as in former, and that there is good and very strong testimony that a remarkable case of the kind exists in the instance of this philosopher, Swedenborg, not by any means on account of his own declaration merely, but from the nature of the truths and statements brought forth by him, of which our own minds, enlightened, we trust, by reason and God’s Word, are the judges. The burden of proof—it may be continued in answer—falls upon you to show by what law of Divine order, by what change in the character and structure of man’s mind, a spiritual vision can not exist now, as well as in the time of Paul,—in the eighteenth or nineteenth, as well as in the first century. The truth is, antiquity has a wonderful charm for the mind, and a great power over it: ‘distance lends enchantment to the view.’ It is not difficult to believe anything, however wonderful, to have taken place in that misty and mysterious region, the distant _past_; but now in these dull, common times, to believe such strange things to be capable of happening, seems absurd. But do you not suppose that those times, to the men then living, appeared as dull and common-place as our times to us? Did not the regardless rain fall on Paul’s head, as well as on yours and mine? and this very sun and moon light his steps as well as ours? Did not Paul, do you think, rise often in the morning with a heavy heart, and after breakfast, go forth to his duties, or sit down to write his epistles, sad and oppressed in spirit, dejected at the thought of the heavy responsibilities upon him, and awed with the idea that he must address the Athenians to-morrow? And when at length he stood before them and began, did they not ask: ‘Who is this?’ Think you that gaping crowd knew anything about any great and celebrated Paul, whose name has become so familiar to our ears? They had not heard of such a person. ‘And some said, What will this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed; among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.’ (Acts xvii. 16-34.) Here we have a picture of human nature, as it was, and as it still is. A new person comes forward, a stranger, unheard of before, and utters strange ideas, something new and unusual, something different from what men have been accustomed to hear, and think of, and believe; most of the hearers jeer and mock, and turn away, calling him a babbler; some are rather pleased at some things they have heard, but the interest has not taken sufficient hold of them to make them anxious to pursue the subject farther just now, and they go away and forget what they have heard; a few, whose minds were in a receptive state, whose hearts had