PREFACE.

The Author's first intention was merely to collect together in a convenient form the scattered passages referring to Deuteronomy in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg; but it has been found necessary, for the sake of unity and completeness, to add much that is original. In this the Author has endeavoured, on the principles laid down by Swedenborg, to translate the text concisely from the language of historical narrative into that of the inner sense dealing with man's regeneration, and the translation is of course open to criticism and correction by all who are acquainted with the correspondence between the things in the natural material world and those in the inner or mental and spiritual world as unfolded in the New Church. The Indexes of Swedenborg's two great theological works—the "Arcana Coelestia" and the "Apocalypse Explained"—have been used as a glossary in making the translation, and frequent references are given to these works under their initial letters, A. C. and A. E.

It is well known from the New Church writings that besides the inner sense, dealing with the regeneration of the individual soul, there is in the inspired Word another sense which treats of the regeneration of the human race as a whole, and an inmost sense describing the conflict between Divine perfection and human frailty in the Humanity of the Lord. In the following pages the endeavour is made to gain some insight into the first alone.

Those readers who are unacquainted with the doctrines of the New Church and desire the fullest information are referred to Swedenborg's work entitled the "True Christian Religion." It may be useful here to mention, however, that the cardinal doctrine of the New Church is—That there is but One God in one Divine Person, whose character is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and only one road to eternal happiness, namely, the reformation of the character according to His pattern and commandments.