Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-24
Journals
Saturday
Sermon

i've ndQQllt aAAtI utdlls lntl VIII
go TO the Lord In His word and in the
heavenly doctrines TO find in what the Nfe
OF heaven consists and the way thither.
One OF the first things that he will learn
Is that OF himself he cannot live that life,
nor walk I'm the way thither. but is dis
posed to an altogether different life, and
inclined to an opposite way-thus In and
OF himself he is lost.
Now the nature OF man is the nature
OF all men. the nature and disposition OF
the world and so the word and its doc
trine are given for the instruction and
enlightenment OF all men throughout the
world Why. then, IL may be asked, is
the word among only a few Of the inhao-
itants Of the earth, and the heavenly doc
trines OF the New Jerusalem among stu
fewer? The Lord neglects no one. he
came into the world to save all, and lie
is perpetually coming for that same pur-
pose. but He made His appearing to those
who are in the lowest and most hopeless
state OF evil and to these He comes d.
rectly, but to others He comes Indirectly
that is, they are saved by virtue OF the
salvation OF the former. For example:
The Word has been among class OF
people which are called Christians, but
this class is composed OF few In Compare
son with the rest of earth's inhabitants
who have not the word. The salvation OF
this latter class, whom We shall call gull
~. depends upon the way the Word is
received and believed among the Chris
tians. The peoples Of the earth are as
ISOLATED together in the sight OF the Lord
as the members, organs and viscera OF
the body in man so that all men taken
together constitute greater men. and If
all men on all earths be included, the
greatest man. The region where the Word
is is the heart and lungs OF this greater
or greatest man, and in this region Is call
ed Christendom.
But at His second coming the Lord
made all things new and therefore lie
revealed Himself in the interior Of His
word TO an altogether new people l. e..
10 q people who had not the word, but
would perceive its inmost sense. And at
the same time He opened the interior
sense or the spiritual sense to the few
who were left in Christendom with some
affection OF truth, |. e., some desire to
know and live the life that leads to Him.
Thus He revealed the word to the men
Of Celestial genius In the interior OF Afri-
ca and to the man OF splendid genius in
Christian lands In Europe and America.
Altogether the Word was among the
people OF Christendom, stiI IL had ceased
to be received and believed Alright. 1t had
become the means Of teaching and con-
frmfng falisity and that means that II
was used to support and defend evil
On account OF these reasons and many
others which might be given, the word
has become totally perverted and falsified
among Christians, and therefore ii has be-
come necessary for the Lord to come again
to open its interior in order that they
may be seen and received. For the Son
Of Man is come to save that which was
lost.
What think ye2 If a man have hun
dred sheep. and one of them be gone
astray, doth he not leave the ninety and
nine and go into the mountains and seek
that which is gone astrey? The sheep on
the mountains are celestial, who are in the
good of life, thus in innocence and TRUTH
but that one gone astray is the spiritual
church or the man of spiritual genius,
who is not in the good OF life because he
Is in the falsity Of ignorance and evils
thence. In a general sense those words
refer to the man of the old church who
has been misIed by the false dogmas Of
his faith into evils OF life and persuastons
OF thought that are against the Lord and
contrary to the truth OF His word. In a
less general sense they refer to the man
OF the New Church who is continually
being led away from a true understanding
OF and obedience to the precepts of the
word by the evil affections and false Judg-
ments of his natural .disposition-that is,
the old church, which he has either In
herited from his ancestors or acquired by
his own habit of thought and life.
The sheep assembled together on the
mountains grazing peacefully are like the
men Of the celestial church who live in
mutual love and are perpetually sustained
out OF the abundance Of spiritual food
stored in the word OF the Lord. They live
| in innocence and perfect trustfulness, con-
tent with their lot and they are led from
/ day TO day by their Master, who is the
true and only Shepherd of the sheep.
/ But the one who has strayed away from
i the flock IS like the man OF the spiritual
j church. who has followed after self-deVis-
ed theories. or mere human notions and
/ conceits and by them formed for himself
/ false judgments which have persuaded
/ him and seduced him. The man OF the
i spirftual church has lost his way, he has
i separated himself from the flock, he has
turned back from following the leadership
Il of the Shepherd. He thought he could DO
| better for himself alone, he would go the
| way of his own desire and pleasure, and
so he began to descend from the mountain
and at length lost himself in among the
/ dark valleys Of deaths shadow; the night
i ~ despafr came upon him, and the cold
| rrists of false dogmas settled down around
| him. In such plight man finds himself
| and into such grief and misery he leads
/ himself when he forsakes the mutual love
| of his neighbor, which is the haven-sent
| bond OF safety for each and for all. and
| when he turns away from following the
precepts Of the Shepherd by which each
and every flock is tended and defended.
Now We all are sheep I'm the sheepfold
| OF the Good Shepherd, who Is Jesus
Christ your Lord. and IL We will obedient-
| IL follow Him We will feed In the noun
| tains OF His holiness and never go astray.
He will lead you daily to pastures Of
| tender herbs and make you to lie down
| by the side OF restful waters, for He Will
| refresh you with heavenly meat and drink
| when your souls are awearied by their
burdens. Confide in Him then, be-
seech you, trust Him and He will lead you
i ont OF all your miseries by the great
/ power OF His infinite love according to the
/ wav Of His tender mercy. Though you
| seek the fulhllment OF your own desires
| and are led in consequence by Its false
light of human conceit and error, yet will
He go down to search for you there In
Il the Dit or the thorn thicket and lead you
gently back into the fold. How often
have you strayed away in times passed
and been recovered! BY this We may see
and believe in His eternal mercies, and
how II is true that the Son Of Man is come
10 save that which is lost.
Remember that II is the. divine love
and the divine truth Of your Lord and
! Shepherd which make the sheepfold Of
| the church. that He is striving TO lead you
| therein, 20 keep you there in perfect safe
". and to give you more and more to en-
| toy the bliss OF innocence and peace.
| There We may see Him standing before
| Won the only divine man and your only