But not on our wishes may wait

A transition so glorious and great !—
For the joys of that happier state

Man must watch-'till the signal be given,
And if in RELIGION's pure ways,
Delighted he's walk'd all his days,
His signal is PEACE! he shall praise,
With thanksgiving, his Saviour in heaven.

"LOVE NEVER SLEEPS."

FROM THE MESSENGER OF INTELLIGENCE.

Love never sleeps! the mother's eye
Bends o'er the dying infant's bed,
And as she marks the moments fly,

While death creeps on with noiseless tread,
Faint and distress'd she sits and weeps
With beating heart-Love never sleeps.

Yet e'en that sad and drooping form
Forgets the tumult of her breast,
Despite the horrors of the storm,
O'erburthen'd nature sinks to rest,
While o'er them both another keeps
His midnight watch-Love never sleeps.

Around-above-the angel bands

Stoop o'er the care-worn sons of men,
With anxious eyes, and eager hands,
They raise the soul to peace again.
Free as the light, their pity sweeps
The storms of time :-Love never sleeps.

And round-beneath-and over all,
O'er men and angels, earth and heaven,
A higher bends-the slightest call

Is answer'd, and relief is giv’n,
In darkest gloom-when sorrow steeps
The heart in pain; HE never sleeps.

Oh God of love! our eyes to Thee,
Tir'd of the world's false radiance, turn,

And as they view Thy purity,

We feel our hearts within us burn:
Convinc'd that in the lowest deeps
Of human ill-Love never sleeps.

J. G. B. P.

FROM THE DUTCH

OF IOOST VAN DER VONDEL.

'Tis God! Who pours the living glow
Of light, creation's fountain head :
Forgive the praise-too mean and low-
Or from the living or the dead.

No tongue thy peerless name hath spoken,
No space can hold that awful name;
The aspiring spirit's wing is broken ;-
Thou wilt be, wert, and art the same!
Language is dumb-imagination,
Knowledge, and science helpless fall;
They are irreverent profanation,

And Thou, O God! art all in all,
How vain on such a thought to dwell!

Who knows Thee-Thee the All-unknown?

Can angels be thy oracle?

Who art-Who art Thyself alone?
None-none can trace Thy course sublime,

For none can catch a ray from Thee,
The splendour and the source of time—
The Eternal of eternity.

Thy light of light out-pour'd conveys
Salvation in its flight elysian,
Brighter than e'en Thy mercy's rays ;--
But vainly would our feeble vision
Aspire to Thee. From day to day

Age steals on us-but meets Thee never :

Thy power is life's support and stay

We praise Thee-sing Thee, Lord! for ever. Holy-holy-holy! Praise

Praise be His in every land; Safety in His presence stays— Sacred in His high command!

THE

NEW JERUSALEM MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1829.

To the Editors of the New Jerusalem Magazine. GENTLEMEN,

EVER Since I read the Address upon the last number of the New Series, (as we must now term it,) of the Magazine, and the accompanying circular, I have been endeavouring to devise means to apply the little modicum of talent and interest which I possess, in aid of the excellent and highly promising plan announced in them. Nor have I been altogether unsuccessful. If our other friends are equally prosperous in their respective spheres, a little time will not only double your late circulation, but in all probability proportionably increase the last number; for every where in which I have introduced the subject, it has been met with a warmth of feeling corresponding to the benevolence of its object." This," said one, "is exactly what we wanted." "Ah!” replied a venerable reader of above forty years standing, the tears at the same time bedewing his furrowed cheek, now I shall begin to hope that the Church wWILL FLOURISH, for here, Mercy and truth are met together." But I would not have all exertion limited to the immediate circle of the church; for judging by my own success in two instances, I think there are many who are, in what we technically term a gentile state, that is, who are freed to a certain extent from the prejudices and falsehoods of the former Christian church, who, if they are in the good of life, would read such a work as yours promises to be, gladly.

You call upon the avowed receivers of the heavenly doctrines not to hide their talents. Alas! I have but little of these, but if so slender a stock can supply any thing that may be deemed acVOL. I.-No. 2.

E

ceptable, it shall be much at your command. For the present, I have thought that a few papers, explanatory of some of the more important laws and facts connected with the condition of man and the world which he inhabits during his present state of being, might interest the majority of your readers. I propose, therefore, to add to this communication the Introductory Paper, which, if you deem proper to insert, will be followed by others, not exactly in any regular series, but as your opportunities and mine will admit.

In speaking of science, I purpose, most commonly to adapt the general language of the scientific world. It may not in all cases, be as accurate as the light of the new dispensation would enable us to form, particularly, when causes and their consequent effects are spoken of; though it is most cheering to perceive the astonishing advance, during the last few years, to soundness of view. Doubtless, the great and ever-flowing spirit of the new dispensation has reached, though by a circuitous track, the precincts of Edom and Egypt; and will anon rush through the land, purifying and invigorating every green hill and fruitful vale, from the river of Goshen to the boundary of Canaan; from the region of natural and terrene knowledge, to its fruition in spiritual and heavenly intelligence and wisdom.-Another, and to my own mind sufficient reason why no considerable change should be made in the recognized language of science is, that as I think attempts should be made to extend your circulation beyond the actual receivers of the New Jerusalem verities, such an innovation would necessarily be offensive; and the subjects would, to them at least, be much obscured. There is no subject which appears to have been more lost sight of, in the various attempts to extend New Church truths, than the fact, that in the present state of the world, it is equally and frequently more important, to use a suitable manner of expression, than it is to have abundance of excellent matter. No well informed member of the New Jerusalem can be unprovided in this latter respect; but it requires considerable experience and tact so to exhibit our treasures, as to cause them to appear attractive to a new beholder. But I must not detain you longer than to add my most fervent wishes and prayers for the prosperity of your arduous undertaking, and for the general prevalence of the glorious truths of the latter day glory.

INTRODUCTORY PAPER

ON VARIOUS IMPORTANT LAWS AND FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE

PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MAN.

"There is a voiceless eloquence on earth,
Telling of HIM who gave her wonders birth.

R. MONTGOMERY.

CHALMERS in his Discourses on Modern Astronomy, makes the following eloquent and just remarks, "It is," writes he, "a most Christian exercise to extract a sentiment of piety from the works and appearances of nature. It has the authority of the sacred writers on its side, and even our Saviour Himself gives the weight and the solemnity of His example. Behold the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin, yet your heavenly Father careth for them.' He expatiates on the beauty of a single flower, and draws from it the delightful argument of a confidence in God. He gives us to see that taste may be combined with piety, and that the same heart may be occupied with all that is serious in the contemplations of religion, and be at the same time alive to all the charms and loveliness of nature." In the spirit of these remarks it is intended to write a few papers. The great Creator has impressed upon the world which he has made, and every object which it contains, certain properties, qualities, and modes of operation, which on account of their constancy and unbending character, are usually termed LAWS;-and He has bestowed on man powers of observation and of reasoning, by which he can discover these laws, in order that he may accommodate his conduct to them. That it is expedient, and even necessary for us to accommodate our conduct to these laws of the natural world, as far as we know them, is a matter too obvious to require much illustration. Ancient writers taught, and the Messenger of the New Dispensation has confirmed, that man is a Microcosm or little world; in other words, a being in whom may be seen the various conditions and laws that are distributed through "the great globe and all that it inhabits." In common with the inanimate part of the creation man bears about him material substances; and consequently from this part of his constitution he is subject to the physical laws which act upon matter, such as gravity, cohesion, inertness, rigidity, and the like: these he