ind him in
his New Jerusalem ignoring humanity altogether, and torturing with
tedious complacency Genesis and Revelation alike. If I were a preacher
of any denomination, I would have Swedenborg's works by me. They should
be the fruitful source of many an argument to illustrate or arouse; but
if in the future the pulpit is to maintain its place and power, the
Swedenborgians, unless they turn over a new leaf, must retire into the
background. Look at Cross Street, Hatton Garden, for instance, on a
Sunday night; you will not find thirty people there; yet it stands in the
midst of a teeming population, where the devil preaches to a crowded
congregation every day and every hour. Let it not be supposed, however,
that Swedenborgianism is perishing for lack of new blood. It was only a
few days since I heard of a clergyman of the Church of England, who had
resigned his living in consequence of his joining the Swedenborgians. Of
the fancies of Swedenborg let me say there are those to whom they suggest
much--reveal much. According to the man's own statement, he was sent
from God, and saw and revealed the secrets of the invisible world.
Sometimes his revelations are very indecorous. Here is one. "Spiritual
angels dislike butter, which was made clear to me from this circumstance:
that although I am fond of butter I did not for a long while, even for
some months, desire any, and during which time I was in association with
them; and when I had tasted butter I found it had lost the pleasant
flavour it once had to me. That the spiritual angels caused this
aversion was plain from the fact that when a celestial angel was with me,
and I was impelled to eat some good butter, the spiritual angels caused
an odour of butter to rise from my mouth to my nostrils by way of
reproach; still, however, they are much delighted with milk, and when I
partook of some the relish was more grateful than I can describe. Milk
belongs to the spiritual, as butter does to the celestial angels--not
that they delight therein as food, but on account of their
correspondence." I should have said Swedenborg divides all angels into
two orders--the celestial angels are the angels of love or the will, the
spiritual angels are those of truth or the intellect. Angels, according
to Swedenborg, are poor guides in worldly matters; "they only regard the
good intention, and can be adduced to affirm anything which promises to
advance it."

CHAPTER XIV.
THE IRV