set aside, would be to suppose a power superior to the Divine, or else that God himself is changeable.

Everything in the natural world has a spiritual substratum or foundation, and is under spiritual laws. In all natural operations, spirit and matter stand in the relation of cause and effect. The more gross and palpable any natural operation-the lower and less important is the result. The more subtle and impalpable the agency-the more important is the result. With gross material agencies, the operations are direct, clear, and easily calculable. These are of the kind termed mechanical. In chemical agencies the modes of operation grow less evident to the senses, in proportion as they grow more influential and pervading, until we are lost in the mysterious subtleties of electricity, light, heat, magnetism, and gravitation. We rise gradually in the chain of causation, till the innermost of the material world becomes the vehicle and investment of the spiritual. Where this union precisely takes place we know not. The dead earth lies still for ever, and changes not of itself. The sea fills the hollows, and that also would be eternally tranquil if left alone. But there is a subtler fluid above them both, which is the vehicle of higher forces, and this atmospheric air flows hither and thither, and rolls the sea into waves, and absorbs its moisture, and carries clouds over the land, and lets fall the rain upon the mountains, and becomes the father of springs and rivers, and gives life and movement to all things. But this air itself is not self-moved. It is, as we have said, the vehicle of higher and more subtle forces. It is the heat of the sun which expands it, and causes it to absorb the vapour, and move round the globe in grand currents, laden with cloud-treasures for the thirsty land. And it is a subtler power still which, when the laden cloud arrives at its destination, suddenly deprives it of its power to retain its treasure, and brings it down to the earth. Thus these unseen and little known forces are the movers and masters of the dense, solid, and inert elements of nature.

In the progress of human discovery and science we find the operation. of the same laws. For many ages the mechanical laws were almost the only available items in the arts of life. But within the last century, not only have we been able to. utilize, by ingenions contrivances, the muscular force of man and animals, but new forces have been brought into use, forces of nature which before were undreamt of, and compared with which the power of all the men and horses in the world are insignificant. And these forces are of the subtle, impalpable kind. The elements have been seized, and yoked like enslaved genii to the car of progress. And who can tell what is the next step to be made?

That which would have been the miracle of the last age, is the commonplace event and the daily toil of thousands in this.

All we have said now bears only upon the orderly progression of the natural degree of life. But our Lord operated on the natural through the spiritual. And he most evidently gave the same power of operating to his followers. We have seen also that there is no reason to believe this power was given merely for the purpose of convincing unbelievers. We are not anywhere told that the miraculous power should cease, or that it was only temporarily given. The truth is, that the miraculous gifts were considered by the early Christians, and were treated of by Paul, as things permanently belonging to the church. They existed in men, who were the vehicles of a spiritual power higher than the natural laws. The spiritual governs the natural, as heat or electricity govern the atmosphere, the sea, and the land. And the power was exercised; and often did the prayer of faith heal the sick, and even restore the lame and the blind.

Whenever men have become pure channels and vehicles for the operation of the Divine, they have had power over the lower laws of nature. Miracles have been in every age. In our age of iron they are not impossible. "As the world was plastic and fluid in the hands of God, so it is ever to so much of his attributes as we bring to it. To ignorance and sin it is flint. They adapt themselves to it as they may, but in proportion as a man has anything in him divine, the firmament flows before him, and takes his signet and form.” *

While we

In our external life we are the creatures of circumstance. live the sensuous life only-the life of self and the world-we are not free agents. We are then the slaves of the ruling passion and the strongest motive. But if the spirit can rise above the chains of selflove, all effort of external things to bring it into bondage is but the warring of phantom hosts, or binding down with chains of mist and shadow. Our Lord himself, when on earth, and his true followers of the first age, lived above this selfish life; and whenever they came into direct contact with the power of evil, the heavenly power within them overcame the evil; the powers of evil shewed themselves in their presence to be no powers, and the laws of the lower nature obeyed those higher forces which tend to restore all things to order. But self never stood in the way; when it was required that they themselves should submit to the powers of darkness, and pass through the fiery trial, on their way through the valley of the shadow of death, they bowed in sub

* Emerson.

mission.

No miracle was ever wrought on behalf of self, either by the Lord or his disciples.

To the sensual man, the phantom hosts are real giants, and their chains true adamant. Looking from the sensuous platform, there is no freedom;-all is dead, cold necessity; the earth is iron and the heavens brass. But from the spiritual platform, all objects and all laws are made for the spirit's purpose. The soul is master of the universe. It desires only that it may be satisfied, strives only to overcome, and grasps only that it may possess. By faith only is its freedom preserved. Faith is its true element, its omnipotent instrument, by which all opposition is subdued, and all things made subservient. 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and cast into the sea,' and it shall be done."

LIBRA.

HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID." (MATT. xxviii. 6.) Synopsis of Scripture Passages respecting the Lord's Resurrection.

"The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon." (Luke xxiv. 34.) Simon signifies hearkening and obedience. "Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken."-"Jesus said unto them (his disciples), But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, THE CHRIST OF GOD. And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." (Luke ix. 20-22.) "The Son of Man goeth as it is written of him; but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had never been born." (Matt. xxvi. 24.) "Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God." (Luke xxii. 69.) Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and rise again the third day." (Luke xxiv. 46.) Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" (Luke xxiv. 26.) "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they entered in, and found NOT THE BODY of the Lord Jesus." (Luke xxiv. 1, 3.) "And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek JESUS, WHICH WAS CRUCIfied. HE IS NOT HERE; FOR HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID. Come, see THE PLACE where THE LORD LAY." (Matt. xxviii. 5, 6.) Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words." (Luke xxiv. 6—8.) "And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his

be unto you. and his side.

The other disciples therefore But he said unto them, Except nails, and put my finger into

disciples, behold, JESUS met them, saying, All hail! And they came and held him by the feet, and wORSHIPPED HIM." (Matt. xxviii. 8, 9.) "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." (John xx. 19, 20.) "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. said unto him, We have seen the Lord. I shall see in his hands the print of the the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them; then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he unto Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, MY LORD AND MY GOD. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name." (John xx. 24—31.)

To the Apostles thus "He showed himself alive after his passion by many INFALLIBLE PROOFS, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts i. 2, 3.) "Men and brethren (says an Apostle), let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he, being a prophet, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts ii. 29-31, 36.) "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew, and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even unto us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." (Acts x 38-41.) Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses before God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ; whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not." But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. xv. 12-15, 20.) "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are

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of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God."

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(1 John iv. 1-3.) "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." (John i. 14, 10.) "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life,-declare we unto you." (1 John i. 1—3.) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John v. 5.) "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. iii. 14, 21.) 66 Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Rev. i. 17, 18.) "Worthy art thou, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.) Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. v. 12.) "And one of the elders saith,-Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to unloose the seals thereof." (Rev. v. 5.)

A CONCLUSION.

(Extracts from Swedenborg.)

"All the churches before the coming of the Lord were representative churches, which could not see divine truths but as in shade; but after the Lord's coming into the world a church was established by him which saw divine truths, or rather, had a capacity to see them, in a full and clear light. The difference was as between evening and morning; and indeed the state of the church before the coming of the Lord is in the Word called evening, and the state of the church after his coming, morning. The Lord, before his advent into the world, was indeed present with the members of his church, but then his presence was mediate, through the angels who represented him; whereas, since his advent, he is present with the members of the church immediately, for during his abode in the world he put on THE DIVINE NATURAL, in which he is present with mankind. The glorification of the Lord is the glorification of his humanity which he assumed in the world, and the glorified humanity of the Lord is THE DIVINE NATURAL. That this is the case is evident from this circumstance, that the Lord rose from the sepulchre with his whole body which he had in the world, and left nothing behind him therein; consequently, that he took thence along with him the real natural humanity from first to last; wherefore he said to his disciples after his resurrection, when they supposed that they saw a spirit,— Enl. Series.-No. 42, vol. iv.]

2 M