صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

of the New Church in Glasgow.-In friend of the New Church wherever a early life Mr. Paterson was much attached to the people called Methodists, and took a lively interest in all their plans, and to the last, though he disliked their doctrine, admired much of their discipline. For many years he conducted a Sunday school, with much success, and often spoke of the interest excited in the public mind by his labours, and of the success of the monitorial system of education. It was while conducting this school that he first became acquainted with the doctrines of the New Church, and his active and benevolent mind soon saw their value, and led him to adopt them as the only staff upon which man could with safety rest. Like all others who first imbibe these doctrines, he imagined it was necessary only to propagate them, and their truth was so selfevident, that people would gladly receive them. In this, however, he soon found he was mistaken; but he himself, from the period of his reception, never swerved from what he conceived to be his duty,

a life of active usefulness. When the late Mr. Parker created so great a sensation by his promulgation of the doctrines of charity, as laid down in the writings of the New Church Messenger, Mr. Paterson eagerly joined him in his labour of love. These two, aided by a member of the Society of Friends, were instrumental in founding the asylum for aged men, an institution to which Mr. Paterson contributed most liberally till within four or five years of his death, and he only then discontinued his aid because circumstances prevented him. For many years he was one of the most liberal contributors to the funds of our Church, one of the most active in the dissemination of her doctrines, and one of the most willing to entertain her missionaries. His active mind was constantly devising means by which her borders could be enlarged, and no discouragements could damp his ardour. In prosperity he was the steady

society was to be found. Some few years since, owing to circumstances which need not be here named, he fell from compa. rative affluence, into one of comparative poverty: and in this state the true spirit of the man shone forth with a steady lustre, which called forth the admiration of all who knew him. It was impossible to behold a truer instance of contentment. It may be safely said of him, that in patience he possessed his soul, and learned in whatsoever state he was, "therewith to be content." A gradual decay of nature prepared the spirit for its higher destinies; and at length, the frail tenement, no longer suited for the residence of the spirit, gradually sunk. His spirit passed from the body with perfect calmness and tranquillity, as an infant falling asleep, and he ended a blameless and useful life, respected for his integrity and virtuous principles, and setting an example worthy the imitation of all true Christians. May we die the death of the righteous, and may our last end be like his!

G.

Died, March 16th, 1846, at Chalford, Gloucestershire, in the 65th year of his age, Mr. John Hubbard, dispensing chemist. This gentleman had received the doctrines of the New Church but a very short time, yet from his constant attendance on Divine Service, and the anxiety he manifested to extend a knowledge of them, it is evident the heavenly seed had fallen on good ground. He observed to a friend but a week or two before his death, that since he had become acquainted with the New Church, a new world was opened to his view, and he discovered his path to be strewed with flowers. His father was formerly the rector of Sunning, Berkshire, and curate of Bethnal-green, London. He was the author of the hymn published in the last November number of the New Church Advocate, page 362. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord!

T. G.

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

[blocks in formation]

THE mind, its nature and operations, have always been subjects of deep interest to every man of any intellectual development. The objects of sense are, in themselves, deeply interesting, and the sciences which unfold them, as to their forms, nature, properties, and uses, are well worthy of profound attention and study. But the higher sphere of knowledge, relating to the mind, its nature, faculties, and uses, is, in a still more eminent sense, worthy of investigation; and whatever relates to these subjects that can be clearly unfolded, is extremely welcome to all who desire to know something of themselves, and of the manner in which intellectual life and light can be procured and enjoyed. For there is no light so acceptable to a good man as the light of truth: it cheers and animates him in every pursuit of life, and even in the darkest hours of trial, it lights up a cheering ray in the gloomy chambers of his soul. "Know thyself" was a precept of ancient wisdom, and time has weakened none of its importance and power; if it is not felt now as it anciently was, it is because the human mind has taken so external and outward a direction, as to feel a deeper interest in the world without us, than in the world within us; and yet this latter is that which especially concerns us; it is that in which all our interests, both temporal and eternal, are chiefly involved; it is that in which we must eventually find either our heaven or our hell,—our happiness or our misery.

No author has so clearly shewn and demonstrated what the mind is as Swedenborg. Its nature, its degrees of life, its faculties, its functions, its relation to higher and to lower spheres, its connection with the kingdom of love and light, or with the regions of darkness and misery, are so clearly pointed out by him, and so amply confirmed by Scripture and reason, that we know not any thing to be desired in the abundance of knowledge which, on this all-important subject, is presented to the world in the N. S. NO. 78.-VOL. VII.

writings of Swedenborg. Verily, the harvest of truth and knowledge on this subject is exceedingly great, and labourers are invited to come forward and to reap, to gather, to possess, and enjoy. It is now a reproach to any man, knowing these treasures of knowledge to exist in the world, if he do not put forth his hand to gather the fruits of intelligence, which can enrich his soul with the treasures of wisdom, and adorn it with the celestial graces of light and love.

It is not my intention here to enter upon an analysis of the knowledge which Swedenborg has displayed in his theological works on the nature of the soul, and on every thing concerning its development, regeneration, salvation, and happiness. But I have thought that the "Animal Kindgom" of Swedenborg, in which he has opened a most wonderful system of physiology of the human body, has not yet been considered in a manner commensurate with its important merits and claims. In the body we behold, when enlightened by correspondences, an image of the soul; there being nothing in the latter which is not imaged and portrayed in the former, as there is nothing in a cause which is not imaged in its effect. In the body, as in a little world, is contained all the science and philosophy which can be learnt from the great external world around us; and it consequently follows that in the body, when viewed aright, we have an exhibition of every principle of natural science and philosophy in its especial development. Every divine work must be ultimated before it is complete; that is, it must be realized in an ultimate form before it can truly exist, and enter upon the activities of its use, the end for which it does exist. In like manner the operations of the mind, which consist of affection and thought, must be ultimated in the forms of action and speech, before they can be said truly to exist, and to enter upon the activities of their use. Now, in the human body all the divine operations of love and wisdom in the Creator are ultimated in their lowest forms of activity and use. It consequently follows, that if the forms, functions, modes of activity, and uses of the organs and viscera of the body are understood, we at the same time understand, in some measure, the philosophy of order and of influx, and also the principles of science, in their most living forms of activity. There is a chemistry in nature, there is a chemistry in the animal kingdom, and there is an artificial chemistry. These three kinds of chemistry are very different, but one mutually corresponds to the other; and as the body is an especial organ of life, the chemistry here displayed is greatly superior to that which is in external nature; since that which is nearest to the source of life, is nearer to absolute perfection, and, consequently, superior both in kind and degree.

There is also a system of mechanics in nature, likewise in the body, and there is also an artificial system of mechanics, of which the same may be predicated. The same may be said of all the other sciences,— pneumatics, optics, acoustics, hydraulics, hydrostatics, &c. Hence the study of the human body and its physiology is of immense importance, not only to the medical student, but universally to every individual who desires to become truly intelligent, and to have a plane formed in his mind upon which, as upon its ultimate correspondent basis, the Grand Man, the Lord's mystical Body,-Heaven itself, may rest. To confine the study of physiology to the medical student only, is almost as absurd as to confine the study of the Word to a few men whom we call theologians;-ought not every man, especially every Christian, to be deeply concerned in the study of the Word?

That physiology is the basis of mental philosophy, is not only demonstrated by Swedenborg, but the late Dr. Thos. Brown, Professor of Mental Philosophy at Edinburgh, considered that this was the proper foundation on which to build; and the great cause of his reputation chiefly consists in having allowed his thoughts to be guided by the analogy of what is mental to what is physical.

I will here adduce, for the purpose of bringing Swedenborg's " Animal Kingdom," and its admirable philosophy, before the reader, what he says respecting one law of the "Organic Forms of the Body;"-the proposition involving the law in question runs thus:

542. "In the organic fabrics of the body, the series in the progression of causes appears throughout to be as follows:-The object or material out of which and by means of which [the effect is produced], comes from without; it is immediately carried away by distinct paths towards the centres; and at the same time is collected in a receptacle, that the centres may constantly supply their necessities therefrom. This material is examined and prepared on the way to the centres; it is then received, turned about, digested, and discriminated into parts, by the centres; the finer portion is chosen out, and sent forth for use; the viler portion is separated or secreted, sent away, corrected on the way, as in the centres; and is expended upon some middle use; lastly, the residue, which is worthless, is thrown out. This is the ratio of all composition. But without preface let us examine the fabrics themselves, which are living examples of the truth of the matter, and demonstrate it to us; to wit, the liver, the lungs, the stomach, the heart, and lastly, the cerebrum and the organs of the senses.'

*See his Lectures I. and II.

The author demonstrates this proposition by the organs above mentioned; but we will adduce the demonstration in respect to the Stomach, as being probably most striking to our readers :

544. "If we examine the STOMACH," says Swedenborg, "according to the same series of progression of causes, or if we trace the causes continuously, it will be found that one cause succeeds another in a similar manner and order to the above; wherefore, for the sake of confirmation, it will be well to run over this field also. Food or aliment, dry and moist, are the objects [of the function of the stomach], or the materials out of which [the effects are produced], and which, as we all know full well, come from without; for they are taken by the mouth, and are rolled down through the pharynx and œsophagus into the stomach, and so are carried away by distinct paths immediately towards the common centre (not as in other organs to manifold centres); and at the same time, inasmuch as the stomach is a single centre and great cavity, they are collected in it as in a receptacle; and still more manifestly in ruminants, which, besides the large stomach, penular or venter, have also the reticulus, the cellular chamber or omasus, and the abomasus, all of which are receptacles, from which the stomach or centre supplies its necessities. As this alimentitious material proceeds to its stomach, it is not only sipped in the first instance by the tongue, the throat, and the oesophagus, and examined with a view to its purer parts, which are immediately imbibed; but it is also comminuted by the teeth, kneaded by the tongue, and besprinkled with saliva; thus it is examined and prepared on the way to the centre; and when it is received therein, it is worked and digested, as we all know, by peristaltic motions; and it is equally certain that the purer essences, converted into chyle, and separated from the more feculent parts, are sent away into the veins, and into the lacteals or lymphatics; consequently, that they are discriminated, and then the finer parts are chosen out and sent forth for the common use of the body; that is to say, for nutrition: moreover, that the undigested and more feculent, or viler portions are separated and sent away through the pylorus into the intestines: and that they are worked and digested in the intestines in the same manner as in the stomach; or are purified on the way, as in the centre; the part that then seethes from them, is derived into the lacteals and veins, that it likewise may serve the common object, or be expended upon a middle use. The other parts are rejected as fæces into the large intestines, where again a similar process goes on; but those parts that are utterly worthless are discharged by the rectum, or, in the words of the proposition, the residue is thrown out. The stomach, with its appendages and auxiliary cavities, is fashioned to produce the series of all these causes and effects; wherefore the whole ratio of its composition is contained in them."

Now this same law, so clearly demonstrated as to the organic forms of the body, is equally applicable to the organic forms of the mind; and as the body thus receives, digests, and appropriates its food, in like manner the mind, until its ideas are formed, matured, and appropriated as one with its constitution and life. Of course, all this is done by influx, or action, from within, as the principal cause, and by reaction from without, as the instrumental cause. Thus the body would have no life and power to receive and digest its food, unless by influx from the life of the soul; and, in like manner, the soul would also have no life to receive, digest, and appropriate its food, except it constantly received

« السابقةمتابعة »