The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
BIBLE SYMBOLISM.
IN It's Symbolism Is to BE Found the
Proof of Its Divinity.


thing, without a parallel in literature. Mere
ly human learning will throw little light on
its divine meaning. The Lord makes a liv-
ing man; man makes a marble statue; in
external form there is a resemblance, but
there the likeness ceases. Surprising we
should learn all possible rules of art in re-
gard to statues and should then endeavor to
understand man by applying these rules to
him, what should we know of mankind,
either physically or intellectually, as an ami
NAL as a social being, or as a child of the
eternal God? And the more we studied hui
mainly from such a standpoint the less we
should know.
Equally true is it that the more we study
the Bible as literature and as means of
culture the less we shall know about it.
If the Bible is inspired it is Gods own crea-
tion and what He creates cannot be wisely
considered as to its outward form alone. 1t
is impossible to learn the nature and import
of human life by means of measurements or
rules of physical beauty, nor can it be done
with the scalpel. And this Book, be assured
that if it is inspired, it, too, must be studied
living thing, not as one that is dead.
The Lord said, 1.-THE words that l speak unto
you they are spirit and they are life" If
the Bible is His own book it has His life
His creation 1t describes the development,
even to it's minute particulars, of every hui
man soul This with all that it involves.
must be true of the book that is divinely in
spired 1t is not given to teach science, his
tory, nor, primarily, what the Lord has done
for men in past ages, but to teach the
science of a true life in harmony with the
laws of order put into the very warp and
wool of US by our heavenly Father, and the
present living history of our relation to Him
and to one another.
Says Swedenborg, in his "Arcana Coeles-
tia" There are in general four different
styles in which the Word is written. The first
was in use in the most ancient times, when
the method Of expressing themselves was
such that when they mentioned earthly and
worldly things they thought of the spiritual
and heavenly things which they represented,
SO that they not only expressed themselves
by representatives, but also reduced their
thoughts into kind of SERIES as of
historical particulars, in order to give
found their greatest delight From the
pcsterity of the Most Ancient Church Moses
received what he wrote concerning the Gre
atom the Garden Of Eden etc. down to
the time of Abram. The second style is
the historical, occurring in the books of
Moses from the time of Abram and after
wards in those of Joshua, Judges Samuel
and Kings, in which the historical facts
actually occurred as they are related in the
letter, although all and each Of them con-
tain, also, an internal sense The third
style is the prophetical, which took its rise
from that which was so highly Venerated
in most ancient times. This style, however,
is not connected and in appearance his
torical, like the most ancient, but broken
and interrupted, being scarcely ever intel
ligible except in the internal sense, in which
are contained the greatest arcana succeed
ing each other in beautiful and orderly con-
nection and relating to the external and
irtprp1l fhq VariOnS states of the
church. heaven itself. and in their Utmost
to the Lord The fourth style is that of
the Psalms of David, which is intermedf-
late between the prophetical style and
that of common speech. Here the Lord is
treated of in the internal sense in the per-
son of David as King.
Is not this conception of the Word of God
one that is worthy of Him and of an in
spired book? Within it's literal meaning it
contains deeper and deeper secrets of heav-
emily life waiting to make themselves
known to the regenerating man or angel
and in it's bosom, beyondrthe grasp of finite
mind, except in brief giimpses, is the very
truth as it is with God himself above the
heavens.
I'm the beginning was the word, and the
word was God, and the word was made
flesh and dwelt among us" (John /: l. l4)
That the Psalms of David treat of the
Lord ought to be evident to every one.
The scenes at the foot of the cross are
lneT6 quite July QeSCIlDSu-luc parting VI
His garments and casting lots upon his
vesture; His thirsting and what should be
offered Him to drink, the very words of
His prayers, and that His bones should not
be broken-all these We're foretold in the
words and prayers of David How could
this be, except it be true that, as David
said, the spirit of the Lord spake by him
and His word was in Davids tongue? I'll
Sam. xiii 81 And If 1t be true of these
few things that they were written by David
from the Lord and contained a meaning
that did not then appear on the surface
is it unreasonable to think that every word
of the Psalms refers in its inner sense to
the Lord? David's prayers for vic
tory over his enemies are the
Lords prayers for victory over the devils
bondage even IN many cases opsesslng
their bodies. They are also the prayers,
aspirations, thanksgivings of the regenerat-
ing man as he strives against and conquers
his beSetting sins.
What is true of the Psalms is true of all
the inspired books of the Bible; their in
spired or divine meaning is not to be found
on the surface, but within. The ceremonies
of the Jewish law, long obsolete in the let
ter, are yet of present binding force in their
spiritual import. and he who does not know
that meaning that he may do it must nee
essarily enter into the future life more or
less halt and manned. the flrSt chapters
of Genesis are not to tell US how the world
was made, but how a human soul is
formed into the image and likeness of God,
from the first dawn Of light until everything
within him is very good and there ensues
divine rest and peace. The two different
chapters are not because the ancient scribe
found two diverse traditions and refusing
to decide between them, gave both. 1t is
because man has two lives an outer and an
inner a conscious and q SubcOnSciOus, and
when the conscious life has been perfected
then the same work is repeated by the Lord
in the hidden regions of the soul. The first
or conscious work is done by means of
truth, wherefore God is called Elohim in
the first chapter; but in the second work
love is primary, though operating still by
means of truth; therefore it is said in the
second chapter that Jehovah Elohim
formed man. The name Jehovah. or Lord.
is used in the Bible only when the divine
essence or the divine love is treated of; the
name Elohim or Cod is used when the
subject is truth or the operations of the
truth Here is opportunity to exercise all
the learning all the nationality. all the
mental acumen of which the religious
teacher can become possessed-in searching
for the true divine import of sacred scrip
ture for the spiritual meaning, of which
the letter is only a symbol, and in which the
Lord God speaks in every verse directly to
the soul. Not a single word but is impor-
tant to this sense, and even the arrange
ment of the words is full of divine wisdom.
And vet learned men are with ruthless
hands. tearing the Word part from part and
suggesting arrangements and improve
are parting His garments among them, but
they know not what they do. They will
not however misead those who still be-
lieve in a God who can give revelation, and
can by the same power preserve what He