Practical christianity

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 233, 11 December 1888, Page 3

Practical christianity

[advertisement.]

Published for the Special Benefit of Non-Churohgoers. True Christian Religion, intelligently under stood, comes not to add to men’s burdens, but to remove them. “ For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn tne world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John iii, 17. Its leading doctrines, adapted to the use of this New Age, are summarised as follows : - There is one God, in whom is a Divine Trinity of Love, Wisdom and Operation, and he is the Lord Jesus Christ. Saving Faith is to believe in Him. Evils are to be shunned, because they are of the devil and from-the devil. Good Works ought to be done, because they are of God and from God, and they ought to be done by man as of himself, but with the belief that they are from the Lord,

operating in him by him. There are two things which constitute the essence of God—love and wisdom. And there are three which constitute the essence of His love—to love others out of Himself: to desire to be one with them: and to make them happy from Himself. The same three constitute the essence of His wisdom ; because love >nd wisdom in God make one, and love wills these things, and wisdom accomplishes them, (True Christian Religion, No. 43.) Ti e Word of God is Divine truth clothed in human language, and adapted to the varied stab s of the human heart, that thus a man ma> know God, and learn to know and do Hi? will. “If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed.” John viii, 31 “ I herefore all things whatsoever ye would ti at men should do unto you, do ye even so ui to them : for this is the law and the prop' ets.” Matt, vii., 8. The Ten Commandments point out what evils are to be shunned in order that men may attain eternal life. That it is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as is commonly believed, is evident from this—that when anything presentsitself that one knows to be insincere and unjust, to which his mind is disposed, he need only think that it ought not to be done because it is contrary to the Divine commands. If a man accustoms himself so to think, and from custom derives the habit, he is then bv degrees conjoined to heaven ; and in so far as he is conjoined to heaven, the higher degrees of bis mind are opened : and in so far as these are opened he sees what is insincere and unjust: and in so far as he sees these evils they can be shaken off, for it is impossible that any evil can be shaken off until it be seen. This is a state into which a man mav enter from freedom ; for who is not capable of thinking in this manner ? B it when he has m ide a begin ning all goods are wrought in him by the Lord, and He causes him not only to see evils, but also not to will them, and finally to become averse to them. This is meant by the Lord’s words, “ My yoke xs easy and My buris light.” Matt. xi. 30. But it should be known that the difficulty of so thinking, and likewise of resisting evils, increase in proportion as a man from the will commits evils; for in so far he becomes accustomed to them, until at length he does not see them, and afterwards loves them, and from the delight cf love excuses them, and by al! kinds of fallacies confirms them* and declares that they are allowable and good. Bat this occurs with those who in age of adolesence plunge into evils as if without restraint, and at the same time reject Divine things from the heart. ’— (“ Heaven and Hell,” No. 533)

This advertisement, though containing truth for all, is especially published for the benefit of those who from any cause do not profit by ordinary religious ministrations. Those who approve of the doctrines here enunciated, and who desire to assist in the work of disseminating them, are invited to send contributions to Mr W. F. Keen, Treasurer of the Sydney Societv of the New Church, Carabella Street, North Shore, Sydney. The Works of Swedenborg and Minor Literature of the New Church can be obtained from Mr W. Bullard, Bookseller, George Street, Sydney.'