Page:Swedenborg, Harbinger of the New Age of the Christian Church.djvu/202

 Purpose, the Word, the Divine Will toward men, entered into human clothing and became forever present and operative with man, as he will accept it for his own—not indeed in continued visible presence, which could be but in one spot and there compelling, but throughout the world for all time in the record of the Gospel and within the heart as the Holy Spirit to those that love His commandments and do them.

This inner presence became real to the disciples after the outward presence left them, and inspired them to preach and heal in His name. But it was less and less realized in succeeding generations till—even as the Lord had foretold—all perception of it was lost. In fact, the understanding of it by the first disciples was not what would have been given if they could have received it. They thought of their Lord as they had seen Him—as a Divine Person, the. Only-begotten Son, in the bosom and at the right hand of the Father. It was with this idea that Judas wondered how He could manifest Himself to them and not to the world. And we may doubt whether any understood the Lord's answer—"If a man love Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love