tings of Swedenborg.

And this system of Scriptural interpretation

has every possible claim upon the attention of all the sincere seekers after truth, in every section and branch of the Christian Church. *

SIR,

THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK OF JOB.

To the Editor of the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY.

I have often thought that some illustrations of the Book of Job might be both useful and interesting; and without doubt the members of the New Church, beyond those of all other denominations, possess the means of understanding the meaning and pointing out the beauties of that ancient book.

It is admitted, I believe, generally, that the Book of Job is one of the oldest books extant. It is supposed to have been written by Moses, while he was among the Midianites. Swedenborg says it is an ancient book, but not a book of the Word, but written after that style of writing; for the ancients were wont to communicate their ideas by correspondences and representatives, and those books which were not so written were esteemed by them of little value. Swedenborg speaks also of the land of Uz, as having been occupied by those who were descendants of the ancient Church, and who possessed many interior knowledges concerning the things of charity and faith.

There can be little hesitation in saying that there was no such individual man as Job; but from the import of his name, as signifying one oppressed or afflicted, and from the import of the name of the country wherein he is said to have lived, it would appear that Job is an assumed or imaginary person, made use of by the author to represent a people or community of one faith or religious principle and persuasion.

If these and the following remarks are thought useful, you will oblige by allowing them a place in the Magazine. Should this be the case, and no other pen be thereby induced to pursue the subject, it may perhaps be resumed by

A CONSTANT READER.

THERE seems to be described, in the first place, the general state of those represented by Job, in that it is said that Job was a man upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil, by which appears to be indicated that they were in the science and perception of their twofold relationship as respected their God and one another, and that their consequent worship and life were in agreement therewith.

It is next said that there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters, by which is seemed to be implied, the derivations or extensions of their religious principles and persuasions, both as regards

*To aid those who may endeavour to attain a clear apprehension of this system of Scriptural interpretation, we would especially recommend "Swedenborg's Exposition of the Revelation," or Apocalypse; and, "Noble's Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures," &c.

their perception of the truth, and their affection of good, into branches or communities somewhat diverse from each other, which anciently were denoted by sons and daughters. Here is a striking similarity to the account given of Noah, who had sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who separated from each other and peopled the greatest part of the world; and by which, Swedenborg says, was signified the extension and ramification of the ancient Church. The number seven, as applied to the sons, denotes that the truths of their religious principles were esteemed by them as holy and divine. The number three, as applied to the daughters, implies that their affection and good were full and abundant according to their state: seven signifies what is holy and also what is full-and three signifies what is full and complete according to the thing of which it is predicated.

Verse 3.-"His substance, (or, as it might have been rendered, his cattle,) were seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels." The numbers seven and three again occur, with the addition of the term thousand. Numbers denote quality; the simple number generally determines the compound, which is, consequently, of similar import.

It would appear from this verse, and from the book thoughout, that these people understood, accurately and distinctly, the various things of which the will and understanding are constituted, and that they had a knowledge and perception of the arrangement of those things, according to successive and simultaneous order. The acquisitions of mind, therefore, they represented by the acquisitions of estate, such as flocks and herds, &c.

The acquisitions of mind are, some more interior and some more exterior. The interior things of the natural mind serve-and as it were, administer to-a still more interior state of mind, even the rational and spiritual; and the interior things which so administer, appear to be here represented by sheep and camels; while the more external things, which are serviceable to the natural mind and state in subordination to the spiritual, are represented by the oxen and asses. The sheep and camels denote the interior state of their natural mind, in that they possessed good of a rational degree and kind, serviceable to the spiritual mind, and in accordance with spiritual and heavenly good. Camels, as beasts of burden, signify knowledge and sciences in common, serviceable to the rational mind and to good of this order and degree. The number seven thousand, as applied to the sheep, denotes that they held and esteemed such good to be sacred and holy. The number three thousand, as applied

to the camels, signifies that they felt their knowledge and science to be full and abundant, according to their state.

"Five yoke of Oxen." This seems to describe the external of their mind, in that they possessed natural good of a civil and moral kind, represented by the oxen, and that the affection of this good they possessed or acquired by or through a principle of remains denoted by the number five. A yoke signifies the same as a bond, and seems to denote, in this case, that the good natural affections of these people were from parental instruction, under control and in subordination to higher and more interior principles.

"Five hundred she asses." Asses denote natural truth,-she asses the affection for such truth. The number five, as before, has respect to remains, and thus seems to imply that their affection for natural truth was by or through parental nurture and instruction.

66

"This man was the greatest of all the men in the east." This seems to mean that this people were in a state of good and intelligence superior to any of the descendants of the ancient church.

Verse 4:-" And his sons went and feasted in their houses every one his day, and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and drink with them." This passage would seem to describe the goodwill, charity, and internal feeling of brotherhood, which prevailed among the descendants of the ancient church, one towards another, notwithstanding their difference of perception, faith, and feeling, in religious persuasions: thus verifying Swedenborg's statement, that the ancient church, notwithstanding its branching out into several different churches, diverse from each other, was nevertheless one, because they all held charity to be an essential.

THE REDEMPTION OF ANGELS AN APOSTOLIC
DOCTRINE.

THE Doctrine of the Redemption of angels, as well as men, from the danger which equally threatened both at the time of the incarnation of Jehovah, is one of the doctrines maintained by Swedenborg, and one which is regarded with a peculiarly strong feeling of opposition by the sections of the Old Church. I beg, therefore, to suggest, that the following passage in the Epistle to the Colossians, i, 19, 20, is a sufficient justification of this doctrine:

"For it pleased the Father that in Him ["his dear Son"] should all fulness dwell; and (having made peace through the blood of his cross) by Him to reconcile all things N. S. NO. 62.-VOL. VI.

H

unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things [that is, rational beings, of course,] in earth, or things [that is, angels] in heaven."

On this passage Dr. Macknight observes, "Though I have translated the word apokatallarai, to reconcile,' which is its ordinary meaning, I am clearly of opinion that it signifies here, to unite all things to Christ, as their head and governor."-Undoubtedly the word must signify union, effected by the removal of some hindrance, for reconciliation is the removal of a hindrance to, and thus the accomplishment of union. That "things in heaven" mean the angels of heaven, cannot be doubted, unless it be contended that "things in earth" do not mean men on earth, and then, what becomes of the doctrine of atonement or reconciliation? And does not the Old Church maintain that the doctrine of atonement or reconciliation is identical with the doctrine of redemption? If, then, angels were reconciled to the Father by the Son (that is, atoned,-for, as is well known, the same Greek word is translated "reconciliation” and “atonement") then were they, as well as men, "redeemed to God by his blood." (Rev. v. 9.) Here is, then, apostolic authority quite as conclusive for the redemption of angels as for the redemption of men; quite as conclusive for an atonement effected for angels, as an atonement effected for mankind! To this testimony the following may be added, from the Epistle to the Ephesians, i. 9, 10:—

"According to his good pleasure He ["the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"] hath purposed to Himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in the heavens, and which are on earth."

By "things in the heavens and on earth," Drs. Whitby and Doddridge understand angels and men. To "gather these together in one in Christ,” is clearly to effect an at-one-ment between them and God, or the Eternal Divinity, through the medium of the Humanity (Christ) in which "the Godhead" dwells in "fulness."

The necessity for, and the nature of, the redemption of the angels, is powerfully stated by our author in his True Christian Religion, n. 119 to 121. We find from this statement, in brief, that the relation between the church in heaven and the church on earth, may be compared to the relation of the more vital parts of the body to the lower extremities; so that when the latter are attacked by mortification, the only way to save the former (answering to the angels) is to save the extremities (answering to men) from the destructive influences which have seized upon them. Such a redemption did the Lord effect for the church on earth, and, by consequence, for the

church in heaven; and this being accomplished, and health restored, the whole (or angels and men) became, and still are, "united in one," -as one Body,-one healthy recipient of spiritual life from the Lord Jesus Christ, who testified expressly that He is THE LIFE,-that is, as John says, "THE LIFE MANIFESTED."-(1 Ep. i. 2.) X.

ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF CORRESPONDENCES
REVEALED BY THE LORD, &c.

(Concluded from our last.)

My intimation that the reason which Swedenborg assigns for the signification of "honey," was a mere illustration drawn from general analogy, and that it did not disclose the connection subsisting between a specific mental delight and a physical sweet, which constitutes the correspondence, is considered to be inaccurate; and with the view of shewing me this, my attention is particularly directed to the following passage:

"Forasmuch as the rational principle derives its all from the scientifics of the natural man, from thence his reasonings are signified by bees; because, as bees suck and draw their nourishment from flowers, so do the rational principles from the scientifics of the natural man.” (Ap. Ex. 410.)

I was not unacquainted with this passage; but I confess that I see nothing more in it than a general analogy drawn from the activity of two distinct things. Bees suck their nourishment from flowers; the rational principle derives its nourishment from natural scientifics; therefore the rational principle is denoted by bees. But this is Swedenborg's natural illustration, and it throws no scientific light upon his angelic doctrine of correspondences: that is, it does not shew that the rational principle is the mental cause of the existence of the bee, which it must be if they correspond. It merely draws a general similitude from the activities belonging to each predicate; and, in reality, it does not show that there is any relation between those two things, as cause and effect. * This, however, is actually

*It is not to be concluded from these remarks that I undervalue the natural illustrations which E. S. has given, or that I would throw any obstacle in the way, to discourage the study or the use of them, or of any other, which can be discovered. I regard such illustrations as illustrations, and when carefully selected, they possess much weight and importance in presenting the general doctrine of correspondences to the