standing must be opened to the light of truth, to enable it to explore and distinguish well the principles of spiritual nourishment, signified by JESus taking the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, and blessing and breaking the loaves. 4. That spiritual food, which is instruction in the WORD of God, is not given immediately by JESUS CHRIST, but mediately, that is to say, by the goods and truths of that WORD, through the instrumentality of those who teach them, signified by JESUS giving the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 5. That the food derived from the WORD of God, is the only food which can fully satisfy an immortal spirit, signified by all eating and being filled. 6. That in all spiritual eating, there is an immense increase of spiritual food, which increase ought to be devoutly acknowledged to bę the result of the divine bounty, signified by taking up the fragments that remained, twelve. baskets-full. 7. That there are three distinct classes of men, who constitute the LORD's church and kingdom, and who are therefore carefully to be distinguished from each other, viz. those who receive more of truth in their understandings, those who receive more of the affection of truth in their wills, and those who are in innocence, signified by the five thousand men, besides women and children. I am resolved, therefore, in reading the WORD of GOD, or in receiving spiritual food in any other manner, to attend well to every particular of divine instruction recorded in the history of this miracle; and then may I

humbly hope to be fed by my GOD and SAVIOUR, as the multitudes of old were, and thus to find angels' food in every state of life, even the most desolate and desert. And then, too, may I hope further, like the infant church of old, to be filled, in other words, to find a full satisfaction and contentment derived from my food; and also to experience a blessed increase of spiritual nourishment, leading me to a more devout acknowledgment of the DIVINE GIVER, both of natural and spiritual food, and thus to join in the angelic song, Worthy is the LAMB that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, (Rev. v. 12.) AMEN.

124

JESUS WALKING ON THE

SEA.

MATT. xiv. 22 to 34.

And straightway JESUS constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away, &c. &c.

Q. WHAT do you understand here by JESUS constraining His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side?

A. According to the sense of the letter, by these words is meant what is literally expressed; but according to the spiritual sense, they imply a requirement of the divine order, that the members of the church should acquire the knowledges of good and of truth, and should thus change their state in regard to spiritual life; for by the disciples, are here meant the members of the church; and by JESUS constraining them, is meant the requirement of divine order; and by getting into a ship, is spiritually to be understood the acquirement of the knowledges of good and truth, such knowledges being signified and represented by a ship, agreeable to what was

shown in the explanation of a former miracle, (Matt. viii. 23 to 28;) and by going before him unto the other side, is to be understood a change of spiritual state, or a passage from knowledge to the life of knowledge.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which immediately follow, where it is written, while He sent the multitudes away?

A. In the original Greek, the term here rendered sent away, is derived from the verb apoluo, which more properly signifies to loosen or to set at liberty; and which therefore, when interpreted according to its spiritual signification, denotes that the BLESSED JESUS, after feeding the mul titudes with the goods and truths of His HOLY WORD, left them at liberty to act and live in agreement, or otherwise, with the heavenly instruction they had received: And that the term was intended to suggest such a spiritual idea, is further confirmed by this circumstance, that the Evangelist Saint Mark, in recording this same miracle (chap. vi. 45, 46,) applies two distinct expressions in the original Greek, which are yet considered as one and the same in the English translation. For in the original Greek, the term apoluo is applied to express the sending away the people, at verse 45, whereas in the next verse 46, the term apotasso is applied, which evidently means, not sending away the people, as it is rendered by the English translation, but arranging them, or putting them in their proper places; thus, according to the spiritual sense, denoting the orderly arrangement of truths, when each

takes its proper place in the regenerate mind. This therefore appears to be the reason why this circumstance respecting the multitude is recorded, otherwise it is difficult to conceive, if nothing more was meant than sending away the multitudes, how an event so seemingly insignificant should find a place in the divine history.

Q. But it is further written, that when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain to pray; and when the evening was come, He was there alone- -what do you here understand by the BLESSED JESUS going up into a mountain to pray?

A. These words, like all other parts of the divine history, have both a literal and spiritual signification; and according to the former, they literally mean that JESUS went up into a mountain to pray, &c. but according to the latter, their meaning is, that the BLESSED JESUS Opened His HUMANITY to a fuller and closer communication with the DIVINITY in Himself; for by a mountain is figured and represented the divine love; agreeable to which idea mention is made in the HOLY WORD of the mountain of the LORD of HOSTS, denoting the divine love of JEHOVAH, or the ETERNAL FATHER; and it is called also the mountain of the LORD'S HOUSE, which, according to the language of prophecy, was to be established at the top of the mountains, (Isa. ii. 2,) denoting the exaltation of the divine love over every inferior love, which was to take place under the gospel dispensation. By praying then on this mountain, is to be understood an opening