cerning the Word, and into Contempt for it, and whilft he readeth it, may be led to question it's Divinity in many Cafes, and to doubt it's being the Word of infinite Wifdom, refolving all it's Sanctity into the Prevalence of Superftition and blind Credulity.

2. But he who thinks in this Manner doth not confider that Jehovah Himfelf, who is the God of Heaven and Earth, fpake the Word by Mofes and the Prophets, and that confequently it muft needs be the Divine Truth Itfelf, for what is fpoken by Jehovah Himself can be no other than effential Divine Truth: Nor doth fuch an one confider that the Lord, who is the fame with Jehovah, fpake the Word written by the Evangelifts, in many Cafes from his own Mouth, and the rest from the Spirit of his Mouth, which is the Holy Spirit; hence it is that He Himself faith, that in his Words is Life, and that He is the Light which enlighteneth, and that he is the Truth. That Jehovah Himself spake the Word by the Prophets, was fhewn in the DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD, n. 52, 53. That the Words, which the Lord himself fpake in the Writings of the Evangelifts, are Life, is declared in John, "The Words "which I fpeak unto you are Spirit, and are Life," vi. 63. Again, "Jefus faid to the Woman at Jacob's

Fountain, If thou kneweft the Gift of God, and who it "is that faith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldeft "afk of Him, and he would give thee living Water. Who"fo drinketh of the Water which I fhall give him, shall

never thirst, but the Water which I fhall give him, "fhall be in Him a Fountain of Water fpringing up unto "eternal Life," iv. 6, 10, 11. By Jacob's Fountain is fignified the Word, as alfo Deut. xxxiii. 28; wherefore alfo the Lord fat there, and talked with the Woman; and by Water is fignified the Truth of the Word. So again, in the fame Evangelift, "Jefus faid, if any one thirst, "let him come to Me and drink: He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture faith, out of his Belly fhall flow "Streams of living Water," vii. 37, 38. Again, in the fame Evangelift, Peter faid to Jefus, thou haft the "Words of eternal Life," vi. 68. Wherefore the Lord faith in Mark, "Heaven and Earth fhall pafs away, but "my Words shall not pass away," xiii. 31. The Ground

and

and Reason why the Words of the Lord are Life, is, becaufe He Himfelf is Life and Truth, as he teacheth in John, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," xiv. 6; and again, " In the Beginning was the Word, and the "Word was with God, and God was the Word; in "Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men," i. 1, 2, 3. By the Word is here meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, in which alone there is Life and Light. Hence it is, that the Word which is from the Lord, and which is the Lord, is called " a Fountain of living Wa"ters," Jerem. ii. 13. Chap. xvii. 13. Chap. xxxi, 9. and " a Fountain of Salvation," Ifaiah xii. and " 3. "Fountain," Zech. xiii. 1. and "a River of the Water "of Life," Rev. xxii. 1. and it is faid, "That the Lamb "which is in the Midft of the Throne fhall feed them, "and fhall lead them to living Fountains of Waters," Rev. vii. 17; not to mention other Paffages, where the Word is alfo called a Sanctuary and a Tabernacle, in which the Lord dwelleth with Man,

a

3. Nevertheless the natural Man will hardly be perfuaded hereby to believe, that the Word is the effential Divine Truth, in which is Divine Wisdom and Divine Life, for he judgeth of it by it's Style, in which he feeth none of thefe Things. Howbeit the Style of the Word is a truly Divine Style, with which no other Style, however fublime and elegant it may appear, is at all comparable, but is as Darkness compared with Light. The Style of the Word is fuch, that it is Holy in every Senfe, and in every Expreffion, nay, in fome Cafes, in the very Letters themfelves which compofe it; hence it is, that the Word effecteth Conjunction between Man and the Lord, and openeth Heaven. There are two [Things or Principles] which proceed from the Lord, Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, or what is the fame Thing, Divine Good and Divine Truth, for Divine Good hath Relation to the effential Divine Love, and Divine Truth hath Relation to the effential Divine Wisdom; the Word in it's Effence is both of thefe Principles; and inafmuch as it effecteth Conjunction between Man and the Lord, and openeth Heaven, as was obferved, therefore when Man readeth it under the Lord's Influence, and not under the Influence of Propriety, or Self, it replenisheth him with the good Things of Love

B 2

and

and the Truths of Wisdom, his Will with the good Things of Love, and his Understanding with the Truths of Wifdom; hence Man hath Life by and through the Word.

4. To remove therefore all Doubt amongst Men concerning the Nature and Divinity of the Word as thus declared, it hath pleafed the Lord to reveal to me the internal Senfe thereof, which in it's Eilence is Spiritual, and which is in the external or natural Senfe, as a Soul is in the Body; this Senfe is the Spirit which gives Life to the Letter, wherefore this Senfe may teftify concerning the Divinity and Sanctity of the Word, and convince even the natural Man, if he is willing to be convinced.

That in the Word there is a Spiritual Senfe heretofore unknown.

IT may be expedient to discuss this Subject under the following Heads, fhewing, I. What is meant by the Spiritual Sense. II. That that Senfe is in all and every Part of the Word. III. That it is by Virtue of that Sense that the Word is of Divine Inspiration, and Holy in every fingle Expreffion. IV. That that Senfe hath been heretofore unknown. V. And that from henceforth it will be opened to none but those who are principled in genuine Truths from the Lord.

5. I. What is meant by the Spiritual Senfe. The Spiritual Senfe is not that which fhines forth from the Sense of the Letter, when any one fcrutinizes and explains the Word to confirm fome particular Tenet of Church Doctrine, for this Senfe is the literal Senfe of the Word. But the Spiritual Senfe doth not appear in the Senfe of the Letter, it is within it, as the Soul is in the Body, or as the Principle of Thought is in the Eyes, or as Affection is in the Countenance, acting in Unity like Caufe and Effect. It is by Virtue of this Senfe that the Word is Spiritual, not only for the Ufe of Men, but also for the Use of Angels; wherefore the Word by Means of that Senfe hath Communication with the Heavens.

6. There proceed from the Lord three diftin&t Principles, the CELESTIAL, the SPIRITUAL, and the NATU

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RAL,

RAL, one after the other. That is called the CELESTIAL Principle which proceedeth from his Divine Love, and is Divine Good: That is called the SPIRITUAL Principle, which proceedeth from his Divine Wisdom, and is Divine Truth: The NATURAL Principle is derived from both the others, and is their Complex in the ultimate [laft, or loweft Sphere]. The Angels of the Lord's Celestial Kingdom, who compofe the third or highest Heaven, are principled in that Divine Proceeding from the Lord, which is called Celeftial, for they are principled in the Good of Love from the Lord; The Angels of the Lord's Spiritual Kingdom, who compose the fecond or middle Heaven, are principled in that Divine Proceeding from the Lord, which is called Spiritual, for they are principled in the Truths of Wisdom from the Lord: * But Men, who compofe the Lord's Church on Earth, are principled in the Divine-natural [Principle], which alfo proceedeth from the Lord. Hence it follows, that the Divine Proceeding from the Lord, in it's Progrefs to it's Ultimates, defcendeth through three Degrees, and is termed Celeftial, Spiritual, and Natural. The Divine [Proceeding], which defcendeth from the Lord to Men, defcendeth through thofe three Degrees, and when it hath defcended, it con, taineth those three Degrees in Itfelf; Such is the Nature of all Divine [Proceeding], wherefore when it is in it's laft Degree, it is in it's Fulness. Such is the Nature and Quality of the Word; in it's laft Sense it is Natural, in it's interior Sense it is Spiritual, and in it's inmost Sense it is Celestial, and in each Senfe it is Divine. That the Word is of fuch a Nature and Quality, doth not appear in the Senfe of the Letter, which is Natural, by Reafon that Man hath heretofore been altogether unacquainted with the State of the Heavens, and confequently with the Nature of the Spiritual Principles, and the Celestial, and of Course with the Diftinction between them and the natural Principle.

7. The

* That there are two Kingdoms of which the Heavens confift, one of which is called the Celesti 1 Kingdom, the other the Spiritual Kingdoni, may be seen in the Treatife concerning HEAVEN and HELL, n. 20 to 28.

7. The Distinction between thefe Degrees cannot be known, unless by the Knowledge of Correfpondence, for thefe three Degrees are altogether diftinct from each other, like End, Cause, and Effect, or like what is Prior, Pofterior, and Poftreme, but yet make One by Correspondencies; for the Natural [Degree or Principle] correfpondeth with the Spiritual, and alfo with the Celestial. The Nature and Meaning of Correspondence may be seen more fully explained in the Treatife concerning HEAVEN and HELL, being there digested under these two Articles, 1ft, Concerning the Correfpondence of all Things in Heaven with all Things in Man, n. 87 to 102. 2dly, Concerning the Correfpondence of all Things in Heaven with all Things on Earth, n. 103 to 115; and will be further feen below by Examples adduced from the Word.

8. Inafmuch as the Word in it's Interior is Spiritual and Celestial, therefore it is written by mere Correfpondencies, and what is written by mere Correfpondencies, in it's ultimate Sense is written in fuch a Style as that of the Prophets and Evangelifts, which, notwithstanding it's apparent Vulgarity, containeth in it all Divine and Angelic Wisdom.

every

9. II. That there is a fpiritual Senfe in all and Part of the Word. This cannot be better made appear than by Examples, for which Purpose let us take the following. John faith in the Revelation, "I faw Heaven "6 open, and behold a white Horfe, and He that fat there"on was called Faithful and True, and in Righteous"ness doth he judge and make War. His Eyes were as

a Flame of Fire, and on his Head were many Diadems, and he had a Name written which no one knoweth but "Himfelf: And he was cloathed with a Vesture dipped "in Blood: And his Name is called the WORD OF GOD. "His Armies in Heaven followed Him upon white Hor

fes, cloathed in fine Linen white and clean. He hath " on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. I saw more.

over an Angel standing in the Sun, who cried with a "loud Voice, Come, and gather yourselves unto the Sup"per of the great God, that ye may eat the Flesh of

Kings, and the Flesh of Captains, and the Flesh of

"the