which is the Divine Truth of the Divine Love; and the Man that sows it is Jesus Christ, or God in his Divine Humanity, because all Divine Truth, which is of the Divine Love, proceeds from that Incarnate God, and is implanted by Him in the hearts of true believers. The seed is, therefore, called good seed, to denote that the Divine Truth, represented by the seed, is always in connection with the Divine Good of the Lord’s mercy and love.

By the field is meant the Church here on earth, or the congregation of all good people who believe in Jesus Christ, and receive the seed of His Holy Word in sincere and devout hearts. This field is, therefore, called His field, because the Church is His, inasmuch as it is formed from those eternal principles of heavenly love and wisdom which proceed from Him, and which properly constitute Him.

By sleeping, according to a spiritual idea, is to be understood, the leading a natural life, separate from spiritual life, which life, in the Sacred Scriptures, is always called sleep, as spiritual life is always called a state of wakefulness.

By the enemy is meant the Devil, or the Spirits of Darkness, who are always present with man, watching and labouring to destroy the good seed of the kingdom.

The weeds denote all evil principles and false persuasions arising from selfish, worldly, and corporeal loves, which choke all the plants of heavenly growth, springing from the seed of the divine love and wisdom.

By the enemy going his way, is to be understood, his concealing himself, and appearing to be at a distance; for so it seems to the natural man, nor can he be persuaded to believe, until he becomes spiritual, that his spiritual foes, the Powers of Darkness, are always near at hand, and ready to do him the greatest mischief.

It is said, that when the blade sprung up and bare fruit, then appeared also the weeds.

By the blade is meant the first appearance of truth in man’s understanding, and by its springing up, is meant its growth in the understanding; for the seed of the Eternal Truth is first sown in man’s memory, where it remains as a mere seed, until man begins to feel a concern about it, on account of his eternal salvation, in which case he is led to meditate on the great truths of God, which were deposited in his memory, and in consequence of such concern and meditation, those truths are exalted to an interior place in the mind, where it appears as a blade.

This blade bearing fruit denotes a still further reception and exaltation of the Eternal Truth, which takes place when truth begins to affect the will, or love; for spiritual fruit is love and charity, love towards God, and charity towards our neighbour; and this fruit never appears until man, from a deeper concern about his salvation, is led to form his life according to the truths which he has admitted into his understanding, and thus to obtain a new will, capable of loving God above all things, and his neighbour as himself.

The reason why the weeds should then appear, that is, when the blade sprang up and bare fruit, and not before, is, because the weeds, as was said, denote all evil principles and false persuasions of selfish, worldly, and corporeal loves, and these weeds do not show themselves until there is some growth of the heavenly principles of love and wisdom in the human mind, for error can never be seen but from truth, neither can evil be seen but from good, and therefore, until some degree of good and of truth is formed in the mind, errors and evils do not appear.

By the servants of the Householder are signified those who are principled in true knowledge of truth, because all such knowledge is called a servant, in the Sacred Scriptures, as administering to the higher principles of the good of love and charity, this being the great use and design of all knowledge; and by their coming and saying to the Householder, Lord did you not sow good seed, is signified their perplexity and concern at finding evil mixed with good, and error with truth, and their anxious inquiry concerning the cause. For nothing is more perplexing to the human mind than the origin of evil; and therefore instruction from heaven is solicited on this occasion, and in consequence of such solicitation, is imparted. For God never excites any inquiry in the regenerate mind, but with a view to gratify it, and he excites it for this purpose, that it maybe gratified.

Mention is now first made of a Householder, who was before called a Man.

Both the Man and the Householder relate to Jesus Christ, – who is called a Man from the principle of Divine Truth, during its insemination in the human mind. But when this truth begins to spring up, and bear the heavenly fruit of love and charity, He is then called a Householder, because a house, whenever it is mentioned in the sacred Scriptures, has relation to love and charity, and since all love and charity are from Jesus Christ, and under his continual government and protection; therefore He is called a Householder.

The enemy is that principle in the human mind which opposes God, by Pot submitting its judgement and determination to the Divine Will and Wisdom; and on this account, the Devil is called the great enemy, because he is always opposing the will of the Most High. And here we may discover the true origin of all evil, and also of the evil one himself, called in the Sacred Scripture, the Devil, and Satan. This origin is not from God, because from God can come nothing but good, inasmuch as He is essential goodness; but it is from the determination of human minds, in the abuse of that freedom of will in which they are created, and without which they could not be men. From the moment, therefore, that the human will inclines to call anything a good, separate from God, from that moment it creates evil, which, in itself, is nothing else but a good so separated.

We read that the servants said to him, Will you then that we go and gather them together? But he said, Nay; lest, while you gather together the weeds, you root up the wheat together with them. Let both grow together to the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together the weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. The reason of this delay on the part of the Householder, in separating the weeds from the wheat, or the evil from the good. He explains himself, when he says, Lest, whilst you gather together the weeds, you root up the wheat together with them.

The Householder teaches by these words, that it is dangerous to attempt the entire extirpation of things evil and false in the human mind, until the principles of goodness and truth from Heaven are fully formed. The Divine Law, therefore, on this occasion, is, that man should labour for the implantation and formation of those heavenly principles in himself, bearing patiently with the opposition arising from contrary principles; in which case those contrary principles will assist him, by their opposition, and the spiritual combats to which he will thus be exposed, in effecting a more perfect reception of heavenly principles, and their deeper entrenchment in his mind and life. When, therefore, the opposing principles have thus fulfilled their appointed purpose, they are separated, but not before.

The harvest denotes the full formation of goodness and truth in the regenerate mind, and in this case, the separation of those principles of life which are in opposition, and cause combat and disturbance.

By the reapers is to be understood the angelic heaven, inasmuch as the Lord, by and through the angelic heaven, effects such separation.

The weeds mean all evil and false principles of life; and to bind them in bundles, denotes that such principles are in arrangement one under another, and are thus connected one with another. The Divine wisdom, in effecting the separation of those principles, first discovers to us that such arrangement and connection exists, and that the general principle of what is evil and false in man consists of innumerable evil and false principles, which thus make a one, which one can never be separated until it is thus viewed minutely and distinctly as to the varieties of which it is composed.

The wheat, it has been already seen, signifies all heavenly principles of goodness and truth; and the being gathered into the barn, is signified being brought into heaven, because heaven is the grand receptacle of all those principles. The barn, therefore, is here called my barn, that is to say, the Lord’s barn, because heaven is from the Lord, and in continual connection with Him; as are also all the principles of goodness and truth, which constitute heaven.

We learn from this parable, that man is placed here below between two kingdoms, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and that Jesus Christ, from his kingdom of light, is always endeavouring to inseminate in the human heart, the eternal principles of His own most pure love and wisdom, whilst the Spirits of Darkness, from their kingdom, are endeavouring to inseminate their own wicked principles of evil and of error. We learn, further, that the principles of evil and of error can never be discovered until the contrary principles of heavenly love and wisdom, or, what is the same thing, of heavenly goodness and truth, begin to grow and produce their proper fruit. We are instructed, yet further, not only concerning the origin, but also concerning the separation and removal of evil and of error from the regenerate mind, being taught to expect that these effects cannot be produced suddenly, but in the divine order are of gradual operation. We are, therefore, lastly instructed, that we ought to run our Christian course in patient submission to the Divine Will, during the contest between good and evil, being well aware, that in such contest the opposition of evil is made to administer to the fuller implantation and fructification of good, and that, finally, through the Divine Mercy, the entire separation will be accomplished, when all of evil and of error will be put down into its own kingdom, and all of heavenly love and wisdom will be exalted to conjunction with Jesus Christ and the eternal happiness of His kingdom.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

Spiritual Meaning of

THE PARABLE

OF

THE SOWER.

Matt. 13:3-10.

And he spate many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way-side, and the birds came and devoured them up: some fell upon, stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no depth of earth; and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and, because they had no root, they withered away: and some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them: but others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Sower is the Son of Man, or Jesus Christ, in His Divine Humanity. He is called the Sower, because the seed sown is the Eternal Truth, or the Word of God, and all Truth, properly so called, is from Jesus Christ, who on that account calls Himself the Truth.

By sowing, when spoken of Jesus Christ, is to be understood the insemination and implantation of His Divine Truth, or Word, in the understandings and lives of men; this is effected by man’s hearing, or reading, the Word of God, by his meditating on what he hears or reads, but, above all, by the application of what he hears, or reads, to the purpose of reforming his life, by separating from himself all evil ends and purposes, and by loving, thinking, and doing those good things which the Word of God teaches to be good.

Mankind, then, differ in the way of receiving and admitting the Eternal Truth, and this difference is described in the parable to be four-fold, which four-fold reception is distinguished in the parable, first by some seed falling by the way-side; secondly, by some falling upon stony places, where they have not much earth; thirdly, by some falling among thorns; and, lastly, by some falling into good ground.

The first distinction, described by some seed falling by the way-side, includes all those who receive the Word of God, or the Eternal Truth, without affection.

Every one receives the Word of God without affection who hears it, and reads it, and yet is not interested in what he hears and reads, having his affections immersed merely in the things of time and of sense, without any elevation to the great things of Eternity.

The second distinction, described by the seeds which fell upon stony places, where they have not much earth, includes all those who hear, or read, the Word of God, and imbibe its truth, yet not from a genuine affection for that truth, but from some external affection which regards only the gain and glory of this world: thus they love the truth, not for its own sake, but for the sake of their own temporal interests, which they think to advance and secure by means of the knowledge of truth.

The third distinction, described by the seeds which fell among thorns, includes all those who hear, or read, the Word of God, without any desire to remove the cravings of evil, and who thus are desirous to become intelligent in heavenly knowledge, but not for the purpose of purifying and reforming their own hearts and lives in the sight of God.

The last distinction, described by the seeds which fell into good ground, includes all those who receive the Word of God, and its Eternal Truths, with a genuine and devout affection, at the same time applying them to the purposes for which they are given, namely, the purification, reformation, and regeneration of their hearts and lives in the sight of God.

Let us now consider the effects of these different receptions of the Word of God in the minds of men.

The first effect is described in these words. The birds came and devoured them up.

By the birds, in this passage, are to be understood all false persuasions of doctrine and of life, which always occupy the minds of those who are destitute of affection for the Eternal Truth; and by devouring up the seeds of truth is to be understood, that where the Word of God is received without affection it cannot produce its proper fruits, because it is liable to be perverted and destroyed by false persuasions, which occupy the natural mind of every man before he admits with affection the light of the Eternal Word.

The next effect of a wrong reception of the Word of God, is described in these words, Forthwith they sprung up, because they had no depth of earth; and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

This is to denote, that where the Eternal Truth is received from an affection not genuine, that is to say, from an affection grounded in worldly gain or glory, in that mind an appearance is presented of the growth of truth, but then it is a growth in the memory and understanding only, and not in the will, or love; therefore, it is said, because they have no depth of earth, for the earth, in this case, relates to the will, or love, and its depth has relation to the inmost principle of each.

The sun, as applied in the Holy Scriptures, is used both in a good and bad sense, according to the subject treated of; and in a good sense, it relates to the Lord Himself, and to the Divine Love and Wisdom which proceed from Him; but in a bad sense, it is applied to denote the destructive principle of self-love, when it is exalted in the human mind above the love of God and Heaven. By the seeds being scorched, then, is to be understood, that where the truth is not received with a genuine affection, or for its own sake, in that mind it is withered and destroyed by the influence of self-love, which will not allow it to take its proper root, and bear its proper fruits; therefore, it is added, because they had no root, they withered away, to teach the important lesson, that where self-love is predominant it is impossible that the Eternal Truth should gain a place in the natural mind of man, so as to produce all its blessed and saving effects.

The third effect of a wrong reception of the Word of God, is described in these words. The thorns sprung up and choked them.

By the thorns are to be understood the cravings of evil, which Jesus Christ, in his explanation of the parable, calls the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, by which are meant, all those anxieties, concerns, and affections of the merely external man, who prevail over the better desires of the internal man; and by choking the seed of truth, is to be understood, all that suffocation of the pure knowledge of God, and of His Holy Word, which must of necessity take place in that mind, where the appetites of the body, and the cravings of animal life, are suffered to exalt themselves above the higher interests to man’s spiritual and eternal life; therefore it is added, by Jesus Christ, that such a mind becomes unfruitful, because the fruitfulness of heavenly truth can only be found in its effects upon the natural man, by purifying his ends of life, and forming him to every good thought, word, and work; in case, therefore, that the operation of heavenly truth is resisted by the natural mind, it is impossible there can be any fruitfulness of truth in the natural man.

The fourth effect resulting from the reception of the Eternal Truth is described in these words, It brought forth fruit, some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold.

By fruit is to be understood, all the good of love and charity, that is to say, of love towards God, and charity towards our neighbour; and by bringing forth this fruit is to be understood, that this good of love and charity manifests itself in the natural man in all good thoughts, words, and works, of a holy and useful life, agreeably to those words of Jesus Christ, where He says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven: (Matt. 5:16). and in another place, If you know these things, happy are you if you do them (John 13:17). It is, therefore, said in the parable, that other seed fell into good ground, to denote that the reception of truth, in this case, was an interior reception, or, a reception in the inner man; that is to say, in the will, or love, as well as in the understanding and memory. Therefore, Jesus Christ, in explaining this reception of the Eternal Truth, says, He that receives seed into good ground is he that hears the Word and understands it, to instruct us, that a right and profitable reception of the Eternal Truth is a reception both in the will, signified by hearing, and in the intellect, signified by understanding; and to instruct us yet further, that all fruitfulness of the Holy Word is the result of this two-fold reception, or what may be properly called the heavenly marriage of good and truth, and not from the single reception of either of those principles separate from the other.

The distinctions expressed in the parable by hundred-fold, sixty-fold, and thirty-fold, are intended to express the different degrees of fruitfulness of the Eternal Truth in human minds, which will ever depend upon the degree in which good and truth are united, or in which the will and understanding are conjointly affected. As, therefore, in some cases, this conjunction may be less perfect than in others, in like manner it is to be supposed, that the fruitfulness will vary, and this agreeably to the distinctions here mentioned of an hundred-fold, sixty-fold, and thirty-fold.

Jesus Christ concludes this parable by saying, He that has ears to hear, let him hear; teaching us by these words, that He intended his instruction only for those who were in a disposition to receive it, and not for those who were in no disposition. For by those who have ears to hear He meant to describe all sincere and upright minds, which are desirous, both’ to receive and profit by the lessons of the Eternal Wisdom, therefore He says of these, let them hear, in other words, let them understand and receive, because to them it is given, to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, inasmuch as they are in a right state of mind to profit, by those mysteries: whereas, to others it is not given, since others are not in a state to profit by them, and, therefore, if such mysteries were made known to them, they would but profane and defile them, and thus increase their condemnation, agreeably to those words of Jesus Christ, This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

The general instruction then to be derived from this parable is, that men ought to be very careful in hearing, or reading, the Word of God, to note the affection from which they hear and read, and to see that this affection be pure and genuine, resulting from the love of truth, for its own sake, and not for any earthly ends of temporal gain and glory. We learn, yet further, from this parable, that the Eternal Truth can never produce its full fruitfulness in the mind and life of man until it operates conjointly on his will and understanding, that is to say, on his love and thought; but that when it is attended with this double operation, it forms in man the true heavenly marriage, by virtue whereof he has eternal conjunction with Jesus Christ and His kingdom, and through that conjunction is formed to every good thought, word, and work.

THE PARABLE OF CHILDREN SITTING IN THE MARKETS.

Spiritual Meaning of

THE PARABLE

OF

CHILDREN SITTING IN THE MARKETS.

Matt. 11:16-17.

But with what can I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, and calling to their fellows, and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

According to the letter, the expression, this generation, means the people who lived at that time in Judea; but according to its spiritual sense, it means the state of the church among that people, in regard to their reception of the eternal truth, for such is the spiritual idea of generation, whenever the term occurs in the Word of God, inasmuch as that Holy Book treats only of spiritual generations, which are those of goodness and truth, and not of natural ones, which relate only to this world and the flesh.

This generation is said to be like children sitting in the markets, because, by children, or, as it is expressed in the original, infant boys, are not here to be understood children, or infant boys, but the things signified and represented by them, which things are nothing else but the truths of innocence, which were at that time revealed from Heaven to the Jewish people, in order to make them a church, or the people of God.

These children, or infant boys, are represented as sitting in the markets, because by the markets are figured natural minds, or the common states of the life of natural men, which are therefore called markets, because all the goods and truths contained in the Word of God are there presented for purchase, and every one, who is so disposed, may there become a purchaser, and thus acquire the eternal possession of those heavenly blessings. It is on this account that mention is again made of a market-place in the parable of the householder who hired labourers into his vineyard, where it is written, that he saw others standing idle in the market-place, for by standing idle in the market-place, is signified, that they neglected to cultivate the natural mind, by preparing it for the insemination and growth of the Eternal Truth. In the present, parable, however, it is not said that the children were standing idle in the markets, but that they were sitting there; because, by the term sitting, whenever it occurs in the Sacred Scriptures, is always expressed a state of the will, or love, as the term standing is uniformly applied to express a state of the understanding or thought.

It is further written of these children, or infant boys, that they were calling to their fellows and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented.

The term here rendered fellows, is expressed in the original by a word which properly signifies companions; and companions, according to the spiritual idea, are all such as are associated with each other by knowledge and acquaintanceship, but not so much by love and friendship. When, therefore, the children are represented as calling to their fellows (or companions), it is to denote that they addressed themselves to the intellectual principle, in order to secure its attention to the truth of innocence, of which they were the representative figures. It is therefore written, that they called and said; because, calling is an expression which relates to the will-principle, or love, as saying is an expression which relates more to the understanding, or truth, and therefore the two expressions are combined, with a view to point at that heavenly marriage of love and wisdom, or goodness and truth, which constitutes the very life and soul of the Revealed Word, and is accordingly marked, even in the letter in numberless instances.

The term piping, is expressive of the affection of good with which truth is taught, and which it is intended to excite. For such is the spiritual signification of all instruments of music, whenever they are mentioned in the Word of God, that they are all applied to denote affection, but with this difference, that the wind instruments are applied to denote the affection of good, and the stringed instruments to denote the affection of truth. Thus, when it is said. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp; praise Him with the timbrel and pipe; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs; praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the high-sounding cymbals-(Ps. 150:3, 4, 5) – it is to denote that the Lord is to be worshipped from every affection, both of good and of truth. The piping, therefore, above spoken of, has relation to the heavenly affection which influenced the truths, signified by the children; and when it is added, you have not danced, it is to denote further, that a reciprocal affection had not been excited in those to whom the truths were addressed. For dancing, according to its literal signification, is a motion of the body, corresponding with the musical sounds by which it is excited, and thus, according to its spiritual signification, it denotes an affection of the mind, corresponding with the affection by which truth is addressed to it, agreeably to which sense of the word it is written, Let them praise his name in the dance, (Ps. 149:3). to teach the instructive lesson, that man ought to glorify His Maker by receiving the truths of His Holy Word with a corresponding affection. To the same purpose it is written in another place, You have turned for me my mourning into dancing, (Psalm 30:11). denoting that heavenly truth was received with the heavenly affection which it is calculated to inspire. When, therefore, it is said, as in the present case, You have not danced, nothing else can be meant, according to the spiritual idea, but that the truths of Heaven had not excited a correspondent affection.

These words, We have mourned to you, and you have not lamented, are contrasted with the foregoing; and, therefore, as by piping was signified the heavenly affection with which truth was communicated from above, and as by not dancing was denoted that it had not been received with correspondent affection, so by mourning is signified truth communicated without affection, and by not lamenting is further denoted that the truth so communicated had not produced reciprocal and correspondent mourning.

Jesus Christ explains the nature and quality of this kind of truth in his illustration of this parable, where he says. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he has a devil. For John, as a teacher of truth, represented the Holy Word, but then he represented it as to a lower or more external order of truth than what was afterward taught by the Incarnate God; on which account he bears this witness concerning himself, I indeed baptise you with water to repentance; but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matt. 3:11). For it deserves well to be noted, that the written Word of God contains truth of several orders and degrees, adapted to different minds, and to different states of the same mind, answering to the several instruments in husbandry, by which also those orders and degrees are expressed in the Sacred Records, such as the plough, the harrow, the sickle, the threshing instrument, the fan; all of them useful in their several places, because all of them serviceable for the production of heavenly love and charity, and its incorporation in human minds. John the Baptist was a representative figure of one of these orders of truth, namely, the lowest, or most external, adapted to the state of natural minds, to convince them of sin, and lead them to repentance, but not fitted to communicate any heavenly good with interior truth; on which account it is said of John that he came neither eating nor drinking, to denote that by this order of truth, no interior good of heavenly love and charity, with its attendant truth, could be appropriated. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, opened a new order of interior truth, which, being more closely connected with heavenly love and charity, gained more interior admission into human minds, and communicated to them a measure of the heavenly Spirit in which it originated; on which account it is said of Him, that He came eating and drinking, to denote that both the good and its truth might be incorporated into the life of man.

It is written, that of John they say. He has a devil, and of Jesus Christ they say. Behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

These words are another proof how difficult it is to adapt heavenly truth to the general reception of mankind, and how prone men are to frame excuses against admitting it, by vilifying both it and its teachers. Thus, in the present instance, the apparent severity of the truths taught by John the Baptist, is imputed to a diabolical agency, whilst the more consolatory and cheering doctrines delivered by the Great Saviour, are reprobated as allowing too many indulgences, and giving too much liberty to offenders against its sanctities. Nevertheless, the Divine remark which closes this parable, that Wisdom is justified of her children, must for ever remain true; because the children of wisdom are all those who are born of wisdom, not according to a figure of speech only, but in the greatest truth and reality, inasmuch as they are born of God, or of what the Apostle calls incorruptible seed, by the word of God which lives and abides for ever (1 Peter 1:23). These children, therefore, are taught by their Divine Parent to see that truth is of several orders and degrees, which may, in general, be distinguished into two, namely, truth of judgement, and truth of comfort, or, to express it otherwise, truth opposed to, and combating, evil, and truth cherishing and communicating good; the former being apparently harsh and severe, thus apparently separated from good, whilst the latter is soft and consolatory, and thus apparently nearer to good. Accordingly, as in the building of a house, there are variety of workmen, and an equal variety of tools or implements of workmanship employed; so in the building of that most grand and magnificent of all houses, the House of God, or His Church here on earth, a like variety of spiritual artificers are employed, and likewise of spiritual tools and implements of building, agreeably to what is written in the Prophet, So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and him that smoothes with the hammer him that beat the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering. He fastened it with nails that it should not be moved (Isaiah 41:7). The children of wisdom, therefore, justify their Divine Parent in this application of a variety of tools to effect her own blessed purposes, and especially in her adapting the two distinct dispensations of truth above referred to, namely, the piping and the mourning; the one figurative of the consolatory doctrine delivered by the Great Redeemer; and the other, of the apparently more severe and austere doctrine taught by His forerunner.

We are taught by this parable, that the Almighty applies a variety of instruments to effect His saving purposes, and that His Holy Word is accordingly stored with a variety of heavenly truths, suited to different persons, and to the same person at different times. We learn, further, that this variety may be distinguished, in general, into two orders of truth; one of which is attended with the love and joy in which it originates, and which it is calculated to inspire; whilst the other appears harsh, austere, and, so far from promoting joy, is productive rather of sorrow and severe suffering. We are instructed yet further, that, in a corrupt state of the Church, both these orders of truth are unattended to and rendered ineffectual, but that by the children of wisdom they are seen to be alike profitable, because proceeding from the same divine mercy, and productive of the same divine effects. Let us resolve, therefore, to attend carefully to these two distinct orders of truth, and to keep our ears ever open to their heavenly sound, whether it be that of piping or of mourning, that so, in the one case, we may be found dancing, and in the other lamenting. Thus will each order of truth become a friend and benefactor, whilst by the piping we receive consolation and support, and by the mourning are led to a more vigorous repentance and sorrow for our sins: and thus, finally, may we hope to rank amongst those pure and heavenly beings, of whom it is written, Wisdom is justified of her children. Amen.

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THE PARABLE OF A PIECE OF NEW CLOTH ON AN OLD GARMENT, &c.

Spiritual Meaning of

THE PARABLE

OF

A PIECE OF NEW CLOTH ON AN OLD GARMENT, &c.

Matt. 9:16-18.

No man puts a piece of new cloth upon an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Jesus Christ here speaks by correspondence, and thus represents spiritual things under natural images, agreeably to His usual mode of speaking.

The word new, is, in the original Greek, unwrought; and since cloth, according to its spiritual correspondence, signifies truth, inasmuch as it is applied to cover, defend, and keep warm the body, as truth is applied to cover, defend, and keep warm the spirit of man; therefore, by the un-worked cloth, here spoken of, is signified the truth of the Gospel, or the spiritual truth of the Christian church, as opposed to the old garment, or old truth, of the Jewish or representative church. Jesus Christ, therefore, here teaches, and warns his hearers of, the difficulty and the danger of imbibing the truths of the new Christian church, whilst the truths of the old or Jewish church, which were external and representative truths, were suffered to prevail, and to influence the persuasions and the conduct of their adherents. He says, therefore, that that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, because the truths of the new Christian church, which are internal spiritual truths, if mixed with those of the old representative church, rob them of their importance and influence, on which account, He adds, the rent is made worse, since there is no agreement between the precepts and commandments delivered by the Lord himself, and the statutes and judgements of the Jewish church, which were principally concerning sacrifices and representative worship.

By the new wine is again signified the truth of the new Christian church, in like manner as by the unwrought cloth above, but with this difference, that by new wine is signified a more internal order of truth, than by unwrought cloth, because wine is for inward nourishment, whereas cloth is for outward covering; still, however, the sense is the same, as denoting that the internal truths of the new Christian church, do not accord with the external truths of the Jewish church, which external truths are here called old bottles, of which it is said, that if new wine be put into them, the bottles burst, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish.

By the bottles bursting, if new wine be put into them, is denoted, that the truths of the Jewish church, which principally relate to sacrifices and representative worship, have no coherence with the truths of the Christian church; and by the wine running out, is further to be understood, that interior spiritual truth is dissipated, when representative truth is alone seen and acknowledged; and, lastly, by the bottles perishing, is denoted, that the external laws relating to sacrifices and ordinances are done away as soon as ever the things which they represent are fulfilled.

The new wine, as was shown above, is the internal spiritual truth of the Christian church, which was opened by the manifestation of God in the flesh, on which occasion all the representatives of the Jewish church were fulfilled and realised; and by putting this new wine into new bottles is denoted, that this interior spiritual truth was to be taught, and admitted into human minds, by doctrines which were in agreement with it, and derived from it, thus by doctrines which would tend at once to promote its reception and perpetuity, on which account it is added, that both are preserved, namely both the truth and its doctrine, for doctrine is what contains and conveys truths, and is distinguished from truth as the bottle which contains wine is distinguished from the wine itself. When, therefore, doctrine is in agreement with truth, then both are preserved, because truth gives life and consistency to doctrine, whilst doctrine, in its turn, gives determination and support to truth.

The old garment and old bottles will apply, as apt figures, to the persuasions and sentiments of the old or natural man, in his unconverted state, before he begins to taste the new wine, and to put on the new garments of evangelical truth and righteousness. According to this application, the parable also teaches a lesson of important instruction and caution, by pointing out the extreme danger of mixing the principles of truth with those of error, or of imbibing heavenly knowledge, whilst the life and love of earthly science, and of vain imaginations, remains in its full force, unmortified and unsubdued. In this case, too, the divine declaration, that new wine must be put into new bottles, is full of wisdom and weighty obligation, enforcing on man the eternal law, that the persuasions dictated by the love of evil ought first to be combatted and removed, before the new wine of the everlasting Gospel is received, and that thus, new opinions, new persuasions, new principles, should be formed, capable of admitting and preserving the saving truth communicated from above.

The general instruction we gain from this parable may be thus summed up: we are taught by it, in the first place, that the truths of the Jewish church, which related principally to sacrifices and external ordinances, do not accord with the truths of the Christian church, which inculcate principally the law of love and charity, and thus the observance of internal worship, and that, consequently, the former are not to be mixed with the latter. We learn, in the second place, that the truths of the Christian church, being all of them from Heaven, are internal, spiritual, pure, and holy truths, and therefore require that the persuasions, sentiments, and ruling maxims of mankind should be in some sort of agreement with them, otherwise they will be dissipated, defiled, and destroyed. Let us resolve, therefore, from now on, to form our whole minds and lives according to the wisdom contained in the above parable, and whilst we venerate the law of the Jewish rituals, as being a law of divine revelation, and the best accommodated to the temper of the Jewish people, for whose use it was given; we need not conceive ourselves bound to observe it according to its letter, now that we are favoured with the interior spiritual law of the Christian dispensation. Let us resolve further, now that we have begun to put on the new garment, and to drink the new wine of evangelical truth, to lay aside the old garment, and discard the old bottles of our former mere natural ideas, sentiments, and persuasions, so that no rent may be made in the new garment, and the new wine may not run out. Thus may we hope that the Eternal Wisdom will obtain a safe and undefiled reception in our hearts, and, connecting itself with persuasions which are in agreement with itself, will conduct us to all that security and happiness announced by the Great Redeemer, when He says. They put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Amen.

http://www.biblemeanings.info/Parables/Clowes/New_Cloth.htm

THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH BUILDER.

Spiritual Meaning of    

THE PARABLE

OF

THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH BUILDER.

Matt. 7:24-28.

Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

By the sayings of Jesus Christ are to be understood the words which he spoke, and which contained the whole of his Divine Love and Wisdom in close conjunction. Thus the sayings of Jesus Christ are to be regarded as the complex of all divine good and divine truth, intending to form in man the divine image and likeness, by opening in him the kingdom of Heaven, by purifying him from all his natural evils, by restoring him to the form and order of Heaven, and by finally leading him to an eternal conjunction of love and of life with the God of Heaven.

A distinction is made in the above parable between hearing and doing. Let us examine the ground and meaning of this.

By hearing the sayings of Jesus Christ is to be understood their reception in the memory and understanding, where they appear and are stored up under the form of truths; but by doing them, is to be understood their reception in the will, or love, and their consequent operation on the thoughts, words, and works of the devout receiver of them. Thus hearing the sayings of Jesus Christ denotes their admission into the external man or mind only, by virtue of which the external thoughts, words, and works are in a measure directed and controlled; whilst doing the sayings of Jesus Christ denotes their admission into the internal man or mind, by virtue of which admission, interior evils are seen and combatted, interior goods are manifested and exalted, and thus the whole man, both internal and external, is brought into submission to, and conformity with the divine love and wisdom.

All the comparisons applied by Jesus Christ are to be regarded not as mere comparisons only, but as agreements or correspondences between the things compared; which agreements or correspondences were established at creation, and are the results of the relationship subsisting between things spiritual and things natural, in consequence of the derivation of the latter from the former, and thus of their constant connection with each other. The comparisons, therefore, applied by Jesus Christ, differ from other comparisons principally in this respect, that they are comparisons, or agreements and correspondences, between things natural and things spiritual; whereas other comparisons are comparisons only between things natural, which bear some kind of resemblance to each other. When Jesus Christ therefore says, I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock, he means to declare the existence, not only of a similitude between the two cases, but of a real agreement or correspondence, and this of such a nature, that, when considered in reality and truth, the things compared are the same. Thus, in the present instance, the things compared are a person who hears the sayings of Jesus Christ and does them, and a person who builds his house upon a rock. When, therefore, Jesus Christ says, that these persons are like each other, he intended to mark, by the most significant terms, the proper character of the person who hears and does these sayings, and to say, not only that he resembles a person who builds his house on a rock, but also that he really and virtually is such a person, which will be further evident from the consideration of what is to be understood by building a house upon a rock.

By the house here spoken of, is manifestly to be understood a spiritual house, which is no other than the interior and exterior mind of man, who is called a house in consequence of being the habitation, not only of the man himself, that is to say, of his supreme love, with all its derivative affections and thoughts, but also of the Lord himself, with his divine love and wisdom, together with all the angelic host, who constitute his eternal kingdom. This house is said to be built upon a rock, whenever man opens his mind to the reception of the divine truth of the Most High, and especially to that highest and most sublime truth, the manifestation of God in the flesh, or his revelation of himself in the Divine Humanity of Jesus Christ. For in the Sacred Scriptures all truth is called a rock, by reason of its consistency and durability, and the term is applied pre-eminently to Jesus Christ as being the Supreme Truth, agreeably to his own declaration, where he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The first step, therefore, towards building this spiritual house is to believe in Jesus Christ as the Supreme God, and thus, as the source and fountain of all divine truth, and the building is afterwards advanced and perfected, in proportion as man forms his mind and his life in agreement with the precepts of Jesus Christ, and especially of that most edifying and purifying precept, to shun all evil as sin against that Great and Holy God.

But it is said that the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house.

The rain, the floods, and the winds, here spoken of, are to be understood spiritually, or according to a spiritual idea, because they are here mentioned as beating upon a spiritual house; and by rain, according to a spiritual idea, is meant the assault of false principles and persuasions in their opposition to the truths and precepts of the revealed wisdom of the Most High; by floods, a destructive accumulation of those principles and persuasions; and by winds, the infernal influences with which they are in continual connection, and from which they derive all their activity, force, and overwhelming operation. By rain, indeed, and by wind, when applied in a good sense, as the terms frequently are applied in the Sacred Scripture, is to be understood the descent of the heavenly doctrine of truth and wisdom, operative under the influence of the power and spirit of the Most High; but in the present instance the two terms are manifestly applied in an opposite, or bad sense, and accordingly denote, as was said above, the assault and operation of false and destructive principles and persuasions infused by the powers of darkness.

The term beating, has relation to the assault made by false principles and persuasions against the principles and persuasions of heavenly truth in the human mind, and therefore it relates to a state of trial or temptation, which is necessary for all to undergo, before the principles and persuasions of heavenly love and wisdom, or, what is the same thing, of heavenly goodness and truth, can be fully fixed and confirmed in the mind and life of man.

It is afterwards said of the house, when thus beaten by the rain, the floods, and the winds, that it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

By falling, applied to a spiritual house, is to be understood the separation or disjunction of the house, and of all things contained in it, from the divine love and wisdom of Jesus Christ: for when this is the case, the house then of necessity falls, since it is then placed only under the rule and government of selfish and worldly love, which love, in respect to heavenly love, is grovelling and debased, and destitute besides of all order, strength, and consistency necessary for the support of a spiritual building. When, therefore, the house, as in the present case, is said not to fall, the expression was intended to denote, that what is signified by the house was still kept in conjunction with the divine love and wisdom of Jesus Christ, and consequently, that the trial, or temptation, signified by the beating of the rain, the floods and the winds, had produced no other effect than to strengthen the foundations of the house. For such is the nature of all opposition from the powers of darkness, when exercised on the well-disposed mind, that, instead of destroying, it strengthens the heavenly principles which it assaults, by bringing those principles more into exercise, by leading man into deeper humiliation, and by thus elevating him to a closer conjunction with the powers of heaven and their God than could otherwise have been effected. The Almighty, therefore, permits such opposition on account of the end which is accomplished by it, and which is no other than the more radical purification and regeneration of his children, agreeably to his own declaration, where he says, You shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy (John 16:20).

By the rock, as was shown above, is to be understood the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, or the Incarnate God, together with all the truth, or wisdom, which proceeds from him; and the nature of man’s connection with this Lord and Saviour is such, that if he be wise to open his mind to the reception of him, and of the heavenly principles of life and love which proceed from him, by renouncing all the evils which are in opposition to those principles, he then connects himself with the Omnipotence of that Great God and Saviour, and thus cannot perish, since none is able to pluck him out of that Saviour’s hand (John 10:28). Whenever, then, man is wise to build his house upon this rock, he may console himself with the blessed conviction, that it can never fall, but is that house not built with hands, of which it said, that it is eternal in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1).

We have now considered what is meant by the sayings of Jesus Christ, and what by hearing and doing them. The meaning, therefore, of hearing and not doing them is plain: but we have yet to seek the reason why the man, who hears them, and does them not, is like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

He is like a foolish man, because he is a foolish man, agreeably to what is said above concerning the Lord’s comparisons; and therefore the Lord would here teach that this is the essence of all folly, to hear his sayings and not to do them; in other words, to acquire speculative knowledge of holy things in the memory and understanding, without suffering that knowledge to influence the life and conversation. And this folly Jesus Christ further marks by the significant expression of building the house upon the sand. For sand, we know, is a strong substance, without coherence and consistency, and therefore is an exact representative figure of all that truth in the human mind which is not reduced to practice, by being allowed to govern and control the love and the life, in which case, being deprived of the heavenly conjoining spirit of love to the Lord, and neighbourly love, it has nothing to give it consistence and coherence, consequently, nothing to give it strength and stability. As, therefore, a material house must soon fall, if it has no other foundation for its security than material sand, in like manner, a spiritual house must soon fall, if it has no other security than spiritual sand; in other words, if it be built on mere speculative truths, or knowledges, which, being separated from heavenly life and love, are of consequence disjoined from each other, and therefore incapable of supplying a firm and durable foundation. It is accordingly said, that when the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall of it, to denote, that in time of spiritual trial or temptation, truth alone cannot stand; in other words, that the man of the church cannot be supported under spiritual conflicts, only so far as knowledge is formed into life, speculation brought into practice, and the whole man thus, both internal and external, restored to an eternal connection and conjunction of life with the divine fountain of all good and truth, whose high and holy name is Jesus Christ.

The fall is called a great fall, to distinguish it from lesser falls, and to teach the edifying and awful lesson, that the greatest fall to which the spiritual house of man is exposed, results not from ignorance, but from the knowledge of heavenly truth received in his understanding, when it is not suffered to operate and produce its proper fruits in the will and life, by purifying man from all his natural evils, and restoring him both internally and externally to the love and the practice of heavenly good. Jesus Christ therefore says, in another place, If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt. 6:23). to instruct us, that great darkness does not result from mere ignorance, or the want of spiritual light, but that it results from spiritual life itself, when it is either perverted, suffocated, or rejected, – in consequence of not applying it to the purposes for which it was given, namely, purification, reformation, and regeneration of the heart and life. The same truth is again inculcated in these words of Jesus Christ, That servant, which knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many blows. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of blows, shall be beaten with few blows (Luke 12:47, 48)

From this parable then, we learn, in the first place, the distinguishing marks and characters of wisdom and folly, and what it is which properly constitutes the essence of each. For we are taught that the proper mark and character of wisdom, is both to hear and to do the sayings of Jesus Christ, whereas the proper mark and character of folly is, to hear only, and not to do. A man therefore cannot properly be called wise, merely because he has much knowledge, or because he abounds in the science even of things the most heavenly and sublime, but he becomes wise in proportion as he suffers such knowledge and science to elevate his love and affections, to raise him above his corruptions, and to conjoin him with the Father of his Being, the High and Holy God. Neither can he be properly called foolish on account of any defect in knowledge or science, but he becomes foolish by the possession of knowledge or science unpractised, in consequence of not suffering it to convert him from the love of evil to the love of good, and thus to influence his life and conversation. We are instructed yet further by the above parable, that in building our spiritual house, we ought both to hear and to do the words of Jesus Christ, and thus to lay the foundations on a rock; in other words, we ought to believe in the incarnate God, and to form our life in obedience to his heavenly precepts of love and charity, in which case our house can never fall, because it will ever be kept in connection with the Eternal, and under the support of his Omnipotence; whereas, if we only hear, and do not, we shall then build our house on the sand, and when trial or temptation assaults us, it will fall, and its fall will be the greater, because we knew our duty and did not practise it. Let us endeavour, therefore, from now on, to acquire the blessed character of true wisdom, and for this purpose, both to learn what our Heavenly Father requires of us, and also to practise it, that so, when the hour of trial and temptation comes, we may stand steadfast and unmoved, and may enter into all the comfort of the blessed declaration, It fell not, for it was founded on a rock. Amen.

http://www.biblemeanings.info/Parables

The Two Blind Men Restored To Sight

The  Two  Blind  Men  Restored To Sight

Matt. 9:27-32.

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, You Son of David, have mercy on us, etc.

Q. YOU have already told me that the Leprosy, the Palsy, the Fever, the Possessed of Devils, and the Bloody Issue, are to be understood not only literally, but figuratively, as expressing the spiritual disorders prevalent at that time in the Jewish church, and that there is reason to suppose that all the infirmities and distempers, for which the blessed Jesus provided a remedy, are to be considered in this same figurative character. Can you tell me then, according to this idea, what is to be understood by the two blind men above-mentioned ?

A. By blindness, according to its figurative meaning, is to be understood, the want of spiritual intelligence respecting the things of heaven and of the church, for what the eye is to the body, that the understanding is to the mind, and consequently what the loss of eye-sight is to the corporeal part of man, that the loss of intellectual sight is to his spiritual part. By these two blind men, therefore, was figured the want of spiritual understanding in the Jewish church at that period; and since the want of spiritual understanding ie two-fold, namely. the want of the understanding of truth; and the want of the understanding of good, therefore two blind men are here recorded. For the same reason, and in agreement with the same figure, man is gifted with two eyes, one having reference to the understanding of good, and the other to the understanding of truth; on which ground it is that Jesus Christ says, If your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you, (Matt. 5:29), for by the right eye is signified the understanding of good, and therefore this eye, and not the left, was to be plucked out, and cast away, in case it offended; in other words, in case it favoured the love of evil, since the left eye, as denoting the understanding of truth, was not capable of offending in the same degree.

Q. But it is said of these two blind men, that they followed Jesus, crying, and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us — how do you understand these words?

A. By the two blind men following Jesus, is to be understood, according to the figurative or spiritual sense of the history, that they were made sensible of their want of spiritual understanding; and not only so, but they were also sensible that the blessed Jesus was able to open their spiritual eyes, and give them the spiritual sight which they wanted. They accordingly are described as crying and saying, in the supplication which they make on the occasion; because the term crying is expressive of the strong desire of their wills to receive the light of truth, as the term saying is expressive of the thought of their understanding on the same subject. It is remarkable also, that they address the great redeemer under His two-fold character, as a man, and as a god ; as a man, when they call Him the Son of david; and as a god, when they say, have mercy on us. Thus they supplicate Him as a god-man; or as god made manifest in a divine humanity, and dwelling bodily with all His fullness in that humanity.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written, When He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him; and: Jesus says to them, Believe you that I am able to do this? They say to Him, Yea, Lord.

A. According to the spiritual sense of this history, by Jesus coming into the house, is to be understood His divine influx of love and wisdom into His church, which is properly his house and temple ; His house, so far as His church is principled in heavenly good of love and charity; and His temple, so far as she is principled in heavenly truth of wisdom and intelligence. And by the two blind men coming to Him in the house, is to be understood, their spiritual communication and conjunction with Him by virtue of that influx. Again, by Jesus saying to them, Believe you that I am able to do this? was intended to be expressed an exploration of the nature and quality of their faith, and how far they believed in His omnipotence; and by their replying, Yea, Lord, is to be understood their full persuasion of His divine ability, and their consequent conviction that from His divine power they might hope to receive the blessing of spiritual sight, or of a right understanding both of what is good and what is true,

Q. But it is lastly written, that Jesus touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it to you: and their eyes were opened; and Jesus strictly charged them, saying. See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad His fame in all that country — what do you conceive to be the meaning of these words?

A. By Jesus touching their eyes, isto be spiritually understood, His communication by divine influx with the understanding, or intellectual principle of His church or people, since the touch is figurative of communication; and by His saying, According to your faith be it to you, is further to be understood, in agreement with the spiritual idea, that the recovery of spiritual light, or, what is the same thing, of intellectual light in the church, would depend entirely on a right belief in the divine omnipotence of the incarnate god, or, what amounts to the same, in the omnipotence of the divine humanity of that god; consequently, that there can be no true understanding, or no understanding of truth in the church, only so far as Jesus Christ is acknowledged to be the only god, and approached and worshiped in His divine humanity. By their eyes being opened, is further to be understood, the effect of the above faith in the imparting of spiritual understanding, – or the understanding of truth; and by Jesus strictly charging them, saying, See that no man know, is meant divine caution, lest the omnipotence of the divine humanity, thus exercised in the recovery of spiritual sight, should be regarded in a mere speculative way, as a truth manifested merely in the understanding, instead of making its proper impression on the will, and thus exciting devout affection of love and gratitude to the giver of all good, and particularly to the bestower of all spiritual light of intellectual truth. Lastly, by the men, when they were departed, spreading abroad His fame in all the country, is denoted that the divine honour due to the incarnate god, in His divine humanity, is made known in the church, in proportion as the understanding of truth is restored, and the human intellect becomes thus receptive of the light of heavenly wisdom; for by country, is here spiritually to be understood, the church ; and by His fame, is meant the divine honour and worship due to the divine humanity of the blessed Jesus ; and by His fame being spread abroad, is manifestly denoted its being made known, acknowledged, and celebrated.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. I learn again to adore the omnipotence of the incarnate god, as exercised in removing the infirmities of mankind, and particularly in restoring the great blessing of bodily sight to those who had lost it. I learn also, that this miracle, like all the others performed by the great redeemer, is figure, and that in its figurative sense or meaning, it involves in it the restoration of spiritual sight to the church, or the recovery of that spiritual understanding of heavenly truth which had been lost. Lastly, I learn, that spiritual sight, or spiritual understanding, can only be recovered by faith in Jesus Christ, as the manifested god ; thus by faith in His divine humanity, as being one with the eternal father, and therefore containing in it all the fullness of the Godhead. I am resolved, therefore, now on to draw near to this omnipotent god, as the only restorer of spiritual sight; thus as the only Deliverer from the natural blindness into which I was born, and in which I have been educated, that so my understanding may be opened to see by the bright light of the eternal truth, and my will may accordingly be affected, and elevated to the pursuit of the supreme good. And since I cannot hope to attain these signal blessings, only so far as I prepare myself for their reception, I am further resolved, under a deep sense of my natural ignorance and blindness, to imitate the example of the two blind men recorded in the history of this miracle, by following my redeemer, crying and saying, You son of david, have mercy on me. Thus may I hope to experience the virtue of His divine touch, and to hear His blessed words, According to your faith be it to you: and thus too will my spiritual eyes be opened, and like the blind men of old, I shall be admitted to the inestimable privilege of spreading abroad the fame of my god and saviour, by acknowledging Him in His divine humanity to be the only Deliverer from spiritual blindness, because the only Giver of true light, as well as of the faculty to receive it. amen.

The Bloody Issue Cured

The Bloody Issue Cured

Matt. 9:20.

Behold, a woman, which was diseased of an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment, etc.

Q. WHAT do you here understand by a woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years?

A. By the woman here spoken of, is figured the church, as it existed at that time amongst the Jews; and by her being diseased with an issue of blood, is denoted the state of that church in regard to the falsification of truth, and the overflow of such falsification. For by bloody in a good sense, is signified the divine truth proceeding from the great redeemer; and of which it is written, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you, (John 6:53). But in an opposite sense, by blood is signified violence offered to truth, in consequence of which it is falsified, by being compelled to confirm the principles of evil in the human mind; according to which sense of the word, it is written in the prophet, Your hands are full of blood, (Isa. 1:15). and in the Revelations, They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou have given them blood to drink, (Rev. 16:6). Thus, as the leper was a figure of the profanation of truth in the Jewish church at the time of the lord’s appearing among them; and as the sick of the palsy was a figure equally striking of the want of circulation of heavenly wisdom in that church; and as the fever was a figure of the concupiscencies of evil which then abounded; and as the possessed of devils were figures of the ascendancy of the powers of darkness which were then prevalent; in like manner the woman here spoken of, who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, was also a representative figure, and this a most exact one, of another corruption in that church, which corruption consisted in its propensity to falsify truth, or to pervert it to the confirmation of evil. It is said twelve years, to denote that this had always been the case with that church; for years, according to the spiritual sense, signify states of the church, and twelve signify all.

Q. But it is said of this woman, that she came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment; for she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole — what do you here understand by the woman coming behind Jesus,  and touching the   hem of His garment?

A. The term behind, when applied to the blessed Jesus, denotes the exterior things of His Word, of the church and of worship, since as His face, or front, is expressive of His mercy, love, and innocence, in like manner His back, or back-parts, are expressive of what proceeds from his mercy, love, and innocence, that is to say, of His wisdom, truth, and the faith to which that truth gives birth. Accordingly, it is written in the book of Exodus concerning Moses, when he desired to see the glory of Jehovah, You shall see my back-parts, but my face shall not be seen, (Exod. 33:23), to denote, that he was not qualified to behold the almighty as He really is, beaming with divine love, but only to behold Him in His Word, and in His works, according to the manifestation of His divine wisdom. It is therefore added, that she touched the hem of His garment, because the hem of his garment is expressive of the same idea, namely. of the exterior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship. For garment, according to the spiritual idea, when applied to the great redeemer, denotes the divine truth of His wisdom, which invests, as it were, the divine good of His love; in agreement with which signification it is written of Him, that He clothed Himself with light as with a garment, (Psalm 104:2); and the hem of this garment manifestly means its most external part; whilst to touch it denotes communication with that part. On this occasion, therefore, the woman touched the hem of Jesus ‘ s garment, because she was incapable at the time of any nearer communication with Him than by the mere externals of His Word or truth.

Q. But it is added further, that she said within her self, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole — how do you understand these words?

A. By saying within herself, is to be understood her interior thought, or persuasion; and by saying. If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole, is to be understood the interior thought or persuasion, that any communication with the blessed Jesus, however remote, would be sufficient for the cure of all her infirmities; and thus the words are expressive of an extraordinary degree of faith in her god and saviour, which, as it afterwards appears, was her qualification to receive from Him the blessing of health which she wanted.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written, that Jesus turned Him about; and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good comfort, your faith has made you whole?

A. By Jesus turning Him about, is to be understood the manifestation of his divine mercy or love; and by seeing the woman, is denoted inspection from that mercy and love; and by saying, Daughter, be of good comfort, is further to be understood the communication of those blessed principles, from parental affection; and by adding, your faith has made you whole, is lastly denoted, that such communication was the result of a belief in His divine omnipotence, thus a belief that He was the supreme and only god; for such is the faith, or belief which in the gospel is called saving, and to which all things are declared possible, and the reason is, because it is a faith, or belief, not of man, but of god, agreeable to the proper character of faith described by Jesus Christ in another place, where He says, Have the faith of god, (Mark 11:22).

Q. It is said in the conclusion, that the woman was made whole from that same hour— what do you suppose to be involved in these words?

A. They involve the effect produced by the words of the great saviour, thus they imply, not only that the woman was cured of her natural infirmity, which was an issue of blood, but also of her spiritual infirmity, or violent propensity to falsify truth, and consequently that she was restored to the blessing of a sound mind, which consists in loving the truth for its own sake, and practising it for the sake of that good with which it is connected, and to which it leads. It is added, in that same hour, to show that this effect was the result of her communication with the blessed Jesus, and was therefore the real fruit of His mercy and love, although He ascribes it to the woman’s faith, which in reality is the same thing, since that faith was the product of the same divine mercy and love.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. From the issue of blood, which is the subject of this miracle, I am taught to reflect on that more terrible issue of blood which it figures, namely. the falsification of truth, which at that time prevailed in the Jewish church, and which. consists in perverting the truth from its proper purpose of purity and holiness of life, and making it favour evil purposes, which are contrary to purity and holiness. I learn further, that a remedy is still provided by the divine mercy for such falsification, and that this remedy consists in applying to the incarnate god, and to the truths of His most holy word, in the spirit of true repentance and obedience. I am resolved, therefore, whenever I feel any propensity in myself to do violence to the eternal truth, by wresting it to an evil purpose, to imitate the conduct of the woman as recorded in the history of this miracle, by applying immediately to my god and saviour, and touching, if it be but the hem of his garment, through the power of that faith, which acknowledges the divinity of His humanity, and thus that He is the supreme and only god even as to that humanity. Then may I humbly hope that my issue of blood will be staunched, and that although at first I come behind the blessed Jesus, and behold only His back-parts, yet presently He will turn Himself about, and make manifest His blessed face of mercy and loving-kindness, whilst I hear from His gracious lips the consolatory words. Be of good comfort, your faith has made you whole. amen.

The Ruler’s Daughter Raised

The Ruler’s Daughter Raised

Matt. 9:18-27

While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come, and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live, etc.

Q. WHAT do you  here understand  by  a certain ruler and his daughter?

A. According to the sense of the letter, by a certain ruler is to be understood a person, who was in authority amongst the Jews; and by his daughter is to be understood his daughter according to the flesh; but agreeable to the spiritual sense of this miracle, by a certain ruler is to be understood the church, or the members of the church, principled in heavenly truths, from which comes all spiritual rule or dominion; and by his daughter, in agreement  with the same sense, is to be understood the affection derived from that truth, for such, in the language of inspiration, is the signification of the term daughter, and therefore so frequent mention is made of    the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, and the daughter of the uncircumcised, denoting the affection of good, the affection of truth, and the opposite affections of evil and of error.

Q. What then do you understand by this ruler’s daughter being dead, according to this spiritual signification of the term?

A. By being dead, according to the sense of the letter, is to be understood natural death, or the separation of the soul from the body, but by being dead, according to the spiritual sense, is to be understood spiritual death, or the separation of the soul from the life of the love of god, and its consequent immersion in the unclean loves of self and of the world. When therefore it is said by the ruler, My daughter is even now dead, it is to be understood that the affection of truth was thus separated from heavenly love, and thereby immersed in unclean loves.

Q. But it is added concerning the ruler, that he said to Jesus, Come, and lay your hand upon her, and she shall live — what do you conceive to be implied in these words?

A. They are words expressive of a strong faith in the divinity of the great saviour, and are therefore recorded for the instruction and benefit of the church in all succeeding ages. For when the ruler says, Come, in application to the great saviour, he manifestly intended to supplicate His divine presence, mercy, and benediction; and when he added, lay your hand upon her, he meant further to supplicate a communication with the Divine Omnipotence; and lastly, when he concludes, she shall live, he expresses a strong confidence in the effect of such communication, by restoring a dead affection to the newness of heavenly life, vigour and enjoyment.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written, that Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples?

A. According to the sense of the letter, by these words is to be understood, that Jesus and His disciples rose up, and followed the ruler to his house, but according to the spiritual sense, by Jesus arising, is to be understood the elevation of His humanity to a closer and fuller union with His divinity, agreeable to the process by which He gradually made His humanity divine, by uniting it fully with the eternal father in Himself. This divine process was called His glorification, agreeable to His own words, where He says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in another place, Father, glorify Your name. And by His following the ruler, is to be understood, according to the same sense, the intenseness of His love to fulfill the desire which He had before implanted in the ruler’s mind. It is added, and so did His disciples, to denote that Jesus and His disciples are always united, because His disciples are all those who admit into their wills’ and understandings His divine love and wisdom.

Q. But it is written, that when Jesus cams into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said to them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleeps: and they laughed Him to scorn — what do you understand by these words?

A. These words, like the foregoing, have their spiritual as well as their literal meaning, and according to their spiritual interpretation, by Jesus coming into the ruler’s house, is signified His divine influx into the minds of those who are represented by the ruler, namely. such as are principled in the knowledge of the eternal truth, but without that affection, which the truth is calculated to produce. And by His seeing the minstrels, and the people making a noise, is further signified, according to the same sense, His divine inspection of the disorderly state of their affections and thoughts; for by the minstrels are spiritually denoted the things relating to the will; and by the people, the things relating to the understanding; and by their making a noise, is signified the disorderly and. disturbed state of both. Again, by His saying to them, Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleeps, is to be understood, His divine control over that disorder and disturbance, that so he might restore the affection of truth to its proper state of vigour and activity, inasmuch as it was not really dead, or voluntarily and deliberately immersed in evil love, but asleep; in other words, immersed for a time, and unintentionally, in mere natural appetites and affections. And by their laughing Him to scorn, is further to be understood, that they were incapable of apprehending this distinction between death and sleep, and therefore made light of it, as a distinction not worth attending to.

Q. It is lastly written, that when the people were put forth. He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land — how do you understand these words?

A. By the people being put forth, is to be understood the separation of disorderly thoughts; and by His going in, and taking her by the hand, is to be understood His divine influx into the affection of truth, and a communication thereby of divine power; and by the maid arising, is further to be understood the elevation of that affection out of the natural affections and appetites in which it had been immersed. Lastly, by the fame thereof going forth into all that land, is denoted the church’s acknowledgement of a divine supernatural agency, proceeding from the humanity of the incarnate god.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. I learn again to adore the divine omnipotence of my god and saviour, as exercised in the double kingdom of matter and of mind; of matter, by raising up to life a dead, body; and of mind, by elevating out of unclean loves a mental affection. I learn further, to distinguish in myself between an affection which is dead, and an affection which is asleep, and to see that the latter is capable of admitting divine influx and power, and thus of being raised out of sleep; in other words, of being elevated out of the natural state into which it was fallen, into a spiritual one of life and peace. Lastly, I learn, that before the blessed Jesus can operate to advantage either on body or on mind, the people must be put forth; in other words, the rabble of unruly and disorderly thoughts must be separated, that so the healing virtues of the divine mercy and omnipotence may be admitted. I am resolved, therefore, from now on, to apply to this my god and saviour, under all my spiritual infirmities, and especially under that sleep of good affections, which, if deliberately indulged in, may prove fatal to my everlasting happiness. And further I am resolved, in my application for divine aid, to endeavour to bring my mind into a state capable of receiving it, by expelling all those purposes, affections, and tumultuous thoughts, which have a tendency to banish the blessed Jesus from me, and to render ineffectual the divine power of His healing love and wisdom, amen.

The Sick Of The Palsy Healed

The Sick Of The Palsy Healed

Matt. 9:2-9.

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; your sins be forgiven you, etc.

Q. YOU have already told me, in the explanation of a former miracle, what is to be understood both naturally and spiritually by the sick of the palsy, and that it implies some obstruction to the circulation of the blood in the body, and of truth in the mind, in consequence of which both the corporeal and mental organs are rendered incapable of performing their proper functions. Can you now tell me why the sick of the palsy, as here recorded, is described as lying on a bed?

A. The reason is, because a bed, according to its spiritual signification, figures and represents the natural principle of the life of man, since what a literal bed is to the body of a man, that the natural principle is to the spirit of a man. For man, it is well known, or may be known, consists of two distinct principles, the one natural, the other spiritual; in other words, the one formed to be affected by, and to take cognizance of the things of this world, and the other formed to be affected by, and to take cognizance of the things of another world, namely. god, His law, His kingdom, His providence, His perfections, and the relationship subsisting between Him and His creatures. Agreeable then to this idea, the natural principle, as being the lowest, may be regarded as the bed of the spiritual principle, which is above it, because the spiritual principle rests upon, and finds its repose in the natural, in like manner as the body of man rests upon, and finds its repose in a literal bed. That bed has such a spiritual signification, may be plain from these passages in the holy word, where it is mentioned. Thus it is written in the Book of Psalms; Commune with your own heart on your bed, (Psalm 4:4). And again, He deviseth mischief upon his bed, (Psalm 36:4). And again, You will make all his bed in his sickness, (Psalm 41:3). And again, When I remember you upon my bed, (Psalm 63:6). And again, in Isaiah, The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it) (Isa. 28:20). in all which passages, by bed is not meant a bed literally, but the natural mind or principle, on which the spiritual mind or principle rests, and in which it thinks. The awful sentence therefore against Jezebel was denounced in these words, Behold, I will cast her into a bed, (Rev. 2:22), to denote that she would be left to the natural mind or principle, and to its false persuasions. It deserves however to be noted, that the spiritual bed here spoken of varies according to the state of the natural principle, being a soft and easy bed if the natural principle be brought into right subordination to the spiritual, but a hard and uneasy bed, if such subordination be wanting. By the sick of the palsy, therefore, lying on a bed, is to be understood the connection of the spiritual principle with the natural, and that in this connection there was some obstruction, which prevented the due circulation of spiritual principles and persuasions in the natural life and its principles and persuasions.

Q. But it is said, that Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; your sins be forgiven you — what is it you understand by these words of the blessed Jesus, Son, be of good cheer; your sins be forgiven you?

A. Jesus, in calling the sick of the palsy, his son, announces his divine parental affection to all His distempered and suffering children, and this is language at once the most tender, most consolatory, and most encouraging. When He says again to this son, Be of good cheer, He meant to announce, further, the presence and comfort of His own mercy and love, since it is impossible that man can be of good cheer, or, as it is expressed in the original, have confidence, by any other means than the communication and reception of the divine favour and loving-kindness. And again, when He pronounces, your sins be forgiven you, He meant to declare the saving blessed effect of such favour and loving-kindness, in removing and separating all the principles of sin and disorder, thus in purifying the affections and thoughts from all defilement of iniquity, and finally restoring the whole man, with all his principles both natural and spiritual, to the order, the image, the peace and blessing of god and heaven.

Q. But it is added, that certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemes, And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think you evil in your hearts? — what instruction do you learn from these words?

A. I learn that sinful men, especially if their sin be strengthened and supported by human learning, and what are commonly called great talents, are ever ready to misinterpret the words of the most high, and to call His wisdom foolishness, and the declarations of his mercy blasphemy. I learn further an additional proof of the divinity of my saviour, manifested so evidently in His discernment of the thoughts of those with whom He was conversing; for who but the only god can possess such discernment? Thirdly, from the significant question, Wherefore think you evil in your hearts? I am taught to reflect, not only that all evil thoughts proceed from a corrupt heart, but also that they are in themselves most unreasonable and groundless, being nothing more or less than oppositions to the divine love and wisdom of the Most high god.

Q. But the blessed Jesus adds, as a proof of the unreasonableness of such evil thoughts, Whether is easier to say, Your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Arise, and walk? — what do you conceive to be the force and drift of this significant question?

A. My saviour would instruct me by this significant question, that to forgive sins and to cure bodily disease, are acts which equally require the exercise of Divine Omnipotence, and that consequently the supernatural cure of a bodily disease implies the power to cure a mental disease. He would instruct me therefore to regard all His healing operations, exercised on the bodies of men, as proofs most positive of His divine power to exercise similar operations on the souls or spirits of men. And the reason is plain, because sin, properly considered, is nothing but a distemper of the soul; and to forgive sin therefore, or, as it is expressed in the original, to remit it, means nothing more or less than to remove that distemper. The blessed Jesus therefore, by every act of healing exercised on the bodies of men, gave a full demonstration of His divine power to heal their souls or spirits; in other words, to forgive sins: to which purpose He declares afterwards, But that you may know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (then says He to the sick of the palsy ) Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.

Q. And what do you conceive to be involved in the words, Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house?

A. The injunction to arise, involves in it spiritually an elevation of the affections and thoughts, or of the will and understanding, from earthly things to heavenly; in other words, from self-love and the love of the world to the love of god and neighbourly love. The injunction again, to take up the bed, involves in it a similar elevation of the natural mind, with all its purposes, words and works, agreeable to what was said above concerning the spiritual signification of the term bed. And lastly, the injunction, go to your house, spiritually considered, involves in it a divine exhortation to the sick of the palsy, and thus to every distempered child of man, to retire into the interiors of his own mind, where the most high has His consecrated abode, and there to dwell continually in the enjoyment of the divine presence, favour and benediction of the god who heals all his infirmities.

Q. In the conclusion it is said, that he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified god, which had given such power to men——what do you learn from these words?

A. By the sick of the palsy arising, and departing to his house, I am taught to discern the effect of the divine word of the most high, produced in the ultimates of nature. For such is the quality of the divine intention and thought, which is the same thing with the divine word or speech, that it ever proceeds to its effect, which effect terminates in the ultimates of the natural world, and from thence returns, by re-action, to its divine source. And from the multitude marvelling at the sight of the effect, and glorifying god which had given such power to men, I am further instructed in the true disposition and genuine character of the followers of the blessed Jesus, that is to say, of the real living members of His church and kingdom, namely. that they adore with wonder the effects of His omnipotence, in removing the disorders both of body and mind, and thus of restoring man to his original purity, order, and life; and further, that they refer these effects to the union of the divine and human nature in the person of the incarnate god, and thus worship Jesus Christ in His divine humanity as One with the eternal father, consequently as the supreme and only god, who has all power both in heaven and earth.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. I learn again to adore the power of that merciful god and saviour, which I find exercised in healing the bodily infirmities of mankind. But I learn still more to adore that same divine power as applied to the removal of spiritual infirmity and distemper, and as expressing itself in the divine consolatory words, Son, be of good cheer  your sins be forgiven you. From the account too of the above miracle, I receive an additional confirmation of my faith in the divinity of my lord and saviour, of whom I find it written, that He knew the thoughts of those with whom He conversed, for such knowledge is a peculiar characteristic of divinity, and consequently a demonstration that the person possessing it could be no other than the supreme god. Again I learn, that the power of healing bodily disease involves in it, of necessary consequence, the power of healing spiritual disease, and that therefore the blessed Jesus, in controlling the disorders of matter, exhibited a proof most positive that the kingdom of mind also was subject to His authority, and that of course he was able likewise to control all its disorders, and to restore it to its proper health, vigour, and enjoyment. Lastly, I learn what is the true temper and spirit of the followers of this incarnate god, or of the members of His church and kingdom, and that their minds are continually filled with wonder and adoration at observing the effects of His mercy and omnipotence as exhibited both in matter and in mind, and further, that they are led by those effects to the acknowledgment of the incarnate god, and to the devout worship of Him in His divine humanity, thus in His one-ness with the eternal father. I am resolved therefore from now on to take this god for my god, and to believe in and follow Him, as the restorer of the breach in all the principles both of my body and of my mind. So may I humbly hope, in all my sorrows and infirmities, to hear from His divine mouth the consolatory words, Son, be of good cheer, your sins be forgiven you; and penetrated with a lively and grateful sense of the mercy and power of these divine words, I may finally experience their blessed efficacy, in enabling me to arise, and take up my bed, and go to my house. amen. 

The Possessed With Devils Coming Out of the Tombs

The Possessed With Devils Coming Out of the Tombs

Matt. 8:28-the end.

And when He was come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way, etc

Q. HOW do you understand the miracle here recorded, according to its literal sense?

A. According to the literal sense of this miracle, are to be understood two men, who, as to their bodies, were possessed or obsessed by infernal spirits, coming out from amongst the filth and impurity of sepulchres, and so exceeding fierce and ungovernable, that it was unsafe for any one to come near them. And by the devils requesting to be permitted to enter into the herd of swine, and by the herd, when such permission was granted, running down a steep place into the sea, and perishing in the waters? is further to be understood, that the devils find delight in entering into the bodies of unclean animals, and then in instigating those animals to their own destruction.

Q. And how do you understand this miracle according to its spiritual sense, or according to that sense which is veiled under the letter?

A. According to the spiritual sense, by two are not to be understood two men, but two principles: and by their being possessed of devils, and meeting Jesus is further to be understood, that those principles were in connection with the power of darkness, and thus in opposition to the holy Jesus, that is to say, to his divine love and divine wisdom. And by their coming out of the tombs is further to be understood their issuing forth from their infernal abodes: and by their being exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way, is further described the violence of their opposition to the eternal truth, so that it was impossible for any truth to be manifested before them. According to this sense, therefore, by the devils beseeching Jesus to suffer them to enter into the herd of swine, and by Jesus permitting them, is further to be understood, that infernal spirits take delight in infesting both the bodies and minds of men, and that when, by the Word of the great redeemer, they are expelled from the minds of the humble, and the penitent, they then take refuge, and this by divine permission, in the minds of those who are here figured by the swine, that is to say, of the sordidly sensual and avaricious, who, under their infernal influence, descend rapidly into the infernal pit, and there perish in the polluted waters of all infernal persuasions.

Q. And what do you conceive the two principles to be, which are described as possessed of devils and meeting Jesus ?

A. By these two principles are to be understood the principle of evil in the human will, and the principle of error in the human understanding, both of them in connection with infernal agency: and by their meeting Jesus is further described a trial or temptation which the saviour of the world endured from the powers of darkness operating in His infirm humanity, before it was fully glorified, or made divine.

Q. But it is written, that the devils cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of god ? Art you come here to torment us before the time? — what do you understand by these words?

A. By the devils crying out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of god? is to be understood the vehemence of their opposition to the principles of the divine love and wisdom, notwithstanding their conviction that those principles were incarnate in the blessed Jesus. By the same words therefore is described, the torment under which they laboured through the opposition between their wills and their understandings, since with their understandings they knew the truth, but with their wills they hated and rejected it. They therefore exclaim, Art you come here to torment us (or, as it is expressed in the original, to explore us), before the time? to denote, that the manifestation of the divine truth was to them a source of the most exquisite pangs, because it was in opposition to their ruling love, and that consequently nothing is more painful to a wicked infernal being, than to have his purposes and thoughts thus exposed to the scrutinizing light of the divine intelligence.

Q. You have already told me what is to be understood by the herd of swine, and by the devils requesting permission to enter into them. Can you explain to me what is further to be understood by the words of the blessed Jesus, where it is written, He said to them, Go?

A. The Significant term Go, involves in it the whole of the divine will respecting the powers of darkness, which is, that they be eternally separated from Him, His kingdom, and His children, so as to be incapable of doing any mischief either to the great father of being, or to His happy family. Under every spiritual trial therefore, stirred up by the powers of darkness in the minds of the humble and the penitent, the great saviour is ever uttering the same authoritative command, Go, and the effect of this divine word is, to remove those powers from their usurped abode, that they may enter into minds congenial to their own, and precipitate them into their own infernal kingdom.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from the above miracle?

A. I learn again to adore that divine power, which was manifested to destroy the works of the devil, and overturn their empire, whether established in the bodies or in the souls of men. I learn also from the above miracle, that the powers of darkness are in direct opposition to the love and wisdom of Jesus Christ, and that their greatest torment consists in being explored by the light of the divine truth, and in the discovery thus made of their secret purposes, thoughts, and devices. I am also further instructed, that a single word uttered by the great saviour is able to put to flight a host of infernals, and that that saviour is ever uttering such a word of salvation in the hearts of all his penitent and suffering children. Lastly, I learn to tremble under the idea of the effect of infernal influence, and of those defiled concupiscencies in which it operates, since this effect is nothing less than a rapidity of motion downwards, hurrying its miserable subjects from the realms of bliss, to perish everlastingly in the disturbed waters of impiety and iniquity. I am resolved therefore, henceforth to be upon my guard against such infernal agency, and for this purpose to endeavour, through divine mercy, to keep my mind pure from all denied affections and concupiscencies. Thus, under the assault of all my spiritual enemies, I may hope to hear the authoritative word, Go, pronounced against them by my god and saviour, and may thus behold every infernal power cast out, and the blessed Jesus glorified in their separation, and in the consequent salvation of His humble and grateful child. Thus too I shall be preserved from imitating the folly and wickedness of the people amongst whom the above miracle was worked, and of whom it is written, that when they saw Jesus, they besought Him to depart out of their coasts, since by the experience which I have of the omnipotence and miraculous energy of my god and saviour in my own bosom, I shall be led to cleave to Him the more closely, and to beseech Him the more earnestly, not to depart, but rather to take up His eternal abode in my purified and grateful bosom, amen.

The Wind and Waves Rebuked

The Wind and Waves Rebuked

Matt. 8:23-28.

And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him, etc.

Q. WHAT do you understand here by Jesus entering into a ship, and His disciples following him ?

A. By Jesus entering into a ship, and His disciples following him, is to be understood, according to the literal sense of the history, that He and his disciples entered into a natural ship, such as floats on the natural waters of the sea; but according to the spiritual idea, is to be understood that they entered into what is signified and represented by a ship, and this is nothing else but the knowledge of what is good and true, as derived from the holy word, since what a ship is as to its natural use and service, that the knowledge of what is good and true is as to its spiritual use and service.

Q. Can you prove to me, from the authority of the sacred scriptures, that ships have such a spiritual meaning and signification?

A. Yes; it is said in the prophecy of Balaam, in reference to the gospel dispensation, that ships shall come from the coast of Shittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever, (Num. 24:24). where it must be evident to every considerate person, that by ships are not meant ships, but the knowledges of good and truth derived from the word of god, which were  to oppose and overturn the reasonings of the natural man, signified by Asshur and  Eber,    It is written  again in the prophet Isaiah, where he is speaking, in like manner of the Lord’s Advent, and of its extraordinary effects, that the day of the Lord should be upon all the ships of Tarshish,   (Isa.   ii.   16). where it is again manifest that by ships cannot be meant ships, but the knowledges of good and truth, and in the opposite sense the knowledges of what is evil and false, which were to be supplanted at the appearing of the incarnate god.    To the same purport it is written in the Revelations concerning the destruction of Babylon,  or of the corrupt church signified by Babylon, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness! (Rev. 18:19). from which words it is again plain, that by ships are not meant ships, but the doctrinals taught in that corrupt church.

Q. But it is said on this occasion, that there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves — what do you conceive to be meant by the tempest here spoken of, and by the ship being covered with the waves?

A. According to the sense of the letter, by the tempest is to be understood a natural tempest or storm; and by the ship being covered with waves is to be understood the natural effect of that tempest or storm, in covering the ship with the waters of the sea. But, according to the spiritual idea, by a tempest is to be understood a spiritual tempest, which is no other than the agitation and perturbation of the natural man, occasioned by the knowledges of good and truth derived from the word of god, which are here treated of. For in regard to those knowledges, the case is this, that when they are first communicated to the natural man, they disturb him in his natural loves, and thus cause what is called spiritual trial; trouble, or temptation, here called a tempest: and by the ship being covered with the waves is therefore to be understood, that the knowledges of heavenly good and truth were obscured by the agitation and perturbation of the natural man, signified by the waves.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written; that he  was asleep?

A. The sleep here spoken of, according to the spiritual idea, has reference to the state of the natural man, under the agitation and perturbation which is here described. For when the natural man is in such a state, then Jesus appears to be asleep; in other words, His Divine presence is not noted or attended to, being immersed in the distracted affections and thoughts of the natural mind. Sleep therefore, in such case, is ascribed to the blessed Jesus, in like manner as anger and wrath are ascribed to Him, when yet they are only appearances, arising from the evil and false principles which prevail in the mind of man, leading him to suppose that, because he is against god, therefore God is against him. Thus Jesus is said to be asleep, when in reality the sleep appertains only to man, who is pronounced to be asleep, when he thinks naturally, and not spiritually, that is to say, when his understanding is immersed in the things of nature, and not awake to the perception and enjoyment of things spiritual and eternal.

Q. But it is added, that His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, lord, save us; we perish — what do you understand by these words?

A. By the disciples coming to Him is to be understood that their affections were excited towards Him, because every man comes or goes, according to the state of his ruling affection. If therefore that affection be directed towards Jesus Christ, man is then said to come to that great and holy god, as on the other hand, he goes away from that god, whenever his affection grows cold towards Him, by being fixed on inferior objects. And as by coming to Jesus Christ is thus to be understood a state of the ruling affection, so by awaking Him is to be further understood a state of the ruling thought, or a state of the understanding in its elevation upwards towards things spiritual and eternal, agreeable to what was just now observed concerning Jesus being asleep. This state of elevated affection and elevated thought is further described in these words; which the disciples spoke on the occasion, lord, save us; ice perish: for by the prayer, lord, save us, is evidently described a state of elevated affection; and by the additional words, we perish, is as evidently denoted a state of elevated thought, since without such a state it would have been impossible for them to discern the danger and destruction which threatened them.

Q. And what do you conceive to be meant by the words which next follow, where it is written, He says to them, Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?

A. By the interesting question, Why are you fearful? the blessed Jesus intended to lead His disciples to explore in their own minds the cause and origin of fear, that so they might discover that all fear has its source in mere natural affection and thought separate from spiritual affection and thought; and therefore He adds, O you of little faith, by which words He manifestly points out a defect of those spiritual principles. For all faith, properly so called, is the complex of spiritual affection and spiritual thought, since, if spiritual affection be wanting, it is impossible to suppose that there can be any true faith; and in like manner, if spiritual thought be wanting, the principle of faith cannot be supposed to exist. When therefore the blessed Jesus applied the words of censure, O ye of little faith, He manifestly designed to instruct His disciples, and through them all succeeding generations of mankind, that fear is the constant result of the want or weakness of heavenly principles in the human mind, in consequence of which want or weakness the mind is separated from that Divine strength and omnipotence, in which all true courage originates, and is left a prey to all those fears and alarms, which beset the natural mind in such state of separation, by plunging it into a dreadful association with the powers of darkness, of terror, and of dismay.

Q. But it is added, that then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm——what do you understand by these words?

A. By Jesus arising is to be understood, according to the spiritual idea, His exaltation in the minds of His disciples as the supreme good and the supreme truth, for god can never be said to arise in any other sense than this. When therefore the Psalmist says, Let god arise, and let His enemies be scattered, he manifestly prays for such an exaltation of god, that is to say, of His Divine love and wisdom in his own mind and life, by virtue of which he might experience power over all his spiritual enemies. It is accordingly added in the history of this miracle, that when Jesus arose, He rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm, because to rebuke the winds and the sea denotes the exercise of His omnipotence in subduing the infernal influence signified by the wind, and the evils and errors of the natural man signified by the sea, which exercise is to be considered as the result of His arising, in other words, of His being exalted to the supreme place in the affections and thoughts of His disciples. It is therefore to be well understood, that infernal influence, evil and error, can never be removed in man, until the blessed Jesus is first exalted in his mind and life, but that no sooner does such exaltation take place, than presently the wind and the sea are rebuked, and the agitations and perturbations of the natural man give place to the tranquil and composing principles operative from the great redeemer in the spirit of man. Thus, as it is here recorded, there is a great calm, because the great calm here spoken of has relation to the gentle and pacific rule of heavenly principles and persuasions in the human mind on the removal of the contrary principles and persuasions suggested by the powers of darkness, and it is called a great calm, to denote its Divine origin, as having its source in the operation of the Divine mercy and love, for the term great is always applied to denote that operation.

Q. But it is further written, that the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the  winds and the sea obey him? — what particular instruction do you learn, from these words?

A. By the men marvelling, I am taught what is the genuine effect on human minds, resulting from the display of the Divine Omnipotence in removing infernal influence in the natural man, and that this effect is the acknowledgement of that omnipotence, or of a Divine power infinitely exceeding all human agency whatever, for to marvel, according to the spiritual idea, is to recognise such a power. It accordingly follows that they said, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? by which words it is evident, that they began to regard the blessed Jesus as a being more than human, and even as Divine, since no other than a Divine Being can be supposed to exercise control over the winds and sea, and especially over what is signified and represented by the winds and sea, namely, the tempestuous influences of the powers of darkness operating on the disorderly passions and appetites of the natural man. When therefore the men exclaimed, What manner of man is this? it is the same thing as if they had said. This man can be no other than the great and holy god. Thus the first disciples were convinced by this miracle of the Supreme Divinity of their lord and master, and thus too all future disciples may be convinced of the same divinity, whensoever they observe in themselves the turbulence of unruly passions subdued, and in their place the tranquillity, the peace and gentleness restored, which ever flow from the admission of the meek and mild Spirit of the holy Jesus.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. I learn to adore, in the first place, the Divine Agency, by which the almighty has been pleased to manifest His absolute control over the elements of nature; and in the next place to adore the same Divine Agency, as exercised upon the higher elements of human minds. I learn further to trace up that agency to the incarnate god, so as to behold in His divine humanity all the fullness of deity and of omnipotence. I am instructed yet further, by the spiritual sense of this miracle, to look up to that incarnate god for protection under all my spiritual trials and temptations, and especially for deliverance from the winds and waves of my own boisterous passions excited by the destructive influence of the powers of darkness. Lastly, I am taught that in such perturbation and tempests of the natural mind, the blessed Jesus frequently appears to be asleep, and that He can only be awakened by fervent prayer arising from a mind sensible of its danger and of its inability to be its own deliverer. I am resolved therefore now on, in all my spiritual trials and troubles, to apply to and put my whole trust in the holy Jesus, and then I may humbly hope that he will arise, and rebuke the winds and sea, so as to produce a great calm in my disturbed mind. Then too shall I also be led to marvel at the omnipotence of His operations, and to answer the interesting question, What manner of man is this, by the devout and grateful acknowledgment that he is god over all blessed for ever, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending of all spiritual life, power, protection, benediction, and salvation; to whom be ascribed all praise, honour and glory, for ever. amen !