The Lord's Word magnified above all his Name - Comparisons be- tween the literal and spiritual Senses of the Word of God; Illustrations of-The use of Correspondence in explaining diffi- cult Passages of Scripture-In explaining the Miracles and Parables Correspondence of the Sun, Moon, and Stars - The Israelitish Journey from Egypt to Canaan - Explanation of vari- ous Scripture Phrases - Ezekiel's Vision of Holy Waters - Two Miracles illustrated by the Law of Correspondence, viz. "Death in the Pot," and the Restoration of Sight to the Man born blind, by washing in the Pool of Siloam - The Tribute Money found in the Fish's Mouth - Religion and Science connected-Conclusion. OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE, &c. CHAP. I. INTRODUCTION-CREATION OF THE WORLD-THE ORIGIN OF THE SUN-CONTRADICTORY VIEWS OF CHRONOLOGERS CONCERNING THE AGE OF THE WORLD-PROFESSOR SEDGWICK-GEOLOGY IN HARMONY WITH SCRIPTURE-THE SUN THE INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE OF CREATION-SIR HUMPHREY DAVY-IN DISSOLUBLE CONNEXION BETWEEN THE CREATOR AND ALL CREATION-THE WORD OF GOD OF PLENARY INSPIRATION-CORRESPONDENCE OF NATURAL OBJECTS WITH SPIRITUAL STATES OF MIND, THE ONLY RULE OF SCRIPTURE INTERPRETATION. THE Bible, by the Christian world, is universally admitted to be a Divine Revelation from God to man, and considered the standard and test of all religious truth. No Christian can be indifferent to its precepts or regardless of B its reproofs. It is believed to contain the very riches of heaven, which, if received in the human understanding and life, will make man mentally rich, wise, and happy. Any work having a tendency to show its real worth, by unfolding its sacred contents, so that one uniform method of interpretation can always with certainty be obtained, must be considered a desideratum of the highest value, and would tend much to the throwing down of the boasted strongholds of infidelity, as well as to the furtherance of the interests of vital Christianity. The Christian religion undoubtedly surpasses all other systems of Theology in the known world. It is purely of a spiritual cast, relating to the mind of man, and to all those varied changes and progressions of his will and understanding in love and wisdom which successively follow in the course of his progress in the Divine life. These states or changes are, in general, treated of in Scripture, in a variety of pleasing ways; in the parables, miracles, and narratives, and are also more particularly shadowed forth in the literal history of the Israelitish journey from Egypt to Canaan. It is, therefore, hoped that the following pages may be found useful in assisting the pious Christian in his spiritual contemplations, so that while his eyes are opened to a clear perception of Divine Truth, in his bosom may be enkindled a more ardent and pure love to Him, who is the Author and Giver of every real blessing. No contemplative man who carefully studies the harmonies of nature, can fail of knowing that every object in the created universe is an effect springing from a prior cause, and that such cause must owe its birth to some end which the Creator had in view in the wonderful productions of his plastic hand. The end, which is the good intended by the Creator to the forms he purposes to bring into existence, is the Divine Love; the cause is the Divine Wisdom which the love of Deity uses as a mean to accomplish the designs purposed; and the effects are the results of the Divine Operative Energy in all the outward forms of which the created universe is composed. There is a real connexion between the end and its cause, and also between the cause and its effect. No effect can possibly exist independent of its cause, neither can there be any cause in which the end is not inwardly concealed. Here, then, we learn a most cheering truth, that creation is safe, while Wisdom, the Divine cause of its existence, remains, and that it must continue everlastingly fresh and imperishable, while the Love of God, as the end, shall fill it with life and vigour. Wheu God's love shall be no more, his wisdom, as the first-begotten will die, the Divine Spirit will cease to operate, and then the heavens and the earth shall perish. Outward creation can no more exist independent of the perpetual operation of God therein, than can the organized body of man without the soul or spirit. "God is love," and as that love, he is the Father of all. God is wisdom, the "True Light," which as the first emanating sphere of the Divine love, is in Scripture called the "Only-begotten Son:" from the union of these two proceeds the Divine operative energy or Spirit, which, in giving existence to heaven and earth, imparts life to the wide creation. The true law by which all human and angelic existences are sustained, is, as expressed by the only Wisdom, or "Word incarnate," "I in |