Freedom to think and to do.

That man has the freedom of thinking evil and falsity, and also of doing it, so far as the laws do not withhold him, is in order that he may be capable of being reformed; for goods and truths are to be implanted in his love and will, so that they may become of his life, and this cannot be done unless he have the freedom of thinking evil and falsity as well as good and truth. This freedom is given to every man by the Lord, and so far as he does not love evil and falsity, so far, when he thinks what is good and true, the Lord implants them in his love and will, consequently in his life, and thus reforms him. What is inseminated in freedom, this also remains, but what is inseminated in a state of compulsion, this does not remain, because what is from compulsion is not from the will of the man, but from the will of him who compels. Hence also it is, that worship from freedom is pleasing to the Lord, but not worship from compulsion; for worship from freedom is worship from love, but worship from compulsion is not so.

Creation

It is objected by skeptics that the early chapters of Genesis contain false science and imaginary history, while they present an unworthy idea of God as an unjust, resentful and arbitrary being. In the spiritual sense, however, the difficulties disappear and criticism is disarmed. Instead of treating the first chapter of Genesis as a historical and scientific account of the beginning of created things, Let us take ourselves into spiritual regions, and interpret the narrative as descriptive of the new creation or regeneration of man. The unregenerate state, when man was immersed in things of sense and of self, and oblivious of his better nature, is typified by the dark and formless void over which brooded the spirit of God to bring out of it order and life. The purpose of the spiritual creation, as of the physical, is the production of man in the image and likeness of God. The attainment of such a state requires that the human soul should pass through various stages of development, which process is represented by the six days of creation. M. W. Haseltine

The Second Coming is within

Like the first coming of Christ, the second coming is primarily a spiritual event. We needn't be looking for dramatic changes of government or climate, because the Lord's kingdom is not a civil authority or a geographical location. His kingdom is concerned with the government of the human mind--with a life according to divine laws. The signs that He has come again should be the changes in our own hearts. "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20,21)