derived all their understanding and wisdom, and that it is the only key whereby the holy fcriptutes can be properly understood.

What is meant by correfpondence between heavenly and earthly things is fcarcely known at this time, and that through various caufes; but principally because man has fo far alienated himself from heaven by the love of self and the world; and they who give themselves up to these, direct all their views and purfuits to worldly things, as more agreeable to nature and their external fenfes, without attending to those that are fpiritual, and fuited to the entertainment of the mind and inward fenfes ; wherefore they reject these, calling them abftrufe, and too high for them: but the ancients were otherwife minded, for they accounted the knowledge of correspondences as far more excellent than all other sciences, and it was by means hereof that they held communication with heaven; for the knowledge of corres pondences is the knowledge of angels. But this kind of knowledge is fo far loft amongst us at this day, that it is fcarcely any longer known what is meant by the term correspondence as here used.

But forafmuch as without fome knowledge of what is meant by correfpondence, nothing relating to the spiritual world can clearly be understood; neither concerning its influx into the natural world; nor of the diftinction between what is fpiritual and what natural; nor yet any thing with clearness of the spirit of man called the foul, and its operation on the body; nor laftly, of the ftate of man after death; we shall therefore here fhew what is meant by correfpondence, by way of preparative to what follows.

The whole natural world corresponds to the fpiritual world, both in the whole, and likewife in its several parts; and what exists and fubfifts in the natural from the fpiritual, is called correfpondence; now the whole natural world exifts and fubfifts from the fpiritual, as an effect from its efficient caufe; therefore there is a correfpondent relation betwixt them. By the natural world is meant the whole expanse under the fun, and whatever therein receives light and heat from it, belongs to that world: by the fpiritual world is meant heaven, and all that is therein.

Aş man is an image both of heaven and of this world, in the leaft form, therefore he ftands here both in the spiritual and natural world: the things within (those of the mind and

fpirit)

fpirit) which refpect the intellect and will, conftitute his fpiritual world; but those of the body, which respect his external fenfes and actions, conftitute his natural world: whatever therefore in his natural world (or body, fenses, and actions) derives its existence from his fpiritual world (or mind intellect, and will) that is called correfpondent.

This doctrine is exemplified in the human countenance: for the fcience of phyfiognomy, which has lately become a fubject of confiderable inquiry among fome of the learned, is grounded in that of correspondences. Thus in the face of any one who is not practised in the art of diffimulation, we may read the affections and paffions of his mind, as in their type or natural form: hence it is common to fay, that the face is the index of the mind; or in other words, the fpiritual world of fuch or fuch a one is confpicuous in his natural world in like manner, the things of the intellect are reprefented in the fpeech; and thofe of the will in the gestures and movements of the body; now all that is thus expressed in the body, whether by the face, speech or gestures, is called correspondence. Hence may be understood what is meant by the internal, and what by the external man, and that the former is called the fpiritual, and the latter the natural man; and alfo that the one is as diftinct from the other, as heaven is from this world: and moreover, that all that is formed in or done by the latter, is from the former.

So much for correfpondence between the inward or spiritual, and the outward or natural man: we fhall now proceed to fpeak of that correfpondence which is between the whole of heaven and the feveral parts of man.

It is to be obferved, that the univerfal heaven resembles one man, or is in a human form, and fo called the grand man; and alfo that the angelical focieties, of which heaven confifts, have accordingly their order and fituation like the members, organs, and vifcera in the human body, so that fome of them occupy the place of the head, fome that of the breaft, others that of the arms, and others also different parts of thefe; confequently fuch focieties as are in any particular member there, correfpond to the like member in man here; as for example, they who are in the head there, correfpond to the head in man here; they who are in the breaft, to the breaft; they who are in the arms, to the arms; and fo of the reft: it is from this correfpondence that

man

man fubfifts, his fubfiftence or continued existence being from heaven only.

Again, they who in the grand man or heaven belong to the head, are the angels who excel all others in every fpecies of good, as love, peace, innocence, wisdom, knowledge, &c. and confequently in joy and happiness; and from them proceeds the influx into the human head, and all that appertains to it here, for to these they correfpond; those angels who in the grand man or heaven belong to the region or province of the breaft, excel in the good of charity and faith, and operate in their influence on the human breaft here, inasmuch as they correspond thereto; but they who in the grand man or heaven, belong to the regions of the loins, and the organs appointed for generation, are they who chiefly excel in conjugal love: they who belong to the feet, are in the loweft good of heaven, or that called spiritualnatural good: they who belong to the arms and hands, are in the potency of that kind of truth which is derived from good they who are in the eyes, excel in understanding: they who are in the ears, in attention and obedience: they who are in the nose, excel in the faculty of perception: they who are in the mouth and tongue, are eminent in speaking from clearness of intellect and perception: they who belong to the province of the reins, are more particularly in that kind of truth which illuftrates, and diftinguishes: they who are in the liver, pancreas, and fpleen, excel in those faculties and powers which exalt the purity of the various kinds of good and truth, by feparating them from mixtures with their contraries: and fo in like manner with others refpectively, by influx operating on the correspondent parts in man: now influx from heaven, is in order to the right end and use of all in man; and as ufes are from the spiritual world, fo they form themfelves into effect by material inftruments in the natural world; whence proceeds correfpondence.

Hence it is, that the fame members, organs, and vifcera are used in the fcripture (according to the doctrine of correfpondence) for the things reprefented by them: thus, by the head is there fignified understanding and wifdom: by the breaft, charity: by the loins, conjugal love: by the arms and hands, the power of truth: by the feet, that which is natural by the eyes, intellect: by the nofe, perception: by the ears, obedience: by the reins, the purification of truth; and fo on. Hence those cuftomary expreffions,

when

when speaking of a man of deep knowledge, to say, that he has a head; of him who is true and faithful, that he is a bofom friend; of any one of great fagacity, that he is ready at fmelling a matter out; of a inan that has a quick comprehenfion, that he is sharp fighted; of one great in power, that he has long arms; and of him who fays or does a thing with love, that he does it from his heart. Thefe and many other fayings familiar to us, are from correfpondence; for they are from the fpiritual world, though we know it not.

But though all things in man, even with respect to his body, correfpond to all in heaven, yet he is not an image of heaven in his external, but in his internal form; for it is the interior of man that receives the heavenly influx, whilft his exterior or natural part is influenced by the things of this world; as far therefore as his interior is receptive of the former, fo far only is he reputed a heaven in its leaft form after the likeness of the greateft; but fo far as he is unreceptive of the heavenly influx in his interior, or inner man, fo far is he not in the form of heaven; and yet his exterior, or natural man, which communicates with this world, may be in order, according to the laws of this mundane fyftem, and confequently be of a beautiful form, for this originates from the parents, and his formation in the womb, and is preferved and nourished by the elements of this world; and therefore it is, that the natural form of a man often widely differs from the form of his fpiritual man. It is to be 'noted, that the fpirit of a man after death was before, whilft in the body.

appears fuch as it

But correfpondence is of much larger extent, than in reference to man only; for there is a correfpondence of the heavens between one another: thus the fecond or middle heaven corresponds to the inmoft or third heaven; and the firft or lowest heaven correfponds to the fecond or middle heaven; and it is this firft or lowest heaven that more immediately correfponds to and communicates with the corporeal forms of men, their members, organs, and vifcera; and it is this corporeal part in man, in which the influence of heaven terminates, and refts as on its bafis.

It is here laid down as a first principle, that all correfpondence with heaven is through the divine humanity of the Lord, for as much as heaven originates from him as its effence, for were not virtue flowing from his divine humanity to influence all in heaven, and by correspondence all created na

ture

ture here below, there would be neither angel nor man: and hence likewife it appears why the Lord became man, and invested his Deity with humanity, from its highest to its lowest nature, and dwelt among us, viz. because through the degeneracy of man, all was brought into fuch diforder, that all communication with the divine humanity in heaven, on which his falvation depended, was cut off, and could only be restored by the affumption of our natural humanity to his divine, as a ground of communication between him and us. (To be continued in the next Number.)

Annals of the NEW CHURCH.

Extract of a Letter from Stockholm, dated Nov. 1789.

ON

NE of the moft agreeable pieces of news I have to communicate to you, and by your means to our friends in England, is this, that ever fince the institution of the Exegetic and Philanthropic Society, but efpecially in the course of the two last years, a confiderable number of the clergy have been introduced into the new doctrine. In one fingle bishopric we can now reckon no less than forty-fix refpectable and profoundly learned clergymen, of whom I fend you herewith a lift, among which, thofe thirteen marked by afterifks are fuch, as have fo cordially embraced these high and divine truths, that they have often been exposed to the fevereft perfecutions on that account, yet nevertheless, openly and without referve preach the New Doctrine, though with the caution as yet neceffary in this country, of not mentioning Swedenborg's name in the pulpit.

The Lord has indeed been merciful to his degenerate church, in permitting a whole country, I mean Great Britain, to enjoy the liberty in peace and without perfecution of having all the writings of the New Church printed, thus, making preparations for a period, when the fheep are to be feparated from the goats; what happiness muft it not afford to every individual, who is thus at liberty freely and agreeably to the dictates of his confcience to preach truth if he likes, and openly to worship God according to his perfuafion.

This is no fmall gift, though perhaps few may profit by it; for I have obferved, that we do not pay fo great attention

K