Page:The Garden of Eden (Doughty).djvu/141

Rh the sensual admit not for a moment any wisdom that lifts one's view above the senses. The materialist is chained to matter; the heathen acknowledges no Christ; the idolater is joined to his idols. Brutalism and barbarism have no idea what spirituality means; if they make pretence of being converted, they accept the name of Christianity only, but do not get the real thing. The Lord's providence allows no man to receive more or higher truth than he is prepared to live. We wonder at the slow progress of the nations from heathenism to Christianity; it is the cherubim guarding the way of the tree of life. We Wonder that so few accept the higher views of Christianity revealed by the Lord through Swedenborg; again it is the cherubim guarding the way of the tree of life. The heathen will be converted to Christianity, and Christians will accept more spiritual views of our religion, as they are seen in the Lord's providence to be ready, at least, to try to enter into its spirit and life.

But the cherubim, or Providence and its ministries, will hasten slowly in spite of the unrest of man. The tree of life will be guarded from profanation for men's own benefit, until they can safely take of it, and eat of its fruit without danger of profanation. And though we may be nominal Christians, or nominal receivers of the higher views of Christian truth, lip-service is not