39:36
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ARTES
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SCIENTIA
VERITAS OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PLURIBUS UNUM
SIDEBOR
SI QUAERIS PENINSULAM AMOENAME
CIRCUMSPICE
RUSSELL
LIBRARY

THE
DOCTRINE OF LIFE
FOR
THE NEW JERUSALEM,
FROM THE
COMMANDMENTS OF THE DECALOGUE.
Translated from the Latin of
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.
Originally published at Amsterdam in the year 1763.
FROM THE FIFTH LONDON EDITION.
BOSTON:
PUBLISHED BY CUMMINGS AND HILLIARD,
NO. 1 CORNHILL.
1821.
3
1


BX
8712
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1801
Hilliard & Metcalf printers,



gift
TH Rawell
6-73-33
PREFACE
Nick: 13. Menbes
FROM THE LONDON EDITION.
THE Decalogue is acknowledged by
all christians to contain the words of eter-
nal truth; and the sum and substance of
it is declared by our Lord himself to con-
sist in the love of God, and the love of
our neighbour. Hence it was, that when
he was asked by a certain person,
"what
he should do, that he might inherit eter-
nal life;" he made no other than this
short and plain reply, "If thou wilt enter
into life, keep the commandments." Matt.
xix. 17.
The doctrine of life, therefore, is clear-
ly and fully revealed in the ten com-
mandments; and those, who love truth
for truth's sake, need not be at a loss to
discover the way that leadeth unto life.
They need not consume their time and
strength in speculative investigations, or
deep and unprofitable metaphysical in-
quiries.
!
iv
PREFACE.
Let them begin with resisting their self-
ish and worldly passions. Let all selfish
and worldly prejudices and interests be
set aside. In other words, let them begin
with close and serious self-examination
of their hearts and lives, their affections
and their thoughts, as well as their words
and deeds, by the precepts of the deca-
logue. If they are honest and ingenuous
in the search, they will soon find, that in
their affections and thoughts, if not in
their words and deeds, they have greatly
deviated from the way of life therein
commanded they will soon find, that in
themselves they have no strength to obey
any one of the precepts in sincerity and
truth; but that they stand every moment
in need of that holy and all powerful in-
fluence, which proceeds only from the
source of goodness and truth."
This, if they persevere, will lead them
to the exercise of faith, and of prayer.
Their understandings will then be open-
ed. They will be enabled to see and
admire the great truths contained in the
Holy Scriptures, which they were igno-
rant of before they will be enabled, in
some degree, to comprehend what our
Lord said to his two disciples on the
:
PREFACE.
V
way to Emmaus, when "beginning at
Moses and all the prophets, he expound-
ed to them in all the scriptures the things
concerning HIMSELF;" and also, what
his meaning was, when at his last appear-
ance to them, before his ascension, he
reminded them of the words which he
spake unto them, while he was yet with
them, viz. "that all things must be ful-
filled, which were written in the Law of
Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the
Psalms, concerning HIM;" immediately
after which it is added, "Then opened
he their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures."
They will then discover, to their inex-
pressible astonishment and delight, that
the Bible is not to be read or understood
as any other book, but as the Word of
God; and that, from beginning to end, it
relates wholly, in all its historical as well
as prophetical parts, to that HUMANITY,
which the ETERNAL GOD assumed, and
made divine; assumed for this great pur-
pose of infinite love, that he might bring
back the fallen nature of man to that
state of life, in which it was originally
created; which life is no other than the
love of the Lord, and the love of ou
1*
vi
PREFACE.
neighbour, according to the doctrine of
the decalogue.
They will, moreover be convinced, that
all the various forms of human govern-
ment, in every age of the world, all the
institutes of civil and municipal law, of
every kind, in every nation upon earth,
when examined and traced to their first
principles, are founded upon this doctrine
of life contained in the ten command-
ments; and that they are more or less
pure, and useful to human society, ac-
cording as they are more or less con-
formable to this standard of eternal truth.
They will farther discover the vast ex-
tent and enlargement of these command-
ments; that they come forth in their
highest purity and splendor from heaven
itself, the throne of the Highest, descend-
ing through different orders and states of
being, to man in his lowest state of natu-
ral truth and goodness; that from thence,
that is, from natural, they ascend to spi-
ritual, and from thence to celestial, as man,
by his obedience to them, under the di-
vine influence, becomes qualified for the
opening and unfolding of his natural, spi-
ritual, and celestial powers. These pow-
ers are capacities of reception, with which
PREFACE.
vii
every man is born into the world: they
are the gift of the Lord, by which he
alone enables man to open and enter into
life, from lower into higher states, accord-
ing as he exerts himself in keeping the
commandments, that is, in resisting evils
as sins against the Lord, and believing at
the same time, that the Lord alone has
given, and does continue, the power of
such resistance.
The natural man, before his spiritual
faculties are opened, can have no con-
ception of the wonderful discoveries of
divine truth, which a life according to
the commandments, gradually displays
to the sincere, humble, and obedient
mind. Let any man set himself earnestly
to work, according to this infallible rule of
life, and he will very soon be convinced of
the truth of our Lord's declaration, "If
any man will do his will, he shall know
of the doctrine, whether it be of God."
But, alas! the misfortune is, that the
generality of learned men and philoso-
phers would take it extremely amiss, to
be advised to begin their religious re-
searches over again, by keeping the com-
mandments, especially if their outward
lives and conversation should be strictly
viii
PREFACE.
moral, and they could not be charged
with any open breach of the laws of God.
And as they have little or no idea of the
internal and spiritual sense of the deca-
logue, to which their life is in too many
instances opposed, so they have generally
confirmed themselves in an opinion, that
no higher powers, than those which are
merely natural, can be opened during the
present life of man in this world.
Now, if this be the case, no higher life
than the natural life can here be opened.
All that is said, therefore, in scripture, of
regeneration, the inward man, spiritual
discernment of the things of God, to which
the natural man cannot attain; and in-
deed, the whole account that is there
given of the christian's progress in divine
knowledge and practice, must be totally
rejected, or received merely in an out-
ward and literal sense, without the least
respect to an inward and spiritual life.
Many also are the passions, prejudices,
and interests, by which the greater part
of learned men are influenced in their in-
quiries after truth. Till these are in some
degree subdued, they cannot love truth
for truth's sake. Some seem to place the
whole delight of their life in an argument:
PREFACE.
ix
they doubt, dispute, cavil for ever: the
simplicity of truth can never strike such
minds with conviction they do not suf-
fer it to command their assent by its own
authority alone: their restless and dis-
puting tempers will never be satisfied with
a conviction, that a thing is so, but they
must know how and why it is so. Such
persons may think that they love truth;
but their own judgment, and fancied
acuteness of reasoning, is the Egyptian
idol they are continually worshipping.
This self-love keeps them from embrac-
ing the truth. Till this evil is resisted as
sin against the Lord, and the Lord alone
is regarded and applied to as the fountain
of truth, by keeping his holy commands,
and praying to him to open their un-
derstanding, that they may understand
the scriptures," they will continue to
wander for ever in doubt, without light
in their understandings, or the love of God
and man in their hearts.
66
Others have been for years, perhaps,
attached to some favourite system of doc-
trine, and have so confirmed themselves
therein, by talking, writing, preaching,
and publishing their opinions founded
thereupon, that they cannot love truth for
X
PREFACE.
truth's sake; they see it through the
medium of prejudices, worldly passions,
and worldly interests, which urge them
continually to oppose it. Their literary
reputation is at stake; they have, perhaps,
composed volumes on subjects of divini-
ty, morality, or natural philosophy; they
are spoken of as luminaries of the age;
respected, courted, and applied to as ora-
cles by the whole circle of their friends
and acquaintance. It would be a severe
sacrifice indeed to such men, to part at
once with their worldly fame, and their
long received opinions, candidly to con-
fess their ignorance, and publicly to re-
nounce former errors. They shrink from
such convictions of truth, as they plainly
see must lead to such sacrifices; and thus
they are withheld by motives of preju-
dice, self conceit and vain glory, from lov-
ing the truth for truth's sake.
And yet could these men be prevailed
upon to lay aside the pomp and parade of
human learning, the pride of literary
fame, and all undue attention to worldly
respects; could they enter the school of
Christ with that child-like simplicity,
which he requires as indispensably neces-
sary for all religious attainments; could
PREFACE.
xi
they seriously determine to keep the
commandments, that is, to fly from the
love of self, and the love of the world, in
all their variety of false and evil forms, to
love the Lord with all their hearts, and
their neighbour as themselves, they would
soon find a way open for their entrance
into life; they would soon "know of the
doctrine, whether it be of God or not;"
they would soon be possessed of as much
truth as their present states and capacities
could receive; and would find a path of
"light shining," as they advanced, "more
and more unto the perfect day."
Even the philosophers of old acknowl-
edged and taught this fundamental max-
im, (which they received from an higher
source than most of them suspected,) that
the purification of the mind from errors
and vices was previously and indispensa-
bly necessary to the reception of truth
and virtue, which could not take up their
residence in an understanding clouded
and confused by falsehood, and an heart
polluted by sensual, selfish, and impure
desires.
Let these few hints suffice to prepare the
learned reader for the important contents
of the following pages.
xii
PREFACE.
To the unlearned, who are satisfied
with having been instructed in their cate-
chisms at an early period of life, have
now and then read a little in their Bibles,
and formed some obscure notions of chris-
tian doctrine from the church in which
they were educated, and the sermons and
lectures which they have been accustom-
ed to attend, it need only be observed,
that they will find, in this small volume,
the great doctrines of repentance, faith,
and good works, (which they have often
heard from the pulpit,) explained in a
more scriptural, clear, connected, ration-
al way, than has ever yet been done.
It may be here observed, that though
the mode of expression made use of in
the following treatise may appear in some
measure new, yet it is not only clear and
explicit to the unlearned reader, but may
be attended, perhaps, with this peculiar
advantage, that it will lead him to con-
sider realities more than words, which are
only signs. For realities have been fre-
quently neglected, nay, sometimes wholly
lost sight of, by long use of the same
words. This might be exemplified in a
variety of sad instances, from the present
state of the church.
PREFACE.
Xiii
The internal sense of the several pre-
cepts is opened with that high degree of
illumination, which is so conspicuous in
every part of our author's writings. Much
could the writer of this preface say, from
his own experience, in humble testimony
to the truths which those writings con-
tain. But it is not necessary in this place.
Reader, attend! The day of the Lord
is at hand! Receive with humility, and
holy joy, the message he has sent to an-
nounce his approach. Most assuredly
the power of divine truth is with it, and
its progress will be marked in every step,
by a sober, rational conviction, free from
the disorderly heats of enthusiasm, and
the fallacious phantasies of a wild imagin-
ation." Fear the Lord, and keep his
commandments."
Rich. Bibabes,
THE
DOCTRINE OF LIFE
FOR THE
NEW JERUSALEM.
That all religion has relation to life, and
that the life of religion is to do good.
1. EVERY one, who has any religion,
knows and acknowledges, that whoever
lives well will be saved, and whosoever
lives wickedly will be condemned; for
he knows and acknowledges, that who-
ever lives well, thinks well, not only of
God, but also of his neighbour; whereas
it is otherwise with him who lives wick-
edly. The life of man is his love, and
what a man loves, he not only does wil-
lingly, but also thinks willingly. The
reason, therefore, why it is said, that the
life of religion is to do good, is, because
to do good is, in act, one with thinking
good; and if they are not one in act with
man, they do not belong to his life. But
16
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
these positions are to be proved in what
follows.
2. That religion has relation to life,
and that the life thereof is to do good,
is manifest to every one who reads the
Word, and is acknowledged by every one
while he is reading. It is written in the
Word, "Whoever shall break the least of
these commandments, and shall teach
men so, shall be called least in the king-
dom of heaven; but he who doeth and
teacheth, the same shall be called greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. I say unto
you, except your righteousness shall ex-
ceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of
heaven." Matt. v. 19, 20. "Every tree,
which bringeth not forth good fruit, is cut
down and cast into the fire; wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt.
vii. 19, 20. "Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the
will of my Father who is in heaven."
Matt. vii. 21. "Many shall say unto me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not proph-
esied in thy name, and in thy name
done many virtues? but then I will con-
fess to them, I never knew you, depart
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
17
from me ye that work iniquity." Matt.
vii. 22, 23. "Every one who heareth
my words, and doeth them, I will compare
unto a prudent man who built his house
upon a rock; but every one who heareth
my words and doeth them not, shall be
compared to a foolish man who built his
house upon the sand." Matt. vii. 24, 26.
"Jesus said, a sower went out to sow his
seed; and some seeds fell on the hard
way; some on stony ground; some among
thorns; and some on good ground. That
which was sown on good ground is he
who heareth the Word, and attendeth to
it, who thereby beareth fruit, and bringeth
forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty
fold, and some thirty fold. When Jesus
said these words, he cried out, saying,
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Matt. xiii. 3 to 9, 24. "The Son of Man
shall come in the glory of his Father, and
then shall he render to every one accord-
ing to his deeds." Matt. xvi. 27.
"The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you,
and shall be given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof." Matt. xxi. 43.
"When the Son of Man shall come in his
glory, then shall he sit on the throne of
his glory; and he shall say to the sheep
2*
18
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
on the right hand, Come, ye blessed, and
possess as an inheritance the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of
the world; for I was hungry and ye gave
me meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me
drink, I was a stranger and ye gathered
me, I was naked and ye clothed me, I
was sick and ye visited me, I was in prison
and ye came to me. Then shall the right-
eous answer, When saw we thee so? But
the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye
have done it to one of the least of my
brethren, ye have done it unto me. And
the King shall speak in like manner to
the goats on the left, and inasmuch as
they have not done such things he shall
say, Depart from me, ye cursed, into ever-
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels." Matt. xxv. 31 to 46.
"Bring
forth fruits worthy of repentance, for now
is the axe laid to the root of the trees;
every tree therefore, that bringeth not
forth good fruit, is cut down and cast into
the fire." Luke iii, 8, 9. “Jesus said,
Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not
the things which I say? Every one who
cometh to me, and heareth my words,
and doeth them, is like unto a man who
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
19
built a house, and laid the foundation on
a rock; but he that heareth and doeth not,
is like unto a man building a house on
the ground without a foundation." Luke
vi. 46 to 49. "Jesus said, my mother
and my brethren are these, who hear the
Word of God and do it." Luke viii. 21.
"Then shall ye begin to stand and knock
at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; but
he shall say to them, I know you not
whence ye are, depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity." Luke xiii. 25 to 27.
"This is the judgment, that light is come
into the world, but men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were
evil; for he who doeth evil hateth the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved;
but he who doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made mani-
fest, inasmuch as they are wrought in
God." John iii. 19 to 21. 66
They who
have done good shall come forth to the
resurrection of life.” John v. 29.
"We
know that God heareth not sinners, but if
any one worship God, and do his will,
him he heareth." John ix. 31.
66 If ye
know these things, blessed are ye if ye do
them." John xiii. 17. "He that hath my
commandments, and doeth them, he it is
20
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
"Ye
that loveth me, and I will love him, and
will manifest myself to him; and I will
come to him and make my abode with
him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not
my words." John xiv. 15, 21 to 24. "Je-
sus said, I am the vine, and my Father is
the vine dresser; every branch in me that
beareth not fruit, he taketh away; but
every branch that beareth fruit, he will
prune it, that it may bear more fruit." John
xv. 1, 2. "Herein is my Father glorifi-
ed, that ye bring forth much fruit, and be
made my disciples." John xv. 8.
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I com-
mand you; I have chosen you, that ye
may bear much fruit, and that your fruit
may remain." John xv. 14, 16.
"The
Lord said to John, write to the angel of
the church at Ephesus, I know thy works:
I have against thee, that thou hast left
former charity; perform repentance, and
do former works; but otherwise, I will
move thy candlestick out of its place."
Rev. ii. 1, 2, 4, 5. "To the angel of the
church at Smyrna write, I know thy
works." Rev. ii. 8. "To the angel of the
church in Pergamos write, I know thy
works, perform repentance." Rev. ii. 13,
16. "To the angel of the church in
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
21
Thyatira write, I know thy works and
charity, and thy latter works more than
the first." Rev. ii. 26. To the angel of
the church in Sardis write, I know thy
works, that thou hast a name that thou
livest, but thou art dead; I have not found
thy works perfect before God, perform re-
pentance." Rev. iii. 1, 2, 3.
"To the
angel of the church which is in Philadel-
phia write, I know thy works." Rev. iii.
7. 8. "To the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans write, I know thy works, per-
form repentance." Rev. iii. 14, 15, 19. "I
heard a voice from heaven, saying, Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth; the spirit saith, that they
may rest from their labours, their works
follow with them. Rev. xiv. 13. "A book
was opened, which is of life, and the dead
were judged according to those things.
which were written in the book, all ac-
cording to their works." Rev. xx. 12, 13,
"Behold I come quickly, and my reward
is with me, that I may give to every one
according to his works." Rev. xxii. 12.
In like manner it is written in the Old
Testament, "Recompense them accord-
ing to their work, and according to the
deed of their hands." Jer. xxv. 14. “Je-
22
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
:
""
hovah, whose eyes are open upon all the
ways of men, to give to every one accord-
ing to his ways, and according to the
fruit of his works." Jer. xxxii. 19. "I will
visit according to his ways, and recom-
pense him according to his works." Ho-
sea iv. 9. "Jehovah hath dealt with us
according to our ways, and according to
our works." Zech. i. 6. And in many
places, where it is required, that men
should do statutes, commandments, and
laws, as in the following, "Ye shall ob-
serve my statutes and my judgments,
which if a man do, he shall live by them.'
Levit. xviii. 5. "Ye shall observe all
my statutes and my judgments, to do
them." Levit. xix. 37. chap. xx. 8. chap.
xxii. 31. “Blessings, if they do the com-
mandments, and curses, if they do them
not." Levit. xxvi. 4 to 46. Therefore the
children of Israel were commanded to
make to themselves a fringe on the wings.
of their garments, that they might remem-
ber all the precepts of Jehovah to do
them, Deut. xxii. 12. Num. xv. 38; not
to mention a thousand other passages to
the same purport. That works are what
constitute the man of the church, and
that he is saved according thereto, the
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
23
Lord also teaches in his parables, several
of which imply, that they who do good
are accepted, and that they who do evil
are rejected; as in the parable concern-
ing the husbandmen in the vineyard,
Matt. xxiii. 33 to 44; and concerning the
fig tree which did not yield fruit, Luke
xiii. 6; and concerning the talents and
pounds given to trade with, Matt. xxv.
14 to 31; Luke xix. 13 to 25; and con-
cerning the Samaritan who bound up the
wounds of him that fell among thieves,
Luke x. 30 to 37; and concerning the
rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 19 to
31; and concerning the ten virgins, Matt.
XXV. 1 to 12.
3. The true reason why every one,
who has any religion, knows and acknowl-
edges that he who lives well will be sav-
ed, and that he who lives ill will be con-
demned, is grounded in the conjunction
of heaven with man, who is acquainted
by the Word that there is a God, that
there is a heaven and a hell, and that
there is a life after death; hence is de-
rived that general perception. Where-
fore in the doctrine of the Athanasian
Creed, which is universally received.
throughout all Christendom, what is said
24
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
in the conclusion is universally received
also, viz. “Jesus Christ who suffered for
our salvation, ascended into heaven, and
sitteth at the right hand of the Father Al-
mighty, whence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead; and then they
who have done good shall enter into life
eternal, and they who have done evil, into
everlasting fire."
4. There are many nevertheless in
christian churches, who teach, that faith
alone is saving, and not any good of life,
or good work; they add also, that evil of
life or evil work does not condemn those
who are justified by faith alone, because
they are in God and in grace. But it is
extraordinary that although they teach
such doctrines, still they acknowledge,
(which is in consequence of a general per-
ception derived from heaven) that they
are saved who live well, and they are con-
demned who live ill. That they acknow-
ledge this, is evident from the EXHOR-
TATION, which is publicly read in all
churches, both in England, in Germany,
in Sweden, and in Denmark, previous to
the celebration of the holy supper. That
in those kingdoms there are some who
teach the doctrine of faith alone, is a well
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM
25
known fact. The EXHORTATION, which
is publicly read in England previous to
the celebration of the sacrament of the
Lord's supper, is as follows.
5. "The way and means to be receiv-
ed as worthy partakers of that holy table,
is, first, to examine your lives and con-
versations by the rule of God's command-
ments, and whereinsoever ye shall per-
ceive yourselves to have offended either
by will, word or deed, there to bewail
your own sinfulness, and to confess your-
selves to Almighty God, with full purpose
of amendment of life; and if ye shall
perceive your offences to be such as are
not only against God, but also against
your neighbours, then ye shall reconcile
yourselves unto them, being ready to
make restitution and satisfaction accord-
ing to the utmost of your power, for all
injuries and wrongs done by you to any
other, and being likewise ready to forgive
others that have offended you, as ye
would have forgiveness of your offences
of God's hand, for otherwise the receiv-
ing of the holy communion doth nothing
else but increase your damnation. There-
fore if any of you be a blasphemer of
God, or hinderer or slanderer of his
26
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
Word, or adulterer, or be in malice or en-
vy, or in any other grievous crime, repent
you of
your sins, or else come not to the
holy table; lest after the taking of that
holy sacrament, the devil enter into you,
as he entered into Judas, and fill you with
all iniquities, and bring you to destruc-
tion both of body and soul."
7. It was given me to ask some of the
English clergy, who professed and preach-
ed the doctrine of faith alone, (which was
done in the spiritual world,) whether,
while they were reading the above exhor-
tation in the church, they believed what
is there asserted, viz. that if any do evil
and do not repent, the devil will enter
into them, as he entered into Judas, and
destroy both body and soul? They repli-
ed, that in the state they were in, while
they were reading the exhortation, they
knew and thought no other than that what
they read was the truth and essence of
religion, but that when they began to con-
ceive and compose their discourses, or
sermons, they thought differently, because
they then thought about faith, as being
the only means of salvation, and about
the good of life, as being only accessary
thereto in promoting the public good.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
27
But still it was proved to conviction, that
they also had a general perception, that
whoever lives well is saved, and whoever
lives ill is condemned, and that they had
this perception, when they were not un-
der the influence of their own proprium,
or selfhood.
8. The reason why all religion has
relation to life, is, because every one
after death is his own life; for it re-
mains the same that it was in the world,
and is in no respect changed, inasmuch
as an evil life cannot be converted into a
good life, nor a good life into an evil life,
because they are opposites, and conver-
sion into an opposite is extinction. It is
on account of this opposition, that a good
life is called life, and an evil life is called
death. Hence it is, that religion has rela-
tion to life, and that the life of religion is
to do good. That man is after death
such as his life had been in the world,
may be seen in the treatise concerning
Heaven and HELL, n. 470 to 484.
28
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE,
That no one can do good, which is really
good, from himself.
9. Ar this day scarcely any one knows,
whether the good which he does be from
himself or from God, and the reason is,
because the church has separated faith.
from charity, and good is of charity; a
man gives to the poor, relieves the needy,
endows churches and hospitals, promotes
the good of the church, of his country,
and of his fellow-citizens, frequents places
of public worship, listens attentively to
what is said there, and is devout in his
prayers, reads the Word and books of
piety, and thinks about salvation, and yet
knows not whether he does such things
from himself, or from God. It is possible
he may do them from God, and it is pos-
sible he may do them from himself; if he
does them from God they are good; if
from himself, they are not good. Yea,
good things of a like nature may be done
by man from himself, which yet are ac-
tually evil, as is the case with what is
hypocritical, which is grounded in deceit
and artifice.
10. Good things done from God and
from man's self may be compared with
gold: gold, which is real gold from its
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM. 29
inmost ground, and is called sterling
gold, is good gold; gold mixed with sil-
ver is also gold, but its goodness is ac-
cording to the mixture; it is still less good
when mixed with copper. But gold ar-
tificially made, and only resembling gold
in colour, is not good, inasmuch as the
substance of gold is not in it. There is
also what is gilded, as gilded silver, cop-
per, iron, tin, lead, and also gilded wood,
and gilded stone, which superficially may
appear as gold, but inasmuch as they are
not gold, they are esteemed, either ac-
cording to the workman's skill, or accord-
ing to the value of the gilding, or accord-
ing to the value of the gold which may
be scraped off. These differ in goodness
from real gold, as a man's clothes differ
from the man himself. It is possible also
that rotten wood and dross, yea and even
dung, may be overlaid with gold; this is
gold which may be compared with phar-
isaical good.
11. Man has the skill to discern whe-
ther gold be substantially good, whether
it be mixed and counterfeit, and whether
it be only a covering of gold, but he has
not the skill to discern whether the good
which he does be in itself good; this only
3*
30
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
he knows, that good from God is good,
and that good from man is not good:
wherefore it being a matter of concern,
in respect to salvation, to know whether
the good, which he does, be from God,
or not from God, it is expedient that it
should be revealed; but before it is re-
vealed, it may be necessary to speak con-
cerning the various kinds of good.
12. There is civil* good, moral good
and spiritual good. Civil good is that
which a man does while acting under the
influence of civil law; and by this good,
and according to it, he is a citizen in the
natural world: moral good is that which
a man does while acting under the influ-
ence of a rational law; and by this good,
and according to it, he is a man: spirit-
ual good is what a man does while act-
ing under the influence of a spiritual law,
* The term CIVIL is here used to denote what
appertains to the state, or the community to
which man belongs here on earth; according to
which sense CIVIL good is that, which is connect-
ed with, and conducive to, the common good of
the state, or community, and is regulated by the
laws thereof according to the same sense, a
CIVIL man, see n. 13, is one, who consults the
real good of the state or community to which he
belongs, by submitting in all things to the regu-:
lation of its laws.
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31
and by this good, and according to it, he
is a citizen in the spiritual world. These
three kinds of good follow in this order;
spiritual good is the supreme, moral good
is the middle, and civil good is the ulti-
mate.
13. Man, who is principled in spiritual
good, is a moral man, and also a civil
man; whereas man who is not principled
in spiritual good, appears as if he was a
moral and civil man, but still he is not so
in reality. The reason why man, who is
principled in spiritual good, is a moral and
civil man, is because spiritual good has
the essence of good in it, and by virtue
thereof has moral and civil good in it.
The essence of good cannot possibly orig-
inate in any other but in Him, who is
good itself. Give to thought the freest
and most unlimited range, stretch forth
all its powers, and inquire whence it is
that good is good, and it will be seen that
it is from its esse,* and that that is good
* It is not possible to express by any single
word in our language, the precise idea which the
author here meant to convey by the word ESSE.
The reader, who is acquainted with the Latin
tongue, will readily apprehend the full meaning
of the term. It may be expedient in order
to assist the conception of the unlearned to
་
32
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE.
which has in it the esse of good, conse-
quently, that that is good, which is from
good itself, that is, from God; conse-
quently that good not from God, but from
man, is not good.
14. From what was said in the DOC-
TRINE concerning the SACRED SCRIPTURE,
n. 27, 28, 38, it may be seen that the
supreme, the middle, and the ultimate,
make one, like end, cause, and effect, and
that in consequence of making one, the
end itself is called the first end, the cause
the middle end, and the effect the ulti-
mate end hence it will be evident, that
in the case of man, who is principled in
spiritual good, moral good with him is
spiritual middle [good], and that civil
good is spiritual ultimate [good]. Hence,
then, it is, as was observed, that man who
is principled in spiritual good, is a moral
observe, that by the term ESSE is expressed the
inmost ground or principle of a thing's existence;
and when applied here to good, it signifies good
iu its inmost ground or principle, which is God;
and that nothing, therefore, is really good, but
what has its ground or principle of goodness in
God. The same term ESSE is applied below. n.
43 and 48, to the human will, to distinguish it
from the understanding, the understanding being
only an existence, whose ESSE, or ground of being,
is in the will,
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
33
man, and a civil man and that man, who
is not principled in spiritual good, is nei-
ther a moral nor a civil man, but only
appears to be so. He appears to be so
both to himself and also to others.
15. The reason why a man, who is
not spiritual, can still think rationally,
and consequently discourse rationally, like
a spiritual man, is because the under-
standing of man is capable of being ele-
vated into the light of heaven, which is
truth, and of seeing by that light; but it
is possible, in the meanwhile, that the
will of man may not be elevated into the
heat of heaven, which is love, and act
under the influence of such love. Hence
it is, that truth and love do not make one
with man, unless he be spiritual; hence
also it is that man is capable of discours-
ing, which makes the distinction between
man and beast. It is owing to the un-
derstanding's being capable of elevation
to heaven while the will remains unele-
vated, that man has a capacity of being
reformed, and of becoming spiritual, but
he never is reformed and becomes spirit-
ual, until the will also is elevated. By
virtue of this faculty of the understand-
ing superior to that of the will, man is ca-
34
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
pable of thinking rationally, and conse
quently of discoursing rationally, like a
spiritual person, whatever be his nature
and quality, even though he be princi-
pled in evil; nevertheless, it does not
hence follow that he is rational; and the
reason is, because the understanding does
not lead the will, but the will the under-
standing, while the understanding only
teaches and points out the way, as was
observed in the DOCTRINE CONCERNING
THE SACRED scripture, n. 115; and so
long as the will is not with the under-
standing in heaven, man is not spiritual,
and consequently not rational; for when
he is left to his own will, or to his own
love, then he rejects the rational conclu-
sions of his understanding concerning God,
concerning heaven, and concerning eternal
life, and in their place assumes such con-
clusions as are in agreement with the love
of his will, and those he calls rational.
But more of this will be shown when we
come to treat of ANGELIC WISDOM.
16. In the following work, they who
do good from themselves shall be called
natural men, inasmuch as the moral and
civil principle with them is natural as to
its essence: but they who do good from
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
36
the Lord, shall be called spiritual men,
inasmuch as the moral and civil principle
with them, as to its essence, is spiritual.
17. That no one can do any good,
which is really good, from himself, the
Lord teaches in John, "A man cannot
take any thing, unless it be given him from
heaven." iii. 27. And again, "He who
abideth in me, and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit; for without me
ye can do nothing." xv. 5. He who abid-
eth in me, and I in him, the same bring-
eth forth much fruit, signifies that all good
is from the Lord; fruit is good; without
me ye can do nothing, signifies that no
one can do good from himself. They
who believe in the Lord, and do good
from him, are called sons of light, John
xii. 36; Luke xvi. 8; and sons of the
marriage, Mark ii. 19; and sons of the
resurrection, Luke xx. 36; and sons of
God, Luke xx. 36; John i. 12; and born
of God, John i. 13; and it is said of such,
that they shall see God, Matt. v. 8; and
that the Lord shall make his abode with
them, John xiv. 23; and that they have
the faith of God, Mark xi. 22; and that
their works are done from God, John iii.
21. This is summed up in these words,
36
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
"As many as received Jesus, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe in his name, who are
born not of bloods, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
John i. 12, 13.
To believe in the name
of the Son of God, is to believe the
Word, and to live according to it; the
will of the flesh is the proprium of man's
will, which in itself is evil; and the will
of man is the proprium of his understand-
ing, which in itself is the false derived
from evil. The born thereof are those,
who will and act, and think and speak
from proprium: the born of God are
those, who will and act, and think and
speak from the Lord. In short, from the
above passages it appears, that what is
from man is not good, but that what is
from the Lord is good.
That so far as man shuns evils as sins, so
far he does what is good, not from him-
self, but from the Lord.
18. WHO does not, or may not know,
that evils prevent the Lord's entrance
into man? For evil is hell, and the
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
49
but thereby to destroy all the good of
charity, which man does who shuns evils
as sins, is enormous, for it is diametrical-
ly contrary to the Word, which enjoins.
man to do good; it is also contrary to the
precepts of love towards God, and our
neighbour, on which hang the law and
the prophets; and it is to undermine and
overturn the whole of religion; for every
one knows that religion consists in doing
good, and that every one will be judged
according to his deeds. Every man is
such that he has a capacity of shunning
evils of himself by virtue of the Lord's
power, if he implores it, and the good
which he afterwards does is good from
the Lord.
That so far as any one shuns evils as sins,
so far he loves truths.
32. THERE
HERE are two universals which
proceed from the Lord, divine good and
divine truth; divine good is of his divine
love, and divine truth is of his divine wis-
dom: those two in the Lord are one, and
thence proceed as one from him; but
they are not received as one by angels in
5
50
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
the heavens, and by men on the earths;
there are angels and men who receive
more of divine truth than of divine good,
and there are who receive more of divine
good than of divine truth; hence it is that
the heavens are distinguished into two
kingdoms, one of which is called the ce-
lestial kingdom, the other the spiritual
kingdom; the heavens which receive.
more of the divine good, constitute the
celestial kingdom, but those which re-
ceive more of the divine truth, constitute
the spiritual kingdom; concerning these
two kingdoms, into which the heavens are
distinguished, see the Treatise on Hea-
ven and Hell, n. 20 to 28. But still the
angels of all the heavens are so far in wis-
dom and intelligence, as good with them.
makes one with truth; the good which
does not make one with truth, is to them
not good; and the truth, which does not.
make one with good, is to them not
truth. *Hence it appears, that good
*This may be exemplified by considering the
operations and relations of love, motive, or incli-
nation, in the human mind. Strength of affec-
tion or inclination, without the concomitancy of
true wisdom to bound or direct it, is actually the
cause of much evil in the worid, and consequent.
ly so far not good; and on the other hand, clear
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
51
joined with truth constitutes love and wis-
dom with angel and with man; and
whereas an angel is an angel by virtue of
love and wisdom appertaining to him, and
views of what is right and fit to be done, if there
is a want of inclination or strength of motive, to
put a man onward to do it, are so far short of
real wisdom, which consists not merely in know-
ing, but in doing what is right. Thus this author
in other places of his works observes, that love
without wisdom is nothing-for it wants quality
or form, and wisdom without love is nothing-
for it wants essence or energy, but love and wis
dom joined are every thing
As to what is said about the angels of the dif-
ferent kingdoms, his sense is very clear to any
one who hath read his other works; which is,
that love or affection is the distinguishing char-
acter of the celestial angels, and judgment or
intelligence the distinguishing character of the
angels of the spiritual kingdom; not that the an-
gels of the celestial kingdom want wisdom, for
they are the wisest angels, or that the angels of
the spiritual kingdom are without love; the dif
ference of the male and female character may
elucidate this; the male character is that of
judgment-the female that of love and affection;
not that men are void of affection, or woman
without judgment. [It is easy to conceive
strength of affection, sweetness of disposition and
benevolence, may be the distinguishing character
of a woman, of a judgment superior to a man,
who, for want of an equal share of those excellent
qualities of the heart, may be distinguished only
for his understanding and good sense.]

52
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
in like manner man is man, it is evident,
that good joined with truth causes an
angel to be an angel of heaven, and
causes a man to be a man of the church.
33. Inasmuch as good and truth are
one in the Lord, and proceed as one from
him, it follows, that good loves truth, and
truth loves good, and that they desire to
be one. The like is true of their oppo-
sites, evil loves the false, and the false
loves evil, and they are desirous to be
one. The conjunction of good and truth,
in the following pages, will be called the
celestial marriage, and the conjunction of
evil and the false will be called the infer-
nal marriage.
34. It is a consequence of what has
been said, that so far as any one shuns
evils as sins, so far he loves truths, for
so far he is principled in good, according
to what was shewn in the foregoing arti-
cle.
And on the other hand, so far as
any one does not shun evils as sins, so
far he does not love truths, because so
far he is not principled in good.
35. A man, who does not shun evils as
sins, may indeed love truths, but then he
does not love them because they are
truths, but because they serve to extend
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53
his reputation, whence he derives honour
or gain; wherefore, when they no longer
are subservient to this end, he ceases to
love them.
36. Good has relation to the will, truth
to the understanding; from the love of
good in the will proceeds the love of
truth in the understanding, from the love
of truth proceeds the perception of truth,
from the perception of truth the thought
of truth, hence comes the acknowledg-
ment of truth, which is faith in its genu-
ine sense; that this is the progression
from the love of good to faith, will be
proved in the treatise concerning the Di-
vine Love and the Divine Wisdom.
37. Inasmuch as good is not good, as
was above observed, unless it be joined
with truth, consequently good does not
exist before it be so joined, and yet it is
continually desirous to exist, wherefore,
in order to its existence, it desires and
procures to itself truths, and from them it
has its nourishment and formation. This
is the reason why, so far as any one is
principled in good, so far he loves truths,
consequently he so far loves truths as he
shuns evils as sins, for so far he is prin-
cipled in good.
5*
54
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
38. So far as any one is principled in
good, and by virtue of good loves truths,
so far he loves the Lord, inasmuch as the
Lord is essential good and essential truth;
wherefore the Lord is with man in good
and in truth; if the latter be loved by
virtue of the former, then the Lord is
loved, and not otherwise. This the Lord
teaches in John, "He that hath my pre-
cepts and doeth them, he it is who loveth
me; but he, who doth not love me, doth
not keep my words." xiv. 21, 24. And
in another place, "If ye keep my com-
mandments, ye shall abide in my love."
John xv. 10. The precepts, words, and
commandments of the Lord are truths.
39. That good loves truth, may be
illustrated by application to the several
cases of a priest, of a soldier, of a mer-
chant, of an artificer: and first of a priest;
if he be principled in the good of the
priesthood, which consists in providing
for the salvation of souls, in teaching the
way to heaven, and in leading those
whom he teaches, so far as he is princi-
pled in that good, so far from the love
and desire thereof, he procures for him-
self truths which he may teach, and by
which he may lead. But the priest, who
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
55
is not principled in the good of the priest-
hood, but is in the delight of his function.
through self love and the love of the
world, which is his only good, he also,
from the love and desire thereof, pro-
cures to himself those truths in abun-
dance, according to the influence of the
delight which is his good. So in the
case of a soldier; if he be principled in
the love of a military life, and is sensible
of good arising either from the protection
of the state, or from the advancement of
his own reputation, he also, by virtue of
that good, and according to it, procures
to himself military science, and in case
he be advanced to a post of command,
military intelligence: these things are as
truths, whereby the love-delight, which
is his good, is nourished and formed. So
again, in the case of a merchant; if he
has engaged in merchandise from the
love thereof, he imbibes with pleasure all
those things, which, as mediums, enter
into and compose that love these also
are as truths, whilst merchandise is the
good thereof. Lastly, in the case of an
artificer; if he applies in good earnest to
his business, and loves it as the good of
his life, he purchases instruments, and
56
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
perfects himself in such things as relate.
to the science of his particular handicraft,
and thereby he causes his work to be
good. From these cases it is evident
that truths are the means whereby the
good of the love principle exists, and ac--
quires reality; consequently, that good
loves truths in order to its existence.
Hence, in the Word, by doing the truth
is meant the causing good to exist, as by
doing the truths. John iii. 21. By do-
ing the Lord's saying. Luke vi. 47. By
doing his precepts. John xiv. 24. By
doing his words. Matt. vii. 24. By do-
ing the word of God. Luke viii. 21. And
by doing statutes and judgments. Levit.
xviii. 5. This also is meant by doing
good and bearing fruit, for good and fruit
is that which exists.
40. That good loves truth, and is de-
sirous to be joined with it, may be illus-
trated also by the case of meat and drink,
or of bread and wine, which ought to be
taken together in order to promote bodily
sustenance, inasmuch as meat or bread
alone is insufficient for nourishment with-
out water or wine; wherefore the one
seeks and desires the other. By meat
and bread also in the Word, in its spiri-
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5%
tual sense, is meant good, and by water
and wine is meant truth.
41. From what has been said, then, it
may appear, that he who shuns evils as
sins, loves truths and desires them, and
the more he shuns evils as sins, so much
the more he loves and desires truths, be-
cause he is so much the more principled
in good. Hereby he comes into the hea-
venly marriage, which is the marriage of
good and truth, in which heaven is, and
in which the church should be.
That so far as any one shuns evils as sins,
so far he hath faith, and is spiritual.
42. FAITH and life are distinct from
each other, like thinking and doing; and
whereas thinking has relation to the un-
derstanding, and doing has relation to
the will, it follows, that faith and life are
distinct from each other, like understand-
ing and will; whosoever knows the dis-
tinction between the latter, he knows also
the distinction between the former; and
whosoever knows the conjunction of the
latter, he also knows the conjunction of
the former; wherefore it may be expe-
58
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
dient to premise something concerning
the understanding and the will.
43. Man has two faculties, one of
which is called WILL, and the other UN-
DERSTANDING; these faculties are distinct
from each other, but they are so created
that they may be one, and when they are
one, they are called mind; wherefore the
human mind consists of those two facul-
ties, and all the life of man is therein.
As all things in the universe, which are
according to divine order, have relation
to good and truth, so all things appertain-
ing to man have relation to the will and
the understanding, for the good apper-
taining to man is of his will, and the
truth appertaining to him is of his under-
standing, these two faculties being the
recipients and subjects thereof; the will
being the recipient and subject of all
things appertaining to good, and the un-
derstanding being the recipient and sub-
ject of all things appertaining to truth;
goodnesses and truths have no other place
of abode with man, consequently love
and faith have no other place of abode,
inasmuch as love has relation to good,
and good to love, and faith has relation to
truth, and truth to faith. Nothing is of
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59
more concern to know, than how the will
and understanding form one mind; they
form one mind as good and truth make
one; for a similar marriage exists be-
tween the will and the understanding, as
between good and truth. The nature of
this latter marriage was, in a measure,
shewn in the preceding article, to which
it may be expedient to add, that as good
is the very esse of a thing, and truth is
the existence thence derived, so the will
with man is the very esse of his life, and
the understanding is the existence of life.
thence derived; for good, which is of the
will, forms itself in the understanding,
and in a certain manner renders itself
visible.
44. That a man may know, think, and
understand many things, and yet not be
wise, was shewn above, n. 27, 28; and
whereas it appeartains unto faith, to know,
and to think, and still more to under-
stand, it follows of consequence, that a
man may believe he has faith, and yet
not have it; the reason of his not having
it is, because he is in evil of life, and
evil of life and the truth of faith can never
be one in action; evil of life destroys.
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THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
the truth of faith, because evil of life ap-
pertains to the will, and the truth of faith
appertains to the understanding, and the
will leads the understanding, and causes
it to be one with itself in action; where-
fore, if there be any truth in the under-
standing which does not agree with the
will, when man is left to himself, or
thinks under the influence of his evil and
the love thereof, he either casts out such
truth, or by falsification forces it to be
one with the will. It is otherwise with
those who are in the good of life; these,
when left to themselves, think under the
influence of good, and love truth which
is in the understanding, because it agrees
therewith. Thus there is effected a con-
junction of faith and of life, like the con-
junction of truth and of good, each re-
sembling the conjunction of the under-
standing and the will.
45. Hence then it follows, that in
proportion as man shuns evils as sins, in
the same proportion he has faith, because
in the same proportion he is principled
in good, as was shewn above. This is
confirmed also by its contrary, that who-
soever does not shun evils as sins, has
not faith, because he is in evil, and evil
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61
has an inward hatred against truth; out-
wardly indeed it can put on a friendly
appearance, and endure, yea love, that
truth should be in the understanding
but when the outward is put off, as is the
case after death, then truth, which was
thus for worldly reasons received in a
friendly manner, is first cast off, after-
wards is denied to be truth, and finally is
held in aversion.
46. The faith of a wicked man is intel-
lectual faith, in which there is no good
from the will, consequently it is a dead
faith, which is like the respiration of the
lungs without its animation from the heart;
understanding also corresponds to the
lungs, and will to the heart. It may be
compared likewise with a beautiful strum-
pet, adorned with purple and gold, who
is inwardly infected with a malignant dis-
ease; a strumpet also corresponds to the
falsification of truth, and hence in the
Word is used to signify such falsification.
It is also like a tree abounding with leaves,
and yielding no fruit, which the gardener
cuts down; tree likewise signifies a man,
its leaves and blossoms the truths of faith,
and fruit the good of love. But it is
otherwise with faith in the understanding,
6
62
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
in which there is good proceeding from
the will; this faith is alive, and is like
the respiration of the lungs in which there
is animation from the heart; and it is
like a beautiful wife, whom chastity en-
dears to her husband; it is also like a
tree that bears fruit.
47. There are several things which ap-
pear to appertain to faith alone, as that
God is, that the Lord who is God is a
Redeemer and Saviour, that there is a
heaven and a hell, that there is a life after
death, and several other things of like
nature, of which it is not said that they
are to be done, but that they are to be
believed; these things which appertain to
faith are also dead with the man who is
principled in evil, but alive with him who
is principled in good: the reason is, be-
cause the man, who is principled in good,
does well by virtue of a good will, and
thinks well by virtue of a right under-
standing, not only before the world, but
also in private when he is left to himself;
but it is otherwise with the man who is
principled in evil.
48. It is said, that those things appear
to appertain to faith alone; but the think-
ing principle in the understanding derives
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63
its existence from the love principle of
the will, which is the esse of the think-
ing principle of the understanding, as was
said above, n. 43; for whatsoever any
one wills from the love principle, that he
wills to do, he wills to think, he wills to
understand, and he wills to speak; or,
what is the same thing, whatsoever any
one loves in the ground of the will, that
he loves to do, he loves to think, he loves
to understand, and he loves to speak. It
is further to be observed, that when a
man shuns evil as sin, then he is in the
Lord, as was shewn above, and the Lord
operates all things: wherefore to those
that asked him, "What they should do
that they might work the works of God?"
he replied, "This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
John vi. 28; to believe on the Lord is
not only to think that he is, but it is also
to do his words, as he teaches in other
places.
49. That they who are in evils have
no faith, howsoever they may fancy that
they have, was shewn by several cases of
such in the spiritual world: they were
conducted to an heavenly society, whence
the spiritual principle of the faith of the
64
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
angels entered into the interiors of their
faith who were thus conducted, whereby
they perceived they had only a natural or
external principle of faith, and not its
spiritual or internal principle; wherefore
they themselves confessed that they had
no faith, and that they had persuaded
themselves in the world, that to believe,
or to have faith, consisted in thinking a
thing to be so or so, without respect to
the reason or ground of its being so. But
it was perceived to be otherwise with the
faith of those who were not principled in
evil.
50. Hence it may be seen what spiri-
tual faith is, and what faith is not spiri-
tual; spiritual faith appertains to those
who do not commit sin, for they, who do
not commit sin, do good, not from them-
selves, but from the Lord, as was shewn
above, n. 18 to 31; and by faith become
spiritual. Faith with such is truth, as
the Lord teacheth in these words, "This
is the judgment, that light is come into the
world, but men loved darkness rather than
light, because their deeds were evil; for
every one who doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved: but he who doeth
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65
truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are wrought
in God." John iii. 19, 20, 21.
51. What has been said above is con-
firmed by the following passages from the
Word, "A good man, out of the good
treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good;
but an evil man, out of the evil treasure of
his heart, bringeth forth evil, for out of the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speak-
eth." Luke vi. 45. Matt. xii. 35. By
heart in the Word is meant the will of
man, and inasmuch as man's thoughts
and speech originate in the will, it is said,
out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh. Again, "Not that which
entereth into the mouth defileth a man, but
that which cometh forth from the heart,
this defileth a man. Matt. xv. 11. By
heart here also is meant the will. Again,
Jesus said concerning the woman, who
washed his feet with ointment, her sins are
remitted her, because she loved much; and
afterwards he said, thy faith maketh thee
whole."
Luke vii. 46 to 50; whence it
is evident, that when sins are remitted,
that is, when they cease, faith saves.
That they are called sons of God, and
born of God, who are not in the propri-
6*
66
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
um of their own self will, and thereby not
in the proprium of their own self-under-
standing, that is, who are not in evil and
thereby in the false, and that these are
they who believe on the Lord, he himself
teaches in John, chap. i. 12, 13; which
passage may be seen explained above, n.
17.
52. The conclusion from the above
premises is, that there does not appertain
to man the smallest portion of truth,
only so far as he is principled in good,
consequently not the smallest portion of
faith, only so far as it is joined, with life.
There may be such a thing as thought,
respecting the truth of some particular
propositions, in the understanding, but
there cannot be acknowledgment amount-
ing to faith, unless there be consent in the
will: thus faith and life must ever
hand in hand. Hence then it is evident,
that so far as any one shuns evils as sins,
so far he hath faith, and is spiritual.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
67
That the decalogue teaches what evils are
sins.
53. WHAT nation on earth does not
know that it is evil to steal, to commit
adultery, to do murder, and to bear false
witness? Unless this was known, and
the prevention of such evils was effected
by laws, mankind must needs utterly per-
ish, for no society, commonwealth, or
kingdom, could subsist without such laws.
Who can canceive that the Israelitish na-
tion was so much more ignorant than
others, as not to know this? It must
needs therefore be matter of surprise with
many, that those laws, so universally
known throughout the earth, should be
promulgated from mount Sinai, by Jeho-
vah himself, in so miraculous a manner.
But understand the reason of this; the
miraculous promulgation of those laws
was designed to shew, that they were not
only civil and moral laws, but also spiri-
tual laws, and that to act contrary to them
was not only doing evil to a fellow-citi-
zen and to society, but was also sinning
against God; wherefore those laws, in
consequence of their promulgation from
mount Sinai by Jehovah, were made laws
68
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
of religious obligation; for it is evident,
that whatever Jehovah God commands,
must be with a view to stamp such reli-
gious obligation upon the thing command-
ed, and to shew, that it ought to be done
for his sake, and for the sake of man's
salvation.
54. Inasmuch as those laws were the
first fruits [primitia] of the Word, and
consequently the first fruits of the church
which was about to be established by the
Lord amongst the people of Israel, and
inasmuch as they contained a brief sum-
mary of all things relating to religion,
whereby the conjunction of the Lord with
man, and of man with the Lord, is effect-
ed, therefore they were so holy that no-
thing could be more so.
55. That they were most holy, may
appear from the following considerations,
that Jehovah himself, that is, the Lord,
descended upon mount Sinai, in fire, and
attended with angels, and thence promul-
gated them with a loud voice, and that
the people prepared themselves for three
days to see and hear; that the mountain
was fenced about, lest any one should ap-
proach and die; that those laws were
written on two tables of stone by the fin-
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
69
ger of God; that the face of Moses shone,
when he brought them down the second
time from the mountain; that they were
afterwards deposited in an ark, and the
ark in the inmost part of the tabernacle ;
and that over the ark was set the mercy-
seat, and over the mercy-seat cherubs of
gold; that this inmost part of the taber-
nacle was accounted most holy, and was
called the holy of holies; that without the
vail, within which was this most holy
place, were laid the things which repre-
sented the holies of heaven and of the
church, as the candlestick with the seven
sconces of gold, the golden altar of in-
cense, and the table overlaid with gold,
on which was the shew bread, with cur-
tains of fine linen, purple, and scarlet.
The sanctity of the whole tabernacle ori-
ginated solely in the law which was in
the ark. By reason of the sanctity of the
tabernacle thus originating from the law
in the ark, it was enjoined that all the
people of Israel should encamp around it
in order according to their tribes, and
should journey in order after it, at which
times there was over it a cloud by day,
and a fire by night by reason of the
sanctity of that law, and the presence of
TO
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
the Lord therein, the Lord discoursed
with Moses over the mercy-seat between
the cherubs, and the ark was called Jeho-
vah There for the same reason also it
was not lawful for Aaron to enter within
the vail, except with sacrifices and in-
cense. Inasmuch as that law was the es-
sential sanctity of the church, therefore
the ark was introduced into Zion by Da-
vid; and was afterwards deposited in the
middle of the temple of Jerusalem, and
constituted its most sacred place. By
reason of the Lord's presence in that
law and around it, miracles were always
wrought by the ark in which that law was
contained, as when the waters of Jordan
were divided, and so long as the ark rest-
ed in the middle, the people passed over
on dry ground; and as when the walls of
Jericho fell down in consequence of car-
rying the ark about them; and as when
Dagon the God of the Philistines fell
down before it, and afterwards was found
lying at the threshold of the temple with
his head separated from the trunk; and
as when the Bethshemites were smitten
because of the ark, to the number of sev-
eral thousands; not to mention other
miracles of a like nature, all which were
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
71
}
in consequence of the Lord's presence in
his ten words, which are the command-
ments of the decalogue.
56. A further ground of the power and
sanctity of that law was, because it was
a complex of all things appertaining to
religion; for it consisted of two tables,
one of which contains all things which
are on God's part, and the other all things
which are on the part of man: therefore
the precepts of that law are called the
ten words, because ten signify all things.
But how that law was a complex of all
things appertaining to religion, will be
seen in the following article.
57. Inasmuch as the Lord's conjunc-
tion with man, and man's with the Lord,
is effected by that law, therefore it is
called the COVENANT and the TESTIMONY;
covenant because it effects conjunction,
and testimony because it testifies conjunc-
tion, for covenant signifies conjunction,
and testimony signifies the testification or
witnessing thereof. It was for this rea-
son that there were two tables, one for
the Lord, the other for man. Conjunc-
tion is effected by and from the Lord,
but it is then only effected, when man
does those things which are written in his
12
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
table; for the Lord is continually present,
and operative, and is desirous to enter,
but it is man's part and duty to open by
virtue of the freedom which he has from
the Lord; for the Lord saith, "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if any one
hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and sup with him, and he
with me." Rev. iii. 20.
58. In the other table, which is for
man, it is not said what good he should
do, but what evil he should not do, as
that he should not kill, that he should not
commit adultery, that he should not steal,
that he should not bear false witness, that
he should not covet; the reason is, be-
cause man cannot do any thing good
from himself, but when he ceases to do
evils, then he does good, not from himself,
but from the Lord. That man is able to
shun evils as from himself, by virtue of
the Lord's power, if he implores it, will
be seen in what follows.
59, What was said above, n. 55, con-
cerning the promulgation, sanctity, and
power of the law of the decalogue, ap-
pears from the following passages in the
Word.
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73
That Jehovah descended upon mount
Sinai in fire, and that the mount then
smoked and shook, and that there were
thunderings, lightnings, and a thick cloud,
and the voice of a trumpet, may be seen,
Exod. xix. 16, 18. Deut. iv. 11. Chap.
v. 19 to 23.
That the people prepared themselves
for three days previous to the descent of
Jehovah, may be seen, Exod. xix. 10,
11, 15.
That the mountain was fenced about,
to prevent any one from approaching to
the bottom of it, lest he should die; and
that not even the priests, but Moses alone
was to approach, may be seen, Exod.
xix. 12, 13, 20 to 23. Chap. xxiv. 1, 2.
That the law was promulgated from
mount Sinai, may be seen, Exod. xx. 2
to 14. Deut. v. 6 to 18
That the law was written on two tables
of stone with the finger of God, may be
seen, Exod. xxxi. 18. Chap. xxxii. 15,
16. Deut. ix. 10.
That the face of Moses did shine, when
he brought the tables down from the
mount the second time, may be seen,
Exod. xxxiv. 29 to 35.
74
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
That the tables were laid up in an ark,
may be seen, Exod. xxv. 16. Chap. xl.
20. Deut. x. 5. 1 Kings viii. 9.
That over the ark was set the mercy-
seat, and over the mercy-seat cherubs of
gold, may be seen, Exod. xxv. 17 to 21.
That the ark, with the mercy-seat and
cherubs, constituted the inmost of the
tabernacle, and that the golden candle-
stick, the golden altar of incense, and the
table overlaid with gold on which was
the shew-bread, constituted the exterior
part of the tabernacle; and that the ten
curtains of fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
constituted its outermost part, may be
seen Exod. xxv. 1 to the end. Chap.
xxvi. 1 to the end. Chap. xl. 17 to 28.
That the place, where the ark was, was
called the holy of holies. Exod. xxvi.
33.
That all the people of Israel encamped
around the tabernacle in order according
to their tribes, and journeyed in order
after it, Numbers ii. I to the end.
That at such times there was over the
tabernacle a cloud by day, and fire by
night, Exod. xl. 38. Numb. ix. 15, 16
to the end. Chap. xiv. 14. Deut. i. 33.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
75
That the Lord discoursed with Moses
over the ark between the cherubs, Exod.
xv. 22. Numb. vii. 89.
That the ark, by reason of the law con-
tained in it, was called Jehovah There,
for Moses said, when the ark went for-
ward, Arise Jehovah, and when it rested,
Return Jehovah, Numb. x. 35, 36. 2
Sam. vi. 2. Psalm cxxxij 8.
That by reason of the sanctity of that
law, it was not lawful for Aaron to enter
within the veil, except with sacrifices and
incense. Levit. xvi. 2 to 14.
That the ark was introduced into Zion
by David with sacrifices and rejoicing.
2 Sam. vi. 1 to 19; and that Uzza died,
because he touched it, verses 6, 7 of the
same chapter.
That the ark was placed in the middle
of the temple at Jerusalem, where it con-
stituted the most sacred place. 1 Kings
vi. 19. Chap. viii. 3 to 9.
That by reason of the Lord's presence
and power in the law which was in the
ark, the waters of Jordan were divided,
and so long as the ark rested in the midst,
the people passed over on dry ground.
Josh. iii. 1 to 17. Chap. iv. 5 to 20.
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THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
That the walls of Jericho fell down in
consequence of carrying the ark about
them, Josh. vi. 1 to 20.
That Dagon, the God of the Philistines,
fell to the earth before the ark, and after-
wards was found lying on the threshold
of the temple with his head separated
from the trunk. 1 Sam. v. 3, 4.
That the Bethshemites, by reason of
the ark, were smitten to the number of
several thousands. 1 Sam. vi. 19.
60. That the tables of stone, on which
the law was written, were called tables of
the covenant, and that the ark, by reason
thereof, was called the ark of the cove-
nant, and that the law itself was called the
covenant, may be seen, Num. x. 33.
Deut. iv. 13, 23. Chap. v. 2, 3. Chap.
ix. 9. Josh. iii. 11. 1 Kings viii. 19, 21.
Rev. xi. 19; and in many other places.
The reason why the law was called cove-
nant, is, because covenant signifies con-
junction; wherefore it is said of the Lord,
that "he should be for a covenant to the
people." Isaiah xlii. 6. Chap. xlix. 8
and he is called "the Angel of the cove-
nant." Mal. iii. 1; and his blood "the
blood of the covenant.” Matt. xxvi. 28.
Zech. ix. 11. Exod. xxiv. 4 to 10; and
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
for the same reason the Word is called
the old covenant and the new covenant.
Covenants also are made with a view to
love, friendship, consociation, and conse-
quently conjunction.
61. That the precepts of that law were
called the ten words, may be seen, Exod.
xxxiv. 28. Deut. iv. 13. Chap. x. 4;
they are so called, because ten signify all,
and words signify truths; for there were
more than ten. Inasmuch as ten signi-
fies all, therefore the curtains of the tab-
ernacle were ten, Exod. xxiv. 1; and
therefore the Lord said, that a man about
to receive a kingdom called ten servants
and gave them ten pounds to trade with,
Luke xix. 13; for the same reason he
likened the kingdom of the heavens to
ten virgins, Matt. xxv. 1; for the same
reason the dragon is described as having
ten horns, Rev. xii. 3; in like manner
the beast coming up out of the sea, Rev.
xiii. 1; and also the beast in Daniel, chap.
vii. 7, 20, 24. The like is signified by
ten, Levit. xxvi. 26. Zech. viii. 23;
and in other places. Hence come tenths,
by which is signified somewhat out of all.
**
00
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
That murders, adulteries, theft, false wit-
ness, of every kind, with the concupi-
scence prompting thereto, are evils,
which ought to be shunned as sins.
62. It is well known that the law of
Sinai was written on two tables, and that
the first table contains those things which
are of God, and the other those things
which are of man. That the first table
contains all things which are of God, and
the other all things which are of man,
does not appear in the letter; neverthe-
less all things are therein, and therefore
they are called the ten words, by which
are signified all truths in the complex, as
may be seen above, n. 61; but in what
manner all things are therein, cannot be
explained in a few words; it may how-
ever be comprehended from what was
adduced in the Doctrine concerning the
Sacred Scripture, n. 67. Hence it is,
that it is said, murders, adulteries, thefts,
and false witness, of every kind.
63. A religious persuasion has prevail-
ed, that no one can fulfil the law; and the
law is, not to kill, not to commit adultery,
not to steal, not to bear false witness:
every civil and moral man by civil and
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
79
moral life may fulfil these precepts of the
law, but to fulfil them under the influence
of spiritual life, according to the above
persuasion, is impossible. Hence it fol-
lows, that the motive to the obedience of
those precepts is only to avoid punish-
ment, and loss in this world, and not to
avoid punishment and loss in another
world; and hence it is, that with whom-
soever the above persuasion prevails, those
crimes which the law forbids are thought
lawful in the sight of God, but unlawful
in the sight of men. It is owing to this
religious persuasion, that man remains in
the concupiscence of all the above evils,
and is only restrained from the outward
commission of them by worldly consider-
ations; therefore such a person after
death, although he had not committed
murder, adultery, theft, and false witness,
is still in the concupiscence thereof, and
also commits them in the outward act,
when the external [part or principle,]
which he had in the world, is taken away
from him; for all concupiscence remains.
with man after death; and hence it is,
that they who have not restrained the
concupiscence of evil, during their abode
in the world, are united with hell in act,
80
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
and must needs have their lot with those.
who are in hell. But the case is differ-
ent with those, who restrain the concupi-
scence of murder, of adultery, of theft,
and of false witness, because to commit
such evils is contrary to the law of God;
these, after enduring some combat against
the forbidden evil, lose at length all incli-
nation, consequently all concupiscence
leading to the commission of it, saying in
their hearts that it is sin, in its essence
infernal and diabolical: these, after death,
when the external [part or principle]
which they had in the world is taken
away, are one with heaven in act, and
being in the Lord, they are admitted into
heaven.
64. It is a common maxim in every
religion, that man ought to examine him-
self, to do the work of repentance, and
to desist from sins, and that in case he
does not this, he is in a state of damna-
tion; that this is a general maxim taught
by all religion, may be seen above, n. 4,
5, 6, 7, 8. It is also a universal maxim
prevailing throughout the Christian world,
that the decalogue ought to be taught, and
that children should be initiated thereby
into the Christian religion, for the deca-
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
81
logue is put into the hands of all young
children; they are also taught by their
parents and masters, that to do the evils
forbidden in the decalogue is to sin
against God; yea, the parents and mas-
ters are convinced thereof, whilst they
are instructing their children. How sur-
prising then is it, that these same parents
and masters, and also their children when
they grow up, should conceive that they
are not under that law of the decalogue,
and that they cannot do the things pre-
scribed in that law! and can there be any
other ground or reason for such a conceit,
but that they love the forbidden evils,
and in consequence love the falses which
favour them? These therefore are they,
who do not make the precepts of the
decalogue precepts of religion. That the
same persons live without religion, will
be seen in the DOCTRINE CONCERNING
FAITH.
65. All nations on the face of the earth,
who have any religion, are in possession
of precepts similar to those contained in
the decalogue; and all they who live ac-
cording thereto, from a religious principle,
are saved; but all, who do not live ac-
cording thereto from a religious principle
$2
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE.
are damned. They who live according
thereto from a religious principle, being
instructed after death by angels, receive
truths, and acknowledge the Lord; the
reason is, because they shun evils as sins,
and hence are principled in good, and
good loves truth, and receives it from a
love-desire, as was shewn above, n. 32
to 41. This is meant by the Lord's
words to the Jews, "The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and be given
to a nation bringing forth fruits," Matt.
xxi. 43; and also by these words, "When
the Lord of the vineyard cometh, he shall
destroy the wicked, and shall let out his
vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall
render him the fruits in their season,'
Matt. xxi. 40, 41; and by these, "I say
""
unto you that many shall come from the
east and the west, and from the north and
the south, and shall sit down in the king-
dom of God; but the sons of the kingdom
shall be cast into outer darkness." Matt.
viii. 11, 12. Luke xiii. 29.
66. We read in Mark, that " a certain
rich person came to Jesus, and asked him
what he should do to inherit eternal life ?"
To whom Jesus replied, "Thou knowest
the commandment, thou shalt not commit
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
83
adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt
not bear false witness, thou shalt not steal,
honour thy father and mother :" he an-
swering said, "All these things I have
kept from my youth:" Jesus looked at
him and loved him: he said nevertheless,
"One thing thou lackest, go thy way, sell
whatsoever thou hast, and give to the
poor, thus thou shalt have treasure in the
heavens, and come, take up the cross,
and follow me." x. 17 to 22. It is said
that Jesus loved him, and this because he
said he had kept those commandments
from his youth; but whereas he lacked
three things, viz. that he had not remov-
ed his heart from riches, that he had not
fought against concupiscences, and that
he had not as yet acknowledged the Lord
to be God, therefore the Lord said unto
him, that he should sell all that he had,
whereby is meant, that he should remove
his heart from riches; that he should take
up the cross, whereby is meant, that he
should fight against concupiscences; and
that he should follow Him, by which is
meant, that he should acknowledge the
Lord to be God. The Lord here spake, as
in all other cases, by correspondences; see
the Doctrine concerning the Sacred Scrip-
84
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
ture, n. 17. For no one can shun evils
as sins, unless he acknowledges the Lord,
and approaches him, and unless he fights
against evils, and thus removes concupi-
scences. But more will be said on this
subject in the article concerning combats
against evils.
That so far as any one shuns murders of
every kind as sins, so far he has love
towards his neighbour.
67. By murders of every kind are un-
derstood also enmities, hatreds, and re-
venges of every kind, which breathe a
murderous purpose; for therein murder
lies hid, as fire under embers; the infer-
nal fire is nothing else but such a murder-
ous spirit, and it is from this ground that
men are said to burn with hatred and
revenge; these are murders in a natural
sense; but by murders in a spiritual sense
are meant all the methods of killing and
destroying the souls of men, which are
various and manifold: but by murder in
a supreme sense is meant to hate the
Lord. These three kinds of murder
make one, and cohere together, for who-
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
85
ever is disposed to kill the body of man
in this world, is also disposed after death
to kill the soul of man, and even to
destroy the Lord, for he burns with anger
against the Lord, and is desirous to put
out his name.
68. These kinds of murders lie con-
cealed inwardly with man from his birth,
but still he is taught from his infancy to
cover them over with civility and morali-
ty, which he must needs practise in his
conversation with mankind, and so far
as he loves honour or gain, so far he is
watchful over himself lest his murderous
inclinations should appear; this is effected
by man with respect to his external part,
whilst nevertheless his internal consists of
the above kinds of murders: such is the
real nature and quality of man in himself.
Now whereas he lays aside his external
part with the body when he dies, and re-
tains his internal, it is evident what a
devil he must become, unless he be re-
formed.
69. Inasmuch as the aforesaid kinds of
murders lie concealed inwardly with man
from his birth, as was observed above,
and together with them thefts of every
kind, and false witness of every kind,
8
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THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
with the concupiscences prompting there-
to, concerning which more will be said
presently, it is evident, that unless the
Lord had provided means of reformation,
man must needs have perished eternally.
The means of reformation which the
Lord has provided are these; that man
is born in mere ignorance; that whilst an
infant he is kept in a state of external inno-
cence; soon after in a state of external
charity, and then in a state of external
friendship; but as he comes into the ex-
ercise of the thinking principle, by virtue
of his understanding, he is kept in a cer-
tain freedom of acting according to rea-
son; this is the state which was described
above, n. 19, and which we shall here
transcribe with a view to what follows;
it runs thus:
"Man, during his abode in the world,
is in the midst between heaven and hell
beneath is hell, and above is heaven, and
at the same time he is kept in the liberty
of turning himself either to hell or hea-
ven; if he turns himself to hell, he turns
himself away from heaven, but if he turns
himself to heaven, he turns himself away
from hell. Or, what is the same thing,
man, during his abode in the world,
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87
stands in the midst between the Lord and
the devil, and is kept in the liberty of
turning himself to one or the other; if he
turns himself to the devil, he turns him-
self away from the Lord, but if he turns
himself to the Lord, he turns himself
away from the devil. Or, what is the
same thing, man, during his abode in the
world, is in the midst between evil and
good, and is kept in the liberty of turning
himself either to the one or to the other ;
if he turns himself to evil, he turns him-
self away from good, but if he turns him-
self to good, he turns himself away from
evil." See the same above, n. 19; see
also n. 20, 21, 22.
70. Inasmuch then as evil and good
are two opposites, in all respects like hell
and heaven, or like the devil and the
Lord, it follows, that if man shuns evil as
sin he comes into the good opposite to
the evil; the good opposite to the evil
which is meant by murder is the good of
neighbourly love.
71. Inasmuch as this good and that
evil are opposites, it follows, that the lat-
ter is removed by the former; two oppo-
sites cannot abide together, as heaven and
hell cannot abide together: suppose them
S$
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
to be together, there would result that
lukewarm state, of which it is written in
the Revelation, "I know that thou art
neither cold nor hot; I wish thou wert
cold or hot; but because thou art luke-
warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spue thee out of my mouth." iii. 15, 16.
72. When man is no longer in the evil
of murder, but in the good of love to-
wards his neighbour, then whatsoever he
does is the good of that love, consequent-
ly is a good work. A priest, for example,
who is principled in that good, as often
as he teaches and leads his flock, does a
good work, because he acts from a love
of saving souls. A magistrate also, who
is principled in that good, as often as he
executes the laws of order and justice,
does a good work, because he acts from
a love of his country, of the society to
which he belongs, and of his fellow-citi-
zens. A merchant in like manner, if he
be principled in that good, does a good
work in all his concerns of merchandise,
being influenced therein by the love of
his neighbour, that is, of his country, of
the society to which he belongs, of his
follow-citizens, and also of his domestics,
who are his real neighbours, and for whose
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
80
good he provides whilst he is providing
for his own good. A common labourer
also, who is principled in that good, la-
bours faithfully under its influence, for
others as for himself, fearing his neigh-
bour's loss as his own. The reason why
all the deeds done by such are good
works, is, because so far as any one shuns
evil, so far he does good, according to
the general law above stated, n. 21; and
he who shuns evil as sin, does good not
from himself, but from the Lord, n. 18
to 31. It is otherwise with him, who
does not regard murders of every kind as
sins, whether they be enmities, hatreds,
revenges, and other evils of a like nature;
whatever is done by such a person, be he
a priest, or a magistrate, or a merchant,
or a common labourer, is not a good work,
because every work done by such an one
partakes of the evil which is inwardly in
him, for his internal [part or principle] is
what produces or gives birth to the work,
the external whereof may possibly be
good, but for others, not for himself.
73. The Lord gives instruction con-
cerning the good of love in many passages
in the Word, and teaches it particularly
in Matthew by reconciliation with our
8*
90
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
}
neighbour in these words, "If thou offer-
est thy gift upon the altar, and there re-
memberest that thy brother hath any thing
against thee; leave there thy gift before the
altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to
thy brother, then come and offer thy gift;
agree with thine adversary whilst thou art
in the way with him, lest the adversary de-
liver thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast
into prison: verily I say unto thee, thou
shalt not come forth thence, until thou hast
paid the uttermost farthing." Chap. v.
23 to 26. To be reconciled to a brother
is to shun enmity, hatred, and revenge;
that it is to shun such evils as sins, is evi-
dent. The Lord also teaches in Matthew,
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do
unto you, even so do unto them, for this is
the law and the prophets," vii. 12; con-
sequently evil should not be done; not
to mention many other passages to the
same purport. The Lord also teaches
that murder consists in being angry with
a brother or a neighbour without a cause,
and in accounting him as an enemy. Matt.
v. 21,
22.
1
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
91
That so far as any one shuns adulteries
of every kind as sins, so far he loves
chastity.
74. By adultery, in the seventh com-
mandment of the decalogue, in a natural
sense, is not only meant whoredom, but
also all obscene acts, all wanton discourse,
and all filthy unclean thoughts; but by
committing adultery in a spiritual sense
is meant, to adulterate the good things of
the Word, and to falsify its truth; and in
a supreme sense, by committing adultery
is meant to deny the Lord's divinity and
to profane the Word: these are the sev-
eral kinds of adultery. The natural man,
by means of his rational light, may know,
that by adultery is meant every obscene
act, all wanton discourse, and every filthy
thought; but he does not know that by
committing adultery is also meant, to adul
terate the good things of the Word, and
to falsify its truths; and still less that it
means the denying the Lord's divinity
and profaning the Word; hence he does
not know, that adultery is so great an
evil, that it may be called essentially di-
abolical; for whosoever is principled in
natural adultery, is also in spiritual adul-
tery, and vice versa; that this is the case,
92
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
will be demonstrated in a particular trea-
tise concerning marriage. But they are
at once in adulteries of every kind, who
by virtue of faith and life do not make
adulteries sins.
75. The reason why so far as any one
shuns adultery, so far he loves marriage,
or what is the same thing, so far as any
one shuns the lasciviousness of adultery,
so far he loves the chastity of marriage,
is, because the lasciviousness of adultery
and the chastity of marriage are two op-
posites, wherefore so far as man is not
in one, so far he is in the other. The
case in this respect is as was described
above, n. 70.
76. It is impossible for any one to know
what is the chastity of marriage, unless
he shuns the lasciviousness of adultery as
sin; a man may know that in which he
is, but he cannot know that in which he
is not; if he knows any thing, in which
he is not, by description, or by thinking
about it, still he knows it only as in a
shade of obscurity, and involved in doubt;
wherefore he does not see it in a clear
light, and extricated from doubt, until he
is in it; in the latter case therefore he
knows, but in the former case he may he
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
93
said to know, and not to know. The
truth is, that the lasciviousness of adul-
tery and the chastity of marriage com-
pared with each other are like hell and
keaven compared with each other, and
that the lasciviousness of adultery makes
hell with man, and the chastity of mar-
riage makes heaven with him. The chas-
tity of marriage however is not given to
abide with any one, unless he shuns the
lasciviousness of adultery as sin: see be-
low, n. 111.
77. From what has been said it may
without ambiguity be concluded and seen,
whether a man be a Christian or not, yea,
whether he has any religion or not: for
whosoever by virtue of faith and life does
not make adulteries sins, he is not a
Christian, neither has he any religion.
But on the other hand, whosoever shuns
adulteries as sins, especially if he has an
aversion thereto in consideration of their
being sins, and still more if he abominates
them on that account, he has religion,
and if he be in the christian church, he
is a Christian. But more will be seen on
this subject in the treatise concerning
Marriage. In the mean time see what is
said upon it in the treatise on Heaven
and Hell, n. 366 to 380.
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THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
78. That by adulteries are also meant
obscene acts, loose, wanton discourse, and
filthy thoughts, appears plain from the
Lord's words in Matthew, " Ye have
heard that it hath been said by them of old
time, thou shalt not commit adultery ; but
I say unto you, that whosoever shall look
upon a woman to lust after her, hath
already committed adultery with her in his
heart." v. 27, 28.
79. That by committing adultery, in a
spiritual sense, is meant to adulterate the
good of the Word, and to falsify its truth,
appears from the following passages, "Ba-
bylon hath made all nations drink of the
wine of her fornication." Rev. xiv. 8.
“The angel said, I will shew thee the
judgment of the great whore, that sitteth
upon many waters, with whom the kings
of the earth have committed whoredom."
Rev. xvii. 1, 2. "All nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth have committed
whoredom with her. Rev. xviii. 3. "God
hath judged the great whore, who corrupt-
ed the earth with her whoredom. Rev.
xix. 2. Whoredom is spoken of in regard
to Babylon, because by Babylon are
meant those, who arrogate to themselves
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95
the divine power of the Lord, and pro-
fane the Word by adulterating and falsi-
fying it; wherefore also Babylon is call-
ed "the mother of whoredoms and of abom-
inations of the earth." Rev. xvii. 5. The
same is signified by whoredom in the pro-
phets, as in Jeremiah, "I have seen an
horrible thing in the prophets of Jeru-
salem; they commit adultery and walk
in lies." xxiii. 14. So in Ezechiel,
“Two women, the daughters of one
mother, committed whoredom in Egypt;
they committed whoredom in their youth:
one committed whoredom under me; she
doated on her lovers the Assyrians her
neighbours; she committed her whoredoms
upon them; yet she forsook not her whore-
doms in Egypt. The other corrupted her
love more than the former, and her whore-
doms more than the whoredoms of her
sister; she added to her whoredoms; she
loved the Chaldeans; the sons of Babel
[Babylon] came to her to the bed of love, and
polluted her by their whoredom,” xxiii. 2
to 17; these words relate to the Israelit-
ish and Jewish church, which are called
the daughters of one mother; by their
whoredoms are meant the adulterations
and falsifications of the Word; and
96
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
whereas in the Word by Egypt is signi-
fied science, by Assyria reasoning, by
Chaldea the profanation of truth, and by
Babel the profanation of good, therefore it
is said that they committed whoredoms with
those nations. The like is said in Eze-
chiel concerning Jerusalem, whereby is
signified the church as to doctrine, "Thou
didst trust to thy beauty, and commit-
tedst whoredom because of thy renown,
so that thou pouredst out thine whoredoms
on every one that passed by; thou hast
committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt
thy neighbours, great in flesh, and hast
multiplied thy whoredom; thou hast com-
mitted whoredom with the sons of the
Assyrian; and when thou wast not satisfied
with those with whom thou committedst
whoredom, thou multipliedst thy whoredom
even to Chaldea, the land of merchandise;
an adulterous woman hath received stran-
gers, instead of her husband; all give a
reward to their whores; but thou hast giv-
en rewards to all thy lovers, that they may
come to thee in thy circuit in thy whore-
doms: wherefore, O harlot, hear the word
of Jehovah," xvi. 15, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33,
35; that by Jerusalem is meant the church,
may be seen in the DOCTRINE Concerning
the LORD, n. 62, 63; the like is signifi-
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
97
ed by whoredoms in Isaiah, chap. xxiii. 17.
Chap. lvii. 3; and in Jeremiah, chap. ii.
2, 6, 8, 9. Chap. v. 1, 7. Chap. xiii.
27. Chap. xxix. 23; and in Micah,
chap. i. 7; and in Nahum, chap. iii. 4;
and in Hosea, chap. iv. 10, 11; and in
Levit. xxv. 5 ; and in Numbers xiv. 33.
Chap. xv. 39: and in other places. For
the same reason also the Jewish nation
was called by the Lord "an adulterous
generation." Matt. xii. 39. Chap. xvi. 4.
Mark. viii. 38.
That so far as any one shuns thefts of
every kind as sins, so far he loves
sincerity.
:
80. By stealing in a natural sense is
not only meant to steal and to rob, but
also to defraud, and under any pretence
to take away from another the good things
which belong to him but by stealing
in a spiritual sense is meant, to deprive
another of the truths of his faith, and
of the good things of his charity: where-
as by stealing, in a supreme sense, is
meant, to take away from the Lord what
is his, whilst man attributes to himself
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98
THE DOCTRIE OF LIFE
what belongs to the Lord, and thus claims
to himself righteousness and merit: these
are thefts of every kind, and they also
make one, as adulteries of every kind, and
murders of every kind, spoken of above :
the reason why they make one is, because
one is in the other.
81. The evil of theft enters deeper in-
to man than any other evil, because it is
joined together with deceit and cunning;
and deceit and cunning insinuate them-
selves ever. into the spiritual mind of man,
in which is his thinking principle with the
understanding. That man has a spiritual
mind and a natural mind, will be seen
below.
82. The reason why man loves sin-
cerity so far as he shuns theft as sin, is,
because theft is also fraud, and fraud and
sincerity are two opposites; therefore
so far as any one is not in fraud, so far
he is in sincerity.
83. By sincerity is also meant integ-
rity, justice, faithfulness, and uprightness :
man cannot be principled in these virtues
from himself, so as to love them by and
for the sake of them; but whosoever
shuns frauds, deceits, and cunning as sins,
he becomes thereby principled in those
virtues, not from himself, but from the
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
99
Lord, as was shewn above, n. 18 to 32.
This is true in regard to every one in
his station and office, as in regard to a
priest, to a magistrate, to a judge, to a
trader, and to a common labourer.
84. The same appears from many pas-
sages of the Word, as from the following,
"Whosoever walketh in righteousness, and
speaketh uprightnesses; whosoever hat-
eth oppressions for gain, and shaketh his
hands from holding gifts; who stoppeth
his ears from hearing bloods; and shut-
teth his eyes lest they should see evil; he
shall dwell in heights." Isaiah xxxiii. 15,
16. "Jehovah, who shall dwell in thy tent,
who shall inhabit in the mountain of thy
holiness? He that walketh upright and
doeth righteousness, he doth not backbite
with his tongue, nor do evil to his com-
panion." Pslam xv. 1, 2, 3.
"Mine
eyes are upon the faithful of the earth,
that they may sit with me: he that walketh
in the way of the upright, he shall minister
unto me. He that worketh deceit shall
not dwell within mine house; he that
speaketh lies shall not stand in my sight.
I will early destroy all the wicked of the
land, to cut off from the city all that
work iniquity." Psalm ci. 6, 7, 8.
!
100
THE DOCTRINES OF LIFE
That every one is insincere, unjust,
unfaithful, and not upright, unless he be
inwardly sincere, just, faithful, and upright,
the Lord teaches in these words, "Except
your righteousness shall exceed that of the
Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of the heavens." Matt. v. 20.
By the righteousness which exceeds that
of the Scribes and Pharisees is meant in-
terior righteousness, in which man is
principled who is in the Lord. That
man ought to be; in the Lord, he himself
teaches in John: "The glory which thou
hast given me I have given them, that they
may be one, as we are one, I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be perfect in one;
and that the love, with which thou hast lov-
ed me, may be in them, and I in them,'
xvii. 22, 23, 26; from which it is evi-
dent, that they are perfect when the Lord
is in them. These are they who are cal-
led "the pure in heart, who shall see God;
and perfect as their father in the heavens."
Matt. v. 8, 48.
85. It was said above, n. 81, that the
evil of theft enters deeper with man than
any other evil, because it is joined togeth-
er with deceit and cunning, and deceit
and cunning insinuate themselves even
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
101
into the mind of the spiritual man, in
which is his thinking principle with the
understanding; wherefore it may be ex-
pedient here to say somewhat concerning
the MIND of man. That the mind of man
is his understanding and will together
may be seen above, n. 43.
86. Man has a natural mind and a
spiritual mind; the natural mind is be-
neath, and the spiritual mind is above:
the natural mind is the mind of his world,
and the spiritual mind is the mind of
his heaven.* The natural mind may
be called animal mind, but the spiritual
mind human mind; man is also distin-
guished from a mere animal by this, that
he has a spiritual mind whereby he has
* It was a doctrine amongst the ancient phi-
losophers, that man is a MICROCOSM, or little
world, in which the great world is pourtrayed in
miniature. Thus, as in the great world there
is an inward or spiritual world, and an outward
or natural world, so it is with the little world of
man; his inward or spiritual part is what is here
called his heaven, and his outward or natural part
is what our author calls his world: each of these
parts has its respective mind, or ruling spirit;
and it is according to this idea, that man's natur-
al mind is here called by the author the mind of
his world, or outward part, and his spiritual mind
the mind of his heaven, or of his inward part.
9*
102
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
a capacity of being in heaven during his
abode in the world: it is likewise by vir-
tue of this mind that man lives after death.
Man has a capacity of being with his
understanding in the spiritual world, and
thence in heaven, but he cannot, with the
will, be in the spiritual world, and thence in
heaven, unless he shuns evils as sins;
and unless he be also with the will in
heaven, he is not in heaven, for the will
draws the understanding downwards, and
causes it to be alike animal and natural as
itself.
Man may be compared to a garden, the
understanding to light, and the will to
heat; a garden is in light, and not at the
same time in heat during winter, but it is
in light and heat together during summer:
man therefore, who is in the light of un-
derstanding alone, is as a garden in the
winter season; but he who is in the light
of the understanding and at the same time
in the warmth of the will, is as a garden
in the summer season. The understand-
ing also is wise by virtue of spiritual light,
and the will loves by virtue of spiritual
heat; for spiritual light is the divine wis-
dom, and spiritual heat is the divine love.
So long as man does not shun evils as
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103
sins, the concupiscences of evils close up
the interiors of the natural mind on the
part of the will, which are there as a dense
veil, and as a dark cloud beneath the
spiritual mind, and prevent the spiritual
from being opened but as soon as man
shuns evils as sins, then the Lord flows
in out of heaven, and removes the veil,
and disperses the cloud, and opens the
spiritual mind, and thereby lets man into
heaven.
So long as the concupiscences of evils
close up the interiors of the natural mind,
as was said, so long man is in hell; but as
soon as those concupiscences are dispersed
by the Lord, man is in heaven. Further;
so long as the concupiscences of evils.
close up the interiors of the natural mind,
so long man is merely natural; but as
soon as those concupiscences are dispersed
by the Lord, he becomes a spiritual man.
Again; so long as the concupiscences of
evils close up the interiors of the natural
mind, so long man is a mere animal, dif-
fering only in this, that he has power to
think and speak, even concerning such
things as he does not see with his eyes,
which is a consequence of the faculty he
enjoys of elevating his understanding into
104
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
the light of heaven; but as soon as those
concupiscences are dispersed by the Lord,
man becomes man, because he then
thinks what is true in the understanding
by virtue of what is good in the will.
Lastly; so long as the concupiscences of
evils close up the interiors of the natural
mind, so long manis as a garden in the win-
ter season; but as soon as those concu-
piscences are dispersed by the Lord, he is
like a garden in the time of summer.
The conjunction of the will and the un-
derstanding with man is meant in the
Word by heart and soul, and by heart
and spirit, as where it is said that “God
should be loved out of the whole heart
and out of the whole soul," Mat. xxii. 35;
and that "God would give a new heart,
and a new spirit," Ezech. xi. 19. Chap.
xxxvi. 26, 27; by heart is meant the will
and its love, and by soul, and by spirit,
the understanding and its wisdom.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
105
That so far as any one shuns false witness
of every kind as sin, so far he loves
truth.
87. By bearing false witness, in a na-
tural sense, is not only meant to act in the
character of a false witness, but also to
lie and to defame: by bearing false wit-
ness in a spiritual sense is meant, to assert
and endeavour to persuade others, that
what is false is true, and that what is evil
is good, and vice versa: but in a supreme
sense by bearing false witness is meant
to blaspheme the Lord and the Word:
this it is to bear false witness in a three-
fold sense.
That these several kinds
of false witness make one with every man
who acts as a false witness, who tells a lie,
and defames his neighbour, may appear
from what was shewn in the DOCTRINE
CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE,
in relation to the threefold sense of all that
is contained in the Word, n. 5, 6, 7, and
57.
SS. Inasmuch as a lie and truth are
two opposites, it follows, that so far as
any one shuns a lie as sin, so far he loves
truth.
106
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
89. So far as any one loves truth, so
far he is desirous to know it, and so far
he is in heart affected when he finds it;
nor can any other attain unto wisdom;
and so far as he loves to do the truth, so
far he is made sensible of the pleasantness
of the light in which the truth is. The
case is similar in respect to the subjects
spoken of above; as in respect to sincer-
ity and justice with him who shuns thefts
of every kind; in respect to chastity and
purity with him who shuns adulteries of
every kind; and in respect to love and
charity with him who shuns murders of
every kind, &c. But he who is in the
opposites knows nothing concerning these
virtues, when yet they contain every thing
that deserves the name of reality.
90. It is truth which is meant by seed
in the field, concerning which the Lord
speaks in these words, "A sower went
out to sow; and as he sowed, some fell by
the way side, which was trodden under
foot, and the fowls of heaven devoured it ;
and some fell upon stony ground, but as
soon as it was sprung up it withered away,
because it lacked moisture; and some fell
into the midst of thorns, and the thorns
sprang up with it and choked it; and
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
107
other fell upon good ground, and sprang
up, and bare fruit an hundred fold."
Luke viii. 5 to 8. Matt. xiii. 3 to 8.
Mark iv. 3 to 8. The sower here is
the Lord, and the seed is his Word, con-
sequently it is truth; the seed by the way-
side is with those who have no concern
about truths; the seed on stony ground
is with those who have a concern about
truth, but not for its own sake, conse-
quently who have no inward concern
about it; the seed in the midst of thorns
is with those who are in the concupiscences
of evil; but the seed in the good ground
is with those, who by virtue of the Lord's
influence love the truths contained in the
Word, and practise them in dependence
on the Lord, and thus bring forth fruit.
That this is the meaning of the parable,
appears from the Lord's explication of it,
Matt. xiii. 19 to 23.
Luke viii. 11 to 15.
that the truth of the
root with those, who have no concern
about truth: nor with those, who love
truth outwardly and not inwardly; nor
with those, who are in the concupiscences
of evil; but with those, in whom the con-
cupiscences of evil are dispersed by the
Mark iv. 14 to 20.
Hence it is evident
Word cannot take
108
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
Lord. Seed, that is truth, is rooted in
the last in their spiritual mind, concerning
which mind see above, n. 86.
91. It is a prevailing notion at this day,
that salvation consists in believing this or
that doctrine of the church, and has no
connexion with doing the commandments
of the decalogue, (which are, not to kill,
not to commit adultery, not to steal, not
to bear false witness, both in a confined
and extended sense,) for it is urged, that
works are not regarded, but faith from
God; when nevertheless the truth is, that
so far as any one is in those evils, so far
he is void of faith, as was shewn above, n.
42 to 52. For consult your reason, and
consider well, whether any murderer,
adulterer, thief, and false witness, so long
as he is in the concupiscence of such evils,
can have faith; and further, whether the
concupiscence of such evils can possibly be
otherwise dispersed than by not willing to
do them because they are sins, that is, be-
cause they are infernal and diabolical:
wherefore, whosoever supposes that sal-
vation consists in believing this or that
church doctrine, and is still in the concu-
piscence of murder, of adultery, of theft,
and of false witness, must needs come un-
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
109
der the description of that foolish one
mentioned by our Lord in Matthew, chap.
vii. 26. Such a church is thus described
in Jeremiah, "Stand in the gate of the
house of Jehovah, and proclaim there his
word: Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, the
God of Israel, Amend your ways and your
works; trust ye not in the words of a lie,
saying, The temple of Jehovah, the tem-
ple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah, are
these. Will ye steal, murder, and commit
adultery, and swear by a lie, and come
and stand before me in this house, on
which my name is named, and say, we are
delivered, whilst ye do those abominations?
Is this house become a den of robbers? Be-
hold, even I have seen, saith Jehovah."
vii. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11.
That it is not possible for any one to shun
evils as sins, so that he may hold them
inwardly in aversion, except by combats
against them.
92. Ir must appear plain to every one,
both from the Word and from doctrine
thence deduced, that the proprium, or
self of man, is by birth evil, and that
10
110
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
in consequence thereof, by innate con-
cupiscence, he loves evils, and is hurried
on to the commission of them, as to re-
venge, to fraud, to defamation, and adulte-
ry; and in case he does not think that they
are sins, and on that account resist them,
he commits them as often as opportunity
offers, if he can do it safely, without loss
of gain and reputation. Add to this, that
he has a delight in doing evil, unless he
be under religious influence.
93. Inasmuch as this proprium, or self
of man, constitutes the first root of his
life, it is evident what a tree man would
become, if that root should remain unex-
tirpated, and no new root should be im-
planted; he would be a rotten tree, of
which it is said that it is to be cut down
and cast into the fire. Matt. iii. 10. Chap.
vii. 19. This root is not removed, and
a new one implanted in its stead, unless
man regards the evils, which constitute
the root, as destructive to his soul, and on
that account is desirous to remove them;
but inasmuch as they appertain to his
proprium, and consequently are delight-
ful to him, he cannot remove them with-
out a degree of unwillingness, and of strug-
gle against them, and thus of combat.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
111
94. Every one who believes that there
is a hell and a heaven, and that heaven
is eternal felicity, and that hell is eternal
infelicity, and who believes further, that
they go to hell who commit evils, and
they to heaven who do what is good, is
brought into a state of combat; and he,
who is in combat, acts from an interior
principle, and in opposition to the essen-
tial concupiscence which constitutes the
root of evil; for whoever is engaged in
combat against any thing, does not will
or desire that thing, and to have concu-
piscence is to will and desire. Hence it
is evident, that the root of evil can be re-
moved only by combat against it.
95. So far therefore as any one fights
against evil, and thereby removes it, so
far good succeeds in its place, and by
virtue of good so far he looks evil in the
face, and then sees it to be infernal and
horrible; and having made this discovery,
he not only shuns it, but also holds it in
aversion, and at length abominates it.
96. The man who fights against evils,
must needs fight as from himself; other-
wise he does not fight, but stands like a
piece of clock-work, see.ng nothing and
acting nothing, in which state his thoughts.
112
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
having their ground in evil are directed in
favour of evil, and not against it. But still
it is well to be attended to, that the Lord
alone fights in man against evils, and that
it only appears to man as if he fought of
himself, and that the Lord is willing it
should apear so, inasmuch as without such
appearance there could be no combat,
and consequently no reformation.
97. Such combat is not grievous, ex-
cept to those who have given free and
deliberate indulgence to their concupis-
cences; and also to those, who have con-
firmed themselves in rejecting the holy
things of the Word and of the church;
to others it is not grievous; let them but
resist evils in intention only once in a
week, or a fortnight, and they will per-
ceive a change.
98. The Christian church is called the
church militant; and it can be called mil-
litant, for no other reason than as fight-
ing against the devil, consequently against
the evils which are from hell; for hell
is the devil. This combat consists in
the temptations which each member of
the church endures.
99. The combats against evils, which
are temptations, are treated of in many
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
113
places in the Word, and are understood
by these words of the Lord, "Verily I
say unto you, except a grain of wheat fall-
ing into the earth die, it abideth alone, but
if it die, it beareth much fruit," John xii.
24; and also by these, "Whosoever will
come after me, let him renounce himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me.
Whosoever will save his life shall lose it ;
but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
and the gospel, the same shall save it,"
Mark viii. 34, 35; by cross is understood
temptation, as also in Matt. x. 38. chap.
xvi. 24. Mark x. 21. Luke xiv. 27; by
life is meant the life of man's proprium
or selfhood, as also in Matt. x. 39. chap.
xvi. 25. Luke ix. 24; and particularly
John xii. 25; which is also the life of the
flesh that. profiteth nothing, John vi. 63.
Concerning combats against evils, and
victories over them, the Lord speaks to
the churches in the Revelation; as to the
CHURCH IN EPHESUS, "To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God," Rev. ii. 7; and to the CHURCH
IN SMYRNA, "He that overcometh shall
not be hurt by the second death," Rev. ii.
11; and to the CHURCH IN PERGAMOS,
11
114
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
"To him that overcometh will I give to
eat of the hidden manna, and will give
him a white stone, and on the stone a new
name written, which no one knoweth ex-
cept he that receiveth," Rev. ii. 17; and to
the CHURCH IN THYATIRA, "He that over-
cometh, and keepeth my works unto the
end, to him will I give power over the na-
tions, and I will give him the morning
star," Rev. ii. 26, 28; and to the CHURCH
IN SARDIS, "Him that overcometh will I
make a pillar in the temple of my God,
and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God,
the New Jerusalem, which cometh down
out of heaven from my God, and my new
name," Rev. iii. 12; and to the CHURCH
IN LAODICEA, "To him that overcometh
will I give to sit with me on my throne,”
Rev. iii. 27.
100. The subject of those combats,
which are temptations, may be seen par-
ticularly treated of in the DOCTRINE OF
THE NEW JERUSALEM, published in the
year 1758, from n. 187 to n. 201. Whence
they come, and the nature of them, may
be seen, n. 196, 197. How and when
they happen, n. 198. What good they
effect, n. 199. That the
Lord fights for
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
115
man, n. 200.
Concerning the Lord's
combats or temptations, n. 201.
That man ought to shun evils as sins,
and to fight against them as from him-
self.*
101. It is of the divine order that man
should act from a principle of freedom
• The author's distinction, that in avoiding
evils as sins, man ought to exert himself as of
HIMSELF, is more extensively instructive, than
might at first sight be appreliended, as it clearly
reconciles any seeming repugnance between those
two great truths, the continual influence of divine
goodness upon the human mind, and the free
agency of man, not from a liberty independent of
Him in whom he lives, moves and has his being,
but from a continual gift from the fountain of
all life and liberty;-so that he cannot trucly
be said to act OF HIMSELF, but AS OF HIMSELF ;—~
which distinction ascribes all the power and wis-
dom of his actions to God, and at the same time
supports the practical truths, that man ought to
exert himself in opposition to evil;-that he
ought to keep his heart with diligence, to make
his calling and election sure;—and that fortitude,
self-denial, repentance, diligence, and circum-
spection, are quite consistent with that continual
dependence on God, that trusting in his help and
preservation, and that devotedness to his will,
which is the reasonable service, and solid happi-
ness of the truly humble and pious Christian.
12
116
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
according to reason, inasmuch as this is
to act of himself. Nevertheless, these
two faculties, FREEDOM and REASON, are
not man's own, independent of the Lord,
but are his from the Lord; and so far as
he is man, they are not taken away from
him, inasmuch as without them he can-
not be reformed; for without them he
cannot do the work of repentance, he
cannot fight against evils and afterwards.
bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
Whereas, then, freedom and reason are
man's from the Lord, and man acts by those
principles, it follows, that he does not act
of himself, but as of himself.*
102. The Lord loves man, and is de-
sirous to dwell with him, nor can he love
him and dwell with him, unless he be re-
ceived and reciprocally loved; this is the
only possible ground of conjunction. For
this reason the Lord has given man free-
dom and reason, freedom to think and
will as from himself, and reason to di-
rect him in such thinking and willing.
It is not possible to love any one and be
* That man hath freedom from the Lord, may
be seen above, n. 19, 20; and in the Treatise on
HEAVEN and HELL, n. 589 to 596, and n 597 to
603. What freedom is, may be seen in the Doc-
TRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, n. 141 to 149.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
117
joined to him, unless there be somewhat
of reciprocal love and desire of conjunc-
tion on his part; nor is it possible to en-
ter into any one, and abide with him, un-
less there be reception. Inasmuch as re-
ception and reciprocality in man are from
the Lord, therefore the Lord saith, "Abide
in me, and I in you." John xv. 4. “He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same
beareth much fruit." John xv. 5.
66 In
that day ye shall know that ye are in me,
and I in you." John xiv. 20. That the
Lord is in the truths and good things
which man receives, and which abide
with him, he also teaches in these words,
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask whatsoever ye will, and it
shall be done unto you. If ye keep my com-
mandments, ye shall abide in my love."
John xv. 7, 10. "He that hath my com-
mandments, and doeth them, he it is that lov-
eth me, and I will love him and will make my
abode with him," John xiv. 21, 23; thus
the Lord dwells in his own with man, and
man in those things which are from the
Lord, and thus in the Lord.
103. Inasmuch as there is with man from
the Lord this reciprocality, and power
of application on his part, and conse-
13
118
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
quent mutual tendency to conjunction,
therefore the Lord saith, that man should
do the work of repentance, which no one
can do but as from himself; “ Jesus said,
Except ye do the work of repentance, ye
shall all perish." Luke xiii. 3, 5.
66 Je-
sus said, The kingdom of God is at hand,
do the work of repentance, and believe the
gospel." Mark i, 14, 15. "Jesus said, I am
come to call sinners to repentance." Luke v.
32. "Jesus said to the churches, Do the
work of repentance." Rev. ii. 5, 16, 21.
22. Chap. iii. 3; also, "They repented
not of their deeds." Rev. xvi. 11.
104. Inasmuch as there is with man
from the Lord this reciprocality, and pow-
er of application on his part, and conse-
quent mutual tendency to conjunction,
therefore the Lord injoins, that man
should do the commandments, and should
bring forth fruits, as in these words,
Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do
not what I say?" Luke vi. 46 to 49.
66
(6
If ye know these things, blessed are
ye if ye do them." John xiii. 17. "Ye
are my friends, if ye do what I command
you." John xv. 14. "Whosoever teacheth
and doeth, shall be called great in the king-
dom of the heavens." Matt v. 19. "Every
one that heareth my words and doeth them,
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
119
I will liken to a prudent man." Matt. vii.
24. "Bring forth fruits worthy of repen-
tance." Matt. iii. 8. "Make the tree good,
and its fruit good." xii. 33. "The king-
dom shall be given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof." xxi. 43. "Ev-
ery tree, which beareth not good fruit, is cut
down and cast into the fire," vii. 19;
not to mention many other passages to
the same purport; from which it is evi-
dent, that man ought to do good from
himself, but by the Lord's power, which
he should implore; and this is to do good
as of himself.
105. Inasmuch as there is with man
from the Lord this reciprocality and pow-
er of application on his part, and conse-
quent mutual tendency to conjunction,
therefore man is to render an account of his
works, and to be recompensed according
thereto; for the Lord saith, " The Son of
Man shall come and render to every one
according to his deeds." Matt. xvi. 27.
They who have done good shall come forth
to the resurrection of life, and they who have
done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John v. 22. "Their works follow with them.”
Rev. xiv. 13. "All were judged according
to their works." Rev. xx. 13. "Behold I
120
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
may
99
come, and
my
reward is with me, that I
give to every one according to his works.
Rev. xxii. 12. If there was no recip-
rocality with man, there would be no im-
putation.
106. Inasmuch as reception and re-
ciprocality are with man, therefore the
church teaches, that man should examine
himself, should confess his sins before
God, should desist from them, and should
lead a new life that this is taught by
every church in Christendom, may be
seen above, n. 3 to 8.
107. In case man had no faculty of
reception, and at the same time of think-
ing as from himself, nothing could have
been said in regard to faith, for neither is
faith from man: without such faculty
man would be like chaff in the wind,
and would stand like somewhat inani-
mate, with his mouth open and his hands
hanging down, expecting divine influx,
thinking nothing, and doing nothing in
the things which concern his salvation :
he has, indeed, from himself no power of
activity in those things, but still he has
the power of re-acting from himself.
But this matter will be set in a clearer
light in the Treatise concerning ANGELIC
WISDOM.
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
121
1
That if any one shuns evils from any
other motive than because they are
sins, he does not shun them, but only
prevents their appearing in the eyes of
the world.
108. THERE are moral men, who keep
the commandments of the second table
of the Decalogue, being guilty neither
of theft, nor of blasphemy, nor of revenge,
nor of adultery; and such of them as
persuade themselves that such things are
evil, because they are hurtful to the com-
mon good of the state, and thereby con-
trary to the laws of humanity, they also
live in the exercise of charity, sincerity,
justice, and chastity. But if they practise
these virtues, and shun those evils, only
because they are evils, and not at the
same time because they are sins, they are
still mere natural men, and with mere nat-
ural men the root of evil remains ingrafted,
and is not removed; therefore the good
actions they do are not good, because
done from themselves.
109. It is possible that the moral na-
tural man may appear before men in the
world altogether like the moral spiritual
122
*
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
man, but he will not appear so before the
angels in heaven; for before the angels.
in heaven, if he be principled in what
is good, he appears as an image of
wood, and if he be principled in what
is true, as an image of marble, in which
is no life; but it is otherwise with the
moral spiritual man; for the moral natur-
al man is externally moral, and the moral
spiritual man is internally moral; and
what is external without what is internal
is not alive; it lives indeed, but not the
life which is called life.
110. The concupiscences of evil, which
form the interiors of man from his birth,
are not removeable but by the Lord alone;
for the Lord enters by influx from what is
spiritual into what is natural, whereas man
of himself ascends from what is natural into
what in spiritual, and this influx is
contrary to order, and does not operate
upon concupiscences to the removal of
them, but incloses or shuts them in
closer and closer in proportion as it con-
firms itself and whereas hereditary evil
thus lies concealed and shut up, after
death, when man becomes a spirit, it
bursts the covering with which it was cov-
ered in the world, and breaks out like an
:
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
123
ulcerous sore, which was only externally
healed.
111. There are various and manifold
causes operating to render man moral in
an external form, but if he be not also mor-
al in an internal form, he is still not mor-
al: as for example; if a person abstains
from adultery and whoredom through
fear of the civil law and its penalties; or
through fear of losing his reputation, and
consequently his prospects of worldly ad-
vancement; or through fear of diseases
which may be thereby contracted; or
through fear of family broils, and the
disturbance of his private tranquillity; or
through fear of revenge exercised by the
injured party; or from motives of poverty or
of avarice ; or from weakness occasioned
either by disease, or by excess, or by age,
or by impotence; yea, if he abstains from
those evils on account of any natural or
moral law, and not at the same time on
account of a spiritual law, he is still in-
wardly an adulterer and whoremonger;
for he nevertheless believes that those
evils are not sins, and consequently he
does not make them unlawful in his spir-
it before God, and thus in spirit he com-
mits them, although not before the world
124
THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE
in the body; wherefore after death, when he
becomes a spirit, he openly speaks of them.
Hence it is evident, that a wicked person
may shun evils as being hurtful, but that
none but a christian can shun them as
being sinful.
112. The case is similar in respect to
thefts and frauds of every kind; and also
in respect to every kind of murder and
revenge, of false witness and lies; no one
can be cleansed and purified from them of
himself for there are infinite concupis-
cences innate in every one, which man does
not see but as one simple concupiscence,
whereas the Lord sees every smallest partic-
ular in every series. In a word, man cannot
regenerate himself, that is, form in him-
self a new heart and a new spirit; the
Lord alone, can do this, who is himself
the reformer and regenerator.
Where-
fore if man desires to make himself anew
by his own prudence and intelligence, it
is only like covering a.deformed face with
paint, and besmearing with soap a part
affected with inward rottenness.
113. Therefore the Lord saith in Mat-
thew, "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first
the inside of the cup and platte., that the
outside may be clean also," xxiii. 26;
FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM.
125
and in Isaiah, "Wash ye, make you clean,
put away the evil of your doings from
BEFORE MY EYES, cease to do evil:" and
then, "though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
i. 16, 18.
114. To what has been said above may
be added, I. That christian charity is for
every one to discharge his duty faithfully
in his calling; for thus, if he shuns evils as
sins, he daily does what is good, and is him-
self his own particular use in the common
body; thus also the common good is pro-
vided for, and that of each individual in
particular. II. That other works are not
properly works of charity, but are either
its signs, or benefits, or debts.
FINIS.


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