The Judgment Day (1849)
by Sabin Hough
2919845The Judgment Day1849Sabin Hough

THE



JUDGMENT DAY:



SHOWING WHERE, HOW, AND WHEN THE LAST JUDGMENT TAKES PLACE.





BY SABIN HOUGH,

MINISTER OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.





COLUMBUS, O:

PUBLISHED BY SIEBERT & LILLY:

For sale by the Publishers, and by J. H. Riley, Columbus, J. F. De Silver, Cincinnati, Otis CLAPP, Boston, John Allen, New York, J. H. Williams, St. Clairsville, O., Joseph Jones, Chilicothe, O., Odell & Co., Dayton, O., and at all other places where New Church Books are kept for sale.



S. MEDARY, PRINTER.

1849.



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.




The following pages have been written with the hope that they may be of some little use in extending a knowledge of the Heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem. The writer himself having but recently become acquainted with those doctrines, cannot reasonably suppose that he has written, or would be able to write anything, which could enlighten or instruct those who, for many years have been engaged in the study of the heavenly truths. Having but just entered the outer porch of the sacred temple, he would be poorly prepared to guide those who have already penetrated into its inner halls. But he has ventured to cherish the hope that, while thus standing in the outer porch, he might be of some little use in pointing out the way to that vast and constantly increasing multitude, who having become bewildered and lost in the dark mazes of the Old Church Theology, at length behold the faint glimmerings of the light of the New Jerusalem, and like the lost traveller, are gladly directing their steps towards it, but without knowing from what source the light emanates. As small boats are in some places much more serviceable than large ones, being able to penetrate where large ones cannot enter, so the writer, who presents the lower and more external forms of truth, may perform a necessary and important use, and one which could not be so easily performed by one who has become familiar with truth in its deeper and more internal forms. The labors of each class of writers are useful in their places, and are equally necessary in leading the human mind onward in its search after truth.

The doctrines of the New Church are but just beginning to be presented to the public mind at large, and though these doctrines are very clearly and fully unfolded in the writings of the divinely illuminated herald of the New Dispensation, yet those writings are at present in the hands of a comparatively small number. The public at large scarcely know the titles of our author's works, and this is true even of those who are daily receiving with delight some small portions of those truths, which are derived from his works. One of the best means of introducing these works to the attention of the public, appears to be by the general distribution of smaller and more transient works, by which some portions of the Heavenly Doctrines may be presented in a more popular form, and may thus serve as a medium through which the mind will be gradually prepared for their full reception.

The belief that such works are needed and may be useful, has induced the writer to attempt the preparation of the one which is here presented to the reader. It goes forth with his earnest desire and prayer that it may afford some aid in the dissemmination of those heavenly doctrines which he loves, and which it is the delight of his life to make known.

The work has many faults, some of which the writer has himself discovered and could point out. But it is unnecessary; the reader will easily find them. Some of them may have arisen from the necessity of attending upon other duties at the same time, and others from the successive portions of the manuscript having been sent to the compositors as fast as they were written; thereby preventing the possibility of subsequent revisions. But apologies are unnecessary and useless. Of course the writer is not conscious of having falsified or misrepresented any doctrine or principle of the New Church Theology. If such were the case, the whole edition should be burned, rather than the work should be permitted to go out to the world, to give false impressions in regard to those Heavenly Doctrines which it professes to teach.

The greatest difficulty that the reader, who is unacquainted with the New Church doctrines will be apt to encounter, will be, in finding principles which are new to him, occasionally referred to, but so briefly and imperfectly presented, that they cannot be fully understood. This difficulty could not be easily avoided by the writer; it may be entirely overcome by the reader, by a candid and careful perusal of those works in which the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem are given to the world.
Columbus, Feb. 1, 1849.




NOTE BY THE PUBLISHERS.

In offering this little work to the public we feel compelled to remark that the mechanical execution is not in all respects as perfect as we could have desired. The paper, especially, is not as good as it ought to have been. The only apology that we can make for this and other imperfections, is, that we have undertaken the work, not for the sake of pecuniary profit, but for the purpose of assisting in making known the doctrines which it contains:—We have undertaken the work with very limited pecuniary resources, and have been under the necessity of using such materials and means of publishing, as we could most easily obtain.

An edition of nearly two thousand has been printed. We shall endeavor to send the books to all places where New Church Publications are kept for sale. They will be sold as low as they can be afforded without loss: and if the New Church brethren approve of the work, we would most respectfully solicit their aid and co-operation in giving it a general circulation.
Columbus, Feb. 1, 1849.



CONTENTS.




PART FIRST.

THE THEATRE OF THE LAST JUDGMENT.




Page
Introduction.
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1

The Popular Doctrine.

A general impression—Bishop Pierson–Passage from Exposition of the Creed—Thrilling descriptions—Passage from Young's Night Thoughts—Such views unsatisfactory to many minds.
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7


SECTION II.
That the Last Judgment takes place in the Spiritual world shown from the nature of the Resurrection.

The opposite destinies of the spirit and the material body—Opinions of learned men—Extract from Melvill's Sermon, entitled "The General Resurrection and Judgment"—Passage from "The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine"—The reappearance of departed Saints—Objections explained—Resurrection of the material body absurd and unreasonable—contrary to our natural anticipations.
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11


That the Last Judgment must take place in the Spiritual world inferred from the Scientific proofs of the permanent durability of the earth.
The subject stated—Change of opinion in regard to time of creation–Difficult to reason with some men—Argument from Astronomy—Geology—The Deluge—Theory of internal heat.
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20
That there is no probability of a general resurrection and judgment in the natural world, inferred from the want of any evidence in the word of the Lord that the natural earth will ever be destroyed.
The doctrine of correspondences—Different mediums of spiritual and natural truth—The Jewish prophecies not fulfilled in a natural sense—Similar prophecies in the New Testament must be explained in the same way
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50


Apparent objections in the writings of the Apostles examined and answered.

Certain passages in the writings of Peter—Whether the Apostles understood the internal sense—An affirmative answer to this question not absolutely necessary—Nature and extent of their illumination—State of the human mind in that age—Only external truths could be received—Illustrated by the atonement, resurrection, and second coming—The Apostolic writings not a part of the Divine Word—Compared with the writings of Swedenborg—Importance of examining this subject
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59


That the World of spirits must be the scene of the last judgment, shown to be necessary, in order that the end of the divine love may be attained.
Common opinions in regard to nature—Such opinions lead to dangerous conclusions—The natural world an effect from spiritual causes—Quotation from E. S.—Cause and effect—The existence of the natural world a consequence of the divine love—Exists that heaven may be formed—Quotations from E. S.—Natural world must continue to exist in order that heaven may be continually increased.
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77




PART SECOND,


The nature of the Spiritual World

Reference to former part—A deep and general conviction of the existence of a spiritual world—Cause of difficulties on this subject—Some minds will not receive spiritual truth—importance of the science of correspondences—correspondence of the natural earth to the spiritual world—Nature of external objects in the spiritual world—Confirmation from the Word—Quotations from Swedenborg.
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90


The nature and form of Heaven and Hell–The enjoyments of the former, and the miseries of the latter.
Heaven and Hell states, not places—Origin of these Spir itual states—Essential nature of each—Many different societies in each—The enjoyments of Heaven and the miseries of Hell.
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120


The Last Judgment, in its Individual as well as General Character.

Good and evil imperfectly developed in the natural world—How the good are led to heaven and the wicked to hell—The world of spirits—The Last Judgment in its general character—Such judgments have several times taken place—Quotations from Noble's Appeal—that the Last General Judgment has taken place, shown from effects in the natural world—The testimony of Swedenborg–Quotations from his works—Conclusion.
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This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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