that there is a hell, and who worship nature. A. C. 4211; see also 6887, 10,067, 10,267; and Exposition, chap. xiv. 11. God the Father cannot in any wise be approached, neither can He come to any man, because He is Infinite, and in His Esse, which is Jehovah, from which if He was to come to man, He would consume him, as fire does wood, and reduce him to ashes; this is evident from the consideration of His saying to Moses, who was desirous to see Him, that "no one can see Him and live," Exod. xxxiii. 20; and the Lord saith, that no one hath seen God at any time, except the Son, who is in the bosom of the Father," John i. 18, Matt. xi. 27; also that "no one hath heard the voice of the Father, nor seen His shape," John v. 37; it is written indeed that Moses saw Jehovah face to face, and spake with Him mouth to mouth, but this was done by an angel, in like manner as in the case of Abraham and Gideon. Now whereas God the Father in Himself is of such a quality, it pleased Him to assume the Human, and in this to admit men, and thereby to hear them, and speak with them; and this Human is what is called the Son of God, and this it is which mediates, intercedes, propitiates, and expiates. Mediation signifies that it is the intermediate, by which man can come to God the Father, and God the Father to man, and thus teach and lead him that he may be saved, wherefore the Son of God, by whom is meant the Human of God the Father, is called Saviour, and in the world Jesus, that is, salvation. Intercession signifies perpetual mediation, for Love Itself, of which is mercy, clemency, and grace, perpetually intercedes, that is, mediates, for those who do His precepts, whom He loves. Expiation, or Atonement, signifies the removal of sins, into which man would rush, if he approached the naked Jehovah. Propitiation signifies the operation of clemency and grace, lest man by sins should bring himself into damnation; in like manner protection, lest he should profane holiness; and this was signified by the propitiatory over the ark in the tabernacle. T. C. R. 135.

See also Exposition, chap. xiv. 16, 17; xvii. 9, 11.

The Lord our Saviour is Jehovah the Father Himself in a Human Form, for Jehovah descended, and was made Man, that He might come to man, and man to Him, and thus conjunction might be effected, and by conjunction man might have salvation and eternal life; for when God was made Man, and thus also Man was made God, then being accommodated to man, He could come to and be conjoined to him as GodMan and Man-God. There are three things which follow in order, Accommodation, Application, and Conjunction: accom

modation must take place before application is given, and accommodation and application together must take place before conjunction is given; accommodation was on the part of God, in that He was made Man; application on the part of God is perpetual, so far as man applies himself on his part; and as this is effected, conjunction is also effected. These three things follow and proceed in their order, in all and singular the things which become one and co-exist. T.C.R. 370. Verses 19-22. And this is the witness of John, &c.-See Exposition, verse 6.

Verse 21. Art thou Elias?-It is said concerning John, that he should go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, and that he was Elias, because John, in like manner as Elias, represented the Lord as to the Word, and thence signified the Word which is from the Lord; and whereas there is in the Word, Divine Wisdom and Power, this is what is understood by the spirit and power of Elias. A.E. 724. See also Exposition, verses 6, 25, 26.

Verse 23. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, &c. "Voice" in this passage denotes what is announced from the Word concerning the Lord's advent, thus also it denotes the Divine Truth which the Word announces; "wilderness" denotes the state of the church at that time, which was as in a wilderness, because the Word was no longer understood. A. C. 9926. See also Exposition, verse 15.

By the above words is signified that the church at that time was altogether vastated, so that there was no longer any good and any truth, which evidently appears from this consideration, that at that time no one knew that man has any internal principle, nor that there is any internal principle in the Word; thus it was also unknown that the Messiah or Christ was to come to save them to eternity. Hence also it is evident what is signified by John being in the wildernesses, even to the days of his appearing unto Israel, Luke i. 80; and by his preaching in the "wilderness of Judea," Matt. iii. 1, and following verses; and by his baptizing in the "wilderness," Mark i. 4; for thereby he also represented the state of the church. A. C. 2708.

Verses 25, 26. Why baptizest thou ? &c.-John the Baptist being sent before to prepare a people for the reception of the Lord, was by baptism; for baptism represented and signified purification from evils and falses, and likewise regeneration by the Word from the Lord, and unless this representation had preceded, the Lord could not have manifested Himself, taught, and tarried in Judea and Jerusalem; because the

Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth under a Human Form, who could not dwell together with a nation which was in mere falses as to doctrine, and in mere evils as to life; wherefore unless a representative of purification from evils and falses by baptism had prepared that people for the reception of the Lord, the nation would have perished by diseases of every kind at the presence of the Divine [Being] Himself; this therefore is what is signified by, "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Matt. iv. 6. A. E. 724.

The reason why a way was prepared by the baptism of John was, because it served to introduce mankind into the future church of the Lord, and to insert them in heaven amongst those who expected and desired the Messiah, so that they could be guarded by the angels, that the devils might not break forth from hell and destroy them; in reference to which it is written, "Who may abide the day of His coming?" and, "I will send Elijah the prophet lest I come and smite the earth with a curse," Mal. iii. 4; in like manner, in Is. xiii. 9; xxii. 5, 12; not to mention other passages; from which it is evident that unless a way for Jehovah, when descending into the world, had been prepared by baptism, the effect of which, in heaven, was such as to occasion the closing up of the hells, and so to guard the Jews from total destruction, they must have perished before Him. John also preached Christ and His coming when he baptized, hence it is plain how he prepared the way.

The baptism of John represented the cleansing of the external man, whereas the baptism at this day administered amongst Christians, represents the cleansing of the internal man, which is regeneration. It is therefore written that John baptized with water, but that the Lord baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and hence the baptism of John is called the "baptism of repentance." The Jews who were baptized were merely external men, and the external man cannot become internal without faith in Christ. That they who were baptized with the baptism of John became internal men by receiving faith in Christ, and were then baptized in the name of Jesus, may be seen in the Acts of the Apostles, xix. 3—6. T. C. R. 688-690. See also Exposition, verses 28, 32, 33.

Verse 27. Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. -In the Word, the sole of the foot and the heel signify the ultimate natural principle, and as the "shoe" is what clothes the sole of the foot and the heel, therefore the shoe signifies the natural principle, still more remote, thus the corporeal

principle itself; hence it became a customary form of speech, by which was signified the least and the vilest of all things, for the ultimate natural corporeal principle is the vilest of all principles appertaining to man; and this was meant by John the Baptist, when he said, "whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." A. C. 1748.

Verse 28. Beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.—All the boundaries of the land of Canaan signified those things which are first and last of the Lord's kingdom, also which are first and last of the church, thus which are first and last of things celestial and spiritual, which constitute the Lord's kingdom and His church; hence "Jordan," as being a boundary, signified initiation into the knowledges of good and truth, for these are the first things, and at length, when man is made a church or the Lord's kingdom, they become the last. That "Jordan" has this signification, may appear also from other passages in the Word, as in David, "My God, over me my soul boweth itself; therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the mount of Littleness," Psalm xlii. 6; to "remember from the land of Jordan" denotes from what is last, thus from what is low; again, "Judah was made into his sanctuary, Israel his dominions; the sea saw and fled, Jordan turned itself away backward," Psalm cxiv. 2, 3, 5, where Judah denotes the good of celestial love, and Israel the good of spiritual love; sea denotes the knowledges of truth; "Jordan" denotes the knowledges of good, which are said to turn themselves away backward, when the good of love obtains the dominion; for in such case knowledges are looked at from that good, but good is not then viewed from those knowledges, according to what has been frequently shewn above. So in the book of Judges, "Gilead dwelling in the passage of Jordan and Dan why shall he fear ships?" v. 17; where Gilead denotes sensual good or what is pleasant, by which man is first initiated when he is regenerated; to dwell in the passage of "Jordan," denotes in those things which are initiaments, thus which are the first and last of the Lord's church and kingdom. These things were also represented by "Jordan," when the sons of Israel entered into the land of Canaan, Joshua iii. 14 to the end, iv. 1 to the end; for by the land of Canaan was represented the Lord's kingdom; and by "Jordan" being divided, and their passing over on dry [ground,] was signified the removal of evils and falses, and the admission of those who were principled in goods and truths. The like was signified by the waters of "Jordan being divided" by Elias, when he was taken up into

heaven, 2 Kings ii. 8; and by Elisha, when he entered upon the prophetic office in the place of Elias, verse 14 of the same chapter. Naaman's being healed of his leprosy by washing himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the command of Elisha, 2 Kings v. 1-14, represented baptism, for baptism signifies initiation into the church, and into those things which appertain to the church; thus it signifies regeneration and the things appertaining to regeneration; not that by baptism any one is regenerated, but that it is a sign thereof, which should be remembered. And inasmuch as the things appertaining to the church are signified by baptism, and the like by "Jordan," as was said above, therefore the people were baptized in Jordan by John, Matt. iii. 6; Mark i. 5; and also the Lord was willing to be there Himself baptized by John, Matt. iii. 13-17; Mark i. 5. Whereas "Jordan" signifies those things which are first and last of the Lord's kingdom and church, such as are the knowledges of good and truth, for by these man is introduced, therefore also "Jordan" is mentioned as a boundary of the new earth, or holy land, in Ezekiel, xlvii. 18; that new earth or holy land is the Lord's kingdom, and also the new church, which is the Lord's kingdom on the earth. A. C. 4255.

Verse 29. Behold the Lamb of God.-By a "Lamb" is signified innocence, and inasmuch as the Lord is the essential innocence, which is in His kingdom, for from Him is the all of innocence, hence He is called a "Lamb," as in the above passage, and also in the Apocalypse, "They shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings," xvii. 14; and besides in other passages in the Apocalypse, as v. 6; vi. 1, 16; vii. 9, 14, 17; xii. 11; xiii. 8; xiv. 1, 4; xix. 7, 9; xxi. 22, 23, 26; xxii. 1, 3. That the paschal "Lamb" denotes the Lord in the supreme sense, is a known thing, for the passover signified the glorification of the Lord, that is, the putting on of the Divine [principle] as to the Human, and in the representative sense it signifies the regeneration of man; and the paschal "Lamb," that which is the essential of regeneration, viz., innocence; for no one can be regenerated but by charity in which is innocence. A. C. 3994.

Inasmuch as the Lord when in the world, as to His Human, was innocence itself; and since the all of innocence proceeds from Him, therefore He is called a "Lamb" and "the Lamb of God;" as in Isaiah, "Send the Lamb of the ruler of the earth from the rock towards the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Zion," xvi. 1; again, “He hath en