ACCORDING TO

LUKE.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK,

AND ILLUSTRATED BY

EXTRACTS

FROM THE THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS

OF

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG,

TOGETHER WITH

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS BY THE TRANSLATOR

ANNEXED TO EACH CHAPTER.

BY THE LATE REV. J. CLOWES, M.A.,

RECTOR OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, MANCHESTER, AND FELLOW OF TRINITY

COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

SECOND EDITION,

THOROUGHLY REVISED, WITH ADDITIONAL EXTRACTS.

WHOSO READETH, LET HIM UNDERSTAND.-MATT. xxlv. 15.

LONDON:

J. S. HODSON, PORTUGAL STREET, LINCOLN'S INN;
AND SOLD IN MANCHESTER, BY L. KENWORTHY,

CATEATON STREET.

1852.

PREFACE.

THE principal design of the following work is, to bring forward to public notice the edifying Expositions of the Gospel according to Luke, as those Expositions are to be found scattered in the voluminous Writings of Swedenborg.

Should the reader think that some apology is necessary for obtruding on the public the sentiments contained in these Writings, the Editor would only remark, that, in his opinion, the sentiments themselves contain and convey their own best apology, since it must be evident to every unprejudiced and serious christian, that their grand tendency is to dissipate error, and thus to present to the believer's view the beautiful and beneficent form and body of TRUTH, in all its due proportions of Divine sanctity, power, and purpose.

For that error, certainly, has found its way into the church called Christian, and that thus the words of the GREAT SAVIOUR have been unhappily verified, that "whilst men slept, an enemy hath come, and sowed tares among the wheat," Matt. xiii. 25, cannot admit of a doubt in the judgment of those, who, like the true "watchmen of Israel," have kept their attention awake to the "signs of the times," and especially to those baneful prodigies manifested in the various contradictory dogmas, circulating at this period throughout Christendom, on points of the highest moment to the best and dearest interests of mankind. To enumerate all the instances which tend to confirm the truth of this observation, would far exceed the compass of this address, at the same time that it might probably either excite the resentment of the reader, or exhaust his patience. Nevertheless there is one instance of such uncommon magnitude, and of so frightful an aspect, that it would be a gross neglect of pastoral duty not to "blow in Zion the trumpet of alarm," for the purpose of guarding the simple and sincere against the mischiefs to which they are exposed from such a deadly and designing enemy of their eternal peace and hopes. The instance here alluded to originates in a mistaken idea of a doc