prophets were also treated in like manner, because they represented the Lord as to the Word, and thence as to the church; and the Lord was himself a Prophet. That the Lord was himself a Prophet, may appear from these passages in the Word; "Jesus said, a PROPHET is no where less honored, than in his own country and in his own house." Matthew xiii. 57. Mark vi. 4. Luke iv. 24. "Jesus said, It is not meet that a PROPHET should perish out of Jerusalem." Luke xiii. 33. "They said of Jesus, He is the PROPHET of Nazareth." Matthew xxi. 11. John vii, 40. "And there came fear on all, and they glorified God, saying, That a great PROPHET is risen up amongst us." Luke vii. 16. "That a PROPHET should be raised up out of the midst of the brethren, whose words they should obey." Deut. xviii. 15—19.

That the like was done with the prophets, is ent from what now follows. It was commanded the prophet Isaiah, that he should represent the state of the church, by loosing the sackcloth from off his loins, and by putting off the shoe from his foot, and walking naked and barefoot three years, for a sign and a prodigy. Isaiah xx. 2, 3. It was commanded the prophet Jeremiah that he should represent the state of the church, by buying him a linen girdle, and putting it upon his loins, and not putting it in water, and that he should hide it in the hole of a rock near the river Euphrates; and after many days he found it rotten. Jeremiah xiii. 1-7. The same prophet also represented the state of the church by his not taking a wife, in that place, nor going into the house of mourning, nor going to lament, nor entering into the house of feasting. xvi. 2. 5. 8. It was commanded the prophet Ezekiel, that he should represent the state of the church, by drawing a barber's razor over his head, and over his beard; and afterwards should divide them, burn a third part in the midst of the city, smite a third part, and scatter a third part to the wind; and should bind a few of them in his skirts, then cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them. Ezek. v. 1-4. The same prophet was also commanded to represent the state of the church, by making vessels for removing, and removing to another place in the sight of the children of Israel; and that he should bring forth the vessels by day, and go forth in the evening through a hole made in the wall; that he should cover his face that he might not see the ground, and that thus he should be a prodigy to the house of Israel, and should say, lo, I am your prodigy; as

I nave done, so shall it be done to you." Ezek. xii. 3—7, and 11. It was commanded the prophet Hosea, that he should represent the state of the church, by taking “to himself a harlot to wife, and he also took one, and she bore him three sons, one of whom was called Jezreel, another, Not to be pitied, and the third, Not a people." Hosea i. 2-9. And again it was commanded him that he should go and love a woman beloved by her companion and an adulteress, whom also he bought for himself for fifteen pieces of silver. Hosea iii. 1, 2. It was commanded Ezekiel the prophet, that he should represent the state of the church, by taking "a tile, and engraving upon it Jerusalem, and should lay siege, and cast a trench and a mound against it, and should put an iron pan between himself and the city, and should lie on his left side, and afterwards on his right, three hundred and ninety days. Also, that he should take wheat, barley, lentiles, millet, and fitches, and make bread of them for himself, which he should then eat by measure. And also, that he should make for himself a cake of barley, with man's dung; and because he prayed that it might not be so, it was commanded that he should make it with cow's dung." Ezek. iv. 1-15. Other prophets also represented other things, as Zedekiah, by the horns of iron which he made. 1 Kings xxii. 11. And another prophet by his being smitten and wounded, and putting ashes over his eyes. Kings xx. 35-38. In general, the prophets represented the Word, in the ultimate sense, which is the sense of the letter, by a garment of hair; Zech. xiii. 4; wherefore Elijah was clothed with such a coat, and was girded with a leathern girdle about his loins. 2 Kings i. 8. Likewise John the Baptist, who "had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey." Matt. iii. 4. From these things it is manifest, that the prophets represented the state of the church, and the Word; for whosoever represents one, represents the other also, for the church is from the Word, according to its reception in life and faith. Wherefore also, by prophets, wherever they are named, in both Testaments, is signified the doctrine of the church from the Word; but by the Lord, as the greatest Prophet, is signified the church itself and the Word itself.

16. The state of the church from the Word, represented in the Prophets, was what is meant by bearing the iniquities and sins of the people. That it is so, is manifest from

what is said concerning the prophet Isaiah; "That he went naked and barefoot three years, for a sign and a prodigy." Isaiah xx. 2, 3. Concerning the prophet Ezekiel; "That he carried out the vessels for removing, and covered his face, so that he might not see the earth, and that thus he was a prodigy to the house of Israel, and also said, I am your prodigy." Ezek. xii. 3-11. That this was for them to bear iniquities, manifestly appears in Ezekiel, when he was ordered to lie three hundred and ninety days on his left side, and forty days on his right side, against Jerusalem, and to eat a cake of barley made with ccw's dung, where these things also are read; "Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. The number of days that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity; for I will give thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of three hundred and ninety days, that thou mayst bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, thou shalt lie again on thy right side, that thou mayst bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days." Ezek. iv. 46. That the prophet, by thus bearing the iniquities of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, did not take them away, and thus make atonement, but only represented and pointed them out, is manifest from what follows there; "Thus, said Jehovah, shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations whither I will drive them Behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, that they may want bread and water, and be astonished one at another, and consume away for their iniquity." 13. 16, 17, in the same chapter. In like manner, when the same prophet showed himself, and said, "Behold, I am your prodigy," it is also said, " as I have done, so shall it be done unto them." Ezek. xii. 6. 11. The like therefore is meant concerning the Lord, where it is said, "He hath borne our sicknesses, He hath carried our sorrows; Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all; by his knowledge He hath justified many, for He hath borne their iniquities," Isaiah liii., where in the whole chapter the passion of the Lord is treated of. That the Lord himself, as the greatest Prophet, represented the state of the church as to the Word, is manifest from the particulars of his passion; as, that He was betrayed by Judas; That He was taken and condemned by the chief priests and elders; That they smote Him with the hand; That they struck Him on the head with a reed; That

they put on Him a crown of thorns; That they divided his garments, and cast lots for his vesture; That they crucified Him; That they gave Him vinegar to drink; That they pierced his side; That He was buried, and rose again on the third day. His being betrayed by Judas, signified that He was betrayed by the Jewish nation, with whom the Word then was, for Judas represented that nation. His being taken and condemned by the chief priests and elders, signified that He was taken and condemned by the whole Jewish church. Their scourging Him, spitting in his face, smiting Him, and striking Him on the head with a reed, signified that they did the like to the Word, as to its divine truths, which all treat concerning the Lord. Their putting on Him a crown of thorns, signified that they had falsified and adulterated those truths. Their dividing his garments, and casting lots for his vesture, signified that they had dispersed all the truths of the Word, but not its spiritual sense; the vesture of the Lord signified this part of the Word. Their crucifying Him, signified that they had destroyed and profaned the whole Word. Their giving Him vinegar to drink, signified that all was falsified and false, wherefore He did not drink it, and then He said, It is finished. Their piercing his side, signified that they had entirely extinguished all the truth of the Word, and all its good. His being buried, signified the rejection of the residue of the human from the mother; and his rising again on the third day, signified his glorification. The like is signified by those things in the Prophets and Psalms, where they are predicted. Wherefore, after He had been scourged and led out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe put on Him by the the soldiers, He said, "Behold the Man." John xix. 1. 5. This He said, because by man is signified the church; for by the Son of Man is signified the truth of the church, thus the Word. From these things now it is manifest, that by bearing iniquities is meant, to represent in himself, and exhibit in effigy sins against the divine truths of the Word. That the Lord endured and suffered such things, as the Son of Man, and not as the Son of God, will be seen in what follows; for the Son of Man signifies the Lord as to the Word.

17. It shall now be told, what is meant by taking away sins By taking away sins, the like is meant, as by redeeming man, and saving him; for the Lord came into the world, that man might be saved; without his coming, no

mortal could have been reformed and regenerated, and thus saved; but this became possible after the Lord had taken away all power from the devil, that is, from hell, and had glorified his Human, that is, united it to the Divine of his Father. If these things had not been done, no mortal could have received any divine truth, so as to abide with him, and still less any divine good; for the devil, who before had superior power, would have plucked them from his heart. From these things it is manifest, that the Lord, by the passion of the cross, did not take away sins, but that He takes them away, that is, removes them, in such as believe in Him, by living according to his commandments; as the Lord also teaches in Matthew; "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets. Whosoever shall break the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens." v. 17. 19. Any one may see from reason alone, if he be in any illumination, that sins cannot be taken away from man, except by actual repentance, which is, that a man sees his sins, implores help of the Lord, and desists from them. To see, believe, and teach otherwise, is not from the Word, nor is it from sound reason, but from lust, and a depraved will, which constitute man's proprium, by which intelligence is debased into folly.