mind. Now, as Dr. Spurzheim observes, "The five senses are in themselves always passive, and only propagate the external impression; and they appear active only when some internal cause employs them to receive impressions and to transmit them to the brain."* To this it may be added, that "with respect to interior vision appertaining to man, unless it flowed continually into the external vision, or that of the eye, it would be impossible for him to perceive or discern any object; neither does this interior vision see of itself, but by virtue of a vision still more interior, or that of the rational principle; neither does this vision of the rational principle see of itself, but by virtue of the internal man ; yea, neither doth this vision of the internal man see of itself, but it is the Lord, by means of the internal man, who alone sees, because he alone lives, and gives to man the faculty of seeing and with it the appearance as if he saw of himself." (A. C. 1954.) It is generally admitted at the present day, that the nerves contain a peculiar fluid elaborated in the brain, which Galen called the animal spirit. Now when any object in nature effects any of the sentient organs, as the eye, for instance, it produces by means of an influx of light, a change of form in the eye, and especially on the nervous expansion within, called the retina: to this change the fluid contained in the nerve must adapt itself, which will doubtless produce some corresponding effect upon the brain from whence it flows. But it is only when some affection directs this internal influx into some organ of sense, that our sensation is full and complete: for it is well known that when the mind is occupied by any deep train of thought, the eye scarcely perceives the surrounding objects. Moreover, as the whole of outward nature is representative of the human mind, both in general and in particular, so no image can be formed in the eye which has not its corresponding image in the human mind; and no idea can be found in the mind which has not its corresponding idea in the Divine Mind; for it is the divine love and wisdom, which, pervading all things from the first principles to the ultimate of creation, and flowing constantly from the inmost to the outmost part in man, give to him life and every sensation. Therefore, every object that meets the eye, every sound that strikes the ear, and whatever affects our senses, should be to us a cause of thankfulness; since it is not *Physiog. Syst. p. 67. we ourselves who perceive this, but the Lord in us, sees, for he alone lives." Louth, Sept. 16, 1825. "who alone J. B. MATTHEW CHAP. Xxvi. VER. 6 to 13. BRIEFLY EXPLAINED ACCORDING TO THE INTERNAL SENSE. VER. 6. But when Jesus was in Bethany-A state of the Lord's affliction-in the house of Simon the leper-by reason, that in the church truth in the will is wholly falsified and perverted. Ver. 7. There came unto him a woman-That in consequence of this total destruction of truth in the will, the Lord, out of mercy, gifts the Church about to be established by Him, with affection-having an alabaster box-by means of truth from the literal sense of the word-of ointment very precious-of love towards himself and love towards the neighbour,-and poured it on his head as he lay down-whence proceeds the acknowledgment in the Church of the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, which is the Lord's glorification of the Human or the making of it divine. Ver. 8. But when his disciples saw [it]—That truths in the understanding not yet conjoined to good in the will, were aversesaying—from external thought—for what [purpose] is this waste— that the acknowledgment of the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, seemed altogether unnecessary in the Church. Ver. 9. For this ointment might have been sold for much-because the love of the Lord and of the neighbour might have been communicated in all abundance and sufficiently for salvation-and given to the poor-by or through the truths of the literal sense of the word. Ver. 10. But Jesus knowing-Influx from the divine good of the Divine Human-said to them-whence it is given to the Church to perceive,-why trouble ye the woman-that the communication of the affection of good and truth from the Lord by means of the Word, would in such case be intercepted, and the order of its influx be disturbed-for she hath wrought a good work upon me—that the acknowledgment of the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, or of his glorification, is primary and essential in the Church. Ver. 11. For ye have the poor always with you-which the truths of the literal sense of the word fully confirm-but me ye have not always-but nevertheless, in truths which as yet are not conjoined to good, such acknowledgment cannot take place. Ver. 12. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body— forasmuch as all the good of love proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord, and all corresponding affection of good and truth in the Church-she hath done it for my burial—therefore on this depends all regeneration and resurrection to eternal life. Ver. 13. Verily [Amen] I say unto you-Divine confirmation and thence perception-wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world-that with whomsoever divine truth respecting the Lord is received throughout the Church-what this [woman] hath done, shall be spoken for a memorial of her—such will know and perceive, that the acknowledgment of the Divine and Human in the Lord proceeds from the affection of good and truth with which the man of the Church is gifted, and that this ought to be held in perpetual remembrance, and never effaced from his memories or such will know and acknowledge, that the Lord himself gifts man with the affection of good and truth, whence he is given to perceive the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, which is his glorification; and that this essential truth ought never to be effaced from his memories, but be perpetually present. Lausanne en Suisse. ERRORS CORRECTED IN THE TRANSLATION OF IMPORTANT PASSAGES OF VARIOUS instances occur, in which erroneous doctrines rest for their main support on an erroneous translation of the Sacred Text; and passages which are supposed to be adverse to the sentiments of the New Church often lose this character entirely, even in their literal sense, when the true meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek expressions is restored to the translation. Having lately had our attention directed to a passage or two of this nature, it has occurred to us that it would be deemed useful by the Church in general, if the solution of such difficulties were occasionally published in our work; wherefore we will here make a beginning, with the intention of occasionally resuming the subject. I. No doctrines in the world are so clear and intelligible, and so fully supported by plain declarations of Scripture, as are all the leading doctrines of our Church. But all general doctrines include many particulars, which it is highly delightful to a mind imbued with the love of sacred truth to be enabled distinctly to see. This is the case in the doctrines of the New Church, to an extent which in other systems is not often attempted, and with an evidence which other systems do not admit. The discovery alone of the spiritual sense of the Word, with the various principles of the human mind and the laws of the spiritual world, without a knowledge of which the spiritual sense of the Word, though revealed, could not be understood, opens an inexhaustible treasury of heavenly wisdom. But this is turned against us as a matter of reproach, by those who, partaking but little of the pure love of truth, cannot appreciate the value of these proffered blessings. Although our general doctrines, all that it is necessary for those who have but little appetite for spiritual knowledge, or little capacity of apprehension, to know,-are most simple and easily intelligible,-far more so than in any other system; yet because, in addition, we offer a copious store of beautiful truths, calculated to convey the highest delight and the most substantial benefit to the more intelligent and philosophical mind, our adversaries object, that a system which contains so much food for the understanding,-so many things which are beyond the com. prehension of those who are without the advantages of instruction,-is inconsistent with the simplicity of the gospel; and we have often heard quoted, as conclusive proof of this, the following passage: "And a highway shall be there, and a way; and it shall be called the way of holiness: the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." (Isa. xxxv.8.) From the last clause it is inferred, that the way of the gospel must be so plain, that even fools shall not be liable to mistake it. How they who thus apply the text, reconcile it with the fact, that the Christian Church has been divided, from its very begining, into so many sects, each of which supposes that all the others have mistaken this plain way, it is difficult to conceive; and this alone is sufficient to convince any one, that the words cannot be intended to bear the interpretation assigned to them. But the truth is, that the words bear no relation to the simplicity or easiness of the doctrine of the gospel, but to its purity and safety; as immediately appears, when they are correctly translated. Bishop Lowth, in a note upon the passage in his celebrated version of Isaiah, shews that the above translation is grossly erroneous, the translators having here followed the authority of some Rabbins, at the expense of all coherent meaning whatever; and this, notwithstanding the English version which was in use before the present, had given the sense correctly. Bishop Lowth renders the passage as follows: "And a highway shall be there, And it shall be called the way of holiness: No unclean person shall pass through it; But He Himself shall be with them, walking in the way: But the following rendering, though the same in substance as the bishop's, is rather more exact to the Hebrew: "And a highway shall be there, and a way; And it shall be called, The way of holiness: The unclean [person] shall not pass over it: But He Himself shall be with them, walking in the way: It is to be observed, that, to bear the sense commonly put upon the last clause, the word fools must mean well-meaning though ignorant persons; which sense it never bears in Scripture, but is constantly applied to such as are hardened in iniquity, as any one may satisfy himself by consulting a Concordance. The meaning then of the clause is, not that fools shall not miss their road in it, but that they shall not enter into it at all, and shall not go wandering about in it to the annoyance or injury of the well-disposed travellers. Thus this incident is mentioned to express the safety of the way; wherefore, carrying on the idea, as this verse has affirmed that there shall be no danger there from wicked men, the next verse states that there shall be security also from noxious animals: Not only shall no fools wander there, but "No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there." Thus also, in reference to the fools, as disorderly persons who would enter the way without any settled purpose or with a bad one, to wander or err is predicated; whereas the legitimate travellers, whose object is to pursue a strait-forward journey to a certain end, are said to walk. How much then is the passage mis-applied, when these fools are regarded as worthy persons, and when, instead, No. VIII.-VOL. I. 4 P |