god's explanation of bible symbolism

7/22/2019 GOD's Explanation of Bible Symbolism

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GODS EXPLANATION OF BIBLE SYMBOLISM

Overview

The Bible is clearly full of symbolism. The question is, what does it mean? While there

have been uncounted human attempts at explain it, the only person able to accurately

explain it is its inner meaning is its author, God. The only such explanation e hasprovided for most of the last !,""" years have been the handful of explanations #hrist

made of some of is parables.

$wedenborg claims to have received revelation from God on this matter, meaning that, ifhis claim is true, there is in fact, finally, a full explanation of the Bible%s symbolism by

the &uthor. This, however, hardly introduces the scope of the matter. 'f the information

$wedenborg received is correct, it is the spiritual symbolism, or what his Writings refer

to as the (internal( or (spiritual sense( of the Bible, that in fact ma)es it *ivine. 'n otherwords, the Bible is most fundamentally a boo) of spiritual teaching, and the

external+historical stories of the Bible ust symbolic clothes, in effect, put on the spiritual

sense. This is an important point, because it rescues many parts of the Bible from being

considered trivial, such as the details of the tabernacle%s construction, or horrible, such assome of the stories of violence and sexual disorder. 't thus elevates the Bible more

clearly to the the )ind of depth and power that you would expect to see in a boo) fromthe God of the universe. -verything in it began as a spiritual lesson and then God

selected pieces of either allegory or historical events to provide the external+historical

sense stories.&ctually, this whole correspondences concept, as huge as it turns out to be in a Biblical

context, covers even more territory. #orrespondences are nothing less than the basis of

physical creation itself. -verything physical has a spiritual origin, and the relationship

between the spiritual degree and the natural degree is not by direct connection but bycorrespondences. $ee . /. 0dhner%s Creation, also available on this website, for more

details.1& classic summary of the Writings% teachings on corespondences are found in this boo).Written more than a century ago as a $unday school text with the title The Language of

Parable), it combines an elegantly clear and simple explanation of correspondences with

demonstration of the huge range of the concept. #ould a human being, even one asbrilliant as $wedenborg, have invented such an extraordinary and integrated (system( of

symbolism as is presented here? 2ou are encouraged to ta)e a tour of these chapters and

see what you thin).

Abbreviations for works of Sweenbor! "ite

Arcana Coelestia

&-Apocalypse Explained

&3Apocalypse Revealed#/ Conjugial Love

#ont /4 Continuation of Last Judgent

#or. Coronis*/W!ivine Love and "isdo

* /ife!octrine of Life

* /ord!octrine of the Lord*5!ivine Providence


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-6Earths in the #niverse

$eaven and $ell

'$B%ntercourse bet&een the 'oul and (ody. 'oul(ody %nteraction in recenttranslations1

'nv.%nvitation to the *e& Church

/4Last Judgent.74* The *e& Jerusale and %ts $eavenly !octrine

55 'uary Exposition of the Prophets and Psals

$* 'piritual !iary. 'piritual Experiencesin recent translations1$$!octrine of the 'acred 'cripture

T#3 True Christian Religion.

W The "hite $orse

#$a%ter & ' #orres%onen"es

The )nowledge of correspondences is the )ey to the spiritual lessons of the Bible. By its

aid the parables and histories and strange prophecies of the Word are opened to disclose

the heavenly and *ivine truths which they contain. $urely nothing can be of greaterimportance than to gain ourselves, and to impart to our scholars, a clear, reasonable

understanding of this science and a practical acquaintance with it which will enable us tosee everywhere, as we read the Bible, lessons of heavenly wisdom.

ow easy this study would be, how living and delightful, if we lived in heaven8 if the

children wal)ed with their teacher in heavenly fields and needed but a word from him tointerpret to them the thousand beautiful truths which would seem almost to shine forth

from the sunlight and flowers and birds and precious gems8 They would feel the relation

of all things around them to the thoughts and feelings within themselves. The obects

would embody and interpret to them the things of inner wisdom.0r, suppose that we were children of the ancient Golden or $ilver &ge on earth. We

should then wal) amid the beauties of this world almost as angel children do in heaven,

and should recogni9e them all as full almost to overflowing with spiritual life. We shouldsee the message of the flower in the spar)ling beauty almost bursting from its delicate

folds. We should feel a heavenly affection echoed in the soft notes of the birds. &ll nature

would seem to us but a veil concealing and at the same time revealing the presence of the/ord and heaven. We should delight to point out to one another what we saw and felt. We

should, in our conversation with one another, delight to use the beautiful things around us

as a language to convey thoughts of higher things which we all perceived them to

contain. Then, when the /ord imself spo)e to us children of the ancient age a messageof heavenly and *ivine truth, it would delight us to receive it in the form of parables: the

very language which we were so fond of spea)ing, and of reading in the obects of beauty

and use around us. The study of correspondences would then be our highest pleasure; itwould be a real and living experience.


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nature and the spiritual lessons of the Bible. 'f we begin here we stri)e at once a vein of

interest, and one which leads on into increasing enoyment : an interest which is wholly

lac)ing if we begin in an arbitrary, dictionary way to say, This corresponds to truth andthis to love : a mere matter of authority and memory.

To illustrate the )ind of perception upon which we have to build, ta)e the varying

expressions of the face and the movements of the hands. *o children need to be told thatthese are natural things, and that they are manifestations, expressions, correspondences of

feelings and thoughts which are spiritual things? & child )nows at a glance the feeling of

pleasure which finds expression in a smile, or the sorrow which causes tears. &nd thetones of the voice= is an interpreter needed to tell us that one cry is expressive of pain,

and another of oy? that a word spo)en in a gentle, soothing tone is inspired by )indness,

and a harsh tone by anger? *oes a child need to be told that one motion of the hand is an

invitation to come, and another is a command to go? 'n a word, children perceive thecorrespondence of the expressions of the face, the gestures, and the tones of the voice

with the feelings and thoughts of the mind.

There is a peculiar advantage in drawing our first illustrations of correspondence from the

relations of the human body and mind, for here both the spiritual side and the natural arewithin ourselves, and it is distinctly perceived that they have relation to each other.

>oreover, it is evident here that the spiritual is the cause of the natural, and not thereverse : a relation which always exists in correspondence, and which it is important to

have from the first distinctly in mind. 't is the feeling of sorrow which causes the tone of

sadness in the voice, or the tearful eyes. 't is the emotion of oy which finds expression inthe cheerful voice and smile. -ven if this is not stated in so many words, the children

learn from such examples to regard correspondence as a relation of cause and effect.

We may now pass on to obects outside of ourselves, for the influence of a man%s

character extends to all the obects which surround him, arranging and shaping them asfar as it is able into accord with himself. -very one can read something of another%s

character in his house and the order and decoration of his room. We perceive here a

correspondence, not so perfect as exists between angels and their heavenly surroundings,where all outward obects are a manifestation and exact expression of the angels% states of

feeling and thought, but what we see is enough to enable us to conceive of that more

perfect correspondence.7or does the common perception of relation between natural things and spiritual stop

here with obects which bear directly the imprint of our hands. We loo) out upon a soft

spring day, when everything is blossoming with beauty; and the sweet air and sunshine

and bright colors and gay songs touch a chord of sympathy in our own hearts. Theyawa)en a peaceful delight. There is some relation between this vernal beauty and human

happiness. We express it by saying that the day, as well as we, is peaceful; that the colors

and the songs are cheerful. &gain, we loo) upon a storm and destructive torrents, and wecall them fierce and cruel. 'n a word, we perceive a relation between these things of

nature which we had no part in ma)ing, which in no direct way bear the imprint of our

hand, and the feelings and thoughts of our own hearts.This is a curious fact. ow shall we account for it? We come into this natural world and

find evidences of human presence before us. 't is almost as if in a wild, untrodden wood

we came upon signs of human habitation. 't is very favorable to our comfort and

happiness in this world that this is so, that we find all earthly obects adapted to our


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physical wants, and also of a quality to touch responsive chords in our hearts and minds.

This human quality of nature is not an accident, but of purpose. 't is nothing less than the

imprint of the #reator%s *ivine human hand, modified into more and less perfect forms,and even perverted into evil forms, by the heavenly and the infernal channels through

which spiritual forces reach this world of matter.

-very obect of nature, every phenomenon, is as a smile on nature%s face, or a tear, or atone of nature%s voice which embodies to us feelings and thoughts within. -very one is an

effect which invites us to trace it bac) to its cause in the world of human mind and

originally in the /ord imself.The common perception of a relation between natural obects in the world about us and

spiritual things within ourselves, the perception that they are indeed the same things on

different planes of life, leads us every day to call natural and spiritual things by the same

names, and to describe their qualities by the same terms. We spea), for example, of alofty mountain, or a lofty ambition; a low place, or a low motive. $o we use the word

hard: either a hard roc), or a hard saying; a tender leaf, or a tender feeling; a rough

country, or rough people; a warm day, or a warm heart; a cold winter, or a cold reception.

$o we say that both plants and ideas grow; that both bear fruit.'t is to be noted in all such cases that the word is used first of natural things and natural

qualities; that it gets its clear, definite meaning from what we see and hear and feel, andthat it is afterwards borrowed to describe spiritual things and qualities which we perceive

to be analogous to the natural. The fact is that all words used of mental things gained

their definite meaning in application to natural obects, and were borrowed for the higheruse. 't amounts to saying that we gain from nature the impressions which give us our only

distinct ideas of spiritual things. #ould we not see and feel natural height and depth, we

could not conceive of spiritual exaltation and depression. The idea of a spiritual quality is

derived from nature, and the term used to describe it is borrowed from nature.'f we went far in this study of words we should find many which in their origin gained

their meaning from nature, but are now losing, or have quite lost, that association, and are

used only of spiritual and mental things. &n example of a word in the state of transition isinspire+ The 3oman boy may have inspired his football, and even 5ope and $ha)espeare

inspired their instruments of music; but we inspire chiefly things of feeling and thought.

The word spirit has in common speech quite passed over from the thought of breath orwind to that of the inner world with its mental forces and phenomena. $o also we would

hardly spea) offundaental stones, though we do of fundamental principles. We do not

today despise the prospect from a mountain, though we do loo) down upon it. & word

used apparently with a spiritual meaning only, is really no exception to the rule, butalways, in its root, gained its meaning from nature, and was borrowed to describe what is

spiritual.

The study of correspondences is of supreme importance, for as fast as we can learn to seein natural phenomena their spiritual cause and meaning we shall delight to turn to the

parables of the Bible : for all its chapters are parables : and to read there, in this same

language, of heaven and the /ord.0ur guide and authority in the interpretation of the Word by the )nowledge of

correspondences is the revelation of its spiritual meaning given by the /ord through the

writings of -manuel $wedenborg. We find in these writings explicit instruction in regard

to the spiritual meaning of certain boo)s of the Word and of very many scattered


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passages, and a direct statement of the correspondence of many obects which is a guide

to the spiritual meaning of all passages of the Word where those obects are named. 't is

however most desirable in the study of correspondences to avoid the mista)e of thin)ingthat correspondence is artificial and arbitrary, and to learn to see the living relation

between the natural and the spiritual obects which correspond to each other. We

therefore appeal first to the almost instinctive perception that the obect or phenomenonwhich we are studying has relation to some state or activity of the mind, a relation to

which common speech often bears witness. This perception we see) to ma)e more full

and exact, using as our guide the statements of $wedenborg of the correspondence of thenatural obect in question. Then we turn to the Word for illustration of the use of our

newly:discovered symbol, and by its help draw beautiful and helpful spiritual lessons, as

many as we are able. @:@A, A":AAC; &- A"":A"!; T#3 !"A:!"1

#$a%ter ( ' )i!$ an Low

The words high and lo&suggest familiar natural ideas, but almost as quic)ly they

suggest spiritual ideas. When we hear the words, can we always tell whether they areused to mean natural or spiritual qualities? ' say, (The site of the city is low.( -vidently '

spea) naturally. (The moral tone of the city is low.( 5lainly ' spea) spiritually. The

mountain is high.( (is hope is high.( (e aims too high,( ' must tell you now whether '

mean with his gun or with his ambition. (e started from a very low level, but climbedupward, rising at every step, till he reached the desired height, and from his elevated

position he loo)ed down on others less successful than himself.( 2ou really cannot say

whether ' mean a physical or a spiritual ascent. 'n any case it is plain that naturalelevation is what gives us our idea of height and that the thought and the words are

borrowed from the outward world to describe spiritual relations which we perceive to be

analogous to the natural.

When we use the word high of natural things, we of course )now what we mean. Whatdo we mean when we use it of spiritual things? /et the class do their best to tell the

meaning of this familiar word. They will doubtless conclude that we mean by high, lifted

above bodily and worldly things, nearer to what is heavenly and *ivine. /ow does notnecessarily mean bad; but it does mean external and removed from what is *ivine.

D!A"1 Which is higher, the love of studying astronomy or the love of eating? Which are

higher, thoughts about heaven and the /ord, or thoughts about my new clothes? We oftenspea) of acting from high motives or from low motives. We may do our wor) from desire

to serve the /ord, or from desire to be useful to our neighbors, or from hope of money, or

for personal glory. The highest motive is that which regards the /ord most directly.

*esire to be useful to others is a less high motive. The hope of gain is a low motive.

eaven, we say, is higher than the earth; do we mean it naturally or spiritually? 'f we are

spea)ing not of the s)y but of the heaven where angels dwell, we mean that it is higher in

the spiritual sense, with no thought of natural place. The ways in which angels live are

nobler than worldly ways; they are nearer to the /ord. (


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suggestion of the class, where we may be able to see under figure of natural height a

lesson of spiritual elevation.

We often read of going up to 4erusalem to worship. (The word that 'saiah the son of&mo9 saw concerning 4udah and 4erusalem. &nd it shall come to pass in the last days,

that the mountain of the /ord%s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, andshall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. &nd many people shall

go and say, #ome ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the /ord, to the house of theGod of 4acob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will wal) in his paths; for out of

Fion shall go forth the law, and the word of the /ord from 4erusalem.( 'sa. ii. !, 1 When

4esus was twelve years old, (they went up to 4erusalem after the custom of the feast.(/u)e ii. D!1 &nd we remember that it was customary with the ancients to worship on

high places. Gen. xii. , xxii. !; @H, HDC1 *oes it tell something of the state in

which we should come before the /ord? &- D"C; @C; &3 H1 3emember also howthe /ord went into a mountain to pray. >att. xiv. !; !" end) &nd we go down,

when we turn from our worship to every:day affairs, from our $unday resolutions to our

wee):day labors. The /ord (went down with them, and came to 7a9areth, and wassubect unto them.( /u)e ii. CA1 *o difficulties and dangers beset us when we try to

bring down our good resolutions into daily practice? 3emember the parable of the good

$amaritan. (& certain man went down from 4erusalem to 4ericho, and fell among

thieves.( /u)e x. !"; &- DDD, DC;see #hapter @1

The commandments were given from >ount $inai, while bounds were set about that the

people should not come near nor touch the mount. -xod. xix1 This pictures the deeper

truth that the heavenly and *ivine spirit which the commandments contain and from

which they came was far above the comprehension of the 4ews, and is above thecomprehension of all evil and natural minded people. They cannot approach to it.

@, @D!!1 But when the /ord would open to is disciples the laws given to them of oldtime and reveal something of the heavenly and *ivine love within them, e went up intoa mountain and gathered the multitude about im. >att. v1 What spiritual difference

does this mar) between the 4ewish and #hristian #hurches? *oes it tell us anything of

the state into which the /ord was leading is disciples and into which e desires to leadus? is effort is to lift our hearts and our thoughts above all:absorbing worldly cares into

a heavenly state of charity and of nearness to imself. There we can see the heavenly

spirit within the stern commands.

'nto (a high mountain apart by themselves ( the /ord led the three disciples >ar) ix. !1to see im transfigured, is face shining as the sun and is raiment white as the light. $o

e would lift us into heavenly states to perceive is love and is wisdom as angels do.

&- D"C1

When by a few examples the idea of spiritual elevation is fixed in the mind, alwaysafterward, as we read the Bible, going up suggests to us entering into the inner chambers

of the soul nearer to the /ord and heaven. The /ord%s charge to flee to the mountains in

troubled times, and not to come down from the house:top ,>att. xxiv.AH, A1, suggests atonce that safety is in nearness to the /ord, and in doing right. @C end- !DCD, HC!,


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HC1 The words to the blind man, (3ise, he calleth thee ( >ar) x. D@1, are spo)en to us

too. We must loo) up from false thoughts and from evil ways. We must say with the

prodigal son, (' will arise and go to my father.( /u)e xv. A; !D"A, DA1

$ome passages doubtless come to mind where elevation, or a mountain, has quite a

different meaning. 'n common speech we mean nothing good when we say that one is(haughty,( or (set up.( We mean that he is high in his own esteem, and thin)s himself

above his neighbors. $o elevation, which in its noble sense means a state of nearness tothe /ord and of love for im, may express the opposite idea of a state of intense self:

love. *o you find both )inds of elevation in this verse? (Whosoever exalteth himself

shall be abased; and he that humbleth him self shall be exalted.( /u)e xiv. AA; H@1What valleys are meant, and what mountains and hills, in this call to prepare for the

coming of the /ord? (-very valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be

made low= . . . and the glory of the /ord shall be revealed.( 'sa. xl. D, C; /u)e iii. C15lainly the mountains of pride and self:love must be humbled, and the low, unworthy

things of our life must be lifted up and made good. The valleys which are exalted suggest

also those states of humility which can receive the /ord%s blessing. AH@A, DAC; &3H; &- D"C1

's it the mountain of heavenly or of selfish elevation of which the /ord promises, ('f ye

shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be

done (? >att. xxi. !A; &- D"C, CA"1 &nd does it mean that the /ord came into a state ofinterior peace and fullness of *ivine love, or that for a time all the inherited tendency to

self:love was aroused, when (the devil ta)eth him up into an exceeding high mountain,

and showeth him all the )ingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and saith unto him,

&ll these things will ' give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me (? >att. iv. , @;&- D"C end. AH@A1 'n the spiritual world all outward obects are expressions of the

states of the inhabitants. Who in that world will dwell on lofty mountains, and who indeep caverns? We are taught that the most holy angels dwell on mountains, the evilspirits of hell in caverns, and that the intermediate world of spirits appears as a valley.

A"D, A"H"; #/ C; C!:CH1

$hall we thin) of natural elevations greater and less, or of heavenly states of love for the

/ord and one another, when we read, (The mountains shall bring peace to the people, andthe little hills, by righteousness(? 5s. lxxii. ; &- HC1 &nd is it the moving of natural

mountains and hills or the oyful activity of these same heavenly affections that is

described in the words, (The mountains s)ipped li)e rams, and the little hills li)e lambs(?5s. cxiv. D; &- D"C1

#$a%ter * ' )eat an #o+

's there a )ind of warmth that does not depend on the outside sunshine nor on the fire?*o you )now homes where you receive a (warm welcome( even in winter? *o

friendships (grow cold( in summer? #ould one (turn a cold shoulder( in 4uly? We )now


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that we may have a (warm heart ( or a (cold heart ( the year round, in the sunshine or the

shade, for this )ind of warmth does not come from the sun in the s)y.

/et the class suggest other familiar words and phrases which refer to this spiritual heat orcold. We (warm up to our wor);( we are (fired with 9eal or enthusiasm,( or we are

(lu)ewarm.( & person maybe (chilling( to our (ardor,( and (throw cold water ( upon us.We may (burn with anger or revenge;( a discussion may become (heated.( We may be in

(a fever of excitement,( and the (coolness ( of a friend may be refreshing to us.

What is this warmth of the spirit, which even quic)ens the action of the heart till it

touches the body with a glow of physical warmth? Iind feeling and 9eal warm the spirit;

fierce passion consumes it. /ove, either good or bad, is the inward fire. */W @C; @D, C!AC; D1 Whence do we receive the heavenly fire, the love of what is good? 't

is given to us by the /ord as we obediently do right. Therefore 4ohn the Baptist said of

the /ord, (' indeed bapti9e you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after

me . . . shall bapti9e you with the oly $pirit and with fire.( >att. iii. AA; @A; &-

D, C"D1 *o we see anything in the representative 4ewish worship which pictures thisdescent of *ivine love from the /ord )indling love in our own hearts as we serve im? 't

is represented by the fire of the altar by which the offerings were burnt : fire which, insome cases, was seen to fall from heaven. /ev. ix. !D; A Iings xviii. 1 't means that

when we consecrate our good interests and abilities to the /ord, e gives a new and

holier love for these good things. The /ord gives the love for good, and e alone. (TheGod that answereth by fire, let him be God.( A Iings xviii. !D; A""CC; &3 @C1

What can be the meaning of the appearance of fire about the /ord or is angel, as seen

by >oses, and the prophets, and 4ohn? (The angel of the /ord appeared unto >oses in a

flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.( -xod. iii. !1 (The &ncient of days did sit= . . .

his throne was li)e the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.( *an. vii. @1 To 4ohn,(his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet li)e unto fine brass, as if they burned in a

furnace.( 3ev. i. AD, AC1 >ust not the fire in all such cases be an expression of the*ivine love going forth from the /ord? CA, H!; &- H, H@, C"D1

There is also heat of another )ind : the burning of evil loves. These consuming evil

passions are the fires of hell. (The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and

murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have theirpart in the la)e which burneth with fire and brimstone.( 3ev. xxi. ; >att. xiii. D!, v. !!;

C"A; &3 C@@; &- !C; CHH:CC1 This is the fire meant in the words of the rich

man in hell, (ave mercy on me, and send /a9arus, that he may dip the tip of his finger

in water, and cool my tongue; for ' am tormented in this flame.( /u)e xvi. !D; AHA,H!; C"; &3 !!; &- DCC1 'f the fires of evil passion are fed and encouraged while

we live here on earth, we shall not be willing to have them extinguished in the other

world. (Their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.( >ar) ix. DD; D A1 (ewill burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.( >att. iii. A!; &- C"D1

But read the *ivine promise, (


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through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame )indle upon thee.( 'sa.

xliii. !1 (We went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a

wealthy place.( 5s. lxvi. A!1 ere are promises of the /ord%s protection enabling us topass unhurt through the falsity and evil excitement of the world. They are assurances that

false thoughts and evil passions which )indle in our own hearts may be overcome in the

/ord%s strength and leave our souls unharmed. @; &- CC1 & grand picture of the/ord%s presence protecting us from harm, though evil passions do their utmost to

consume us, is contained in the third chapter of *aniel. Three men faithful to the /ord

were cast into (the burning fiery furnace,( (heated seven times more than it was wont tobe heated.( 2et upon them (the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed,

neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.( 551 The

devil ofttimes cast the child (into the fire and into the waters to destroy him,( but the

/ord cast him out. >ar) ix. !!1

'ndeed, the conflict in us between the flames of evil passion and the fire of the /ord%s

love, if we are faithful in the temptation, will purify us of the evil. (Behold, ' have refined

thee, but not with silver; ' have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.( .'sa. xlviii. A"1(' will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and

will try them as gold is tried.( Fech. xiii. @; ADH; &- C!1 The /ord also said,

referring to conflicts in men%s hearts between the good love e brought and their natural

evil loves, (' am come to send fire on the earth.; and what will ', if it be already )indled?(/u)e xii. D@; &- C"D1

The evil fire and the good fire are the very opposites of each other. The good fire is cold

to those in evil states, and the evil fire is cold to those in good states. DAC; C!1

The /ord predicted days when iniquity should abound, and (the love of many shall waxcold.( >att. xxiv. A!; /4 C1 3emember the night when the /ord was brought before the

priests and scribes. (The servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals;for it was cold; and they warmed themselves; and 5eter stood with them and warmedhimself.( 4ohn xviii. A1 *oes the fact that it was cold tell also something of the

affection for the /ord in the heart of 5eter and the rest? in the hearts of all of us when we

deny and forsa)e the /ord? &- !"1 3ead in the 3evelation iii. AC, AH1 the message tothe church in /aodicea= (' )now thy wor)s, that thou art neither cold nor hot; ' would

thou wert cold or hot. $o then because thou art lu)ewarm, and neither cold nor hot, ' will

spue thee out of my mouth.( 't is a warning to us when we have learned to love the /ordand what is right, not to fall into evil of life, which would cool the love for the /ord. $uch

lu)ewarmness is more dangerous than never to have )nown the good, for we are set more

hopelessly against it. &3 !"!; &- !1

#$a%ter , ' Li!$t an Darkness

ere are two more words which we every day borrow from their first, natural meaning, todescribe states not of the outside world, but of people%s minds. /et the class suggest

phrases in which these and similar words are understood by everybody to refer to states

of mind. ' am wholly (in the dar)( on this subect, one might say, when perhaps he isstanding in the sunshine or by the lighted lamp. This news (throws some light( on the


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question. (The dar) ages ( : were they years when the sun did not shine? & (benighted (

land : is it one where the sun has set? 's an (enlightened ( nation one whose s)ies are

bright? We say of people that they live according to their (lights.( (Ieep it dar).( Thegame, (throwing light.( What does it mean, that we are (in the dar),( or are (gaining light

(? We are in the dar) upon a subect of which we are wholly ignorant, or in regard to

which we are misinformed. We gain light as we gain )nowledge upon the subect,become intelligent, and finally wise. */W @H; DD":DD!"1 /oo) again at the

familiar phrases mentioned above and see if this is not the light and dar)ness they refer

to.

The most serious )ind of dar)ness is ignorance and false belief in regard to the /ord andheaven and good life; and the most precious light is )nowledge, intelligence, wisdom in

regard to these subects. $uch dar)ness in the minds of men angels lament; such light

they reoice to see. The Bible in its spiritual meaning tells us of this light and dar)ness.&- C!H, C!1 JK3Lecall verses where dar/ness- light- day- night- and other such words

occur, and perhaps KyouL will be ableKJL to suggest their spiritual meaning.

't is predicted of the time when the /ord should come, (Behold, dar)ness, shall cover the

earth, and gross dar)ness the people.( 'sa lx. !1 *oes it mean that there would be naturaldar)ness, or that the dar)ness of ignorance and false beliefs would prevail? &nd of the

/ord%s coming we read, (&rise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the /03* is

risen upon thee. . . . &nd the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and )ings to the brightnessof thy rising.( 'sa ix. A, 1 Was it a brightness seen with the eyes? or was it the light of

intelligence in heavenly things, which the /ord brought to men%s minds? A"C D1

&gain, (The people that wal)ed in dar)ness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the

land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.( 'sa ix. !; H1 TheGospel also says of the /ord%s coming, (The light shineth in dar)ness; and the dar)ness

comprehended it not. . . . That was the true light, which lighteth every man that comethinto the world.( 4ohn i. C, @1 't teaches the same lesson of the ignorance and falsity inmen%s minds, and the perfect wisdom of the /ord; and it tells us that all our light, all our

ability to understand any truth, is given us by the /ord. &- !@D1 ('n thy light shall we

see light.( 5s. xxxvi. @; &- D; C1 (' am the light of the world,( the /ord imselfsaid. 4ohn viii. A!; &- HD1 &nd the /ord said of those whom e taught and sent out to

teach others, (2e are the light of the world. . . ./et your light so shine before men.(

>att.. v. 'D, AH1 The disciples, or more abstractly, the messages of truth they carried,were to spread light from im to all the world. &- !!1

'n what other way than by is own personal presence and by the presence of is

disciples does the /ord send us the light of )nowledge, intelligence, and wisdom in

heavenly things? By is Word. We can truly say, (Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, anda light unto my path. . . . The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding

unto the simple.( 5s. cxix. A"C, A"; &- !D1 What is the meaning of the prophet%s

warning, (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put dar)ness for light,

and light for dar)ness (? 'sa. v. !"; A@1


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3emember also that where we read in the Gospels, or elsewhere in the Word, that events

too) place in the night or the dar)ness, this not only tells a natural fact, but also is

representative of spiritual dar)ness. (There was a thic) dar)ness in all the land of -gyptthree days= . . . but all the children of 'srael had light in their dwellings.( -xod. x. !!, !1

/i)e all the plagues of -gypt this represented the state of the -gyptians% minds, and the

state of every mind which clings to natural and evil life and refuses to obey the /ord. The'sraelites had light, for they represent those who are see)ing deliverance from bondage to

natural and evil life. These are intelligent in spiritual things, but the others are densely

stupid. A!, A@1 (-gyptian dar)ness( has become a common phrase for a stateutterly without intelligence.

&t the /ord%s birth, (There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,

)eeping watch over their floc)s by night.( /u)e ii. 1 What does it tell of the state of the

world into which e came? There were a few who cared for innocence, and these were)eeping watch in a night of ignorance and false belief. The disciples toiled all night and

caught nothing. /u)e v. C1 By night the /ord saw the disciples (toiling in rowing, for the

wind was contrary unto them; and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh untothem, wal)ing on the sea.( >ar) vi. D1 The weary toil of the night means the disciples%

vain effort and our own, when our minds are in dar)ness because far from the /ord. The

fourth watch, or the dawn, is when we perceive that the /ord is near. &- CAD1 (Weeping

may endure for a night, but oy cometh in the morning.( 5s. xxx. C; A"AD1

Were there times of spiritual dar)ness in the /ord%s human life? e (continued all night

in prayer.( /u)e vi. A!1 The /ord was betrayed in the night, and forsa)en by is

disciples, and denied. When e said to the disciples, (&ll ye shall be offended because of

me this night( >ar) xiv. !1, and to those who too) im, (This is your hour, and thepower of dar)ness ( /u)e xxii. C1, did e mean merely the natural night? or did e

rather mean the night of denial in men%s minds? H"""1 *oes it tell us something ofthe mind of 4udas at the /ast $upper, and of our own minds when we betray the /ord,that (he went out, and it was night(? 4ohn xiii. "1 Was it true in any but a natural sense,

that as the /ord hung upon the cross, (there was dar)ness over all the earth(? /u)e xxiii.

DD; &- D"A1

(There shall be no night( in the holy city; (and they need no candle, neither light of thesun; for the /ord God giveth them light.( 3ev. xxii. C1 These words describe a church in

which there will be no false faith, and where men will not be led by their own

intelligence, but will he in spiritual light from the /ord. &3 @D"; &- AD1 'n heaven itis even outwardly true that there is no night, though there is twilight and rest; for in the

spiritual world brightness without is inseparable from brightness within, and the minds of

angels, though they rest from their intensest activity, are never dar). A!H:A!, ACC1

We say that a face (beams( with )indness, or that it (lights up ( with intelligence. 'nheaven, interior intelligence or love of truth ma)es the faces of angels actually shine.

D; &- D"A1 $uch shining of the face has also been seen by men on earth and is spo)en

of in the Bible. ('t came to pass, when >oses came down from >ount $inai with the twotables of testimony in >oses% hand, . . . that the s)in of his face shone. . . . &nd till >oses


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had done spea)ing with them, he put a veil on his face.( -xod. xxxiv. !@ : C 1 This was

because >oses was the representative of the /ord%s Word in its letter. The shining of his

face was a symbol of the inner wisdom of the Word shining through the letter, whichmust be veiled because the people were not able to receive it. HC!, A"H@A; &- @1

3emember how the /ord was seen by the apostles on the mountain of transfiguration(is face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.( >att.. xvii. !;

A!@; &- DA!1 3emember also that the /ord is seen by angels, clothed with the glory ofthe sun of heaven. AA; */W @ 1 (Who coverest thyself with light as with a

garment,( says the 5salm. 5s. civ. !; &- !; @D1 What *ivine quality is it which

becomes visible to spiritual sight as bright light surrounding the /ord? is *ivinewisdom. The ancients )new that the /ord%s wisdom appears to spiritual sight as light

going forth from im, and from this ancient )nowledge the custom still remains with

painters of encircling the head of the /ord with rays of light. */W @D1

eat and light are often found together; is this an accident, or is there some real relation

between them? eat a piece of iron in a forge, or a bit of lime in a blowpipe, or theparticles of carbon with which burning:gas is charged, or a thread of carbon in the

exhausted globe of an incandescent lamp, and what is the result? & bright light. eat isthe cause of light. 's there any such relation between love, the mental warmth, and

wisdom, the mental light? 0ur interest in a subect ma)es it easy to understand it; love is

quic) to perceive. Wisdom in heavenly subects comes not with great learning alone, butwith the faithful effort to do right, that is, with an earnest heart. (The fear of the /03* is

the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his

commandments.( 5s. cxi. A"; &3 C!; &- H@H1 There is no true faith where there is no

charity. T#3 C1

#$a%ter - ' Seein! an )earin!

(' donMt see,( ' say, when perhaps it is broad daylight and my eyes are wide open. $ome

one by a word or action (throws light ( on the subect : (&h, now ' see.( (/et me see,( '

say, when ' stop to consider. We spea) of the (out:loo)( or the (prospect,( withoutreference to the natural landscape. 5eople (see in different lights;( they (loo) from

different points of view.( 0ne person habitually (ta)es a dar) view( of things; another

(loo)s on the bright side. (7o two people have exactly the same (views.( -xplain somenew thing to a variety of people : savages, children, and intelligent men= why do they not

all see with equal quic)ness and clearness? Because their ability to see is not equal, and,

as we say, every one must (see with his own eyes.( 3ecogni9ing variety in people%s

mental eyes, we say of one that he is a (clear sighted( business man or statesman. 0nepolicy is (short:sighted ( and another (far:sighted ( or (far:seeing.( &nd we all )now

what it is to be (blind ( to our own interests, or to our faults. We may have our (eyes

opened( to something to which we have been (blind; ( or we may obstinately (close oureyes ( to it. (7one are so blind as they who will not see.( $o we could multiply phrases

which refer to seeing with (the mind%s eye.(


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ave we another name for this faculty of mental sight? (' don%t see,( means what? ('

don%t understand.( The understanding is the spiritual eye. DD":DD!"; */W @H1

When one is mentally (far:sighted,( his understanding is clear and far:reaching; when(short:sighted,( his understanding is limited and prefers a little temporary advantage to a

greater final good. When one is in (a blind rage,( his understanding is for the time

obscured by his passion. The delicate structure of the eye, and the complex process bywhich we see, are the exact counterpart of the still more delicate spiritual activities which

enable us to understand.

The understanding not only is li)e the natural eye, but is very closely connected with it.

The understanding is always busy gathering in ideas which enable the mind to thin). Thenatural eye is a )ind of appendage of the understanding, given to the understanding as a

means of extending its sight out into the material world, to gather in for the thought the

beautiful natural images with which the /ord surrounds us. 'n itself the natural eyecannot see, any more than a pair of spectacles, but the understanding sees through it; it

finds the eye an obedient servant, by whose help it gathers for the mind the wonderful

images of nature. A"H, A@CD1 The understanding also returns through the eyes itsspar)le of intelligence or its blan) loo) of perplexity. &- ; DD"1 This close

relation we describe in one word by saying that the eye corresponds to the understanding.

Both the natural eye and the understanding, each on its plane, are meant in the words,

(The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall befull of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of dar)ness.( >att.. vi.

!!, !; &- A"A, AC!1

The common perception of this correspondence shows us at once what people mean

when they spea) of the mind%s eye. 't also helps us to )now the meaning of passages inthe Bible which spea) of seeing, or of blindness, or of the restoring of sight. To see,

spiritually, is to understand. The most precious sight is understanding of truth about the/ord and heaven and good life. The saddest )ind of blindness is inability to see thesetruths. This sight and this blindness the Bible tells us of in its inner meaning. &- AC!;

&3 D1

The /ord said of the 5harisees, (They be blind leaders of the blind. &nd if the blind lead

the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.( >att.. xv. AD1 *id e mean that they werephysically blind? or that, although they had the Word, they understood nothing of its real

truth, but taught false rules of life, which were received by people no more intelligent

than themselves? &- C; &3 @AD1 When the disciples presently as)ed im themeaning of a parable, e said, (&re ye also without understanding?( >att.. xv. AH1 /ong

before it had been said, (is watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; . . . they are

shepherds that cannot understand.( 'sa lvi. A", AA; &3 !A"; &- !@1

&nother prediction the /ord applied to the 5harisees= ('n them is fulfilled the prophecy of-saias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye

shall see, and shall not perceive; for this people%s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are

dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with theireyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be


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converted, and ' should heal them.( >att.. xiii. AD, AC; 'sa vi. @, A"1 Were there people

who saw the /ord with their natural eyes, the 5harisees among them, who failed to

recogni9e im as the very God of heaven among men, and who understood almostnothing of the meaning of is parables? 't was better that they should not understand,

than that they should understand only to turn bac) and mix what was holy with evil.

"A:"; *. 5. !'; C; $. $. H"1

What is the meaning of the prayer, (0pen thou mine eyes, that ' may behold wondrousthings out of thy law(? 5s. cxix. A1 When a blind man stood before the /ord in 4ericho,

and in answer to is question, (What wilt thou that ' shall do unto thee? ( said, (/ord,

that ' might receive my sight,( what spiritual need of human minds did he typify? &ndwhen the /ord said to him, (3eceive thy sight,( what spiritual wor) did e show is

power and is desire to do for men? /u)e xviii. DA, D!1 *oes not this blind man picture

those in the dar)ness of ignorance who yet desire to understand? The /ord delights toteach such and to give them the power to understand. H@@"; &- !@1 &s we read

carefully the beautiful account in 4ohn, of the /ord%s healing of a blind man, we see that

the /ord at the same time gave the man physical sight and opened his understanding tobelieve in im. (Why, herein is a marvelous thing,( the poor man said to the 4ews, (that

ye )now not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.( 4ohn ix. "; &-

!@1 The /ord healed many who were blind, as a sign of is power and is desire to

give men a true understanding of heavenly things.


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xviii. @, v. !@1 Besides other lessons which these words contain, they are a warning to put

out of our minds at once all thoughts that lead to what is wrong. &- H"", AC!1 (2e have

heard that it hath been said, &n eye for an eye.( >att. v. ; -xod. xxi. !D1 This lawgiven to the 4ews teaches the unchangeable spiritual truth, that an attempt to distort

another%s understanding, reacts upon ourselves and destroys our own power to understand

truly. &- CCH; !!1 (#ursed be he that ma)eth the blind to wander out of the way.(*eut.. xxvii. A; /ev. xix. AD1 's it not a warning of the danger to ourselves if we

willfully mislead those who are ignorant and trust us for guidance? &3 !A"1

What is the meaning of loo)ing to the /ord? or of lifting up the eyes to im? (>ine eyes

are ever toward the /03*.( 5s. xxv. AC1 (6nto thee lift ' up mine eyes, 0 thou thatdwellest in the heavens. Behold as the eyes of servants loo) unto the hand of their

masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon

the /03* our God, until that he have mercy upon us.( 5s. cxxiii. A, !1 (' will lift upmine eyes unto the hills.( 5s. cxxi. A1 We lift our eyes spiritually when we lift our

thought and direct it to heavenly subects and to the /ord. !@1

&nd when we read, (The eyes of the /03* are upon the righteous( 5s. xxxiv. AC1; (The

/03* loo)eth from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men( 5s. xxxiii. A1; (is eyesbehold, his eyelids try, the children of men ( 5s. xi. D1; it means that the /ord%s *ivine

thought is turned towards us, that e )nows all our life and provides for every need. &-

H, AC!1

earing is in many respects li)e seeing, and it corresponds to a spiritual faculty. closelyrelated to the understanding. We shall be able however to see a difference between the

two. 't is interesting first to learn that while the eyes communicate directly with that part

of the brain which is the seat of thought, the ears have also close connection with the part

of the brain where feelings dwell, so that while sight is the servant of thought, soundtouches directly both the thought and the feeling. H@, C"; &- AD; !A1 0ne

may convey a clear idea by a letter or a picture, but how much better his feeling isexpressed in his voice8

We recogni9e this fact when we tell a child to (listen ( to his mother%s instructions; for we

mean not simply that he shall understand them, but that he shall ta)e them to heart and

obey them. DHC1 $o too the /ord bids us hear)en to is voice and to iscommandments. 'sa xlviii. r1 e means that we shall ta)e them to heart and obey them.

!CD!; &- HC1 (ear, 0 'srael,( introduces the first of all commandments; (ear, 0

'srael, and observe to do.( *eut. vi. D, ; @H1 When the /ord gives us

commandments, it is not enough to answer, ' see; but we must say, (&ll that the /03*our God shall spea). . . we will hear and do.( *eut. v. !1 ($pea), /03*, for thy

servant heareth.( ' $am. iii. @1 ' see, means that ' understand in an intellectual way; '

hear, means that ' ta)e it to heart and am resolved to obey. (The /ord G0* hath openedmine ear, and ' was not rebellious, neither turned away bac).( 'sa A. C; H@1

0ften when the /ord had been teaching, e said, (Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.(

>att.. xiii. D1 &nd in the 3evelation the charge to each of the seven churches includes


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the words, (e that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.(

3ev. ii. 1 't means that so far as we are able it is our duty to understand the /ord%s

message, and obey it. !CD!; &- A"; &3 1

>any who heard the /ord%s voice, in a deeper sense did not hear, for (their ears were dull

of hearing, and their eyes they had closed.( >att.. xiii. AD:AH; 'sa vi. @, A"1 That theireyes were closed means, as we have seen, that they did not intellectually understand; but

that their ears were dull of hearing, means that they did not ta)e is words to heart withdesire to obey them. H, @AA1 ow often the blind and the deaf are mentioned

together8 and always with this different shade of meaning. (Then the eyes of the blind

shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.( 'sa xxxv. C; H@@1

We see also what spiritual infirmity is typified by the deafness which the /ord healed.

(&nd they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and

they beseech him to put his hand upon him. . . . &nd straightway his ears were opened,

and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spa)e plain. . . . e ma)eth both the deaf

to hear, and the dumb to spea).( >ar) vii. !:1 This deaf man represents those who donot obey because they have not been taught what to do. The healing shows the /ord%s

desire to teach such persons and inspire them with willingness to obey. &- DCC; @AA1 3emember how on that last night in Gethsemane, 5eter drew a sword and (smote a

servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. &nd 4esus answered and said, $uffer

ye thus far. &nd he touched his ear and healed him.( /u)e xxii. C", CA1 't shows howready we are to accuse and condemn those who do not obey the /ord; but the /ord does

not condemn, e tries with loving )indness to teach men and to lead them to obedience.

!@@, A"A"1

We )now now the difference between, ' see, and, ' hear. There is the same difference in

meaning when we spea) of the /ord as seeing us or as hearing us. We thin) of the /ord%s)nowledge of all our ways when we say that e sees us. We thin) also of is (love and

pity( for us, when we say that e hears us. (The eyes of the /03* are upon therighteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.( 5s. xxxiv. AC; H@, @CD1

#$a%ter . ' Eatin!

&s the natural eye is the servant of the understanding, which we have called the spiritual

eye, extending the sight of that eye out into the natural world, and as the natural ear is, so

to spea), an extension of the spiritual ear, ust so the whole human body is but thegarment which the spirit weaves for itself, that it may live in this natural world. &ll the

organs of the body are in close relation with the spiritual organs; they are their natural

agents, and they are, as it were, models of the spiritual organs; in a word, they correspondto them. 'n their number, their uses, and their mutual relations the organs of the body

teach us, as in an obect lesson, of the spiritual faculties. '$B AA, A!; D!; C";

*/W1 We are now to discover, if we can, the mental process which corresponds toeating.


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*oes the mind, as well as the body, need food that it may )eep healthy and strong, and

may grow? $uppose children are given plenty of bread and butter and good natural food,

is this all they need that they may grow up to be useful men and women? 'fparents spread the table, but did no more for their children, would the children become

strong and healthy in mind as well as in body? Their bodies might grow, but their minds

would starve and remain undeveloped for lac) of food of another )ind. Why do childrenwant to )now so many things, and as) so many questions, except because their minds are

hungry? They need interesting (food for thought,( as we say, and they need )nowledge of

what is good which will satisfy their affections. 'nstruction in such )nowledge is themind%s food.

The reception of food into the body is a wonderful and most interesting process.


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before it really becomes a part of our character. 'n fact, we usually need a little time to

ponder a new bit of )nowledge before we appropriate it as our own and find our thought

made richer and our life made stronger by it. $o the food must be digested in the stomachand intestines, before it can be drawn up into the blood and be built into the tissues of the

body. &- !D!, C"; *5 "1 The reception of instruction and ma)ing it our own is a

process which exactly corresponds with the natural process of eating. 't is quite anotherthing from simply understanding another%s idea; that is seeing. $piritually as well as

naturally ' see a thousand things which ' do not eat.

's it possible that children might have abundance of natural food, and also new and

interesting instruction about scientific and, worldly things, and still their heavenlycharacters remain starved? The angel in us cannot live and grow strong on merely

worldly )nowledge. That we may (increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God

and man,( we need also instruction from the /ord in regard to what e )nows to be reallygood and true. (Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor

for that which satisfieth not? ear)en diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good,

and let your soul delight itself in fatness. #ome ye, buy, and eat.( 'sa. iv. !, A1 We couldof course apply the words to the persons we imagined above who thought only of

providing natural food. #an we not apply them also to ourselves when we are content

with merely worldly thoughts and interests? We eat that which is good, when we receive

from the /ord instruction which feeds the soul and ma)es it grow strong and beautiful forheaven. H", CCH; &- C"1 't is this good food of which the Bible spea)s. /et the

class recall passages where hunger and food and eating are mentioned, and see that they

tell of instruction in heavenly life from the /ord.

(Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.(>att. v. H1 We are spiritually hungry when we earnestly desire to )now what is good,

and for the purpose of building it into our characters. &3 !; &- H1 'n the prophetwe read of (a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but ofhearing the words of the /03*.( &mos viii. AA1 The verse itself explains that the famine

meant is a great lac) of )nowledge of what is good and true, such as the /ord%s words can

give. &- H1 The satisfying of such hunger is described in the verse, (Thy words werefound, and ' did eat them; and thy word was unto me oy and reoicing of my heart.( 4er.

xv. AH; &- HA1 'n contrast with the good food of is own instruction, remember how the

/ord warned the disciples, (Ta)e heed and beware of the leaven of the 5harisees and ofthe $adducees.( &t first they thought only of natural bread, but afterward they understood

(how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the

5harisees and of the $adducees.( >att. xvi. H, A!; @"H1

3ead, in the 3evelation, of the little boo) which the angel gave to 4ohn, saying, (Ta)e it,and eat it up; and it shall ma)e thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as

honey.( 3ev. x. @1 The little boo) represents some instruction from the /ord, especially

the truth that the /ord is the $avior and 3edeemer, which it is pleasant to hear and

ac)nowledge; but it is very difficult to understand and ac)nowledge the *ivine umanpresence and power which ma)e salvation possible, on account of confirmed false ideas

about the /ord. $till more difficult is it to ma)e the truth really ours in life. &- H', H';


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&3 D'1 'n the 5salm also we read, (ow sweet are thy words unto my taste8 yea,

sweeter than honey to my mouth8( 5s. cxix. '"1, also telling of the first pleasure in

being instructed from the /ord%s Word. &- HA@1 (7ot that which goeth into the mouthdefileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. . . .

Whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught.

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.( >att. xv.AA, A, A@1 7atural food does not defile nor strengthen the spirit; no more does

)nowledge, so long as it lies only in the memory. 't is still outside the man, as food in the

stomach is outside the living tissues of the body, and not a part of them. What is goodmust still be chosen and wor)ed into the character; and it is not too late to reect what is

evil. &- C", H!!1

The disciples were one day gone into the city to buy meat, and returning to the /ord at

4acob%s well, (prayed him, saying, >aster eat. But he said unto them, ' have meat to eatthat ye )now not of. . . . >y meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his

wor).( 4ohn iv. A:D1 $o we go searching for natural food and )nowledge which shall

ma)e us strong in worldly life, but forget that the /ord is strong with perfect )nowledgeof what is good and true, and that we (should have as)ed of him,( and e would have

given living food and drin). C!@;see also 4ohn vi. !; >att. iv. D; C@AC, @""1

The people who heard the /ord, and too) is words into their lives, grew strong in spirit.

0nce, yes twice, when e had for many hours been teaching the people, e caused themto sit down on the grass, and fed their fainting bodies with loaves and fishes. >att. xiv.

A@; xv. H1 What spiritual wor) is pictured in this feeding of the multitudes? &- HA1

/et us thin) of all the /ord%s gifts of natural food as coming from the same hand which

fed the multitudes; and they should, li)e that miracle, be reminders to us of is constantdesire to give us the )nowledge which will ma)e us strong in spirit. /et us not forget the

/ord%s gift of natural food when we pray, (Give us this day our daily bread( >att. vi.AA 1, but thin) also of the (living bread ( which strengthens the spirit. H"1

The /ord shares with us )nowledge which is ever living in the currents of is own

*ivine mind. e feeds us with is very own; with imself. (' am the living bread, which

came down from heaven,( the /ord declares in 4ohn. ('f any man eat of this bread, he

shall live forever; and the bread that ' will give is my flesh, which ' will give for the lifeof the world. . . . >y flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drin) indeed.( 4ohn vi. D:C;

DC1 When we receive any good affection or true thought into our life and are

strengthened by it, we ought to remember that the /ord is feeding us from is own life.&s e gives us instruction of what e )nows to be good and true, so e would have us

share with others who are ignorant but desire to )now, the )nowledge in which we have

found strength. ('s not this the fast which ' have chosen? . . 's it not to deal thy bread tothe hungry? . . . 'f thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul,(

etc. 'sa. lviii. H:A"; &- H; @"C"1

#an we see why the /ord so many times spea)s of heaven as a feast? (& certain man

made a great supper, and bade many.( /u)e xiv. AH1 (&nd in this mountain shall the/03* of hosts ma)e unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of


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fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.( 'sa. xxv. H1 (' appoint unto

you a )ingdom . . . that ye may eat and drin) at my table in my )ingdom.( /u)e xxii. !@,

"1 (Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the /amb.( 3ev. xix. @1$uch words mean that heavenly life consists in receiving constantly from the /ord a

)nowledge of what is good and true, and in wor)ing it into our character as our very life,

sharing it also with one another. That it is the /ord%s feast, and that we eat at is table,means that e gives us of is own, and that in receiving we become united with im.

&- !C!, HA1 #an we see also why sacred feasts formed a part of the ancient

representative worship? C@H1 &nd also why the /ord welcomed publicans andsinners : by whom are represented those who see and confess their sins : to is table, to

eat with im?


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soothing her child? When we spea) to :very little children is it more important to

articulate our words clearly or to spea) in a )indly tone? We often say the same

meaningless words over and over again, but the child hears our love in the pleasant tone.&nimals understand little of the exact thought of our speech, but they do understand our

feeling. Therefore the tone rather than the words is important in addressing them.

&nimals themselves ma)e sounds, very expressive sounds, but do not articulate words.Why is it? Because they have feelings, but not distinct thoughts, to express. When we feel

sudden suffering or oy or anger we do not wait to find words, but ma)e simply a sound.

The thought follows more slowly, and finds expression in words. &- A!AH1

There is a )ind of expression which is entirely by tone, without articulation : it is music.'s it adapted rather to express thought or feeling? Tender music touches our hearts,

martial music stirs them with courage, but till words are oined with the tone, no distinct

thought is communicated. &- !, !H1

#an we listen very closely to our speech and discover whether some letters among those

that compose our words contribute more to their tone than other letters do? 'f so, they arethe chief means of expressing feeling. &re they the consonants or the vowels? The

vowels give the tone, and therefore are the chief means of expressing feeling, but on theconsonants depends the articulation which has most to do with expressing distinct

thought. &nd among the vowel sounds there are some li)e oo, o, ah, which have a fuller

tone than others such as a, e, i. 2ou will notice that writers and spea)ers, especially poets,instinctively choose words with round, full vowels when the feeling to be expressed is

deep and tender.

The importance of the very letters, on account of the thought and feeling they contain, is

especially great in the Bible, where the message within the letters is one of *ivine love

and wisdom. ('t is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law tofail.( /u)e xvi. A; @D@1 Two letters, alpha and omega, the first and last of the

Gree) alphabet, are even used as a name of the /ord. (' am &lpha and 0mega, thebeginning and the ending, saith the /ord.( 3ev. i. 1 *oes it not mean that all things of

wisdom and of love which letters are capable of expressing are in the /ord and from

im? &nd the fact that both the letters are vowels emphasi9es the thought that the *ivine

love of the /ord reaches from the highest to the lowest. &3 !@; T#3 A@1

The correspondence between spo)en words and the thought and feeling they contain is

still more perfect in the spiritual world. $peech in that world is an exact and spontaneous

expression of feeling and thought. There is nothing that is arbitrary and artificial which

must be laboriously learned. 't is only needful there to gain distinct feelings and thoughts,and they, as it were, express themselves. A; $* CHH1 #an we see what general

difference there must be between the speech of celestial angels, whose ruling

characteristic is love, and the speech of spiritual angels, who are characteri9ed byintelligence? With which must speech be more soft :with more of full, round vowels?

!DA; T#3 !1 &nd singing in heaven; what holy, tender affections must breathe

into the angels% hearts through that sweet music8 't is as if affection itself sounded in theirears. T#3 DC=!, DH end1


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$peech is double. 'ts outer part is tone and articulation; its inner part is the feeling and

thought which they express. The process of spea)ing is also double. 0n the physical side

we find the lungs pressing out the air through their little pipes, the larynx stretching itsdelicate vocal cords and tuning them to the shade of tone desired, the tongue and teeth

and lips by their many forms and combinations articulating the words, and the chest and

throat and nose by their sympathetic vibration giving richness to the voice. Within this isa spiritual process similar to the physical, but even more complex and delicate. *5 !@

end1

The mind is (inspired ( by wise perceptions. 't cannot )eep them to itself, but feels

impelled to express them for others. This desire to express is li)e the pressure of thelungs. $till we must with careful effort determine the exact shade of affection which we

will express, which is li)e the wor) of the larynx in tuning its vocal cords; and we must

shape our inspiration into clear:cut and intelligible thoughts, which is li)e the carefularticulation in the mouth. 7otice that the same lips and teeth and tongue receive and

examine our food and articulate our words; for the same faculties which discriminate

wisely in receiving instruction also give clear definition to our expression of our ownthoughts. D@C1

'f the organs of speech are unable to produce intelligible sounds, one is physically dumb.

But suppose the failure to spea) intelligibly on any subect is from a mental cause : one

has himself no perception of delightful truth which he feels impelled to express, or he hasnot the ability to put his perception into clear, intelligible form : then he is spiritually

dumb. 'n the Bible one is called dumb who from ignorance is unable to confess the /ord

and the genuine truths of the church. &- DCC; H@1

0ne of the oyful promises about the /ord%s coming says, (The tongue of the dumb shall

sing.( 'sa. xxxv. H1 *oes it mean that men had not the power of physical speech till the/ord loosed their tongues? or that they were in such ignorance about the /ord and

heavenly life that they could not confess im and teach is laws, till they learned fromthe /ord? Then the silent world bro)e forth in oyful confession and praise. &- CA1

There were indeed some physically dumb who were brought to the /ord for healing.

(They brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. &nd when the devil was cast

out, the dumb spa)e.( >att. ix. !, , xii. !!1 What spiritual infirmity of man)ind didthis dumbness typify? and what spiritual benefit is represented by the healing? H@1

What spiritual meaning has the prayer, (0 /ord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall

show forth thy praise (? 5s. li. AC1 't is a prayer that learning truly of the /ord we mayma)e grateful confession of im from an overflowing heart. 551 3emember how

dumbness came upon Facharias the father of 4ohn the Baptist, because he believed not

the promise of the angel. /u)e i. !", HD, H1 't was an outward picture of his spiritualinability to receive the inspiring news and to than) the /ord. When with the fulfillment of

the promise, the father%s heart overflowed with a deep sense of *ivine mercy, (his mouth

was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spa)e, and praised God . . .

saying, Blessed be the /ord God of 'srael.(


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The 5salms call upon us to sing unto the /ord. (0 come, let us sing unto the /03*; let

us ma)e a oyful noise to the roc) of our salvation.( 5s. xcv. A, xcvi. A, xcviii. A1 't is a

call to let grateful affections go forth to the /ord with glad heart. !HA; &- HA!; &3!@1 We sing a (new song( when with a new sense of what the /ord has done for us our

hearts overflow with new than)sgiving. Thus the (new song ( sung by those about the

throne 3ev. v. @1, means the oyful confession of the /ord in is *ivine umanity asGod of heaven and earth. The church is only now learning to ma)e this ac)nowledgment,

and it is therefore called a (new song.( &3 !@; &- !H1 ($ing unto the /03*,( in its

fullest meaning, is but the first great commandment in another form. 't means to love the/ord with all the heart and soul and mind and strength. /ove is the song; it finds

expression not in the voice alone, but in obedience, and in every useful and )indly wor).

$uch is the unending song of heaven. #/ @1

The natural idea of speech is of spo)en words; the spiritual idea is of the feeling andthought which the words express. We read in the Bible of the voice of the /ord. (The

voice of the /03* is powerful; the voice of the /03* is full of maesty.( 5s. xxix. D1

The natural idea is of spo)en words, and the /ord%s message has at times come downeven into this natural form, but the spiritual idea is of the *ivine thought or the *ivine

truth expressed in whatever way. @@!H, A"A!; &- !HA1 This helps us to understand

more spiritually what is said of each step of the creation, that (God said,( and it was

Gen. i1; also what is said in 4ohn, ('n the beginning was the Word. &ll things were madeby him ( 4ohn i. A, 1; and again in the 5salm, (By the word of the /03* were the

heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.( 5s. xxxiii. H1 The

natural idea is that creation was accomplished by a spo)en word. The spiritual and trueidea is that it all is an expression of the /ord%s *ivine thought, the wor) of *ivine truth.

@@!H, A"A!; &- !HA1 Because a word is the embodiment of affection and thought,

we call the boo) which contains and brings to us the /ord%s *ivine love and wisdom, is

Word.

Chapter 8 - Hands and Feet

*o our hands labor of their own accord, or is there something spiritual within us which

prompts them to wor) and expresses itself through them? 0ur love of doing, or our desire

to do, is what sets the hands in motion; and our )nowledge of how to do, guides them intheir wor). We mean the spiritual ability, and not mere physical strength, when we spea)

of putting our affairs into the (hands( of another, when we put the burden on his

(shoulders,( and lean on his strong (arm.( The hands mean spiritually all the desire andthought which we put into the deeds we do. A""A@1 'n a word, the hands are the

deeds, which, regarded spiritually, consist of the desire and thought which prompt them.

-verybody )nows what is meant by the words, (2our hands are defiled with blood, andyour fingers with iniquity.( 'sa. lix. 1 The deeds are cruel and evil, especially the desire

and thought which prompt them. &- !@1 &nd again, (Who shall ascend into the hill of

the /ord, or who shall stand in his holy place? e that hath clean hands and a pure heart.(

5$. xxiv. , D1 That is, he whose deeds are good, inspired by heavenly feeling andthought. &- D"1


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'n a general way we may spea) of the hands and feet together as representing the outward

life. We as) that our steps may be guided, that our feet may not stray from the right path,

and we are as)ing for help to do right. (old up my goings in thy paths, that my footstepsslip not.( 5s. xvii. C; 551 The feet and the hands are both extremes of the body, and both

are obedient to the inner desires and thoughts. They are however considerably different in

their structure and use, and we can see some differences in their spiritual meaning. Thefeet are less noble than the hands and come into closer contact with the dust of the world;

they are less responsive to the guidance of the will and thought; they are not so directly

concerned in doing for others, but serve rather in bringing us where we can be of use, andholding us firmly while the hands do the wor). When contrasted with the hands the feet

represent rather the effort to determine the course of life toward good or evil, while the

hands represent the more particular thought in regard to the service to be done to others.

DD!, A"!DA1

3ecall the touching scene when the /ord washed the disciples% feet. 4ohn xiii. C1 't

shows us more plainly than words could do, is desire to help us to ma)e our daily life

right and good. e does not condemn us for the dust of the world which clings to us, buthelps us to lay it aside and become clean. 5erhaps we would rather that the /ord should

loo) at our beliefs and our good resolutions than our actions; then we are li)e 5eter who

said, (Thou shalt never wash my feet. . . . 7ot my feet only, but also my hands and my

head.( 4ohn xiii. , @1 But the /ord%s answer ver. A"1, (e that hath been bathed,needeth not save to wash his feet,( means that when once one has entered upon the way

of regeneration, then all he needs is, with the /ord%s help, faithfully to ma)e right the

little steps of every:day life. 3emember also the /ord%s words, (' have given you anexample.( (2e also ought to wash one another%s feet.( 4ohn xiii. AC, AD1 We must, li)e

im, help others to do right. We must, li)e im, udge )indly of them and delight to see

and to help them to see that the wrong is not hopeless, but can be laid aside. AD,

DD!1 *o we understand now the reason for the command given to the 4ewish priests towash their hands and feet? -xod. xxx. A:!A1 's it a natural washing of the hands and

feet of the body that the /ord desires? >att. xv. !, A@, !"; AD1

When the /ord charges is people to bind is laws for a sign upon their hands, and to letthem be as frontlets between their eyes *eut. vi. 1, what does e mean? $urely not that

they should ma)e broad their phylacteries, but that the commandments should be the rule

of their inmost affections and thoughts and of all their acts. @@H1 #ompare the mar)of the beast in the right hand or in the forehead. 3ev. xiii. AH1 ere the dominion of a

false principle over the inmost affections and over their expression in thought and act, is

meant. &3 H"C; A""HA1

0n a certain $abbath the /ord (went through the corn:fields, and his disciples pluc)edthe ears of corn and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.( /u)e vi. i1 The 5harisees

rebu)ed them, but the /ord defended them. What spiritual act did the eating represent?

The reception of instruction. T#3 "A1 What )ind of reception is represented by eating

(rubbing in their hands(? & reception alive and eager with desire to search out the livingmeaning of the instruction to them, that they might put it into actual practice. The

5harisees called the rubbing of the ears unlawful on the $abbath day, which represents


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the fact that they had separated from the $abbath and from religion all care for useful

wor) and good life. They therefore became li)e a man with his right hand withered, and

as we read on in the chapter we find them so described. (0n another $abbath he enteredinto the synagogue and taught= and there was a man whose right hand was withered.(

/u)e vi. H1 e was cured as he stretched forth his hand in obedience to the /ord. The

love of doing comes with the doing.

The righthand was withered. We have not considered the meaning of right and left,although, in a former chapter, we found special mention of the right eye. 3emember the

two things which find expression in the hands, the love of doing and the )nowledge how

to do. Which hand usually responds more quic)ly to an impulsive desire? and whichusually moves with more of careful thought? The right hand corresponds especially to the

love and the left to the thought which we put into our wor). There is always a similar

difference in meaning between the right side and the left. A""HA; &- H""1 The manwith the right hand withered represents, therefore, those who have no love of doing what

they )now; to have the hand (restored whole as the other,( is to gain a love of doing,

equal to one%s )nowledge. T#3 "A1

The right hand and the left are strongly contrasted in the parable of the sheep and goats.(e shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.( >att. xxv. 1 Those

on the right hand are evidently those who do as the /ord teaches them, and those on the

left hand are those who learn but do not do. &- H""1 The /ord charged the disciples,(/et not thy left hand )now what thy right hand doeth.( >att. vi. 1 't cannot be that weare forbidden to put careful thought as well as love into our wor). What is forbidden is, to

stop to thin) how good the act appears and how it will benefit us, when our whole heart

should be in its use to others. &- H""1 &gain, we are commanded, ('f thy right eyeoffend thee, pluc) it out. &nd if thy right hand Kor thy footL offend thee, cut it off.( >att.

v. !@, "; >ar) ix. DC1 't is a command to give up promptly and summarily every thoughtand every habit of life or desire to do, which leads us to what is wrong. &- H""1 >anymore passages will come to mind, where the feet are symbols of the daily life in the

world, and the hands represent the love and the thought in what we do.

$uppose we read of the /ord%s hands; they will suggest the *ivine love and *ivine

wisdom coming forth in *ivine wor)s for men. (The /ord hath made bare his holy arm inthe eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our

God.( 'sa. iii. A"1 't is a grand picture of the power of the *ivine love reaching down

into the world in our /ord%s human life, to save men. !"C1 The arm suggests not somuch the particulars of affection, which belong to the hand and fingers, but rather the

omnipotence which prompts and sustains the whole wor). $till more is power suggested

by the shoulder. (The government shall be upon his shoulder.( 'sa. ix. H; A"C,D@:D@1

>any times in healing the sic) the /ord put forth is hand and touched them; e laid is

hand upon the little children with is blessing. The extended hand was an expression of

is infinite sympathy and desire to bless, and was the means of imparting the blessing.0ur hands are the means of both giving and receiving influence. We lay the hand upon an


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aching head to give relief. $ensitive people are affected either pleasantly or unpleasantly

by the influence received in sha)ing hands. This is but a suggestion of the *ivine

influence which came with our /ord%s touch, showing us still more clearly how the /ord%shand and (outstretched arm( mean is loving power reaching forth to save and bless.

A"A"; &3CC1

When we read of the /ord%s feet, we must thin) of is life on earth, and of is presence

forever in is *ivine umanity. & prophecy of the /ord%s coming said, (ow beautifulupon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace8 (

'sa. 'ii. 1 't means the *ivine human life with men. &- H@1 'n /u)e we read of the

repentant woman who stood at the /ord%s (feet behind him weeping, and began to washhis feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and )issed his feet, and

anointed them with the ointment.( /u)e vii. 1 We do the same when we humbly draw

near to the /ord in is *ivine human life. &s we compare our lives with is, repentingof what is not good, we wash is feet, for the beauty and purity of is life grows each

day more plain. &s we love the /ord%s life, we )iss is feet and anoint them. AD;

&3 D@1

3emember in the home in Bethany how >ary (sat at 4esus% feet, and heard his word (/u)e x. @1; and how the Gadarenes (found the man, out of whom the devils were

departed, sitting at the feet of 4esus, clothed, and in his right mind.( /u)e viii. C1 We sit

at the /ord%s feet when we draw near to im in is *ivine umanity to be taught andprotected by im. The sitting emphasi9es the permanence and the peaceful security of

this nearness to the /ord. &- H; CC!, @D!!1

When the /ord was crucified and rose, the disciples and the faithful women feared that

they should lose the *ivine human presence which they had learned to love. Their

anxious desire to )eep the /ord%s presence in the plane of this world%s life was touchinglypictured on the -aster morning, when 4esus met the women hastening from the sepulcher,

and (they came and held him by the feet.( >att. xxviii. @; &3 D@1 That e is still with usin this natural plane of life, the /ord taught us by showing to the disciples (his hands and

his feet.( /u)e xxiv. @, D"1 (andle me, and see,( e says. >a)e trial in practical life,

and we shall )now that the /ord is still with us in is *ivine umanity with all power in

earth as well as heaven. &- CA; A!@, A""DD1 When the /ord revealed imself to4ohn in the 3evelation, (is feet were li)e unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.(

3ev. i. AC1 The golden girdle, the snowy head, and eyes as a flame of fire, represent the

*ivine presence on higher planes of life, but the feet of glowing brass represent the/ord%s *ivine goodness present with men on earth. &3 D@; &- H@; $ee #hapter 1

'n the closing verses of >ar) we read, ($o then after the /ord had spo)en unto them, he

was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.( >ar) xvi. A@1 't means

that the /ord by is glorification became omnipotent, the very embodiment of the *ivinepower among men. * /ord C; &- H, A"1 ow verses li)e the following grow in

meaning as we learn when the /ord%s hand and arm are mentioned to thin) of is

omnipotence, is love and wisdom creating, protecting, and blessing men8 (Thouopenest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.( 5s. cxlv. AH; &- !@D,


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!@C1 (The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.( *eut.

xxxiii. !; &- C@D1 (>y times are in thy hand.( 5s. xxxi. AC1 ('nto thine hand ' commit

my spirit.( 5s. xxxi. C1 (Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness ofoy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.( 5s. xvi. i; &- H; *eut. xxxiii.

A!; DC@!1....

Chapter 9 - Sickness and Health

We have spiritual faculties corresponding to all our physical organs. 'n their structure andactivities they are even more delicate and sensitive. *5 AA;see #hapter H1 'f the

physical structures become disordered by irregular ways of life, causing pain and

sic)ness, must not the still more delicate spiritual faculties become disordered byindulging feelings and thoughts which are not according to the /ord%s laws of life? We

often spea) of a (healthy( or an (unhealthy( state of mind, and of influences of

companionship or reading as (wholesome (or ( unwholesome.( We spea) of (heart:aches

( and (wounded feelings.( The most serious sic)nesses are of the spiritual )ind, those

which the /ord most of all desires to heal. *iseases of the spirit are often directlymentioned in the Bible, so plainly that we see at once that the spirit and not the body is

meant. 5hysical diseases too are named, and they are at the same time types of spiritualdisorders to which they correspond. HD, @"A1

's the physical or the spiritual state of the world described by these words of the prophet?

(The whole head is sic), and the whole heart faint. att. xx. D; >ar) i. DA1 But there

were also about the /ord those who were sic) and suffering in spirit. >ust e not have

felt still deeper pity for these? for the spiritually (lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many

others (? *id e not heal the suffering bodies the more gladly as a sign of is power togive strength to men%s souls when they should desire it? (That ye may )now that the $on

god's explanation of bible symbolism

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