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with reference to those animals which the Jews so denominated at the time of his writing. But this is not the correct reason. Although the law announces the distinctions, the principles on which they were founded, are those different classes of affections and thoughts, which a more ancient and better informed people than the Jews, knew to have their representations in different classes of animated nature; and consequently, they spoke of them as such. This is the ground of those distinctions being mentioned in the case before us, and those of the Levitical law arose therefrom. Under this view, the whole perplexity disappears: and the facts are highly suggestive. They show, that the beasts and fowl, which Noah was directed to take with him into the ark, are mentioned, merely to represent that great variety of affection and thought, which distinguished the people who were entering into the church, now in the process of being established.

Man, on entering into the church, necessarily took with him all his affections, both good and bad: the good affections were the clean beasts; and these were to be taken in by sevens, to denote, that there is a holiness about all good, of which that number is significant. (For illustration, see pp. 62, 63.) The fowls, also, were to be taken in by sevens, to denote the sanctity which pertains to the knowledges of truth, of which the fowls were the types. The unclean beasts represented the impure affections, which had fixed themselves on man; and these were to be taken in by twos or pairs,* to indicate the profane conjunction which they had formed with his nature. The number two, denotes conjunction: in the case of what is clean, the conjunction of what is true and good; but in the case of what is not clean, as in the * At verses 19 and 20 of the preceding chapter, Noah was directed to take into the ark, "two of every sort, of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, and of every creeping thing; " nothing is said about taking any in by sevens; nor is there any distinction made between the clean and unclean: this appears like a discrepancy, but it is not so: the reason for the different statements, the different aspects of the general subject treated of in each case. The statements at chap. vi. ver. 19, 20, are made in connection with the directions for building the ark, and thus refer to things intellectual, and the regeneration of all the things of faith by means of all the goods of charity, and so by pairs. But the invitation for entering into the ark after it was built, refers to the things of the will, for the reasons stated above. Hence, also, it is, that in chap. vi., from the 9th verse to the end, the Supreme Being is not called Jehovah, but God; but in chap. vii. He is spoken of as Jehovah. Notice is taken of a similar circumstance, at page 64.

instance before us, the conjunction of what is false and evil. Hence, by the unclean beasts, or man's evil affections, are not to be understood that they were so few, in comparison with the clean beasts, or good affections, as to be only in the proportion of two to seven; for the evils in man are more numerous than his goods, But seven are predicated of what is clean, to indicate the sanctity of all that is good; and two are predicated of what is unclean, to express, in this case, the profane conjunction which exists between what is false and evil.

Two signifies conjunction, because all things in creation have reference to the two principles of goodness and truth; to good, as to what is agent and influent, and to truth, as to what is patient and recipient. From this ground, there is somewhat resembling a marriage in all things of the three kingdoms of nature, and, indeed, without it, nothing at all could exist: for in order that any thing may exist in nature, there must be heat and light, and these two must act in unity, if any thing is produced; and if they do not act in unity, as is, in some measure, the case in winter, nothing is effected. This, also, is the case spiritually with man. There are two faculties appertaining to him, namely, the will and understanding; the will is formed to receive the good of love, which corresponds to heat, and the understanding to receive the truths of faith, which correspond to light; and unless the good of love, and the truth of faith make one in man, nothing is produced; for the good of love, without the truth of faith, does not determine, or qualify any thing, and the truth of faith, without the good of love, does not effect any thing; wherefore, to the intent that there may be in man a heavenly marriage, those two principles must make one with him, and become conjoined. (Arcana Cœlestia, n. 5194.) It is hence, then, that two signifies conjunction: in the case before us, the conjunction of what is evil and false, because these are represented by the unclean beasts.

It is farther said of each class, that they were to be taken in, "male and his female," to denote, that all things of thought were united to some affection. Indeed, no thought can exist in the understanding, which is not, at the same time, conjoined, as in a kind of marriage, with some affection in the will: and male and female are mentioned to represent this marriage, the male referring more to the things of intellect and understanding, the female, more to the things of affection and the will. So that the very minutia of the narrative, are found to disclose remarkable particu

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lars concerning the metaphysical constitution of mankind. The Word of God is the only book on true metaphysics. It was writ ten by God's direction; He knoweth what is in man, and it is a revelation to him of all the characteristics of his mental condition. For man to know himself, he must study the Word of God. 50', Beasts, the clean and unclean, with fowls, were to be taken into the ark, because the man of the church was then, as he now is, of a mixed character, as to his intellect and will. He has affection for goodness, and thoughts towards truth; he has propensities to evil, and inclinations to falsehood; (God has mercifully provided for the former by the preservation of remains :) and these are the clean and unclean beasts and fowls. By Noah taking them with him into the ark, was represented, man entering into the church with these opposite characteristics in his nature: and the rea son assigned for so doing, was, "to keep seed alive upon the earth;" that is, to perpetuate truth in the world. The seed is the truth of the church, of which the Lord is the sower. Some of this seed remained with Noah, for hence it was, that he found grace in the sight of the Lord. All the rest of the posterity of Adam had destroyed this seed in themselves, and were, in consequence, about to perish: the seed of truth is kept alive by use in goodness. Truth lives when it is employed in promoting the works of virtue.

It may appear, from the circumstance of taking in the unclean beasts by pairs, as if the Lord arranged for the perpetuation of what is evil and false, as well as what is good and true; still, every one must see, that this was not intended, because it is contrary to His nature and His providence. It was only SEED that was to be kept alive, and this is predicated of TRUTH as the vessel for the reception of good. It is no part of God's designs to perpetuate man's disorders; but they being inrooted in his nature, he is invited by the Lord to enter with them into the ark, that there they may be weakened and moderated by holy influences, and so be prevented from manifesting themselves, or becoming hurtful to society.

The circumstance of the diversified beasts and fowls, which Noah took with him into the ark, denoting the various affections and thoughts which men take with them on entering into the church of God, is not without a parallel, in predictions which are delivered concerning the Christian church. It is written, that "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the

kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them: and the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like an ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.” (Isa. xi. 6, 9.) This is universally allowed to be a representation of the peaceable character, which, at some period, is to distinguish the true church. That church is called the Lord's "Holy Mountain;" therein are to be assembled the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the calf and the lion, the fatling and the child, the cow and the bear, the asp and the cockatrice. Thus, the clean and the unclean beasts are to be assembled in the holy mountain, and dwell together in peace. There is, then, an obvious parallelism between the clean and unclean beasts to be gathered on the holy mountain, and those which were collected in the saving ark : but, as the prediction of the prophet is not intended to express a physical occurrence, so, neither, is the narrative of Moses. They both refer to spiritual and intellectual phenomena, which take place with man during the process of his regeneration; though this description, in one case, is written in the shape of a figurative history, yet, in the other, it is put forth in the form of a symbolical prediction. The clean beasts and fowls enter into the church, to have their condition preserved and elevated; the unclean are permitted to enter, in order that they may be restrained, and have their ferocity extracted, which purposes are accomplished by those salutary influences which the Lord supplies through the instrumentality of His Word.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE DELUGE, AND THE DEATH OF ALL FLESH BUT THOSE WHO

ENTERED INTO THE ARK.

"The idea of a universal deluge, Mosaic or historical, is not sustainable. Such is the opinion of most of the geologists on the continent. The proofs of its absurdity are so evident, that, for a long time, the Lutheran clergy have given it up. At length, the English clergy, the most tenacious of all, have surrendered their arms. They have at last acknowledged, by the organ of Mr. Sedgwick, and Mr. Conybear, that if there have been deluges, they have not been general; and that the Mosaic deluge, if it ever took place as it is related, could in no case produce the ancient alluvions, or the pretended deluvium." — A. Bone, Mem. Geol. v. i. p. 149. Paris, 1832.

WE now enter upon the consideration of one of the most re

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markable events mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures. A belief in the literal sense of the Mosaic history of the Deluge, has so long, and so extensively prevailed, that, to question its accuracy, may produce some anxiety and alarm. This, however, must be done, in order to arrive at a correct view of the subject; and the theological prejudices thereon, formed by a misinterpretation of the narrative, must give way to the truths, established by sober crit, icism, and the discoveries of science. The evidences favorable to this conclusion, are so strong, that Dr. Pye Smith candidly says, "We must admit the probability, that we have not rightly interpreted those portions of the Scriptures." (Geol, and Scriptures, p. 295. Sec. ed.) Other writers of ecclesiastical distinction and scientific celebrity, have arrived at the same conclusion. (Professors Baden Powell, and Adam Sedgwick.) The question does not affect the authenticity or the divinity of the narrative, it is one of interpretation only. The ancient notions upon the subject are thoroughly disturbed, and disturbed by testimonies of so irresistible a nature, as to compel its relinquishment, by all who have the courage to open their eyes to evidence, and thence to think. It may be useful to advert to a few of the circumstances which have conduced to this result.

What the populace, from the teachings they have received, regard as the orthodox belief, is, that the flood was an overflow of water, by which the whole surface of the earth was submerged; and produced by a breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, and forty days of incessant rain.* The evidences on which these views rest, are supposed to be furnished by the letter of the narrative; and, that the fact itself is corroborated by very numerous traditions, and also substantiated by geological phenomena.

The facts presented in the Mosaic narrative, are these. The Lord said, "I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights. The fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills that were under the whole heaven, were covered fifteen cubits." (Gen. vii, 4, 11, 12, 19, 20.) It is plain, from these statements, whatever may be the sense attached to the deluge, that an idea of some universal

This view is set forth and defended, in some instances very absurdly, in "An Inquiry into the truth and certainty of the Mosaic Deluge." By Patrick Cockburn, M. A., Vicar of Long Horsley, in Northumberland.