by the different objects in nature; and every object has its uses, and corresponds to some principle within our own minds. In this way, "the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." (Rom. i. 20.) Now, the garden of Eden literally means that which is delightful, and we may conclude that all that was delightful to the eye and pleasant to the taste, was to be found in it; and the mind of man corresponds to this garden, and when man is in a state of order, his mind is beautifully arranged, and all the holy truths within it are as so many plants that grow in the garden of God. The interiors of the regenerate mind are formed by the Holy Word. This makes, as it were, a paradisaical garden in the intellectual principle, in the midst of which is to be seen the tree of life. For what can this tree of life mean, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? He alone is the source of life, and nothing can be called living, but as it receives life from Him. Hence He is emphatically called "The Life;" hence, also, we are instructed "to abide in Him, that He may abide in us." It is the Lord alone, through the medium of His truth, that can cause the gardens of our minds to blossom like Eden; that is, to become delightful. All that man can desire—all that can add to and increase his happiness—all that can impart practical charity and holiness to his life, is the result of the Tree of Life being placed in the midst of his spiritual garden; therefore is he counselled to "delight himself in the Lord, and the Lord will give him the desire of his heart." If the Lord be in the centre of our affections. He will preserve us,
