and from David until the carrying away into Babylon [are] fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ [are] fourteen generations.

18 And the birth13 of JESUS CHRIST* was on this wise: for his mother Mary being betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 But Joseph her husband, being just, and not willing to expose her to public infamy, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she shall bring forth a Son,1 and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 But all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was declared of the LORD by the prophet, saying:

2315 Behold the Virgin shall be with child,

And shall bring forth a Son,

And they shall call his name 16 EMMANUEL,

which, being interpreted is, GOD-WITH-US. 24 And Joseph being raised from sleep, did as the angel had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; 25 And knew her not, until she had brought forth her first-born Son, and he called his name JESUS.

1 Luke iii, 23. 2 Gen. xxi, 3. 3 Gen. xxv, 26. 4 Gen. xxix, 35. 5 Gen. Xxxviii, 27. 6 Ruth, iv, 18. 71 Chron. ii, 5. 81 Sam. xvii, 12. 2 Sam. xii, 24. 91 Chron. iii, 10. 10 2 Kings, xx. 11 Some read, Josias begat Jakim, and Jakim begat Jechonias. 121 Chron. iii, 16, 17. 18 Luke, i, 27. *The fifth year before the common account called Anno Domini. 14 Luke, i, 31. 15 Isaiah, vii, 14. 16 Or his name shall be called Emmanuel.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

MATTHEW.-Matthew was a son of Alphæus (see Mark, ii. 14). It is generally supposed that James, the son of Alphæus, was a son of Mary, the wife of Cleophas, who was a sister of the mother of Jesus. If this opinion be correct, Matthew was one of the relatives of Jesus, as is evident from the fact recorded in John ::-Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister,

Mary the wife of Cleophas' (xix. 25). Matthew held the office of a Portitor, or inferior collector of customs, at Capernaum, on the sea of Galilee. He was not a Publicanus, or general farmer of customs. His public call to the apostleship is narrated in chap. ix. 9; but it is probable he had previously attended the ministry of the Lord; for when Jesus, before delivering the Sermon on the Mount, selected twelve disciples, Matthew was one of them. After this Matthew returned to his usual occupation, from which Jesus, on leaving Capernaum, called him away.

(i. 2 to 18). It is not our intention to enter into the controversy of the Lord's genealogy; but a few words on the letter will be needful, before we enter upon a consideration of the genealogy of the Lord as it appears in the Spirit.

Matthew (v. 16) appears to deduce the genealogy of Christ in the line of his mother's husband.

Jesus was not the natural, but the adopted, son of Joseph, and among the Jews a child, solemnly adopted as a son; was entitled to all the family privileges, and even to have his name inserted in the genealogical roll; and we presume it is on this account that Matthew thus gives the genealogy of Jesus; and thus Jesus was, according to the letter, adoptively, the son of David.

The total number of generations from Abraham to Jesus Christ, are computed at forty-two, divided into three portions of fourteen each; but the actual number of generations was greater. The generations from David to Jeconiah, who was carried into captivity, were seventeen. Much ingenuity has been exercised to reduce these to the required number; the commentators having, or seeming to have, no idea of the spiritual signification of that number. Dr. Kitto observes (note on Matt. i. 17) that, in order to assist the memory, or for some other reason, the Evangelist omits three, to reduce them to the same number as the first division of fourteen. It is possible that the last division, from the captivity to Christ, may also have included more than fourteen generations, reduced in the same manner. The omission of three names in the second division occurs at verse 8, where it is said that Joram begat Ozias; whereas, in fact, there were three generations between them.

with attention must remark, that according to the literal sense, it relates to Joseph, the husband of Mary, and not to Jesus Christ.

6

Thus, notwithstanding its being said in Matthew, The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David,' it results in the sense of the letter, that it is the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary: moreover, the Lord having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, COULD NOT HAVE A HUMAN PATERNAL GENEALOGY; thus the birth of Christ, which is related immediately after the genealogy, leaves in that respect no doubt it is even added (v. 25), that Joseph knew not Mary, until she had brought forth her first-born son. In Luke there is not the least uncertainty, for it is not said, as in Matthew, that the genealogy is that of Jesus Christ it is, therefore, very evident that of Joseph, of whom Jesus was the supposed son. Moreover, the Lord himself raises a doubt, by implication, when he asks of the pharisees What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, the son of David. He said to them, how then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool: if David, then, call him Lord, how is he his son?' (Matt. xxii. 42—45).

Since the two genealogies, in the sense of the letter, belong to Joseph, the husband of Mary, and not to Jesus Christ, it is evident that they concern the Lord in the internal sense, for the contradictions presented in the literal sense (and which have occasioned volumes upon volumes of controversy) can only exist in appearance, and must disappear when the letter is illustrated by the spirit, that is, when the literal sense is illuminated by the internal sense.

There is a striking analogy between the ladder seen by Jacob, upon which the angels of God ascended and descended, and the two genealogies of Jesus Christ, one of which is ascending, and the other descending; for genealogy is nothing else than a ladder, since it is composed but of degrees or steps. We will first see what Swedenborg says of Jacob's Ladder, and afterwards examine whether the explications that he gives, can be applied to the two genealogies.

The angels who ascend and descend, signify that from

the depth, or lowest degree, there is, as it were, an ascension and afterwards, the order becoming reversed, there is, as it were, a descent (A.C. 3701). And again: When the regenerate man comes to be affected by the celestial of love, the Lord appears to him, because he has then ascended as by a ladder, from the lowest degree, even to the degree where the Lord is. This is the ascension which was signified by the ladder of Jacob. The descent comes afterwards; because man cannot descend, unless he has previously ascended. Now the descent is nothing else than to regard truth from good, as from the summit of a mountain to which we have ascended with labour, we look down upon the objects at our feet (A.C. 3882).

From these passages, it appears that the angels that ascended and descended upon the ladder seen by Jacob, signify, in the relative sense, the two periods of man's regeneration. In the first period, designated by the angels who ascended, man sees good by means of truth; that is to say, to him truth occupies the first place, and good the second, and he arrives thus by steps even to the summit of the ladder, or to the Lord, who appears to him; that is, he comes into a state to be affected by the celestial of love. In the second period of regeneration, designated by the angels who descended, man having come into the celestial of love, the order in him is reversed: that is, instead of looking at good through truth, he regards truth through good; or, instead of placing truth in the first rank, and good in the second, he places good in the first rank, and truth in the second thus he descends; that is, good then having dominion over truth, man enters into the second period of regeneration, which is effected in commencing by the internal, which is the most elevated or highest degree, and descending through the intermediates even to the natural, which is the lowest degree.

Now let us examine whether these explications, which relate to the relative sense, can be applied in the supreme sense to the two genealogies; and we will commence with that in Luke, since that evidently presents itself in an ascending order. It is first to be noticed, that it is placed immediately after the baptism of Jesus, and that it is said, Jesus began to be about thirty years of age.' Now we

know that baptism signifies the new birth, or regeneration, and that thirty, being the result of ten multiplied by three, signifies the fulness of remains. The Lord,' says Swedenborg, manifested himself at thirty years of age, because he was then in the plentitude of remains; but the remains that he had, he had acquired Himself, and they belonged to the divine; and it was by them that he united the human essence to the divine essence, and rendered it also divine' (A.C. 5335). It is necessary, also, to notice, that the gospel of Luke contains the most detailed account of the first years of the Lord upon our earth. These words, 'Jesus began to be about thirty years of age,' which immediately precede the genealogy, signify, then, that during all that period of his life (so to speak concealed), the Lord was acquiring, by his own power, the fulness of remains; that is, he had accomplished the first period of his glorification. From these remarks we can see why this genealogy has been placed here, and why it is given in an ascending order from Joseph, of whom Jesus was the presumed son, to God. We see that it is in order to indicate, that the Lord had accomplished all the works which related to that first period of the glorification of his human. Then he was come to the summit of Jacob's ladder, and Jehovah appeared to him; that is, there was a complete communication, and consequently a complete conjunction between his external man and his internal man, or Jehovah; for it is said, whilst Jesus prayed, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased.'

In order to complete the agreement of the supreme sense of this genealogy with Jacob's ladder, upon which the angels ascended and descended, it would be necessary that the genealogy that expresses the ascension from the natural to the celestial, should be followed by a text expressing the descent from the celestial to the natural. Now, if we examine the subject of the text which immediately follows the genealogy, we there find this perfection of concordance. It is said that, Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil.'