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this period. At an earlier age he Among other matters of interest' of acquired both German and English. which he was accustomed to speak, On his return from Italy, however, M. when questioned about his early reHarlé made the acquaintance of an collections, was a memorable visit by eminent receiver of the New Church the Rev. R. Hindmarsh, who lectured doctrines, and this seems to have com- from a waggon to a great concourse of pletely changed the current of his people assembled in a factory yard. thoughts and course of study. Scarcely The Society at that time consisted of a had he read the writings of Swedenborg very few persons, who held their services than he warmly adopted their doctrines, in an upper room of a small cottage; and setting aside the pursuit of art, and it has been Mr. Berry's privilege to devoted himself exclusively to the study watch its gradual progress until it came of Swedenborg's works. It was with into the possession of its present handthis object that M. Harlé made himself some and commodious Church. acquainted with the Hebrew language, was a most willing and industrious and studied the Latin and Greek texts labourer in the Lord's vineyard through of different parts of the Bible, even all this long period, and notwithstand. turning his attention to those Oriental ing many discouragements, many bitter dialects which appeared to him to give and protracted persecutions, he remore perspicacity to his scholarly mained true and faithful to the last. labours. Thus prepared, he devoted For some years he was leader of the himself to translating the writings and Society; frequently officiated in the revising those works of Swedenborg pulpit; and has often rendered valuable which had been already translated. It was in the pursuance of these unwearied labours that his life passed on, sweetened and embellished as it was by the tenderest of domestic joys. M. Harlé married in 1841, and has left three sons, two of whom are now married. His life as an author belongs to the world; his "private life was so gentle, so simple, so modest and so retiring, that its most precious memories are reserved to his family alone. M. Harlé was visiting some near relations when death surprised him without the previous warning of any illness. He was sixty-seven years of age, and passed away in a few days without any suffering. It seemed natural for so pure a spirit to glide from this world to the next. His daily life was a fit representation of the seldom passed when he has not reheavenly state, and it was only for him to exchange the infirmities of the natural body for the glories of the angelic world.

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At Ramsbottom, on Thursday, July 6th, Mr. John Berry was suddenly called to his eternal home, in the sixtythird year of his age. The deceased had been connected with the Society at Ramsbottom from his childhood to the day of his death; and has therefore been a witness of all the vicissitudes through which it has passed almost from the time of its establishment.

assistance to the present minister. He was most sincerely devoted to the Church; and he spared neither time nor labour to promote its prosperity. To the extent of his humble means he was ever ready to entertain New Church visitors and friends, and was supremely happy when they could give any encouraging information respecting the cause in any part of the country. In this way he became widely known and loved; for no one could spend a few minutes with him without receiving the impression that he was a man of genuine humility, gentleness, and uprightness. Being of a very sociable and benevolent disposition, he encouraged the members to make a free use of his house, and, for many years, a day has

ceived a visit from some of them. His health was always good until within the last three weeks of his earthly life, during which time he had several attacks of illness, which increased in frequency and severity, till at length one took him as he sat at work, which in a few moments proved fatal. The members of the Society were affectionately attached to him, and deeply regret his loss, while the general esteem in which he was held may be inferred from the fact that the funeral procession numbered one hundred and seventy persons.

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THE CITY OF THE SAVED.

PREACHED BEFORE THE CONFERENCE, TUESDAY EVENING,

AUG. 8, 1876.

"And the nations of them who are saved, shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."-REV. xxi. 24.

IF in some favoured region of the earth there existed a magnificent and marvellous city, whose inhabitants had every one been saved from deadly peril, what an interesting city it would be! What exciting stories each of the citizens could tell! One might speak of the battlefield, and of the air trembling with the destructive forces of shot and shell; another of perils by sea, of the stormy tempest raising them mountains high, and then hurling them into the yawning abyss from hour to hour and day to day, until their souls melted because of trouble, when a Divine Hand made the storm a calm, and brought them to their desired haven. Others could declare their deliverance from wild beasts, the hungry, howling wolf, the cruel tiger, the fang of the basilisk, or the fearful folds of the terrible anaconda. Some perhaps would have been lost for days in trackless deserts, in dense wildernesses, in quagmires, in mists and fogs, and sunk down bewildered to die, until a deliverer came who rescued them from the dread ful peril, and placed them in the CITY OF THE SAVED.

Just such a city is the Church. And the Church in this aspect is represented in the text. The people there are the nations of them that are saved. The Church is described as a city when its doctrines are the feature mainly presented. A city is a defined region, defined and protected by its walls, so that the citizens may instruct and aid one another in security and peace.

The Church is defined by its doctrines; it is instructed and defended by them. Hence we read, "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compacted together. Jerusalem shall be called, A city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, The holy mountain" (Zech. viii. 2). Of this same city, the Church, the Apostle Paul speaks very emphatically, "Ye are come to Mount Zion, and unto the CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and CHURCH of the first-born" (Heb. xii. 22, 23). This spiritual city, the Church in the sight of the Lord, is the Church of our text. It consists of the good and the true, who have accepted the Divine doctrines imparted by the Lord from heaven. They have believed in the Lord, and by faith in Him, have followed Him, keeping His commandments; and when they have seen the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem, they have entered through the gates into the city.

These form the nations of them who are saved. They have all been saved. They have been delivered from carnal mindedness, and become spiritually minded, "To be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. viii. 6).

The Lord Jesus saves His people from their sins (Matt. i. 21), and brings them into His city. All have been saved from serpents large or small. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon thou shalt trample under foot. Some like David have been saved from the paw of the lion and the bear, from the power of insolent denial of the truth, and from mere earthly affection; and when the Philistian vaunting of a faith of mere profession, an empty, boasting man-made faith, which is dead, being alone, has assailed and defied them, the stone of truth well planted has laid the giant low. The truth has made them free, and they are free indeed. Some have been saved from sensuality, some from drunkenness, some from worldliness, some from blasphemy, some from making shipwreck of their faith; but by the light and love and power of God their Saviour, they constitute the nations of them that are saved.

These nations are various among themselves, but all are good. Some

give themselves more especially to meditation, some to practice. Some delight in works of benevolence, some in works of intelligence, some in mental culture, in philosophy, in literature, art, science; and these have details innumerable. The nations of them that are saved pursue these varieties of life, and so will conduce to perfection on earth and in heaven.

The centre of the city is the Lord Jesus Himself. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it. The unity of these two is shown by its being said, "They are the Temple, THE ONÉ TEMPLE of it." The Temple really means the state in which we worship the Lord. Outer temples are convenient houses in which to worship, but the true Temple is a heavenly state of mind and heart. The truths which induce this state, and the affections which cause the altar of the heart to glow with heavenly fire, are from the Lord, and are the Lord in us. Hence it is that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it.

The light of the city is the Divine Wisdom. It flows from the Divine Love, through the Glorified Humanity of the Lord Jesus. The glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof; for so it is expressed in the original.

The Lord's Divine Humanity, like a lamp, concentrates, accommodates, and diffuses the wisdom which is the outflow of the Father within. The glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

I am this dark world's light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.

I looked to Jesus, and I found

In Him, my star, my sun,

And in that Light of life I'll walk,

Till travelling days are done.

This walking of the nations is the object to which I would ask your especial attention. To walk is to live. We are apt to believe in looking, but not in WALKING. The world, alas! has framed a religion confining its influences to worship, and to believing a few things, but giving up walking as an essential matter, leaving life and conduct to be shaped and accommodated to worldly love, worldly convenience, and worldly success.

Hence sorrow reigns,
And earth complains;

But the day shall yet appear,

When the might with the right and the truth shall be;

And come what there may,

To stand in the way,

That day the world shall see.

The journey on which we have to walk comprises four stages:First, the early part of our journey; second, the middle portion; third, the walk to worship; fourth, the walk through the shades of evening to our eternal home. These are all to be done in light. The nations of them that are saved walk in the light of the Holy City. "He that followeth Me," said the Lord Jesus, "shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life." What a beautiful expression !— "Shall have the Light of life." But the thing meant is inexpressibly more charming.

To see a young mother training her little one to walk is a lovely picture. How eager she is! How delighted to tell the father on his return home how many steps have been taken, and what progress has been made! How the little one enters into it, and rejoices in its success! All this is in harmony with the Divine laws. The limbs were made for it; practice makes perfect, and the feeble step in a little time becomes an easy walk. The pliant limbs are trained not only to walk, but to run and leap, and rejoice in the strength that Infinite Goodness has imparted.

So should it be with the spiritual training of childhood and youth. Sad has it been, and sad is it, when people are told they cannot walk in God's commandments-that the commandments were never made to be kept. They don't believe this in the CITY OF THE Saved. They walk in the light of it. They are trained to do so. They are encouraged to do so. This is the love of God, that ye keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous.

The light of the Holy City shows which way to go. The inhabitants hear a voice behind them saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isa. xxx. 21). What calamities have come into the world from walking in darkness in the days of youth and of marriage! Wild oats have been sown, and wild fruits of misery have been reaped.

The nations of them that are saved look for graces from heaven in their partners. Where these are not, they dare not walk. They know that the dear companions of their lives are vessels formed by God to contain love, pity, tenderness, affection for truth, for purity, and for all that is protective, noble, and manly, God has beautified these vessels with sweet attractive grace.

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