hment of a church upon earth as
the means of raising us to heaven, and may it be increasingly receptive
of those exalted principles which constitute Thy spiritual Zion; and may
it speedily advance to that glorious state which is the subject of
prophetic promise. Grant that the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending
from Thee out of heaven, may be more and more extensively welcomed; and
that all who are enabled to perceive its heavenly nature may show forth
the knowledge of Thy truth by a life in agreement with its dictates."
Hymns, more philosophical than theological, are sung, and sacred anthems.
No reference is made to other churches, or to other bodies of Christians.
Amongst the special services we find Christ is thanked for His victory
over the _hells_. God is, we are told, one in essence and in person; and
in Him is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The
partaker of "the Holy Supper," as it is called, is required "to
acknowledge that the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the only God of
heaven, and that His humanity is divine." In the Marriage Service we are
told, "Love truly conjugal is the union of two minds, which is a
spiritual union, and all spiritual union descends from heaven. Hence
love truly conjugal comes from heaven, and its origin, from the marriage
of goodness and truth there." But while we have been looking through the
liturgy, the preacher has read a short prayer, and has commenced his
sermon, the text of which, you may be sure, is taken from the Old
Testament. Let us listen. I have said it is sure to be taken from the
Old Testament. The reason is, Swedenborg rejects the Acts of the
Apostles, and the Epistles, or, rather, declares that they have no
"internal sense."

Once upon a time, as the story goes, an aged minister was asked the
reason why he abounded in expositions in preference to regular sermons.
His reply was, because when he was persecuted in one text he could flee
unto another. Swedenborgian preachers need no such excuse. According to
their master, Scripture has a threefold sense--_the celestial_, _the
spiritual_, and _the literal_ or natural. In this Swedenborg was not
original. He recognised a threefold sense in Scripture corresponding to
the threefold nature of man--as body, soul, and spirit. This idea was
undoubtedly suggested to him by the threefold division of mankind
according to the Gnostic system. "The _celestial_ sense," writes the
Rev. Mr. Clowes, "ac