Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

CANONS OF NEW CHURCH THEOLOGY.

(Continued from page 418 of Volume for 1843.)

Now first translated from the original Latin.

CHAPTER V. That the Divine Proceeding, which is called the Holy Spirit, in its proper sense is the Word, wherein the Sanctity of God resides.

1. That the Word is holiness itself in the Christian Church, from the Divinity of the Lord, which is therein, and from which that holiness is derived; wherefore the Divine Proceeding, which is called the Holy Spirit, in a proper sense, is the Word and the Sanctity of God.

2, That the Lord is the Word, is because it is from the Lord, and treats concerning the Lord, and thus in its essence it is the Lord Himself.

3. That the Lord, because He is the Word, is alone Holy, and that He is the Holy One of Israel, Who is so frequently named in the Prophets, concerning Whom also it is there said, that He is the only God.

4. That hence it is that the place in which the ark was in the tabernacle was called the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies, because in that was the law, the beginning of the Word, upon which was the propitiatory, and over this the Cherubim, all which things signify the Lord as the Word.

5. That also hence it is, that the New Jerusalem, which is the Church which alone addresses the Lord, and imbibes truths from His Word, is called Holy, and also the City of Holiness, and that men in whom that church is, are called the people of holiness; that also this church is the kingdom of saints, which will continue to eternity. (See Daniel.)

6. That the Prophets and Apostles are called holy, because the Word was written by them.

7. That the Holy Spirit, from the Holy Word, which is taught by the Lord, is called the Spirit of Truth, concerning which the Lord says, that He spoke not from himself, but from the Lord; also that it is He Himself.

8. That he who speaks a word against the Holy Spirit, cannot be forgiven, is because he denies the Divinity of the Lord, and the Holiness of the Word, for such a person has no religion.

9. That he who speaks a word against the Son of Man, may be forgiven, is because he denies this and that to be Divine Truth from the

Word in the Church, if he only believe that in the Word, and from the Word, are Divine Truths. The Son of Man is the Divine Truth from the Word in the Church, and this cannot be seen by all.

CHAPTER VI. That the operation of the Holy Spirit is Instruction, Reformation, and Regeneration, and hence Vivification and Sal

vation.

CHAPTER VII. That in the degree any one knows and acknowledges the Divine Truth, which proceeds from the Lord in the same degree he knows and acknowledges a God, and in proportion as any one does this Divine Truth, he is in the Lord and the Lord in him.

(To be continued.)

Poetry.

THE NATIVITY.—BY S. WOODWORTH.

(From the Retina.)

Strike the loud anthem, to hail the blest morning,-
Jesus the Saviour an infant appears;

Lo! in the East, a new day-spring is dawning!
Hark! the glad tidings which sound in our ears!
On this auspicious morn,

To us a child is born,

Glory to God in the highest be given;

Hail our Redeemer's birth,

Good will and peace on earth;

Man shall again have conjunction with heaven.

Hark! 'twas the voice of a seraph that sounded,
Shepherds of Judea start with surprise;

While, with a radiance of glory surrounded,
Troops of bright angels descend from the skies.

Now loud the choral strain

Swells round the happy plain,

Glory to God in the highest be given;
Hail our Redeemer's birth,

Good will and peace on earth;

Man shall again have conjunction with heaven.

[blocks in formation]

Hail to the Saviour, descending from heaven,
To build him a kingdom which never shall cease;
The child that is born and the Son that is given,
Is God everlasting, the great Prince of Peace!
Praise Him with grateful lays,

Pour forth the soul in praise;

The government rests on His shoulders alone:
In Him the Godhead dwells,

Which has subdued the hells;

And God the Creator as Jesus is known!

ON HEARING A SERMON PREACHED FROM JOSHUA i. 5.

"I WILL not fail thee, nor forsake "-
Almighty Lord! these words of thine;
On my sad heart deep impress make,
As words that fell from lips divine.

When anxious cares around me rise,
And every step seems dark and drear,—
Oh! then thy words of love I'll prize,
And chase away each doubt and fear.

'Midst weary hours of grief and pain
I'll bid my soul sweet comfort take;
For he who never spake in vain,
"Will never fail me, nor forsake.”

When bowed beneath thy chastening rod,
And mourning friends or kindred gone,
Make me to see thy hand, my God,
And meekly say, "Thy will be done."

Oh! may I never doubt thy love,

Which knows no change, and has no end;

With eye of faith that looks above,

Before thy throne devoutly bend.

Brighton.

Be strong, my heart, and fear no ill,

Be strong and ever courage take;
If thou obey God's righteous will,
He" will not fail thee, nor forsake."

ANGELICA.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION.

MANCHESTER TRACT SOCIETY. This society have lately reprinted the Tracts No. 11, 21, and 25, which may now be had for extensive distribution. We are also happy to announce, that the Tract on the "Nature of the Human Soul," No. 56, has now appeared. This Tract has been long looked for, and we are certain it will give great satisfaction now it has appeared. Subscribers may procure it either from the secretary, J. B. Kennerly, Society's Depôt, Peter-street, Manchester; or from the Society's Agents, Newbery, Hodson, and Kenworthy.

CIRCULAR FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

We have much pleasure in transferring this circular to our pages, and we hope it will meet with a cordial response on the part of our readers.

Sir, The Committee of the Sunday School Union beg most respectfully to call your attention to the Juvenile Magazine, and request your hearty co-operation in its support for the ensuing year.

Desirous of rendering it still more useful and attractive than hitherto, they have determined to increase its size from 16 to 24 pages, and to give Scriptural Maps occasionally during the year, to begin with the January number, 1845. The price to continue still One Penny.

Some friends have favoured the Committee with the expression of their wish to have more matter adapted to the very young, whilst others desire more of the Magazine to be devoted to the instruction of young people of riper years. Both objects, they trust, will be the more fully effected by the variety the increased size will enable the Editor to introduce.

To secure the success of this great effort, they must have the cordial assistance of their brethren, which they earnestly solicit. Their sole object is use, and they affec

tionately entreat their New Church friends to aid them in the performance of their labour of love by an increased circulation of the "Magazine," to the utmost possible extent. So shall we perform our part; and we feel it to be inexpressibly important in hastening the period when "All our children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of our children."Yours, on behalf of the Committee,

THOMAS POTTS, Sec.
Manchester, Dec. 4th, 1844.

"A CUP OF COLD WATER TO THE LITTLE ONES."-SKETCHES FROM REAL LIFE.-(From the American Newchurchman.)-There was a large old-fashioned house, situated in the midst of some of those romantic hills which are common in our country, and are most frequently found on the borders of creeks and rivers, and which, though sometimes in the neighbourhood of large towns and a thickly settled country, are often covered with woods, and apparently as wild as if the Indian still roved amongst them with his bow and arrows. It was evening. The moon gleamed brightly on the snow which covered the landscape, as a mother and her little boy turned from one of the windows towards a large bright fire, and seated themselves near it.

"Father is late to-night, and he will have a long cold ride. I wish he was here! It seems so long when we are watching for him! How long do you think we shall have to wait, mother?

"It may be half an hour; perhaps not so long; but if you wish the time to appear less tedious, you had better find some employment. I will light the lamp, and you had better get your book of animals."

"O yes, mother! and I will get scissors and paper, and you will cut some paper animals for me-will you not?"

The mother assented; and when the lamp was lighted, the little boy appeared

[ocr errors]

with his book, paper, and scissors; and she proceeded to imitate such animals as he selected, while the child arranged his "menagerie," as he called it, with great glee.

"See, mother! I have put the lamb, and the dove, and the cow, and the pigeon, and the horse, and all these good animals by themselves; and the naughty tigers, and wolves, and fierce beasts on this side. Because we must not let the wild beasts come among the good ones to destroy them. Mother, why did God make such angry, bad animals as tigers, and bears, and the rest ?1

"You must try to think, my son, while I endeavour to explain this to you. Why do you call the lamb, and the cow, and the rest of these, good animals ?"

"Because they are good and gentle. Do you tell me, mother, why I think them so, and why I love them."

"You love them, my child, because they were created, and designed, to represent good affections and thoughts. They are living images of innocence and gentleness, as the tiger, the wolf, and the fox, are living images of bad affections and thoughts. When you cherish good, and kind, and tender feelings, you appear, in the eyes of the angels, somewhat like these lambs and pigeons appear in yours; and when you are passionate, and fretful, and disobedient, you have the frightful appearance of these angry beasts."

66

But, mother, let me be ever so angry, I am sure I would not tear any body to pieces. I saw, at the museum, a figure of a wolf tearing a little lamb to pieces; it was horrible! Do you think I could ever be like that wolf?"

"The wolf, my son, when it is young, is not able to do all the mischief it may when it has grown strong. It is much more easily conquered then, too, than when it has arrived at its full growth. And so it is with the beginning of all bad passions; they are the young wolves and tigers, which, if they are not conquered, will grow and rage within us like wild beasts. The wicked men, that you have sometimes heard of, who commit murder and all sorts of crimes, were once little children like you; and would, perhaps, have shuddered, as you do, at the thought of shedding blood; but the young wolves and tigers of their hearts were suffered to gain strength, till they drove out from them every good, and innocent, and tender feeling."

Arthur, who had listened attentively while his mother spoke, remained, for a short time, silent and thoughtful, and then, looking up into her face, he said,

[ocr errors]

But, mother, how am I to help being angry, when things are done to vex me ?" "I do not think, my son, that any thing is ever done on purpose to vex you, although it may sometimes appear so. Every one around you is disposed rather to love, than to vex you. Your brothers and sisters, who are almost your only playmates, all love you very tenderly; but they have their faults, as well as you have yours; and sometimes, when their wishes are opposed to yours, it is necessary that one or the other should yield; and the one that is the first to yield, is the one that has, truly, begun to conquer the young wolf within him. Now, remember this lesson, my son. Think how terrible all bad passions appear in the eyes of the angels; remember the wolf and the lamb; and shrink with dread from the idea, and the reality, of nursing such bad passions in your heart as these fierce animals represent.-I have heard the carriage wheels coming up the hill; your father is at the hall door; let us meet him."

A COMMON PHRASE QUESTIONED.-The favourers of the views called " Evangelical,” are accustomed to style themselves ", professors of religion." Now, if religion means anything, it means righteousness; (See James i. 26, 27;) and hence it appears, that professors of religion are necessarily professors of righteousness ! But is the making such a profession consistent with Christian meekness and lowliness of heart? It appears clear enough that our Lord's condemnation of the Pharisees included a condemnation of their putting themselves forward as professors of religion,or as professors of being more righteous or religious than others; they were, in fact, the "professors of religion" of their day. Should, then, a New Churchman allow himself to be called a "professor of religion?" I think not. He should admit himself to be a professor of that construction of Scripture which is set forth by Swedenborg; but this is very different from setting himself up as a professor of righteousness, a professor of being more religious than all those who construe Scripture in a different manner from himself. M.

INTELLIGENCE FROM BIRMINGHAM. To the Editor of the Intellectual Repository.

Dear Sir,-At the request of the committee of the Birmingham New Jerusalem Church Missionary, Tract, and Lecture Institution, I transmit you a brief account of two Lectures which have been delivered in this town, under the superintendence of

« ForrigeFortsett »