THERE is no truth more readily admitted than this-that man was created for society, and that "it is not good for man to be alone;" or as the philosopher would express it" undoubtedly man is a gregarious animal." But it is not always remembered, that the natural tendency to social gatherings was not intended by the Creator to run wild. He has given reason and revelation to instruct us in all things; and in respect to our various instincts, they are given to us not to be suppressed and extinguished, but to be exercised wisely and happily, by their activities being directed according to the intention and revealed will of the Creator. Hence it follows, that social intercourse is not only a tendency but a duty; for as soon as God's will is brought to bear upon our natural tendencies, it creates the exercise of them into a duty, to be performed in a certain manner, that is, so as to accomplish the uses intended by the Creator. And DUTY is a word-an idea-preeminently emphatic and inspiriting to the genuine New Church disciple-the disciple of spiritual use. A New Churchman whose heart does not thrill at the idea and call of "duty," knows nothing as he ought to know of spiritual use, or the essential character of the church to which he has nominally given his adherence.

The earth has its natural tendencies, and if they are let alone to take their natural course, you will have a wilderness of weeds, thorns, and briars ; but cultivate those tendencies, and then you will have a paradise of corn fields, orchards, forests, and all the beauties and utilities of the vegetable world. Just so it is with the natural tendency of our mental N. S. No. 165.-VOL. XIV.

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earth—our natural mind, in regard to our present subject-social intercourse.

The nature and quality of social intercourse in its natural state, or when conducted only in obedience to our natural instincts, as tempered by the habits of civilization, our author shews in the following words :—

"There prevails at this day a social intercourse of friendship of such a character that it has no other end in view than the pleasures of conversation, the exhilaration of the mind by discourse; and thence the expansion of the natural feelings, the liberation of the imprisoned thoughts, and the consequent refreshment of the bodily senses, and their restoration to their wonted vigour. * * That kind of social intercourse, however, which does not conjoin minds in the friendship which is akin to charity, is but a feigned semblance of friendship, consisting in deceptive attestations of mutual love, ensnaring ways of insinuating into the good graces of another, and in the indulgence of bodily delights, and the gratifications of sense."-(T. C. R. 434.)

It is obvious, from a just consideration of this remarkable passage, that our social intercourse will be only so far akin to the activity of real charity, as we are in the constant habit of cultivating that heavenly principle in our own minds. If growth in spiritual charity be the supreme end we have in view in our most secret thoughts, charity, in the sense of the love of goodness, will infallibly manifest itself in our social intercourse. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things." Supposing, then, the social intercourse of Christians to resemble that described in such depreciating terms by our author, it is not so much the low quality of the intercourse which is to be condemned, as it is the want of individual attainments in charity which is to be lamented, or the want of earnestness in the love and pursuit of the good and the Where the good and the true are supremely loved, there will be, and there must be, an interest in, and an acquaintance with, the ideas and forms of action into which the good and the true expand themselves in social intercourse. We believe that in the New Church the purity of the primitive Christian church will be restored; if so, amongst other manifestations, there will certainly be found in our social intercourse a resemblance to that of the primitive times, a description of which is also given in the paragraph of our author above cited :

true.

"The social intercourse (he observes) which existed in the primitive church, was the social intercourse of charity, for it existed with those who formed a spiritual brotherhood, calling themselves brethren in Christ. It consisted in administering consolation to each other under the distresses of the church, and in mutual expressions of joy for its increase; also in mental recreation from study and labour, mixed with discourse on a variety of subjects; and because all

these activities of the mind flowed from the fountain of spiritual love, they were rational and moral by virtue of their spiritual origin."

A most beautiful description this of what will certainly be the nature and quality of the social intercourse of the professed citizens of the holy city, when they are "Christians indeed," living forms of the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem. But, alas! there is too much reason to fear, that the sad sentence of our author which follows in the same place, is still extensively applicable to the New Church communities of our times

"The social intercourse of charity IS NOT YET REVIVED, for the Lord saith, In the consummation of the age, that is, in the end of the church, Iniquity shall abound, AND THE CHARITY OF MANY SHALL BECOME COLD.'"

And when will true spiritual love be thus resuscitated to the warmth and bliss-creating activity of spiritual life? And shall we not reply in answer to this question,-When the Lord is acknowledged by the heart, as well as by the understanding, as the supreme controller OF ALL ITS ISSUES OF LIFE!" For our author next proceeds to give the reason of the existing absence or non-revival of the intercourse of charity, in these words:

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"The reason is, that the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Saviour to be the God of heaven and earth, nor has immediately approached, and addressed Him, as the source from whom alone genuine charity proceeds, and is communicated by influx to man."

Now, our author must mean here an acknowledgment of the heart, for undoubtedly amongst us this acknowledgment already intellectually exists; and we also acknowledge that the confession of the Lord must be of the heart in the life; but how much, or how little, we profit by the latter acknowledgment, the prevailing character of our social intercourse will probably exhibit as in a mirror. If, and wherever, the social intercourse of charity is revived, those present whose spiritual attainments are the greatest, will be drawn forth as the desired and respected leaders of the discourse; but wherever the social intercourse of charity is not revived, those who are best qualified to speak will be left to their own silent meditations, while worldliness and its self confidence will complacently give forth its dicta upon various kindred matters that engage its supreme regard. In the former case, the intercourse is that of mutual peaceful confidence and gentle deference, for "perfect love casteth out fear;" but in the latter case, the strong confidence of selfcomplacency in one party inspires the more timid and gentle with apprehension and cautious reserve. How beautifully our author describes the social intercourse of charity in the primitive times :

"The guests conversed on various subjects, domestic and civil, and especially on such as concerned the church; and as their feasts were feasts of charity, on every subject their conversation was influenced by charity, with all its joys and delights. On those occasions there prevailed a spiritual sphere of love to the Lord and the neighbour which exhilarated every mind; softened the tone of every expression; and communicated a festal feeling from the heart to the senses; for there emanates from every man a spiritual sphere, which being derived from the affection of his love and its corresponding thought, inwardly affects those in his company, especially on the occasions of convivial recreation.”—(Ib. 433.)

Here is described to the very life "the feast of reason and the flow of soul."* How, then, is the state and qualification suitable for such intercourse to be obtained? and how, when attained, is the right exercise of it, as described by Swedenborg, to be successfully cultivated? In other words, How can we best cultivate, and most usefully exercise, our best affections?

A thoughtful New Church friend put the following question to the writer:-" -“I have heard recommended from the pulpit the cultivation of the affections: can you tell me what is meant by this cultivation? I ask the question because it appears to me that, according to the doctrines, the only way to cultivate the affections is by shunning the evils opposite to them as sins, and the cultivation of the affections, as recommended, seems to imply something besides." I confess that this question, at first, somewhat puzzled me. I felt quite sure that shunning evils can alone open the will to the admission of good affections from heaven; but at length I perceived that the acquisition of good affections is one thing, and the cultivation of them by exercise when acquired, is another. Indeed, the cultivation of them implies the possession of them in some degree; for how can, for instance, plants be cultivated which are not possessed, at least in the form, of vital seeds, capable of germination? Indeed, the persons addressed from the pulpit are supposed to be religious persons, and as such, already to possess some good affections worthy of cultivation. No doubt that shunning evils is rewarded by the Divine mercy with good affections; thus alone can they

* We are almost tempted to add a rather long and graphic extract from the articles on Conversation in "Arbouin's Dissertations on the Regenerate Life," but it would enlarge this paper beyond reasonable bounds. It is much to be regretted how little this INVALUABLE and DELIGHTFUL Work is known by the present generation of the New Church. Is it accidental? or is it for want of sympathy with pure-minded aspirations and sentiments? or, is it the fact, that the present generation has really outgrown the productions which delighted an earlier period, and which are therefore left unnoticed on the booksellers' shelves? At any rate, we cannot but regard the comparative neglect of Arbouin and Clowes as a fact, and a fact to be deplored.

be acquired; and no doubt they can, in a great measure, be acquired in comparative solitude or seclusion. But they can only be cultivated so as to grow strong, by social intercourse; and thus only can they become efficacious in promoting the purpose of their implantation; for no good affection is ever given to man to be enjoyed by himself only, apart from others. To have good affections, without any solicitude to exercise them generously and faithfully, bears too much analogy to possessing truths without carrying them into practice. It is true that the ordinary business engagements of life afford an opportunity for the expansion of our more important and essential good affections. These engagements, through the provisions of Divine Providence, furnish occasions for exercising our various affections, whether we will or no, while at the same time, we have the option, whether the ruling principle or prevailing affection shall be evil or good. But the more free, generous, delicate, and refined affections, are those which are called forth voluntarily rather than from necessity, by our seeking an occasion, or making an effort, to exercise them in social intercourse, apart from all regard to the external aims which every one must have in view who is actively engaged in the world. And here we are not meaning by social intercourse merely that which is sought for enjoyment, but that which is sought for use; thus social intercourse not only with one class of persons who on various accounts are most agreeable to us, but also with persons of any class to whom we may have legitimate access, with a view to some use, without intrusively breaking through the customs of civilized communities.

The affections first procured by shunning evils as sins, are cultivated and perfected by doing good. Antecedently to our doing good, we must desire to do good; thence comes the endeavour to learn how to do good; and finally, the determination to compel our selfishness and self-indulgence to give place, so that nothing may be allowed to stand in the way of our making the effort to seek occasions of doing good; and to avail ourselves of their occurrence, in spite of removable obstacles. And all this must be done in humble and earnest looking to the Lord, without whom we can do nothing. Thus new channels will be opened in our minds for the streams of spiritual love and life to flow into,-channels sedulously planned by moral thought, and laboriously dug out by moral action. The constitutional aversion which some have to go into society will give way before an impulse from heaven so holy and so powerful. Self-compulsion, for a moment felt as difficult, will then soon be turned into an earnest endeavour to do any work of use which may open before us. It is true that in thus cultivating our affections, we can only