such as may have greater power, and such as may be more able to lead men to repent and cease to do evil. And where these new truths are given, and are obeyed, there is a new church; and the old church dies away and disappears; just as a tree, when there is no longer any sap or juice in it, dies down, and decays, and is finally scattered into dust.

But a representative church comes to an end somewhat differently; this happens when its members, or people, refuse to be so guided as that they may represent a true church; therefore they no longer perform their appointed use; if, then, the time has come when a representative church is not enough for the salvation of men, and a true church is needed upon earth, and can be established among men, then, the representative of a church passes away and the true church takes its place.

In my next lesson, you will hear more about this. This has been more difficult, I am afraid, than some of the other lessons; but it is quite important that you should understand it; and I hope you will be sure to ask your teachers to help you, whenever you find that you do not know what I

mean.

I have told you about the establishment of the Jewish church and about its character. I also told you how a representative church comes to an end, and how a true church comes to an end, and how a new church is established.

The Jewish church lasted very many hundred years, and after a slow but continual decay, about eighteen or nineteen hundred years ago, the Jews were in so bad a state, that the church among them had no longer power to do good; and it ceased to be the representative of a church, and then it came to its end.

Then the Lord came upon earth, as Jesus Christ; and lived on earth, as a man; and was crucified, and was buried, and rose again the third day.

Thus, He established a new church, in order that men might be delivered from the power of sin, and that their salvation might be possible; and this was the Christian church. And to this church

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He gave, before and after His crucifixion, truths, doctrines, and precepts; and they were such, that by following and obeying them, men might be led from evil, and saved from their sins, and made good and happy. These truths and precepts had greater power, and were of a higher character than those of the preceding Israelitish church; excepting always the ten commandments, which are eternal laws, that all men, in all ages, must obey, if they would not be wicked and miserable. What I mean by saying they were truths and precepts of more power and of higher character than former ones, you can perhaps best understand by reading some of the words of the Lord,-as where, in the sermon on the mount, in the fifth chapter of Matthew, our Lord says "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time," and then adds "But I say unto you." And you can compare the things of old times," with those which the Lord then said. I shall speak of these passages again in a future lesson.

You have read in your Bibles that the Jews were commanded and taught in what particular way

and place to worship, how to offer their sacrifices, how to build a tabernacle, and how an ark, and in what way the ark should be taken care of, and a great many other things of this kind. You have also read in your Bibles, that Jesus Christ taught His disciples to do good, seeking for no return, to forgive their enemies, to love others, to be peaceful, to be merciful, and to watch and pray that they might not sin. The Jews were told that if they were obedient they should live long upon earth, and have many good things. Christians are told that if they are obedient they shall go to heaven, and live there eternally with the angels. From these things you may understand, I think, that the Christian church is of a higher character than the Jewish church.

This Christian church lasted about seventeen or eighteen hundred years. And by that time, it was brought into so very bad a condition, by bad men, of whom there were very many in the church, that this church came to an end, as the Jewish church had done before. It came to its end because the truths which had been given to it had no lon

ger power to lead men from sin and misery; for men refused to follow them, they loved so much better to be wicked. Then, again, the Lord established a New Church for the salvation of man.

One of the ways in which this New Church was established was this: He revealed to Emanuel Swedenborg, during many years, a great number of new truths, which have great power to make men good and therefore happy.

Many of the things contained in these lessons are told you because they are some among these truths. All the truths which relate to the science of correspondence are among them. When the Lord revealed these to Swedenborg, they were not known any where upon earth. But now, because they have been revealed to Swedenborg for this New Church, all may know them. And all who know them may understand their Bible better than they possibly could understand it without them. There is no end to the things which the science of correspondence teaches, and there never will be an end of them; for they are infinite. This