made promise of something better. Even Mormonism was not rejected without a hearing. It was no objection to it that none of the wealthy or learned were among its believers, for this would at its origin have been an objection against Christianity also. About this time a friend put into my hands Swedenborg's "Earths in the Universe." I read a few pages in the middle of the work. I knew no one to whom to put any question or ask any explanation. What I read appeared to me at that time either entirely without meaning, or mere hallucinations of a wan dering intellect. His account of the position of certain spirits in the Grand Man, and other things of strange import, I had no clue to the understanding of, and I laid the book aside without any further reading. I can now perceive that I was at that time quite unprepared for the reception of New Church truths. Although the old things had been destroyed, my ideas were altogether too material for me to have any proper perception of spiritual things. In addition to this, the work I have just named is perhaps the one least suited to the apprehension of an inquirer into New Church doctrines.

At length I began to sink into a state of indifference and torpor. My hopes faded, and my energies faltered in the search after truth. The evidence I had sought only served to puzzle and bewilder me, and all that was offered by others was worse than useless. After eighteen centuries Christians had not agreed whether Jesus was God or man, and on every topic of belief there was confusion worse than that of Babel. I had arrived at the state described by Jean Paul Richter-" As yet struggles the twelfth hour of the night: birds of darkness are on the wing, spectres uproar, the dead walk, the living dream." But I had not faith to add the following clause:-"Thou, Eternal Providence, wilt cause the day to dawn!" The time of deliverance, however, was nearer than I thought. The dawning of the day came, but this I reserve for another

occasion.

(To be continued.)

MAN THE ULIMATE OF ORDER ON WHICH HEAVEN

RESTS.

(From Swedenborg's Spiritual Diary.)

5552. Man, or the human race, is the ultimate [basis] in which heaven terminates and reposes; the reason is because man [if regenerate] has heaven in himself, and corresponds to heaven. His sensual and corporeal principle which is extant in the world is the very ultimate

itself, and is, therefore, a foundation upon which heaven rests as a house upon its foundation, for there is a connection of all things from first principles to ultimates; and the sensual principle of man is respectively fixed, the nature of which fixedness can only be known from this, that all things which are upon the earth are also in the heavens, but there they are not fixed [as upon the earth], but they appear as fixed; which might be confirmed by many things, as houses, fields, gardens, chariots, animals, &c., which there appear. Hence it is evident, that whilst man lives in the world he acquires for himself a fixed plane, which cannot be changed. Hence also it is, that a man remains to eternity of such a quality as he had become in the world; he has with him this plane; but it is entirely quiescent;-his interiors, however, terminate and rest in that plane. If this plane does not correspond with internal things in man, it cannot be well with him, but it is well with him in proportion as this correspondence exists. In order, however, that the correspondence may be with heaven the interiors of man must be good; if the interiors are evil, the correspondence is with hell, and the man comes into hell.

5553. In order that the Divine Being might govern all things in the heavens, and upon earth, which is effected by first principles, and at the same time by ultimates, the Lord came into the world and assumed the human nature, with which he arose even to its ultimates, as He Himself teaches his disciples; for thus, whilst in the world, he could subjugate the hells, and afterwards govern heaven and earth, which could not have been otherwise accomplished; for man, at that time, had altogether receded in ultimates from the heavens, insomuch that the foundation began to perish.

The cause of interior joy, or of interior sadness and melancholy.

5570. The interior joy, or the interior sadness and melancholy in which man occasionally is, comes from no other cause than from the influx of spirits, who either think and speak of things contrary to those which the man loves, when he experiences interior sadness or uneasiness, or of those things which he loves, in which case he experiences interior joy and satisfaction. This might be demonstrated by many things, and many malignant spirits in the other life are aware of it; such were conversing together, but I did not hear what they said; there was, however, a satisfaction, or an uneasiness perceived, [according to the subjects about which they were thinking and conversing.]

189

REVIEWS.

RICHES HAVE WINGS. By T. S. ARTHUR. London: J. S. HODSON. 32mo. pp. 176.

In our number for October last we had much pleasure in recommending to our readers the beautiful series of really spiritual and moral tales written by Mr. Arthur. We mentioned two of these which we had not seen. We have since perused them, and pronounce them worthy of their author's reputation. One is called Married and Single, or Marriage and Celibacy contrasted;" and the other "The Heiress, a Story of Trials." Of these admirable tales we have not space to speak more particularly. But of the little work named at the head of this article, we must say, that a more delightful, edifying, and instructive book of its class, it has not been our fortune to peruse. We therefore recommend it most warmly to our readers-not to borrow, but to purchase. We say this advisedly. An anecdote bearing on this point lately transpired in our hearing. A gentleman (of no particular religious profession) was very highly extolling to another a new work he had lately purchased, upon which he was asked to lend it, to which he replied, "Oh no, I cannot do that, in justice to the author and pub lisher, whose interests must suffer, particularly when their works are of a fugitive character, by the purchase of a copy being prevented by lending it. I have told you my judgment of the book; you seem to think well enough of my competency, to take the trouble to read it in consequence; take my judgment a little further when I it will pay you well to purchase it." Now in addition to the moral of this remark; we would suggest that it ought to be remembered by book readers, that book writers and publishers deserve something better at their hands in return for the delight and instruction they afford, than the empty honour of having their production gratuitously read and commended. Our readers must have known persons, and book readers too, who readily spend five pounds on a dinner party, but who grudge a shilling for a book that is worth more than the best dinner that ever was served.

say,

The tale before us has for its object a most important use, namely, to shew the beneficial effects, under Providence, arising from a reverse of prosperous circumstances. It opens with presenting the incredulous wonder of a prosperous merchant, on being informed by the minister attended by his family that prosperity does not necessarily wait upon

skill and industry, of which the merchant was fully persuaded. The minister replies,—

"I mean that a man's end in seeking wealth may be of such a nature, that after attaining what he has sought, the loss thereof may be necessary as a reaction upon that end, in order that it may be changed into one less useless and soul-destroying. The Divine Providence, which, I believe, governs in the most intimate things of every man's life, has sole reference to what is spiritual and eternal, and so disposes of things, external and worldly, as to make them subserve man's highest and best interests. I believe, therefore, that if it is best for man's eternal state that he should be poor, and have to struggle hard to obtain mere food and clothing, he will remain poor, in spite of a life-long effort to get rich. And I also believe, that with one-tenth of his effort, another may accumulate a large fortune, who is no better, perhaps not so good a man, but whose hereditary evils are of a nature to be best re-acted upon in a state of prosperity."

This short extract may serve to give the key-note to Mr. Arthur's excellent composition. There are few things more readily conceded than the acknowledgment, in words, of a Divine Providence. No one is disposed to run the risk of offending Omnipotence by denying it. But it is the hard work of a life to obtain an undoubting trust in the divine wisdom and goodness. Any production tending to this great end is well deserving of commendation; but when a cheap book, such as that under view, not only has this recommendation, but at the same time opens the young mind, by the affections it breathes, and the emotions it causes, to the reception of celestial remains from attendant angels and good spirits, it is doubly valuable. In addition to this use, is the pure delight which is felt at the conduct and success of the worthy individuals so beautifully pourtrayed. Nor should an important influence be overlooked, which attends the delineation of inestimable characters. To a well-disposed young man, the pictures presented by Mr. Arthur, and so exquisitely and yet so naturally delineated, of noble-minded young females, are of singular use. There is no temptation stronger to a young man than to look too much on the outside attractions of the other sex, especially if his connections introduce him to no higher specimens than the commonplace characters which abound in all directions, whose graces of soul do not outshine, and cast into shade, the graces of person and manner. is an eminent use to him to hear, as it were, the sentiments of true wisdom, generosity, and purity, from the lips of a female, who, for the time, is able to call up his tenderest and sweetest interests. And let not this be deemed a mere illusion of the imagination. Providence treasures up every emotion that tends to good in the mind of the welldisposed individual, for future use. We are not now speaking of either ill-disposed readers, or unwisely written books; but of the contrary.

It

And we may even quote the Psalmist in proof of our accuracy, where it is said, "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." And what are the Lord's paths but the states through which he guides the well-disposed mind, so as to bring out of them the greatest possible benefit? Nor is the advantage less to young women, from the contemplation of characters every way worthy to be their model. Danger there may be of the good impression being transient, and of its passing off with the pleasing emotions which have accompanied it, but if the young heart is lifted to the Lord in a sincere aspiration toward him for the imitation and love of the excellence pourtrayed, that aspiration will not be in vain. There is this further. merit in Mr. Arthur's writings; they not only present just views of the other world's concerns, but considerable acuteness and experience are shewn in regard to this world's affairs; so that truly spiritual principles are exhibited in exercise, as it were, in the stern realities of every-day life, stern, because they appertain to a period when business is conducted according to the maxims of the frigid zone of morality.

We are constrained to observe, that errors, presumed to be typographical, are rather too numerous in this little volume. Some obscure the sense, as in the extract given, in which we have altered the word useful" to useless. Such errors puzzle the reader, and diminish his satisfaction. We wish, also, that these elegant-looking books could be got up without so easily becoming delapidated. Unsolid bindings are a growing evil.

SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS FOR FEBRUARY AND MARCH, WITH DAILY PRAYERS. PART II. By the Rev. THOMAS GOYDER. London:

NEWBERY, and HODSON. Manchester: KENWORTHY.

THE BOOK OF FAMILY WORSHIP FOR THE NEW CHURCH, containing Prayers, Illustrations of Scripture, and Psalms and Hymns for every Morning and Evening throughout the Year. By an OLD MEMBER of the New Jerusalem Church. London: NEWBERY, King-street, Holborn.

THE first part of the former of these works was noticed in our April number of last year, to which we refer our readers. We there stated our views as to the eminent uses of such works in awakening and sustaining a spirit of piety in the individual life, and in the family circle. Piety is the bulwark and safeguard of charity, and charity is the life and