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ACCORDING TO

JOHN,

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK,

AND ILLUSTRATED BY

EXTRACTS

FROM THE THEOLOGICAL WRITINGS

OF

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG,

TOGETHER WITH

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS BY THE TRANSLATOR

ANNEXED TO EACH CHAPTER.

BY THE LATE REV. J. CLOWES, M. A.,

RECTOR OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, MANCHESTER, AND FELLOW OF TRINITY

COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

THIRD EDITION,

THOROUGHLY REVISED, WITH MANY ADDITIONAL EXTRACTS.

"WHOSO READETH, LET HIM UNDERSTAND."-MATT. xxiv. 15.

LONDON:

J. S. HODSON, PORTUGAL STREET, LINCOLN'S INN;
AND SOLD IN MANCHESTER, BY L. KENWORTHY,

CATEATON STREET.

1853.

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THE general design of the following pages is to illustrate the divine declaration of JESUS CHRIST to His disciples, where He says, "The words that I speak unto you are spirit, and are life," John vi. 63, by pointing out more distinctly what is to be understood by the "spirit and life" which replenish and constitute the words of the GREAT SAVIOUR, and by thus endeavouring to supply the reader with a just idea of the proper discriminate marks and characters of those two grand essentials of Divine Inspiration and Revelation, called "Spirit" and "Life.” In connection with this general design is also a particular one, resulting from the above declaration of the INCARNATE GOD, respecting the constituent principles of His most holy words, and resolving itself into these three several points;-1st, To demonstrate the sanctity and divinity of the inspired writings, and in what that sanctity and divinity consist, as manifested in the above divine declaration, "The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life." 2ndly, To prove the high authority stamped on the theological writings of Swedenborg, in consequence of their bearing so faithful and luminous a testimony to that sanctity and divinity so manifested; and 3rdly, To exhibit the sublimity, purity, and edifying tendency of that rule of doctrine and of life, which will be found in the extracts from the above writings, as collected in the following work.

In regard to the first of these points, viz. "the demonstration of the sanctity and divinity of the inspired writings, and in what that sanctity and divinity consist, as manifested in the above declaration, 'The words that I speak unto you are Spirit, and are Life," it may be observed, that the divine declaration extends, not only to the words spoken by JESUS CHRIST in the New Testament, but likewise to what is recorded in the Old, since both Testaments are acknowledged to be alike the WORD, or SPEECH of the MOST HIGH, and consequently both must be alike replenished with the same divine principles, called by the GREAT SAVIOUR "Spirit and

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