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creatable, but it's recipient Organ the Eye is creatable; fo Sound, which is an Activity of the Atmosphere, is not creatable, but it's recipient Organ the Ear may be, and is created; fo again, Heat, which is the Principle of Activity in all the three Kingdoms of Nature, is not creatable, whereas all the Subjects of thofe three Kingdoms, which are the Recipients of Heat, have been created for the Purpofe of Reception, and according thereto may more properly be faid to be acted upon, than to be active of themfelves. It is a Confequence of Creation, that wherever there are Things active, there are alfo Things paffive, both which exift in Order to be joined together in one; if Things actire were creatable, as Things paffive are, there would have been no Need of the Sun, or of the Heat and Light thence proceeding, but all created Things might have fubfifted without them; whereas the Truth is, were the Sun with it's Heat and Light to be removed, the whole Univerfe of Creation would become a Chaos. The Sun of this World confifteth of created Subftances, whofe Activity produceth Fire. Thefe Confiderations are adduced by Way of Illustration, and to 'fhew what would be the Cafe with Man, fuppofing that fpiritual Light, which in it's Effence is Wifdom, and fpiritual Heat, which in it's Effence is Love, did not enter by Influx, and were received by him; for the whole Man is Nothing but an organized Form adapted to the Reception of Heat and Light, both from the natural and the fpiritual World, according to their Correfpondencies with each other. To deny that Man is a Form receptive of Love and Wifdom from God, would be to deny the Doctrine of Influx, and that all Good cometh from God, in which Cafe Conjunction with God must also be denied, and of Confequence it would be abfurd to talk of Man's being the Habitation and Temple of God.

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473. The Caufe why this is not apparent to Man by any rational Light is, because the Fallacies arifing from Appearances, as received by the external Senfes of the Body, overfhadow that Light. Man therefore fancieth that he liveth by Virtue of a Life which is his own, and the Reason of fuch an Imagination is, becaufe in the Connection fubfifting between what is Inftrumental, and what is (p) Principal, the latter is

(P) The unlearned Reader may gain a clear Idea of what is here meant

perceived by the former, as it's own, or belonging to it, and it cannot therefore be diftinguifhed from it; for the Caufe Principal and the Caufe Inftrumental act together as one fingle Caufe, according to a Maxim eftablished and allowed in the learned World. The Caufe Principal is Life, and the Caufe Inftrumental is the Mind of Man. It appears also as if Beafts poffeffed in themfelves created Life; but this Appearance too is grounded in the like Fallacy; for all Beafts are Organs created to receive Light and Heat from the fpiritual and natural Worlds at the fame Time, every Species being a Form of fome particular natural Love, and receiving Light and Heat from the spiritual World, mediately through Heaven or Hell, the gentle Kinds through Heaven, and the fierce Kinds through Hell. Man alone receiveth Light and Heat, that is, Wisdom and Love, immediately from the Lord; and herein confifteth the Difference betwixt Man and Beafts.

474. That the Lord is Life in Himfelf, confequently real effential Life, He Himself teacheth in John, "The Word was with God, and God was the Word; in him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men," Chap. 1. 1, 4. Again," As the Father bath Life in himself, fo bath he given to the Son to have Life in himfelf," Chap v. 26. And again, “ I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," Chap. xiv. 6. And again, “ He that · followeth Me fhall have the Light of Life," Chap. vii. 12.

That Man, during his Abode in this World, is held in the Midft between Heaven and Hell, and thus in a spiritual Equilibrium, wherein Free-Vill confifteth.

475. In Order to underftand the Nature and Quality of Free-Will, it is neceffary to afcertain whence it is derived; for the Knowledge of it's Origin will lead immediately not only to an Affurance of it's Exiftence, but to a Difcovery of it's

by Caufe Principal, and Cause Inftrumental, if he only coufiders them in Reference to the Soul and Body, as exercifed in every human Action; in fuch Cafe the Soul is the Caufe Principal with Refpect to the Body, although it be at the fame Time the Caufe Inftrumental with Respect to fome higher Power, by which Itfelf is moved; and the Body is, with Respect to the Soul, the Caufe Inftrumental, although it may operate at the fame Time as a Caufe Principal, with Refpect to Things subordinate;

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TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

Nature and Quality. It's Origin is from the fpiritual World, in which World the Mind of Man is held in Equilibrium by the Lord; the Mind of Man is his Spirit, which liveth after Death, and his Spirit is continually in Confort with it's like in that World, whilft by Means of the natural Body, with which it is cloathed, it is in Confort with Men in the natural World. The Reafon why Man is unacquainted with this State of his Mind, dwelling thus in the Midft of Spirits, is, because thofe Spirits, with whom he is in Confort in the fpiritual World, think and Converfe fpiritually, whereas the Spirit of Man, during it's Refidence in the material Body, thinketh and converfeth naturally; and fpiritual Thought Land Converfation cannot be understood or perceived by the natural Man, nor on the contrary can natural Thought and Converfation be understood or perceived by Spirits; for the faine Reafon they remain invifible to each other; but when the Spirit of a Man is in Society with Spirits in their World, it is then in a Capacity of entering into fpiritual Thought and Difcourfe with them, because the Mind of Man as to it's Interiors is fpiritual, but as to it's Exteriors is natural, of Confequence, by it's Interiors it hath Communication with Spirits, but by it's Exteriors with Men; it is in Confequence of this Communication with Spirits, that Man is endowed with the Faculty of Perception, and the Power of Thinking (9) analytically on all Subjects; and in Cafe this Communication was removed, he would be as incapable of thinking as a Beaft, and would die inftantly. But in Order to affift the Apprehenfion in conceiving how Man may be held in the Midft between Heaven and Hell, and thereby be kept in a fpiritual Equilibrium, which is the true Caufe and Ground of Free-Will, it may be expedient to acquaint the Reader with the following Particulars. The fpiritual World confifteth of Heaven and Hell; Heaven is above, or over the Head, Hell

for it is remarkable that, notwithstanding the Body receives all it's Life and Action from the Soul, yet it operates as of itself, and perceiveth fuch Life and Action as it's own, fo that however diftinct it is in Reality from the Soul, yet in Appearance it is One with it, and thus, as the Author expreffes it, the Inftrumental perceiveth the Principal as it's own.

(9) See Note above, No. 454, on thinking analytically.

is beneath, or under the Feet, not however beneath, or under the Earth which Men inhabit, but under the Surface of the Ground of the spiritual World, which Ground is also of a fpiritual Origin, and confequently not in any real Extenfe, but in an appearance of Extenfe. Between Heaven and Hell is a great Interftice, which appeareth to thofe who dwell therein, like a complete Orb or World; into this Interstice, there arifeth a moft copious Exhalation of Evil out of Hell, and on the other Hand there defcendeth into it continually as copious an Influx of Good from Heaven; it was this Interstice of which Abraham fpake to the rich Man in Hell, when he faid, "Between us and you there is a great Gulph fixed, fo that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence," Luke xvi. 26. Every Man, as to his Spirit is in the Middle of this Interstice, merely to this Intent, that he may be in the Poffeffion and Enjoyment of Free-Will, This Interftice, in Confequence of it's being fo large, and appearing to thofe who are in it as a great Orb, or World, is called the WORLD OF SPIRITS, for it is full of Spirits, being the first common Receptacle of every Man after Death, where each is prepared for his final Abode either in Heaven or in Hell, and liveth in Confort with Spirits, as he had before done with Men in this World; not that there any fuch Place as a Purgatory there, which is a mere Fiction invented by the Romish Church. But of that World we have fpoken more particularly in a Work on HEAVEN and HELL, published at London, in the Year 1758, No. 421 to 603.

is

476. Every Man, from his Infancy even to old Age, changeth his Place or Situaton in the World of Spirits; when an INFANT, he is kept in the Eastern Quarter, verging towards the North; as he advanceth in a State of CHILDHOOD, and learneth the Rudiments of Religion, he recedeth by Degrees from the North towards the South; when he attaineth to Years bordering on MANHOOD, and beginneth to think for himself, he is carried on further towards the South, afterwards, as he cometh to maturer Years, and is left to the Guidance of his own Judgment and Difcretion, according to his Advancement in fuch Principles and Practices, as regard, the Love of God and of his Neighbour, from interior Motives, he moveth on from the South towards the Eaft; but in Cafe

he inclineth to Evil, and imbibeth it with Greediness, he then goeth towards the Weft; for all have their Abodes in the fpiritual World diftinguished according to Quarters; in the EAST are those who are under the Influence of Goodness from the Lord, the Sun being in that Quarter, and the Lord in the Center of the Sun; in the NORTH are ignorant Spirits, or fuch as want Knowledge; in the SOUTH fuch as excel in Intelligence; and in the WEST fuch as are under the Influence of Evil. Man is not kept in this Interftice, or Gulph of Separation between Heaven and Hell, as to his Body, but as to his Spirit, and as this changeth it's State, by it's Approaches towards Good or Evil, it is in Proportion tranflated to Places, or Situations, in this or that Quarter, and entereth into Confort with the Spirits that dwell therein. It is to be observed, however, that the Lord doth not tranflate Man either to one Place or the other, but Man tranflated himself with great Variety of Movements; if he choofeth Good, then he together with the Lord, or rather the Lord together with him, tranflateth his Spirit towards the East; but in Case he chooseth Evil, then he together with the Devil, or rather the Devil together with him, tranflateth his Spirit towards the Weft. It is to be noted, that when we speak of Heaven, we mean also the Lord, because the Lord is All in All in Heaven, and when we speak of Hell, we mean the Devil, because all the Inhabitants of Hell are Devils.

477. The fole Caufe why Man is kept in this Interstice and is continually in the Midft thereof, is, that he may be inthe continual Poffeffion and Enjoyment of Free-Will, as to Things fpiritual; for this Equilibrium is a spiritual Equilibrium, being between Heaven and Hell, and confequently between Good and Evil. All who are in this great Interstice, as to their Interiors, are in Conjunction either with Angels of Heaven, or with Devils of Hell, and at this Day, either with the (r) Angels of Michael, or with the Angels of the Dragon.

(r) It is conftantly infifted on by our Author, that Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, when mentioned in Holy Scripture, do not fignify only fingle Angels or Archangels, but in a general Sense whole Societies or Miniftrations of Angels. Thus by Michael is meant that particular Miniftration or Society, which is confirmed in a Belief, that the Lord is God of Heaven and Earth, that He and the Father are one, as the Soul and the Body are