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gious persons will continue to understand any part of the Bible literally, it seems to me to be feared that there will be some, not so well-disposed as they are, who will think themselves countenanced in their own objections by their opinion, and will exert their talents to mislead their fellow-creatures, and to prevent them from studying, and entering into the Mysteries of the kingdom; (of which I believe none of us can say that he has a complete knowledge,) not considering that their writings, if on the same plan as those that have been generally reprobated, would tend to destroy not only the persuasions that are the guide and the consolation of millions, but religion itself; as they would not point out to them the way by which, with the grace of God, they might discover in the Scriptures a holy system that would agree better with its spirit than the Jewish and those denominated Christian, and by which they would surely be more enlightened, more satisfied and consoled than they have been till now.

Suffer me, Theophila, to mention here that it has been the will of God that I should be, like some others, personally acquainted with the creature, whom, from the magnificent proof that has been given that he was initiated in the Mysteries of the Eternal God, and from what has been said and revealed of him, whom it is my bounden duty to respect as the most favoured of all creatures, as the superior of all, without exception. Once he was kind enough to tell me some thing which I took for a hint that Christ is the Kingdom of God. In meditating upon it, and comparing many passages together, it has been granted me to understand that the spirit or soul of Christ, being governed by the Spirit of God

and faith in Him alone, is truly the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven: in the spirit of which it is impossible to enter, for those souls whose righteousness does not exceed that of the Scribes and of the Pharisees; and to whom it is not given to know the mys teries of the kingdom of Christ, nor of the Gospel, the doctrine of which manifests His spirit; and of which the least word or truth is sufficient for the heart that is a good ground; wherein, like the Scripture mustard-seed, it profits and increases, so as to become a great knowledge, in which those human minds that can raise themselves towards the spiritual system, or wherein the spiritual minds, may find rest and lodge themselves. The spirit of Christ and his righteousness, I understand to be the kingdom which we ought to seek first, in preference to all human knowledge: the kingdom into which shall enter only those souls who do his Father's will: the kingdom, the doctrine whereof Jesus goes about preaching, and by which he heals all the sicknesses of the soul. Christ's spirit is the kingdom, the religion of which the true Apostles expound, testify, preach, and teach. It is the kingdom for the possession of which the soul who is fortunate enough to find it, ought to part with every thing that is vain and worldly the net that gathereth of every kind, but in which only the good remains. It is the kingdom wherein that soul is the greatest, that humbles herself, and becomes similar to that of the innocent spiritual child, lately born in the truth, of the water of simplicity and of the spirit, and not yet tainted with the false notions of the world: the kingdom for the sake of which we ought to strip our soul of her vanities, errors, passions,

of all mental lusts. It is difficult for those who are rich with the knowledges of the world, and proud with them, to enter into the unassuming simplicity, the meekness and humility of that spirit, or kingdom of God, which shall be taken away from those to whom it will come in vain, and given to those who will bring forth the fruits thereof (Gal. 5. 22, 23). Christ's spirit is the kingdom in the sincerity of which the soul of hypocrites cannot enter, neither suffers them that are entering, to go in: the kingdom, the doctrine whereof shall be preached to all the world, for a witness unto all nations: the kingdom that shall be inherited by the souls blessed of the Father, and for whom it is prepared: the kingdom, from which is not far the soul who acknowledges the truth of the two first great commandments; and for which is unfit that soul who, after having been called, looks back to the world: the kingdom which it is the Father's good pleasure to give to the souls of Christ's humble flock: the kingdom in which the souls Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets shall be seen, and wherein they will find an everlasting rest: the kingdom that will be near the converted soul in whom the spirit of the world will draw to its end: the kingdom which a soul cannot see in herself, except she be born again, born from new and better instructions; and wherein she cannot enter but through much tribulation: the kingdom which is not philosophical meat and drink, or knowledge, but spirit of righteousness, of peace, and of joy in the Holy Ghost: the kingdom which is not in human word, but in spiritual power or virtue; and which is the inheritance of the saints in light, of the souls who are delivered from the mundane notions that prevailed on them, and are

translated into the spirit of the beloved Son of God; the souls who are accounted worthy of it, and are willingly suffering for it, and who will be preserved into that heavenly kingdom. Christ's spirit is the kingdom that will be inherited by the souls who are poor in the spirit of the world, and rich in faith: the kingdom which is promised to the souls who love God: the kingdom which is the power of God's Christ, salvation and strength to the souls of the faithful who desire that better country (Heb. 11. 16), and who will be made perfectly happy with it, wherever and in whatever condition they will be far happier than any one could be, were he translated into the most beautiful place that can be imagined, without having in himself of the spirit of the true kingdom of God and of heaven; for the coming of which into our hearts we ought not to cease to pray daily and most fervently, as our real felicity lies in that Divine Spirit. Come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22. 20)! Thy truth, thy humble Spirit, come into our souls, and reign in them! Would to God that they should cease to be kingdoms of the world, kingdoms of error and pride!

I consider the words kingdom of God, and kingdom of heaven, in some passages, as applicable to those souls who, like that of Christ, believe in God alone, and are ruled by His commandments: or at least are in the way of becoming governed by them.

It seems to me a great pity that in our education we are not exercised to apply to all parts of the Scripture the explanations that are so kindly given to us in some places, and throw so much light on others. For instance, we find in Rev. 12. 9-20. 2, 3. that the Devil or Satan is called the great Dragon; the old Serpent

which deceiveth the whole world, and which shall be cast into the bottomless pit, that he should deceive the nations no more: from which I think it has been understood by many that the Devil is the subtle serpent alluded to in Gen. 3. 1. Why should he not be taken also for Leviathan, the king over all the children of pride (Job, 41. 34); Leviathan the piercing serpent, Leviathan the crooked serpent, the dragon that is in the philosophical sea (Isai. 27. 1)? And for Pharaoh, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers (Ezek. 29. 3, 5)? Is it impossible that the words Leviathan and Pharaoh express vices or degrees of the evil spirit, as well as the words serpent, dragon, devil, Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Belial, &c.? Why should we not take also for spirits of devil, or evil spirits, the serpents mentioned in Numb. 21. 6, 7, 8, 9,-in Deut. 8. 15,-in Isaiah, 65. 25. —Amos, 9. 3. —Matt. 23.33; the dragon, Ps. 91.13; the viper, Acts, 29. 3? It seems to me that the more consistent we should be in our way of our understanding the Holy Writ, the more able we should be to perceive the wisdom and consistency that cannot be doubted throughout the whole of that admirable book.

In the explanation of the parable of the sower (Matt. 13), we read that the seed is the word of God; and the the earth, the heart. Why should we not consider the seed manna (Exo. 16. 15. 31), the corn of heaven, angels' food (Ps. 78. 24, 25), to be likewise the Word of God; and the ground on which it falls to be also the heart? Would not that application seem justified by Numb. 11. 6. that shews that the Manna it speaks of, refers to the soul who finds herself in a dry state, and murmurs at receiving daily the same kind of instructions?

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