originating in the flesh; and by his nature he enjoyed all the attributes of a pure spirit, surrounded by an inscrutable covering. This was not the present body of the senses, which is but a proof of his degeneracy, a coarse husk under which he shelters himself from the attacks of the elements; his garment was sacred, simple, indestructible, and of imperishable nature. In this condition of a perfect glory, in which he enjoyed the most perfect happiness, he was destined to reveal the power of the Almighty, and to rule over the visible and the invisible. In the possession of all natural rights and insignia of a king, he was able to use all means to fulfil this his elevated destiny. For as a com

batant for unity, he was assured against all outward attacks by his inward and outward nature; as his covering, whose germ is still in us, made him invulnerable. One advantage of the original man was that no poison of nature or the power of the elements could affect him. In the regeneration of man, Christ promised the Apostles, and all who should follow him, this invulnerability. He also carried a fiery, two-edged, all-piercing lance, a living word, which united all powers within itself, and by means of which he could perform all things." This lance we find mentioned by Moses, Genesis, iii. 24: "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." Under this sword is understood the living word, which man originally possessed, and will only regain in his regeneration, and return from rude outward sensuality. It is the word of which it is said (Hebrews, iv. 12): "For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of souls and spirits, and of joints and marrow."

The Honover (or word of power) of Zoroaster is remarkable in its resemblance to this, by which Ormuzd conquers Ahriman and all evil. To proceed with our quotation: "In this condition of regal dignity and power, man might, as the living image of his Father, whose representative he was, have enjoyed the purest happiness, if he had remained in Eden. Instead of ruling the senses, and striving for the spirit to which he was destined, he was filled with the unfortunate idea of confusing the cardinal points

of light and truth (that is, he lost the light of truth in the darkness). Losing sight of the bounds of that kingdom over which he was to govern, he confined himself to one portion (the senses, whose manifold light dazzled him, so that he forgot all else), and flattering himself that he could find the light otherwise than in its original spring, he fixed his lustful eyes upon a false being; was enamoured with the senses, and became himself sensual. By this failing he sank into darkness and confusion; the consequence of which was, that he was transferred from the light of the sun to a night of many small twinkling stars, and now felt a nakedness of which he was ashamed. This misuse of the knowledge of the connection between the worlds of spirit and matter, according to which man wished to make the spiritual material, and matter spiritual, is a breach of marriage, of which that which since has been carried on with woman is but a shadowing and consequence. Through sin man lost not only his original habitation, and was obliged to go the way of all flesh, but he also lost that fiery lance, and with it all that had before made him invincible and all-seeing. His sacred garment now became a material covering, and this mortal, destructible body no longer defended him against the elements. The mind also shared in the confusion of the weaker half of the body, and inharmonic sounds were heard in the dark realms of the world of spirits.

Although man sank deeply through sin, yet a hope of restoration was left him under the conditions of a perfect reconciliation. Without this reconciliation he sinks deeper and deeper, and the return becomes more difficult and dangerous. In this reconciliation, however, he must inspire himself, and avoid the seductive attraction of the senses, and endeavour to gain the beneficial influence of a higher power through prayer, without which he cannot inhale one breath of a purer life. To gain this reconciliation, man must gradually conquer and cast from him all that which obscures his true inward nature, and holds him back from his original state; for man neither can nor will be at peace with himself and nature till he has overcome everything that is inimical to his own nature, and has conquered his enemies. This can, however, only take place when he has retraced that path in which he diverged from his original state. He

must, therefore, gradually free himself from the influence of the senses by an heroic life, and like a wanderer who has many mountains to cross, always climb upwards, till he has gained that goal which is lost in the clouds. Overcoming one obstacle of time after another, he must dispel the clouds between himself and the true sun, so that at length the rays of light may reach him without hindrance."

The following is purely biblical, without resemblance to the Brahminic teachings:

"God has, however, given us help and assistance to gain this reconciliation. They were inspired agents whom God always awoke to reclaim man from his errors.

But man

only gained perfect reconciliation through the Saviour of the world, who at once perfected and represented that which those agents had but partially and individually performed. Through him his powers are first roused and heightened; through him he approaches the sole true light, the knowledge of all things, and especially of himself. If man endeavour to use this proffered help, he will certainly gain his end, and becomes so certain of this himself, that no doubts are able to turn him from his destination. If he raise his mind to that degree of purity in which it becomes united with the divine nature, he is able to spiritualise his being to such a degree that the whole realm of the soul is so clearly shown to him, that he feels the presence of God nearer than he had ever imagined it possible; all things are possible to him, because he can make all powers his own; and in this harmony and unity with the fulness of activity, the inspired instruments of God, Moses, Elias -even Christ himself, are revealed to him, and being surrounded by thoughts, he no longer requires books. In short, man can here reach such a degree of perfection, that death has only to remove the coarse husk, when his spiritual temple may become visible, and he live and act for ever. It is when he has passed through this valley of darkness that by every step he gains increased existence, intenser power, purer atmosphere, and a more extended horizon; his spiritual being tastes more delicious fruits; and at the termination of his earthly life nothing intervenes between him and the harmony of those spheres, of which the senses only give a faint idea: without the distinction of

the sexes, he will commence the angelic existence, and possess all those powers of which below he had seen but emblems and symbols; he will then enter that eternal temple, the source of all power, from which he had been banished, and Christ will then be the everlasting high priest. Hebrews, vii. 17-24, 25. Man will then not only enjoy his own gifts, but also participate in the gifts of all the chosen, who constitute the counsel of the wise; that holy prince will then be even more elevated than he was here below. Without rising or setting of the sun, without change of day and night, without innumerable languages,-all beings will at the same moment read the holy name of the eternal book, from which springs life for all beings." Hebrews, xii. 22, 23. Here, also, we find a resemblance to ideas of Zoroaster when he speaks of the celestial companies, of the eternal sacrifices of Ormuzd and his servants, and of the participation of each servant of Ormuzd in the sacrifices and prayers of the others."

I have not made any remarks upon the preceding extract, on account of its clearness and truth; and from the fact that it seemed to me suitable to this work, as showing that only pure and truly Christian men can do the miracles which Christ promised them, and see visions of which the material worldly man cannot even have an idea. Regarding the appearances and proceedings which have a magnetical character, so copiously recorded in the Bible, I shall make extracts of the most remarkable.

The first is found in Adam. Moses says, Genesis, ii. 21: "And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept." The question now arises, what kind of sleep was this? The answer is, a deep sleep. It must, therefore, either be a sleep of death (kápov), or lethargy (Karapopá), or ecstasy (exoraσic-raptus divinus); or was it only a profound common sleep? The first seems to me improbable; and if it had been the case, we know that in the greatest freedom from the bonds of the body, or shortly before death, the most perfect clairvoyance often shows itself; that there is no mention of a heavy sickness, but only of a "deep sleep." If it had been a lethargic state, that inward sight was only the more probable. The seventy-two interpreters of the sacred writings look upon

this sleep as an ecstasy; and Tertullian says directly, that the power of prophecy of the Holy Spirit fell upon him (Accidit super illum spiritus sancti vis operatrix prophetiæ).

Another remarkable fact is the building of the Ark of Noah before the Flood, which he had long foreseen. Further, Abraham's call to leave his fatherland, Ur, in Chaldea, and to go towards Haran in Canaan. Abraham's visions were numerous; or, are the words of the Lord spoken to him to be regarded as a symbolical expression of his inward contemplation? Through these visions or words, as it may be, it was shown to him that he would be blessed, and the founder of a great people. The Lord appeared to Abraham, and said, "This land will I give to thy seed."

The unsophisticated life of a shepherd naturally brings the mind to the highest degree of contemplation, and the more so when the mind is occupied alone with God and divine things. This is especially shown in the history of the pastoral life of the God-fearing Israelites, not only in the Patriarchs, but also afterwards in the age of the kings and judges. Isaac and Jacob had similar visions to those of Abraham, of which the ladder ascending to heaven, seen by Jacob on his journey to Mesopotamia, is a very remarkable instance. We find, Genesis xxviii. 10: “And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went towards Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillow, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it, and said: I am the Lord, &c.; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, &c. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the

families of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."