and forming by degrees a basis whereon the New Church may ultimately descend. Great as are the uses effected by these means, to call it gathering in the harvest would be a misnomer. The fields were "white to harvest," in the sense in which the Lord employed the term,* when the woman of Samaria and her neighbours acknowledged the Lord as the Messiah, some on account of the saying of the woman-"Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ?" and others because of their own conviction-" We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." The doctrine of the Divine Humanity is the great test,-anything short of a vital acknowledgment of this must not be confounded with the harvesting of the church. The gatherings attracted by public lectures, pleasing and even hopeful as they may be, may, after all, imply no more than the multitudes attracted to hear the words of the Lord when in the flesh, and their expressions of approbation but a transient impulse, similar to that which prompted the multitude on one occasion to contemplate taking the Lord by force and making him a king.

But many persons are inclined to attribute more to the human instrument than to the divine means,-more to the popularity of a public advocate than to the efficacy of the divine truth, forgetting that the real labourers in the vineyard are the doctrines of genuine truth. This the writer is aware is a delicate subject to touch on, mainly from the general propensity in people to find personal allusions where none are intended; still he sees no reason to shrink from the investigation of this point on that account, first disclaiming any intended personalities in the remarks which follow.

It is not unfrequently that strictures on popular preaching are met by the insinuation, that persons not possessing popular talents are led to inveigh against those more gifted than themselves as a solace to their wounded pride. To any of your readers who may fancy he traces any observation which follows to this source, the writer would remark that he is by no means insensible to the value of those gifts which confer popularity and acceptableness on the ministrations of a preacher; but in proportion to their value and influence is the care demanded in the exercise of them. It is an opinion not unfrequently expressed when comparing ministers, Had we Mr. so and so, he would soon fill our church, when perhaps their actual minister is an equally good man,possesses probably clearer views of the doctrines, but has not those attractions which make his ministrations popular with the many, although highly edifying to the few. Greatly as the possession and cultivation

* See John iv. 35-42.

of popular talents are to be prized, it must not be forgotten that when the attachment of a congregation is to the minister rather than the truths—when, to put a supposititious case, in the event of his removal they become indifferent to the services of the sanctuary, because truth, though preached with equal fidelity, is not dressed up in so attractive a form-the harvest" is not " the Lord's" but the preacher's; and supposing him to sacrifice principle to popularity (which it is to be feared is the case in some denominations), he becomes what the Scriptures designate a "hunter of souls."* In the New Church, if the writer may express an opinion on the subject, the test by which a minister should pass judgment on his ministerial labours, is the degree to which he has been an instrument, under the divine blessing, in leading others to accept the truth for its own sake; whilst personal respect and love to a minister-and who but must contract such sentiments for one who zealously and faithfully ministers to them in spiritual things ?—should be based on his "wisdom and fear of the Lord."†

The second point to which I desire to refer bears on the question of young men in connection with the ministry. It is a mere truism to say that the church must look to the young men for the recruiting the ranks of the ministry; and it must be pleasing to every member of the church to witness young men exerting themselves in preparation for the ministry. It is, nevertheless, I am persuaded, a mistake to hold out any inducement to them to enter on an office of so great responsibility, except under a strong and well-defined conviction in their own mind, and evidence to the minds of others, of their fitness both by their preference and their talents. The history of the Manchester Missionary Society, notwithstanding its having been instrumental in bringing some useful labourers into the ministry, is suggestive on this subject. From the facilities afforded to young men by this institution to exercise their talents for preaching, many have availed themselves of the opportunity who afterwards discovered they had mistaken their vocation; unfortunately, in some instances, not before bringing by their incompetency discredit on the office, which could not fail to act prejudicially both on the church *See Ezekiel xiii. 18-20.

+ "New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine," No. 317.

This Institution is by its constitution a Pastoral, or rather Congregational Aid Society, its duties having been mainly the supply of lay preachers to societies not having ministers. In this it differs from the London Missionary and Tract Society, which principally aims at making the doctrines known in localities where they have not been heard of. Formerly there was also a second Missionary Society in Lancashire, having its centre in Accrington, and having a similar constitution to the Manchester one.

and through deterring others, probably of greater promise, from entering on this field of usefulness. Another feature worthy of note is, that those who have failed in their attempts at preaching have, in several instances, contracted a degree of hostility both to the office and to those engaged in it.

But to turn from unsuccessful to successful preachers, experience proves that even a talent for preaching is of itself no guarantee for success in the ministerial office. Several young men, gifted with unquestioned preaching power, and who entered the ministry under seemingly favourably auspices, have relinquished the sacred calling for secular pursuits. Those who have succeeded in the ministerial office have done so under difficulties, and in spite of obstacles which beset their path. If, moreover, we glance round the church, we shall see, on the one hand, several influential societies of long standing without ministers, and on the other, young men ready to enter the ministry if engaged; and to hold out inducements for other young men, in the expectation that the harvest is ready aud only waiting their putting in the sickle, can only lead to disappointment.

In another brief paper it is intended to pass under review some of the proceedings of the General Conference, which in the estimation of the writer have acted prejudicially to the interests of the ministry; and in the meantime he would add, that the office of minister is one to be neither lightly entered on nor lightly desired. It not only involves great responsibilities, but also great difficulties, great temptations, and great self-sacrifice. We would therefore strongly recommend every young man whose thoughts turn in that direction, first to sit down and count the cost; and unless he can satisfy himself of his entire devotedness to the work and readiness to make the sacrifices that may be required of him, to pause ere engaging in it, lest having put his hand to the plough and looking back, he render himself unworthy of the kingdom of heaven,—in other words, incapacitate himself for that usefulness in the church he would otherwise exercise. ARGUS.

THE HISTORY OF SAMSON.

AN ATTEMPT TO ELUCIDATE ITS SPIRITUAL MEANING.*

(Continued from the Volume for 1858, p. 24.)

In the last paper on this subject, it was attempted to show the spiritual significance implied in the "pitching of the Philistines in Judah,” and

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*This series of papers on Samson," prepared from lectures delivered by the Rev. J. H. Smithson, on his history, has been interrupted for some time. Of this we have been reminded by several correspondents, but, on account of other papers pressing importance, they have, from month to month, been postponed.

of more

why the people of Judah, Samson's own countrymen, bound him with cords, and delivered him into the hands of the Philistines, as recorded in Judges xv. 9, 13. Various particulars, such as the meaning of the rock Etam," where Samson then dwelt, and why Samson suffered himself to be bound by the people of Judah on condition "that they would not kill him," came under consideration, and the meaning, as applied to the Word, the church, and the individual, was attempted to be shown. We now come to the next section of this divine history, which is recorded in the following words :—

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And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him, and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the cords which were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands melted from off his hands; and he found a new jaw bone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith, and Samson said, With the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw-bone of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi (the lifting up of the jaw-bone). And he was sore athirst, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? But God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw; and there came water thereout, and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived; wherefore he called the name thereof En-hakkore (the well of him that called), which is in Lehi unto this day." (Judges xv. 14, 19.)

The cords with which Samson was bound, signify, as shown in the last paper, the various restraints which are put upon the Word by a fallen church, and by the unregenerate mind. These restraints and obstructions to the free course of the Word, and its unimpeded operation, are exceedingly numerous. In one great division of the church, called the Roman Catholic, understood by Babylon in the Scriptures, the Word has not only been bound, but cast into prison for ages past. The Word in ultimates, or as to natural truth, signified by Samson, has also been bound by false dogmas of various kinds, especially by the doctrine of "Three Persons in the Godhead," by that of "Justification by Faith only," and by many others; for every false doctrine has a tendency to bind the Word, and to prevent its free and saving efficacy in the church and in the human mind, for the purposes of salvation and eternal life. The true elevation of the human mind, and the real pros perity of the church, depend solely on the right understanding, and on the free course, reception, and action of the Word of God. Whatever tends to bind, restrain, impede, or obstruct the saving power of the truth of the Word, is the greatest calamity to the human race. There are

especially two opposing powers to the Divine Truth which are engaged in effecting this. The one is denoted by the uncircumcised Philistines, who represent faith separate from charity, truth from goodness, knowledge from practice, in the church; the other by Judah in a perverse sense, as denoting the opposite to celestial love, which is the love of power and dominion grounded in the love of self. These two powers endeavour to bind Samson, or to close up the Word, and to prevent its free reception, and its unimpeded action, amongst the men of the church. There are also cords and bonds which restrain the operation of the Word in the individual mind, and which, if not "burst asunder and cast away," (Psalm ii. 3.) will eventually bring the mind itself into the prison-house of darkness and spiritual death. These bonds are the various cupidities of our unregenerate states, all which have a tendency to bind the Word, and to prevent its saving action in effecting our regeneration. For every cupidity originating in the love of self, or in the love of the world, has a tendency to bind the Word, and to paralyse or to obstruct its salutary action on our minds, in which case it is handed over to the uncircumcised Philistines. For the truths of the Word must either bind and restrain our evil cupidities, and thus subdue them, or our evil desires will endeavour to bind the Word, and to render it of none effect in accomplishing our salvation.

But the crisis will come,-the judgment which condemns this state of things will approach; when the "Spirit of Jehovah comes mightily upon Samson," all these cords and restraints with which the Word has been bound and held in bondage "will be loosed, or will melt away, from the hands of Samson, as flax that is burnt with fire." All false persuasions, however grounded they may be in the appearance of truth, and in the fallacies of the senses, and all the numerous strongholds of power, preeminence, and dominion, will then be destroyed, and the Word will again come forth with its power and great glory for the salvation of mankind. The weapon or the means by which this overthrow and slaughter will be effected is signified by the "jaw-bone of the ass" with which Samson slew so many of the Philistines.

By keeping in view the general signification of Samson's history as distinguished from the history of others mentioned in the Word, we shall find how all the particulars in the Divine Record receive their especial illustration. For Samson represented the Lord as natural Truth, whilst in the world he combatted against the hells, and subdued them. A.C. 3301. Thus, the ass is the correspondent to the understanding of the Truth of the Word in the natural degree, and consequently to Truth natural-A.C. 2781;-the jaw-bone, as belonging to the head