times, at least, caught a distant view of that internal and spiritual meaning, which is now descending from heaven in its fullness and power. A remark by Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, was quoted above. It will be remembered that he refers to the words of the prophet Joel, in which it is said that there will be "wonders in the heavens above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come." This passage the apostle applies to the events which were then transpiring. If understood simply in its literal sense, the passage could have had no such application. His mind must, therefore, have been opened to the perception of its internal, spiritual meaning; in which sense it was then receiving its fulfilment. And it is certainly not unreasonable to suppose, that he might have had at least some perception of the true internal meaning of those very similar words, to which he refers in the passages quoted from his second Epistle. But I am not disposed to attach any very great importance to this supposition. The day of Pentecost was a peculiar time. "They were all filled with the Holy Ghost." It is very reasonable, therefore, to suppose that, on such an occasion, there was granted to the apostles a much deeper insight into spiritual things than they would ordinarily possess in the subsequent years of their ministry. The veil was drawn aside, and they saw the interior forms of spiritual truth with more than ordinary clearness. On subsequent occasions, they no doubt caught an occasional glimpse of the interior form of the temple of truth. The apostle Peter might have had some perception of those interior forms of truth when he wrote the passages referred to; but I am not disposed to insist upon this as a matter of certainty, or even of very strong probability. I see no good reason for withholding or concealing the fact, that we do not suppose that the apostles had, ordinarily, any very full or distinct perception of
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