nefs of Cadefh, the Church where there is no Truth and Goodness; by Hinds, which the Voice of Jehovah caufeth to bring forth, are meant the Nations which are principled in natural Good; and by the Forefts which he maketh bare, [uncovereth, Jare meant the Sciences and Knowledges which the Word openeth to them; wherefore it follows, in his Temple every one declareth Glory, by which is meant, that in all the Particulars of the Word there are contained Divine Truths, for Temple fignifies the Lord, and confequently the Word, and alfo Heaven and the Church, and Glory fignifies Divine Truth. Hence it appears, that there is not a fingle Expreffion in this Paffage, but what describes the Divine Power of the Word against Falfes of every Kind amongst natural Men, and the Divine Power of reforming the Nations.

19. There is in the Word a Senfe ftill more interior, which is called CELESTIAL, concerning which Somewhat was faid above, n. 6; but this Senfe cannot easily be unfolded, not being fo much the Object of intellectual Thought, as of Will-Affection. The true Ground and Reason why there is in the Word a Senfe ttill more interior, which is called Celeftial, is, because from the Lord proceeds Divine Good and Divine Truth, Divine Good from his Divine Love, and Divine Truth from his Divine Wifdom; each is in the Word, for the Word is the Divine Proceeding: It is on this Account that the Word vivifies those who read it under holy Influence: But more will be faid on this Subject in it's proper Place, when we come to fhew, that a Marriage of the Lord and of the Church, and confequently a Marriage of Goodness and Truth, is contained in every Particular of the Word.

20. IV. That the Spiritual Senfe of the Word hath been heretofore unknown. That all Things in Nature, both generally and particularly, correfpond with Things Spiritual, and in like Manner that all Things in the human Body have the fame Correspondence, was fhewn in the Treatife concerning HEAVEN and HELL, n. 87 to 105; but the Nature and Meaning of Correfpondence hath been heretofore unknown; nevertheless in the moft Ancient Times Mankind were moft perfectly well versed in this Science, it being to them the Science of Sciences, and fo univerfal, that all their Compofitions and Books were

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written by Correfpondencies: The Book of Job, which is an ancient Book, is full of Correfpondencies. The Hieroglyphics of the Egyptians, and alfo the fabulous Hiftories of Antiquity, had their fole Ground in this Science. All the Ancient Churches were Churches representative of Things Celestial; their Ceremonial Rites, and also their Statutes, according to which their Worship was inftituted, confifted of mere Correspondencies; this was the Cafe in like Manner with all Things appertaining to the Church amongft the Sons of Jacob; their Burntofferings and Sacrifices, with whatever related thereto, were Correfpondencies; fo was alfo the Tabernacle with all Things contained therein, and likewife their Feafts, as the Feast of unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of the Firft-fruits, &c. The fame is true respecting the Priesthood of Aaron and of the Levites, and alfo refpecting the Garments of Holinefs belonging to Aaron and his Sons, and moreover refpecting all their Statutes and Judgments, which had Relation to their Life and Worship: And whereas Things Divine in the World manifeft themselves by Correfpondencies, therefore the Word was written by mere Correspondencies; it was for this Reason that the Lord, inafinuch as he fpake from his Divine [Nature or Principle], fpake by Correfpondencies; for whatever is from the Divine [Nature or Principle], when it is manifefted in Nature, is manifested in such Things as correfpond with what is Divine, and which then conceal in their Bofom the Divine Things, which are termed Celestial and Spiritual.

21. I have been informed, that the Men of the most ancient Church, which was before the Flood, were of a Nature and Temper fo heavenly, that they converfed with Angels, and could difcourfe with them by Correfpondencies; hence the State of their Wisdom became such, that when they faw any Object on the Face of the Earth, they not only thought of it naturally, but also fpiritually at the fame Time, and thus in Conjunction with the Angels. have been further informed, that Enoch, of whom Mention is made in Genefis, Chap. v. 21 to 24, with those of his Society, collected Correfpondencies as they received them from their Forefathers, and handed down the Science thereof to Pofterity; hence it came to pafs, that the

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Science of Correfpondencies was not only known, but alfo cultivated, in many Kingdoms of Afia, particularly in the Land of Canaan, Egypt, Affyria, Chaldea, Syria, Arabia, in Tyre, Sidon, and Nineveh; and that hence from the Places bordering on the Sea it was tranflated into Greece, but was there changed into fabulous Relations, as may appear from the Writings of the earliest People in that Country.

22. But when the Representatives of the Church, which were Correfpondencies, in Procefs of Time were perverted to idolatrous and alfo magical Purposes, then that Science, by the Divine Providence of the Lord, was fucceffively obliterated, and with the Ifraelitish and Jewish Nation was altogether deftroyed and extinguished. The Worship indeed which was inftituted in this Nation confifted of mere Correspondencies, and hence it was reprefentative of Things Celestial, but ftill they knew not what was fignified thereby, for they were altogether natural Men, and therefore had neither Inclination nor Capacity to know any Thing concerning spiritual Things, nor confequently concerning Correspondencies.

23. The Idolatries of the Gentiles in ancient Times took their Rife from the Science of Correfpondencies, and the Reason was, because all Things that appear on the Face of the Earth correspond, thus not only Trees, but alfo Cattle and Birds of every Kind, together with Fish. and all other Parts of Creation; the Ancients, who were principled in the Science of Correfpondencies, made to themfelves Images, which correfponded with Things Celeftial, and they were delighted with them as being fignificative of Things appertaining to Heaven and the Church; and therefore they not only placed thefe Images in their Temples, but alfo in their Houses, not for the Sake of Adoration, but to recall to their Remembrance the heavenly Things which they fignified; hence in Egypt and in other Places they had Images of Calves, of Oxen, and of Serpents, and alfo of Children, of old Men, and of Virgins, because Calves and Oxen fignified the Affections and Powers of the natural Man, Serpents the Prudence of the fenfual Man, Children Innocence and Charity, old Men Wisdom, and Virgins the Affections of Truth, &c. Succeeding Generations, when the Science of Correfpond

encies

encies was obliterated, began to worship as holy the Images fet up by their Forefathers, because they found. them in and about their Temples, and at length they regarded them as Deities. The Cafe was the fame with other Nations, as with the Philifthines in Afhdod, whofe God was Dagon, concerning whom fee 1 Sam. v. 1, to the End; this Image was in it's upper Parts like a Man, but beneath like a Fish, and the Reason was, because Man fignifies Intelligence, and Fish Science, which make One. Hence alfo it was that the Ancients worfhipped in Gardens, and in Groves, according to the Species of Trees, and alfo upon Mountains and Hills; for Gardens and Groves fignified Wisdom and Intelligence, and every particular Tree Somewhat relating thereto, as the Olive the Good of Love, the Vine Truth derived from that Good, the Cedar rational Good and Truth, and Mountain fignified the highest Heaven, and Hill the Heaven beneath. That the Science of Correfpondencies remained with feveral of the Eaftern Nations, even till the Coming of the Lord, may appear from the wife Men of the Eaft, who came to the Lord at his Birth, wherefore a Star went before them, and they brought with them Gifts, Gold, Frankincenfe, and Myrrh, Matt. ii. 1, 2, 9, 10, 11; for the Star which went before them fignified Knowledge from Heaven, Gold fignified celeftial Good, Frankincenfe fpiritual Good, and Myrrh natural Good, which are the three component Principles of all Worship. But ftill the Science of Correfpondencies was totally annihilated with the Ifraelitifh and Jewish Nation, notwithstanding that all Things appertaining to their Worship, and all the Judg. ments and Statutes given them by Mofes, and all Things contained in the Word, were mere Correfpondencies: The Reason was, because in Heart they were Idolaters, and of fuch a Nature and Temper, that they had no Inclination to know, that any Part of their Worship was fignificative of Things Celestial and Spiritual; for they were defirous that every Thing of that Sort fhould be Holy of Itfelf[without any Refpect to it's Correfpondence], and thould be confined to them [as peculiar People]; wherefore if Things Celeftial and Spiritual had been difcovered to them, they would not only have rejected, but would also have profaned them; for this Reafon Heaven

was fo fhut up to them, that they scarce knew the Reality of a future and eternal Exiftence. That this was the Cafe appears evident from this Confideration, that they did not acknowledge the Lord, although the Sacred Scripture throughout prophefied concerning Him, and foretold Him; they rejected Him merely on this Account, because he taught them Leffons relating to an heavenly, not to an earthly Kingdom; for they defired a Meffiah who would exalt them above all the Nations in the World, and not a Meffiah who would provide for their eternal Salvation. Moreover they affirm that the Word containeth in it many Arcana, which are called Mystical, but they have no Inclination to learn that thofe Arcana relate to the Lord; nevertheless they are willing to learn, when they are told that they relate to Gold.

24. The Reason why the Science of Correfpondencies, whereby the fpiritual Sense of the Word is opened, was not discovered in fucceeding Times, was, because Chriftians in the primitive Church were Perfons of great Simplicity, fo that it could not be discovered to them, for had it been discovered, it would have been ufelefs and unintel ligible. After their Times Darkness overspread the whole Chriftian World, by Reafon of Papal Power and Dominion, and they who are fubject thereto, and have confirmed themselves in it's falfe Doctrines, have neither Capacity nor Inclination to apprehend any Thing of a spiritual Nature, confequently what is meant by the Correfpondence of Things natural with Things spiritual in the Word, for hereby they would be convinced that by Peter is not meant Peter, but the Lord as Peter, [or as a Rock fignified. by Peter;] and they would be convinced alfo, that the Word even to it's inmoft Contents is Divine, and that Papal Decrees are respectively of no Account. But after the Reformation, inafmuch as Men began to diftinguish between Faith and Charity, and to worship God under three Perfons, confequently to worship three Gods, whom they conceived to be One, therefore at that Time heavenly Truths were concealed from them, for had they been difcovered, they would have been falfified, and would have been abused to the Confirmation of Faith alone, without paying any Regard to Charity and Love; thus alfo Men would have clofed Heaven against themselves.

25. The