to the man's perception, when he is about to be regenerated. It may well be observed, that those operations in man's mind which are signified by the historical events related concerning Mary and Elizabeth, are brought to pass by the ministrations of angels, by whose assistance he is led every step in the progress of regeneration, which could not possibly be accomplished without such aid. It is they, therefore, who excite the good and innocent affections of the life of remains, just at the time when man is best prepared to receive them into his life. And they perceive when this should be done, because they know the nature and state of man's affections much better than he does himself. All these internal operations and effects, of which some description has been given, in this attempt to explain a little of the internal meaning of this part of the Scriptures, and which appear to man himself, perhaps, only as slight changes and variations in his thoughts and feelings, appear clearly to his attendant angels as so many distinct and separate things. When, therefore, man begins to be receptive of the affection of good, then the remains which correspond to that good are first brought forth to his perception.

"42. And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

"43. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

"44. For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

"45. And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord."

I suppose that the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, above described, represents the conjunction of good and truth in the internal mind, which takes place previous to the reformation of the external man. And where there is a conjunction, as of two persons, by love or friendship, there must be a reciprocation of the affection which conjoins them. If the love of the one were not received and returned by the other, there would be no conjunction. Here, then, when

the salutation of Mary represents the influx of the affection of good, by means of which the conjunction is to be effected, the answer of Elizabeth implies the acknowledgment and reception of that influx by the affection of truth. In verses 42 and 43, is contained an acknowledgment of the excellent quality of the affection of good, as it is perceived and received by the affection of truth; or what amounts to the same thing, but which will probably be more intelligible, as it is received and perceived by the man who is in the affection of truth, and who has just begun to receive the affection of good. Verse 44 describes the perception and acknowledgment of the effect which the influx of the affection of good has upon the mind of him who was before only in the affection of truth; which effect is, that states derived from remains of the good of innocence are awakened, and brought to manifest perception. In verse 45 is expressed the faith of those who are in the affection of truth, by which they have been sustained, and prepared for coming into a higher

state.

"46. And Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord.

"47. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

"48. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

"49. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name.

"50. And his mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation.

"51. He hath shewed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

"52. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

“53. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

"54. He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy.

“55. As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever."

This discourse of Mary's, may be regarded as a song of

rejoicing and glorification of the Lord, by the angels, with whom man has now come into association, by virtue of having become receptive of the affection of good, so that something of the conjunction of good and truth has begun to take place in his mind. There were, indeed, angels with him before this, but they were his guardians and keepers, and not his companions, for he was not before in a state to receive their influx, or to become sensible of their presence. But the state here described, is one in which their presence begins to be manifestly felt, at least at certain times, so that they can regard him as having begun to be capable of heavenly companionship; and in this divine song is expressed the fulness of the joy which the angels feel, when they perceive that a sinner has begun to repent and be converted. When the angels sing this song, as it seems proper to call it, or when they are animated and gladdened by the Divine Life which it contains, the man with whom they may be associated is also inspired with devout and holy feelings, through the influence which proceeds from them, and is led to think concerning the Lord, who is the subject of it, and is thus brought more intimately into His presence.

It will be observed that although this discourse is a prophecy concerning the Lord, and the kingdom which He was about to set up among men, having been uttered by Mary before His birth into the world, yet it speaks of the effects of His divine government and redemption in the past tense, as though they had already taken place. And so, in the application of the spiritual sense of this part of the Word to the state of an individual man, in whose mind the Lord is about to be born, the blessed effects of His coming and reign there are spoken of in anticipation, as though already brought to pass. There are states in human experience to which this prophetic anticipation corresponds and applies, in the first glad internal reception of heavenly truth, and the perception of the blessedness to which it leads, when the anxieties of worldly life are far removed, the passions lulled to rest, and the mind elevated into the light of

heaven, which seems as near, and the world as far below us, as though the conflict with sin had been already fought, and the victory over death already gained, ere yet a single battle has been won from the enemy,- at least on that ground of his own choosing, where he must be finally vanquished, if

ever,

The two first verses of this song, the 46th and 47th of the chapter, "And Mary said my soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour," expresses the joy of the angels, on account of the Lord's coming down to men to redeem and save them. The 48th, "For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed," signifies that the affection of good, which Mary, who says this, represents, is humiliated and despised in the natural man, but that henceforth it will be exalted in the regenerate man, and its heavenly character acknowledged, in all succeeding states of spiritual life. Verse 49th, "For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name," signifies that this takes place through the saving power of the Lord's Divine Humanity, which is holiness itself. The 50th verse, "And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation," signifies, as is evident, the divine mercy of the Lord towards those who acknowledge Him, and suffer Him to regenerate them. Verse 51st, "He hath showed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,” signifies that the Lord, by the manifestation of His Divine human power, has overcome and driven away the crew of infernal spirits which held mankind in bondage before His coming. 52d, "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree," signifies that those who trust in their own strength will be humbled, and that those who are humble will be raised up and protected; and also, in an abstract sense, that whatsoever things there are in the mind of man which seek to exalt themselves above the Divine Truth, must be overcome and put down, in order that man

Verse

may come into a humble and receptive state. Verse 53d, "He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich hath He sent empty away," signfies that those who hunger for spiritual things will have their needs satisfied in heaven, while those who suppose themselves in possession of what is good and true, without acknowledging their dependence on the Lord for every good thing, will be found to possess, and to be receptive of, nothing truly heavenly. Verses 54 and 55, "He hath holpen His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy, as He spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever." This signifies the salvation of those who are spiritual, who are denoted by Israel according to what was foretold and promised in the Word.

56. "And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house." This signifies the complete and full state of the union of good and truth in the internal mind, the commencement of which was described above.

[To be continued.]

D. H. H.

BUILDING UP THE CHURCH

ALMOST every one who escapes from the wilderness of prevalent falsities into the New Church, and sits down to rest in peace under his own fig-tree, is troubled to find this tree a small one, not conspicuous to the world, and almost unknown to it. His natural impulse is to spring up, catch hold of the trunk, and endeavor to thrust it up among the tallest, where it may attract some attention. Fiercely he struggles with it, heedless of warnings that he will pluck it up by the roots. He may succeed in raising it a little, and deems his labors a success. But, alas! he has snapt the tender roots. The tree dies over his head; he is in the wilderness again.

I say almost every one has this experience. I believe it. The majority, however, learn, ere it is too late, to give over such idle, harmful efforts to put the Church before the world, and they content themselves to wait while the Lord