with that aim. We open but two houses in this country for these people on that day, the house of prayer and the house where liquor is sold. All others are closed. The evil will not be cured by shutting that latter house. You must open other doors, and you must enter those other doors with them and exert your influence there. But what doors? Doors which admit to simple and wholesome refreshment of the body and of the mind. Christianity is not confined to the pulpit, and the only possibilities of a Christian country for these men should not be confined to the taproom and the pulpit on their only day of rest. The pulpit has demanded the closing of other doors than its own. Egregious mistake!' Here Sir Henry paid a hearty tribute of admiration to the Rector of Bethnal-green, who had headed his parishioners in demanding that the museum there should be open on Sunday afternoons. He continued-Christianity rightly understood has in view the healthy development of all the intellectual and emotional faculties. Thus we should on all days, especially on Sundays, at least in the afternoon and evening, see that our coffee houses, reading-rooms, libraries, museums, and picture galleries are open for the working man. Much as I want my own Sunday's rest, occupied as I am, I would gladly devote a part of it to accompanying a party of working men round our National Gallery, to cultivate their tastes there to an extent to which I might be able. I can say this, because I accepted a like duty some years ago on Saturday afternoon, and this is work in which I hold that you might be well and righteously employed; and this is what you must do if you would really win the working man from drink. If you wish to save him from brutal habits, you must give him culture and lead him yourselves amongst the refreshments of literature and art, first providing comfortable resources for all his common and natural wants.' Sir Henry concluded by remarking that in this matter his views might be different from those of his hearers. He was aware that it was rather a delicate point. He claimed for himself, however, that he was as earnest in the matter as they, and that he came there to express his honest convictions on the subject. He concluded amidst loud applause."] THE DATE OF THE OPENING OF SWEDENBORG'S SPIRITUAL SIGHT. To the Editor of the "Intellectual Repository." As no objector to "J. B.'s" conclusions on the subject of the opening of Swedenborg's spiritual sight has ventured to state his views, and as authorities, even of the character of the Rev. Manoah Sibley and the Rev. J. Noble are not to be taken as infallible, especially as the latter appears to contradict himself, it is desirable that the readers of the Intellectual Repository should have an opportunity for considering a few illustrative points in addition to those brought forward by "J. B." in the January part. 1. The letter to the Rev. T. Hartley was first published in his translation of Influx, which appeared in 1770, and as Swedenborg was in London from about the end of August 1771 to the period of his decease, at Easter 1772, he, in all human probability, saw a copy of this work in its English dress. 2. The letter in question appears again in the preface to the translation of Heaven and Hell, by the same clergyman, which was published in 1778, and the date 1743 is once more repeated as first given in 1770. No one who has seen these books, as printed in the original English editions, can for a moment suppose that the date is a press error, unless he is also prepared to believe that the Rev. T. Hartley was a most careless author and corrector of the press. 3. In 1771, at the age of eighty-three, the year before his decease, Swedenborg, in a letter to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, dated Amsterdam, again repeats the date 1743, in the same form, and in connection with the self-same event as recorded in the letter to Hartley. 4. In the Arcana Colestia, n. 6200, vol. 8, edition 1846, page 213, Swedenborg says: "Inasmuch as I have now for nine years continually been in consort with spirits and angels,” etc. The editor's footnote on the phrase “nine years," says, It is to be noted that this part of the present work, being published by the author in 1753, was written by him in 1752, which was exactly nine years after his receiving the extraordinary privilege of being admitted to open communication with the spiritual world in 1743; and as the privilege was continued until his de cease in the year 1772, it appears that he enjoyed it during a space of twenty-nine years. ,, 5. The Rev. S. Noble, in a note, page 261, Noble's Appeal (editions of 1855 and 1863), gives the date as 1743. He observes, alluding in the text to Swedenborg's Regnum Animale and Economia Regni Animalis-"It was published in three parts, two of which were printed in 1744, and the third in 1745; his spiritual intercourse began in 1743." This was done to contradict a statement that Swedenborg's claim to having his spiritual sight opened was a proof of insanity, and Mr. Noble argued in substance that no insane man could have published such a work as the Regnum Animale,' whilst he signalized the fact that "at least a great portion of it was written after the access of his imputed derangement." If Mr. Noble subsequently adopted the date 1745, what becomes of the argument in his Appeal? 6. "J. B." says, "In T. C. R., 157, Swedenborg says he has enjoyed the state of being in the spirit and in the body at the same time, for twenty-six years, and in n. 851 for twenty-seven years." Now n. 157 occurs in the early part of the work, and n. 851 is the very last number. It is a well-known fact that Swedenborg was occupied two years in the production of this work. Dr. Wilkinson states, pages 196, 197, of his Swedenborg, a Biography," From the beginning of October 1769 until August 1770 he resided at his house in the environs of Stockholm. On 23d of July, in the latter year, on the eve of departure for Amsterdam, he took his leave by letter of Dr. Beyer, hoping our Saviour would support him in good health, keep him from further violence, and bless his thoughts. On the day he quitted Stockholm, he called upon Mr. Robsahm in the Bank of Sweden, of which that gentleman was director, and lodged in his hands a protest against any judicial examination of his writings during his absence. Mr. Robsahm asked him, as before the other journey, whether they would ever meet again? He answered, in a gentle and affectionate manner, 'Whether I shall return I do not know, but of this you may be certain, for the Lord has informed me of it, that I shall not die until the book that I have just finished is printed,' i.e., T. C. R., thus stated as 'finished' in 1770." The date of publication, 1771, has plainly nothing to do with the "twentysix" or the "twenty-seven" years, or they would have both been made the same. It must therefore be apparent to every really judicial mind, not possessed by some foregone conclusion, that it was twenty-six years from 1769 when the work was begun, and twenty-seven years from 1770 when it was completed, of which Emanuel Swedenborg wrote the first in n. 157, and the second in n. 851; thus the date 1743 is again confirmed in both instances, the apparent discrepancy between the two statements in the same book- -a not uncommon thing in good evidenceserving to confirm the original date as given in the letter to Hartley. If your readers are not satisfied that J. B." has made a mistake in this matter, a few more statements from the works of Swedenborg are at their service. The assumption of "J. B." that Swedenborg "had previously during his life, and especially from 1743, been the subject of occasional strange and wonderful sensations and experiences, which he afterwards knew were from the spiritual world, by the mercy of the Lord, to prepare him for the more perfect performance of his mission, and the complete development of 1745," is precisely what one would expect from some opponent of his claims. This view is disposed of in the Divine Love and Wisdom appended to the Apocalypse Explained (Swedenborg Society edition, 1840, vol. vi. page 345), and only partially quoted by "J. B The passage reads thus: "It has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit and grant to me to converse, face to face, with angels and deceased men, and to contemplate them, and say many things concerning the incredulity and the delusion of men now living; I have had daily consort with them from the year 1744 even to this time, which is a period of nineteen years." The difference between the personal manifestation of the Lord Himself in 1743, and the daily intercourse with angels and deceased men in 1774, is one of progressive development, and is moreover a fact quite distinct from, though of course intimately connected with the actual opening of the spiritual sight in 1743. It would be futile to discuss what "J. B." may mean by the term “FULL.” 1 Parts I. and II. were published at the Hague in 1744, and Part III. in London, 1745. If Swedenborg's sight was not fully opened when the Lord Himself appeared to him, it would be very difficult to decide when that marvellous event took place. Any proofs or illustrations bearing on the "full opening" of his spiritual sight are plainly nihil ad rem to the real question under discussion,-the accuracy of the date given in the confessedly authentic letter to the Rev. T. Hartley, in which 1743 is distinctly and unmistakeably given; for, as already observed, the assumption of a misprint will never be believed by any one who examines the first editions of the works quoted above. Lastly, not only is the date 1743 repeated in the letter to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, but it is abundantly confirmed throughout Swedenborg's works. One final question. If the date of 1745,--that for which "J. B." contends, why he himself best knows,-be that which ought to replace that of 1743 in the letter to Hartley, what becomes of Swedenborg's statement which has now been fully, not partially, quoted, as by "J. B.," from page 345, Apocalypse Explained; in which the privilege of full and daily converse with angels and deceased men' is asserted as existing in 1744? 17 In one word, the date assumed by "J. B.," without the least foundation in fact, would throw all other dates in Swedenborg's entire writings into inextricable confusion. In Hartley's preface to Influx, page xvii., there is another statement bringing the date, not of the manifestation of the Presence, but of Swedenborg's open vision to the year 1744. Hartley must have been well aware of this distinction,entirely overlooked by "J. B.,"-otherwise he would have been guilty of contradicting himself in his own short preface. He distinctly declares supra that Emanuel Swedenborg had been for twenty-five years past favoured with an open vision of the spiritual world, and still (1769) continued to enjoy the same. G. W. THE BEDOUIN CHIEF AND HIS MARE. THE Bedouin Chief is generally both loved and feared by those under him. His authority is absolute, partaking of the nature of the king and patriarch, and his attachment to his family and friends is proverbial. The Bedouin's horse occupies a most important post in the family relations, and one of the pleasures of the evening in the East is to listen to tales of adventure. The following is related by Lamartine, vol. ii. p. 211, and illustrates Eastern friendship and the strong attachment of the Bedouin to his horse that we here insert it. A Bedouin of the tribe of Negde was incited almost to madness to possess a mare of another tribe named Daher. Having in vain offered for her his camels and all he possessed, he conceived the design of dyeing his face with the juice of an herb, clothing himself in rags, binding his limbs like those of a cripple, and in this plight lying in wait for Nabec, the owner of the mare, in a road which he knew he must pass. When he came near he said to him in a feeble tone, "I am a poor stranger, and for three days I have been unable to crawl from here to seek food. I am on the point of death, succour me; God will reward you." The Bedouin proposed to take him on his horse and carry him home with him. But the rascal answered, "I cannot get up; I have no strength to move.' The other, full of compassion, descended from his mare, drew her up to him, and with great labour set him upon her. As soon as he felt himself in the saddle, he stuck his heels in her flanks, and the mare bounded off. As he went away he exclaimed, “It is Daher who has mounted and seized upon your mare. The master of the horse entreated him to listen for a moment. Sure of not being pursued, he returned and stopped at a little distance, for Nabec was armed with his lance. He said to him, Thou hast taken my mare. Since it is the will of God, I wish thee prosperity; but I conjure thee never to tell any one how thou hast obtained her.' "And why?" asked Daher. "Because some other might be really ill, and lying without aid," answered Nabec; "thou wouldst be the cause of no one ever again doing a single act of charity for fear of being duped like me." Struck with these words, Daher reflected a moment, got off the mare, restored her to her owner, and embraced him. Nabec conducted him to his tent, and they remained together three days, having sworn a mutual friendship or brotherhood. 66 Miscellaneous. REVIVALS IN SCOTLAND.-Attention and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.' But the word 'repent' or 'repentance" never once reached my ear in Edinburgh." An example of the preaching of this Gospel given in this letter we extract with the accompanying comments of a leading article in the Christian World:— "Dr. Kennedy is gently critical upon some of Mr. Moody's exhibitions; we should be rather more severe. Mr. Moody comes rushing into a meeting, crying out, Gospel-that's the word I heard when I reached the pulpit stair. Do you know what 'Gospel' means? People are afraid of me as if I had come to lead them out to execution, or as if I was inviting them to a funeral. No, no. I bring you good news and glad tidings of great joy. Sinners are going down to hell, and God comes in His great love and says, 'Don't go down to hell. Here's My hand, take hold of it, and I'll save you.' We, of course, are aware that this is not Mr. Moody's whole conception of the Gospel; but it is what he puts forward as his primary conception; and as such it is all but blasphemously wrong. Christ saves His people from their sins. If you want to escape from sin and to become holy, Christ's salvation is the salvation you need and can have. This salvation will bring with it salvation of all other kinds. There is no virtue, no Christian aspiration, nothing deserving of praise, in the mere wish to escape from an eternal roast, or in preferring to lie for ever on a flowery bank listening to music still sweeter than Mr. Sankey's. Dr. Kennedy is himself totally incapable of sensuous' religion like this, but he is too charitable to it when he meets with has been excited to the labours of two 66 LONDON CONGREGATIONAL MISSION. In our last we gave a brief notice of the Mission services in the several churches of the Establishment. Partly stimulated by this example, the Congregational body determined to hold during the month of February a series of special services in their metropolitan churches. The Committee of the "London Congregational Union" was instructed to make the necessary arrangements, and at the recent meeting of this Union, the Secretary, Rev. J. Nunn, presented a report of the proceedings. For the purpose of these services, London was divided into four districts, a week being devoted to each district, so that the service extended over four weeks. From the Secretary's report we glean the following facts:-"The Congregational Churches of London number about 240, and the ministers of 120 of them agreed to hold special services in their respective places of worship either in January or February. About 250 circulars were issued to ministers inviting them to give help in other districts than their own. One hundred and ten answers were received, of which eighty-five were affirmative. For the purpose of explaining the reasons and objects of these services, a short address was issued by the Committee, and supplied to all pastors who wished to circulate it. Of this 28,500 copies were issued. But many churches, with the lists of their services, printed, instead of or in addition to the Committee's address, a brief appeal of their own. The services were of the most varied character. The simple prayer-meeting, the full service for mixed congregations, services for the quickening of Christian people, private meetings for Christian women presided over by members of their own sex, . . services for young men, for young women, for parents and children, for domestic servants, for young persons only; services specially for the unconverted, for working men; conferences of Christian workers; special observances of the Lord's Supper," etc. Members of other denominations (Churchmen, Presbyterians, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists) took part in these services, which were also aided by many laymen. "No one will pretend," says this report," that the experiment was perfect. Within a brief space, plans had to be devised and tried for the first time. No doubt there were some mistakes, some failures, some misconceptions; but you cannot have united half the Congregational churches of London in a common and serious act of dependence on the Spirit and promises of God in a common and serious endeavour to live a life more worthy of Christ, and to make known the glad tidings with intenser simplicity and directness, without having received a benediction on pastors and people and on the places around them. .. Whatever," con cludes the report, "in this London-wide movement is unworthy to live, let it die. Whatever in it is good which had not previously been attempted, let it be retained and perfected. If routine and formality, and self-consideration, and self-contentedness, and the dwelling apart in our smaller or larger spheres have stunted our growth, contracted our influence, aud hindered our success, let us after prayerful and united counsels, try wise innovations. Let us, with apostolic ingenuity, originality, and spirituality, become all things to all men. Let us welcome whatever can stir and strengthen us to take hold upon God, and to pursue, if we cannot overtake, the work which He has given us to do.' CHAPEL BUILDING.-Among the ef forts made to extend the means of religious worship and instruction to all classes in our large towns, one of the most conspicuous has been the erection of churches and chapels wherever required by the increase or extension of the population. This movement has been very marked in London. Building societies have been instituted in connection with both the Established Church and Dissenting communities; and they have been eminently successful. At the twenty-fifth anniversary of the "London Congregational Chapel-Building Society," recently held, an extract was read from the first Report, which stated that "the Society now deliberately and avow. edly aims at the erection of fifty additional Congregational churches in London, and contemplates this object, great, arduous, and far-distant as it may appear, only as preparatory to the further efforts which that attainment will facilitate, and which the increasing necessities of the vast population will require." The object then regarded as far-distant, it was stated, "had long since been accomplished, and at this, the twenty-fifth anniversary, the Society's list included one hundred and seven chapels, wholly or in part erected or enlarged by means of the Society's aid; providing nearly one hundred thousand sittings for adults, costing, in the aggregate, about £446,000, towards which the Society had contributed, in grants and loans without interest, £128,000." One of the members of the Society, Mr. S. Morley, had given a very great stimulus to chapel-building by the offer of a contribution of £500 |