Page:The Judgment Day.pdf/182

 as of those who were internally evil, but whose external affections and life, would appear to be so nearly on the same plan, that they would continue to associate together in the world of spirits, as they had previously done in the natural world. And this association would continue, till the power of Divine Truth, breaking through and dispelling the clouds of spiritual darkness, would form a New Heaven in the spiritual world, and a New Church in the natural,—thus rescuing the good in the world of spirits, and raising them up into heaven, and at the same time permitting the wicked to go to their own place.

But I will introduce a few paragraphs from the work referred to above, in which the doctrine of the New Church on this subject will be more clearly and fully presented. After having shown very clearly that the Last or General Judgment predicted in the New Testament, was not to take place at the end of the natural world, but at the end of the age or dispensation, the author says that:—

"As it is certain that there have been, since the beginning of the world, several such ages and dispensations, it will be reasonable to conclude, that the end of each of the former of them, like the end of the last, was attended with a General Judgment upon those who lived under it. Accordingly, the Scripture clearly teaches, how much soever its testimony upon this subject may generally have been overlooked, that such is the fact. As it prophetically announces that were the last age and dispensation ever to come to its end or consummation, it would then be attended with a General Judgment, so does it historically record, that each of the former of such ages and dispensations was attended at its end by a General Judgment. Its testimony to this effect, therefore, we will briefly notice.

That, from the beginning of the world, the specific connexion of its inhabitants with their Divine Parent has been regulated by four different dispensations, and they have been bound to him by four distinct covenants, the human subjects of which may be regarded as composing four general churches, is universally known. Adam and his posterity to the flood, lived under one dispensation: God then "established his covenant with Noah and his seed after him,"—