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said, "Inquire of those who come this way whether they see me, or any thing in my hand." At that instant a great multitude approached, some from the east, some from the south, some from the west, and others from the north: and I asked those who came from the east and south, who were such as had applied themselves in the world to study and erudition, whether they saw any person with me, or any thing in his hand; and they all answered in the negative: then I asked the same question of those who came from the west and the north, who were such as in the world had taken for granted what men of learning had affirmed; and they too answered in the negative. And yet some among the last of these, being men who in the world had lived in simplicity of faith from a principle of charity, or in some degree of truth from good, when those before them were gone by, declared, that they saw a man with a paper, the man handsomely dressed, and the paper with written characters upon it; and when they inspected it more closely, they said, that they could read, THE MARRIAGE OF GOOD AND TRUTH. These latter addressed the angel, and desired him to explain to them the meaning of the writing; and he said, "All things that exist in the universal heaven, and in the universal world, are by creation nothing but the marriage of good and truth; for all and every thing, whether living or not living, whether animate or inanimate, were created from the marriage of good and truth, and to be the subjects of that marriage: there is not a single thing that was created to be a subject of truth alone, nor of good alone, for neither without the other can be any thing, but by that marriage they exist and become something, the quality of which is determined by the quality of that marriage. In the Lord God the Creator, divine good and divine truth are in their very substance itself: the esse of His substance is divine good, and the existere of His substance is divine truth; in Him too they are in their very union itself, for in Him they are infinitely

One and as these two principles are in God the Creator a One, they are a one also in all and every thing created by Him; by this too the Creator is joined in an eternal covenant, like that of marriage, with all things of His creation. The angel further said, that the Sacred Scripture, which was dictated by the Lord, is, both in general and in particular, a marriage of good and truth (according to what was said above, n. 248 to 253): and since the church, which is formed by truths of doctrine; and religion, which is formed by goods of life, according to truths of doctrine, are with Christians derived solely from the Sacred Scripture, it must be evident that the church also, both in general and in particular, is a marriage of good and truth." What hath been observed above, on the marriage of good and truth, was declared also by the angel, of the MARRIAGE OF CHARITY AND FAITH, since good hath relation to charity, and truth to faith. As the angel ended, he raised himself from the ground, and piercing through the mist he ascended into heaven, when immediately the paper shone as before, according to the degree of his ascent; and behold! the circle, which appeared before like the light of dawn, was extended downwards, and dispelled the mist which caused darkness on the earth, and a bright sunshine succeeded.

625. THE FIFTH MEMORABLE RELATION.

On a time whilst I was meditating on the Lord's second advent, there suddenly appeared a beam of light, which darting powerfully upon mine eyes, caused me to look upwards, and lo! the whole heaven above me appeared luminous, and from the east to the west was heard a long continued GLORIFICATION; and an angel who stood near me said, "That glorification is a glorification of the Lord for His advent, by the angels of the eastern and western heaven." From the southern and northern heaven nothing was to be heard but a kind of soft and gentle murmur. As the angel heard every thing, he first told me, that those

glorifications and celebrations of the Lord were taken from the Word; and presently he said, "Now they glorify and celebrate the Lord in particular by these words in the prophet Daniel: Thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, but they shall not cohere together; and in those days shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but it shall stand for ever," chap. ii. 43, 44. After this I heard as it were the sound of voices singing, and further in the east I saw a glow of light brighter far than the former; then I asked the angel what was the subject of their glorification in that quarter? He answered, "These words in Daniel: 'I saw in the visions of the night, and behold, One like THE SON OF MAN came with the clouds of heaven; and there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed," chap. vii. 13, 14. They are further celebrating the Lord, by these words in the Revelation: To Jesus Christ be glory and dominion for ever and ever; behold, He cometh with clouds; He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty; 1 John heard this from THE SON OF MAN, out of the midst of the seven candlesticks,' chap. i. 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, chap. xxii. 13. And also from Matt. xxiv. 30, 31." I looked again towards the eastern heaven, and on the right side it shone, and the luminous splendour entered into the southern expanse; then I heard a sweet sound, and I asked the angel, "What is the subject of their glorification in that quarter?" He answered, "These words in the Revelation: 'I saw a new heaven, and a new earth; and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND; and I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying,

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Behold the tabernacle of God is with MEN, and He will dwell with them. And the angel talked with me, and said, come hither, I will shew thee THE BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE; and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem,' Rev. xxi. 1, 2, 9, 10: also these words: I Jesus am the bright and morning star; and the spirit and the BRIDE say, COME; and He said, I COME QUICKLY: Amen; even so COME LORD JESUS,' Rev. xxii. 16, 17, 20." After these and many more, there was heard a general glorification from the east to the west of heaven, and also from the south to the north; and I asked the angel, "What is now the subject?" He answered, "These passages from the prophets: All flesh shall know that I JEHOVAH AM THY SAVIOUR AND THY REDEEMER,' Isaiah xlix. 26: Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel, and His REDEEMER JEHOVAH OF HOSTS, I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST, AND BESIDE ME THERE IS NO GOD,' chap. xliv. 6: 'It shall be said in that day, Lo, THIS IS OUR GOD, we have waited for Him, and He will save us; THIS IS JEHOVAH WHOM WE HAVE EXPECTED,' chap. xxv. 9: 'The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of JEHOVAH; Behold, THE LORD JEHOVIH WILL COME WITH STRONG HAND, and shall feed His flock like a SHEPHERD,' chap. xl. 3, 5, 10, 11: 'Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, THE FATHER OF ETERNITY, The Prince of Peace,' chap. ix. 6: Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch who shall reign as a king, and this is His name, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,' Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, chap. xxxiii. 15, 16: 'JEHOVAH IS HIS NAME, AND THY REDEEMER THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, THE GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH SHALL HE BE CALLED,' Isaiah liv. 5: IN THAT DAY JEHOVAH SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; IN THAT DAY THERE

SHALL BE ONE JEHOVAH, AND HIS NAME ONE,' Zech. xiv. 9." On hearing and understanding all these things, my heart exulted within me, and I went home with joy, and there, from being in the spirit, I returned into the body, and wrote down what I had seen and heard.

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