Sermons Illustrating the Doctrine of the Lord: And Other Fundamental Doctrines of the New ...

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Preface

Thxse sermons are designed for persons, especially young persons, jast embracing the doctrines of the new church. They are, therefore, written in a diffuse style, with much plainness and familiarity of illustration, without any pretensions to originality of thought, and with only an e^ort, perhaps an ineffectual one, to make the abstruse and fundamental princi* pies of our theology plain to the commonest minds. To do this well and effectively, would be the greatest use, worthy of the utmost efforts of the strongest minds. The author dare not hope that his effTort can prove successful. But his best feelings have been exercised in making it, and his prayer now is that He who can give increase to the planting and watering of his weakest agents, will, in his mercy, bless it with unforeseen productiveness.

Toung persons, when first embracing the doctrines of the new church, are sometimes subjected to doubts, owing to infestations from those of different faiths with whom they are obliged to as* sociate. The reason of these doubts seems to be given in the following law of the spiritual world : " It is to be noted that it is according to the laws of order, that no one ought to be persuaded instantaneously concerning truth, that is, that truth should instantaneously be so confirmed as to leave no doubt concerning it. The reason is, because the truth which is so impressed, becomes persuasive truth, and is without any extension, and also without any yielding. Such truth is represented in the other life as hard, and of such a quality as not to admit good into it, that it may become applicable. Hence it is, that, so soon as any truth is presented before good spirits in the other life by manifest experience, there is presently afterwards presented some opposite which causes doubt. Thus it is given them to think and consider whether it be so, and to collect reasons, and thereby to bring that truth rationally into their minds.

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Hereby the spiritual sight has extensioiiy as to that truth, eren to opposites." (A. C. 7298.)

From this it appears to be orderly, both that doubts should be experienced in the reception of the true faith, and that those doubts should be removed by rational confirmations of its truths* On this ground a reasoning method will be found to form a prominent feature of these sermons. For a chief design in writing them was, to furnish reasons suited to remore the doubts incident to young and ingenuous receivers of our faith, and to enable them to bring the truths of that faith rationally into their minds.

Reasoning whether a thing be so or not so ^ill never bring a negating mind into the perception of what is. The mind itself must first be true before it can perceive what is true. It is easy to believe things to be as we love to have them : but nothing is so difficult as to reason a man into a belief of that which he does not love. The natural man does not love spiritual truths; and hence, it is not only difficult to reason him into a belief of them, but it is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for him to comprehend them. Now the truths which the New Jerusalem teaches are eminently spiritual. Hence the natural man is prone to negate them. While the evils of his will are quiescent, he may give a mere intellectual assent to these truths, but he will always deny them in spirit whenever they touch his life. They cannot be perceived until, by the life of the doctrines that contain them, spiritual discernment is attained ; when a man ceases to be natural and becomes spiritual. Therefore we do not imagine that natural men are to be converted to our faith by argument, but by that change of internal state, which Divine Providence, in the exercise of some of. his infinite means, efiects.

Still, as it is axlmissible to reason whether a thing be so or not so, when the end is to conform truths already admitted on a ground of faith, rational argument has been used here in illustrating and confirming the truths contained in the doctrines of the true church. And although we cannot hope to convince confirmed negators by rational arguments for our tenets against their faith, yet we may free and defend ourselves from doubts respecting our own faith, which their sphere may infuse into us during our daily intercourse with them.

The mode of contrasting our views with others has been adopted, not for the purpose of attacking and putting down the principles or men of any prevailing denominations, but simply £br the purpose of confirming ourselves in the rational and vital reception of the most essential principle of our faith, which cannot be so distinctly seen as when it is contrasted with its ofqposilie*

Contents

SERMON I.

JesQB and the Father are one^^^o&ii, xin. 8 — 11.

SERMON II.