Day: May 21, 2014

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.