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commenced reading it in the year 1785, and before he had finished the task, his feelings of antagonism were greatly, if not entirely, subdued. Still he was by no means convinced that the work contained the truth; on the contrary, many parts of it appeared so strange, and so difficult to be understood, that he resolved to lay it aside and have nothing more to do with it. But in a short time afterwards he became more than ever anxiously concerned on the subject of religious truth; particularly on the doctrine of the Trinity, which, on account of its great obscurity, gave him much uneasiness. In this state he visited his pastor, the then officiating clergyman of the parish church, from whom he sought information to relieve his mind; but all he could obtain was a gentle reproof, and a grave admonition not to pry into the doctrine of the Trinity, because it was a very mysterious subject. Having flattered himself that his pastor would give him ample information, and conceiving that he had not done wrong in making the inquiry, he was greatly disappointed with the result of the visit, and resolved, therefore, to seek relief in connexion with some other religious body. With this view his attention was directed for a little while to the "Society of Friends;" but finding no benefit thereby, he began to attend the public worship of the Moravians, and to inquire into their doctrines. For a considerable period he walked about fifteen miles, almost every sabbath, to be present at their services, and converse with one of the members. But still his yearning mind could find no solid satisfaction. At length, however, the thought of again reading the longneglected H. H. was deeply impressed upon his mind; and he determined, in devout prayer to the Lord, to act upon this impression. He did so; and great indeed was his surprise and delight to find, that he seemed to read the book with new eyes; doubts and difficulties which, like an impenetrable cloud, had for eight or ten years been hanging over his mind, vanished away; meridian light appeared now to surround him, and he felt as though he had entered into a longsought peaceful dwelling. About this time he began to attend a meeting of a few friends, held at a private house, for the purpose of reading the Word and conversing thereon, and also the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. On the sabbath he now frequently attended the ministry of the late Rev. J. Clowes, and

also the weekly meetings which that venerated clergyman held at his residence. By this means, and continued application to reading, his views of divine truth became enlarged, his mind strengthened and his resolutions permanently fixed upon the doctrines and the life of the New Church, regarding them as a most glorious manifestation of the wisdom and mercy of the Lord. Thus prepared, he was soon required to take a prominent part as leader of the "little flock" which then formed the nucleus of the present society. For a few years he was assisted in the office by another member, after which the whole duty devolved upon himself, and he performed it gratuitously for nearly forty years, with great benefit to the society and credit to himself.

Mr. B. was also a zealous labourer, during nine years, in the Manchester Missionary Institution, from the commencement of its present plan of local operations; and for many years the missionaries who visited the Middleton society were hospitably entertained under his roof and at his own expense.

In all his efforts as a teacher of the truths of doctrine, our departed friend was especially watchful to lead to the good of life by his own example. From his first reception of the doctrines of the New Church, to the time of being incapacitated by infirmities common to advanced age, his life was one continued scene of active usefulness in the service of God, and in promoting the eternal as well as temporal interests of his fellow man. His practical motto was the Saviour's emphatic declaration, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them;" and no doubt he has now begun to realize somewhat of the fulness of its promised never-ending blessedness.

Before the above notice of our late friend's removal was finished, his be reaved widow, Mary Boardman, was called to follow him into the eternal world. Mrs. B. was in her seventy-first year. She had been a great invalid from asthma, particularly during every winter, for many years; and was apparently just recovering from a severe attack at the time of her husband's decease; but she unexpectedly relapsed, and sank under the renewed attack on the 15th February, when her spirit quitted its worn-out earthly tabernacle to re-join her departed husband, after a brief separation of only twenty-five days. D. H.

Cave and Sever, Printers, 18, St. Ann's-street, Manchester.

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MAN is born by nature into various natural delights, some of which are so opposite to spiritual or heavenly delights as to be utterly incapable of being united with them; whilst some are not so opposite, therefore not so incapable of union.

That man is born into various natural delights is a truth confirmed by the general experience of all mankind. For who doth not see and feel that he is born into delights, and that without delights he could not exist, at least he could not grow up into a man? For life without delights is no life, but is rather death; and therefore it hath pleased the Father of the universe to endow all his living creatures with delights, as the only means both of the continuation, the growth, and the enjoyment of life. Even the brute animals, we find, have their delights; and for this plain reason,-because otherwise their animal life must of necessity soon perish.

To enumerate all the varieties of the delights with which man is gifted, from infancy to old age, would far exceed the compass of my present object. It is sufficient to observe on the subject, that delights are as multiplied as man's affections and appetites, in which they originate, that they are always varying with those affections and appetites; for every distinct affection and appetite has a distinct delight proper to itself, and peculiarly its own, to which also it gives birth, since without affection and appetite there can be no delight. As, therefore, the affections and appetites of man are of an indefinite variety, and in a perpetual change, so likewise are his delights. And herein the Goodness and Wisdom of the Great Creator are eminently conspicuous, in that he hath wonderfully and graciously provided for the well-being, the comfort, the growth, and preservation of all his creatures, not only by

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endowing them with such an endless variety of affections and appetites, but also by annexing to every affection and appetite its distinct and proper delight.

But if it be not necessary to enumerate all the varieties of natural delights with which man is gifted, and into which he is born by nature, it is nevertheless of importance to ascertain the quality of each, so that man may know, at all times, how far his delights are pleasing to God, and according to the order of His eternal kingdom, or otherwise; and, consequently, may know how far they may be safely indulged in, or on the contrary, how far their indulgence may be attended with danger, since every man's salvation must, of course, depend upon this quality of his delights.

Now, on this subject also, it must be obvious to every serious and reflecting mind, that all natural delights are of two distinct kinds or qualities, because it must be obvious that there are some natural delights which are pleasing to God, and which, consequently, are capable of being conjoined to spiritual and eternal delights; whilst, on the other hand, there are some which are displeasing to God, and, consequently, incapable of any conjunction with what is heavenly and spiritual. The natural delights which are pleasing to God, and which are capable of being conjoined with spiritual and eternal delights, are all those which are derived from good natural affections and appetites. Such are the natural delights resulting from the exercise of mutual love and charity,-from the cultivation and improvement of the natural mind,-from the performance of natural uses, whether in regard to societies or individuals; also from the support, the creation, and well-being of the natural body. On the other hand, the natural delights which are displeasing to God, and which are incapable of conjunction with what is spiritual and heavenly, are all those which are derived from corrupt natural affections and appetites. Such are the natural delights resulting from the indulgence of malice, of envy, of revenge, of ambition, and of any of the bad passions of the human heart. Such, too, are the delights springing from an inordinate self-love,—from a fond and foolish vanity which leads man to take complacence in himself, and to despise others,-from a desire of possessing another's property, prompting man to take pleasure in acts of fraud, of injustice and dishonesty. And such, lastly, are the delights of intemperance, of sensuality, of concupiscence, by which the bodily life is injured, and its health impaired; and by which, too, the higher powers of the mind are diverted from the pursuit of their proper and eternal objects, whilst they are immersed in all the grossness of sensual and defiled appetites.

That there is a solid and Scriptural ground for the above distinction

between the natural delights which are pure and pleasing in the sight of God, and those which are impure and displeasing to God; and that it is, besides, a distinction which ought to be attended to by man, is plain, from the words of the Lord, in the book of the prophet Ezekiel, where He is speaking of the duty of the priests of the new temple,-"They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." (Chap. xliv. 23.) It is further confirmed by these words, in which the Lord, in the same prophet, reproves the thoughtless priests, on which occasion He declares, concerning them-" They have profaned my holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and profane; neither have they shewed the difference between the unclean and the clean." (Chap. xxii. 26.) Lastly, it is confirmed by these words,-"Therefore, thus saith the Lord God unto them, Behold I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle." In these passages, the holy and profane, the unclean and the clean, the fat cattle and the lean cattle, have manifest reference to man's affections and delights, some of which are called profane, unclean, and lean, whilst others are called holy, clean, and fat. The Divine Word, therefore, manifestly teaches that there ought to be a difference made between the former and the latter; and that to make no such difference is highly offensive in the sight of God. Having thus then endeavoured to show that man is born by nature into various natural delights, some of which are opposite to spiritual and heavenly delights, so as to be utterly incapable of being conjoined with them, whilst some are not so opposite, therefore not so incapable of conjunction, I should now proceed to another point for consideration, but the present space will only permit me to make a brief practical application of what has been already said.

From the variety of delights, then, into which we are born by nature, let us learn, in the first place, to adore the astonishing mercy and bounty of our Great and Good Creator, who has been pleased to annex such high gratifications to the exercise of our affections and appetites. There is the more need of attention to this admonition, inasmuch as few Christians, at this day, it is to be feared, reflect as they ought on their daily natural delights, and still fewer are careful to refer them to the Divine bounty. But let us take heed, lest we should ever be betrayed into such irreligious carelessness, For this purpose, let us accustom ourselves to trace up all our pure and clean delights, both unitedly and distinctly, to their proper and divine source, recollecting that this is the peculiar privilege and prerogative of man. For the inferior creatures are utterly incapable of referring their delights to any source superior to themselves. If we then neglect to refer our's to such a superior source,

we sink ourselves to a level with the brute creation, and are no longer men, but beasts, since we destroy in ourselves the faculty which God has given us. Whereas when we are wise to refer all our pure natural delights to God, in this case every distinct delight is rendered instrumental in elevating our minds upwards towards heaven, and thus in conjoining us more and more with the Lord of heaven.

But when we have thus traced up our several delights to their proper source, let it be our next care and labour to distinguish well between the clean and the unclean, between the holy and the profane, that so the holy and the clean may be separated from the profane and the unclean. It is awful to reflect, that such distinction and separation of delights is a subject at this day but little thought of, and less practised by professing Christians. The reason, alas! is, too many Christians at this day seem to think that they are saved by a mere profession of faith only, or what is equally vain, by some arbitrary act of the divine mercy, unconnected with the temper, the spirit, and the regulation of their lives. But what is the fatal consequence, or what can it be but this, that the natural corrupt affections and delights of such persons remain unremoved, and they themselves, notwithstanding their profession of Christian faith, continue all their days in their uncleanness, without experiencing any separation of the vile from the precious.

Let such sad examples then be a warning to us, lest we also fall into the same mischievous errors; and let them teach us besides, this lesson of true wisdom-that the essence of all pure religion consists in distinguishing well between clean and unclean affections, also between clean and unclean delights. Indeed, the common sense and reason of mankind, one would think, might inculcate the same lesson. For what opinion should any of us form of a gardener, who made no difference in his garden between noxious plants and such as are profitable; and who, if he found a nest of serpents in his garden, was not careful to destroy it? What opinion then shall any of us form of those Christians who pursue the same unreasonable conduct in their spiritual gardens, the gardens of their minds, by never distinguishing between a clean affection and an unclean, between a pure delight and an impure one; and who quietly suffer the serpent to hatch its young?

Be it our continual prayer, then, to shun this extravagant folly; and be it our continual endeavour to act in agreement with our prayers, by making a difference in ourselves between the clean and the unclean, between the holy and the profane; so will the gardens of our minds abound with all the choice plants of paradise, and every briar and thorn of unholy affection and delight will be cast out; thus, too, will the

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