probability, be then found for him. I wish my little brother were grown up. I think I am already in a condition to begin a sluice work for myself, and when I have my own command, I shall be able to serve both of them. My pay on the sluice works at present is only three silver dollars per day, I hope soon to have more.

"Polheim's eldest daughter* is promised to a page of the King's named Marmenbröm. I wonder what people say of this in relation to myself. His second daughter is, in my opinion, much the handsomest.

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My dear father has presented me with his share in the work. I hope it may come to a right ending. Brother Lars was rather opposed to me. It would be well if he would not persist in this; for it seems unbecoming in a relation to prefer consulting Algren's advantage to that of his brother-in-law. Among all my relations I know of no one who has wished me, and still wishes me, so well as yourself. In this I was particularly confirmed by your letter to my father respecting my journey. If I can in any way shew my gratitude, it shall not be wanting. Brother Unge likes nobody; at least he has estranged my dear father's and mother's affections from me now for four years. However, it will not benefit himself. His Majesty is expected at Wennersborg towards the end of the month, when the army will be reviewed. I shall see whether I cannot have leave to accompany him into Norway. If I can then effect any thing for the advantage of my brothers and sisters, my principal wish will be fulfilled. *

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"I had the pleasure of receiving your letter here in Brunsbo, where I shall now remain until the Christmas holidays; I then think of travelling to the mining districts, and to Stockholm. God be thanked, I have escaped the campaign in Norway, and that, very narrowly; nor should I have escaped without I had employed some little management. I rejoice extremely to hear of your intended visit here, for which I now look first and foremost. Although my mother is somewhat sparing of her fodder, your horses shall be well taken care of at Master Unge's,

* Was this the lady with whom Swedenborg was in love?-See Intellectual Repository for 1844, page 288.

the Subdean in Frägne, or at the inn where brother Sunstedt put up his for a fortnight. I will see to this personally. If my sledge and snow boots can be of any use to you on the journey, be so good as bring them with you. I think my harness is there also; and if my muff can accompany the rest, it will be well. * I shall have the pleasure of shewing you the Sixth Part of the Dadalus on your arrival. *

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*

Brunsbo, December 8, 1718.”

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"P.S.-Gyllenlöw, a fort in Fredericshall, was taken by storm on the 27th of November. I expect my sledge, snow boots, and muff."

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* "I have taken a little leisure, this summer, to put a few things on paper, which I think will be my last productions; for speculations and inventions like mine find no patronage or bread in Sweden, and are considered by a number of political blockheads as a sort of school-boy exercise, which ought to stand quite in the back ground, while their pretended finesse and intrigues step forward.” * * *

From letter 31:

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With respect to your opinion that the sun is the habitation of the damned, I think exactly the opposite, viz., that it ought rather to be the place of the blessed. The following are my reasons:- -1. The sun is a centre for the whole of our planetary system, and the motion and subsistence of every thing in the solar vortex has its source from this centre. 2. The planets' firmament and heaven is toward the sun; so that if mention be made of going up in the solar vortex, it is always towards the sun; but downwards is towards the end of the vortex, to the Tartarian regions. 3. The principal light and splendour reside in the sun; on the contrary, darkness, and its horrors, are farthest removed, where the sun can appear but little. 4. But the main reason appears to be, that the most exceedingly subtle aura and the finest being in which the minimal element is found, is in the sun; for the nearer the sun, the finer the element; and in the sun probably the fineness is so great, that the particles are almost devoid of composition, and put off the name of matter, as well as the form, weight, and many qualities that the compound particles possess. And it would seem likely that in the finest sphere there would be the finest being-a God-an angela something which, as it has nothing material in its nature, must be the most eminent in its element. Like seeks like, and the finer does not

naturally unite with the grosser. For these reasons I rather incline to believe (though I willingly leave the point to your judgment), that God has his seat in the sun, as the Bible says. As to the fire, it would be gross to imagine that the bodies of the damned are tormented by it; for in the nature of things there is no pain without destruction. When fire burns, a sensation is occasioned by it, as of something being torn to pieces, dissolved, and destroyed. Where there is no destruction, there is also no pain. * * I hope no bad construction will be put upon me for philosophizing on these matters. The Word of God, however, is the foundation. * What I have now printed, with a sheet on the Decimal system, will be my last production, for I find that Pluto and Envy possess the Hyperboreans, and that a man will make a larger fortune by acting the idiot, than by remaining a man of understanding. *

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Stockholm, November 26, 1719."

From letter 32 :

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* "Should I be so fortunate as to get together the means which are required, and should I, in the meantime, by the above preparations and communications, have been able to acquire some credit abroad, I have made up my mind to go abroad to seek my fortune in my business, which is in all such things as concern the advancement of mining. He must be considered a fool, who is loose and irresolute, and sees his place abroad, and yet remains in obscurity and wretchedness (darkness and frost) here, where the furies Envy and Pluto have taken up their abode, and dispose of all rewards; and where such trouble as I have taken is rewarded with such shabbiness. Before the time arrives, I only desire to be well concealed, and I may perhaps find a corner for the purpose in Starbo or Skinsberg. But all will depend on a respite of four or five years, and I clearly foresee that long plans are like long roofs, apt to tumble in; for man proposes, but God disposes. I have, however, always thought that one should know what he is aiming at, and constantly form a good design for accomplishing the utmost in his life and business.

Such is a short specimen of these interesting letters, which, however, are chiefly occupied with scientific and public matters. When printed they will make about 100 8vo. pages, and the cost of translation and publication will be at least fifty pounds. We leave the matter now in the hands of our readers.

THE ELASTICITY OF OPINION UNDER THE SOFTENING INFLUENCE OF THE LOVE OF GOODNESS.

THE influence of the ruling love principle of man upon his real opinions, is shewn to us by our great author where he instructs us, that wherever the love of good bears rule, it attracts to itself those truths which an individual possesses, and especially draws into nearest communion with itself such as are most congenial to it, and correspondent with its activities, while it repels to the circumference of the mind things fallacious and false, between which and the love of goodness there can be no fellowship or correspondence. On the other hand, wherever some evil love bears rule, it attracts to itself all false impressions existing in the mind, while it repels to the circumference of the area of thought, every truth, because truths cannot be conjoined with evils, for want of mutual correspondence.* For the same reason, and agreeably to the same law, the ruling love of good predisposes to accept truths when presented, and to reject errors; while the ruling love of evil predisposes to accept falses, and reject truths. It is obvious on this principle, that a man's real, that is, his inwardly cherished opinions, are always those to which his ruling or life's love has an affinity, and thence a preference. He may have been educated in the doctrines of genuine truth; he may think that he believes them, and even that he loves them sincerely; but if his life's love be evil, the truths opposed to it, in his mind, are always in a state of practical rejection and habitual oblivion, except, indeed, when they are called forth from the memory by an effort originating from some other source than a sincere practical love to them. In this case, the individual's real opinions are much more properly to be esteemed those of his ordinary state and free course of thought, as manifested in his spontaneous judgments,-all false, because corresponding with his love of evil,—than the true sentiments which he, as it were, carries about him, rather than inwardly imbibes and appropriates with love and delight, and to which he seldom adverts. On the other hand, if a man be in the ruling love of good, although he have been educated in Trinitarian or Unitarian falses, the good principle will be always in the effort to repel these falses, because they do not correspond with itself; and to deprive them of life and activity, by chasing away the evils of the will, to which they correspond, and which alone can render them active, and sustain them permanently in life; while, at the same time, it (the good principle) will attract to itself every truth that agrees with itself,

* See A.C. 4552.

separating it from the error with which it is mixed up, and be ever on the look out for the acquisition of more truth, by which its holy energies may more effectually be exercised in uses. Shall we, then, in this case, say that the good man's real opinions are those erroneous ones in which he professes to believe, and thinks he believes, but which his ruling love rejects; or those wise judgments which his ruling love cherishes and holds in full life, and keeps in spontaneous and constant activity in his thoughts? We are constrained to say, that if the ruling love makes truth the rule of thought and judgment, while the understanding adopts errors contrary thereto, since the love of the will is the very man himself as to his individual quality, the belief of error is little more than an appearance before men, while the belief of the truth is a reality before the Lord and the angels.

Hence it is that a Trinitarian is sometimes found, under the teaching and enlightening influence of the ruling love of good, setting forth the sole Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, while at other times, when speaking from his memory, he advocates the tripersonality. So also the professed Solifidian, in forgetfulness of his creed, while under the influence of the ruling love of good, will be found earnestly insisting on the absolute necessity of a life of love and charity, in order to salvation. Again, the Unitarian, animated by a generous sentiment of universal good-will to man, perceives in the Lord Jesus such divine lineaments of that principle which he delights to cherish in himself, yet indefinitely exceeding it in perfection and degree, that he is led spontaneously to think of Him in a very exalted manner, and to represent Him almost as the Divine Goodness in its own proper Person; until, alas! his doctrinal impressions draw him down from the mount of love and of light, and the intellectual proprium reminds him, that he has appropriated as his own, and still professes to believe, principles tending to a very different conclusion.

There is something in this view of the order of the mind's working exceedingly encouraging on the one hand, and solemnly admonitory on the other. It is a new view practically, because it has all but entirely passed out of mind with the great majority of thinking Christians. And yet how clearly has the Lord declared it in John iii. 19-21, vii. 17, viii. 12, which passages are so often quoted by us that it is enough here merely to refer to them. How can any one, after clearly understanding these passages, imagine for a moment that any faith can save a man except that which harmonizes with doing the truth-doing the will of God-and following the Lord? And assuredly there can be no harmony between these attributes of holy living, and the holy light and knowledge to which they are said by unerring Wisdom to lead, except the ruling