Year: 1876

subject oThe Garden OF Eden-What II Is-Where II
Is-The Way Of Return to II" The text was from
Genesis H., 8, 9-"And the Lord God planted gar
den eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom
be had formed. And out OF the ground made the Lord
God to grow every that pleasant 70 the sight,
and good for food the Of life also the midst Of
the garden, and The tree of knowledge Of good and
evil The preacher opening his discourse said =
II is evident IRON the very nature OF the Garden OF
Eden and the plants which grew in It that IL
material garden The earth never bore such fruit as IS
ascribed 70 us trees No rivers ever rose and 1o~ed
like Pison, GihOn Hiddekel and the Euphratea II
A GARDEN OF THE SOUL


1t must have been a picture composed OF the most
hn1fnl forms of the vegetable Kingdom 10 represent
the and perfection OF man before he had lost
the image Of his Maker, and when he dwelt near 20
Him In the light OF His wisdom and IN the warmth OF
His love- such ia the teaching OF the New Church.
The Garden OF Eden Is parable given by the Lord TO
reveal 10 man the secrets Of the divine love and Wis
dom Indeed the whole Bible parable; those things
which were actually done well as those which were
seen in vision. The sacred Scriptures were given 10
reveal divine truth 70 men IN the only way in which
can reveaedthat by the means of natural sym
bos-and 1t Is Of no more consequence whether Lhe
symbol material fact or an imaginary one than II is
whether the Dgnres IN picture painted TO reveal the
sweetness and beauty OF innocence are copies
from nature or whether they the ideals OF the
artist The only question in either is Do they
ltly embody and express the spiritual TuthY In
port OF above Dr. Giles went into an elaborate argu
proving that the Garden OF Eden represented the



The garden was planted IN name affections 1t was
panied eastward. The east represents the Lord Man
has various kinds Of affections One class purely
natural and ally him the earth and 20 the animal;
the heavenly affections within and are exposed 10
spiritual and divine influences, and when the worldly
predom mate the whole turns away from the
nhe Lord and turns toward the west darkness and
codl


THE LORD GOD PLANTS A GARDEy IN EVERY SOUL
And out OF the ground made the Lord God 10 grow
every tree What is the ground In mans mind The
ground IS mans will affection in that part OF his
nature which the Word is called the heart Truth
seed; no truth grows and bears fruit which is not
nlaned in the affections We must have some love for
h before IL will grow because love is a warmth; love s
life Love gives the understanding all the power il
has to apprehend truth. The ground in minds Is
formed by the UNION of love and knowledge in
by experience. Wise men are not those who know
the most or who have the most ardent affections
They are those who have loved the truth and applied
10 life The spiritual ground is formed In a way
actly analogous the process by which the material
ground is formed There isa q.


SECRET HIDDEN PARABLE


which has been hidden since the foundation of the
world. IL is this:-When man. lived in the Garden of
Eden he did not have 10 study to The celestial
had perception or intuition Of the meanings OF
the outward world. Learning was as easy seeing.
The soul finely attuned to the harmones OF ma
ture that IL vibrated in accord with them You have
the same capacities now The possibility OF the
Same state exists in every one OF you. You can get
back this garden II you will 1t is long and diff
1cult journey. Indeed far from IL and there
are so many different opinions OF its nature and the
way back that many have ceased TO believe in its
existence But II does exist in possibility for every
one Every divine truth leads 20 it, The Command
ments great highways, and every effort make TO


1--we according to them step back TO the heavenly
paradise. We have the Lord who plants the garden
Tor guide and help. and we have only to fol-
blessed gates Open and TO be delighted with Its beauty
and to rejoice in its blessedness.