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succession of states, every one of which makes nearer and nearer approach to the Lord, and the perfections of wisdom and order which adorn and regulate his kingdom. To come down from the summit of any attainment, which we might have in the Christian life, into an inferior state, with a view to take from thence, and for enjoyment, the thoughts and affections, which constitute that inferiority,-the stuff that is within it,—is to violate the spiritual instruction of the text,-and thereby to endanger his intelligence, obscure his hopes, and peril his happiness. Let us, then, as individual members of the Lord's church, endeavour from these observations to learn, and to practice the duty of perseverance. This is indispensable to the attainment of the perfection of those graces, and to be successful in our possession of those gifts, which are not only designed to adorn our profession as Christians, but to qualify us for those enjoyments which are inseparable from the wisdom and virtue of genuine Christianity.

But while from the first portion of our text we are instructed concerning our duties in respect to the various states of improvement by which regeneration is secured to us, we observe that there is a second part which is more general in its spiritual signification, and which relates to our duty in respect to our connection with the church in general. "He that is in the field let him not likewise return back."

By a field is spiritually denoted the church, because, as a field is intended for the implantation of various seeds and the growing of them for the natural uses of the world, so the church is designed for the reception of the seeds of goodness and truth, and to constitute the plane for their growth and perfection. By he, then, who is in the field, is clearly signified one who is a member of the church, for he who is a member of the church is in it; but it is to be remembered that by which a person is constituted a member of the church is goodness, which is a quality of the will and its affection, that is only to be obtained through the instrumentality of those doctrinal truths which teach in what it consists. They who merely know the truths of the church as intellectual speculations, are not members of it in the divine cognizance. The master's will must not only be known, but it must be loved and obeyed, in order to our being received into the sanctuary of his wisdom and benediction. He then, who by virtue of goodness is a member of the church, and who has become so through the instrumentality of the truths of doctrine by which it is inculcated, is admonished not to return back, not to turn away from the prin

ciples and life of virtue. Whatsoever may be the degree or quality of our membership in the church, it is required of us to persevere in the utilities of charity, with which it is connected: Above all things, it becomes us to teach the doctrinal truths of the church to others, by means of shewing their practical influence upon ourselves. Those influences will encourage our perseverance, and the joy, tranquillity, and blessedness, which attends them, will secure us from the inducements and the dangers of falling away. We mistake a most important particular, if we suppose that genuine truth can be communicated to the world, without the aid of charity, which is goodness. If this principle had taken up a more decided residence among us, the truth of our doctrines would have acquired a much more extensive dissemination than that by which they are now distinguished. Without charity truths are merely lifeless carcasses, but when they are conjoined with that heavenly affection as the essence, they live, and those are members of the church in whom they live.

They, then, who are in the field, and transgress the instructions of the Lord, by turning back, are they who have been in charity, but who, have subsequently averted themselves from its activities and purposes, and thereby descended into that inferior state in which the doctrines of the church are regarded as intellectual speculations, and, sometimes, wielded for the purpose of disputation and conquest,-sometimes advocated with the view of preserving former connexions, and sometimes professed to parry the charges, or conceal the facts of apostacy and guilt. In such cases, the individuals are practical deniers of the virtuous purposes, ends and uses of truth; and, because this spiritual calamity is consequential on such an act, the Lord has vouchsafed upon this subject, the spiritual admonition of the text, "He that is in the field let him not return back,"

From the doctrine, and uses of doctrine, which we have been permitted to draw from the words before us, let us be stimulated to be diligent in cultivating the feeling and duty of perseverance in whatsoever is good, carefully remembering the declaration, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be rewarded, but if thou doest ill, sin lieth at the door.

SERMON XXXVIII.

ON THE NECESSITY OF REDUCING OUR KNOWLEDGE TO PRACTICE.

BY MR. D. T. DYKE.

Mark ii. 9.

"Arise, and take up thy bed and walk."

WHEN employed in reading the Divine Word, we are too apt to forget its sanctity. We remember not its Divine Author; we too often, alas, read it as though it were merely a human composition. Do we not even prize the productions of many authors more than we do this sacred book? Do we read the Bible with that inward delight which we feel in reading the writings of those who are called the great and learned amongst men? Alas! are not the productions of a Scott, a Milton, a Byron, a Newton, and a Skakespear, held in far greater reverence by the majority of mankind than this holy Book? How fallen, how debased must human nature be, to prize man more than God-to study, with the utmost diligence and attention, the writings of mortals, and to reject, and even view with abhorrence, the book of life, whose contents were given by inspiration from the Most High! The reason why this divine composition is so much neglected is, because mankind have considered it merely in the light of its being a book which every superficial reader could fully understand and comprehend; whereas a moment's consideration, had they been at all disposed to have exercised it, would have shewn them that its nature is quite the reverse. Had they thought of its Author as the Almighty, Infinite, Eternal Father of heaven and earth, past man's finding out to perfection, they would have concluded that this book, to be like himself, must contain much more instruction than that which, as expressed in the bare letter, meets the view of mortals: they would have concluded that this book, in order to bear a resemblance to its Author, must be divine, spiritual, and holy, because He is divine,-a Spirit, and holy beyond our highest powers of conception. That this is the real character of the Word of God, is made fully evident from our Lord's saying, "The

words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life;" and it is further recorded, that "without a parable he spake not." David, also, we find deeply impressed with the sublime doctrine of the New Church, that the literal sense of the sacred scriptures is only the basis of, and contains within it, a spiritual sense; for he prays fervently to the Lord in these words: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law." Now David was not blind that he wanted his natural sight restored, to enable him to read the writing of the law; the prayer, therefore, was made from an ardent desire that the Lord would so enlighten his understanding that he might be thereby enabled to discern the hidden meaning-the spirit and life of the divine commands. We also find our Lord saying, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;" thereby plainly shewing us that his Word is, like himself, eternal, not liable to change, or subject to decay. If, then, this divine Word is eternal, not liable to change or decay, it follows as a consequence that the sentence addressed in our text to the sick of the palsy, "Arise, and take up thy bed and walk," is equally as much addressed by our Lord to us-to the spiritually sick of the palsy-the palsy of evil and depraved wills, affections, and desires; so sick, that from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, there is nothing but wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores-no soundness in our flesh, that is, as regards our spiritual part-our immortal souls.

The Lord, in creating the animals, vegetables, and minerals of this earth, made nothing but what was good, every thing being for a use to man. Man uses them aright when he thereby promotes the glory of God, and the good of his fellow-creatures, and at the same time insures his own everlasting welfare. So also in the composition of the sacred records, every word is useful: there is not a single redundant sentence; not one superfluous word: there is not so much as a single apex or curve in the pure original Hebrew text of the Bible, too many, and not one used but what was intended to convey some spiritual instruction to man, which, if duly attended to by him, would lead to his eternal comfort. "One jot or tittle of the law shall in no wise pass away till all be fulfilled," saith our incarnate Saviour, when tabernacling on earth in the flesh; and in order to shew us that much depended-that much is involved in a single letter when spiritually, that is, rightly viewed, he added the letter H to the name of Abram, making it

thereby Abraham. If, then, the addition of a single letter to a name be worthy of the Divine Mind, and contains within it instruction adapted to the spiritual perceptions of the angels, who possess the divine Word, and derive from it all their stores of wisdom, how much valuable instruction must be contained in the sentence we are about to consider-stores of wisdom which eternity itself will never fully reveal to our minds.

In order that we may derive some portion of heavenly instruction from the words of our text, it will be necessary to abstract our minds from the literal history with which they are in connexion, and to recognize in them the words of the Most High addressed to each of us individually, commanding us to quit the palsied state in which, through the various evils of our nature, we are now living, and spiritually to "arise, and take up our bed and walk."

"Arise," evidently refers to an elevation of mind. Thus we find the Lord addressing his church by the prophet Isaiah, in the 52nd chapter, saying, "Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem;" admonishing them, and through them the church in all places, to divest themselves of all sensual and worldly loves, represented by the dust, and to elevate the powers of their minds, their affections and thoughts, to far higher and nobler things; and when thus elevated, to sit down in the spirit of humility and receive from his bounty the good things which he is ever ready to bestow on all those who submit their wills, represented by sitting down, to the guidance and direction of his divine will. In the 60th chapter, also, of the same prophet, the church is addressed with, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee;" which words, it must be evident, refer to an elevation of state. But what is the bed which we are commanded to take up? All the terms made use of in the Lord's Word, we must remember, are to be spiritually discerned; natural images shadow forth eternal things; the term bed is, therefore, used as the representative of that to which it corresponds. It is on the bed that the body reposes in peace, and enjoys its rest, and it is on the doctrines which a man believes that the mind-the immaterial part of man-bis living soul, reposes it is in these that he finds his tranquillity and his rest; and this, therefore, is the bed which we are commanded to take up. That a bed, when mentioned in the holy Word, means and signifies doctrine, will be made fully evident to your minds if,

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