tors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

47. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

48. And seeing Him they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Son, why hast Thou thus done to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.

49. And He said to them, Wherefore have ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father's business?

50. And they understood not the saying which He spake to them.

51. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; and His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in age, and in favour with God and men.

And was content to bear with hereditary infirmity, during His growth in Divine Truth and Good. (Verses 51, 52.)

EXPOSITION.

CHAPTER II.

VERSES 4-7, 15. Bethlehem, &c.-That David was born in Bethlehem, and was there anointed to be a king, and finally that the Lord was born there, is an arcanum which has not heretofore been revealed, nor could it be revealed to any one who did not know what was signified by Ephrata and by Bethlehem, and what was represented by Benjamin, also by David; especially who did not know what the spiritual of the celestial principle is, for this principle was signified by those

places, and was represented by those persons. The reason why the Lord was born there, and not elsewhere, was, because He alone was born a spiritual-celestial man, but all others are born natural, with the faculty, or ability, that, by regeneration from the Lord, they may be made either celestial or spiritual. The ground and reason why the Lord was born a spiritual-celestial man was, that He might make His Human principle Divine, and this according to order from the lowest degree to the highest, and might thereby arrange into order all things which are in the heavens and which are in the hells; for the spiritual-celestial principle is an intermediate between the natural or external man, and the rational or internal man ; thus below it, was the natural or external principle, and above it the rational or internal; he who cannot comprehend these things, cannot in anywise comprehend, by any revelation whatsoever, why the Lord was born in Bethlehem. A. C. 4594.

The house of David.-The spiritual kingdom is constituted of those who are in Divine Truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine Good; "The house of David" signifies the spiritual kingdom of the Lord. By the "house of David" is also understood the church as to truths of doctrine. A. E. 205, 453. See also Exposition, chap. i. 32, 33.

Verse 7. And she brought forth her first-born Son, &c.That the Lord, as to the Divine Human principle, is the First-born or First-begotten, is manifest from these words in David, "He shall call Me, Thou art My Father, My God, and the rock of My salvation, also I will give Him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth; My mercy will I keep for Him for evermore, and My covenant shall be fast to Him, His seed also will I place for ever; and His throne as the days of ages," Psalm lxxxix. 26-29, speaking of the Lord: And in the Revelation, "From Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, the first-born, or first-begotten, of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth" i. 5. That the things which were written, and which were represented concerning Him, might also be fulfilled, He was likewise by birth the First-born or First-begotten. Luke ii. 7, 22, 23. A. C. 3325.

By "first-born" is understood the good of heaven and the chur ch, because this is in the first place: now whereas it is the Lord from whom all good in heaven exists, therefore He is called the First-born. The Lord as to His Divine Human is called the First-born by reason that all good proceeds from Him. A. E. 28. See also Exposition, at verses 22-24.

Verses 8, 15, 18, 20. Shepherds, flock, &c.-They are called

sheep who are in the good of charity; shepherds are those who teach truths, and thereby lead to good. A. E. 315.

He who leads and teaches is called the shepherd; they who are led and taught are called the flock. They who lead to the good of charity are they who gather the flock; but they who do not lead to the good of charity are they who disperse the flock. A. C. 343.

Verses 9, 10, 13, 15, 21. Behold the angel, &c. Fear not, &c.-See Exposition, chap. i. 12, 13, 50; xxii. 43.

Verse 11. For to you is born to-day a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord.-The mysterious reasons why they called Jehovah the Lord, were these; that if it had been said at that time, that the Lord was the Jehovah so often named in the old Testament, it would not have been received, because it would not have been believed; and further, because the Lord was not made Jehovah as to His Human principle also, until He had altogether united the Divine Essence to the Human, and the Human to the Divine; this plenary unition was made after the last temptation, which was that of the cross, wherefore the disciples, after the resurrection, always called Him Lord, John xx. 2, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25; chap. xxi. 7, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20; and Thomas said, "My Lord and my God," John xx. 28; and whereas the Lord was the Jehovah, who is so often named in the old Testament, therefore also He said to the disciples, "Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say right, for so I am," John xiii. 13, 14, 16, by which words is signified, that He was Jehovah God; He is there called Lord as to good, but Master as to truth. That the Lord was Jehovah, is also understood by the words of the angel to the shepherds, "To you is born to-day a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord," where "Christ" denotes Messiah, Anointed, King: "the Lord" denotes Jehovah; the former term denotes, as to truth, the latter, as to good. He who does not examine the Word attentively cannot know this, because he believes that our Saviour, like others, was called Lord out of mere respect, when yet He was so called from His being Jehovah. A. C. 2921. See also Exposition, chap. i. 31, 69, 71.

Verse 12. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. -Inasmuch as by a sign is understood testification, that the epherds might believe that the Saviour of the world was born, therefore it is said, that they should find Him lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes; but that this was a testification cannot be known to any one, unless he knows what is meant by a "manger" and what by "swaddling

clothes;" by a manger is meant the doctrine of truth derived from the Word; the reason is, that by horses is signified the understanding of the Word, hence by a manger in which horses feed, is signified the doctrine of truth derived from the Word. It is said also at verse 7 of that chapter, that this was done "because there was no room in the inn," for by an "inn" is signified a place of instruction, as also in Luke x. 34; chap. xxii. 11; Mark xiv. 14, and elsewhere; and this inn, having no room for the Lord, was amongst the Jews, who at that time were in mere falses by the adulteration of the Word; this state of the Jews, therefore, is what is signified by there being no room in the inn; for if it had pleased the Lord, He might have been born in the most splendid palace, and have been laid in a bed adorned with precious stones; but this would have been amongst those who were not principled in any doctrine of truth, and who were without any heavenly representation. It is said also that He was "wrapped in swaddling clothes," because swaddling clothes signify first truths, which are the truths of innocence, which also are truths of the Divine Love; for nakedness, when predicated of an infant, signifies the deprivation of truth. From these considerations it may be manifest from what ground it was said by the angels, "This shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger." A. E. 706.

Verse 13. A multitude of the heavenly host, &c.-The hosts of the heavens are truths; the Prince of the host (Dan. viii. 11), is the Lord as to Divine Truth. Inasmuch as by an army, or host, are signified truths, therefore the sons of the kingdom and angels, from the truths in which they are principled, are called the host of the heavens, as in Luke, chap. ii. 13. A. C 3448.

Praising God, &c.-In many passages in the Word, mention is made of praising God, and thereby is signified to confess Him with the heart and mouth, thus also to worship; by praising God, is signified the same as by Hallelujah, inasmuch as hallelujah signifies, praise ye God, which is the voice of joy and gladness in confessions and in the worship of God. The reason why praising God signifies to confess and to worship is, because the Lord does not desire to be praised or glorified from any love of Himself, but from His love for man, for man cannot do otherwise than praise and glorify the Lord, or give praise and glory to Him, when he acknowledges in heart that there is nothing good in himself, and that he can do nothing from himself, and on the other hand that all good is from the Lord, and that the Lord can do all things. A. E. 1210. See also A. R. 809.