A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion/Extracts
EXTRACTS
IT is written in the Revelation, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth were passed away. And I John saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, chap. xxi. 1, 2. The like also is written in Isaiah, Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth, be ye glad and rejoice for ever, for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, chap. lxv. 17, 18. That a new heaven is at this day forming by the Lord, of such Christians as have acknowledged him in the world, and were able to acknowledge him after their departure out of the world, to be the God of heaven and earth, according to his own words in Matt, xxviii. 18, was shewn above in this chapter.
The true ground and reason why the New Church is meant by the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, Rev. xxi. is, because Jerusalem was the metropolis of the land of Canaan, and therein was the temple, and the altar, and there also sacrifices were offered, consequently the essence of divine worship was there performed, which every male throughout the whole land was required to attend three times in a year; a further reason is, because the Lord was in Jerusalem, and taught in its temple, and afterwards glorified his humanity there; this is the true ground why the church is signified by Jerusalem. That by Jerusalem is meant the church, is very clear from the prophetical parts of the Old Testament, speaking of the new church which was about to be established by the Lord, and which is there called Jerusalem. I shall only adduce the following passages, from which any one of interior reason may see, that by Jerusalem is meant the church. Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come to mind; behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, arid I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people. Then the wolf and the lamb shall feed together: they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the mountain of my holiness, Isaiah lxv. 17, 19, 25. For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as a lamp that burneth. Then the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name; thou shalt also be a crown of glory and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God; for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Behold, thy salvation cometh, behold his reward is with him; and they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord; and thou shalt be called Sought out, a city not forsaken, Isaiah lxii. 1 to 4, 11, 12. Awake, awake, put on thy strength O Zion; put on the garments of thy beauty, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean: Shake thyself from the dust, arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; my people shall know my name; they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold it is I: the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem, chap. lii. 1, 2, 6, 9. Sing; O daughter of Zion, rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem; the king of Israel is in the midst of thee; fear not evil any more; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing; I will give you for a name and a praise among all people of the earth, Zephan. iii. 14 to 17, 20. Thus saith Jehovah thy redeemer, saying to Jerusalem, Thou shall be inhabited, Isaiah xliv. 24, 26. Thus saith Jehovah, I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, the mountain of holiness, Zech. viii. 3, 20 to 23. Then shall ye know that I Jehovah am your God dwelling in Zion, the mountain of holiness; then shall Jerusalem be holy; audit shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down with new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and Jerusalem shall remain from generation to generation, Joel iii. 17 to 21. In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one that is written for life in Jerusalem, Isaiah iv. 2, 3. But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains; for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem, Micah iv. 1, 2. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of Jehovah to Jerusalem, neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart, Jerem. iii. 17. Look upon Zion the city of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken, Isaiah xxxiii. 20, not to mention other passages, as Isaiah xxiv. 23; chap, xxxvii. 32. chap. lxvi. 10 to 16. Zech. xii. 3, 6 to 10. chap. xiv. 8, 11, 12, 21. Mal. iii. 4. Psalm cxxii. 1 to 7. Psalm cxxxvii. 5, 6, 7. That by Jerusalem in these passages is meant a church that was to be established by the Lord, and not the city of Jerusalem inhabited by the Jews, is plain from every particular of its description therein; as that Jehovah God was about to create a new heaven and a new earth, and also a Jerusalem at the same time; and that this Jerusalem would be a crown of glory and a royal diadem; that it was to be called holiness, and a city of truth, the throne of Jehovah, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; that the wolf and the lamb shall feed together therein, and that the mountains should drop down with new wine, and the hills flow with milk, and that it should remain from generation to generation; besides other circumstances respecting the people therein, that they should be holy, all written for life; and should be called the redeemed of Jehovah. Moreover all those passages relate to the coming of the Lord, particularly to his second coming, when Jerusalem shall become such as it is there described; for heretofore she was not married, that is, made the bride and wife of the lamb, as the New Jerusalem is said to be in the Revelation. The former or present church is meant by Jerusalem in Daniel, and its commencement is described in these words, Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the word, to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks, and after threescore and two weeks the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times, chap. ix. 25; but its end is described by these words, At length upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, and even to the consummation and decision it shall be poured on the desolate, verse 27; this end is described by these words of the Lord in Matthew, When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let him that readeth note it well, chap, xxiv. 15. That by Jerusalem in the passage above adduced, is not meant the city of Jerusalem which was inhabited by the Jews, may appear from many places in the word, where it is said of that city that it was entirely destroyed, and that it was to be pulled down, as Jerem. v. 1. chap. vi. 6, 7. chap. vii. 17, 18. chap, viii. 6, 7, 8. chap. ix. 10, 11, 12. chap. xiii. 9, 10, 14. chap. xiv. 16. Lam. i. 8, 9, 17. Ezech. iv. 1 to the end. chap. v. 9 to the end. chap. xii. 18, 19. chap. xv. 6, 7, 8. chap. xvi. 1 to 63. chap, xxiii. 1 to 40. Matt, xxiii. 37,38. Luke xix. 41 to 44. chap. xxi. 20, 21, 22. chap, xxiii. 28, 29, 30, besides many other passages; and also where it is called Sodom, Isaiah iii. 9. Jerem. xxiii. 14. Ezech. xvi. 46, 48; and in other places.
That the church is the Lord's, and that by virtue of a spiritual marriage, which is that of goodness and truth, the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and the church the bride and wife, is known amongst Christians from the word, particularly from the following passages, John said of the Lord, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice, John iii. 29. Jesus said, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast as long as the bridegroom is with them? Matt. ix. 15. Mark ii. 19, 20. Luke v. 35. I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, Revel, xxi. 2. The angel said to John, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride the lamb's wife, and from an high mountain he shewed him that great city the holy Jerusalem, chap. xxi. 9, 10. The marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb, chap. xix. 7, 9. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star; the spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely, chap. xxii. 16, 17.
It is agreeable to divine order that a new heaven be formed before a new church on earth; for the church is both internal and external, and the internal church maketh one with the church in heaven, consequently with heaven, and the internal must be formed before the external, and afterwards the external by the internal, which is a truth known and acknowledged by the clergy in the world. In proportion as this new heaven, which constituted the internal of the church in man, groweth and increaseth, in the same proportion the New Jerusalem, that is, the new church cometh down from that heaven; wherefore this cannot be effected in a moment, but in proportion as the falses of the former church are removed; for what is new cannot gain admission where falses have before taken possession, unless those falses are first rooted out; and this extirpation of falses must first take place amongst the clergy, and by their means amongst the laity; for the Lord saith, No man putteth new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved, Matt. ix. 17. Mark ii. 22. Luke v. 37, 38. That these things cannot come to pass till the consummation of the age, by which is meant the end of the church, is plain from these words of the Lord, Jesus said, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way; and when the blade was sprung up, then appeared the tares also; so the servants of the householder came and said to him, wilt thou that we go and gather up the tares? But he said, Nay, lest, whilst ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn; the harvest is the consummation of the age; as therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so also shall it be in the consummation of the age, Matt, xiii. 24 to 30, 39, 40. By wheat in this passage are meant the truths and goods of the new church, and by tares the falses and evils of the former church; that by the consummation of the age is understood the end of the church, may be seen in the first article of this chapter.
That there is in every thing an internal and an external, and that the external dependeth on the internal, as the body does on its soul, must be evident to any one that considers attentively the particular parts of creation. In man this truth is very manifest; his whole body is dependent on his mind, and consequently there is an internal and an external in whatever proceedeth from him; in every particular action there is the will of his mind from within, and in every particular expression of speech there is the understanding of his mind, and the case is the same in every bodily sense. There is an internal and an external also in every bird and beast, nay, in every insect and worm; also in every tree, plant and shrub, nay, in every stone and smallest particle of dust. For the illustration of this truth it may suffice to consider a few particulars respecting a silk-worm, a bee, and a particle of dust. The internal of a silk-worm is that, by virtue whereof its external is impelled to spin its silken web, and afterwards to assume wings like a butterfly and fly abroad. The internal of a bee is that, by virtue whereof its external is impelled to suck honey out of flowers, and to construct waxen cells after a wonderful form. The internal of a particle of dust, whereby its external is impelled, is its tendency to make the seeds of plants vegetate, exhaling somewhat from its little bosom, which insinuates itself into the inmost [parts] of the seeds, and produceth this wonderful effect, whilst that internal attendeth the plant's vegetation even to the formation of new seeds. The case is the same in things of an opposite nature, as for instance, in a spider, which hath both an internal and an external, its internal, by which its external is impelled, is an inclination and a faculty thence derived, to weave a most curious web, in the centre whereof it may watch and lie in wait for intruding flies, which it suddenly seizeth upon for its food; the same is true with respect to every other noxious insect, and also with respect to every serpent, and wild beast of the forest; in like manner there is both an internal and an external in every wicked, cunning, and deceitful man.
Inasmuch as the Lord cannot manifest himself in person, as was shewn above, and yet he foretold that he should come, and establish a new church, which is New Jerusalem, it follows that he will effect this by a man, who not only can receive the doctrines of that church in his understanding, but also publish them in print. That the Lord hath manifested himself before me his servant, and sent me on this office, and that afterwards he opened the sight of my spirit, and thereby let me into the spiritual world, and granted me to see the heavens and the hells, and also to converse with angels and spirits, and this now continually for several years, I testify in truth; and further, that from the first day of my call to this office, I never received any thing appertaining to the doctrines of that church from any angel, but from the Lord alone, whilst I was reading the word.
To the end that the Lord might be constantly present, he revealed to me the spiritual sense of his word, in which sense divine truth is in its light, and in this light he is continually present; for his presence in the word is only by means of the spiritual sense, through the light whereof he passeth into a shade, in which is the sense of the letter, comparatively as the light of the sun doth in the day-time by the interposition of a cloud; that the literal sense of the word is as a cloud, and the spiritual sense glory, and the Lord himself the sun from which light proceedeth, and that thus the Lord is the word, was proved above. That the glory in which he is to come, Matt. xxiv. 30, signifieth divine truth in its own proper light, in which the spiritual sense of the word is, is abundantly evident from the following passages, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of Jehovah, and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, Isaiah xl. 3, 5. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee, chap xli. to the end. I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, and my glory will I not give to another, chap. xlii. 6,8. chap. xlviii. 11. Thy light shall break forth as the morning, the glory of Jehovah shall gather thee up, chap. lviii. 8. The whole earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah, Isaiah vi. 1, 2, 3. chap. lxvi. 18. In the beginning was the word, in him was life, and the life was the light of men, this was the true light, and the word was made flesh, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the father, John i. 1, 4, 9, 14. The heavens declare the glory of God, Psalm xix. 2. the glory of God shall lighten the holy Jerusalem, and the lamb is the light thereof, and the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of it, Rev. xxi. 23, 24; not to mention several other passages to the same purpose. The reason why glory signifieth divine truth in its fulness is, because all that is magnificent in heaven is from the light which proceedeth from the Lord, and the light proceeding from him as the sun of heaven is in its essence divine truth.
See Nos. 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 779, and 780.
THE END.