9. In virtue of this interior dictate the rational principle was induced to reflect upon its newly acquired state; 10. And, in so doing, acknowledged this interior dictate to be from the Lord, and that itself was afraid, because it had now lost the genuine intelligence of faith from which it had turned away, and had taken up its abode in external or natural good. 11. And the men of this church inquired into the cause of their loss of genuine intelligence and goodness: and whether it originated from trusting to the things of sense and science. 12. And the rational principle which was united to the proprium, was led to acknowledge that, in giving its consent to things of sense and science, it had been deluded. 13. And from an internal dictate the man of the church acknowledged that the proprium had been beguiled by the senses. 14. And the men of the church perceived that the sensual principle had averted itself from the celestial, and turned itself to the corporeal, and thus cursed itself beyond every other affection; in consequence of which it could no longer look upwards toward celestial things and minister unto them, but could only look downwards toward things corporeal and terrestrial, whence it would be reduced to such a state as to feed itself only upon these things; whence also it would be separated from the internal man, would become corporeal only, and thus infernal. 15. And that when the proprium should be vivified, there would be opposition between the sensual principle and itself, and between infidelity, which is the fruit of the scientific and sensual principle, and faith, which is the fruit of vivified proprium; and that the Lord, who, it was revealed, should descend into the sensual and scientific principles as the Word, should have dominion over both of these, although His natural and corporeal principles would be assaulted by the evils which had now perverted them in the man of the church. 16. And the proprium of the external man which had now perverted itself (or the posterity of the Most Ancient Church which had now fallen into this state of proprium), perceived, from an internal dictate, that the conception and thought of truth in the church would hereafter give rise to multiplied combats, states of warfare, and anxiety, and that the lusts of the external man or of the church must in future be under the dominion of the rational principle, as no other source of truth was now left remaining, in consequence of the destruction of the wisdom and intelligence derived from a state of perception. 17. It was likewise seen also that the rational principle which had averted itself from things celestial, and become subservient to things of sense and science, would be reduced to a miserable condition, and be overruled by all the lusts, appetites, phantasies, and sensations of the animal man; 19. Having an aversion to what is internal, and returning to the external state in which it was before regeneration. (It is here to be observed, in order to understand the meaning of the verses which follow next, that the subject hitherto treated of in this and the preceding chapters is concerning the Most Ancient People, in that they were made regenerate. In the first place it had relation to those who lived like wild beasts, and at length became Spiritual Men; in the second place, to those who became Celestial Men and constituted the Most Ancient Church; afterwards to those and their descendants who fell away and herein the subject is extended in an orderly succession to the First Posterity, to the Second, to the Third, and finally to all succeeding ones until the Flood; so that in the verses which now follow to the end of the chapter, there is contained a recapitulation of all that passed from the formation of the Man of the Most Ancient Church until the Flood; consequently it serves as a conclusion to all that precedes.) 20. Now the celestial man, or man of the Most Ancient Church, regarded the proprium of that church (which was vivified by the Lord, and as such had a perception of all the good of love and of all the truth of faith) as the bride and wife of the Lord, and hence as living by reason of its receiving the life of the Lord, who is Life itself, in virtue of the celestial marriage; for which reason also, as it was the first, so it was the most beloved, and the mother of all succeeding churches. 21. The posterity of this church the Lord instructed in spiritual good; this was the second posterity: also in natural good; this was the third posterity. 22. And Jehovah God said, when man was first made celestial, that he was as the celestial angels, who were united in celestial marriage to Himself, and in wisdom and intelligence from perception. This was the fourth posterity. (Of the Fifth State of the Most Ancient Church.) 23. But that now (when the man of the church had become inverted as to the order of life, and unwilling to confess his life and wisdom to be derived from any other fountain than from himself) it was necessary, lest of his own power he should enter into the mysteries of faith, and so profane the things of eternal life, and thereby preclude himself from all possibility of eternal salvation, (Of the Sixth and Seventh States of the Most Ancient Church.) 24. That he should be deprived of all intelligence and wisdom derived from perception; that so he might be entirely separated from them, and be no longer man, but return to that corporeal state in which he was before regeneration, (i.e. before he had been formed into man.) So the Lord provided lest man should enter of his own power into any mystery of faith; causing the flame of self-love, with all its lusts and persuasions, instead of tending upwards towards interior things, to be carried downward to things corporeal and terrestrial. Where is the light? Bring me a light! I say. Will ye not bring a light? This dark profound Alas! poor soul! there's no light for thee now! "Methinks I dimly see!-Ha! what are these? "I'm sinking, sinking-lift my head, I say! Glasgow. The floor is falling!-Call yourselves my friends, He's gone! he's gone! Go, toll his passing knell ! H. 135 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. THE THIRTY-SECOND, BEING THE FINAL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LONDON NEW CHURCH FREE SCHOOL SOCIETY. As this Society, after thirty-two years of labour in the extensive field of Education on New Church principles, has thought proper, owing to many and great changes which have taken place, as to the progress and means of education, since the society commenced its useful labours, to give up, at least for the present, its school, we insert here its last report nearly entire, which we are certain will be perused with much interest by our readers. From many evidences, which from time to time have transpired, we know that many thousands of children have been largely and we trust eternally benefitted in this school. The germs of genuine Scripture Truth have been implanted by a truly Christian and an affectionate teacher in their minds, and there is every reason to hope, that under Providence, a great amount of solid good has been accomplished. A host of hostile prejudices against the doctrines of the New Church has also been gradually removed from the public mind by the uses which this school has performed. Our brethren in London, therefore, have every reason to be thankful that through the Lord's Providence, they have been enabled, and permitted to perform this good; and although they have, for the present, withdrawn from this field of usefulness, yet there are other fields, such as the Missionary and Tract Societies, in which they can employ their energies and their means. We trust that the case of Mr. Granger, the respected schoolmaster during the entire period of thirty-two years, will be seriously and affectionately considered, and that in his declining years, he may not only have the sympathies, but the kind support of his brethren in remembrance of the high uses which he has performed to, we may say, at least six generations of children. In respect to this subject, we are glad to see that at the meeting the following resolutions were unanimously adopted :: "That a subscription be entered into on behalf of Mr. Granger, in considera tion of his long continued and most useful services as Master of the London New Jerusalem Church Free School, to assist in placing him in a position in which he may provide for himself and family. "That Messrs. Dean, Hewett, Williams, and Prowse, be a Committee to receive subscriptions on behalf of Mr. Granger, and to advise with him as to the appropriation of the same." The subscription was then commenced, and the meeting terminated. The circular drawn up on the basis of these resolutions was inserted in our last number. "It is (says the Report) the unpleasant duty of your Committee to announce that with the present meeting terminates the existence of this society. It will be remembered that, at the last annual general meeting, a special Committee was appointed 'to take into consideration the state of the finances of the school, to make inquiries with the view of ascertaining the possibility of removing the school nearer to the churches, and to report to a special general meeting of the society to be assembled in October.' The four gentlemen who composed that Committee, the Rev. T. C. Shaw, Messrs. Bateman, Parkinson, and Williams,-after giving mature consideration to the subject, unanimously came to the conclusion, that the (then) present and prospective state of the finances clearly shewed it to be quite impracticable to carry on the school where it was situated, and that, independently of its low financial condition, the continual decrease in the number of scholars, would alone necessitate its close; and they further stated, that they were forced to the conviction that it would be unwise to attempt carrying it on after Christmas. In reference to the inquiry as to the possibility of removing the school nearer to the churches, involving, of course, the establishment of a new school, the gentlemen of that Committee declared their unwillingness to discourage the attempt, but, at the same time, felt themselves under the obligation not to conceal the fact, that the undertaking would be commenced under far greater disadvantages than those under which the school was begun in 1822. "In agreement with the suggestion of that report a resolution, which has since been carried into effect, was passed at the special general meeting, that the school should be discontinued at Christmas. And your Committee were further authorized, with the concurrence of the Trustees, to dispose of the premises in Charles-street, Westminster-road, belonging to the society, either by public auction, or by private contract, as might be found more advantageous, and to take all other steps necessary to complete the sale. With these instructions your Committee complied, by appoint. ing two of their number, Messrs. Salter and Williams, as a Sub-committee, to make arrangements with an agent on whom they could place reliance, for the sale of the property. After considerable, but unavoidable delay, the sale of the premises has been effected by public auction, the agent having failed in his endeavour to dispose of them by private contract; and with the professional assistance of our friend Mr. Hobler, the necessary arrangements were made for conveying the property from the hands of your Trustees into the possession of the purchaser. "The sum realised by the disposal of the property, after deducting the auction and legal expenses, was £341. 6s. 10d.; which, with the sum of £318. 10s. 8d. received from the Cross-street Society and sale of consols, enabled the Treasurer to pay the sum of £600. to the Missionary and Tract Society, and leaves a balance in his hands of £3. 3s. 44d. This sum, agreeably to the instructions of the Committee, has been added to the subscriptions now being raised for Mr. Granger. "At the general meeting of the society, held in October last, a special Committee, composed of the Reverends W. Bruce and T. C. Shaw, and Messrs. Hewett and Sandy, was appointed to inquire into the practicability of establishing a new school in London, and to consider the character of the school that should be attempted. The Rev. Messrs. Bruce and Shaw, on behalf of that Committee, drew up an address, which has been extensively circulated among the members and friends of the New Church in London. The object of that appeal was to ascertain the views and feelings of the Church in regard to the establishment of a new school, stating the sum that it was believed would be required to purchase or erect a building suitable for the purpose, and requesting suggestions as to the character of the proposed school. To this appeal but a very few responses have yet been made. And, with much unwillingness, your Committee have arrived at the conviction that the time to attempt the establishment of a New Church school in London, in place of the former, has not yet come. Al "A subject of much interest remains to be considered by this society, and by the members and friends of the church in London, individually: your Committee allude to the case of our friend Mr. Granger, the master of the school, who, (for a period of thirty-two years)—from its commencement to its close,—has been a principal medium of dispensing the charities of this institution. though in the decline of life, he is still capable, to all appearance, of performing important uses, could a suitable sphere be found for his labours. His income has been insufficient to enable him to make any provision for the future, and besides his wife, he has three daughters partly dependent upon him. It will be seen, therefore, that he has great claims upon the friends of New Church Education,-a class necessarily including all sincere recipients of the Doctrines of the New Jerusalem. Under these circumstances, the Committee would suggest the propriety of commencing a subscription on his behalf, by an appeal to the members of this society and to the church at large, to assist in placing him in a position in which he may provide for himself and family. "In reviewing the operations of this society in the lengthened period during which the Lord has seen fit to employ it as a means of imparting to the young mind that Divine Truth which, we believe, is destined to encircle the world with the sphere of its beneficent influences, your Committee cannot doubt that those operations have been directed by that Divine Providence, whose presence is alike in the smallest and in the greatest of human affairs. They would also take the opportunity of remarking that a necessity exists, inti |