412. Infants are instructed, especially by representatives adequate and conformable to their genius, the beauty whereof, and fulness of interior wisdom can scarce be credited in the world. It is allowable to adduce here two representations, from which a conclusion may be formed in regard to the rest. On a time they represented the Lord ascending from the sepulchre, and at the same time the unition of his human (principle) with the divine; at first they represented the idea of a sepulchre, but not at the same time the idea of the Lord, except so remotely, that it was scarce perceived that it was the Lord, unless as it were from afar, by reason that in the idea of a sepulchre there is somewhat funeral, which they thereby removed. Afterwards they cautiously admitted into the sepulchre somewhat atmospherical, appearing nevertheless as an attenuated watery principle, whereby they signified, and this also by a suitable degree of remoteness, spiritual life in baptism. I afterwards saw represented by them the Lord's descent to those who were bound, and his ascent with them into heaven; and in order to accommodate the representation to their infant minds, they let down small cords scarcely discernible, exceedingly soft and tender, to aid the Lord in the ascent, being always influenced by a holy fear, lest any thing in

the representation should touch any principle but what was under celestial influence. Not to mention other representations, whereby infants are introduced into the knowledges of truth and the affections of good, as by sports adapted to their capacities. To these and similar things infants are led of the Lord by innocence passing through the third heaven, and thus spiritual things are insinuated into their affections, and thence into their tender thoughts, so that they know no other than that they do and think such things from themselves, whereby their understanding is initiated. Conjugial Love.

A SAMPLE OF SWEDENBORG'S LEARNED JARGON.

185. "All and singular the things which exist in the spiritual world and in the natural world, coexist from discrete degrees and at the same time from continuous degrees, or from degrees of altitude and degrees of latitude; that dimension, which consists of discrete degrees, is called altitude, and that which consists of continuous degrees, is called latitude, their situation with respect to the sight of the eye does not change their denomination. Without a knowledge of these degrees, nothing can be known concerning the difference

between the three heavens, nor the difference between the love and wisdom of the angels there, nor the difference between the heat and light in which they are, nor the difference between the atmospheres which surround and contain them. Moreover without a knowledge of these degrees, nothing can be known concerning the difference of the interior faculties of the mind in men; therefore neither any thing concerning their state as to reformation and regeneration; nor of the difference of the exterior faculties, which are of the body, as well of angels as men; and nothing at all of the difference between spiritual and natural, and therefore nothing of correspondence; yea nothing of any difference of life between men and beasts, or of the difference between the more perfect and the imperfect beasts; nor of the differences between the forms of the vegetable kingdom, and between the materials which compose the mineral kingdom. From which considerations it may appear, that they who are ignorant of these degrees, cannot from any judgment see causes, they only see effects, and judge of causes from them, which is done for the most part from induction continuous with effects; when nevertheless causes do not produce effects by continuity, but discretely; for a cause is one thing, and an effect another, there is a differ

ence as between prior and posterior, or as between the thing forming and the thing formed.

Wisdom of Angels.

ANGELS DESCENDENTS OF THE HUMAN RACE.

330. “Forasmuch as the end of creation is the angelic heaven from the human race, consequently the human race itself, therefore all the other things which are created are mediate ends; which, forasmuch as they have relation to man, respect these three things appertaining to him, his body, his rational principle, and his spiritual principle, for the sake of conjunction with the Lord; for man cannot be joined to the Lord unless he be spiritual; nor can he be spiritual unless he be rational; neither can he be rational unless his body be in a sound state; these things are like a house, the body is like the foundation, the rational principle is like the superstructure of the house, the spiritual principle is like the things which are in the house, and conjunction with the Lord is like habitation. Hence it is evident in what order, degree and respect, uses, which are the mediate ends of creation, have relation to man, namely, for the sustaining his body, the perfecting his rational principle, and the receiving a spiritual principle from the Lord. Wisdom of Angels.

SWEDENBORG'S EXPLANATION OF OUR SAVIOUR'S PRAYING TO HIS FATHER.

110. "That the Lord, when he was in the world, prayed to the Father, as to a distinct person, and humbled himself before the Father, as before a distinct person, was in conformity to the order established at creation, which is immutable, according to which every one must proceed towards conjunction with God. The condition of this order is, that in proportion as man joineth himself to God, by living according to the laws of order, which are the divine precepts, in the same proportion God joineth himself to man, and from natural maketh him spiritual; according to this same law, the Lord united himself to his Father, and God the Father united himself to him; for was not the Lord, when an infant, like an infant, and when a child, like a child? Is it not written, that he increased in wisdom and favour? and afterwards, that he prayed the Father to glorify his name, that is, his humanity, by which glorification is signified to make it divine by union with himself? Hence it is evident, that the Lord prayed to the Father in the state of his exinanition, or emptying himself, which was the state of his progress towards union. This same order is inscribed on every man since the creation of the world, viz.