SERMON VIII.

THE INTERNAL PURIFIED;

OR,

THE REAL MEMBER OF THE LORD'S TRUE CHURCH A HOLY MAN.

ISA. iv. 3, 4.

And it fhall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerufalem, fhall be called holy; even every one that is written among the living in Jerufalem: when the Lord fhall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerufalem from the midft thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the fpirit of burning.

THE latter part of the preceding chapter

treats of the vastation and end of the fallen church; in the beginning of this chapter a new church is fpoken of, and its quality and character are defcribed in the words of our text. Whoever carefully attends to what is written in the third chapter, must be convinced that it has an internal and fpiritual

mean

meaning, and that it cannot be literally understood. The fame may be faid concerning the chapter before us, for it is faid, " In that day fhall feven women "take hold of one man, faying, We will eat our "own bread, and wear our own apparel, only let "us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach." Now, according to the bare letter, what has all this to do with religion? Or how could feven women, by cleaving to one man, take away their reproach? Would they not, by fo doing, rather expose themselves to reproach? It must be evident they would. Is it not plain, then, that if the bible is the word of the living God, it must have an internal meaning, a fpiritual fenfe, included in the literal? And can we understand the word, unless we are acquainted with that fenfe? Is it not neceffary that we have fome certain rule and guide to go by, that we may know it? For if we only conjecture, and guess what it is, we may be mistaken, very widely err-be at no certainty. But when the science of correfpondences, in which the word is written, is known -and the mind is under illumination from the Lord; then the interior fpiritual meaning of divine truth may be understood-its beauty and excellence difcovered-and the word of God will appear AS HIS WORD-divine, celeftial, and heavenly, in every word and letter.

I have observed, that the beginning of this chapter fpeaks of a new church, which fhould be eftablished after the defolation and end of the former;

and

and it is thus described-" In that day seven women "fhall take hold of one man." By the number feven is always, in the word, meant what is holy-by woman is fignified the church-and by women (as here) the affections-by one man, is meant divine truth in its complex. The meaning, therefore, is, that the good and holy affections of the will, fhould be united with divine truth in the understanding, and the members of the church fhall fay, we will eat our own bread; that is, we will appropriate the love and goodness of the Lord, which is the true and living bread, for our fouls-we will wear our own apparel; that is, we will appear in the garments of righteoufnefs, humility, and charity-only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach: that is, let us not be under the influence of error and falfhood, but principled in heavenly wisdom and genuine truth, as the people of the Lord. "In that

day fhall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and "glorious, and the fruit of the earth fhall be excellent " and comely, for them that are escaped of Ifrael;" viz. the branch, or church, engrafted into the Lord, the true vine, shall be principled in goodness and truth-in charity and faith-and all the fruits, the external life, conduct, and walk, fhall be becoming, holy, and heavenly, with all thofe true Ifraelites who had escaped the general defolation of the former vasted and fallen church. And then (as in the words first read)" he that is left in Zion, and he that re"maineth in Jerufalem, shall be called holy; even

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every one that is written among the living in Jerufalem. When the Lord fhall have washed "away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall "have purged the blood of Jerufalem from the "midst thereof, by the fpirit of judgment, and by "the spirit of burning."

In fpeaking from these words we will,

First, Confider what the Lord will do for his church, and all the true members of it.

Secondly, By what means he will do it.

Thirdly, Explain who are meant by thofe left in Zion, and remaining in Jerufalem. And,

Fourthly, Notice their quality and character.

And as I wish, in this discourse, to treat of things that refpect our interior states, and which are of effential importance; fo I hope you will give your ferious attention, and endeavor to profit by the obfervations which may be made. For we shall do well to confider that religion, heaven, and happiness, are internal things; they respect the mind, and must have their refidence and existence there.

First, then, we will confider what the Lord will do for his true church and every real member of it. This is fignified by washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purging the blood of Jerufalem from the midst thereof.

Firft, It may be neceffary to explain the terms, and then enlarge upon the work itself. By Zion, is fignified

fignified the celestial principle of love and charity— by daughters of Zion, all the good affections of the will-by filth, all kinds of evil-by washing it away, is fignified the removal thereof, and the purification of the will-by Jerufalem, is fignified the spiritual principle in man, and which relates to the underftanding-by blood, the falfification of divine truth, and all falfhood and error-by purging, is meant the cleansing of the understanding therefrom-and by the midft, is fignified the inmoft of the mind. There are in every man a natural, a spiritual, and a celeftial degree, or principle; without which he could not become regenerate, fpiritual, and heavenly. But as man has turned, or averted himself from the Lord; fo he has turned or averted those principles

his natural degree is become fenfual-his fpiritual, earthly, or worldly-and his celestial, evil and infernal. Hence it is, that except we be changed, born again, or regenerated, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. As, therefore, a man examines himself by the word of the Lord, and comes into a state of penitence and faith, he fees that he is in himself nothing but mere evil, falfhood, and ignorance. His will is under the influence of felf-love, love of the world, and dominion-fubject to every abominable luft, evil propensity, and fenfual defire his understanding in darknefs and error-and his whole life depraved and finful. But as a confcioufnefs of his ftate excites in him a defire to be delivered from it, and as he wishes to depart from what is evil, in external